~One Week Earlier~
Lily Buckingham stopped at her sister's hospital room, trying her best not to cry as she opened the door. Sophie was her little partner in crime. Although she was fifteen years older than Sophie, she saw her as a best friend, and an equal.
She took a deep breath and opened the door. There, she saw Sophie looking like death itself in bed, her father on the sofa, worry and pain etched in his face, her mother's sleeping head in his lap. Stevie's cheeks were stained with tears, and even in sleep, her body was trembling. It broke Lily's heart.
"Hey, Lil," Lindsey whispered, noticing his daughter in the doorway. Lily couldn't help the tears falling from her eyes. Lindsey wanted to rush to her, but he didn't want to leave Stevie. "Come here, honey," he said, motioning with his head to the spot next to him on the sofa, as his hands played with Stevie's hair.
Lily obliged, sitting down. Lindsey wrapped an arm around her, and kissed her temple. "Daddy, what happened," she cried softly. Lindsey took a deep breath, and looked down at his sleeping wife. "Overdose," he whispered, trying to keep himself from crying. Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing. "On what?" Lindsey closed his eyes tight, letting a few lone tears fall into Stevie's golden hair. "Uh...cocaine. Apparently she's had a problem for awhile, now. We just never knew." Lily took a moment to process what she had just heard.
"And your mom...she can't even talk, she's so worked up. She completely blames herself. I've kept saying, 'Steph, its not your fault. Nothing about this is your fault,' but what am I supposed to say? She found her on her bedroom floor, no heartbeat, blood coming out of her nose. I just don't know if she'll ever stop crying herself to sleep. I don't know if our little princess is ever going to wake up, again. There's so many things that I just don't know..." he trailed off, losing himself to tears. Lily wrapped her arms around her father, as if to tell him everything would be okay. She didn't know that, though.
"Dad, why don't you get some rest. check on the house and everything. I'll stay here with Mom."
Lindsey shook his head and looked down at Stevie. He ran his fingers along her cheek. She was the source of the light that had taken up his world since he was sixteen years-old, and she was burning herself out.
"I can't leave her. I don't want to."
Lily understood. Her father didn't like being away from her mother under normal circumstances. He certainly wouldn't leave her now.
"Okay, Dad. Matthew and I are actually just gonna be a few floors up. We find out if its a boy or a girl, today."
Through all of the chaos in the past day, Lindsey had forgotten completely about Lily's priorities, her growing family. She and her boyfriend Matthew had more to focus on than this.
"I'm so sorry this all had to happen right now, Lil. You already have so much on your plate," he said quietly. Lily furrowed her brow and shook her head. "Daddy, nobody could have seen this coming. And its family. Sophie is my sister and yes things will be changing soon with the baby coming, but my family, you and Mom and Phoenix, Sara, Bella, and Sophie are my priority. I'll be busy soon, but for now, I'm here."
He knew better than to argue with Lily. She wouldn't rest until everyone else was okay. That was how she'd always been.
"I'll stop back by later, Dad," she said, kissing his cheek, and standing. "Tell Mom I stopped by, if she wakes up while I'm gone." Lindsey nodded.
Lily walked over to Sophie's bed with tears stinging her aquamarine eyes. She bent down, placing a kiss to her pale forehead. In that moment, she could see shadows of Sophie's whole life dancing before her. She bit back tears as she saw Matthew in the doorway. After whispering a silent prayer for her baby sister, she walked out to join him.
He pulled her into his arms right away to comfort and support her. Before he could say anything, she looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I think we should move in with Mom and Dad...at least for a little while."
~THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT SO FAR, GUYS!
