Obvious disclaimer: I don't own any of Even Stevens.
Note: I wrote this story with a heavy heart. Unlike my other stories, this is a scenario that I would never wish on Louis and Tawny; it's just where my imagination led me to. So I'm making this a stand-alone episode; what happens here doesn't carry over into future stories.
Louis sat outside his mother's hospital room crying, Tawny's hand placed gently over his, his other hand covering his face. Six months. It had been six months since his mother had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Six months of crying until he thought he couldn't cry any more. Six months to prepare himself emotionally for what was going to come. But when it did come, it simply overwhelmed him. The feeling of his mother no longer being here on earth was just something that couldn't be prepared for. It was something that struck him, like a harsh blow to the head, with a relentless quality once it became reality. He felt utterly helpless as he could feel his heart being drained of life and his head being clobbered with the recognition of his harsh reality.
Tawny felt utterly helpless as she could feel Louis suffering. And this time, she felt there was nothing she could do about it. Her own heart felt weak, being more drained of life than ever before, because Louis's pain was her pain, his loss was her loss. She made an effort to not cry, to be the source of strength that Louis needed so badly. She wanted to be there for him, now more than ever. But she also knew that she had to give him every bit of space that he needed, to let him process his emotions, to decide for himself how much he wanted her to be there for him.
"Louis," Tawny finally said. "I want you to know that I'll be there for you anytime you need me. Any hour of day or night, if you need to see me or talk to me, give me a call. But if you need to be alone, I'll respect that completely. It's up to you."
Louis just nodded. He wanted to thank her for being there, for being ready to be there whenever. But he felt a strange kind of mental and physical paralysis that kept holding him down.
Tawny could tell that Louis could not muster the strength. She proceeded to give him a heartfelt hug, pouring into it every ounce of strength and affection that she could muster. "I love you, Louis," she said softly.
The feeling of Tawny's hug warmed him, pumping precious life into his scarred heart and giving him enough strength for the response that had to come. "I love you, Tawny," he whispered into her ear as he held tightly onto her, treasuring the moments that he could spend in her arms before being thrust back into his harsh reality.