Lisa slept in the chair next to Vicki's bed all night. Each time the nurse came in to check on her, she woke up to listen and observe. By noon, Lisa decided to stay up for the day. One of the nurses had brought her some food and although it wasn't the best, it was some sort of nourishment. Lisa picked at it eating it half-heartedly and swallowing hard to get it down. Her chest was tight with emotion as she thought of what she would say to Vicki when she woke up. After thirty minutes, Lisa gave up, sighed loudly and said out loud, "How am I going to tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Vicki said, her voice barely above a whisper. Lisa scrambled out of the chair and went to her.

"You're awake! Thank God!" Lisa held Vick's hand and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, I'm alive, in pain but alive," Vicki's body felt as though it had been beaten relentlessly for hours.

"I'm so thrilled, everyone will be thrilled," Lisa smiled.

Vicki's face blanched, "My mother too?"

Lisa shook her head, "Uh…no. I didn't call her. What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

Vicki closed her eyes and sighed in relief, "Thank you."

"You rest," Lisa started to walk away but Vicki grabbed her wrist.

"No, what were you going to say?"

"Boy, you don't forget shit do you?"

"I learned from the best," Vicki managed a weak smile.

"I.." Lisa paused, sat on the bed and stared at her hands for a minute before continuing and when she looked back up, her eyes, so similar to Vicki's, brimmed with tears, "So many times I wanted to tell you and I couldn't. I never thought I would want to but last night, when you almost died, I knew I had to."

Vicki managed to push herself up on the bed, "What's wrong?"

Lisa sniffed somewhat, "Nothing's wrong, nothing at all. You know I told you I just turned fifty? Well, I lied to you. I actually just turned 55."

Vicki furrowed her brow then winced, "So, women lie about their age all the time although I must say, I never suspected. Growing up you just looked so young, hell you still look younger."

Lisa chuckled, "Well, that's for damn sure but..there was a reason I lied to you."

Vicki tilted her head and again she winced, she needed to keep her body still she decided, "You mean, I'm the only one you lied to? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Yes."

"But..why?"

Vicki listened in rapt attention when Lisa began to tell her tale.

"When I was seventeen, I got pregnant. The boy was a jerk, typical 'center of the universe' kind of guy, star athlete, etc. Anyway," Lisa glanced at Vicki's face to see if she knew what was coming and it seemed she did but to be sure, she continued, "your mom was my rock."

Vicki made a noise, "Pfffft! MY mom..?? Are you shitting me?" Vicki was shocked. Her mom was so not the strong type.

"She used to be, well..fantastic, that is until.." Vicki cut her off.

"My father, I know," she shook her head in disgust.

"Well..that's the thing Vicki, he wasn't your father," Lisa told her.

"What…what do you mean he wasn't my father?" Vicki narrowed her eyes.

Lisa took a deep breath, "Vicki, your mom can't and never could have children. She was born without a uterus and she wanted children so badly."

"What are you saying?" Vicki's heart monitor began to beep, her heart rate was jumping erratically. Lisa panicked.

"Vicki..calm down or I will have them put you back under for a bit," Lisa ordered. Vicki took a few deep breaths and her heart rate slowed again. By now, a nurse had come running in but they waved her away.

"She's fine, just having dirty thoughts!" Lisa laughed. The nurse's face flushed red with embarrassment and Vicki managed a slight laugh.

"I'm saying, Vicki, that I am your biological mother," Lisa told her as gently as she could.

Vicki blinked several times, licked her lips and simply said, "No shit?"

"No shit." Lisa replied with a shrug. Vicki always knew they looked more alike than she and her mother did but thought nothing of it. The fact their personalities were alike seemed unimportant or strange too but now, that all seemed to fit.

"Please don't be mad at your mother, it was my idea to keep it from you. Marjory already felt less of a woman when she couldn't have children and I felt I was helping her. It wasn't because I didn't love you because," Lisa had to stop, she was beginning to sob. Vicki pulled Lisa toward her very slowly and held her as tightly as she could. She rubbed and patted her back.

"It's okay, I'm not angry, I understand," Vicki choked back a sob of her own.

Lisa composed herself and pulled away but the two women held hands.

"It was so hard, not being there for everything. Although your…donor…" Lisa said 'donor' through gritted teeth, "wasn't someone I loved, thought at the time I thought I did, I still loved..still love, you very, very much. I'm so proud of the woman you've become. I love you so much I wish I could give you my eyes so you wouldn't have your issues, I wish I could make you live forever so you could be with your true love and you would let yourself be happy, there are so many things I wish for you."

Vicki smiled, this woman truly was her birth mother. No one in the world would ever want so much for another being unless they were their child.

"Thank you, thank you for everything. It must have been hard to give me up, I can't imagine that," Vicki told her.

Lisa nodded, "It was the worst day of my life but, I lived close to see you grow up and although I wasn't your "mother" I was your Auntie and that was good enough. Marjory loves you so much, I don't know that we should tell her."

"Why not? Mom's a lot tougher than you think, hell she raised me," Vicki reminded her.

"True." Both women laughed although Vicki winced and frowned. Every part of her body hurt.

"You're tired, rest," Lisa ordered again.

"Wait..where is everyone?" Vicki asked.

Lisa explained that Mike had taken Coreen home, she told her what happened with Claire and finally, where Henry was.

"He took a chance and stayed here all night, for me?"

"Well hell yeah! Why wouldn't he?"

Vicki decided to come clean and tell her aunt/mom.

Vicki shook her head, "I have something to tell you too…"