His words tore straight through her soul and for a moment she couldn't breathe. Every molecule inside of her body was screaming and threatening to burst if she didn't pull herself together. Her hand clasped the thin material above her heart as a wave of pain etched itself across her features. She couldn't deal with this; it was never supposed to happen in the first place.

She sniffled as she took a few shaky breaths and her hands fumbled for the phone in her purse. Through the tears she was somehow able to dial and before she placed it to her ear, she brushed the back of her hand under her eyes. "Hello?" She gulped as she fought for some sort of composure, willing her voice not to break. "Hey it's me," she said as she squeezed her eyes shut. "Can you come get me? I…I don't think I can drive."

Twenty minutes later a black Lexus had pulled up and the valet moved to open the door for her. Mascara was smudged under her eyes but she still offered a smile that could rival the stars. It was just a shame that the spark behind her eyes had been extinguished. "Just take me home," she whispered as her head fell back against the seat. Her knight in shining automobile merely nodded and as the rest of the world zoomed by she couldn't help but want to fade away into oblivion.

"Iz. Izzie." Her name caused her to stir and she reached up to rub the sleep from her eyes. "You're home. Come on, let me walk you in." She nodded and reached for the door, exhaustion threatening to take her down and causing her falter. Fortunately a strong arm slipped around her waist and together they made their way up the walk.

"Uncle George! Uncle George!" The young blond boy came tearing around the corner and launched himself into the man's arms. "Hey there! Why are you still up?" George cast a nervous look over his shoulder at Izzie who was quickly trying to wipe away any evidence that she had been upset. "Miss Parker said I could wait up for my Mommy for ten more minutes and you came! Hey! Will you read me a bedtime story like last time? The one about the dinosaurs!"

Izzie watched as her son attacked George and finally a faint yet sincere smile touched her lips. "So what, I don't get a hello?" she said after a moment's pause. The small boy wiggled out of her friend's arms and ran over to wrap himself around her neck. She clung to her child for support and had to keep herself from crying. "Mommy what's wrong?" She was foolish to believe that her son wouldn't have been able to pick up on the intense emotions that she was radiating. "Nothing sweetheart. Mommy just has a headache. Why don't you run into your room and Uncle George will read you a story and then I'll give you a kiss goodnight. Okay?" "Okay Mommy. Come on Uncle George."

She stood frozen in place until she was summoned to the bedroom to kiss Andrew goodnight. She never imagined that she could feel so cold and so empty, like pieces of her were dying. George moved her out to the couch and put on some tea for the both of them. "So you, you wanna talk about it?" he asked once he had brought over a mug for her. "Not really," she answered as she stared down into the pale tanned liquid.

George sat silent for a while, always looking like he was about to say something but never following through. "Stay with me tonight?" She couldn't even bring herself to look at him, but she knew she didn't want to be alone. "Uh yeah okay sure."

He wasn't sure how long she cried while he held her against him, but what he did know was that it was breaking his heart. Izzie had been his family ever since they first moved in together those many years ago and while he had dealt with her ups and downs, even the fallout after she had left Alex the first time, he had never seen her quite so defeated. It just wasn't fair.