Lily sat on the couch of her apartment sitting room with Alice. They had papers and seating charts covering the coffee table. Her wedding with Frank was in just a few days and there were still several details to be figured out. Not to mention Lily's wedding with James was in just a little over a month. She was a little nervous, but for now she focused herself on what Alice was saying.
"-we can't put our parents at the same table because his dad hates my mom. And we can't put my cousin Jenny there because she hates his dad. So i guess we'll have to put Frank's parents over with Frank's brother."
"Frank has a brother?"
"Oh, yeah, they haven't really talked in years but the slimy bastard invited himself to the wedding, so what can you do."
Alice began moving the pins around on the cork board.
"I'm so glad my wedding is going to be small."
"My wedding is small," Alice complained, scratching something off a list laid out on a legal pad Lily had given her.
Her wedding was small, only about a hundred people were coming, but Lily and James's was going to be less than fifty. They both prefered it that way.
"Did you pick up the bridesmaid dresses?" Lily reminded her, looking at the legal pad.
Alice cursed loudly "no, i didn't!"
Lily couldn't help but to laugh. Moments where Alice cursed were rare, therefore inherently funny.
"Come on, Alice," Lily stood and walked up to the counter to grab her keys
"Where are we going?"
"You're coming with me to pick up the dresses, and on the way back we're going to take ten minutes to get a cup of coffee at my work because i get a discount."
"I don't have time for coffee!"
"Yes you do." Lily grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the wedding plans.
So Alice finally gave in and the two of them began the walk to the shop to pick up the bridesmaids dresses.
…[...[]...]...
Lily lowered herself down onto the couch with a huff. Alice had just left and Lily was trying to release all the stress from her brain.
Tea.
That was the way to do it. Yet another dose of caffeine after her coffee.
Lily got up, walked the few steps to the kitchen and put the kettle on. She wasn't really a fan of black tea like most, she much prefered chai and green. All those good-for-you healthy teas. She reached into the cabinet and grabbed two large green tea bags and a big mug. It was a two bag kind of night.
The kettle started whistling and lily poured the water into the mug, throwing the bags in after it.
She sat back down on the couch and sipped the tea in liberal amounts, even though it burned her mouth.
She was really beginning to de-stress with her second cup when she heard a knock on the door. Who could that be? Did James forget his key? He could always just apparate in, after all.
Lily stood with a groan and went to look through the little hole in the top of the door to see who was here.
She undid the lock and opened it, surprised
"Mum?" she looked worried.
"Oh hello dear."
"What are you doing here?"
"I just came to see you. I was going to ring you first, but then i figured, you're not far from me, why not just stop by? Can i come in then?" she gestured towards the doorway Lily was standing in.
"Oh. yeah. 'Course." Lily moved and shut the door behind her.
"Tea, mum?"
"Green."
"Alright."
After Lily had gotten her mother her own mug of green tea and the two of them were seated comfortably on the couch Lily decided to figure out why she was really here.
"Mum, you didn't just stop by. You look worried. What's up?"
She took a deep breath
"You're right. I didn't just stop by. I've been needing to tell you something for a little while. I just- well, i didn't know quite how. I still don't know how, truth be told, but i figured i'd better."
Lily didn't say anything. She just waited.
"I'm sick, Lily."
"...sick? How?"
Lily's mother proceeded to tell her how she had known for months that she had cancer, but hadn't told her or petunia, wishing the treatments would work. They hadn't. So here she was. She planned to tell petunia over breakfast tomorrow.
"So… there's really nothing we can do?" Lily noticed her tea had gone cold in her hands.
Her mother shook her head and lily wished she could have collapsed into tears. She wished with all her heart. But instead she just sat there. Consumed by the feeling she had not wanted to revisit after her father had that heart attack. It was an emptiness more than just feeling hollow. She felt like a black hole.
