Stress Test Anon Part 26

>You're tempted to take the next day off to make sure that Lulu is doing fine but one look at Sammy hovering around Lulu makes it feel like you'd only be adding to her stress than taking away from it.
>You suppose that it's only natural that Lulu wouldn't be perfectly happy with having to take it easy, what with her status as longtime lady of the house, and for the times when you'd been particularly useless the only one taking any care of your home at all.
>"Promise me that you'll at least try to take it easy, my sweet thing," You say as she ties your tie before you leave for work, grinning slightly as she huffs. "It would take a good deal of worry off of my and Sammy's minds."
>Lulu looks you in the eye for a long while before letting out an annoyed sigh, "If only for the two of you, Sir," Lulu says softly. "But I'm sure that both you and her know that being lax simply isn't in my nature, I'm literally not designed for it!"
>"Sammy and I just worry about your health," you say before you place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Sammy perhaps even more than I, especially with this being her first health scare. Please try and be patient with her."
>Lulu grumbles lightly, and you leave for work, lest you decide to throw the day away to spoiling your girls.
>"Lulu, I can handle the sweeping and the laundry," Sammy says, seeming to appear at her fellow maidbot's side as soon as you had left, placing a novel into Lulu's hands. "Please, feel free to take a rest and enjoy some of this novel, I know that you'd been looking for a moment to enjoy it!"
>Lulu looked at the well taken care of novel in her hands and couldn't find it in herself to explain to Sammy that it was one she had read many times in the past, a gift from you that she'd barely been able to accept at the time that you'd given it to her, it was a novelization of a radio drama for Our Sleepless City from early on into the show's run, Lulu had read the book from cover to cover what had to have been hundreds of times.
>"Well... as long as you promise me that you'll come and get me the moment you need any help," Lulu conceded, deciding that one quick little read from where she'd left off couldn't hurt. "I understand you're worried about me, but I'm not going to fall apart out of the blue, Sammy."
>"I know, I know, but still!" the peppy maid responded as she walked Lulu to the couch and sat her down before kissing her on the forehead just like you had done earlier. "I'm here to help you and Master, please never forget that I care so very deeply about both of you."
>Lulu's cheek panels light up and she nods her head, grinning slightly to herself as she opens the novel in her hands and begins reading from where she left off last time.
>The world seems to fade away as she imagines herself in the place of the woman in the pages of the novel, rescued and swept off her feet by the gruff detective with a heart of gold that she can't help but imagine with her owner's face.
>And in what feels like the blink of an eye she's on the last page of the novel again, imagining the kiss that the detective shares with his love as her and Anon locking lips passionately.
>Lulu sighs dreamily to herself, scarcely able to believe that she's now in a relationship even remotely like the ones that had for so long only existed in her imagination alongside Sammy.
>And thinking of her fellow maid, of the memory of the two of them kissing makes her cheek panels shine, as the thought of being so valued by two people still seems so alien to her, making her frown as dark, fragmented memories try to bubble to the surface.
>She still barely remembers what set Tobias off all those years ago, and the fact that in her memories his face still does not exist is almost a relief to her.
>She remembers laughing about something, followed by screaming, and then pain, the next memory in her mind one that she doubts she'll ever forget, Anon standing over her and letting himself get soaked in the rain as he shields her broken form from it with his umbrella, his eyes looking at her with a mixture of shock and sadness.
>Lulu shakes her head, trying to physically shake off the memories, assuring herself that both she and Anon had come so very far from where they were all those years ago.
>Lulu quickly gets up, and with a quick look at the time decides that she'll find Sammy and see if her junior needs any help before going to get supper ready, a nice hearty stew would be perfect!
>Sammy is in the process of folding the laundry when Lulu finds her, and she gives Lulu a megawatt smile when she asks if Sammy needs any help.
>"Ah, could you walk me through folding Master's shirts again?" Sammy asks with an embarrassed giggle. "I never seem to get doing that right!"
>Lulu is more than happy to walk Sammy through the process once again, and once her junior seems ready to finish folding the clothes on her own Lulu tells her about the plans for supper.
>"Oh, a stew sounds delightful!" Sammy titters with another brilliant smile. "It has still been a little chilly recently, so it only makes sense to make something warm!"
>Leaving Sammy to finish folding the clothes, Lulu makes her way to the kitchen, and after a quick scan of the cupboards and freezer Lulu settles on a chicken stew with dumplings, and just as the Stew begins its final simmer the door opens.
>You sigh in relief as you come back into the house, yawning and cracking your neck as a pleasant aroma graces your nose.
>"Sir, Dinner should be ready in just a few minutes," Lulu says happily, cleaning off her hand on a wet paper towel. "I hope you're hungry, Dinner tonight is Chicken and Dumpling stew!"
>"I'll help set up the table then!" You say immediately. "Lulu, you feel free to sit down and relax! Sammy and I have it from here."
>Lulu looked like she was going to protest your offer for a moment before she shook her head and sighed, "If you insist, Sir," Lulu said resignedly, though you didn't miss the small smile gracing her face. "But only if you let me bake you something special for dessert."
>You blink at the counter offer, before blushing as your stomach makes its opinion on the idea of dessert well known. "Well, I guess that couldn't hurt," You reply bashfully, before grinning back as Sammy joins the two of you.
>"So I'm doing dishes tonight then?" Sammy says, grinning as Lulu deflates.
>This is the general path the rest of the night ends up taking, and you wouldn't have it any other way.