"Where is Mom? What's going on? Why can't you talk to me? When is Loni going to wake up?"

Lissa fired off one question after another as Luca sat as impatiently as she felt. They were waiting for Kit to get back with the two Blakes. Dr. Morgan was currently with Loni and a few other doctors, watching her closely as she came out of anesthesia.  Dr. Morgan had been here since early this morning. Luca was impressed with her dedication to his daughter. He knew she had other patients too, and had seen them coming and going, but Loni seemed to be the only one admitted at the moment. 

"Why don't you get candy or something from the vending machine?" Luca suggested.

"I don't want any candy. I want my sister to wake up and be okay. That's all I want."

"I know, Shorty." Luca squeezed her shoulder. "So do I."

"Tell me what's going on, Dad, please," Lissa begged.

The elevator chimed, and Luca was relieved to see Kit and the Blakes emerge. The older Blake nodded at them and then rushed into Loni's room.

"Mom!" Lissa jumped up and nearly lunged toward Kit.

Luca grew concerned at his wife's puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. They'd both been crying nonstop, but what could've made her break down badly when she left? They said they had a heart for Loni right?

"Come here, Lissa," Kit took Lissa in her arms, closing her eyes and smelling her hair as she embraced her.

"What's going on, baby?" Luca asked, and Kit looked up at him.

"Let's all sit down," Gus suggested.

Kit had Lissa's hand in hers as they made their way to the chairs.

"Uncle Gus what's going on? I know you all think I'm a kid but I need to know," Lissa demanded. 

Gus looked taken aback, but the corners of his lips twisted into a slight smile.

"Uncle," he murmured. "Never thought I'd be able to hear someone call me that."

"Was that weird? Should I not have?" Lissa asked.

"I don't mind at all. That's what I am." He ruffled her hair and a sad look flickered in his eyes as he did.

"So what's wrong with Loni? Why did you have to take my mom somewhere?"

"Lissa, one question at a time," Kit chided gently.

"It's okay, Kit," Gus said. "I get it. It stinks sitting out here and not knowing anything. I'll talk to you about Loni. It's a lot and it might be a little confusing and scary. Just let me know if you have questions, okay?"

"Okay." Lissa nodded, her eyes were full of worry as she focused on Gus. Kit sniffled beside him, and Luca put his arm around her as she let Gus take the lead.

"Remember I told you before that what was happening was pretty serious?"

"Yeah," Lissa said softly. "You said you knew how I felt. You were there on the worst night of your parent's life. What did that mean?"

Gus exchanged a look with Kit and then met Lissa's gaze again. "I'll get to that. For starters, let's talk about Loni. You understand she has a heart condition, right?"

"Yes, the same thing my grandma Elizabeth had."

"Right, it's called Brugada syndrome. It was dormant in Loni until sometime recently. We suspect it started showing symptoms a month or so ago. The rapid heart rate it can cause can lead to many things, including heart attacks. The damage to Loni's heart indicates she had one."

"Loni had a heart attack!?"

"Likely a very mild one in her sleep," Gus continued in a calm voice. Lissa surprised Luca by quieting down and continuing to listen intently.

 "But even though it was mild, it still caused damage to her heart. Since she didn't know, the damage got worse as it festered," Gus continued. "Meanwhile, her heart condition continued to act up. That started to aggravate that damage further. The problem here is we can't treat her heart condition with her heart as it is. So what this all means is Loni's heart is too badly damaged to fix—"

"So she is going to die? No, please!" Lissa cried out.

"No," Luca stifled a sob as he reached for Lissa's hand.

"No, hon. We're not going to let her die," Kit said in a shaky voice.

"But.. her heart—"

"Your sister needs a heart replacement," Gus explained quickly. "With Loni's young age, a heart from a viable donor should allow her to live a full life. She'll have to take medication and be on a strict diet. She'll have a lot of doctor appointments her whole life. I'll be honest, these things are never guaranteed, she could still have issues later in life, but it's her best shot."

"But, the only way she could get someone's heart is if they .. died, right?" Lissa whispered the word, her eyes full of horror.

Gus took a long shaky breath as he nodded slowly. "Right, so, uh. That's where we went. Um—"

"I have a sister," Kit spoke up as Gus stammered over his words, and he looked relieved.

"A sister?" Lissa asked.

"She got into a bad accident when she was Loni's age," Kit explained. "She hurt her head. Very bad, so bad that she can't wake up."

Luca immediately realized what that meant. His heart ached for Kit, for Gus and his dad. He tightened his hold around Kit's shoulder, and she leaned into his touch.

"I have an aunt? But she's hurt?"

"She's more than just hurt, she's called brain dead. She can't wake up like your mom said." Gus's eyes were full of pain as he spoke.

"Not ever?"

"No, not ever," Gus confirmed.

"I'm so sorry, Uncle Gus." Lissa frowned. 

"Yeah me too," Luca offered. "That's just awful, man." 

"That was the worst night you talked about?" Lissa guessed. 

"Yeah, it sure was," Gus said with a faraway look in his eyes. After a moment, he shook his head as if shaking the bad memories away. "But the reason why we're telling you this is that the heart Loni needs, my sister can give it to her. Her heart is fine, and she's a perfect donor for Loni."

Good, god... Luca glanced at Kit, who was pale and wiping at her eyes. She finally met her siblings only to find this out.

"But when they take her heart, she'll die, right?" Lissa asked in a shaky voice; her lip quivered, but she didn't waver as she continued to focus on Gus.

Lissa's maturity in this moment filled Luca with pride, but it didn't stop his gut from twisting into a knot. She wasn't supposed to be handling anything like this. At thirteen, her summer was supposed to be full of annoying her sister and getting into trouble with her friends.  He'd give anything for sisterly squabbles and angry parents knocking at his door right now. 

"London, that's her name, is already dead, Lissa. The only reason she is alive is the machines keeping her that way," Gus explained. "This is our chance to say goodbye and let her go. It's London's chance to have peace finally. And most importantly, it's Loni's chance at a long life."

"When.. are they going to do it? Can I see my aunt first?"

"There's a little roadblock we need to get through first and Loni needs time to recover from the surgery today. But hopefully, within a few weeks."

Loni's phone rang, and Luca's eyes widened. "Who is calling you this late?"

"It's Ruthie. I'll be right back." Lissa said with a frown as she ducked off to answer it.

"I can't—your dad. I don't know how we thank you for this," Luca stammered.

"No need, but—" Gus stammered. 

"My mother didn't agree to it," Kit said hurriedly.

"She was there!?" Luca was stunned. 

"Seems like she's always there, sitting with her," Kit said as she drew a shaky breath.

"She is," Gus confirmed. "Every day, all day, she's there."

Damn. Not that Luca didn't get it if it was one of his daughters....he shuddered. That thought was way too close to home right now.

"My mom and my dad disagreed with keeping London on machines. But my mom didn't care. She transferred her to a facility near here when I got the job here. She thought I'd be her ally or something against my dad. I didn't agree with it either though, and resented her for putting me in the middle. In turn, she resented me for not standing by my sister. It's been a sad and complicated mess for six years now."

"Where is she, Stacey?" Luca demanded. "I get it, and I want to empathize with her, but screw that. That woman walked out on Kit when she was only a baby, and now she's not even willing to save her grandchild? I got some words for that woman."

"Luca, don't—"

"Cricket, I have to. I will do whatever I have to do for Loni. If I need to rip my own heart out for her, I will. We are not losing her."

"My dad can get a court order. My mom won't fight that; she'll know she can't."

"How can we do that to her? A court order? I can't imagine," Kit spoke in a hushed tone as she shuddered. 

"This is for the better of everyone, my mom included. What she's doing right now it's not living. Not even close. She's tied herself to that bed too."

"It feels so cruel," Kit muttered. 

"Cruel would be not helping a girl who has a chance to live to hold on to one that already died," Gus said as he stood. "I'm going to go check in on Loni. She should be waking soon. I'll come to get you all in a bit."

"Talk to me, baby. You saw your mom?" Luca asked after Gus left.

"I can't even begin to comprehend my emotions," Kit stood up and started pacing. "Seeing my mother again was so much, but all I could see was my sister in that bed. She looks so much like me. It was like looking back in time."

"I can't imagine meeting your long sister like that." Luca also stood and clasped her hands in his. She stopped pacing and met his gaze.

"There was a part of me, a tiny part, that was always a little bitter about them," Kit confessed. "I know it's terrible; it was never their fault. But it felt like she chose them over me."

"That's completely understandable," Luca said as he brushed a stray red lock from her face.

"I know, but I feel guilty for any negative feelings now. I feel.. robbed. I should've been able to know London, and now I never will. Yet, I have to take her heart from her. I'm just.. my head is a mess, and so is my heart. I feel so sorry for Stacey. I don't hate her anymore, but I still feel like she did me wrong like she did all of us wrong."

"She did," Luca said. "When you called her, she could've changed everything. She had her chance for redemption, and she refused it. You should be angry. I know I am."

"I know, and I was until I saw her, babe. She's aged so badly that she looks twenty years older than she is. She's broken; London's accident broke her. I only feel pity for her. No matter what she did, she never deserved this."

This was why he loved her so much; Kit was never one to hold a grudge. She was a strong and feisty woman, unafraid to tell anyone what she thought. But she was also empathetic and understanding. She got that people were flawed, and she believed in second chances. 

"No one deserves that," Luca agreed with that sentiment. "And I believe she's broken. I know I would be, but this is about Loni. We have to fight for our girl."

"I know," Kit said as she gulped nervously. "I will also do whatever I have to do, but if anyone is going to talk to Stacey, it should be me." 

"I hate that you're hurting. That we're all hurting." Luca cupped her face in his hands. "I hate that I can't fix this."

"I know," she whispered. "This isn't something one person can fix. But, Luciano, you are the one getting us through this, especially Loni."

"I'm trying, but sometimes I feel like I could just lose my crap and... I don't know."

"I do know. I feel the same way sometimes," Kit lifted her arms to wrap around his neck. He lowered his to her waist, pulling her towards him. She rested her head against his chest and let out a soft sigh as he comforted her.

"That's the hardest part of being a parent, right?" He mused as he ran his hands up and down her back. "We don't get to flip out."

"But we still do; we all have to break down sometimes. Even you." She tilted her head up and gazed at him knowingly.

He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. 

"Is everything okay?" They pulled apart as they heard Lissa coming back.

"No, it's not okay," Kit said as Lissa approached them. "But we can't do anything about that. So we just have to be there for each other."

"Okay, Mom." Lissa agreed in a soft tone as Kit pulled her into their hug. 

"Why was Ruthie calling so late?" Luca asked once they parted. 

"Lucky is upset, he won't sleep. He's been walking around from door to door and whining. They had to open every door and still he kept wandering." 

"He's looking for us," Kit sighed.

"Don't worry; I took care of it. I think. Well, I hope," Lissa offered.

"How?" Luca asked curiously.

"I called Grandpa, and he said Lucky can stay there. He's stayed there before when we went on vacation. I thought that way; he won't look for us so much. I also talked to Manny, who said he'd watch out for Lucky. Having someone new to play with him might help too. Uncle Andre is driving him over there now."

"That was a great idea, thank you," Luca praised. 

"Speaking of Manny, think they'd make an exception for him to come to see Loni tonight? Him being there when she wakes up would mean so much to her," Kit suggested.

"I'll text Manny and let him know we're asking about it," Luca agreed as he fished his phone out of his pocket.

Gus stepped back out with Dr. Morgan and his dad.

"She should be waking soon," John informed them. "We want to keep her calm and relaxed tonight, so let's not get into anything with her. We'll talk to her about everything tomorrow."

"Is it okay if she has a friend visit tonight? Just until she falls back asleep?" Luca asked, and Dr. Morgan nodded with a soft smile.

"That's fine; it'll be good for her spirits," Dr. Morgan agreed.

"I agree," John said. "It's common during heart failure to feel anxious, on edge, and even get a sense of doom. We want to do everything we can to counteract this. We don't want her falling into a depressive state."

"We won't let that happen," Luca said as he texted Stone and Manny.

It was a relief that there was at least something he could do for her. Even if that something was letting her have a boyfriend, he couldn't deny how Loni lit up whenever Manny was around.

                   🌹🌹🌹

Loni felt as if she'd been asleep for weeks when she finally started to wake she felt numb and her chest felt very heavy like she was underwater. 

"She's awake," she heard her mom say.

Someone squeezed her hand. "Hey, Loni."

"Manny?" As she opened her eyes, he slowly came into focus. He sat in a chair at her bedside and held her hand gently in his. "You're here; they let you come?"

"Well, I had to bribe some nurses," he quipped, flashing that winning smile at her.

"You did not," Loni attempted to return his grin, but she was so numb she didn't know if it worked. 

"He didn't. I did," She heard her dad's voice next and turned her head to find Luca and Kit on the other side of her bed. Lissa was sitting in a chair by the window and looked tired but gave Loni a smile and came to sit on the edge of her bed. 

"That I believe," Loni said in a scratchy voice.

"Here, honey," Kit used the remote to raise the head part of the bed slightly. Then held up a   glass of water for her. "Sip this slow. You've been out for a while."

"Thanks," Loni took a few sips. Her throat felt so numb she spilled a lot down her chin. Then she realized Manny was seeing this, and her eyes widened with horror.

"I look horrible, I'm sure," she muttered.

"That's not even possible," Manny said as he squeezed her hand.

"How do you feel, Loni?" Lissa asked.

"Numb and groggy mostly. Did the surgery go okay?"

"Yes," Luca said, but his voice sounded slightly off. She looked at him with questioning eyes, but he only offered her a small smile back. "We'll talk more about all that tomorrow, pumpkin."

"Your dad's right; it's late," Kit agreed.

"Why am I so tired? I just woke up," Loni whined.

"Right? Lazy kid. You act like your chest was cut open or something," Luca said dryly, earning a short giggle from Loni. 

"Thanks dad for letting Manny come," she said and Luca reached over to squeeze her arm. 

"I wish I could've brought my guitar. Tomorrow during the day, maybe," Manny offered. "I'm working on a little something."

"You got your guitar back?" 

"Actually, your dad did," Manny smiled at her and then looked at Luca. "Thanks, Luca. I don't know how I can ever repay you, though..."

"You'll pay me back when you're a famous musician," Luca said. 

"I don't know about that." Manny chuckled. "But it's nice to lose myself in my music again."

"I miss drawing so much," Loni mused. "I could try drawing from the bed, maybe? Could someone bring my stuff here?"

"Sure, I'll have Carly bring it over tomorrow," Kit agreed. 

"How is Lucky doing? I miss him so much."

"He had a rough night, but when I left, he was happy playing with Stone," Manny said. 

"He's at Grandpa's house with you guys?"

"It was my idea," Lissa came closer with her phone. Kit scooted over so she could sit closer and show Loni the photos Ruthie had sent her of Lucky. "He was looking for you and upset in the house. Grandpa and Manny promised to take good care of him."

"I'll make sure he's happy," Manny agreed. "He's a great dog."

"Thank you. He really is. He's probably so upset without me," Loni sniffled.

"None of that now," Luca cut in. "Lucky will be fine, but I'll try and talk your doctors into letting Manny bring him some afternoon."

"Luca," Kit said urgently, "they'll never allow that. Don't get her hopes up."

"He's an old dog and well-behaved." Her dad had that determined voice; he'd do whatever it took. "I'll make it happen."

She couldn't wait; she missed Lucky so much, and it hurt to be away from him. He was as much her best friend as Andrea was, maybe even more so. 

Loni leaned back against her pillow and yawned. 

"It's okay, Loni; if you're tired, go ahead and sleep," Manny offered. "I'll be back right away in the morning."

"Manny, you don't have to spend your whole summer at the hospital," Loni protested. "I'm sure you have other things to do."

"Since Leo's is closed right now, I don't," Manny countered.

"Sorry about that, kid," Luca offered. "Stone may need some help at the Grill, though."

"Yeah, he mentioned that, and I might help some at night. I want to be here during the day." Manny glanced at Loni. "Until you kick me out anyway."

"Never gonna happen," Loni squeezed his hand again. "Can you.. can we pretend we're somewhere else?"

"Of course," he spoke quietly. "Where should we go?"

"Camping," Loni closed her eyes and smiled softly. "We go to the lake every year in our camper. But I always wanted to try roughing it in a tent."

"Ewe, why bugs and the ground," Lissa commented, "yuck."

"Well, you aren't coming, so oh well." 

"I am too! Mom!"

Kit laughed out loud. "Lissa, you don't need to go with her on her imaginary camping trip."

"I'd like her there. Keep them at least a foot apart," Luca piped in.

"Luca, it's--" Kit just laughed instead of finishing her statement.

"Ha! So I'm going," Lissa declared.

"Ugh, fine," Loni whined, but she couldn't help but he was amused at her little sister's persistence.

"Okay," Manny agreed. "So we're at a clearing in the woods. Lissa, can you look for sticks for a fire? Dry ones."

"On it!" Lissa cheered.

"She runs off to look while I take the tent out of the bag."

"Tents," Luca corrected him. "One for you and one for the girls."

"Dad," Loni whined, "you're ruining it!"

"Two tents," Manny said as his cheeks flushed. "I get them out and start setting up. But realize I have no idea what I'm doing."

Loni laughed. "Hold on! I'll help."

"Do you know how to do this?" Manny asked her.

"I know you to find out!" Loni said, "I pull up my phone and google how to set up a tent. Once I find the video, we watch it."

"That's cheating," Luca commented.

"Is not!" Lissa defended.

"It's not roughing it if you bring technology."

"Just cause they didn't have phones when you were a kid," Lissa said haughtily.

"You missed out, life was good when we used our imaginations instead of staring at screens all day."

"No one wants to hear about the dark ages right now," Lissa whined. 

Kit cracked up laughing and Loni found herself softly laughing too. 

"How old do you think I am!?"

"Like a hundred," Lissa giggled, and he pulled a face at her. "At least."

"Watch it, Shorty," Luca mock scolded her.

"While they argued over phones, Loni and I got both tents set up," Manny offered as he grinned at Loni.

"They look perfect," Loni closed her eyes for a moment. She could envision the clearing and the tents even feel the crunchy leaves under her feet. 

"Ours is pink," Lissa offered. 

"Of course it is." Loni smiled. 

"I came back with like a thousand sticks for a fire!" Lissa added.

"That'll keep us warm all night," Manny enthused. 

"Now, let's see if you can make a fire without your phones," Luca said.

"Easy! I know how to do this," Manny said. "I put the bigger sticks in the middle with some dry bark. Then I make a tent shape around the bigger sticks with small dry ones. Fill in the gaps with  bark and then light a piece of paper to get it going. ...And whoosh! It all lights up at first but settles into a nice fire."

"Good job," Kit offered, and Loni opened her eyes to see her mom smiling softly.

Loni could almost see and smell it. "I plop on a log beside the fire, and Lucky sits by me."

"Marshmallow time!" Lissa declared. "I sit on the ground by the fire and set up my sixer."

"Your what?" Manny asked.

"Lissa always liked to roast six at once, so she'd look for the longest but skinniest stick she could find. Called it a sixer," Loni explained and Manny chuckled.

"Alright, let's all set up our sixers then!" Manny chirped.

"I'll find three!" Lissa cheered, Loni was finding her enthusiasm contagious and glad she 'came along' now. 

"So you're eating marshmallows for dinner?" Kit asked, and this time Luca laughed.

"You're scolding them on what they're eating while pretend camping?" Luca questioned.

"I can't help it," Kit laughed softly. "Always mothering."

"I found a pot roast my mom snuck in my bag and set it on the fire," Loni said to appease Kit.

"An entire pot roast?" Luca laughed again. "In your bag?"

"Quiet, daddio!" Lissa scolded him. "While that's heating up, tell us a scary story, Manny."

"Uh I don't think I should get Loni spooked."

Kit and Luca both chuckled as Loni smirked lightly.

"Ghost stories never scare me, I can always guess them."

"Alright then," Manny shrugged and then leaned in. "They say this very campsite is haunted. Anyone that's ever camped here has run off in a hurry, getting spooked by things."

"Like what?" Loni asked as she stifled another yawn.

"Strange noises and voices, but no one there to make them," Manny said quietly. 

"It is haunted," Lissa whispered as she huddled closer to Loni. 

"Or someone left their phone on," Luca cut in.

"Luca," Kit scolded him. 

"There's a twist though," Loni guessed. "It's not going to be haunted." 

"Loni stop guessing during the story," Kit scolded her this time. "Go on, Manny." 

"Then the kids went missing," Manny said in a deeper voice. "One moment they were there and then gone, just like that, no trace. After that no one would stay there anymore, until one day, a kid was on a walk and stumbled upon the site. One moment he was alone, and then suddenly, someone was there.."

"Who!?" Lissa asked.

"Another kid, but his clothes were old fashioned, and he spoke strangely."

"A ghost," Lissa guessed. 

"Too obvious," Loni mumbled.

 Manny just shrugged. "So, the kid asks the strange kid who he is and where he came from. He starts talking about his house and how it was right there and he keeps asking where's my house?"

"Like he thinks his house was just there?" Loni asked. 

"Right." Manny nodded. "He said he was heading home and his house is gone." 

"He introduces himself as Timmy and the other kid in the story is unnamed but we'll call him Dan," Manny continued. "Dan doesn't feel any bad intentions from Timmy so he suggests maybe he found the wrong spot, and they walk around trying to find the house." 

"But Timmy is a ghost!" Lissa exclaimed. 

"He's a friendly ghost," Kit offered.

"Not a ghost," Loni added as she yawned again.

"The boys sought out to look for Timmy's house and as they walked on they felt like they were walking in circles. They kept returning to the same campsite that Timmy insisted should be where his house is..." 

As Manny continued to tell the story, exhaustion took its toll on Loni, his words didn't register anymore, just the soothing tone of his voice, and warm feel of her hand in his.  As sleep took over, a soft smile graced her face.