”She could have a couple of months left,” the doctor said quietly, ”But I can't promise you anything. A couple of weeks is a lot for her so if she makes it through a few months, it's a miracle.”

”Okay, thank you,” I nodded and shook the doctors hand. I turned to look at my mother who was laying on the hospital bed. She was asleep and looked more peaceful than ever.

She had started throwing up blood the previous night and it had truly scared me and I'd had to bring her down to the hospital. She was now forced to stay there for a few days, just to make sure that she was alive enough when she got to go home. But for now, she wasn't alive enough so I had no choice but leave her there.

My phone buzzed in my pocket as I walked out of the hospital. I furrowed my eyebrows when I noticed it was Vic calling.

”Hey, what's up? Why are you even up this early?” I asked and kept walking to my car.

”Your brother called me,” he mumbled into the phone, ”I had to give him a ride to his therapist
because you didn't pick up.”

”Oh my god,” I mumbled, ”I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about his appointment. I was at the hospital and couldn't answer my phone... I'm sorry, Vic.”

”Don't worry about it, Lucy, it's fine. Finn told me about your mom. It sucks,” he said.

”Yeah... But it's... Life, I guess,” I mumbled and sat down into my car.

”Yeah... Hey, what are you doing tonight? Do you want to come over?”

”Uh... Sure, okay,” I said and nodded, even though he couldn't see.

When Finn's therapy session was over, I picked him up and drove us to the nearest McDonald's. I ordered and paid for our meals while he waited at one of the tables. I set down the tray and looked at my brother.

”Do you think this is it, Lu?” he asked suddenly and looked straight into my eyes.

”What?” I asked.

”Do you think mom is going to... You know?”

”No, no,” I quickly shook my head, ”The doctors don't think it's over yet, no.”

”Good,” he let out a sigh of relief, ”I wasn't ready to say goodbye to her yet.”

”Finn...” I couldn't help but look at the sad smile on his face, ”Eat something, I'm sure you're hungry.”

I watched as he grabbed his hamburger and started opening the wrapper. For a sixteen year old boy he sure held in a lot of emotions. It felt bad to know how painful everything had become for him. There was nothing but a lot of sadness in his eyes now.

After we had eaten, I drove Finn home and then made my way to Vic's place. I walked straight in, knowing that he or his brother Mike who he lived with, never really locked the front door.

I found Vic laying over one of their couches in the livingroom. He was staring at his phone in his hands so I sat down on another couch and just looked at him. Eventually he put his phone away and flashed a big smile when he looked at me.

”You look nice,” he commented as his eyes scanned my body.

”Thanks. So do you.”

”So I was wondering if you want to get some pizza and maybe watch a movie,” he said.

”Sounds good to me. I can't stay late, though, because Finn is home alone and yeah...” I explained and shrugged.

”That's fine,” he nodded, ”So how's your mom doing?”

”I woke up to her coughing and puking blood last night,” I told him, ”And I took her to the hospital and the doctor...” I found it hard to finish, ”He said that she could only have a few weeks left.”

”Oh shit,” he mumbled, ”That sucks. I'm sorry, Lucy.”

Vic got up from the couch and walked to where I was before sitting down next to me. He instantly wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer to his side.

”It's fine,” I shrugged, ”I mean... I knew this was going to happen. We all knew. But it still sucks.”

”Do you want to talk about it?” he asked really quietly.

”No,” I shook my head.

”You know, talking could help...”

”I don't want to.”

”Lucy...”

”Stop it. Please,” I muttered.

”Okay, fine. But promise me you'll talk to me when you feel like it.”

”Yeah, yeah. I promise.”

”Great,” he said, ”You're my favourite girl and I hate to see you so down.”

”I know,” I nodded and sighed, ”Thanks for taking care of me, Vic.”

”That's what I'm here for. And, you know, Lucy, even though we're not exactly dating anymore... I still love you,” he said.

”I know. I love you too. Maybe someday we will make it work again,” I nodded.

”Exactly. Now, what movie do you want to watch? And please don't say The Notebook...”

We ended up watching Transformers 3 which was his choice, not mine. I liked it anyway because at least I got to spend time with him and could stare at his beautiful face for hours. Vic held me in his arms and it was the most comfortable I had been in a while. Every once in a while he played with my hair or placed little kisses on my forehead and cheek and hair. I felt loved and wanted in his arms.

Eventually I started drifting into sleep and my eyelids felt super heavy. I hadn't had much time to sleep because of all the worrying and stress so I was really tired and slowly falling asleep in Vic's arms felt good.

When I woke up, I felt like I was choking. I sat up quickly and looked around the dark room, not knowing where I was for a moment, and felt cold sweat dripping down my face. I tried to catch my breath and suddenly felt a familiar hand on my thigh. I looked down to my side to see Vic laying next to me. Then I looked around again and noticed that we were in his room, sleeping on his bed.

”Shh, babe, it's alright, relax,” Vic whispered and started rubbing my bare thigh with his hand.

”I need to go home – Finn.” Was all I could get out of my mouth.

”He's here,” Vic mumbled, ”Mike's away so he's sleeping in his room.”

”Really? How did he get here? And how did I get in to your bed?” I whispered.

”After you had fallen asleep I carried you here because you looked like you could use some sleep. Then I called Finn and went to pick him up. He ate some pizza and went to sleep,” he explained. I let out a sigh of relief – Finn was safe and okay.

”Lucy, you really have to start treating him like a 16-year-old, you know,” Vic said quietly as I laid back down next to him. He moved his hand up to my face and brushed my hair back with his fingers. His eyes never once left mine as he spoke.

”You don't need to babysit him all the time. He's a man already.”

”Yeah but... I'm all that he has now,” I whispered, ”And he's so upset all the time.”

”I'll hang out with him tomorrow. We'll do some guy stuff like go to a baseball game or something,” Vic promised. I cuddled closer to him and took a deep breath in.

”Thank you, Vic. You're the best ex-boyfriend ever.” He laughed quietly and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

The next morning I woke up to the sound of somebody laughing in the kitchen. I got up from the bed and grabbed one of Vic's hoodies from his closet before making my way into the kitchen. I saw three boys – Vic, Finn and Mike – sitting around the table and eating pancakes. They were all laughing and smiling and grinning like idiots and seeing them made me happy, too. They were, no doubt, my favourite boys in the whole wide world.

”Good morning, gentlemen,” I said as I sat down on the only empty chair. Vic looked at me with a bright smile on his face and without anybody else seeing, he blew a kiss at me.

”Morning, Lucy,” Mike said and nodded.

”You okay, Finn?” I asked and turned to look at my brother who looked really happy. He swallowed a mouthful of pancakes and nodded.

”Yeah. Vic and Mike are taking me to a baseball game today and after that we're going to – ”

”Finley!” Vic exclaimed quickly, cutting my brother off, ”I thought we agreed not to talk to Lucy about today's plan.”

”What is today's plan?” I asked and cocked an eyebrow at Vic.

I knew they were going to do something bad and frankly, I didn't like it. I looked at the three boys – Mike was suddenly really focused on eating, Finn was looking down at his empty plate and Vic was just looking at me – and realized that they weren't going to tell me.

”You're not going to take him to a bar, are you?” I asked and narrowed my eyes. Suddenly the conversation was only between Vic and myself – the other two had been left out. But Vic didn't say anything.

”Finn, are you going to a bar tonight?” I asked and turned to look at my brother. He finally looked up at me and bit his lip.

”You are,” I realized and nodded, ”Vic, can I talk to you? Alone?”

”Come on, Lucy, it's only a bar,” he muttered but stood up anyway.

He followed me into his room and closed the door after him. Then he turned to look at me.

”What are you thinking, Vic? Taking him to a bar with you guys?” I hissed, trying to keep my shouting quiet, ”He's sixteen, he's not even old enough to get in to a bar!”

”Lucy, fuck, calm down. It won't kill him,” he muttered, ”And he'll be with us so what's the worst that could happen, huh?”

”What's the worst that could– Are you out of your mind? I know how you guys act when you're drunk so anything could happen!”

”Stop shouting at me, babe.”

”And now when I tell him he can't go with you, he will be disappointed and angry at me,” I muttered and shook my head, ”Thanks a lot, Vic, you're a really great guy.”

”Lucy,” he said, ”Stop it. Everything will be just fine – and I won't even drink if you want me to look after him. But he needs this. He needs to hang out with the guys and get his mind off your mother, even just for a night. And you can come, too, if you want to keep your eyes on him.”

”I don't want to come,” I muttered.

”Why not?”

”Because I don't want to see all the girls all over you,” I mumbled and looked away from him. I didn't see his face but I was pretty sure he was grinning like an idiot. Then soon I saw his feet in front of mine and felt his hands on my waist.

”Baby,” he whispered and pulled me close to him, ”I'm not interested in anybody else. You're my favourite girl and you know that.”

”Yeah, whatever...”

”Lucy,” he murmured and touched my cheek with his cold fingers. I bit my lip and looked at his face in front of mine. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on my lips.

”Trust me, everything will be just fine,” he whispered.