Forever And Ever

Never be Broken

Warning, following chapter may be intense to read if you have a loved one with cancer. 

We had tough week to say, Tiffany felt pretty bad through out it. Thankfully for a few days she could come back home, it made her very happy. Unfortunately, Mum decided to quit teaching for now, to take full care of Tiffany. Tiffany had to take a lot of medication, it made her feel tired all the time. Most of that week I cuddled with her on the couch and we watched her favourite movies and shows. One night when laying on the couch together watching Winnie the Pooh, she looked up at me. 'Ava, will I ever get better'? she asked. I held her tightly. 'Yes, of course you will' I said. It was a question that really shook me. Tiffany got braver with her weekly chemo sessions, though they still made her sick, she was always ready to face them. We had a lot of people support us, our family, Jess, and lately Joe has been my rock. He always called me every night to make sure I was ok, and always stood with me for Tiffany and Ryan's chemo sessions. I actually began to have a lot of feelings for him, even if it hadn't been that long that we met. It was the third week since Tiffany's diagnosis, today Tiffany was at home, though tomorrow would be another chemo session. Tiffany felt a little more energised today, I was watching her play with her play doh set. I had noticed that Tiffany's hair was thinning a little, I heard that maybe it would fall out, though thankfully she didn't seem to notice. 'What are you making'? I asked. 'It's Kelly' said Tiffany, holding her play doh model of a cat. Though it looked more like a snowman. 'Very good' I said. My phone had then started ringing, it was Joe. 'Hey you' I smiled. 'Hey Ava, how's your day'? Joe asked. 'Good thank you' I said. I heard a voice in the background saying hello. 'Ryan say's hello' said Joe. 'Hello Ryan' I said. 'We were actually wondering, if we could drop by and hang out'? Joe said. 'Yeah definitely, Tiffany would love to see you guys, and me to' I said, giggling. 'Great we'll be over soon' said Joe. I ended the call, I looked over at Tiffany who was laughing. 'What's so funny'? I asked, smiling. 'You love Joe' she teased. 'I do not' I laughed. 'Yes, you do, you want to marry him' said Tiffany. I stood up and went over to Tiffany, I started to tickle her. Tiffany laughed and tried to escape, but I wasn't letting her. 'Mummy help' Tiffany laughed. 'What is Ava doing'? Mum asked. 'I'm not Ava, I'm the tickle monster' I said. 'Super Mum, is here to save you' said Mum. Mum than tickled me, I started laughing and let go of Tiffany. Tiffany breathlessly started cheering. Twenty minutes went by and soon Joe arrived with Ryan. 'Hey' I said, going to greet them. 'Hello' he smiled. 'Ryan' Tiffany called out. Ryan ran up to greet her. 'How is he doing'? I asked. 'Very well, how's Tiff'? Joe asked. 'Getting there' I said. We joined the kids in the living room. 'Hello Tiff' said Joe. 'Hi Joe' Tiffany smiled. 'What are you playing'? Joe asked. 'Play doh' said Tiffany. 'I want to play to' said Ryan. 'Ok, you can have these colours' said Tiffany. Joe and I sat on the couch and made small talk while we watched the kids play. Kelly the cat jumped on the couch between me and Joe. 'Hello there, kitty' said Joe, giving Kelly a pat. 'You like cats'? I said. 'Yeah, I love them, aww isn't she a cutie' said Joe, still patting the cat. 'Her name is Kelly' I said. 'Can I pat her'? Ryan asked. 'Definitely' I said. 'Be soft' said Joe. Ryan patted Kelly on her ears, Kelly nuzzled her face into Ryan's hand. 'Do you have any pets'? I asked. 'Two rabbits' said Joe. 'There called Salt and Pepper' said Ryan. 'We have a doggy to, come on I'll show you' said Tiffany. She took Ryan to the window and pointed at Cody. 'Who wants cookies'? I asked, standing up. Tiffany and Ryan got very excited. I went to the kitchen and got them an M&M cookie each, and one for myself and Joe. 'Ava, can we play outside'? Tiffany asked, eating her cookie. Yes, you can, is that alright Joe'? I asked. 'Of course,' said Joe. We took the kids out to the backyard, I showed Ryan how to play fetch with Cody. Ryan really enjoyed playing with Cody. Joe and I then played tag with them, we ran around the yard chasing each other until we couldn't keep up with the kids. Tiffany than started to get a little dizzy to. 'Ok Tiff, you need to sit and rest ok' I said, taking her to a chair. I gave Tiffany some water and she sat down for five minutes. Then she was up again. She took Ryan to her cubby house while Joe and I sat down in the grass, Cody in my lap. 'So, did you hear much about Ryan's surgery'? I asked. 'Yeah, this week should be our last chemo session, then it's time' said Joe. 'Are you scared'? I asked. 'A little, but we've been doing ok' said Joe. 'What was it like, well when Ryan lost his hair'? I asked. 'He actually like's it' Joe laughed. 'Tiffany's getting there, I'm worried, I mean she loves her hair' I said. 'Hey Ava, it'll all be ok' said Joe. I took a deep breath and laid my head on Joe's shoulder. 'Blessed are the hearts that can bend, they shall never be broken' said Joe. I looked up at him. 'Albert Camus said that' I said. 'Yeah' said Joe. 'Hey you two' a voice made me jump. 'Hey Mum' I said. 'How are you guys'? Mum asked. 'Good, how are you, Linda'? Joe asked. 'Very well' said Mum. 'Mummy' Tiffany shouted, running for a hug. Ryan followed after and jumped into Joe's lap. 'Joe, would you and Ryan like to stay for dinner, we are having pizza' said Mum. 'If it's not too much trouble' said Joe. 'No of course not' Mum laughed. Later on, we had an amazing dinner, Joe and Ryan really fit in with us. Joe even laughed at John's ridicules dad jokes. After they left, we continued our nightly routines. I helped Tiffany and James with their baths, I was brushing Tiffany's hair after washing and noticed a clump of hair in the brush. Thankfully Tiffany was too distracted with her bath toys to notice. As always, I helped put Tiffany to bed. 'Now get some sleep, you have another chemo tomorrow' I said, as I tucked her in. 'I don't want it' said Tiffany. 'I know it's bad, but remember it is just to help you' I said. After putting her to bed and having a shower, I went to bed. I was awakened by a voice after a couple of hours 'Ava' I heard a voice. I opened my eyes, it was still dark. 'Ava' I heard again. I turned on the lamp, Tiffany was standing above me. 'Yes, princess'? I said, groggily. 'I saw a monster' she said, holding her arms out to me. I sat up and gave her a hug. 'There's no monster, it was just a dream' I said. Tiffany buried her head in my shoulder. 'It was outside the window' said Tiffany. 'No princess, it's ok, it was a nightmare, just a nightmare' I said, cuddling her. 'They can't hurt you' I said. 'Can I sleep with you'? Tiffany asked. 'Of course' I said, letting her into my bed. 'I have to turn off the lamp' I said. She snuggled her seal and went straight to sleep, I followed soon after. Before I knew it, morning came. We got packed and went once again to the hospital. We went to the same place for chemo. Mum and I waited outside while they got Tiffany ready. Once everything was done, we were allowed back in. Tiffany picked out a movie to watch and we settled right in. Soon after, Joe arrived with Ryan. 'Hey, you' I said, giving him a hug. 'How are you guys today'? Joe asked. 'Pretty good' I said. Tiffany and Ryan were already talking away. 'Last time huh' I said. 'Yep, Ryan is happy, though I am worried about how he'll react to surgery' said Joe. 'Yeah, first surgeries can be pretty scary' I said. Mum then joined in. 'Yeah, Ava got her tonsils out when she was young, two nurses had to hold her down' Mum said laughing. 'Mum' I said, feeling slightly embarrassed. 'It's true' said Mum. Joe laughed a little to. 'Oh no' Tiffany shouted. 'What's wrong' I said, turning to face. She looked at me, slightly panicked. In her hand, was more of her hair. 'Oh Tiff' I whispered. Doctor Charlotte noticed Tiffany's panic, she walked over to us. 'Tiff, sometimes this happens with chemo, sometimes people's hair falls out' said Doctor Charlotte. 'All of it'? Tiffany asked. 'Yes, all of it' said Doctor Charlotte. 'Like me' said Ryan, pointing at his head. 'No' said Tiffany, starting to cry. 'It's ok, it's ok, look at me' said Doctor Charlotte. Tiffany looked up at her. 'It'll grow back, and even until then, you'll always be beautiful' said Doctor Charlotte. 'She's right' I said. 'Always a beautiful princess' said Mum. Tiffany stopped crying. 'Ok' she said. The whole chemo session went as normal, Tiffany still got pretty sick and sore though. Once it was done, she was tired so I left her to sleep, Mum stayed with her. I went to the room Ryan was staying in to meet up with Joe. Unlike Tiffany, Ryan was awake. 'Hey, how is she'? Joe asked. 'Fast asleep, how are you Ryan'? I asked. 'Good' he said. 'He is a little tired to' said Joe. I sat down next to Joe. 'So, Tiffany noticed huh' said Joe. 'Yeah, she's pretty upset' I said. 'Poor thing' said Joe. 'Yeah, but maybe if she wants to, we can get her a wig' I said. I felt a slight tickle in my throat and coughed. 'How long before her surgery'? Joe asked. 'Not sure' I tried to say, though I just coughed some more. 'Sorry' I said, clearing my throat. 'Are you ok'? Joe asked, looking slightly worried. 'Yeah, just a tickle' I said. I noticed Ryan had fallen asleep. 'Aww, he's tired' said Joe. I nodded, in response. 'You look tired to' said Joe. 'I am a little' I said. 'Maybe you should go home' said Joe. 'I'll be fine' I said. Joe and I talked a little longer. The hours flew by, but I didn't feel better. I fact my throat was growing very scratchy, and I felt tired. Mum had texted that Tiffany was awake, so I said goodbye to Joe and went back to the room. 'Hi princess' I said, sitting down. 'Hello' said Tiffany, groggily. 'How you feeling'? I asked. 'Ok' said Tiffany. I started coughing again, this time a bit stronger. 'Ava, are you alright'? Mum asked. 'I'm good' I said between coughs. 'Hold on a sec' said Mum. She got up and walked toward me. 'Are you getting sick'? Mum asked. 'No' I said. 'Oh Ava, I think you are' said Mum. 'I'm good Mum' I said. Mum touched my forehead. 'Ava, you need to go home' said Mum. 'Mum I can't leave' I said. 'I'm sorry Ava, if you're sick, you can't be near Tiffany' said Mum. 'What'? I said. 'Tiffany is going through chemo, her immune system is very weak right now, you can't be near her, if you have a cold' said Mum. 'But I feel ok' I said. I actually felt alright, aside from the itchy throat and coughs, I didn't feel too bad. 'Baby, as your Mum, I know by tonight you'll feel bad' said Mum. I was beginning to think Mum was right, I was getting sick. 'But what about Tiff'? I said. 'She'll be fine, I'll be with her' said Mum. I nodded, I turned to Tiffany. 'Ava needs to go home princess' I said. 'Why'? Tiffany asked. 'I'm feeling a little poorly' I said. 'Can't you stay here'? Tiffany asked. 'I'm afraid I'll make you sick to' I said. 'But I am sick' said Tiffany. 'No, a different sick' I said. 'No' said Tiffany, looking sad. 'Tiff, I have to go home, but I'll call you, and soon you'll come home to' I said. 'Ok' said Tiffany. 'I love you' I said, blowing her a kiss. 'I love you to' she said, blowing a kiss back. I turned to Mum, 'Now go home baby' she said. I waved goodbye to Mum and left the room. I was walking down the hall when Joe spotted me. 'Going home'? Joe asked. 'Yeah, Mum's sending me home, she thinks I'm getting sick' I said. 'You were coughing a lot, I think she's right' said Joe. 'I hope Tiff will do alright without me' I said. 'I'll look out for her ok' said Joe. 'Thank you, I appreciate it' I said. 'Anything for you' said Joe. I said my goodbyes and left for home. Once I got home, John left for the hospital and left James with me. I spend most of the afternoon and evening taking care of James and cleaning the house. Mum was right, by the time James was asleep and night was hitting, I felt awful. I was a coughing, sneezing, sniffly mess. I spend most of the night on the couch, watching Netflix in a blanket. It was around ten at night when John got home. 'Oh Ava, your mother was right' he said, sitting next to me and feeling my forehead. 'It came on pretty fast' I said. 'Guess you can't see Tiff for a while' he said. I nodded in response. 'It's ok, you just rest up and you can be near her soon enough' said John. John went to the bathroom to get the thermometer. He took my temperature. 'Yep you're getting a fever, off to bed' he said. I did as he was told and went to bed. I decided to call Mum first to say goodnight to her and Tiffany, but Tiffany was already asleep. I tried to get to sleep, but I kept waking up with coughing and sneezing spells. I got up around four in the morning, coughing again. I walked to the kitchen to get some water, it helped a little bit, but my throat was still sore. I went back to bed and surprisingly went straight to sleep. In the morning I felt weight on my bed, I opened my eyes to see John sitting next to me. 'How you feeling'? he asked, feeling my forehead again. 'Not good' I said, voice cracking. 'Thought so' he said. 'Are Mum and Tiffany ok'? I asked. 'They are fine, I'll see them this afternoon anyway, now I have to get to work and I'm taking James to Nanna's, he shouldn't get sick to and you need to rest' said John. I nodded in response. 'I called your teacher so he isn't expecting you, now just rest up ok, I'll see you tonight' said John. 'Bye' I said. As soon as he left, I had fallen asleep again. I dreamed of Tiffany, of the times before the hospital, her birthday, our beach days, just seeing her happy. I must have slept a while. When I woke up it was already noon. I got out of bed, wrapped myself in a blanket and went to the living room. I was about to sit, when the door bell rang. I sighed and got up to answer it. 'Joe' I said, greeting him. 'How you feeling'? he asked. 'Sick' I said, letting him in. 'Who's with Ryan'? I asked. 'My Mum, I thought I would cheer you up a little' said Joe. We made our way to the living room and sat down. 'Thanks, but you shouldn't come so close, I might get you sick' I said. 'Don't worry, I'll be fine' Joe laughed. I looked at the bag Joe was holding. 'What's inside'? I asked. Joe opened the bag, he first pulled out a small bunch of flowers, pink roses. 'For you' he said, handing them to me. 'Thank you' I blushed, 'But I can't smell them'. Joe laughed, 'You can just look'. 'Thanks' I said. Joe pulled out something else. 'Chicken soup' he said. 'Yum' I smiled. 'I'm going to spend the day making you feel better' he smiled. 'You didn't have to' I said. 'It's no trouble' said Joe. I couldn't help but smile, this was the kindest gesture I have ever had from anyone. 'So, do you want to watch a DVD or Netflix or something'? I asked. 'Sure, I'll heat up your soup, you pick the movie' he said. We spend the day together, we watched the movie Just Married, then moved on to a few episodes of South Park. Joe was a very nice person, I couldn't believe he wanted to take care of me, I was beginning to really like him. 'Joe'? I asked. 'Yes'? he replied. 'Why did you want to do this'? I asked. 'Because I can' he said. 'I'm sorry this isn't an ideal activity, we should do a proper one next time' I said. 'I'll take you up on that Ava, it's a date' he smiled. Did he really say date? I couldn't be happier right now. 'How you feeling now'? he asked. 'Better' I said. 'Good' he said. Just at that moment I turned away to sneeze, it was quite gross. 'Oh, bless you' Joe laughed. 'Excuse me' I blushed, 'That wasn't very pleasant'. 'I think your still cute' said Joe. 'No that was gross' I said. 'Hey everyone does it' said Joe. I took a look at my phone, it was four. 'Is it ok if I call Tiff'? I asked. 'Sure, I should call Ryan' said Joe, leaving the room. I decided to video call. Mum answered. 'Hello Ava' she smiled. 'Can you hear me'? I asked. 'Yep perfect, how you feeling'? Mum asked. 'Good, how's Tiffany'? I asked. 'Good, we had another scan today, they said the tumour has shrunk a little' said Mum. 'That's good news' I smiled. I could hear some noise in the back. 'Oh, looks like someone wants to say hello' said Mum. She passed her phone over, Tiffany appeared on the screen. 'Ava' she shouted, happily. 'Hi princess, are you ok'? I smiled. 'Yeah, I miss you, are you coming back soon'? Tiffany asked. 'Soon' I said. 'Look' she shouted, showing me the stickers on her hospital gown. 'Wow, pretty' I smiled. 'The doctor clowns gave them to me' said Tiffany. 'They did' Mum said in the background. 'They did magic tricks and I painted and they made me a balloon' said Tiffany, getting very excited. In the camera she showed me her balloon animal that I couldn't quite make out. 'It's Minnie Mouse' she said. 'That's a really nice balloon' I said. 'The doctor said I'm going to get better soon' said Tiffany. 'That's good, tell you what, when your better, I'll take you to Movie World' I said. 'And Sea World to'? she said, getting excited again. 'Of course' I smiled. Tiffany jumped with excitement. 'Ava' said Tiffany. 'Yes princess? I said. 'Sing me a song please' she requested. 'Ok princess' I said. I started to sing Slow Hands by Niall Horan, maybe not an ideal kids song but Tiffany loved Niall. 'Thank you' she said, after I was done. 'It's all good, I have to go now Tiff' I said. 'Ok' she said. 'I love you princess, together forever' I said. 'Forever' she said. She passed the phone back to Mum. 'Goodbye' Mum smiled. 'Bye' I said. I ended the video call. 'You sing beautifully' said Joe, walking back in the room. 'You could hear'? I said. 'Yep, and I enjoyed it' said Joe. 'Thanks, but you should see my real performances' I smiled. 'I'll be sure to, how's Tiff'? said Joe. 'She's great, how about Ryan'? I replied. 'Good, he can come home tonight, and stay home for the whole week before surgery' said Joe. 'That's awesome' I said. 'Yeah, we can probably see that movie we wanted to see, maybe you could come' said Joe. 'I would have to see if I'm well, but sure' I said. We looked at each other and smiled. Suddenly I could hear the door open. 'Ava, where are you'? I could hear Jess shout. She walked into the living room, holding a pizza. 'Hi' she said. 'Hey' I smiled. 'Oh hello' she smiled toward Joe, Joe said hello back. 'Oh, Jess this is Joe, Joe this is Jess' I said, introducing them. 'Oh, you're the Joe that Ava doesn't shut up about' said Jess, with a cheeky smile. 'Jess' I said. She giggled at me. 'Good things I hope' Joe smiled. 'Definitely' Jess winked to me. 'Only the best' I said. 'So Joe, you staying here'? Jess asked. 'Actually, I have to go back to the hospital, Ryan will get upset' said Joe. 'Ok' said Jess. 'Nice meeting you Jess, 'I'll see you soon Ava' Joe turned to kiss my cheek, he then left. Jess turned to me and smiled. 'He is into you big time' said Jess. 'He has a son Jess' I said. 'There's no Mum in the picture though' said Jess. 'I know, he seems to not like talking about it, I think something bad happened' I said. 'Are you going to ask'? Jess asked. 'Not yet, he'll tell me when he is ready' I said. 'How you feeling anyway'? Jess asked. 'Good, well this pizza isn't going to eat it self, shall I put on South Park'? I asked. 'Definitely' said Jess, following me to the living room. 'Barbeque chicken I hope' I said. 'Yep on your half, and mine, spicy capsicum' said Jess. 'Eww yuck' I said. 'Yum' she laughed. We spend the rest of that evening watching South Park and The Conjuring one and two. A few days had passed, for most of it I had been pretty stuffed up and sick, Joe often called and Jess came around to cheer me up, Mum even came home to hang out. Finally, after a week I was feeling better, I could finally breathe again. I woke up feeling fresh on that Monday, I asked John if I could finally see Tiffany. 'She'll be coming home tonight so I think it'll be ok' John smiled. 'That's awesome, it feels like it's been forever' I said. That afternoon Ryan was to be having surgery, I was going to go to the hospital to support him. As for during the day I had to return to class. Ben and other students were happy to see me. 'She returns, how you feeling'? Sherri asked. 'Pretty good, I can breathe' I said. 'How's your sister'? Kyle asked. 'She's doing good Kyle' I said. 'Ok class we can chat later for now we need to get started. Our lessons for today was just on the business side of music, not so fun but it needs to be done. Class was only for the morning that day so by noon we were done. I walked outside to be greeted by Mum, James and Tiffany. 'Tiffany' I shouted running up. 'Ava' she shouted back, running for a hug. I picked her up for a hug. 'I missed you, princess' I held her tightly. 'Surprise' Mum laughed. 'How long is she staying home'? I asked. 'Just for a few days, but we'll have a good time' said Mum. 'We sure will, what do you want to do today, we can do anything you want' I said to Tiffany after putting her down. 'Jumping Land'? she asked. 'Definitely' I smiled. We got in the car and drove over to the local play centre. Once we got there, we found some seats and took off Tiffany's shoes so she could play. 'Be careful with your tubes darling' said Mum. 'Ok Mummy' said Tiffany, already leaving us to play. We placed James in the two and under area, which was right near out seats. Mum ordered us some coffees. 'Mum, if it's ok, I was going to go to the hospital to be with Joe for support with Ryan's surgery later on' I said. 'Off course sweetie' Mum smiled. 'Sorry I sound like a teenager the way I speak of him' I laughed. 'That's ok Ava, it seems he really makes you happy' said Mum. 'Well yeah, but there is one factor here' I said. 'Ryan'? Mum asked. 'Not just that, what about Ryan's mother, I'm sure he wouldn't want to replace her' I said. 'Sweetie, I think he really likes you to, if he didn't he wouldn't have made you soup or took care of you when you were sick' said Mum. 'He was just being nice' I said. 'And when you weren't around, he was asking about you all the time' said Mum. 'Really' I said. Mum winked and giggled. James started to moan near us. Mum got him out of the play area. 'Uh oh, you need to be changed' said Mum. Mum left to change James, I looked over to the play area where Tiffany was. She was talking to the kids her age. I got up and started to walk towards them. I noticed Tiffany pull her top down, showing them her chemo tubes. 'And this is where I get the medicine' she said. 'Wow' said one of the little girls. 'Cool' said a little boy. 'Can I touch it'? the little girl asked. 'Ok' said Tiffany, guiding the little girls hand to the tube. It amazed me how brave Tiffany was being, it was also nice to see the kids reacting to it very well. Suddenly I saw one of the Mum's rushing over. 'Emily, stay away from that' she shouted, picking up her daughter. 'But Mum I was just looking' the little girl spoke up. 'You don't know what kind of diseases that has, disgusting, letting in disease ridden kids' the mum ranted while sanitizing her daughters hands. I couldn't hold back my anger, I marched right up. 'Hey, who do you think you are' I said. 'You do you think you are, bringing that in here full of disease to infect the other kids' the mum shouted at me and pointing at Tiffany. 'How dare you, you don't know what you're talking about' I firmly said back. 'Ava' said Tiffany grabbing on my leg. 'She has nothing that can be passed on, and even if she could, that is no way to talk about her, would you like if someone said that about your little girl' I said. The mum stared at me with wide eyes, she noticed other parents were staring at her in disbelief. 'You can't talk to me like that' said the mum. 'I can and I will, you need to leave us now' I said, calmly. The mum with her head to the floor left with her daughter. 'You're naughty' Tiffany shouted to her back. I kneeled down to Tiffany. 'Are you ok'? I asked. 'Yeah, she was like a big baby' said Tiffany. 'Exactly' I said. 'Can I play now'? Tiffany asked. 'Off course you can' I smiled. Tiffany ran off with the other kids, disappearing into the playground. Mum walked up to me looking concerned. 'What happened'? she asked. 'Let's just say Ava one, idiot zero' I said. Mum laughed and we sat back down. We let Tiffany play for about a half an hour before we decided to head out. I looked around the play centre calling her name. 'Tiff come on where are you'? I shouted. I heard giggles coming from the ball room. I poked my head into it, as adults weren't allowed in. 'Tiff' I said. Suddenly she jumped out from under the balls with a 'Boo Ava'. 'Oh, you got me' I laughed. I picked her up out of the colourful balls. 'Come on, we have to go' I said. 'No' she said with a sad look. 'We have to' I said. 'Ok' she said. We gathered our things and left for the car. We went home first so I could go alone in my car. Tiffany noticed me leaving. Where are you going Ava'? Tiffany asked. 'To see Joe and Ryan' I said. 'I want to come' said Tiffany. 'I might be gone a while princess' I said. 'Please' she begged. I looked over at Mum. 'Ok, let me know if she gets tired and I'll get her' said Mum. 'Come on Tiff' I smiled. I put her in the car seat and we left for the hospital. Before we knew it, we arrived. We parked the car and went inside, we found the floor we needed and looked for Joe. We found Joe standing outside of Ryan's room. 'Hey' I said, giving him a hug. 'Hey' he said. He than kneeled down to Tiffany. 'How are you Tiffany'? Joe asked. 'Good' she smiled. 'How's Ryan'? I asked. 'All prepared now we wait' said Joe, guiding me into Ryan's room. 'Hello' I smiled. 'Hello Ava' he smiled. Tiffany climbed onto the bed to sit on it. 'The doctors are going inside my head to take out the tumour' said Ryan, pointing at his head to Tiffany. 'That's scary' said Tiffany. 'It's not to bad, he'll be asleep' said Joe. 'I won't even feel it'? Ryan said looking at Joe for reassurance. 'Nope' said Joe. 'Do you promise' said Ryan. 'I promised all day' Joe laughed. 'Do you know how long the wait will be'? I asked. 'Not long now I hope' said Joe. We hung out waiting for about twenty minutes, Tiffany was cheering up Ryan by singing and dancing for him. Then the doctor came in. 'Hello Ryan, are you all ready'? he asked, smiling. 'Yes' said Ryan, bravely. 'We're ready' said Joe. Joe carried Ryan in his arms while the doctors wheeled the bed. We stopped in front of a huge set of doors. 'I'm sorry, your friends will have to wait outside' said the doctor. 'Ok, I'll see you soon' said Joe. 'Good luck' I said, ruffling Ryan's hair. Joe and Ryan disappeared into the room. 'Will he be ok'? Tiffany asked. 'Yes' I said, holding Tiffany's hand. We walked over to the waiting room, Tiffany went straight for the toys. I sat down and started to read a book, Carrie to be exact. A few minutes later Joe joined us. 'How'd he do'? I asked. 'Didn't even flinch' Joe smiled. 'Brave little boy' I smiled. 'I guess because I was there' said Joe. 'How long will it be'? I asked. 'About an hour, hopefully' said Joe. I nodded, Joe looked over at my book. 'Stephan King'? he asked. 'Yeah, he's my favourite' I said. 'I didn't take you for a horror fan' said Joe. 'What cause I'm a woman' I laughed. 'No cause your sweet' said Joe. I laughed and playfully tapped him. 'No hitting' Tiffany shouted, pointing at me. 'That's right' said Joe. 'You're right Tiff' I laughed. Joe looked over at me, 'Hey Ava, I'm glad you're here' said Joe. 'It's no problem at all' I said. 'I mean it Ava, I really appreciate it, I mean his mother isn't here, she doesn't even care' said Joe. 'What'? I asked. 'It's a long story, let's just say, she wouldn't even notice if he well...' said Joe, I could see tears in his eye. 'Hey, you don't have to tell me yet' I said. 'I'm sorry' said Joe, wiping away a tear from his eye. I noticed Tiffany put her hand on Joe's knee. 'Are you ok'? she asked. 'I'm good' he smiled. Tiffany gave him a hug, I joined in. I felt really sorry for Joe, I still wondered what had happened to Ryan's mother. I could see the subject effected Joe a lot, from what I was hearing is that maybe she didn't want Ryan, or to be a mother, like my Dad. I remember Mum telling me that Dad never wanted to have a child, even though he married Mum. It broke my heart at the time knowing he didn't want me, but after that I was glad I didn't see him. That man was not worthy of me or my mother. I thought back to when I was four, I heard Mum and Dad yelling. 'I can't believe you, we have a child and you slept with that woman' Mum yelled. 'We all have faults Linda, what about you, hmm, how do I know Ava is even mine, she doesn't look anything like me' Dad yelled. 'She has your thick black hair David, I can't believe you could say these things' Mum yelled. 'Oh shut up' Dad yelled. At the time I was confused, I didn't know why they were yelling, I only knew I didn't like it. All these years later and I can't believe Dad spoke to Mum that way, it was much different to how John talked to her. John was a caring and loving man, always reminding Mum of how much he loved her, Me, Tiffany and James. 'Ava' Joe tapped on my shoulder. 'Yeah'? I asked. 'In deep thought'? Joe asked. 'Yeah, yeah I was' I said. About a half an hour had passed and we hear nothing. Tiffany climbed into my lap. 'I'm bored' she said. 'I'm sorry Tiff' I said. 'And I'm hungry' she said. 'Well it is about dinner time, I'll take you down stairs to eat' I said. I turned to Joe. 'Did you want to come'? 'No thanks I'll stay here just in case' said Joe. 'I could bring you something back' I said. 'That would be nice, thank you' said Joe. Suddenly we heard the alarms going. "Code blue, surgery room C, code blue". Joe leaped off his seat. 'That's Ryan's room' he said. We saw doctors running down the hall. I picked up Tiffany and we followed. 'Whoa stop right there' said one of the doctors, once we made it to the door. 'My son is in there' said Joe. 'Ava, what's happening'? Tiffany asked, confused. 'I'm sorry sir you can't come in' said the doctor. 'I am his father' said Joe. 'I'm sorry sir I really am but he is in good hands' said the doctor, leaving us. 'No' Joe whispered bringing his hands to his face. Tiffany also started crying. I was just confused, what had happened. I stayed with Joe, comforting him while we waited. Tiffany also tried to help, rubbing Joe's back. Twenty minutes had passed and the doctor finally came back out. 'Mr Watson' said the doctor. 'What happened'? Joe asked. 'Ryan had a minor bleed to the brain during the surgery, but we got it under control' said the doctor. 'What about the tumour'? Joe asked. 'We managed to removed most of it, Ryan will need some more chemo just to get rid of the remains, and he'll be just fine' said the doctor. Joe let out a huge sigh. 'Thank God' he cried in relief. 'You can go in now, he'll take some time to wake up but he'll be fine' said the doctor. 'Thank you' said Joe. I walked up to Joe. He gave me a hug. 'He's going to be ok' he whispered. 'Good, go be with him now' I said. While Joe went to sit with Ryan, I took Tiffany down stairs for some dinner. She was quiet and not really touching her food. 'Are you ok'? I asked. 'What happened to Ryan'? she asked. 'He's ok now princess, it was just an accident' I said. 'Like when I grazed my knee, or when Mum dropped the spaghetti'? Tiffany asked. 'Yes princess, now eat up and then we'll check on them' I said. Tiffany nodded and started to eat. After we finished eating we went back to Joe and Ryan. We walked in, Joe was sitting on the bed, Ryan was awake. 'Hey, how is he'? I whispered. 'He's a little sore and sleepy' said Joe. 'Hi' I said to Ryan. 'Hi' he whispered. 'He's going to be ok' Joe smiled. 'Daddy it hurts' Ryan cried. 'I know but you were very brave you know' said Joe. 'I feel sick' he whispered. 'It'll go away soon' said Joe. 'Isn't he brave, Tiff'? I said. 'Yeah, is this going to happen to me'? she asked. 'Not yet princess but soon' I said. I got a text from Mum telling me she was here. 'Mummy's here Tiff' I said. I took Tiffany to Mum and they went home. I went back to Joe and Ryan's side, by then Joe's parents had arrived. 'Mum, Dad this is Ava' Joe said introducing me to them. 'Lovely to meet you Ava, I'm Christine' said Joe's Mum. 'And I'm Mark' said his dad. 'Nice to meet you both' I smiled. 'Joe has talked about you a lot' said Christine. 'So your musician, that's wonderful' said Mark. 'I am, I play guitar and sing' I said. 'Well you seem like a very wonderful person' Christine smiled. I talked to Joe's parents for a while, they were really nice and soon we were like old friends. 'Joe I like her, I hope she'll stick around' said Christine winking at Joe. 'Mum' he blushed. Soon Joe's parents left and it was just me, Joe and Ryan. 'Still sore'? Joe asked. 'No, but I'm very tired' said Ryan. 'I know' said Joe. Ryan sat up and hugged Joe. 'I love you daddy' he said. Joe held him tightly, I could see tears in his eye. 'I love you son' he said. I had never seen more love in my life, just hours ago Joe was scared, and now it was like nothing was wrong for a minute. On the other hand Tiffany was still going through chemo but we knew in no time she would have her surgery to. A few minutes later Ryan was asleep. Joe and I sat on the couch cuddling. 'Thank you for being here' he whispered. 'It's ok' I said. 'Ava' he whispered. 'Yeah' I said. 'Can you come back tomorrow'? he asked. 'Of course' I whispered. We heard a beeping outside. "Attention visiting hours are over". 'All ready' I said. 'Seems so' said Joe. 'I guess I'll be going' I said. 'Goodbye' said Joe. We looked into each other's eyes. He started to lean forward, I followed and soon my lips were on his. We kissed for about five seconds. I smiled at him. 'See you' I said. We hugged and off I went. I thought about that whole day while I drove home, Tiffany, that woman, Ryan and Joe. For that time that Joe and I kissed, it was almost like the stress in our lives were over and everything would be ok. When I got home Tiffany was already in bed. I went into her room and kissed her cheek. Soon we would have long weeks away. 

I am sorry I haven't updated in a while, I have just had some issues with mental health but I am now working as hard as ever. Thank you for being patient.