Charlotte had taken the first driving shift. It was 5 a.m. and still dark when the plane landed. She knew these roads by heart and could navigate them easily in the dark. Around 6 o'clock Charlotte pulled off at a rest stop. She needed to get more coffee in her, and she needed to pee. Mason had begun to stir a few minutes earlier, and by the time they get out of the car, he seemed fully awake.

"How are you doing Mase?" Cooper asks his son, while they wait for Charlotte to get out of the bathroom.

"I'm ok. Are we almost there?" Mason asks. He's been really good about not complaining, but Cooper knows that it's been a long night.

"Another hour," Cooper says as he wraps his arm around Mason.

Charlotte walks over to them. She wants to quickly pick up coffee and food and get back on the road. "What do you want to eat, Mase?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You planning to go back to sleep?"

"Nah. I'm just not hungry yet."

"How about we get you a muffin just in case you get hungry before we get there?"

"Ok," Mason says with a shrug. "Thanks."

They're heading back to the car ten minutes later. Charlotte has already downed half her coffee, and Cooper isn't far behind with his. Cooper is carrying a bag with a few muffins and bagels. "I can drive now," Cooper offers.

"You sure?"

"As long as you navigate."

"I can handle that," Charlotte tells Cooper. Once Mason is in the car, she adds, "I'm going to get in the back with Mason, tell him what's going on before we get to my momma's house."

Cooper knows that Charlotte is right, that they need to talk to Mason before they get to Monroeville. Cooper gives Charlotte's arm a squeeze, and she smiles at him, mentally preparing for this conversation.

"Can I hop in the back with you?" Charlotte asks Mason.

"Sure."

Cooper is pulling back onto I-65 when Charlotte tells Mason. "I need to talk to you, honey."

"What's wrong?" Mason asks, and Charlotte wonders whether she looks visibly upset or whether Mason is just used to hearing bad news recently.

"My momma is going to die," Charlotte tells Mason. Mason has never met Augusta King, but Charlotte can't imagine how this wouldn't be hard for a nine-year-old boy who just lost his mother. "I know this is a lot for you to deal with, and I want you to know that the most important thing to your daddy and me is taking care of you. So, I want—"

Charlotte is cut off by Mason throwing himself against her. Mason wraps his arms tightly around Charlotte. "I'm so sorry, Momma."

Charlotte kisses Mason's head and puts her arms around him. "Thank you, sweetie."

"Can I do anything to help you?" Mason asks, and Charlotte swears that every time Mason opens his mouth she just loves him more.

"I'm ok. I'm sad, but I'm ok. You don't need to worry about me."

"But you're my momma."

"Exactly. That means it's my job to take care of you. Not the other way around."

"But you took care of me when my mom died. I want to help you too." Charlotte is pretty sure that if Mason keeps this up, she will be in tears soon. He is just so damn sweet.

"Being with you makes me feel better," she tells Mason, brushing his hair back from his face, "and your hugs always make me happy." Charlotte is rewarded with a smile from her son – another thing that never fails to brighten her mood.

Charlotte settles Mason against her side. "I want you to remember that you can tell me if you're upset or sad. No matter what's happening, you are my number one priority. You got that?"

"But your momma is dying, we should take care of you." Charlotte looks up and makes eye contact with Cooper in the rearview mirror. They share a look that says we have the best kid in the world.

"It means a lot to me that you want to take care of me. But that is your dad's job. He and I take care of each other." Cooper smiles to himself. Mason has no idea what a hard fought battle it was to get Charlotte to let Cooper take care of her. "So you don't need to worry about us. But I want you to promise me that you will talk to me or your dad if you're hurting, because we are always going to take care of you."

"Ok. I promise."

"Good," Charlotte tells Mason, and for a while Charlotte lets silence surround them as she watches the familiar scenery pass by.

When they approach the turnoff to I-84, and Charlotte knows they're only about 20 minutes from her family's home, she tells Mason, "When we get there I need to go over to my momma's house and see her. I was thinking that you and your daddy could drop me off and explore town a while."

"We can just come with you," Mason tells his momma.

"You can come if you want, but you need to know that my momma will be there. You don't have to see her, but I was thinking it might upset you anyway."

"No, it's ok," Mason tells her. "I'd rather stay with you."

Charlotte looks up to try to catch Cooper glaze. Cooper tells Charlotte, "How about we come with you, and then if Mason wants to leave we can?"

"That ok, Mase?" Charlotte asks.

"Sure."

As they approach Monroeville, Charlotte has Cooper pull off the road so they can switch drivers. Charlotte drives through town, giving a little tour as they go: her high school, the church she went to as a child, Harper Lee's home. Charlotte navigates the road to her family's house without a thought. She'd been driving down this winding road since Big Daddy taught her to drive 20 years ago.

"This is your house?" Mason asks incredulously, as Charlotte turns off the engine.

"Yep."

"It's huge!"

Charlotte gets out of the car. The air is warm and heavy, and to Charlotte it feels like home, like all the childhood summers spent riding her horse and swimming in the river. No matter how long she spends away from Monroeville, being in this place is still comfortable and familiar. Her family on the other hand, seeing them usually involves conflict and guilt and an overwhelming feeling of wanting to get back to California as soon as possible.

Charlotte rings the doorbell and a woman in her mid-sixties answers. Cooper recognizes her as the Kings' housekeeper, Bernie. "Hello, Charlotte dear. Come in, come in," Bernie says guiding them into the large open foyer of the house.

"Hi Bernie," Charlotte says with a warm smile, "It's good to see you again."

"You too. I just wish it were under better circumstances." Bernie turns to Cooper and adds, " and it is good to see you again." Bernie had met Cooper when Big Daddy died, and she'd always liked him. "I knew you two would end up together," she tells Cooper with a conspiratory grin.

"It's nice to see you again," Cooper replies.

Charlotte pulls Mason over to her. "Bernie, this is my son Mason. Mase, this is Bernie. She has been with my family since I was younger than you are."

"It is very nice to meet you Mason."

"You too."

"You all must be exhausted. Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" Bernie asks.

Mason looks up at Charlotte, and she figures that he's uncomfortable with the idea of asking a servant for something. "You hungry?" Charlotte asks Mason.

"Yeah," he tells her.

"Why don't you three come with me, and we can get some food in you. You like waffles Mason?"

"Yeah," Mason tells Bernie, excitedly. Waffles happen to be his favorite.

Charlotte walks with them into the kitchen and then asks Bernie. "Is everyone in my momma's room?"

"Your brothers are out back having a drink. But your momma is all situated in her room. The nurse is up there with her. Pastor Timothy just left a few minutes ago."

Charlotte will have to deal with her brothers later. Right now she needs to see her momma. Charlotte and her mother have never been close, but Charlotte needs to be there for her momma now. No one should have to die alone, and no matter what kind of mother she was, Augusta should have her children by her side.

Cooper looks at his son, "You ok here for a little while?"

"Sure Dad."

"Don't worry Dr. Freedman," Bernie tells Cooper, "I can watch Mason."

Cooper thanks Bernie, insists that she call him by his first name, and then wraps his arm around Charlotte and walks with her out of the room.

As they walk up the stairs Cooper asks, "Do you want me to come see her with you?"

"No, Momma won't allow that I'm sure. I'll be lucky if she even wants me to see her like this."

"Ok, well I'll just be right outside her room," Cooper tells her.

"No, it's fine. Go get some breakfast," Charlotte tells her husband. "You really don't want to pass up Bernie's waffles."

They get to Augusta's room and Charlotte tries to prepare herself. She's seen plenty of terminally ill people before, but somehow you're just never prepared when it's your own family. Cooper gives Charlotte's waist a squeeze. "I'll be right here." Charlotte nods and opens the door to her mother's room.

Augusta's room is large and ornate. They've moved a hospital bed into the room and placed it catty-corner to the four-poster bed that Charlotte remembers from when she was a small child. She used to love jumping on that bed. It was springier than her bed and when she was four or five, Charlotte would sneak in for a bounce when she thought her parents weren't looking. It was a pastime that more often than not ended in Big Daddy yelling at her.

Charlotte quietly shuts the door behind her, and the nurse sitting besides Augusta looks up. Charlotte knows the nurse – Diana – she's the same woman who had taken care of Big Daddy. The Kings are a family that appreciates discretion, and Diana had been good at keeping her mouth shut when Charlotte's father was dying. She'd turned a blind eye to Augusta's drinking and drug abuse (as well as the general family dysfunction) and hadn't spread this salacious piece of gossip about the King family around town.

Charlotte draws closer to where Augusta is lying, and the older woman opens her eyes. "Hi Momma."

Augusta struggles to sit up, and Diana adjusts the bed to a sitting position. Diana asks Charlotte, "Do you want me to give you two some time alone?"

"Yes. Thank you," Charlotte tells Diana, who walks out the door.

Charlotte takes the newly vacated seat and looks her mother over. Augusta is jaundiced and swollen. Her eyes won't quite focus on her daughter, and Charlotte wonders if this is the beginning of cerebral edema or simply the result of morphine. "How are you feeling, Momma?" Charlotte asks, taking her mother's hand.

"Charlotte?"

"Yeah, Momma," Charlotte answers and gives her mother's hand a squeeze.

"When did you get here baby girl?"

"Just now. Cooper, Mason, and I flew in this morning."

"Mason?" Augusta questions, and Charlotte knows her mother's mental status is altered. If Augusta's brain is swelling, they're talking a matter of hours or days at the most.

Charlotte swallows around the lump in her throat, "Mason's my son, remember?"

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," Charlotte replies, her eyes filling with tears.

"Baby girl?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could go get me a glass of bourbon?"

Charlotte is caught off guard by the absurdity of a woman with end stage liver failure asking for alcohol, the very thing that put her in this position to begin with. A tidal wave of anger floods Charlotte, and she's suddenly on the verge of screaming at her mother. She needs to leave the room before she starts saying things that she'll regret. Charlotte lets go of her mother's hand, stands up, and walks out.

She finds Cooper standing outside the door just where she left him talking to Diana, who dutifully reenters Augusta's room as soon as she sees Charlotte. "Take a walk with me?" Charlotte asks Cooper, and he follows her silently out of the house and onto the vast grounds of her family's property.

They're almost a quarter mile from the house when Charlotte finally blurts out, "She asked me to get her a drink," Cooper isn't sure what to say. He can guess why this is making Charlotte upset, but he waits to hear from his wife what she's feeling. "She's sitting in there, dying of liver failure, and she asked me to get her bourbon. And I get that she's an addict, and it doesn't matter now anyway, but I'm so angry at her Coop."

"It's ok to be angry," Cooper tells Charlotte. "And I'm guessing you're angry about a lot more than just the fact that she wants a drink right now."

"It's not ok for me to be angry. I don't have time to process my emotions and work through everything that happened in my childhood. I don't have years to lie on a couch for that psychobabble crap. She's dying now, and I need to be able to be there for her."

Cooper really wishes he knew what to say. He has great relationships with his parents, and he can't quite imagine what it feels with to have sorrow and grief tied so tightly to anger. Before Cooper can think of anything comforting and helpful to say, Charlotte is talking again. "I used to think I understood her. She resented Landry, Duke, and me. She was stuck in this life she didn't want and using got her through it. I know how addiction takes over your whole life and makes you selfish."

Charlotte takes a deep breath, tries to put the right words to these feelings. "But now that I have Mason…" she trails off again, shakes her head. "There is no better reason in the world to stay clean. I have this precious little boy who needs me and I don't get how you don't put your child first." Charlotte feels like a child herself voicing these sentiments, wishing her mother had loved her more. It's history. No amount of yapping about it will change anything.

"I would never do anything to hurt Mason. God, Coop, if I ever…"

Cooper remembers then a conversation they'd once had about having kids. Charlotte had been scared of being like her mother, scared of sitting around drinking instead of taking care of her children. "Hey, Char," Cooper wants to stop Charlotte before she lets her mind wander down this path. "You are an amazing mother. I know you would never hurt Mason."

Charlotte looks at Cooper and the fear and pain in her eyes break his heart. Cooper puts a hand on her cheek, caressing it gently. Charlotte stands on her tip toes and reaches up to give Cooper a long, deep kiss. She finally pulls away, breathless, and just stands nose to nose with Cooper, breathing in the same air.

Charlotte looks up at Cooper a moment later. She gives him a smile. Cooper realizes that he barely said a word to Charlotte, but that she seems calmed and comforted nonetheless. He loves that he can do that for her.

Charlotte knows that she still isn't in the right frame of mind to see her mother again. "Can we go get Mason and walk some more?" Charlotte asks, and Cooper nods with a smile. Before she goes back to see her mother, Charlotte needs to spend some time with the people in her life who make everything feel easy and right.