Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

“I can’t believe you get paid for this,” Olivia said on Sunday as she watched two five-week-old kittens try to scramble over her legs.

There were five kittens in all and a mother cat who seemed delighted to have someone take over babysitting, at least for a couple of hours. The family was camped out in Eliza’s small apartment.

“Technically, today is my day off,” Eliza told her. “It’s Sunday. So I’ve brought my work home with me.”

“Still.” Olivia picked up a black-and-white kitten and petted her. “It beats having to figure out a quarterly report. Hey, you. Could you be cuter?”

The kitten looked at her and purred.

When Eliza had suggested lunch with a little kitten socialization thrown in, Olivia had offered to pick up takeout. Now as she sat on the living room floor, she wondered if she would have been able to make it through vet school.

“Thanks for coming over,” Eliza said. “The kittens are old enough to be around people now so I need to make sure they’re comfortable with being held so that they can be adopted.”

“Do you take in a lot of strays?”

“I try not to. It would be easy to be inundated. The practice works with a local shelter. You’d be surprised how many people simply dump their animals off and run. But it’s kitten season so I offered to be a foster mom.”

“There’s a season for kittens?”

“Late spring and summer.” Eliza petted the momma cat. “She was abandoned by her family. She’s very friendly and litter box trained. Once the kittens are ready to find their forever home, she’ll be spayed and adopted out, as well.”

“Tempted to keep one for yourself?”

Eliza wrinkled her nose. “I work a lot of hours. I’ll foster again instead.”

Olivia wondered if she had the right stuff to foster. Cats were pretty independent, which would help. Maybe next year she would be settled enough to try. In the meantime, she would make sure to hold each of the kittens. You know—for the sake of humanity, or in this case, kittendom.

“I brought my tablet,” she said, reaching for her backpack. “I found a couple of really cool apps you’re going to love. Now smile.”

Eliza’s expression was more startled than practiced. Olivia snapped a couple of pictures, then opened the app and uploaded them.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said before, about not looking old enough.” Olivia turned the tablet to show Eliza the picture.

Her friend groaned. “I look like I’m twelve.”

“Kind of. You need pet parents to take you seriously.”

“Or at least not assume I’m some volunteer high school student.”

“What do you wear at work?” Olivia asked as she entered information into the app. “Scrubs?”

“Mostly. They’re comfy and practical.”

“They make you look like a kid in pajamas.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I can guess. You need to wear them for surgery and stuff, but the rest of the time, and believe me I can barely mouth the words, you should be in tailored jeans and a T-shirt.” She shuddered.

Eliza grinned. “Why is that bad?”

“Because you’re a professional. Jeans and a T-shirt? But given what you do, it makes sense. Still, I’m not talking about one with the Seahawks logo. I’m talking plain and made out of a high-quality knit. I’ll send you some links. Also, you need a shoe that gives you a little height.” She held up a hand. “I get you won’t be in Jimmy Choos, but there’s no reason you can’t wear a comfortable ankle boot with an inch or so of heel.”

She turned the tablet so Eliza could see the outfit she’d put together. The mannequin had Eliza’s slightly wide-eyed photo for a head. Olivia had chosen a long-sleeved round neck burgundy T-shirt, dark wash jeans and a cute Lucky Brand ankle boot.

“Under normal circumstances, I’d throw in a statement necklace, but with you handling animals, I’m guessing that would be bad.” She smiled at her creation. “Put on a white coat and voilà—a professional doctor is born.”

“I could try it,” Eliza said, sounding doubtful.

“You will try it and you’ll see I’m right. The fabrics are all machine washable. I know that’s a big deal for you. Like I said—avoid the scrubs if at all possible. You’ll look too young. Now, hair and makeup.”

“Did I ask for this?”

“Yes, you did. Besides, I just made over my sister’s wardrobe and I’m on a roll.” She hit several buttons on the tablet, then smiled. “Oh, yeah, we’re going classic.”

She showed Eliza the picture. “Shoulder-length bob. It’s simple, it flatters your features and you’ll look older.”

Eliza studied the image. “I’ve been thinking of cutting my hair. I like the style, but is it hard to manage?”

“I don’t think so. Your hair is thick, so you could probably let it dry naturally most days and blow it out for special occasions. I’ve been looking around for a good hairstylist. I have a couple of names I’ll email you. A haircut will make a huge difference, but you’re going to have to wear makeup.”

“That’s not happening. I have to be at work early most days. I don’t have time.”

“Like you’re the first one to use that excuse. What if I could get you out of the bathroom in five minutes?”

“You can’t.”

Olivia set down the tablet and picked up a gray kitten. “Did you hear that total lack of faith?”

The kitten mewed. Olivia snuggled him close, then stood. “Come on. I’ll prove it.”

“With what?”

She grinned and pulled a small bag out of her backpack. “I went shopping. Come on.”

They went into Eliza’s bathroom. Olivia dumped out the contents of the bag.

“Liner, mascara, concealer, lip stain,” she said. “Tie your hair back.”

Eliza did as she was told.

“You’re wearing sunscreen, right?” Olivia asked as she opened the package of eyeliner. “Even up here it’s important.”

“Every day,” Eliza told her. “No matter what.”

“Excellent. Now the trick to liner is to stay as close to the lash line as possible. Don’t try to draw the whole line at once. Use short strokes.”

Slightly more than five minutes later, Eliza had the makeup on. The concealer covered faint dark circles, while the liner and mascara brought out her big eyes.

“The lip stain will last most of the day,” Olivia told her. “You don’t have to worry about it wearing off in fifteen minutes. I would say apply it in the morning before you leave your apartment, then again after lunch.”

Eliza studied herself. “I do look more sophisticated. Okay, I can do this.”

Olivia pointed to the small bottle they’d yet to open. “Eye makeup remover,” she said. “You’ll need it to get everything off. Then wash your face like you usually do.”

Eliza beamed at her. “You’re so nice. Why don’t I remember you being this nice in high school?”

“Because I wasn’t.”

She’d been more concerned with being popular and capturing Ryan’s fickle attention than making and keeping real friends.