Joyce opened the rear door of her SUV to grab the bag of groceries. Cradling the bag on her hip, she palmed her keys. The sight of the flowers on the front porch made her grin wildly. She fumbled with her keys trying to open the door. She quickly put the bag of groceries down on the Kitchen table and rushed back outside to scoop up the large bouquet, inhaling the warm fragrance of the blooms.

"Some guys still get it right," she muttered. She put the flowers down on the hallway table and plucked out the card. "Thank you for a lovely evening. See you soon? Brian." She smiled again thinking of her evening with him. It had been lovely. Joyce put the card back in its stem and returned to the kitchen to put the groceries away.

She started to put the pasta in the cabinet and then thought she would make casserole for dinner. She reached back in the bag and grabbed the quart of milk with one hand, reaching behind her to open the refrigerator door.

Joyce blinked heavily at the stunning pain behind her eye. It made her suddenly nauseous. Joyce breathed deeply to try to fight the sickening feeling and rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand. Exhaling deeply, she overcame the nausea enough to put the milk in the fridge.

Joyce, still feeling lightheaded, left the kitchen for the living room. She sat on the couch and tried putting her head between her knees, hoping that would alleviate the nausea and pain. When that didn't help, she lay down.

Look closer. Her pupils are dilated and her right eyelid suddenly droops. Behind her eyes, past the optic nerve, inside her brain the bulge in her artery has burst open, pooling blood into the free spaces there.

Joyce's body spasms in seizure, the brain sending messages of panic to all parts of her body.

Look closer. If you look closely you can see the thoughts forming and dissipating.

The first time she saw Hank at the college party-the tramp he was with. The tramp he left for her.

Their wedding. How happy they both were.

The look of stunned, panicked elation on his face when she told him she was pregnant with Buffy.

Bringing Dawn home from the hospital.

Watching the candle burn on Buffy's makeshift cake on her 17th birthday.

Grinning at Buffy and Dawn's unending arguments.

"Oh God. This is it."

Buffy. And Dawn.

*****

"Mom? Mom? Mommy?"