"You haven't said a word since we got back, are you okay?" Ryder asked her, as they were cuddled up in the bed. He no longer thought about the fact that they were in a hospital bed. It didn't matter to him anymore, all he cared about was being next to Skylar.

"I am not sure" she hesitated.

"You don't fool me, I know you...something is definitely wrong. Tell me" he said, a bit too firm, and he squeezed her softly to ease the blow.

"I am just sad, I guess...I'm scared. I just need to wrap my head around everything that's going on. I never lose my balance, I am usually pretty tough. Maybe it's hormones or something?" She was genuinely wondering, it could be, right?

"Maybe we need to talk to the doctor Skylar, getting all the facts straight, you know? We need to know what we are up against, and how to handle this?" He said - it occurred to him how mature that actually sounded.

She just nodded.

"You are going back to College in a few weeks, everything is going to change...I just get scared, scared we won't be able to do this, it sounds so romantic...having a baby together, but the reality isn't romantic at all. I am going to die, I should be dead already...who am I to even dream about something like this?...what if I die before the baby is even born, what if I kill my baby by dying? Have you thought about that?...what if I do survive the pregnancy, but I die shortly after the baby is born, leaving you alone with a baby, who needs constant care and attention? This is doomed" she sighed regretfully.

She felt like giving up.

It started raining. They heard the drops banging against the window, she used to love the rain. Being inside looking out, watching it pour down.

But right now she felt trapped. She just wanted to cry! Flood the room...with water or tears?

"I don't know how to reassure you, I have the exact same doubts Skylar, I won't lie...I am scared too, and I don't know how to solve everything. I don't have any of the answers. I know, I already love this baby, because it's ours...if that is going to be enough, I just don't know!" he was being honest.

Sometimes love just isn't enough.

They fell asleep on that note. When they woke up, the rain had stopped and the sun was out.

Everything just looks better in the light of day, for some reason?

They made an appointment with the doctor later that week, and Ryder decided to go see Charlie, he wanted to congratulate him, and tell him how much it meant to him, what he had done for them.

"My pleasure" Charlie said, they were making sandwiches, as Charlie's mom Lily walked into the kitchen. Her face lit up as she saw Ryder.

He smiled at her and went to hug her. She had to be the closest thing to a mother, in his life at this point?

"Hello stranger...are you raiding my fridge again?" She said jokingly, as she hugged him.

He laughed, as he met her embrace.

"How are you Ryder? I am so glad to hear you are going back to College, you are such a talented young man, I hate to see it go to waste...remember, we want to do everything we can to help you through this" she smiled, and he remembered just how sweet she really was.

"I am so grateful, I hope you know how much this means to me?" He looked at her, waiting for her reaction.

"Of course we do Ryder" she smiled lovingly.

"Charlie told me about your girlfriend...she sounds like a sweetheart, I am so happy for you" she said.

He figured Charlie had told her everything, they were really close, he knew Charlie never kept anything from his mother. Charlie was lucky, he had a loving mother; a caring mother...the kind of mother Ryder wished he had. Only his mother was absent, indifferent - and far from capable of showing him this kind of attention.

"Charlie told you?" He asked her, and Charlie gave her a discrete nod.

But - of course he already knew that.

"Yes he did...I am sorry, that must be so hard on you...Charlie told me about her condition...and..." she stopped, waiting for him to finish that sentence.

And he did.

"She's pregnant...I am going to be a dad" saying it out loud like that felt weird, it made it more real.

"Yes...Charlie told me a couple of days ago, and I have been meaning to talk to you Ryder, if there is anything we can do, don't hesitate to ask, okay? You are like a son to us, you know that...we are here for you, if you need us, you know that, right?" She gave him another hug, and he refused to let go, making her laugh.

"Let go of my mom you weirdo" Charlie was joking. He pointed the knife at him, Lily shook her head at them, she was used to them playing around like that.

She stroked his hair gently, nodding. Letting him know, she wanted him to remember what she just said.

He smiled at her. She was a nice person, Charlie shared a lot of personality traits with his mom. He looked from one to the other...both had dark brown hair and mild eyes. Both caring by nature, really smart and dependable, which was lucky for him. He was lucky to know them!

He found himself staring at her.

Wondering, if she really meant it?

Sometimes, people just blurt out things, they don't actually mean - accidentally. They say things to be polite, with no intention to follow through...but Charlie's mom wasn't like that.

He knew her well enough to know, she was being sincere.

He wondered, if he might have to take her up on her offer someday?

Someday he would have to ask for her help...