Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas or Hanukkah (happy on's day too).

  I hope you all have spent these holidays with your loved ones and if not I hope you meet them soon, maybe for New Year's, either way I send you a big hug.

  Enjoy.

  ---

  With the cause of the paralysis identified, all that was left was for the patient to undergery, possibly a couple of days of rehabilitation, and, with a bit of luck, they wouldn’t set foot in a hospital again for many years.

  House, who was staring ily at the images, had a small but still noticeable smile on his face.

  "You're smiling? It’s just another day at work," I said quickly, seizing the rare opportunity of House smiling for a reason other than to humiliate someone, recalling what he had told me a few minutes ago.

  "Oh, I'm sorry," House said quickly, c his mouth with exaggerated surprise. "I was just thinking about the face Marty’s going to make," he added, grinning maliciously.

  Of course, his main iion was to rub his "victory" iher doctor’s face.

  "Of course you are," Dr. Foreman decred irritably, shaking his head as he walked out of the room. "I'll go tell the patient the good news."

  "Wait, I really want to see his face," House decred with some excitement, quickly following Foreman, trailed closely by Cameron and Chase.

  "Aren’t you ing, PJ?" Cameron asked, stopping after taking a couple of steps.

  "No, I have to be somewhere else," I said, cheg my watd smiling apologetically.

  "I see," Cameron replied with a signifit smile, raising an eyebrow. "Say hi to Diane for me," she added a moment before leaving to follow the other doctors, who were already far ahead.

  Not intending to correct Cameron—because, indeed, where I o be at that moment was with Diane—I walked off amused, heading in the opposite dire down the same hallway.

  "PJ, honey," after saying goodbye to the the hospital’s reception desk, Nurse Florence, my mother’s supervisor, stopped me with a broad smile, as if she had just remembered something.

  "Yeah?" I asked, stopping in my tracks and smiling at her.

  "I almost fot," she said, putting a hand to her , slightly embarrassed. "Your mom called. She asked me to tell you that you could ght home. Diane is there," she said, trying to suppress what seemed to be a wide, meaningful smile, raising her eyebrows.

  "What?" I asked incredulously. Diane was at my house?

  "Diane is at your house. You don’t have to pick up yirlfriend," she decred, g her hands in front of her chest, causing the rest of the o smile knowingly in unison.

  Since when was Dia my house? Why was she there?

  "All right, thanks," I said quickly, nodding, suddenly feeling very nervous at the thought of my mom and Diane in the same room. I walked toward the hospital exit, thanking Florence as I left.

  "Don't mention it," I heard Florence, who was ughing with the rest of the nurses, say behind me as I exited quickly.

  Keeping within the speed limit—possibly right at the maximum—I drove home, thinking of tless possible bad outes of such a sudden iioween Mom and Diane.

  With Diane’s social nerves and Mom’s surely incessant questions, I retty sure Diane would be quite unfortable.

  When I arrived home and got out of my car, the first thing I saw was Frank, Diane’s brother, helping Geie and Gabe carry chairs to the backyard. It seemed we were having a barbecue, and surely Bob and Mr. Cooper were already preparing the meat and the grill.

  "Hey," Geie, carrying a chair and walking toward me, was the first to notice me. He didn’t even try to hide the smug look on his face.

  "Hey," I replied absentmindedly, walking quickly toward the house.

  "They’re not there," Gabe decred, mimig Geie’s smug expression, just as I reached the front door.

  "Thanks," I said, walking quickly—almost running—down the porch stairs toward the Coopers' house.

  "PJ," Sheldon, atg television in the living room of his house, greeted me when I walked straight into the Coopers' house through their open door without any de.

  "Hi, Sheldon," I nodded quickly to my young friend as I walked toward the Coopers' kit, where I could hear women ughing.

  "Diane?" I called out as I ehe kit, my tone more ed than I’d have liked. My voice abruptly interrupted all the ughter and chatter that had been filling the room before my arrival.

  I had fully expected to find my mom interrogating Diane while the girl, visibly unfortable, answered her questions and wished she were anywhere else.

  Instead, I found Diane smiling, visibly fortable and rexed, apparently in the middle of a versation as she helped Teddy and Mrs. Cooper chop vegetables for a sad.

  Mom, seated with Missy and Meemaw at the Coopers' small kit table, was calmly sipping a drink—Meemaw had a beer, Missy a juice box, and Mom a gss of water.

  "Hey," Diane said softly, biting her lip slightly in surprise, her usual nervous tic, while smiling at me like the rest of the women in the room.

  "And everyone, hi. I didn’t know you were all here," I lied quickly, embarrassed by my sudderance. "I just came to grab a soda to help Geie and the kids with the chairs," I added, trying to think quickly as I walked toward the Coopers' fridge to grab a root beer. Unfortunately, even I knew I hadn’t been ving at all.

  "Liar," Meemaw murmured teasingly, taking a sip of her beer.

  "L-Y-E-R, liar," Missy muttered, mimig Meemaw, sipping her juid earning amused looks from both the older woman and her mom.

  "Weren’t you going to help with the chairs, PJ?" Mom asked, sitting fortably and raising an eyebrow.

  "Ye-yeah," I stammered, nodding stiffly after a sed.

  To get to the door leading directly to the Coopers’ backyard, I had to walk right through the middle of the room uhe amused gazes of all the women.

  As I walked, I could feel ahe amused looks every single one of them was giving me—even Mrs. Cooper. Teddy went as far as to "shoo" me out of the room, waving her hands insistently.

  When I reached the patio door, I paused for a moment, studying Diane’s expressio time. She seemed to be trying her hardest not to ugh.

  "Okay," I murmured unfortably, standing uhe doorframe. A moment ter, I iffly and stepped out into the backyard.

  I hadn’t taken more than three steps when I suddenly heard the women’s ughter erupt behind me ihe house.

  "Hey, champ, I didn’t know you were here," Bob said, pleasantly surprised, as I walked from the Coopers’ backyard into ours.

  "I got here a few minutes ago," I replied, nodding at him iing, still lost in thought, surprised that Diane hadn’t seemed unfortable earlier.

  "That’s good," Bob said, taking a sip of his beer. "e on, help us with the meat," he added, nodding toward the grill, where Mr. Cooper was standing with his own beer.

  Not long after, everyone from both families, including Sheldon, who was keeping a watchful eye on the sky, was gathered in the backyard with the food already oable.

  Surprisingly, Diane chose, with a small, polite smile, to sit entirely surrounded by the other women of the two families, on the opposite er of the table from where I was seated.

  "What do you think, PJ?" Mr. Cooper suddenly asked from my side of the table, breaking my tration as I watched Diane engage effortlessly in versation with my mom and the other women.

  "Sorry, about what?" I asked, embarrassed, looking at Mr. Cooper.

  "Our ext season," Mr. Cooper expined easily.

  "Oh," I murmured, nodding in gratitude. "I think it’s going to be tough. We lost two of our best pyers."

  "Yeah, Brod Wolff were key," Mr. Creed thoughtfully, nodding. "But I still think we’ve got a good ce after that."

  With the loss of An and Brod our record st season, we hadn’t mao qualify for the postseason games. Mr. Cooper’s words were full of hope, yes, but little else.

  "Yeah, we’ve got a ce," Geie, sittio me, said unvingly, avoiding his father’s gaze at all costs.

  During the st few games we pyed, Geie had spent most of the time on the bench. I could see how he was slowly losing i in the game. We might be losing another pyer.

  Having received the ao his question, Mr. Cooper immersed himself in a pletely different versation with Bob. Meanwhile, Geie, Gabe, and Frank were engaged in a debate about a movie involving a bou a Roadhouse.

  Sheldoed on my other side, had barely touched his food and was still staring at the sky. "Everything okay, Sheldon?" I asked, smiling at the boy.

  "I saw a bird a few minutes ago," he responded, clearly ed.

  Amused by my young friend's behavior, I said, "Eat your food. I'll keep wat the sky for you for a few minutes," patting his shoulder lightly.

  "Thanks. My neck was starting to hurt," he said, visibly relieved as he lowered his gaze and rubbed his neck.

  "Don't mention it," I said with a chuckle. A moment ter, instinctively turning my head for a sed to g Diane, I caught her staring at me with a small smile.

  Smiling back, I shrugged pyfully, as Diane had probably overheard my exge with Sheldon. A moment ter, I lifted my head to start my 'bird watch.'

  It was clear Diane was making an effort to socialize. It was evident from her rea whenever our eyes met that she o pose herself occasionally. Throughout the time we speing in the backyard, we kept exging gnces. Each time, I took the opportunity to smile reassuringly at her.

  Later, after the meal, Geie, Gabe, and Frank decided to head io watch a movie and finally settle their strange debate about Rocky and someone named Dalton. Diane, along with Missy and Teddy, ractically dragged to my sister's room.

  Seeing Diane ugh softly at something Missy said on the way to my house—and more so, seeing her actively participate in versations—filled me with a strange sense of pride and relief.

  "I really like her," Mom said loudly the moment Diane was out of sight, now ihe house with Teddy and Missy.

  "That's good. I'm gd," I replied, smiling at Mom, amused and unsure of what response she was expeg.

  "She's really kind aremely intelligent," Mom added, nodding seriously.

  "And she's pretty, above all," Meemaw chimed in with a meaningful smile.

  "Yes, she is," I murmured in agreement, feeling a little unfortable as everyo the table nodded in agreement with Meemaw’s words and stared at me with a strange look.

  With everyone except Sheldon—who was still suspiciously watg the sky—gazing at me with an odd expression of , I progressively felt more uneasy.

  "You better treat her very well, PJ. You know how her mother is," Mrs. Cooper, the most serious of the group, said while slightly g her jaw.

  "Of course he will! I taught him everything he o know about girls," Bob decred proudly, though slightly drunk.

  "I have more useful advice than you, old man. e to my office Monday, and I'll tell you all about it," Mr. Cooper quickly quipped, prompting Bob to huff in amusement.

  "Anyway, I just want you to knorove of this retionship," Mom decred magnanimously, lifting her slightly after giving Bob a side-eye. Mrs. Cooper mirrored the gesture toward her own husband, who was ughing along with Bob.

  Okay… That was my cue to leave.

  "Thanks, Mom," I said, unsure how to take her 'approval' as I stood up. "I guess," I added in a murmur. "I'll take these inside," I said, grabbing the ptes and cutlery from the table with a stiff smile.

  "Thanks, honey," Mom said cheerfully, smiling. "I'll have tea with Mary. Have fun responsibly," she added, raising an eyebrow and emphasizing the st part.

  Yes, I definitely o leave.

  "Since PJ has left the table, I shall also excuse myself," Sheldon abruptly decred, standing up with purpose. "Thanks for the food," he added before heading off toward his house.

  Carrying the ptes and utensils used during the meal, I quickly ehe house after a stiff smile as a goodbye.

  Passing behind the three boys watg TV, I found them still arguing.

  "Look at that kick! Of course Dalton could beat Rocky," Geie decred with a furrowed brow, pletely serious.

  "I don't think so. Rocky's punches are way more explosive," Frank, the twelve-year-old debating with Geie, tered. He was supported by Gabe, who seemed amused by the situation.

  I got it—it was certaiertaining to watch Geie argue seriously with a kid.

  Ign the boys, I tio the kit, catg the loud musiing from Teddy’s room, mixed with ughter that filtered through the noise.

  After leaving the ptes in the sink, I returo the living room and sat beside Gabe to watch the rest of the movie with the boys—or at least tried to. Geie kept pausing the movie to point out certain punches or kicks, which Frank quickly and surprisingly articutely tered.

  "Wait. You've seen movies?" I asked Frank, surprised.

  "Of course. I watch a lot of TV with Hank when Mom’s with Diahe boy answered matter-of-factly.

  In a way, Frank’s childhood was also rather sad. The boy was essentially ignored by his mother.

  "PJ," Teddy’s voice called out, snapping me from my thoughts as the musi her room grew louder.

  "Yeah?" I asked, slightly turning to see my sister walking toward the door.

  "I'm grabbing your music records from your car," Teddy decred casually, taking 'Debbie's' keys from the small table he door.

  "Sure," I said, shrugging and nodding.

  With Teddy’s door open, my eyes instinctively wandered into her room. To my surprise, they locked onto Diane’s. Unlike earlier gnces in the backyard, Diane quickly turned her head away, clearly embarrassed, as if trying to "hide" from me.

  "Don’t peek!" Missy suddenly appeared and smmed the door shut.

  At that moment, Teddy re-ehrough the front door, carrying a couple of my records.

  "You locked my car, right?" I asked as I watched my sister ruedly toward her room.

  "Yes," Teddy replied without paying me any attention as she disappeared into her room.

  The movie resumed while ughter and music grew louder from Teddy’s room.

  At one point, after a good portion of the movie had passed, Teddy’s door opened again, releasing the loud musi her room.

  "PJ, Diane wants a gss of water," Teddy decred with a ugh before the door smmed shut again.

  Diaanding just outside Teddy’s room, simply stood with her head down, rog on her feet.

  "Okay," I said slowly as I stood up. "e on, Diane," I said, trying to see her face, but she tinued avoiding my gaze, leaving me puzzled by the sudden situation.

  Walking behind me, Dia her head down, avoiding eye tact.

  "Are you okay, Diane?" I asked, ed, once we were i.

  "Yeah, sorry," she nodded, still avoiding fag me pletely, sounding embarrassed.

  "What’s wrong?" I asked nervously, gently taking her arm.

  Had she fought with Teddy? No, they were ughing just a minute ago.

  "Nothing," Diane said, "jsut..." seemingly gathering her ce. She nodded firmly and raised her head.

  "Wha—" I immediately noticed what was going on. Diane had a thin yer of makeup on her face. It was surprising and new but not bad at all.

  I knew Diane well enough to have her face memorized. Her shes were now much curlier, there was a barely visible blush on her cheeks, and her lips were a deeper pink than usual. Somehow, she seemed to glow as she kept her eyes locked on mine.

  "What do you think?" Diane asked nervously, g her hands in front of her as she rocked slightly on her feet.

  "You look... beautiful," I said quickly, realizing I had been silent, captivated by her appearance. "Like you always do," I added slowly, still lost in Diane’s now strangely rger eyes.

  "Thanks. You don’t look bad yourself," Diane replied, smiling as she gently bit her lip—a habit she had whenever she tried not to smile too much. She pced a hand on my arm, clearly proud of her little joke.

  Laughing incredulously at how much Diane had ged, I shook my head slightly. "Thanks, I do what I ," I replied.

  Along with my words, Diane and I stood in a fortable silehi. Feeling her cold hand on my arm and seeing her beautiful but small smile, I found myself thinking about wanting to see her like this for the rest of my life. Embarrassed with myself, I lowered my gaze slightly.

  I might been just a little in love with Diane.

  "PJ—" Diane began nervously, "Diane—" I said at the same time.

  "Sorry, you first," Diane quickly said with a soft ugh.

  "No—" I started to say when I was interrupted again.

  "The baby is ing!" Bob shouted nervously from outside the kit.

  ---Author Thoughts:

  As always, I'm not Ameri, not a doctor, not a fighter, not Magnus Carlsen and not Michael Phelps.

  With that said,

  I think that's all. As always, if you find any errors, please let me know, and I'll correct them immediately.

  Thank you for reading! :D

  PS: PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.