Lydia wasn't sure what was waiting for her downstairs. She crept slowly, both nervous and sore. Her breath caught in her throat. Had Dipper drove through the night to see her? Was he waiting for her? She allowed herself a little smile at the scenario in her head. When she had enough clearance to see the living room, her smile faded. It was empty. The muted television was the only movement in the room. Disappointed, she dropped her head and engaged in a zombie walk across the living room, plopping down on the couch despite the wincing pain it caused. She pulled the fuzzy dark green throw blanket resting on the back of the couch onto her lap and nuzzled into the sofa.

Suddenly, her mother reappeared in the room. She hadn't even known she disappeared, but with her reappearance she was carrying two large items in either hand. In one arm she cradled a wicker basket, stuffed to the brim with an assortment of her favorite candy. Her eyes scanned over the bags of Peanut M&M's, the Reese Cups and plethora of Twix Bars. Sticking out of the middle of the basket was a white envelope with her name printed on it. In the other arm was a floral bouquet in a vase. The bouquet featured a bundle of yellow daisies, a few pink roses and some greenery. The vase was wrapped in a pink ribbon. Her mother planted them on the coffee table with a small 'clunk'.

"What's this?" Lydia asked.

"They were delivered this morning," Her mom said with a hint of a smile. "From a Mr. Dipper Pines to Lydia Haddleback."

All her confused emotions and her fluctuating hormones caused Lydia to instantly start to cry. Her mom sat down next to her and rubbed her back in small circles, trying to calm her daughter.

"I was really mean to him yesterday," Lydia sniffled. "When I called him it was like he didn't even care what happened."

"Sweetie, I'm going to tell you something right now about men. They don't understand how to react to anything. They process things differently. I know, it's stupid. This is a circumstance that really makes me mad at him, so I'm sure you're even more upset and confused. But Dipper is a nice kid. He makes you happy. Be mad at him as long as you want but just remember how special he is to you."

Lydia awkwardly shifted, "I know."

"I'm angry with him for hurting you, but you two are just figuring out how to be in relationships. Don't be too hard on him."

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two. Lydia had always pushed her mother away when she tried to talk to her heart to heart, especially over the last year. She was at that weird stage between being a kid and being an adult, and she was just realizing how hard it was growing up.

"Will you make me chocolate chip pancakes?" Lydia finally questioned, breaking the silence.

Her mom stood up and smoothed her shirt down, then after a long beat, nodded and said, "Sure thing."

Lydia waited until her mom was in the kitchen to scoot to the edge of the couch. She touched the flowers wistfully. The softness of the petals was almost startling. Yellow daises were her favorite flower. She tried to think to back if she ever told Dipper she liked them or if it was just a coincidence. She reached over to the candy basket and grabbed the card. It wasn't Dipper's handwriting on the front. She didn't expect it to be, but up close the girly swirls were off putting. She opened the envelope, pulling out a cheesy looking card featuring a bear holding balloons and bold text saying 'Get Well Soon'. She opened it up to see a message typed onto the card.

Lydia, I am sorry I reacted the way I did yesterday. I know these won't make up for what I said, but hopefully they'll help you feel better. I care about you so much. It's been miserable not being with you these past few weeks. It's weird saying this through a greeting card, so call me when you get these, please.

Much love- Dipper

She looked at her phone for the first time, only to be surprised by no messages or calls waiting for her. Her heart sunk. She didn't know what she expected. Maybe a hundred more missed calls and a thousand unread text messages. Lydia stood up, slightly wobbling as she padded into the kitchen. Her mother, who was stirring a batter, looked over with furrowed eyebrows.

"Everything okay?"

Lydia nodded and extended her arm towards the sliding glass doors leading to their porch, "I'm going to call Dipper real quick."

"Okay. Don't stay out there too long, you need to rest or your legs won't heal up."

"I'm fine, mom," Lydia almost rolled her eyes as she left the kitchen, closing the door securely behind her. She walked over to the steps and lowered herself down so she was sitting on the top one. The patio chairs were too close to the house, and she didn't want her mom to hear her conversation.

Dipper picked up after the first ring.

"Lydia," He said, almost breathlessly. Her name sounded so good coming from his mouth.

"Hey," She replied, unsure of what else to say.

"How are you feeling?" He questioned.

"Sore," She admitted. "But I basically hibernated, so I feel better. I'm not gushing blood from my legs, so that's a good thing."

"I was worried about you, especially when you didn't answer my calls."

"Were you really?" Lydia was sarcastic and bitter.

"Don't do this," Dipper pressed, the tone of his voice changing instantly. "I apologized. What more do you want me to do?"

"I'm not 'doing' anything," Lydia hissed. "You really hurt my feelings, Dipper. You made me feel like a joke- like you didn't care."

"I apologized. I can't go back and change what I said or how I reacted. I'm sorry."

There was a long silence. Dipper wondered if she had hung up on him. He pulled his phone away from his head to make sure they were still connected. And just when he was about to angrily shout her name into the phone, he heard muffled sniffles.

"I just," She sighed, her voice murky with tears. "The past few weeks have been really hard. I just want to be able to hold your hand and kiss you. I want to be able to watch movies with you next to me instead of watching them together while we're on the phone. I miss you. I miss everything about you. And when you acted like that… it was confusing and upsetting and it hurt."

"Hey," Dipper said softly, his warm and loving tone back. "It'll be okay, I promise. Did you talk to your parents about coming to see me next weekend? If they don't want you driving I will come to you. Don't think this isn't miserable for me, either. I… I really like you, Lydia. I was a mess last night."

"Good. You deserved to be upset."

"I know," Dipper's mouth twitched into a slight smile. "So do you forgive me?"

"… only because you're cute and you sent me candy and flowers."

Dipper beamed, "You got them? Are the daisies nice? I remember you said you loved yellow daisies."

"Yeah, I got them," Lydia smiled into the phone. "They're beautiful."

"Perfect. So I was thinking that I would-"

The back door slid open and Lydia's mom peaked her head out, calling her name.

"Hold on a second," Lydia cut Dipper off. "Yeah?"

"Your pancakes are ready. You better come eat them before they get cold."

Lydia returned her attention to the phone, "Hey, I've got to go. Mom made me some chocolate chip pancakes. I'll text you though, okay?"

"The shop isn't too busy today so we should be able to talk. Don't forget to ask your mom about next weekend, okay?"

"Okay. I'll talk to you soon."

The two shared a goodbye and Lydia struggled to pull herself up. Once regaining her balance, she crept back into the house. When she didn't see her mom in the kitchen, she walked into the living room. On the coffee table was a tall stack of chocolate chip pancakes, topped with melting whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. Lydia's eyes bulged out of her head and she eagerly wobbled over to the couch. Her mom was curled up on the opposite end, surfing the television for something to watch.

"Thank you for these," Lydia said as she curled up, adjusting her position to accommodate the plate of pancakes.

"It's my job, don't thank me."

A domestic calmness settled over the two as her mom finally stopped flipping through the channels and settled on a reality TV show and Lydia tried her best not to scarf down her pancakes too quickly. She drifted in and out of the show on TV and her pancakes. After nearly licking the remaining syrup off the plate, she clunked her plate down on the coffee table and cozied back up in couch. She settled back into the calmness of the room as she texted Dipper. Seeing his name pop up on her screen always put a smile on her face.

"So… I know you said you weren't comfortable with me driving to Gravity Falls, but do you trust me enough to go next weekend?"

Her mom looked over, an almost annoyed look on her face, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?" Lydia whined. "I haven't seen Dipper in almost a month, and it isn't THAT far of a drive."

"You knew it would be a long distance relationship, sweetie."

"If you let me drive anywhere farther than 30 minutes outside town, it wouldn't have to be such a long distance relationship. I'm a good driver, you know that."

"Lydia, it isn't that you aren't a good driver-"

"It's that you don't trust the other cars, I know," Lydia recited.

"Your attitude isn't helping your case."

"Please," Lydia didn't ask, she stated, looking her mother in the eyes. "Especially after yesterday, please."

"That's a good reason why I shouldn't let you go. You're not in a condition to drive."

"You said I'll be fine in a few days. Next weekend is a long time from now."

"If you don't feel better by then, I'm not letting you go. That's my only condition," Her mom finally said, and Lydia let out an excited rush of breath.

"Really? Oh my god, yes!" She squealed. "Thank you so much!"

"Don't get too excited," Her mom said, though she couldn't help but smile seeing her daughter."

Lydia was quick to text Dipper, who shared in her excitement. The two texted casually while Lydia stretched out on the couch. Between her comfort and the aches that were growing in her body again, she was quick to drift off again. She woke up to the front door slamming. Startled awake and nearly falling off the couch, Lydia jolted awake to see Annie, looking over like a deer caught in the headlights. She mouthed a 'sorry' before jogging up the stairs. With a huff, Lydia relaxed back into the couch. She dug around for her phone, which was pressed against her stomach, and peeled it away. After sending Dipper a text she scrolled through her notifications. She had a message from her school. With her eyebrows raised, Lydia opened the email, quickly scanning it. The email notified her that her roommate placement was ready. Her stomach churned- she'd been dreading the email all summer. Not seeing her mom anywhere in sight and needing her laptop to fully read the email and find her roommate on Facebook, Lydia hobbled up stairs. She eased down on her bed with her cold laptop and logged on to see the email again.

When Lydia decided to go to Washington State, she begged her parents to let her get a single dorm. She gave a full speech on how she was damaged from having friendships and there was no way she could live with another person in such a small space. Her mom told her it would be good for her to be around another person, and her dad entertained the idea until he saw it would be an additional $1,800 a semester that he would have to pay out of pocket. The situation was almost a deal breaker for Lydia. She told herself she'd just stay at her dead end fast food job for the rest of her life to avoid living with a stranger who could end up being just as bad as her high school friends. But some inspirational quotes and a pep-talk to herself about being better than all who put her down led her back to school. She kept reminding herself she used to be a social person. She could manage living with a stranger.

Michelle Cardy from Grandview, Washington. The girl's school account didn't reveal much more, other than that she was a nursing student. Lydia groveled as she opened up Facebook. She was shocked to see she already had a friend request and a message waiting for her from Michelle. She first read the message- a quick, "Hey! I'm Michelle- I'm pretty sure we're going to be roommates this year at school. Can't wait to meet you!". Lydia typed a friendly response back and went to the girl's page.

Her new roommate was a plump brunette with pin straight hair and side swept bangs that outlined her big eyes and full lips. Her brown eyes were framed in a pair of purple glasses, which she pulled off flawlessly. In her profile picture she stood in her cap and gown in front of what Lydia assumed was her high school. Scrolling through the girls photos, Lydia could see she was involved in theater and in school academic clubs. Clicking back to her main profile, it was revealed that she worked at an ice cream shop. She was single, and her birthday was in November. A Sagittarius, Lydia thought to herself, that reveals a lot… A notification interrupted her. It was another message from Michelle.

For sure! So what do you have for the dorm? I'm bringing a mini fridge, a microwave, a TV and a bunch of other stuff, but I'm okay with sharing the big stuff. Oh! And I got a Keurig for graduation for all the late nights : ). And what's your color scheme for your stuff? Purple is my favorite color so my bedding is this really cool purple floral design. I'm kinda crazy about coordination and matching, so I didn't know if we'd be okay with our colors. Anyhow! Here's my number so you can keep me updated. Talk soon!

Lydia blinked at the screen. Michelle was… already a handful. At least she wasn't a ditzy party girl. Maybe that would've been better than an obsessive organized crazy nursing student. Lydia messaged her back letting her know she'd bring her own fridge and TV, and that she hadn't gotten her bedding yet but would be sure to get something that would match the purple. She quickly closed her laptop before she got another unsolicited email from her future roommate.

The week progressed both slowly and quickly, a sensation that always puzzled Lydia. Her aches and pains went away and her wounds began turning from a rich purple to a muddy hue of yellow and blue. She was still a little sore, but she went back to work as normal. She was surprised at the concern her coworkers showed her. It made her heart warm a little. Come Thursday, she was antsy and eager for the weekend… and to spring her new idea on her mother.

She approached her in the kitchen while she was making coffee. Lydia leaned against the counter.

"Hey!" She exclaimed. "So I was thinking. I only work until noon tomorrow. What if I leave for Dipper's after I get off and stay the weekend? That way we get to spend all of Saturday together. And I'd leave Sunday morning so I could be back her for our weekly dinner."

"Lydia," Her mom sighed. Lydia couldn't tell if she was irritated or upset. "Are you really asking me to stay at a boy's house over the weekend? Six hours away?"

"It makes sense, mom," Lydia explained. "I'd get there at 10 or 11 on Saturday and have to leave at like… 4 to get home at 10 at night."

"Exactly."

"… why I should stay the weekend," Lydia finished. "Seriously, mom. I'm 18 now! I'm going away to college soon. And I have never given you a reason not to trust me."

"Have you and Dipper had sex?" She asked bluntly.

"Mom!" Lydia blushed.

"Do you plan on it this weekend?" Her mom followed without missing a beat. "If you're an adult like you say, you'd be okay talking about this with me."

"No," Lydia stammered. "I don't know. That's not something you talk about with your mom."

"So you plan to?"

"I don't know!" Lydia exclaimed, her cheeks flushed bright red.

After a long pause, made even longer by the forced awkward feeling by Lydia, her mom let out a heavy sigh.

"You're right," She said. "You're 18. You're going to college soon, and I won't be there to push you in the right direction. This may not be something you talk about with your mom, but it's something you need to talk about with your mom. If you want to stay the weekend with Dipper, you are going to have to discuss this with me."

Lydia's stomach flipped. Was her mom really bribing her to talk about sex?

"Maybe," Lydia admitted. "I really like Dipper."

"I know you do. That's why we're talking- like adults- about this. I think we should go to the doctors next week and put you on birth control."

Lydia blushed even more, "Oh… okay."

"I trust you," Her mom said. "We just don't want you to mess your life. Being a parent is scary, Lydia. We teach you for 18 years how to be a decent person and then you get thrown into the world. We just have to hope that we did okay. Providing you with this will help you be a grown up."

"Okay…" Lydia was extremely confused and uncomfortable.

"Alright," Her mom said, almost proudly. "Glad we got that off our chest."

"Yeah," Lydia agreed, still confused. "So, this weekend?"

"I have to figure out how to convince your dad it's okay."

"So that's a yes?" Lydia's voice raised slightly at the end.

"It's a yes, Lydia," Her mom rolled her eyes.

Lydia jumped with excitement. The pain from her landing didn't even bother her- she was too full of happiness to notice. She hugged her mom and even kissed her cheek before running out of the kitchen and up the stairs. She had to tell Dipper the exciting news. Instead of a few hours with her boyfriend, she was getting an entire weekend.

A whole weekend with Dipper Pines.