Louis's POV:

We started opening boxes.  I reached into the box in front of me and pulled out an old picture frame.  The photo was taken somewhere that I didn't recognize, in a forest somewhere.  I just barely recognized Ro, she was a little girl but even then her hair was long, and curlier than it was now.  She was standing next to a boy who looked to be a few years older than her, he had the same chocolate brown hair, but his eyes seemed to be blue.  They were standing in front of who looked to be their parents, a tall man and short woman.  The man had the same hair as his children, with Ro's green eyes, while the woman had blonde hair and blue eyes.  The Ro that I knew now looked just like this younger version of her mother, so I assumed that the brother looked like the father. 

My musing over the picture was interuppted when I heard a phone ring.  Ro stood up, laughing at something that Niall appeared to have said, and grabbed it off of her dresser.  She checked the caller I.D. and then answered it.

Rosanna's POV:

"Hello!"  I laughed, still cracking up at Niall's joke.

"Rosanna.  It's Kurt."  My brother's voice was deadly serious and a little raspy, as though he had been...crying?

"Hey, Kurt, what's up?  How's mom doing?  Sorry I forgot to call you, I've been a little busy."  I rambled a little before managing to shut myself up.

"Rosa, flower, you may want to sit down."  His voice was abnormally serious, quite unlike my usual fun-loving brother, and he was using my father's old nickname for me, Rosa.

"Why?  What's wrong?"  I dreaded his answer.

"Mom's had a stroke, flower.  She's in the hospital, and the doctor's are saying that she only has a few months left to live."  His voice cracked at the end, his composure beginning to crumble. 

I stood numb, unable to process what I had just heard.

"Flower?"  His continued use of his personal pet-name for me shook me out of my daze.

"When did it happen?"  My voice was calm, collected.  Everything I was not.

"Last night.  They weren't sure that she was going to make it through the night, but she did, so now we need you here, Rosa.  Please.  Come home."

"I'll leave as soon as I can get a flight.  I'll text you when I'm arriving."

"Alright, flower, see you soon."

"Bye."  I hung up, my phone hanging loosely in my hand.  My legs suddenly buckled and I collapsed to my knees, dropping my phone and letting my head drop into my shaking hands.

"Anna?"  Liam's voice came from somewhere above me.

"Anna, love, what's wrong?"  He had knelt next to me, his hand now placed on my arm.  I looked up at him, eyes completely dry and devoid of any emotion.  I was numb.

"I need to go back to Ohio.  My mother's had a stroke.  Can you book me a flight?"

His eyes widened in shock.  "Of course, love, I'll book you a flight.  Ohio, you said?"

I couldn't bring my self to nod.  "Yes.  See if you can get one that goes into Cleveland.  If not, Columbus will do."

He nodded and stood, going back over to the others who had by now quieted down, sensing that something was wrong.  I heard Liam murmur something, and a collective gasp came from all of them.  Louis stood up and came over to me once Liam had left the room.

"Are you alright, love?"  His blue eyes full of concern.  I just looked at him, blinking slowly.

"Ro?  Snap out of it, Ro.  Are you alright?"  He sounded like he was about to start shaking me if I didn't give him a response, so I nodded.  He didn't look convinced, but he let the matter go and wrapped me up in a hug.  I mechanically hugged him back, but it wasn't one of my usual hugs.  It was sort of limp, and impersonal.  He pulled back and smiled softly at me before turning and starting to put things back into their boxes.  I reached out and tapped him on the back. 

"Louis."

He turned around, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Leave the clothes boxes open, just shut the other one's, please.  I'll need to grab some clothes to take back with me.  I won't have time to arrange to take anything else with me."

He didn't respond, just turned back around and started sealing a box up with tape that someone had produced.  I stood on shaky legs and walked over to my suitcase, figuring out which clothes to take with me and which ones I would have to replace.  Everyone else was just sitting there silent, or whispering to each other.  Eventually they all stood and left, leaving Louis and I in the guest room alone.  I could hear them talking, but didn't have the will to try and decipher what they were saying.  I was a robot, methodically doing what I needed to.

I got all of my clothes sorted, my computer and books in my leather satchel and slung over my shoulder, and reached for my suitcase.  Louis grabbed it before I could, though, and carried it out of the room, setting it by the front door.  I followed him, veering off into the living room and sitting down next to Liam.

"Your flight leaves in three hours, it's a direct flight from here to Cleveland, like you wanted."

"Thank you."  My voice wasn't my own anymore.  It was a machine's.  I looked around at everyone, sitting in various places around the room.  I smiled softly, mustering up the most genuine smile I could but I knew I wasn't fooling anybody.

"Thank you, all of you, for being the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure to encounter.  I'll do my best to keep in touch.  I'll come back someday, I promise.  And if I come back to my bed-springs being broken, Louis, you're the first person that I'm questioning, so I would suggest not bouncing on it."

I did my best to bring some of my old humor back into the conversation, to try and lighten the mood, and it  helped a bit by eliciting some chuckles from around the room, but we all sank right back into our somber mood.  I checked my watch and stood.

"It was a pleasure knowing all of you, for the two short days that I've spent in your company."

I went around and hugged all of them, spending a little bit more time on the boys because they all insisted on giving me massive, lingering bear hugs, especially Niall, who engulfed me in a Horan hug.  After our little hug fest, I gave a little finger salute off of my forehead, picked up my suitcase, and left Louis's flat, jumping in a taxi and directing him to the airport.  The whole process seemed to take only a few minutes, although it was really two hours until I could board the plane.  I texted Kurt before it took off, letting him know which flight I was on and telling him what time I was coming into Cleveland.  And then I just sat there, silent, my music blaring through my earbuds, sending me into sleep.

A/N:  DUN DUN DUN!!!!  Plot-twist, ladies and gentlemen.  I hope you liked it, I felt that the story was progressing too quickly and needed to be slowed down a bit, so this was my solution.  About the finger-salute, picture an Army salute, but with two fingers, just kind of tipped off of her forehead.  ALSO.  I entered this story into a 1D contest, please go vote for it, here's the link.  https://truyen247.pro/tac-gia/1DWattyyAwards .  I hope you enjoyed it, comment and let me know what you thought, vote if you liked it.  Love you guys!