Thank you guys for reading. If you have any advice I'd apprcieate it.

I own nothing

Tara sat under a tree picking at the grass. She was wearing the dress her mom had boughten for her first day back to school. They had argued about Tara going to school over the last few weeks. She was smart she could home school herself. Tara knew her mom wasn't going to make it very much longer and she didn't see the point in school when her mom was dying. There just wasn't enough time. There'd never be enough time. Her eyes drifted upward when she saw someone's shadow.

"Hey" Thomas said as he sat down beside her. "You look beautiful in your dress."

"Thanks" Tara said offhandedly. "My mom picked it out for me."

"Your mom has good taste."

"The best." Tara said as the tears began to fall down her cheeks. She buried her face in his should. Thomas sat there quietly until Tara calmed.

"You know, my mom says you're mom is the best woman she's ever known." Thomas said running his hand through Tara's hair. "I disagreed with her. I told her she birthed the best woman I'll ever know. Your mom will never be completely gone because you're just like her. She'll always be apart of you."

Tara lifted her head up and allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "You really think I'm like my mother?"

"Yes. I really do. But I also think you're prettier."

Tara leaned forward and quickly pressed her lips to his. She had pulled away with a quick thank you and dashed off towards the school doors before he could respond. Thomas wouldn't loose that smile for days.

Thomas's eleventh birthday was today. Tara had drug her dad to the store to help her pick out a present while her mom slept. She couldn't help but wonder if her mom would make it to her thirteenth birthday. Just one more month and she'd be in the clear. As they walked around the mall her dad would huff when she'd walk by a store and then make them turn around again just to change her mind and keep walking.

"Hey, princess. Why don't we go into a store?"

Tara snuck a glance up at her dad.

"I just want the perfect present."

"Well, to pick out a present you actually have to look at them."

Tara sighed and turned into the next store. It turned out to be one of those shabby jewelry stores and Tara could see the distaste cross over her dads features. About halfway into the store Tara saw a thick leather watch with the metal shaped like a motorcycle.

"Dad look!" Tara said with excitement pull up the watch and shoving it into her old mans face.

"What do you think?"

"It's perfect kid. We should get it and head out or we'll be late."

Tara happily turned to the register.

Hours later Kat was sitting in a lawn chair under a large canopy next to Gemma.

"How you feelin' these days?"

"Most days I'm just really tired. Others the pain is so overwhelming I'm nauseous and all I can do is lay around."

Gemma placed her hand over her friends.

"And Tara?"

"She's a strong girl. Tougher then she lets on. She's only let me see her cry once."

"She's one of us. What did you expect?"

"I'm just worried about her. I don't know how well Tom is gonna handle this. When I'm gone... When I... When I die... Will you watch over Tara?"

Gemma nodded reassuringly "you know I love her like she's one of my own."

"Even if your boys end up fighting over her?"

Gemma let out a laugh "yes I will. Why? You know something about those three I don't?" Kat nodded with a wry smile. "My daughter has already kissed two boys. First one was Jax and the second was Thomas."

Gemma looked over at the little girl happily handing over a meticulously wrapped present to her youngest son. She didn't know exactly how she felt about this little girl messing around with her sons feeling. Jax would be okay. He was a little ladies man. He'd flirt with pretty much any girl that walked by and she knew he'd kissed way more then Tara's two boys. But Thomas... She could pretty much figure Tara was his first kiss.

Tara sat in one of the hospital waiting room chairs stock straight and as quite as can be. She'd done nothing but sit quietly since they arrived. Her mom had gotten worse through the night and words like Hospice and death had been passed around all week. She was feeling sick to her stomach As she thought about how her mother looked. Heaving into a trash can pale and boney. She hadn't eaten a thing in days. Tara never thought the day would come that she didn't want her mom to keep fighting. But right now sitting here in this waiting room she wondered if her mom knew how much she appreciated the fight she'd put up. Tara stood and strode to the desk.

"I'd like to go see my mother. Kat Whitney. Please"

The girl at the desk looked frazzled for a moment. But she nodded her head and let the little girl through.

Tara strode purposely to room six and walked by the curtain. She could see the tears in her fathers eyes as he dusted her mothers face with kisses.

"Honey" The words slipped like a whisper out of her mothers mouth.

"Dad... Can I talk to mom alone for a minute?"

"Sure baby." Her dad said leaving a lingering kiss on her forehead before marching out of the room to be with the rest of the sons waiting in the hallway. Tara took the six steps to her mothers stretcher on shaky legs.

"Mom... I... I.. Want you to know how much I appreciate you. How much you fighting so hard means to me. I love you mommy."

Tears began to fall as her mom scooted over and she tucked herself in beside her on the stretcher. "Mom you don't have to fight anymore. I understand." Sons began to rack her body as buried her face in her mothers gown. "I don't want you to hurt anymore."

"Oh... Baby." Kat pulled her daughters face up so she could look at her. "I love you honey and I fought for me just as much as I fought for you. I want more time to see you grow into a woman. I love you baby. Always remember I love you so much and I'll love you forever."