A/N: Hi guys! So I was reading your reviews, and first off, I want to say thanks for your continued support. Second, to Guest reviewer: my original plan was to have Warren crash the wedding (!) but then I took it out. I figured I should just let Lou and Peter get married in peace, they've been through enough! It's so cool though, that you guessed that, it's like you read my mind or something ;)
After dinner, Lou and Amy sat in the living room together while Peter and Katie were inside reading a book for school and Jack was out with Tim.
"So, everything seems to be coming together." Amy was ecstatic about her sister's wedding. "I just can't wait to be maid of honour."
Lou looked at her, smirking a little. "You're sure? The last time it took quite a bit of convincing to get you on board."
Amy sighed regretfully. "I know…I'm sorry. I was just young, and in high school, and…"
"And trying to avoid the bridezilla that was your sister." Lou finished for her.
Amy laughed. "You said it, not me."
"Yeah, okay." Lou laughed as well, her face lighting up. "Thanks."
"You know, it's kind of incredible…your daughters are going to watch their parents get married. If only you and I had that chance with Mom and Dad."
Lou nodded. "Yeah, you're right." Lou said quietly, delving into her thoughts.
"So who's going to be Peter's best man?" Amy asked quickly, distracting Lou.
"I was hoping he would ask Ty again."
"Oh…yeah…" Amy perked up. "Ty would love that."
"Well, at least we can count on him to step up." Lou teased.
"Okay, that's enough." Amy said in a firm voice, but it was nice to be able to laugh with Lou. After a moment of silence, she said, "So, you're feeling okay?"
"Yeah, definitely. Like you said, everything seems to be coming together." Lou answered.
"No, I know. I mean…you know, physically. The doctor did list off all those symptoms, and I've been kind of freaking out all day."
"Wait, Amy, what did you just say?"
Amy swung around, standing up. "Georgie! It's—it's nothing. I was just—" Amy broke off, sighing.
Georgie's lips were parted as she walked forward into the living room. She looked at Lou, and judging by her mom's face, Georgie knew that something must be up. "You went to the hospital today!? When I got back from school, you told me you were fine! Why didn't you just tell me the truth?"
"Georgie…" Amy said gently, bringing her niece's attention away from her mother. "Look, before you freak out and get the wrong idea, just know that everything's okay."
"Well, if everything's okay, then why do the both of you look so guilty?" Georgie looked from Amy to Lou. "Seriously, just say something!" Georgie burst out. "Is this why you're sending us away? Is something about to happen to you?"
Lou exhaled. "Sweetie, no! Just relax…you're reading too much into it, and all that's doing is hurting you."
Georgie blew out her breath, exasperated. "Mom, don't…don't do that. This isn't about me, okay? Just talk to me, please!" Georgie was begging.
Her niece's face had gone pale, completely flushed of colour. Amy now understood why Lou hesitated so much to tell Georgie anything about what was going on with her. "Georgie, look at me. Nothing's wrong, really. We were just saying that Lou needs to take it easy for the next little while. It's been a bit of a hectic week."
"What? That's it?" Georgie looked at Lou, whose gaze was stolen to the space beneath her.
"Yes, that's it." Amy answered, a smile on her face.
"Nothing happened at the hospital? Everything checked out?"
Amy nodded. "It all checked out. She's safe."
Georgie let out a flustered breath. "Well, what about what the doctor was saying? What was that about?"
"She was just overcompensating, warning us about what could happen if we didn't look after one thing, or another. She was just telling us to be cautious."
Georgie looked at Amy, and the look in Amy's eyes convinced her she was telling the truth. She exhaled shakily, her shoulders relaxing. "That's it?" Georgie asked, again a vulnerability to her voice.
"That's all. I promise." Amy answered.
"Okay. Good." The teen said grimly as an exhausting silence descended on the room.
"Georgie…" Lou called out to her daughter. Her vision blurry, she blinked hard and fast. Listening to Georgie's voice break and waver cut at Lou. Her heart was still shuddering.
Georgie inhaled. "I have to go call Jade, let her know what time to come on Friday." She tried to excuse herself.
"No, Georgie, you can do that later. Come here." Lou held out her hand, gesturing for Georgie to come forward.
When Georgie took Lou's hand and sat down, she sighed quietly, looking down.
Lou looked at her, taking in this moment with her daughter. "Look, we don't have that much more time together until you go away to Vancouver. Let's not spend it like this."
Georgie looked down to the side. "Like what?" She asked stubbornly, her voice quiet.
Lou brought her hand to Georgie's face, bringing her daughter to look at her. "Like this. Angry at each other."
"I'm not angry at you." Georgie said, bringing her own hand up to grasp onto Lou's, squeezing it tight.
"There's been a lot of back and forth with us today."
"Okay, we won't fight anymore." Georgie promised, leaning her face into her mother's hand.
Lou laughed softly, masking her urge to cry with a smile to her face.
Georgie shifted and moved forward. She planted a kiss to her mother's forehead and then hugged Lou, as if to shelter her from whatever she thought she'd done wrong.
A little while later, Lou and Georgie were still in the living room. Georgie rested her head on Lou's lap while Lou stroked her hair.
"Mom?"
"Yeah, sweetie?"
"Look, I know that something like this won't happen again, but for what it's worth, I'm getting older. You can tell me things, even if you think you can't. I don't want to do this secrets thing anymore."
"Okay, we won't."
"Good, because I don't like unexpectedly stumbling upon information like that. I don't do it on purpose either, you know."
Lou laughed softly. "Yeah, I know."
It was silent for a bit, and then Georgie said, "Mom, how the hell did you get through it?"
"Honest answer? You and Katie got me through it all."
Georgie rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Okay, sure." She laughed.
Sensing the sarcasm in Georgie's voice, she was a little hurt. "I'm serious."
"Mom, I hate to break it to you, but that sounds kind of ridiculous."
Lou sighed, continuing to stroke Georgie's hair. "You won't understand. Not until you have kids of your own." She said with a smile in her voice.
"Right." Georgie was weirded out by the prospect of having kids. That was just so far away from now. "But Mom, you're good, right?"
Lou leaned down and planted a kiss on Georgie's temple. "Yeah, I am."
Just then Katie ran out of her room, looking for her mom and sister. When she spotted them, she made a face, clearly hurt at being left out. Both Lou and Georgie tried to suppress their laughter.
But Katie powered through and walked over to Lou and Georgie. "Mommy, can we watch a movie?"
Lou was surprised. "Oh, honey, I don't know…it's kind of late."
"Well, it's only seven o'clock." Georgie sided with her sister.
"Yeah, but…" Lou trailed off as she saw Peter walk into the room.
"Hey, I was thinking you and I and the girls could spend just a little time together before bed time. Maybe we can put on a TV show and just watch together."
"Oh, I don't know. It's kind of—"
"Mom, it's not late." Georgie said before Lou could go any further.
Lou figured she may as well give up. "Fine, I guess it wouldn't hurt. But we're shutting it off at nine. No arguments, okay?"
"Yay!" Katie exclaimed, excited.
Peter cleared the floor space so that him and Katie had room to sit. Once Peter and Katie eventually set up the movie, Georgie realized then what they were about to watch.
"Dad, we've watched Tangled a million times already!" Georgie groaned.
Katie came to the defense. "No! I love Tangled and I wanna watch it again!"
Georgie figured there was no point in arguing. "You're only watching it because you like to pretend you're Rapunzel."
"It's not pretend. I am the princess. You're just jealous." Katie let out in a sassy tone.
Lou began to laugh when she saw Peter's eyes widen at what Katie had just said.
"Mom! Stop laughing." Georgie said in a defeated tone.
"Okay, okay…I won't." Lou tried her best not to laugh.
"Mommy, stop! It's starting! Everyone, shhh!" Katie exclaimed.
About ten minutes into the movie, Peter looked over at Lou and Georgie, and he saw Georgie had fallen asleep in her mother's lap. "She's asleep," he mouthed to Lou.
Lou smiled and nodded, fully aware.
Peter returned her warm smile. Turning to Katie, he said, "Hey, honey…your sister's asleep. Do you mind if we turn down the volume a little?"
"Okay, but you'll still watch with me, right Daddy?"
"Of course I will, honey."
Lou watched over her family. She smiled at how happy Peter and Katie looked, and how normal everything felt, despite the past week. When Lou looked down at Georgie, she felt the urge to hug her as tight as she could, but stopped herself, knowing she'd wake up if Lou did so.
Peter sat with his back resting on the sofa, and he looked back at Lou. "Hey."
Lou looked to him, a smile at her lips.
"It's good to see you smiling. I'm glad you're happy."
Lou's eyes glinted. "I could say the same for you."
Peter reached for her hand, clasping onto it. He kissed it and said, "I love you, Lou Fleming."
"I love you too, Mr. Morris."