Amy

As Aunt Catherine cleaned up after dinner I noticed she looked a bit worn out. "Are you still planning on hitting the ol' bingo table at the Rainbow Senior Center tonight?" Suddenly she turned as white as a sheet. I pulled out a kitchen chair and helped her sit down.

"I probably caught the flu from one one of the old bitties." Aunt Catherine chuckled. "Hand me a glass of water dear."

I did. "Why don't you go rest. I'll clean up here."

"But you're our guest," objected Aunt Catherine.

"I thought I was family."

"That you are dear Amy. In that case would you mind making me a cup of tea?"

"I wouldn't mind at all. In fact I insist. Go lay down on the sofa."

She did.

Uncle Jerry meandered into the kitchen. "What's for dessert, Shug?"

"How about a nice cup of hot tea and a few Pepperidge Farm cookies?

He kissed me on the cheek. "Look at you? Not even here a week and you're already waiting on us. My plan has worked. He laughed maniacally.

"Very funny Uncle Jay." I spoke while putting the tea kettle on to boil. "Aunt Catherine doesn't look so good."

"She's made of a hearty stock little one. She'll be as right as rain tomorrow."

"As right as rain.." I muttered to myself. "I hope so." I wondered if I uttered, "I'd prefer she were better now," if Aunt Catherine would feel better immediately.  I busied myself washing the dishes insead. Part of me liked helping such sweet relatives while the other part of me wanted to rush up to Mount Kitty More and check my instagram.

Uncle Jerry coughed. "You missed a spot," he teased as he hovered over me washing dishes."

"Why don't you guys have a dishwasher?" I asked.

"We do!"

I looked around the small kitchen. "Really? Where?"

Uncle Jerry cleared his throat. "It's you! You're our new dishwasher."

"Ha ha, Uncle Jay." I flicked soap bubbles at him.

Uncle Jerry began coughing uncontrollably.

"Are you okay?" I handed him a tall glass of water.

"Yeah... probably caught something from my ol' bitty." He gulped down the water.

I took his glass and added it to the warm sudsy water in the sink as the tea kettle whistled furiously. "Maybe that ol' bitty shouldn't visit the senior center when she's sick."

Uncle Jerry smirked. "I'll tell your aunt you said so.

"Don't you dare." Uncle Jerry looked pale too. I'd really prefer they weren't getting sick. What if they had what my mom had? What if that plague has already hit the USA? Nah... I'm just being a worry wart like Bethie. These aren't the end times. They can't be! I need to become a famous social influencer, then marry Harry Styles and have two beautiful children. A girl can dream can't she? I have a good start. I'm about to hit 100,000 followers on Instagram. It's mostly pics of me doing my makeup and styling my hair. One day I hope to have my own beauty line. Oh I'd love to be a Cover Girl. If I was tall like Meg I'd already be famous. Us petite girls have to do twice the work to get half the following. Meg isn't even on social media. The horror! She thinks it's a colossal waste of time.

I've started on TikTok too. I can do all the dances (I skip the vulgar ones!) Mostly I give tips on how to properly do your makeup and how to pose if you're petite and under 5'5." I gain hundreds of followers a day! Hopefully I'll be more famous than that Charlie girl. It could happen. I'm just as cute and a bonus--I'm blond!