"And they lived happily ever after." - Wanda

to have no control.

01/10/23

Day 1

Lizzie turned to the doctor, "Can we have more than two of us in the room?"

He nodded to her, "Have as many as you'd like,"

As they left Lizzie turned back into the room. She grabbed her phone off the recliner hitting Lily's contact. It barely rang once before she heard, "Lizzie?"

"Mamaw, can you bring the twins here?"

"Yes of course! Is everything okay?"

Lizzie knows better than to tell the woman the dark news before she was going to drive here, "Everything is stable here as it has been. I just need to see them."

"Of course, we will see you soon honey."

After 45ish minutes there was a knock on the door. Lizzie stood beside her wife before she went to open it. When she opened it she was greeted by Lily, Jarnette, Addie, and Bettan. Lizzie started tearing up the minute she saw her family before they wrapped their arms around her. They pulled away and Lizzie whipped her eyes, "The uhm Doctors came by with the lawyer. Her uhm, her living will, her wishes are that we take her off intubation but the doctors are afraid she-" Lizzie looked up at the sky trying to bat some of the tears away, "she won't survive."

"Oh god," Jarnette gasped,

"How long?" Lily mumbled,

"What?" Lizzie asked,

"How long till I have to watch my grandbaby die?"

"Not counting today. 7 days."

Lily moved through the room before she sat next to her granddaughter. "Mom I need to start making calls."

Jarnette nodded to her daughter, "You go, I'll watch after them."

Lizzie stepped into the adjacent family room that had a tv, couches, and beds and afforded more people the opportunity to rotate with Lizzie. She started with her family before she moved to her film family.

They spent the rest of the day listening to the ventilator as it forced Jo's lungs to expand and contract.

01/11/23

Day 2

It was 10 a.m. when people started arriving Elizabeth sat next to her wife in the recliner while the twins sat at Jo's legs but were careful to not be too on top of her. A second bed was wheeled in it layed it flat so that MK, Ashley, Courtney, and Morgan could all sit on it in a row. David

McKenzie, Trent, Lily, and Jake all sat on the couch while Lily (Mamaw) Jarnette, and Chris all sat in their own seats. Elizabeth looked around at her family before she focused on the twins who were cuddled up between their Mama's legs. Trent said, "What do we do now?"

Jake reached around smacking his big brother's head, "Now." Mamaw started, "We pray. We love. We talk to her."

Jake nodded, "I have a story." he looked at his big sister and favorite sister-in-law, "Remember when we first played poker together?" Everyone who played that night laughed as Jake continued, "Liz and Jo had been dating what 2 months?"

"Mmhmm," Lizzie nodded,

"It was maybe her second time meeting the whole family so naturally, we played poker,"

"What kind?" Mamaw asked,

"Texas Hold'em" they said,

Mamaw laughed, "Big mistake,"