Sorry for the dey of this chapter.

  I have to admit that I was in a major block for this chapter. As I've said many times, I always have a general idea of the dire I want the o tinue in. The problem with this chapter happened when I sat down to write it. I knew what I wao happen in the chapter, but I couldn't write it.

  So, I did what any normal person would do—I took a break.

  But I'm back.

  Enjoy.

  ...

  When I heard Bob's words, I froze for a sed, needing to process what I had just heard. Diane, who was beside me, gently pced her hand on my arm, a small gesture enough to snap me out of my state of shock.

  Immediately, with Diane right behind me, I quickly left the kit. Standing behind the cou the living room, Bob was pletely frozen with his hands raised near his head, seemingly unsure of what to do with the information he himself had just given. It was rather surprising that after three children, the man still didn't know what to do.

  "And what are we doing here?" Gabe, who, along with Frank and Geie, had jumped up from the couch, asked incredulously. "We o go to the hospital!" he added nervously.

  "Everyoay calm!" Once Gabe snapped him out of his trance, Bob suddenly excimed, being the most agitated of everyone present.

  "What's going on?" Teddy, opening the door to her room—which was still vibrating with loud music—asked.

  "Your mom is having the baby," Diane, who ossibly the only calm person in the house, expined simply to Teddy.

  Just like I had been a few seds earlier, Teddy froze for a moment to process Diane's words before shouting at me, "What?!"

  "Yes," I replied, nodding. "Now calm down. You guys have a pn for this, right?" I asked, pointing at Bob. "A bag?" I added, tilting my head. I remembered Mom mentioning something about a bag with everything needed for her stay and discharge from the hospital.

  "Yes! The bag!" Bob decred quickly, nodding as he turned 180 degrees and cpped his hands before running to his room.

  "Now, Teddy, get all the kids and go to the Coopers' house. I'll drive Mom and Dad to the hospital," I ordered quickly, remembering how Bob and Mr. Cooper had been drinking.

  "What? No, I'll go too!" Teddy immediately replied, frowning.

  "If Teddy goes, I'm going too!" Gabe said quickly upon hearing Teddy's words, starting a rapid and disanized argumeween him and Teddy.

  "Okay, shut up!" Annoyed, I shouted, sileng the yelling in the living room as I saw my siblings were not pnning to end their argument.

  Following my and, my siblings—and apparently all the noise around us—fell into plete sileeddy and Gabe, visibly startled, looked at me with a bit of fear, which, surprisingly, Geie and Frank also shared as they stared at me.

  "This is not the time for this," I said calmly, l my voice, which made everyone rex.

  "But Mom—" Gabe, the first to recover from the surprise of my shouting, began to say before I interrupted him.

  "No, I don't want to hear it," I said, raising my finger and slightly raising my voice again.

  I pletely uood what Teddy and Gabe were going through. I was also extremely worried about Mom, but at that moment, she o stay as calm as possible—for her sake and the baby's.

  "Now, Teddy, please take the kids to the Coopers' house," I ordered slowly but firmly, making Teddy ch her jaw.

  "All right," Teddy murmured, obviously disappointed, causing Gabe to lower his head i.

  "Mom might be in a lot of pain right now, which is normal. Don't worry about that," I quickly expined after achieving my goal. "So I don't want you to start arguing under any circumstances in front of her. She o stay as calm as possible. Are we clear?" I asked, tilting my head slightly with a hint of severe warning behind my words.

  I wasn't a monster; I simply wahe trip to the hospital to be as stress-free as possible for my mom. If necessary, I would e back for Teddy and Gabe to visit her myself, but I highly doubted it would e to that. I was sure the Coopers would go even without being invited.

  "Yes," Gabe and Teddy answered at the same time.

  "Good, go on," I ordered, nodding as I carefully studied my siblings' reas, especially Gabe's.

  "e on, Frank," Teddy said, shaking her head, still disappointed, as she motioned for the boy to follow.

  "Yeah," Frank murmured, nodding while gng at me with a bit of fear as he walked with Teddy.

  "I hadn't noticed before, but you're kind of scary," Missy, who had been silently enjoying the spectacle, said with a wide grin as she stared at me. "So manly," she decred with a slight huff, shaking her head lightly as she walked behind my sister.

  "What about me?" Geie asked nervously as my siblings, along with Missy and Frank, left the house.

  "What do you mean, 'What about me'?" I asked incredulously. "Go home man," I said with a sigh.

  "Great, good luck!" Geie replied, nodding and looking oddly relieved as he practically ran after the group of kids.

  Once I had dealt with the kids, the nerves I had buried resurfaced. Pressing my hand to my forehead, I breathed steadily, trying to clear my thoughts.

  "I just o drive her there, make sure Dr. Stratford is on duty. If he's not, have them call him," I murmured to myself, keeping my breathing steady and calm.

  "You know, she's right," Diane said suddenly, breaking my tration. "I didn't know you could raise your voice like that," she added with a strangely amused smile. "It was really manly," she said, leaning slightly with amusement sparkling in her eyes, visibly f herself not to smile as she bit her lip.

  Yeah, I really like her.

  "Well, you know me—being manly is all I do," I decred jokingly with fake arrogahough I don't usually raise my voice," I assured her a little more seriously. "I think I should do it more often. It's surprisingly liberating," I added with a wide grin.

  Seeing the small but beautiful smile on Diane's face helped ease my nerves incredibly. Her surprisingly calm demeanor was very reassuring.

  "Diane, I—" I began, staring into Diane's wide eyes, only to be interrupted once more.

  "I got it," Bob decred, returning at that moment with a rather bulky bag, obviously packed by my mom.

  "All right, give it to me," I said, immediately taking the bag from Bob's hands. "Go get Mom. I'll drive," I added quickly, guiding—really, pushing—the man toward the front door.

  "Yeah, all right," Bob replied, still in shoodding firmly. A sed ter, he quickly turned on his heels, looking ready to run out of the house. "Wait!" he excimed, suddenly stopping in the doorway. "The kids—Teddy and Gabe o go to the Coopers'," he added nervously, searg the house as he remembered his other children.

  "I already took care of that," I assured Bob quickly, f his attention on me as I pushed him out the dain.

  "You did? Good," Bob said, nodding firmly at my words. Once we were outside the house, he quickly ran to the Coopers' house, allowio close the door with Diane.

  With the bulky bag in one hand and the keys to Bob's hideous van iher, I did a quick mental check of what still o be done.

  "You o move the car," Diane murmured calmly, pg one of her cold hands on my arm as I thought about stupid things, like whether the stove had somehow bee on.

  "Yeah, right," I muttered, still lost in my thoughts as I looked at her. "Let's go," I added a few seds ter, once again losing myself in Diane's eyes, as I naturally took her hand and jogged lightly toward the car.

  After opening the passenger door for Diao get in and pg the bulky slightly heavy bag irunk, I got in the car and immediately started the engine.

  "Your mom's outside," Diane said, pointing to the Coopers' house. For the first time since we heard Bob's shouting, a hint of crossed her face.

  Without responding to Diane, I quickly moved Bob's van to the front of the Coopers' house. Mom, obviously in pain, was walking with the help of Bob and Mrs. Cooper as she said goodbye to my siblings.

  "PJ, drive carefully," Mrs. Cooper said, clearly worried, as Bob carefully helped Mom into the truck. Leaning slightly toward Diane's window, she added with a hint of dession, "We'll stay here and wait for your parents to arrive," gesturing at Diane. "After that, we'll head straight to the hospital to join you."

  "Perfect, Mrs. Cooper, thank you," I replied quickly, gng over to see Mom repeatedly wing in pain as she got into the truck. "Don't worry, I'll drive carefully," I reassured her as Bob settled into the truext to Mom.

  "Good, call us if you need anything," Mrs. Cooper said, stepping bad g her hands in front of her chest.

  "Will do. Thank you," I responded.

  After a quick farewell, I sped off in the dire of the hospital.

  As I drove, I kept track of the time between Mom's tras. Thankfully, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

  "I'm so gd you came along with PJ, Diahat's very kind of you," Mom said cheerfully, despite the effort it clearly took between her practiced breathing and a painful grimace.

  It retty surprising that, even after enduring inexplicable pain and fog on her breathing, Mom still had the energy to py matchmaker.

  "Oh, don't mention it, Mrs. Dun. I just didn't J to be alone," Diane replied a bit stiffly, turning slightly to offer a somewhat forced smile.

  It was odd. Diane had been chatting fortably with Mom and the other women in the house earlier that day. Now, she seemed nervous about speaking to her.

  "I told you not to call me Mrs. Dun. You call me Amy," Mom pyfully reminded Diaween her breathing exercises.

  Before anyone could say anything else, another tra hit Mom, and she groaned loudly, leaning forward slightly in pain.

  This made twelve minutes between tras, each sting an average of forty seds. Given that Mom had already been through three previous pregnahese were good numbers. It was quite possible she was already halfway through the tent phase of bor.

  As I mentally reviewed everything I could about bor stages, timing, and potential risks, Diane's cold hand on mine suddenly snapped me out of my deep thoughts.

  I turned briefly to look at Diane and found her giving me a small but reassuring smile.

  "Thank you," I murmured, feeling slightly embarrassed.

  "You have to be born in record time, my beautiful baby," Mom said from the backseat once her tra had passed, stroking her belly with a pained expression. "It's going to be a pletely painless birth, so quick the doctor will want to write about how incredible it was," she added almost pleadingly.

  "How much farther, PJ?" Bob asked, flexing his hand with a pained expression, likely because of Mom's death grip.

  "We're almost there," I replied, accelerating slightly over the speed limit while keeping my eyes on the road.

  And it was true. Not long after, I arrived at the hospital, parking quickly before jumping out to help Bob with Mom.

  "e on, Mom," I said, taking her free arm to help her walk alongside Bob.

  "Where's the bag?" Mom stopped after just a few steps, wing in pain from another tra, and asked in a strained voice.

  "I'll go get it," I assured her immediately.

  "I carry it," Diane quickly volunteered, shamelessly reag into my pants pocket to grab the truck's key.

  "It's heavy," I warned, holding onto Mom for support.

  "Don't worry, I ha," Diane nodded fidently, assurih vi.

  "You're such a treasure, honey," Mom said, even in the midst of her tra, digging her nails into Bob's arm and mine simultaneously, leaving me uo tinue my warning to Diane.

  Despite Diane's kind offer and fidence, I knew her physical limits. I was absolutely certain she couldn't carry the bag on her own.

  Leaving Diane behind, I helped Mom into the hospital.

  "Nurse, my wife is having a baby!" Bob said with some panic, lettiake most of Mom's weight as he approached the reception desk.

  "All right, sir, if you could register your wife with this form," the nurse responded calmly, not looking up from the dots she was w oone follorocedure that was likely tedious, slow, and somewhat iive, but necessary for the hospital.

  "Maria's me," Mom said, sounding slightly exasperated as she clutched her stomach.

  "Wha—oh, Amy!" The nurse, Marianne, finally looked up, surprised. "Don't worry about that then. You fill it out ter," she added quickly, pig up the papers she had pced in front of Bob. "Let me get you a wheelchair," she said, pressing a button among many on her desk before walking over to Mom.

  "I'll go get Diane," I said as Bob returo help support Mom, cheg my watch.

  "Yes, I need my bag," Mom said through gritted teeth, barely able to speak as another tra hit.

  Outside the hospital, I immediately spotted Diane, clearly exhausted, sitting in the open trunk of the truck with Mom's bag on the ground just a step away from her.

  "I 't carry the bag," Diane admitted, pressing her lips together in slight embarrassment.

  "Really?" I exaggerated, pretending to be shocked. "Who would've thought?" I asked sarcastically, easily hoisting the heavy bag onto my shoulder.

  "You're not funny," Diane said, frowning. "It didn't seem that heavy when you carry it," she expined, frustrated, gesturing at how the bag hung fortably on my shoulder.

  "Well, it doesn't seem that way because I have actual muscle mass," I joked, leaning down to grab her slender arm. "We really o bulk you up," I added, pyfully squeezing her bicep.

  "W out isn't my thing," Diane said slowly, raising her face to look at me properly since she was sitting lower than my height. "And besides, I don't think I'd look good with giant muscles," she added with a small smile.

  "Oh, I promise you that no matter how much you work out, you're not going to get gigantic muscles," I assured her, amused by her reasoning. "But even if, somehow, you mao get muscles as big as some bodybuilder..." I slowed down and lowered my voice as I locked eyes with Diane, her makeup making her eyes appear even rger. "It would be really funny," I decred after a brief moment of silence, barely holding back my ughter.

  Diane pulled her arm free and pouted, pressing her lips together in a small, adorable expression.

  Totally unfair.

  "Diane—" I began, once again summoning the ce to speak, only to be interrupted for the third time that day.

  "Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," came the easily reizable, sarcastic voice of House from behind me.

  "I 't believe this," I murmured incredulously, tilting my head toward the sky. "Is this some kind of bad joke?" I asked no one in particur, turning slowly to face House.

  "I really don't care, but do you two live in the hospital parking lot now?" House asked, standing with his bag slung over one shoulder, clearly ready to leave for the day. "If so, I'm calling security. That truck is hideous, and I e out of that door every day," he said, gesturing toward the hospital's entrance.

  "No, House," I replied, pressing my jaw in frustration over yet another interruption. "My mom is having the baby," I added, remembering why I'd e out in the first pce—I o get the bag to Bob before they went into the delivery room, where no one else would be allowed.

  "Like I said, I really don't care," House said without missing a beat, shrugging before heading toward his car.

  "PJ, the wheelchair is here," Nurse Marianne called out, appearing at the hospital door while House got into his car. "Your mom told me she really needs her bag," she added nervously.

  "Oh, yeah," I nodded, quickly adjusting the bag on my shoulder. "Did you catch your breath?" I asked Diaurning back to her.

  "Yup," Diane said, hopping to her feet and stepping aside to let me close the truck's trunk.

  Ihe hospital, Mom was already seated in the wheelchair, waiting with Bob just a few steps from the reception desk.

  "Oh great, thank you, Diane," Mom said with a smile directed at Diane when I hahe bag to Bob, even though it was clearly me who carried the bag all the way.

  "It was nothing, Mrs. Dun," Diane said with a small smile, showing no trabarrassment, while entirely avoiding looking at me and keeping her face expressionless.

  Chug lightly, I followed Bob, heeling Mom down the hospital corridors toward the maternity ward.

  "You know the drill, PJ. You 't go past this point, even if we wao let you," one of the maternity ward nurses, ty, said as she took over pushing Mom's wheelchair and poioward the waiting area.

  "All right, Mom, we'll be right here," I assured her with a forced smile, nodding at the nurse.

  "Great, thank you, honey," Mom said through gritted teeth, clearly in pain. "Don't let Teddy and Gabe stay up too te," she added quickly as she was wheeled away.

  "No, don't worry," I quickly replied.

  As Mom, Bob, and the nurse disappeared through the doors to the private bor rooms, I stood with Diane, pletely lost in my thoughts.

  It was strange how worried I felt about something that, theoretically, wasn't all that dangerous. I khe stats—pertages of plications in normal deliveries, the hospital's success rates, Mom's physical dition, and so many other factors that should have reassured me, but they didn't.

  The more I thought about the numbers and potential plications, the faster my breathing became. My chest tightened, and I became unfortably aware of the sooling in my palms.

  Once again, my mom was out of my reach, and I couldn't do anything to help her.

  I knew I was having a panic attack; I reized all the signs—I remembered ead every one of them. But for some reason, I couldn't recall what I was supposed to do to ma.

  Fog painfully on the sensation of my nails digging into my palms, one of my hands was suddenly ed in Diane's cold ones. "Everything's going to be okay," she said softly and calmly, with a small smile on her face to reassure me.

  "Yeah, I know," I replied, now aware of the rest of the hospital's noise—people talking, phones ringing, ughter, and even a baby g somewhere in the distance. I hid what was surely a nervous expression behind a posed smile.

  "Do you want to sit down?" Diane asked, tugging lightly on my hand, which was still held securely between her own, and guidioward the waiting area chairs.

  "Yeah," I responded, still feeling slightly dazed, as I rexed my hand releasing the tight fist I hadn't realized I was making.

  "So, what's happening in there right now?" Diane asked after we sat down, her curiosity evident as she gestured with her head toward where Mom and Bob had gone.

  "What?" I asked, startled.

  "Yes, your mom is in there. What is she doing right now? Is she already pushing?" Diane asked calmly, her tone clearly meant to help distrad soothe me, her rge eyes sparkling with i.

  "No," I replied with amusement, shaking my head slightly. "Right now, Dad and some nurses are probably helping her put on the hospital gown," I expihinking through the general process. "Then, a nurse or an obstetri will e to do an obstetric triage—basically, they'll assess the urgency to prioritize care," I tiaking a deep breath and thinking back to the signs I'd noticed in Mom.

  "What kinds of things do they check to determihe urgency?" Diane asked, slowly rubbihumbs over the bay hand.

  "Things like blood pressure, the heart rate of both the mother and the baby, the time between tras, the duration and iy of each tra, and cervical dition," I replied, mirr her gesture aly stroking her hand with my thumb.

  "And with all that, they decide if it's time to start pushing?" Diane asked, releasing my hand for a sed to adjust her gsses using her sweater before immediately taking my hand again.

  "Yeah, basically," I answered, nodding slowly. "If the dition is more than four timeters, the tras are regur, and the baby is doing fine—in other words, if all the signs are good—then they move the mother to the delivery room or the bor area. If not, she has to wait under observation."

  "Sounds like a pretty easy process," Diane said with a slight tilt of her head, smiling.

  "Theoretically it is," I snorted, "but it's usually a sloainful process," I added seriously, "widely accepted as one of the most extreme forms of pain outside of torture methods," I added a little sadly.

  "So not pretty easy got it" Diatered nervously.

  "No," I murmured amused, "although with the advances in modern medie the process be made more bearable, although painful and tiring, but bearable," I added, not wanting to scare Diane pletely.

  After finishing my expnation, Diane and I sat in fortable silence for a few minutes until the same nurse who had escorted Mom and Bob earlier reappeared, smiling calmly.

  "How's everything?" I quickly stood and asked, walking up to Betty.

  "Everything seems normal. Your mom and the baby have excellent numbers. I don't think it'll be long before the expulsion phase begins," the nurse expined with a reassuring nod.

  "Good," I murmured, nodding slowly. "Oh, who's the obstetri on duty?" I asked, remembering to check.

  "Don't worry. Dr. Stratford just started his shift," the nurse quickly replied.

  "All right, thank you," I said with relief, knowing Dr. Stratford was the head of obstetrics.

  "No problem, I'll be here if you need anything, PJ" Betty said calmly. Then, with a warm smile toward Diane, she added, "And it's o finally meet you, Diane."

  "Likewise," Diane replied, a bit puzzled but maintaining her manners with a stiff nod.

  "She's really cute," hiding her face from Diahe nurse mouthed silently with raised eyebrows, nodding in approval.

  "I know," I mouthed back with a grin, watg the urn to her workstation.

  "How many nurses know about me?" Diane asked curiously as we sat down again in the waiting area, her intrigue evident.

  "By now? I'd say every single one of them," I replied, nodding slowly and thinking about how terrifyingly effit the nurses' gossip work was.

  There were plenty of nurses I hadn't eve yet, but it seemed like all of them already knew me—and probably Diaoo.

  While we waited in the waiting area, and as time passed, nurses periodically came by uhe pretense of cheg for updates on Mom, only to try striking up versations with the 'famous' Diane.

  That was how we spent a couple of hours, with Diane and me only occasionally left alone for brief moments.

  "How many nurses work at the hospital?" Diane asked nervously during one of those rare moments when no nurse was in the waiting area with us.

  "I'd say around three hundred, but for this shift, about a hundred," I answered, shrugging slightly and watg Diane's ed rea.

  "And how many do you think will 'visit' your mom?" Diane asked slowly, clearly trying to hide her disfort.

  "Knowing Mom… all of them or almost all of them," I replied, pretending to think for a moment befiving her a sheepish smile.

  "Okay," Diane sighed deeply, as if brag herself.

  This was exactly what I had anticipated when I got home earlier today. Diane had made surprising progress in overing her social disfort over the past week, but it was clear she wasn't ready to meet hundreds of new people in just a few hours.

  "You don't have to stay here if you don't want to. I take you back to the Coopers' so you wait for your mom if you're feeling unfortable," I said gently, squeezing Diane's hand, which had been csped in mine since I sat dowo her. The st thing I wanted was for Diao feel uneasy.

  "No!" Diane quickly responded. "I want to be here," she added firmly, calming her sudden burst of emotion.

  "Okay," I murmured with amusement, noting Diane's obvious attempt to mask her disfort. "Tell you what, I'm going to grab some coffee. Want to join me?" I asked, knowing Diane needed a break from the nurses' questions and trying to suppress a smile at how quickly her expression ged.

  "Yes, please," Diane responded immediately, standing up and practically pulling me along with her.

  Since Diane hadn't had a ce to see much of the hospital duri visit, I decided to take the long route to the hospital café, showihe wings we passed through. Helping Diane recharge her social energy after dealing with so many nurses was just a useful extra.

  The fact that the walk gave us a little aloime was just a pleasant bonus.

  Not long after, we arrived at the café, where I got myself a coffee and Diaea.

  As we walked back to the waiting area, I watched Diane, now pletely at ease, blowing softly on her hot tea. "I'll ask this one more time: are you sure you don't wao take you back to the ranch?" I asked. "It's a really short drive," I assured her.

  "Why are you asking?" Diane asked, stopping for a moment, clearly surprised. "You don't wao be here?" she added, her curiosity piqued but showing no sign of worry.

  "What? No, not at all," I immediately said, incredulous. "It's just that I know you're unfortable with all the rying to make versation with you," I quickly expined. "I'm really gd you're here," I added a moment ter, looking at Diane, who tio blow softly oea.

  "Oh," Diane murmured, with the disposable cup c half her face. "Is my disfort really that obvious?" she asked a moment ter, lightly biting her lip in .

  "I think only I notice it," I assured her, seeing the worry on Diane's face, though it was actually quite visible at times.

  "Great, so your parents and siblings didn't notice, right?" Diane asked with i, pressing her lips together.

  "I don't think so, no. Why?" I responded, fairly certain this time as I recalled how Teddy had practically kidnapped Dia the diable and ter in her room and Gabe, well was just Gabe.

  "I just wao make a good impression on your family," Diane decred with an odd formality, narrowing her eyes slightly.

  Uo help myself, I chuckled in amusement, nearly choking on my own coffee.

  "What? Do you think I failed?" Diane asked, tilting her head, seemingly recalling every iion she'd had with any member of my family. "I thought I was a success."

  "No, that's not it," I quickly said, f the coffee down where it o g to stop coughing. "I'm pretty sure it was a resounding success," I decred seriously, leaning in slightly.

  Mom ractically an open book with her iions for Diane, just like Mrs. Cooper and Meemaw. They all seemed united in their idea of formalizing a retionship between Diane and me.

  Teddy seemed to have taken an uedly quick liking to Diane, dressing her up and sendio me with the excuse of wanting water. Even Missy, who I retty sure had a tiny crush on me, seemed to approve.

  "Really?" Diane asked, her eyes widening. "Good," she added a moment ter, smiling.

  Diane's smile, unlike many of her smiles over the past few days, was unhidden this time.

  It was beautiful.

  "I like you," I decred seriously, determined not to be interrupted a fourth time that day.

  Caught off guard by my sudden words, Diane, who had been smiling without a care in the world just a sed ago, stared at me, pletely speechless.

  "I'm sorry, I just had to say it," I quickly apologized, embarrassed, realizing hot I had been. "Although it's not a lie. I really do like you," I added seriously, keeping eye tact.

  "Romantically?" Diane asked after several moments of silence, her rge, beautiful eyes still focused on mine.

  "Yeah," I said, chug at Diane's strange question. "I'm in love with you," I admitted seriously. Once I said it the first time, it surprisingly became easier to repeat.

  Biting her lip to keep herself from smiling—something I now easily admitted drove me crazy—Diane nodded quickly.

  "What does this mean?" Diane asked with excitement in her voice.

  "Well, if you feel the same way about me, it means we start a retionship… a romantic retionship," I expined slowly, puzzled, adding the st part quickly to avoid fusion.

  "Okay, and how is this romantic retionship different from what we already have?" Diane asked, visibly suppressing her smile as she shifted on her feet.

  That was actually a very good question. "I don't know, really, not much," I quickly replied, thinking about the past few days. "I mean, I think it's practically the same, just with a couple of added things," I said, pressing my jaw, strangely embarrassed to expin as I took a sip of coffee.

  "Like kissing and coputing," Diane decred pletely shamelessly, making me choke on my coffee for the sed time during the versation.

  "I mean, yeah," I said after coughiedly. "When we're both ready," I added, trying to avoid any weird self-imposed pressure on Diane's part.

  "Great," Diane murmured, nodding firmly. "Then I in love with you too," she added a sed ter, smiling broadly once again.

  With how the versation had gohe start of our retionship strangely didn't feel entirely like a seal viore like signing some sort of tract.

  "Great," I murmured, a little awkward but amused, as I watched Diane's radiant smile.

  "Now we should kiss, right?" Diane asked, shifting on her feet.

  "Well, if you want to," I said, ughing. I khat at least I really wao.

  "Oh yeah, ever since we went to see Edward Scissorhands iheater, I've really wao do it with you," Diane decred, nodding firmly once again, pletely unashamed.

  "Sihen?" I asked, smiling with i. The movie theater had been one of our first dates.

  "Well, yeah," Diane replied for the first time sihe beginning of the versation, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm a very impressionable girl," she added, pressing her lips together.

  "Yeah, you are," I decred with amusement, taking a small step toward her.

  The sudden closeness visibly startled Diane, making her jump slightly in pce.

  "ostpo until you're fortable," I assured her, amused, keeping my attention fixed on her eyes.

  Though I was maintaining a calm front with Diane, I was holy a little anxious myself.

  "No, I want it now," Diane murmured softly but firmly, also keeping her gaze locked on mine.

  "Great, I want it now too," I decred, relieved, joking. A moment ter, I leaned in as Diaood oiptoes, meeting me halfway.

  Our first kiss tasted like cheap hospital coffee. Beyond that, Diane's lips were exactly as I had imagined—like the rest of her skin, cold and incredibly soft.

  "I really like that," Diane said after a sed that easily could've been an hour, pulling back slightly with her eyes still closed.

  "It was good," I murmured sarcastically, though I had thhly e.

  "Shut up," Diaed, cutting me off. She stretched up to kiss me again, ing her arms around my o keep me down.

  I was quite grateful that no oerrupted us this time.

  "Diane!" a furious English woman's voice suddenly called from the end of the hallway.

  I totally take that back.

  "Mother?" Diane asked, quickly pulling away from the kiss, surprised to see her mother at the end of the hallway.

  "What is the meaning of this?" Mrs. Adler asked incredulously, visibly upset as she marched toward us.

  "PJ and I have started a romantic retionship," Diane replied to her mother's question without an ounce of shame, as if she were talking about the weather.

  "Oh, I see," Mrs. Adler decred, exaggerating the widening of her eyes, as if she had truly needed Diane's expnation to uand. "We're leaving," she added, pressing her jaw tightly.

  "Mrs. Adler—" I begae not really knowing what to say to try and calm her down, but I was interrupted.

  "Do not speak to me, boy," the blonde woman excimed, raising a finger, momentarily losing all posure. "I don't want to hear a word from you," she said, rexing slightly but still visibly agitated, in a tohat made it clear she was warning me.

  "Mom, what's going on?" Diane asked, fused by her mother's behavior. "I know you doirely like PJ."

  I'd say that was an uatement.

  "But I like him a lot," Diane added.

  "Oh, please, darling," Mrs. Adler decred exasperatedly, shaking her head. "It's just a stupid infatuation with a stupid boy. You have more important things to focus on," she said, casually insulting me.

  I'm not stupid.

  "My feelings aren't stupid," Diane immediately said, visibly offended by her mother's words. "Aher is PJ," she added a moment ter.

  Thank you.

  "You 't get distracted by this, Diane," Mrs. Adler said, f a smile to hide her irritation. In a tone of false ess, she tinued, "Tomorrow m, we're taking our flight home, and I promise you that in a couple of days, this silly infatuation will be fotten once you dive into all the mathematics Shanknd has prepared for you."

  With her words, I felt as though a heavy sack of stones had dropped into my stomach. Somehow, I had pletely fotten that Diane was only in Texas for a week.

  "I told you my feelings aren't stupid or silly," Diane decred firmly, snappi of my thoughts about how plicated it would be to maintain a retionship with Diane living in Boston. Maybe I'd o finish high school early, accept Dr. Thomas's offer, and start medical school under his mentorship.

  "You have your eure in mathematics ahead of you, your dream—" Mrs. Adler was saying, stepping closer to her daughter with a sweet smile.

  "No," Diane resolutely interrupted her mother, taking my hand without even looking at it. "It's your dream," Diane added, squeezing my hand surprisingly tightly, "and I'm not going to keep wasting my life on it."

  Clearly not expeg such words from her daughter, Mrs. Adler was left pletely speechless for a few seds, studying Diane's face. Slowly, her gaze shifted to me, lingering on Diane's and my joined hands.

  "You," she murmured, pointing at me with her nostrils fring in rage. "This is all your fault. In one week, you've mao fill my perfect Diane's head with ist and mediocre ideas."

  "Stop it, Mom," Diane said angrily, stepping in front of me before I could even think of something to say. "ist and mediocre ideas?" she asked, clearly offended. "PJ showed me the beauty of living my life the way I want, and you, of all people, have nht to insult him for that," she decred, pointing a fi her mother in a gesture that mirrored Mrs. Adler's earlier one.

  "Diane—" Mrs. Adler began, raising her hand and once again smiling with that infuriatingly fake tranquility.

  "No, now yoing to listen to me," Diaerrupted surprisingly firm. "I'm done living my life under yuida's over," she said, nodding emphatically slowly pressing my hand harder. "And whether you like it or not, I will live it the way I want."

  Mrs. Adler blinked, stunned by the vi in Diane's voice. Her false posure cracked slightly, but she quickly straightened up, regaining her calm demeanor. "You're being foolish, Diane," she said sharply. "Living in this small town, ging to some boy, throwing away your potential—it's beh you. What you possibly aplish here?"

  "I aplish everything want," Diane replied surprisingly without missing a beat. "I'm pretty sure that Texas Tech would offer me anything position I ask for. I'll tiudying mathematics, but on my terms, not yours. I'll stay here, work hard, and build the life I want."

  "And where are you going to live, Diane?" Mrs. Adler snapped, her voice rising. "In this boy crowded small house, with the ine of aerminator and a he woman sarcastically asked. "This is not sustai's reckless and irresponsible."

  Before Diane could respond, a voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Now, wait just a minute!" With her Texas at marked by anger, Mrs. Cooper appeared seemingly out of nowhere said. "I don't think you have the slightest idea who you're talking about, or how strong and capable Diane is."

  Mrs. Adler looked at the woman with thinly veiled disdain. "This is a private family matter," she said coldly. "I don't see how this s you."

  "It s me plenty," Mrs. Cooper shot back. "Diane is like family to me, and if she wants to stay here and not go back to Boston with you, she has a pce to stay—with us." She crossed her arms defiantly, as if daring Mrs. Adler tue.

  It was quite iing that with the little that Mrs. Cooper knew about Diane she already held her in such high regard, I retty sure that somehow the woman saw in Diane everything that scared her of Sheldon growing up to be.

  "With you?" Mrs. Adler repeated incredulously, as if the very idea reposterous. "Your only gifted son is locked in because of your shhtedness, What makes you think you take care of her better than I ?" she asked mogly.

  "Don't talk about my family with that false superiority of yours," Mrs. Cooper seeming ready to fight said threateningly. "What I do with my son and what I pn to do with Diane, unlike you, is give her the spad support she o make her own choices. She's old enough to decide what's best for her life, and she doesn't need you h over her every move. And just so you know, Diane's not running away from responsibility—she's standing up for herself."

  Mrs. Adler opened her mouth to respond, but Dia her off. "This isn't up for debate, Mom," she said firmly. "I've already made my decision. I'm staying here" Diane resolutely decred.

  "Diane-" Once again nervous now, Mrs. Adler tried to say.

  "No" Daierrupted her abruptly. "You only have two optith now mother, accept it and maintaitle tact that I am willing to have with you, or force me to go with you, wait for me to plete my petition for emancipation and lose absolutely all tact with me, forever".

  Mrs. Adler stared at her daughter, clearly at a loss for words. For a moment, the tension hung heavy in the air. Then, from the same pce where Mrs. Cooper had arrived a moment ago, Hank, Diane's stepfather, walked calmly o his wife, taking her by the shoulders and speaking weakly in her ear.

  Staring at her daughter for a sed, pain in her expression, Mrs. Adler nodded slowly as she walked with her husband to the opposite side of the hallway, toward the hospital exit.

  ...

  As I mentio the beginning of this chapter, this chapter was quite challenging for me to write. However, he end, the words flowed easily. It's not one of my favorite chapters, but I'm quite satisfied with the result. I look forward to reading your ents.

  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.