Georgie wasn't sure what type of book her mother would enjoy reading, so she'd arrived that afternoon at the town bookstore with an open mind. She currently stood in the third aisle of the shop, two books already in hand.

She'd seen Lou read all sorts of books throughout the years, and it really didn't seem she had a preference. Georgie did, however, remember her mother reading one of those self-help books during the divorce. She headed to the edge of the aisle, craning her neck up to look at the signs.

She identified the self-help section after a few seconds, but before she could take a step toward it, a voice came at her.

"Hey!"

Georgie turned. It'd been some time since she'd seen this particular face.

"How are you doing?" Peyton asked, upbeat.

Georgie took a pause before answering. "Doing alright."

The look on Peyton's face changed. "I heard about your mom. I am so sorry."

Georgie had seen this coming, but even so, her breath faltered for a moment. The mention of her mother on this near-stranger's lips felt odd, almost violating. "Yeah, thanks," she nodded once, trying to discern just how genuine Peyton's condolences were.

"I can't even imagine, you know, after everything with your uncle—"

Georgie's head tilted ever so slightly. She thinks my mom's gonna die.

"I mean, I don't think I'd be handling this as well as you are," added Peyton. Georgie didn't respond for a few seconds, prompting Peyton to extend a hand to her elbow. "Anyway, I should go. It was nice seeing you."

Georgie was left standing there, her books in hand. Almost in a daze, she made her way to the fifth aisle of the bookstore.

When she arrived home, Georgie went straight to Lou's room. She knocked on the door. "Mom, you in there?"

"Yeah, it's open."

Georgie slid the door open to reveal Lou and Peter seated at the edge of the bed. "Oh—I, uh, I can come back later."

Lou gripped the edge of the mattress and stood up. "No, we were just talking."

Georgie nodded. "Yeah, um, I need to talk to you as well."

Lou and Peter let out a collective oh.

"Yeah, you know what, I'm gonna get started on dinner," said Peter, standing as well.

Once Peter was out of the room, Georgie placed the bag of books on Lou's nightstand. "These are for you to read during recovery."

"What's going on?" Lou asked her carefully.

Georgie turned back around, a hand placed protectively on top of the books. "Don't do the reconstruction."

The surprise was evident in Lou's features. "What?"

"Just don't do it."

"But sweetie, I thought…"

"Yeah, I know, but just listen to me for a second."

"It's been weeks since we discussed this, I thought we were done figuring this out." Lou tried to put her foot down.

"I know, but the closer we get to the surgery, I can't help but think we made the wrong choice."

Lou observed Georgie for a moment. "Look, I'm already doing the double mastectomy. I can't compromise on this."

"The mastectomy is the safe choice, alright, but I can't say the same for the reconstruction."

"Look, with my job as the mayor…There's a certain expectation about how someone in my position should look."

"You're doing this for the town?" Georgie asked in disbelief, her eyes holding accusation.

"Not just the town!" Lou backtracked, wide-eyed. "For you and your sister, too."

Georgie shook her head once. "No, we don't need you to do it. And I've told you, it's almost like you're trying to erase it and pretend it didn't happen. Katie and I don't care what you look like, Dad doesn't care, so why are you—"

Lou shook her head. "But honey, would it be so bad to erase it?"

Georgie sighed. "Okay, but you're not considering the longer surgery, longer hospital stay, and—" Georgie broke off, unable to say the next part. More pain.

"I've considered it."

"And?"

"I'm still going to do it."

Georgie exhaled.

"Honey, would you just stop worrying?"

Georgie turned, her thumb hooking into her pants pocket. She stared at Lou for a few seconds. "What?"

Lou had turned her attention to the books on her nightstand. She walked over and picked one out of the paper bag and began leafing through it.

Georgie stared at her mother, dazed, as she stepped back to make room for her. Barely able to sleep last night, she'd gotten out of bed earlier than usual and driven into the city to run some errands for Lou. From there, she kept on going, and now she was so tired that she didn't have the same hold on her emotions she normally would. "Would you have said the same thing to Katie?"

Lou frowned, bookmarking her place with her hand. "Well, she's so young, we probably wouldn't be talking about reconstructions in the first place."

"I'm not talking about how old she is."

The lines in Lou's forehead deepened. "Then what are you talking about?"

The frustration of Lou not understanding her rhyme was enough to make Georgie clamp up. She ran a hand through her hair, her gaze momentarily landing on the books. She took one last look at Lou, and when she didn't say anything, Georgie retreated from the room.

Georgie entered the kitchen, her suitcase in hand. She was dressed in black from head to toe, as if she were attending a funeral. Lou smiled at the sight of her, but faltered when she didn't get anything in response. "Honey, is everything okay?"

Georgie put the bag down and stepped closer. "I don't know, you tell me. I heard someone was dying."

Lou swallowed, hesitantly moving toward Georgie. "No, everyone's fine. Why would you say that?"

"Katie told me you had some tests done."

"I did, but that doesn't mean that—"

Georgie laughed almost scornfully.

"Look, I didn't tell you. I'm sorry, it's just that I was waiting for them to confirm the news."

Georgie nodded now. "Right, right. Well, when they call to tell you that you have cancer, do let me know."

Lou couldn't bring herself to speak. She tried and tried, but it was as if a stone were wedged down her throat. She turned to Peter, looking for some support.

He just shrugged. "I told you to tell her, didn't I? We have to be careful with her. She's not ours."

Lou stared at him, confused. "You never said that. Why would you say that?" She heard herself say.

"She's not yours, Lou. I don't know what to tell you."

Lou awoke with a start. It took her a few seconds to sort through the truths and lies of the dream she'd just had.

Katie had told Georgie about the tests. True.

The doctors had called to tell Lou she had cancer. True.

Georgie didn't care about what was happening to her. False.

Right?

Lou got out of bed, following the voices coming in from the living room. A quick glance at the clock indicated it was almost time for dinner. Despite not having an appetite, she decided to join her family.

"Hey, you're awake!" Peter gave her a smile as he was setting the plates. He pushed one into Katie's hands across the table.

Lou nodded, wrapping her arms tight around herself. "Where's Georgie?" she asked, but didn't have to wait long for an answer because Katie pointed to the kitchen.

Arriving in the kitchen, Lou saw Georgie seated at the roundtable, her eyes pouring over her phone. "Honey, can I talk to you for a second?"

Georgie's head went up a little too fast, her eyes wide. "Right now?"

"Now's not a good time?"

Georgie faltered a moment, her gaze going past Lou. "Um, uh, Dad? The guy got back to me. He says he has it."

"Has what?" Lou asked, her arms crossing over her torso.

"That detachable shower head we wanted?" Peter called back.

Georgie avoided Lou's eyes. "Yep."

Peter entered the kitchen. "Alright, I'll drive up there."

Georgie was already out of her seat. "No, no, it should be me. I'm the one who's been talking to him."

Peter paused. "Okay, fine. Let me go with you then."

"What, you're going to drive me out there right now?"

"Oh, I didn't realize…" Peter struggled, looking toward the clock.

"I'll be there and back. He closes soon," informed Georgie.

Lou finally spoke up. "Georgie, you're going to miss dinner."

"I know, but it's the last one he's got. It could be gone by tomorrow."

"No, just forget it. The house is already filled with stuff we're not going to use." Lou tried again to stop her.

Georgie cut her mother off. "No, but you're going to. You might not think that you need any of it right now, but trust me, all this stuff is going to make everything so much easier." She shoved her phone into her pocket, decidedly making her way to the mud room.

When Georgie arrived home later that night, mostly everyone had gone into their rooms. Lou and Peter remained in front of the fireplace.

When the front door opened, Peter craned his neck back. "Honey, did you get it?"

"Yeah."

Peter stood, a hand slapping his knee. "Let me take a look at that," he said, extending a hand to grab the box from Georgie's hands, then headed inside to get started with the installation.

Georgie went back to removing her jacket and putting it up on the hook. Grabbing her phone, she was about to head up to the attic when Lou called her.

"Honey, wait. I really do need to talk to you."

There was a long silence before Georgie dragged her feet over to Lou. She took the spot that Peter had been occupying just moments ago.

"Look, I know that there's so much going on everywhere we turn and that you're not doing well with any of this." Lou began carefully.

Georgie held her breath. She had no way of guessing where this conversation was headed.

"I mean, you're running around for me, trying to keep yourself and this whole family together while you do it, and…I know what's weighing on you," said Lou, nodding. "You haven't said much about it to me, and believe me, I can appreciate how much restraint that takes…but you're hurt. I can see that."

"Oh, we don't need to do this right now." Georgie shifted back until the arm of the sofa stopped her from going further.

"No, I need to say this. It's been weighing on me ever since that first night, and I can't bury it anymore, not when I'm about to…" Lou stopped herself, adjusting her train of thought. "There were so many reasons that kept me from telling you. And I know you don't want to hear any of that, but…what was I supposed to say? That I was sick?"

Georgie tilted her head down. "Nothing was confirmed yet, I know." Lou didn't say anything, so she went on. "And I get it. It was difficult for you. Impossible, even. But I was the last one to find out about any of this, and everyone in the family knows it."

Lou nodded. "I know." As she let her gaze fall to the cushion in her lap, she continued. "I'm not sure if it's a thing I'm allowed to say to you, but…"

Georgie looked at Lou.

"I didn't have the courage to call you, but you have to know how badly I needed you here. How badly I still need you here. Just the sight of you is enough to keep me going."

Georgie let her gaze fall before Lou could look back at her.

"It would've been so easy to get your father to call you over, but I was desperately trying to keep myself together, and if you'd shown up, all frantic and worried, I would have lost it." Lou continued. "But still, I'm sorry. If I could go back and change it, I would."

Georgie laughed, embarrassed. "It's fine."

"You're sure?" Lou asked her, hoping for her daughter to meet her eyes.

"Yeah, it's okay. I think that…it probably happened the way it was supposed to."

Lou leaned back on the sofa, turning her head to face Georgie. "I should've spoken to you about this days ago. The surgery is just two days away now, I was cutting it close."

Georgie put her arm up on the back of the sofa, a hand at her temple. "Why do you dwell on stuff like this?"

"There's not much else for me to do these days." Lou admitted. "I just…I can't stand it when you're mad at me, honey. It brings me back to when you were little, and we had that huge fight and you ran away to your father."

Georgie straightened. That came out of the blue. "What? This is totally different."

"Maybe, but I kept wondering if you were going to leave, anyway."

Georgie stared at Lou for a few seconds, processing her mother's words. "...no."

Lou let out a dubious laugh, not meeting Georgie's eyes.

"Mom, I wouldn't. I was a kid back then, I got mad and ran off because I wanted to make you worry."

Lou faltered as the memory of that sleepless night knocked the air out of her.

Georgie continued. "Yes, I made a mistake, years ago, but once I realized it, who did I run to?"

Lou sat up. "I seem to remember being the one running to you."

"You kinda told me not to leave the apartment."

Lou smiled a little. "I guess I did, didn't I?" After a pause, "So we're okay?"

Georgie wrapped her arm around Lou's, and leaned her head on her mother's shoulder. "We're okay."

The morning of the surgery arrived, and Katie was all ready. She kept expecting her sister to come downstairs and for them to clash over who'd get to shower first, as they were accustomed to, but Georgie never showed up.

From inside her room, Katie could hear her parents shuffling around, their voices carrying through the crack in her door. She didn't want to face either of them alone, so she snuck past Lou's room and ran up the steps to the attic.

Georgie was still asleep, a blanket over her eyes. Katie took a spot at the edge of the bed and shook her sister's shoulder. "Hey, wake up."

No response.

"Georgie!" She shook her a little harder. "Wake up, it's late."

"What time is it?" Georgie mumbled.

Katie took a pause. Maybe she'd exaggerated when she'd said it was late. Admittedly, there was still some time before they had to be at the hospital. "Almost seven."

"I can't get up."

Katie swallowed, pulling the blanket away from Georgie's face. "What?"

"I'm so tired. I can't even open my eyes."

"When did you fall asleep?"

Georgie didn't answer.

"Weren't you the one that pushed for the 9 o'clock surgery?" Katie poked her sister's arm.

"Yeah, so?"

"So maybe you should get up."

After a few seconds, Georgie grumbled, "Alright, give me a few minutes."

Katie sat there until her sister got up. They both headed downstairs, Georgie in front, using the handrail as support.

Once Georgie had brushed her teeth and washed her face, she emerged from the bathroom about to go and get her towel from upstairs, but she spotted Lou and Katie at the round table. Still a little unsteady on her feet, and desperately wanting some coffee, she went over.

Lou's eyes landed on Georgie, and she promptly urged her daughter forward. Framing her face with both her hands, Lou announced, "You have a fever."

"What? No, I don't."

"Your face is red hot." Katie observed.

Georgie blinked. "Well, it gets really hot in my room at night. And I fell asleep under the covers."

Lou wasn't sure what to make of this development. "Okay, well, sit. I'm not eating, but that doesn't mean you two can't either." She stood to pour coffee into a mug. "You know, I don't want you guys worrying, okay? The doctors know what they're doing, I'm in good hands."

Georgie sighed quietly. I'm going to worry anyway.

Walking back to the table, Lou placed the mug in front of Georgie. "I seriously don't want either of you worrying. I'm feeling good about this, alright, and I want you to as well."

Georgie knew her mother was just putting up a front, but when she looked at Katie, it seemed her sister was clinging to every word Lou was throwing out there. When Georgie felt a squeeze at her shoulder, and she turned to look back at her mother. Lou gestured toward the coffee, to which Georgie nodded.

A/N: Hello friends. Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot! :)