"A penny for my thoughts? Oh no, I'll sell em for a dollar. They're worth so much more after I'm a goner."

🌹🌹🌹

"That one looks like a boat!"

"A boat? I see a dragon."

"A dragon?"

The sound of London's sweet laughter filled the air; year thirteen, a big one, a milestone, as they say.

"Don't you see it? There are the horns, and that's the smoke he's breathing out." London pointed to the slow-moving cloud they were contemplating.

The mother had the luxury of getting the entire day with London. She intended to enjoy every moment of it. Yet as she gazed at her daughter's maturing face, those melancholy thoughts slipped in as always.

"Mom, tell me why you always get so sad on my birthday." London turned her head to gaze into her eyes.

Curiosity burned through those honey browns. Sometimes, she worried London could pull the truth right out of her with those knowing eyes of hers.

"I told you, sweetheart. It's because you're growing up, and it makes me sad."

"I think there's more to it," London argued.

"There isn't. Let's just enjoy the day."

"But mom"-

"Look, London, that one looks like a rose." She pointed to a new cloud floating over their heads.

"I hope the rose bushes come back next year," London said dreamily.

The purple daisy-like flowers had taken over the field again, some other wildflowers remained. But the rose bushes were one of the flowers they overtook.

They fell silent as they laid there, watching the clouds float slowly above them.

The horrible shrill ringing of a cell phone broke up the peaceful moment.

"Mom, aren't you going to answer that?" London asked.

"No, I don't want to waste a second of this special day talking to anyone but you."

"What if it's important, though?"

"Whatever it is can wait."

🌹🌹🌹,

"Come on, pick up," a frustrated plea woke Loni up. She opened her eyes to see one of the doctors on her team, Dr. Blake, sighing as he shoved a phone into his pocket.

"Busted," Loni teased, and he cracked a soft smile at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," she said, "all I do is sleep anyway."

"I heard you got to take a shower last night," Dr. Blake offered. "That's something."

"Yay, me," she said dryly.

"Find some happiness in the normal things even if they seem like nothing. It'll help keep your spirits up." He walked over to check her vitals.

"Dr. Morgan said I should try to eat a little something today."

"I bet that'll help," he jotted some things down on a clipboard, and there was a flicker of concern in his eyes.

"I'm getting worse, aren't I?" Loni asked as she looked up and met his gaze. "I can tell, your eyes, they look...worried."

"My mom always said my eyes give everything away," Dr. Blake cringed. "I should get better at my poker face."

Despite not having a poker face, he did have nice eyes, brown sort of like her own, only a darker shade. He was good-looking, with wavy ashy brown hair and a dash of freckles across his nose.

"So I am, then? Getting worse?"

"The beta blockers can make things worse before they get better," he said slowly and carefully. "It's too soon to say they're not working. The next twenty-four hours are going to be telling."

"What if they don't work?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said. "I know you're tired of hearing this, but don't dwell on what's going on all the time. Try and think about other things."

"I know," she agreed with a sigh. "I am trying to keep my mind off it."

"Think about the sugar-free jello and bland turkey sandwich you'll get to eat later," Dr. Blake joked.

"Can't wait," she giggled. "It's weird. Food is the one thing I like as much as flowers and painting, and I have zero desire for it. My mom was eating my favorite pasta last night, and I didn't even want a bite of it."

"What kind of pasta?"

"Penne with Rosa sauce. My dad's specialty. Well, one of them," she bragged. "He's an amazing chef."

"Yum. I prefer a carbonara myself, but that sounds good."

"That's heavy for a doctor!"

"Little secret," he leaned in and gave her a conspiratorial wink. "Doctors aren't always beacons of health. Actually, we can be awful to our own bodies. A bunch of hypocrites is what we are."

Loni laughed at that, "your secret is safe with me, I promise."

"So you like panting flowers?" He looked at her walls with a wistful smile. "You're very talented."

"Thank you! It's always been an obsession of mine. I started by coloring our rose bushes when I was just a kid and never stopped."

"My sister started getting into art at a young age too. Flowers inspired her too. Actually, they were one of the only things she ever drew."

"Oh yeah? I do some other stuff. I did some food for my family's restaurant, a bunch or our dog Lucky, and some other nature stuff. I like flowers the most, though."

"So what is about them? The colors or..?"

"Flowers are the prettiest things on earth, yet they don't disturb anyone. They exist and make us happy just by being," Loni mused. "But they die so fast; it's not fair. I feel like by painting them; I elongate their life."

"That's beautiful," he sounded a little choked up. His eyes landed on the Aster Celeste she'd done recently, and he stared at it for a long moment.

"Are you okay, Dr. Blake?"

"Just fine," he quickly regrouped. "I better get your results over to Dr. Morgan. She'll be in to check on you later."

"Can I have visitors today?"

"Sure, but if you get tired, kick 'em out, doctors orders."

"Okay Dr. Blake," she agreed.

Out of all her doctors he was her favorite so far, she really liked him.

🌹🌹🌹

"You get any sleep last night?" Luca asked with a tired yawn as Kit pulled her damp locks into a ponytail for the day. The small on-call room luckily came with an attached bathroom and shower.

"Maybe a little," she stifled her own yawn.

Neither of them liked being even two doors down from Loni at night. The heart attack in her sleep was haunting them both, even though Dr. Morgan had assured them at least once doctor from her team was always on standby, in or near Loni's room.

Manny's family problems had been a big topic to focus on last night, even though Kit felt awful for him. It was a nice reprieve to think about something else for a little bit, anyhow.

They didn't want to worry Loni too much, so they told her that Manny's mom was having some recent trouble and they would be staying with Stone for a while. They left out the part about Manny having been sleeping in his car. That poor boy, Kit wished they'd known he needed help sooner.

She and Luca stepped out of the on-call room into the waiting area. The elevator opened, revealing Lissa along with Stone and Manny.

"Hi, mom and daddio. Is Loni up yet?"

"We haven't been in yet. I thought you'd be coming in with your aunt and uncle today?" Kit questioned.

"She insisted I pick her up this morning," Stone explained. "Carly and Andre are taking the twins to her mom's but will be by later."

"Carly needs to get them tested," Kit said worriedly as she glanced at Luca.

"Andre said they set something up for the end of the week," Luca assured her.

"Have you had breakfast?" Kit asked Lissa, who shook her head no.

Luca grabbed some bills from his wallet and handed them to Manny. "Can you take her to the cafeteria and get you both something to eat?"

"You don't have to"-

"Just take it and get some food, kid," Luca said as he ruffled his hair.

"Thanks, Luca," he said sheepishly.

"Race you!" Lissa took off in a run, and Manny rolled his eyes as he followed her.

"So, how's it going so far with the new roommates?" Kit asked Stone.

"Okay, I guess," he said with a shrug. "Ava's making me smoke outside, though."

"What?" Luca questioned like he heard him wrong.

"And you listened to her?" Kit was stunned.

"She shamed me!"

"Shamed you?" Luca tilted his head for clarification.

"Yeah, she said if I want to destroy my heart and lungs, knowing what's happening to my granddaughter, that's my choice, but she and Manny deserve clean air." He huffed at that and plopped down into a chair.

"She's not wrong," Luca commented.

"I like her," Kit declared.

"Of course you do," Stone muttered.

"Speaking of Manny, I need a little favor, dad," Luca said.

"What's that?" Stone asked.

"Can you find out what kind of guitar he likes?"

"Yeah, sure; why, though?"

"He sold his to cover rent; let's get the kid a new one, huh?"

"Agreed," Stone said, "I'm on it."

The elevator opened again, and Cathy and Andrea came out this time.

"Morning," Cathy said as Andrea went to sit down. "How is Loni doing?"

"Can I see her today?" Andrea asked.

"We're going to head in right now to check on her, and we'll be back out to let you know," Kit promised.

She took Luca's hand, and they walked into Loni's room. She was awake and looked up with a smile as they came in.

"Morning, honey," Kit said as she made her way over to her bedside.

"You're popular this morning," Luca told her. "Andrea and Manny are both already here to see you."

"They said I can have visitors as long as I'm not tired," Loni's eyes lit up. "I'm going to try eating today too."

"Does that mean you're feeling better?" Luca asked, and her eyes dimmed some.

"Not really, but maybe food will help?"

"Only one to way to find out," Dr. Morgan entered with a tray.

Kit grabbed the remote and raised her bed for her; she then slid her beside the table to be used as a ledge to eat off of.

"No turkey sandwich and jello?" Loni asked as she eyed the oatmeal and hard-boiled egg.

"That's lunch later," Dr. Morgan explained. "I'd rather we try food earlier in the day. This condition tends to be best in the morning and worsens as the day progresses."

Loni grabbed the spoon and took a bite as Dr. Morgan jotted a few things down on her chart.

"How is it?" Luca asked.

"Terrible," Loni confessed as she wrinkled her nose at it.

"Sorry, we have to limit your sugar, so it's plain," Dr. Morgan explained.

"It's okay; I'll just pretend it's chocolate chip pancakes," Loni offered.

"Good luck with that," Luca quipped.

"With enough imagination, it works," Loni closed her eyes as she took her next bite. "I can almost taste the melty chocolate now."

Dr. Morgan chuckled softly, "enjoy. I'll be in again to check on you soon."

She ate a little more and then pushed the bowl away. She took a few bites of the egg, which Kit guessed had no salt based on her grimace.

"That's all I can manage. Imagination works better for dates than food." Loni said.

"What?" Luca questioned.

"Never mind!" She blushed hard.

Kit made a mental note to ask her more about that later when Luca was preoccupied.

"Can I see Manny now?" Loni asked as Kit pushed the table back to her bedside, and a nurse came to dispose of her tray.

"What's wrong with us? Getting bored of our company?" Luca teased with a smirk tugging at his lips.

"I think you two should go and get some breakfast." Loni gave Luca a stern look. "You heard Dr. Morgan. Take care of yourselves too."

"We had dinner last night," Kit offered feebly, causing Loni to give her a hard look next, reminding Kit so much of herself that she couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Go eat," Loni urged.

"Why don't I send Andrea in first?" Kit asked. "She was sad when she didn't see you yesterday."

"Okay," Loni agreed as she sat up some.

"We'll be in the cafeteria and be back in soon." Luca kissed her forehead, and Kit squeezed her shoulder before they headed out.

🌹🌹🌹

Loni took a small sip of water while she waited for Andrea, her belly felt uneasy with the food in it, but the water helped some.

Andrea stepped in and looked a little nervous as she slowly approached. She was dressed down in a pair of leggings and an oversized tee shirt. Her dark hair was pulled into a loose bun.

"It's okay; I'm not going to keel over on you, don't worry," Loni assured her.

"I heard my mom say you're heart is failing?" Andrea looked bewildered that she came to sit by Loni's bed in one of the chairs.

"Yeah. I know it sounds so crazy," Loni said.

"Are they going to fix it? How? Does that mean your heart could just stop beating?"

"They are trying something called a beta blocker, they have a whole team here trying to fix me, and yeah, it could stop. It could also beat too hard and send me into cardiac arrest."

"My gosh, Loni, that is so scary!"

"I know, but all these machines keep it going, I guess," Loni tried to sound assuring. "They keep telling me to keep my mind off it."

"Makes sense," Andrea looked like she wanted to ask more but didn't. "So .. Manny was here super early this morning too."

"He was yesterday, too," Loni felt herself blushing.

"I know I saw, and I saw the flowers. That's so sweet, Loni!" Andrea gushed. "You know he really likes you if he's here even now."

Loni frowned at that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, guys hate drama," Andrea said. "They just want someone to go to parties with, flirt, text, and make out with. So if he's here during all this, it's a good sign he really likes you."

"Not all guys are like that," Loni corrected her.

"Most are. Manny is a rare one."

"No, he's not," Loni argued. "I mean, he is... rare, but there are other guys that are genuine and not just about parties and stuff. What about Jamal? He's liked you forever, and he is so nice."

"All he ever wants to do is read or talk about reading," Andrea sighed.

"That used to be your favorite thing to do, too, remember?"

"I know, but Kelly says that's super lame."

"Kelly is super lame," Loni blurted out.

"She is not. She's the most popular girl in school."

"I know, but why? What's so interesting about her anyway? I mean, sure, she's really pretty, but all she ever talks about is clothes and hair."

"Not always, and she is my friend too, you know. You shouldn't talk bad about her," Andrea scolded.

"I'm not meaning to, I just," Loni considered her words carefully. "Sometimes I feel like she's changed you. If she were a good friend, she wouldn't run down the things you like, like reading and writing."

"Where is all this coming from?" Andrea's eyes darkened some, and she frowned.

"I've wanted to say it for a while, but... I don't know," Loni confessed. "I guess I was afraid you'd get mad."

"I'm not mad, but it's not like that. I am over reading and all that nerdy stuff. It's not just for Kelly," Andrea said defensively. "People can change."

"Okay... I'm sorry I talked bad about Kelly then," Loni said softly. "As long as you know, there's nothing lame about reading."

"Of course, I'm just over it is all," Andrea said in a fake chipper voice.

Loni didn't believe her one bit. Their whole lives, Andrea's head was buried in a book. She didn't want to push her too much, though, bad enough; she was already slipping away.

She was about to change the subject when her stomach started to churn and badly.

"Andrea - I'm going to"- before she could finish the sentence, her breakfast came up violently.

Andrea gasped and jumped away as Loni continued to puke her guts out. Her clean pajamas, blanket, and even her hair were all full of throw-up when she was done.

Tears started to rain down Loni's face; she couldn't help it.

"Loni, are you okay? I'll go get the doctor!" Andrea didn't need to, as several nurses and a few doctors rushed into the room. Andrea ducked out in a hurry as they ran in.

A nurse sat her up slightly and gave her a bucket in case she had to throw up again. Meanwhile, the doctors were checking her vitals.

"What happened!?" Kit cried out as she and Luca ran into the room.

"Her vitals are okay; she just couldn't keep the food down," one of the doctors assured her.

"I'm a big mess now," Loni sniffled as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Shh," Luca was at her bedside in seconds, pulling her puked-up self into his arms. "It's okay, pumpkin. We'll get you cleaned up."

Kit was already rummaging through her bag for fresh pajamas.

"I didn't even get to see Manny yet, and now I'm all gross," she sobbed into her dad's chest as he stroked her hair.

"You're okay," Luca said soothingly.

"But I'm not, I'm not okay," Loni cried, "and I'm getting worse."

"Oh, sweetheart," Kit came to sit on the other side of her, her hand gently stroking Loni's back as Luca held her.

"This isn't fair! It's so unfair," Loni sobbed.

She wasn't crying over the throw-up or even Manny anymore.

It was everything, all of it. The dam had broken, and she let it all out as her parents held her.