Seeing her asleep, Caitlin closed the door quietly and took her supplies to the kitchen. She returned to the bedroom to gently pull the blanket over Celeste before heading back to the kitchen to prepare the remedy.

She had bought a new pot specifically for this purpose, along with some fruit tea and a few eggs from a nearby market. After preparing the herbs, she set them to simmer slowly in the pot. Then, she took out another pot and began to brew the hot tea.

As if on cue, just as the tea was ready, Celeste woke up.

Hearing the sounds from the kitchen, she called out, "Catie, are you back?"

"Yes," Caitlin replied, walking in with a steaming cup. "March, I made some hot tea. Drink it while it's warm; it will help with the pain."

The medicinal broth needed to simmer for another two hours, reducing from three bowls of water to half a bowl. Celeste hadn't eaten much that morning due to the pain, and the tea would not only ease her discomfort but also give her some much-needed energy.

Looking at the tea, Celeste's eyes welled up, and she threw her arms around Caitlin. "Catie, you're the best! No one besides my mom has ever been this good to me."

Her so-called friends from the past were a different story entirely. One had nearly let a group of thugs ruin her, and the other was only ever interested in taking advantage of her. It was Caitlin who had shown her what true, healthy friendship felt like.

Caitlin smiled and patted her back. "You're good to me too. Now, drink your tea." "Okay, okay," Celeste nodded.

After drinking the tea, the pain did indeed subside significantly. Two hours later, the medicinal broth was ready. Celeste hated anything bitter and would usually need a lot of, coaxing from her parents to take even a sip of medicine. But today, she drank the entire half bowl in one go. Caitlin had spent her whole morning preparing this for her; being difficult about it now would just be childish.

Caitlin immediately handed her a small sugar candy. "Here, eat this. It will help with the bitterness."

Celeste popped it into her mouth.

"Wow! This is amazing, Catie! After I drank the medicine, the pain is completely gone! I don't feel a thing It was as if she had been brought back to life.

Caitlin laughed. "The medicine is effective, but it doesn't work that fast. I think that might be a placebo effect."

"No, it's not, Celeste insisted. "The tea you made already helped a lot, but after the medicine, the pain is completely gone!" She stood up and even did a little hop. "Catte, you're a miracle worker!"

Caitlin felt herself blush at the effusive praise.

Celeste pulled out her phone. "Catie, let's go to that riverside restaurant for dinner tonight! I heard the ambiance is amazing. A lot of influencers from back home have been there."

"But are you sure you're feeling up to it?"

"I'm totally fine, really! Watch, I can even jump without any pain!" Celeste bounced

on her feet a couple of times to prove her point.