Caleb and I walked silently down to the lobby and out the doors. He stuffed his hands inside his pocket, sighing slightly. I kept my face down as the wind whipped my hair around my face. Caleb was the first to speak as we walked towards his car in the parking lot.

"I'm really sorry Serena made you watch Liam," he said.

"It's honestly no big deal, Caleb," I replied.

"I know. It's just...you didn't have to go through that," he said, glancing at me.

"No, I think I'm glad I did," I said. He looked at me straight on, now. He didn't say anything after that. We got into his car and he drove me home in silence. I started to get out of the car once he pulled up in front of my apartment, but he called my name and stopped me.

"Nicole, wait," he said.

I turned to face him, not saying anything, waiting for him to continue.

"Are you busy tonight?" he asked.

"What do you mean by tonight?" I asked back.

"Your definition of night," he answered.

I shook my head.

"Do you mind if I pick you up at around 11? I want to show you something," he said.

I looked at him, trying to find a clue as to what he meant, but his expression was unreadable and his eyes raged on.

"Ok," I said. His eyes brightened a bit, but they kept that sad look to them.

"I'll see you later, then," he said. I nodded and got out of the car. I turned to watch him drive away before walking back into my apartment.

The first thing I did when I got inside was change out of Serena's form-fitting clothes. I hopped into the shower, washed the hospital out of my hair and changed into a pair of comfy sweats. Then I grabbed my jacket and my bag and walked out the door.

I guess I shouldn't have been walking outdoors in the cold. The doctor had told me to get rest, but rest was not something that I was used to doing. I was so used to staying awake at night and only sleeping a few hours a day. As badly as I needed and wanted the rest, it just never came to me. I was still afraid of closing my eyes at night. I was still afraid of seeing him.

I turned the corner and walked into Steve's diner. The bells chimed when I stepped through the door and I looked around. The place was barren. There wasn't a soul in sight. It was eerily quiet and the atmosphere depressed me. Sighing, I pushed through the kitchen doors to look for any sign of life. In the back, I found Steve, Jaime, Gavin, Randy, and Oliver.

"Nicole!" Steve exclaimed when he saw me. The others turned, their expressions showing concern.

"How are you?" Gavin asked.

"What do you mean?" I replied.

"You were in the hospital!" Randy exclaimed.

"Oh. Caleb told you?" I asked. They nodded. I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. "I'm fine. It wasn't a big deal," I said.

"You should be in bed right now and not walking around in the cold air outside," Jaime scolded. I rolled my eyes at her.

"I feel perfectly fine. You don't need to worry," I said.

Oliver gave me a look and I tried to avoid looking at him. I knew he wasn't concerned about me because I had been in the hospital. He was worried about me because of the way I had acted the day before. He wanted to know if I was holding up after a rough day.

"I have to run to the library. Would you like to accompany me, Nicole?" Oliver asked.

"Not really," I mumbled, but I followed him out nonetheless when he gave me another look. We got to his expensive hybrid solar powered car. I sat down in the passenger seat with a huff, pulling my seatbelt on.

"I'm fine, Oliver," I said once he got into the driver's side.

"You're a terrible liar, Nicole," he replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said as he started his car up and pulled out into the street.

"Nicole, it's plain as day to anyone who knows you that you're struggling. Moreso than usual," he said.

"I actually think I'm struggling less than usual," I said. He raised his eyebrows.

"How so?" he asked.

"I spent the day with Liam today," I said.

"And?" he replied.

"And I realized that he's not a bad kid at all," I said.

"That says nothing about your situation," he said. I furrowed my brows and looked straight ahead at the black pavement of the road.

"It does because I think I've realized  that even though life's been rough on me, I still have it better than some people. At least I have my health and the security that I'll live another day, even if that day will be a tough one to live," I said.

Oliver was silent as he pulled into the library parking lot and parked. Then he turned towards me, his blue eyes shining behind his black framed glasses.

"Finally," he said. I blinked.

"What?" I asked.

He pushed open his car door and stepped out of the car. I followed suit. We began walking towards the library, but stopped outside the doors.

"You've finally realized what I've been trying to tell you all along. Who knew it would take a seven year old with cancer to make you finally see?" he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Remember when it first happened, and I took you to see that woman? That's exactly what I was trying to show you. But you seemed so far away at that time. Even though you said you understood, I don't think you really did. I think now you have, though," he said.

"I guess," I mumbled.

He reached out and did something I never would have expected Oliver to ever do. He hugged me. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and held me to him, resting his chin on top of my head. I found myself put my own arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest.  I felt a lump rise in my throat and the sting of tears form in my eyes.

"You're going to be fine, Nicole. You're going to get better," Oliver whispered in my ear.

My shoulders shook as I sobbed quietly into his chest. He didn't let go. He simply stood, waiting patiently until I calmed down. Hiccuping slightly, I pulled away when my emotions were slightly under control. He smiled gently at me and wiped my cheeks with his cold fingers.

"Thanks," I told him.

"Anytime, kid. Anytime," he replied.

We went into the library after that and he showed me some books he wanted to read. He also walked around with me and helped choose books for me to read.

"John Donne. He has some excellent poetry and I think you might like it," he said, handing me a book of poems by the poet.

We walked around for an hour and then ended up getting coffee from the cafe that was across the street. We sat inside the warm coffee shop, the sound of classical music surrounding us.

"Can I ask you something, Oliver?" I quesitoned.

"I don't know, can you?" he replied. I smiled slightly at the remark my teachers used to say to me when I used the word 'can'.

"May I ask you a question?" I corrected.

"Ask away," he replied, sitting back in his seat.

"What do you think of Reese?" I asked. His eyes brightened and he chuckled.

"You know, Jaime asked me the exact same thing earlier," he said. My eyes widened, but I couldn't help but smile.

"No! I can't believe she asked you first!" I exclaimed.

"You girls are way too interested in my love life," he said.

"We just want you to be happy," I pointed out, taking a sip of my coffee.

"What makes you think I'm not happy?" he replied. I shrugged.

"Nothing. You are happy. You're the nicest guy I know. But I think we just want you to start dating someone so we know that you're not gay," I said. He burst into laughter at this and I felt the corners of my lips twitch up at his amusement.

"You two are ridiculous," he said.

"It's the truth, though," I replied. He leaned forward a bit.

"You know, Nicole. If you were a bit older..." he started. I sucked in a breath, not believing what he was about to say. "I still wouldn't date you," he ended.

"You are gay!" I exclaimed, covering my eyes. This made him laugh again.

"I'm not," he said.

"Then why not?" I asked.

"Because I wouldn't do that to Caleb," he said. I felt my cheeks flush and I leaned back in my chair, slouching.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," he answered.

"You're just trying to change the subject," I argued.

"It was a perfect segue," he answered.

I frowned and he looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"I don't know what I think about Reese. She's a nice woman, that's for sure. We'll see what happens in the future," he said.

"Hmm..." I said.

"Now it's your turn," he said, drinking his coffee.

"Caleb and I are just friends," I said.

"He cares about you," he pointed out.

"I know," I replied.

"Then what's the problem?" he asked.

"I don't know if I can care about him in the same way," I said. "At least not anymore," I added.

"You can't let what happened keep you from ever being happy, Nicole. Yes, you have the right to be upset and mourning. But time's moving on and no matter how hard you try, you can't fight it and stay behind. You need to move forward and Caleb is the best way to do that," he said.

"Maybe you and I should just go out," I joked. He chuckled and shook his head.

"You and I would never work out," he replied.

"Why not?" I asked, curious.

"Because we wouldn't stand each other. You and I get along so well because we're friends. It would change things if we were something more," he replied.

"That, and the fact that you're reserving yourself for Reese," I added. He rolled his eyes but laughed.

"Think what you want," he said. He checked his watch.

"Is it late?" I asked, pulling my phone out. He nodded.

"Yeah, I have an editorial to write when I get home. Do you want me to drop you off at home or somewhere else?" he asked.

"Home," I answered.

We both got up and went back to his car. We chatted idly as he drove me back home to my apartment. He pulled up to a stop when we got there. I turned to face him.

"Thanks, Oliver. I don't know how you do it, but you always make me feel better," I said.

"You don't have to thank me for something that I'm supposed to do," he said. "I'm not going to ignore you while you're hurting." I smiled weakly at him and leaned forward, kissing his cheek.

"Bye, Oliver," I said.

"Good night, Nicole," he answered. I sighed and looked at the time. It was 7:30. Caleb would be arriving in about four hours.

I turned around to go back to my apartment. As I approached the steps to the entrance, I noticed a figure sitting on the steps. Squinting in the dark, I tried to make out the face. From the light of the dim street lamp, I saw that it was Serena.

"Serena?" I said.

"Hey," she said, standing up. Her face was grim and her eyes seemed hollow. Something was wrong.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. She shifted on her feet slightly.

"My dad brought home the papers," she said. "I watched my mom sign them just now. It's official. They're over," she explained, her voice cracking slightly.

"Serena..." I started, but she shook her head.

"I never told you the whole story," she said, looking at me through her blue eyes that were now gleaming with tears.

"Let's go inside," I said. She shook her head again.

"No, I need to tell you now," she said, her voice firm.

"We can talk inside," I said.

"I want to stay out here," she said. I sighed and agreed. We both sat on the steps of the apartment. She was silent at first, just staring out into the distance. Then she began speaking.

"My dad has another wife," she said, her voice hollow. I swallowed.

"Before the divorce or because of the divorce?" I asked.

"She wasn't actually his wife until now. She was more like a mistress," she told me.

"How long has he been seeing her?" I asked.

"21 years," she squeaked. I gasped and stared at her.

"21 years?" I asked, incredulous.

"I'm her daughter," she sobbed.

I had no idea what to do or say. What she was telling me was so unexpected. I hadn't in my wildest dreams thought that there was more to her situation than she let on. And what made it worse was that I had belittled her problems just the night before. Clearly, this revelation was upsetting to her.

"Serena..." I started to say.

"You know what sucks? It's not the fact that I'm the product of a secret relationship. It's the fact that I looked up to my mom. My mother that raised me. She was so strong and independent and I thought that I would be just like her when I was older. And now? Now I know that I'm not related to her at all. That I have none of those genes in me. I'm the daughter of the other woman," she said.

"I don't know what to say," I said in a quiet voice, looking at my hands which were clenched tightly in my lap.

Then I squared my jaw and looked up at her. "Ok, scratch that. I do know what to say," I said. She looked at me through watery eyes.

"I want to apologize," I started. "I want to apologize for everything I said to you last night. That was completely immature and wrong of me. Who am I to belittle someone else's problems? I'm so sorry I said all of that. I was just...I don't know. I was just an emotional mess myself and I just wanted to take it out on someone. And that someone turned out to be you," I said.

She looked at me and shook her head.

"You don't have to apologize," she said.

"I do. You deserve that much. You've always been nothing but nice to me and I've just been so unresponsive. I'm not used to telling other people what I'm going through. I like keeping it to myself. It's just this year, everything is so different and seeing everyone else's problems remind me of my own and I'm trying so hard to fight them," I said.

"Maybe that's not the way to do things," Serena said, sniffling.

"Maybe we've both got this wrong. Maybe we're both screwing it up," I said.

"There's never an easy way to deal with life's problems," Serena said.

"If there, it would be making it too easy. And who wants an easy life anyway?" I replied bitterly. She let out a hollow laugh.

"I don't think it's so much as an easy as it is a happy one," she said softly.

"But that doesn't come too often, either," I said. "Maybe we should just accept that we're all screwed," I added, sighing. She shrugged and wiped her cheeks.

"Maybe we should. But at the same time, we should know that at least we're not alone," she said. I looked directly into her eyes and she stared back at me unblinkingly.

"Everyone's suffering," I said.

"Everyone's suffering," she repeated.

We sat in silence for a long time. My thoughts roamed from Levi to Caleb to Liam to Serena to Steve to Jeanette. As I sat thinking about the intricate network of pain that was woven through all of our lives, I realized that we were all connected in some way. It was through that pain that we all came together. It was that one thing that held us together. That one thing that showed us that we were all there to support one another as we all tried to keep from falling down completley. And that reason alone made all of it worth it. That just because we were all suffering didn't mean we were alone. We were all in this together.

And we would make it through together, too.

________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Vote for the Oliver/Nicole scene? I thought it was cute. I wish I had a friend like Oliver that I could count on all the time. He really understands her on a deeper level.

Do you think Serena was justified to be upset? I'd be pretty peeved if I found out my father cheated on my mom and that I was the product of that cheating.

I realize this was kind of a depressing chapter. In my sophomore English class in high school, we talked a lot about dark themes and about how it was easier to relate to one another through our pain than through our happiness. I guess that's really what the main point of this story is.

Where do you think Caleb wants to take Nicole?

We'll find out in the next chapter! And seriously, this time I'm not updating until after finals. I gave in to this update because you guys were being so incredibly awesome with your voting. I always say that I reward my readers when they make me happy. So keep it up and I'll keep writing! =)

XOXO