I woke up to the feeling of somebody kissing my cheek. My eyes fluttered open and I came face to face with Vic. A smile found its way to my lips instantly and I reached closer to kiss him again. He pulled away way too soon and as he sat up, I noticed that he was all dressed up already. I frowned and looked at him as he got up from the bed and pushed a suitcase closer to the doorway.

”Are you going somewhere? What time is it?”

”Yeah, the tour bus is picking us up in, like, fifteen minutes,” he told me.

My eyes shot wide open. What, today, right now? He was leaving me on my own. I started to panic.

I quickly jumped up from the bed and ran to him. He seemed surprised by my actions but wrapped his arms around me more tightly when I pulled him into a tight hug.

”Hey, babe, what's wrong?” he whispered and pulled back so that he could study my face. He pushed my hair back and looked into my eyes, looking somewhat worried as he did that.

”I don't know how I'm going to survive without you,” I whispered really quietly and felt the tears burning in the corners of my eyes. His face softened and he pulled me into another hug, this time holding me against his chest for a lot longer.

”You will be just fine,” he whispered against my hair, ”I promise. And you can always call me or text me or whatever. You won't be without me, I will just be a bit farther away.”

”Do you promise?” I whispered and buried my face against his shirt.

”I promise, Lucy.” When he finally pulled away from me, he took my face between his hands and looked deep into my eyes.

”I will always be here for you,” he promised, ”Okay? I love you, Lucy.”

”I love you, too, Vic,” I mumbled and nodded with a sob. He forced a smile on my face and pinched my cheek quickly.

”Good girl. Now, go back to sleep, it's only 8 AM.”

The next time I woke up around 10. Vic and Mike had already left and only Finn was there, but he was still asleep, so I wandered around the empty house for a moment. The house was a mess which wasn't a surprise because, after all, two guys with no girlfriends lived there. There was no need to keep it clean. So, being the nice ex-girlfriend that I was, I decided to start cleaning up.

A few hours later the house still wasn't exactly clean but it did look a lot better. And Finn had woken up... Only to move his body into the bathroom to start throwing up. I tried to rub his back and pull his hair back while he emptied his stomach.

When he finally finished, his whole body relaxed and he laid on his back on the floor.

”Where am I?” he mumbled and closed his eyes. He started breathing heavily and I sat down next to him. I offered him a bottle of water but he pushed my hand away.

”We're at Vic's,” I told him quietly, ”Are you okay?”

”Where are the guys?”

”They left. They have a tour in the UK,” I said.

”Oh...”

”You should have some water and breakfast. I'm sure you will feel better soon.”

”Thanks, sis,” he mumbled and grabbed the bottle before drinking some water.

When Finn was feeling better, we left and I drove us home. Finn walked straight upstairs into his room and didn't come out until late that night. I hadn't heard from Vic all day but I had managed to push him to the back of my mind and had tried my best to focus on what was important. My mother had to be picked up from the hospital, apparently she was alive enough to come back home, so I drove to the hospital to get her.

She had a weak smile on her face when I walked into her room. She was sitting on her bed in her baggy clothes, looking slightly better than the last time I saw her, and I couldn't help but smile as I looked at her.

”You look good,” I said with a smile and went to hug her.

”I feel better,” she nodded and stood up with my help. I grabbed her bag and we started walking out of the hospital, slowly but carefully. We made it all the way to my car and I helped her in before I got in and started driving.

When we got back home, I followed her in and she made her way straight in to the livingroom and sat down on the couch. She was breathing heavily and holding her chest but still managed to force a smile on her face when she turned to look at me.

”Can you get Finley, honey? I want to see that boy,” she said. I nodded, of course.

Finn was laying in bed in the darkness when I opened the door into his room. I turned on the lights and he groaned loudly and tried to cover his eyes with his hands.

”Finn, get up, mom wants to see you. I'm not going to make her worry and tell her about your little trip to the bar last night so pull yourself together and act normal,” I said. He pulled his hand away from his face and looked at me.

”She's home?” he asked and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. He sat up and got out of the bed in less than five seconds. He grabbed a dirty t-shirt from the floor and quickly pulled it on before running downstairs to where mom was.

When I came down into the livingroom, after having used the toilet, I saw Finn and mom sitting on the couch and watching television. Mom was holding on to Finn's hand like a little child and they were having this little moment together and I didn't dare bother them so I left them alone and went to kitchen instead. I decided to make some tea for the three of us.

Later, I joined my brother and mom in the livingroom. I gave them their cups of tea and sat down next to Finn. They were watching some crappy TV show and I couldn't help but grin like an idiot at the thought of us three, sitting together, drinking tea and watching TV – it was a proper family moment, and, sadly, it would be one of the last memories of time spent together as a family.

”Kids,” mom spoke quietly, ”I want you to know that what ever happens, you two are the most important things in my life. You've made me the happiest and most proud mother on Earth and I'm extremely proud to have you as my kids.”

”Don't sound like you're saying goodbye,” I whispered and looked at her. There was a weak smile on her face which made me sad.

”You never know what may happen,” she told me, ”Alright, kids, it's about time you go to bed.”

”Mom, we're not ten anymore...”

”Finley, dear, you have to sleep in order to grow up and become a strong man,” she said and patted Finn's back.

Finn rolled his eyes but kissed mom's cheek anyway before getting up from the couch.

”I love you, son,” mom said and smiled at him before he disappeared out of the room. I turned to look at mom who had a very serious look on her face. She was looking at me.

”There's something I need you to do for me, Lucy,” she said.

”What is it, mom?”

”You need to go buy me a pack of cigarettes. Marlboro red,” she said.

”Hey, mom... I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, you can't smoke and you know it...” I mumbled and shook my head.

”Lucy, darling, I have terminal lung cancer so it isn't going to get any better than this,” she said, ”This is the only thing I ask. I can't leave and rest in peace if I can't have a smoke before I go.”

”Mom... Please don't do this,” I mumbled and tried to stop the tears from bursting out of my eyes. She reached closer to grab my hand and squeezed gently.

”This is my final wish,” she whispered and flashed a sad smile.

”You can't do this now, mom.”

”My time has come, Lucy,” she nodded, ”I'm ready to go.”

”Mom, please...”

”Marlboro red, remember, dear.”

When I left the house, I thought I was going to have a panic attack. I knew I had to get mom what she wanted, I mean, come on, it was her final wish and I was her daughter. But she was leaving goodbyes and I was truly scared that I would never see her again. If she smoked, it would most definitely be her last night with us and she knew it.

But if she felt like it was her time to go... I wanted to sit in my car and cry for a few hours. I didn't want to buy her cigarettes. I wanted to... I wanted to be with Vic. He had answers for everything, he would have known what to do in a situation like that.

But he was on the other side of the world and would be no help. So I only had myself and the five bucks my mom had just given me. I sighed and wiped my eyes before starting the car.

Half an hour later I was back home. I sat in my car for a moment before pulling myself together and getting out. Mom was outside, sitting on our front porch with a blanket wrapped around her tiny figure. When I reached her, I handed her the pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She smiled and grabbed them. She started opening the packet.

”Thank you, honey. Please sit down.” She patted the empty spot on the bench next to her.

I sat down and watched as she took one of the cigarettes out and placed it between her lips. She lit it up and inhaled the smoke, and even though she started coughing, she looked more calm than I had seen her in a long time.

”I'm really proud of you, Lucy,” she spoke quietly, ”You've taken care of Finley and I can never thank you enough of that. One day you will be a great mother.”

”Mom... I just wish you were there to see your grandchildren,” I whispered.

”Sometimes I wish that, too. But, on the other hand, this was my path and it has come to its end.”

”But don't you ever think that maybe you were meant for more?”

”If I had been meant for more, life would have treated me some other way,” she said, ”It's my time to go, Lucy, and one day you will understand that this was for the best.”

”I doubt that,” I mumbled.

”I know this is hard for you. It's hard for everyone, it has to be. But you have people out there for you who will take care of you and look after you when you're feeling down, Vic being one of them. I thank God every day for that boy, he's a true blessing. I know I can count on him to be there for you when I'm not.”

At one point mom asked me to leave her alone, and I did. I kissed her cheek, hugged her tightly and told her I loved her, and then I went inside. I walked up the stairs into my room and sat down on the bed. I checked my phone to see if there were any messages or missed calls from Vic, but no, there was nothing from him. I sighed and laid down on my back and just stared up at the white ceiling.