For the next few hours, everybody remained in their own designated pockets of the house. There seemed to be a lot of that going on these days.
Katie became a floater, sometimes checking in on Jack and asking when he was taking his medication, eventually annoying him into doing so. Then she would make an appearance at Lou's door, and then return to home base, where Georgie was recuperating.
Treading into the attic, Katie nudged her sister's foot and took a spot at the end of the bed. "What's up?"
Georgie was staring up at the ceiling. "I can't believe I went and told her everything. I'm so embarrassed."
"Why didn't you just go along with the deer thing, then? She even bought it."
"I didn't realize that's what you were trying to do! I couldn't even figure out if you knew what you were saying. Hit a deer, Katie? Nobody swerves to hit a deer."
Katie was visibly disappointed. "That was the entire joke," she said, defeated.
"Oh," said Georgie simply.
"Relax, I'm sure she's even more mortified than you are."
"What's she doing?"
"Dad's trying to convince her to go out on a walk."
"Mm," returned Georgie. A pang hit her as she thought back to how energetic her mother used to be, getting up before everyone else and jogging before breakfast. Gone were those days. Now she had to be convinced to leave the house.
"Can we go outside, too? Nothing crazy, I just don't want to be stuck in the house all day."
"Yeah, let's go."
As Lou and Peter rounded the bend back toward the house, they caught sight of the kids seated on the porch steps. Katie had a book in her hand and Georgie's head was tilted back, soaking in the sun.
Once they arrived in the yard, Lou turned to look at Peter, indicating that she wanted to stay. He laughed and shook his head a little, planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'll be inside," he said to her. To the kids, he said, "Hey, kids." And then he was off.
Lou tentatively approached, opting to take a seat one level below them. Katie stood to give them some room, and when Georgie extended a hand to help her, Lou couldn't reject her gesture. She complied and then got straight to her point.
"I can't tell you how sorry I am."
Silence ensued as Lou weighed her next words.
"Both of you. I just keep on hurting you guys."
Katie swallowed. She looked over at Georgie, who was expressionless.
"I mean, first there was the walking out. And then Grandpa. And then…"
Georgie finally turned toward Lou. "Then what?"
"Your accident."
Georgie sighed. "Can we not talk about this?"
"I can't stop thinking about it. It was dark. There was nobody else around."
"Okay, but I was there. I would have figured it out. You know, if there were any mailboxes to contend with."
Lou turned sharply toward her. When it had happened, she and Georgie never talked about it directly. Anything she heard regarding it had been through the constable, Jack and Peter.
If she had mentioned it now, it could only be because she'd been thinking about it lately.
"No, she just went to see him, Lou. Then she panicked and reversed into his mailbox. We should just be thankful she wasn't hurt."
"I'm not understanding. Who was it that she went to see?"
Peter took a pause. "Jack didn't tell you? It was the drunk driver who killed her parents."
Before Lou could make a thing of this, Georgie cleared her throat. "I'll stay away from the car for a few days, okay? Can we just put this behind us, please?"
Lou inhaled and exhaled, pulling herself out of her trance. "Yes, okay. Let's."
Katie was looking between her mother and sister, trying to assess the situation. If she was going to say something, she knew it had to be now. "What, that's it?"
She was met with questioning glances. Katie half-stepped back. "So, Mom messes up, freaks all of us out, GG ends up in the hospital, Georgie gets into an almost-wreck, Mom apologizes, and then we're all good? Is that it?"
Georgie's expression hardened. She inched forward a little. "Katie, don't."
"Why? Because you're too afraid to upset Mom? So you just let her off the hook? Every single time."
"That's not what's—" Georgie began.
"And what about me? When am I going to get an apology?" Katie demanded, now facing Lou. "You and Georgie get to go back and forth, and it's the same fight every single time, just in different shades. But what about my fight? When do I get to scream and lecture you about meeting up with your ex while Dad is out of town, and when do I get to crash into mailboxes—?"
"Ex!?" Georgie exclaimed, wheeling around to face Lou. "That's who you—" she managed to get out, incredulous.
Lou had no words. She half-shrugged.
Katie sighed, grounding herself a little. "So then what about me?" her voice came out a little quieter. "You sent Dad in to tell me that day instead of telling me yourself. You didn't let any of us call Georgie and I had to spend that entire week all alone with nobody to talk or help me through it. And then you and Dad proceeded to fight each other on every little thing. No regard to anybody in this house, and you even seemed to forget you had a teenager in the very next room."
"Katie, honey, just hold on a second," Lou tried this time.
"Wait, lemme guess. You're sorry."
No response.
Katie went on. "Very next room. And then by the time I shifted upstairs, you decided I was far enough away that I wouldn't hear a thing you'd say. I had to listen to you tell Dad how you were done with chemo because of how sick you were of being sick and that you didn't want to waste the little time you had left and—and—" Katie tried to go on, but a knot formed in her throat. She swallowed. "I thought my heart was going to burst."
Lou was up in a few seconds, her hands going to cover up Katie's ears. "That was not for you to hear."
Katie tried to free herself from Lou's grasp, her hands clasping her mother's wrists.
"That wasn't for your ears. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
"I don't want your apology!" Katie burst, startling Lou. They stayed frozen for a few moments, clinging to one another.
"That wasn't for your ears," Lou said again, her voice calmer. She pressed Katie against herself, soothing her as best she could. "I didn't even mean it. Not fully. I just needed a break, you know? From those infusions, and that dreadful hospital."
Katie was very still.
"I would never willingly walk away from you. You're my first love."
"Really? 'Cause sometimes it feels like you're thinking about everyone and everything but me."
"That's not true. All I do is think about you. I worry for you, I miss you lecturing me, believe it or not, and I constantly think about how you're going to take over the world in a few short years. And how I'm going to be there for that."
Katie's heart slowed to a jog, her breathing a little more even. "You're planning on being there."
"Yes, sweetheart. Always."
A little while later, Katie was fast asleep in Lou's arms, a gentle breeze coming in from the open window of her mother's room.
Lou, wide awake, could only replay the last few days again and again. Why did she have to walk out? And why did she do it for Mitch? What was going on with her? And was Katie right? That everyone always let her off the hook?
Although, today she felt like she'd been on the witness stand all day long. She felt like a terrible mother, perhaps even a burden.
The door creaked open and Peter made his way over. Placing a hand on her side, he squeezed a little. "Hey, Lou. Someone's here to see you."
Easing her arm out from under Katie, she freed herself and sat up. To her surprise, it was Jack.
Lou's attention immediately fell to the bandages just under her collarbone. She brought the slit of her shirt together and buttoned it up. "I'm sorry. I usually keep it hidden from the kids, but sleeping with all these buttons done up is just uncomfortable."
Jack nodded a little, tapped Peter's shoulder and stepped inside. "There's no need to apologize," he said, taking a seat at the edge of the mattress.
Lou nodded, waiting for him to go on. She met Peter's gaze, to which he nodded reassuringly and stepped out of the room, closing the door halfway.
Her attention now on Jack, she prompted him. "Grandpa?"
"You know, you were this little when we brought you home from the hospital," he began, gesturing with his hands. "And now you think you're grown enough to decide to take yourself away from us. I won't hear a word of it."
Lou's gaze fell on Katie, partly to make sure she was still asleep, and partly because she couldn't bear to meet Jack's eyes.
He went on. "I have loved you your whole life, and I plan on doing so for the rest of mine."
Lou made a choking noise.
"We're all trying so hard to hold onto you. All we're asking is for a little leeway from you. Give us some indication that you want to be here. We'll take care of the rest."
"I do. I want to be. I just found myself losing control and I wanted it back, for just a second. I didn't think."
"That's part of why I couldn't punish you any longer," he said, a smile in his eyes. "Well, that, and the fact that Lisa woulda had my ass."
A laugh escaped Lou's lips. "Oh my gosh, Grandpa."
Jack chortled, his gaze falling.
Lou's smile faded. "I can't tell you how sorry I am."
"I know, honey."
It was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "So, what's your plan for the rest of the day?"
Lou glanced at Katie. "Well, I need to be here when she wakes up. After that, we'll see."
Jack gave her a nod, satisfied at her answer. "Alright, I'll get out of your hair. Don't be a stranger."
His choice of words amused her. "You, too."
Outside, Georgie was staring at the back bumper of the family SUV. Tim had finally managed to get it to Heartland. He stood by now. "So, this is what 'no scratches' looks like."
"One storm at a time," said Georgie in response.
"You're going to have to tell Peter, at the very least."
Georgie looked at Tim. "I guess. But I mean, I figured I would deal with it myself. You know, outside of town. Where nobody knows Mom, or what her truck looks like."
"And you think that's a good idea, with your head like that?"
Georgie sighed. "What do you suggest I do? Anybody at home finds out, I'm gonna have to answer a slew of questions. I'm already exhausted."
"Fine. Look, I'll get it out of here and then I'll, uh, I'll take care of it. I'll tell Lou I borrowed it for a few days."
"Thanks. I really appreciate it."
Tim cradled his granddaughter's face, planting a quick kiss on her temple. "You got it. Now, go rest."
A/N: Getting there.