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Chapter Twelve

A/N: Sorry about this...and sorry for the short chapter!

Cooking is something he'll always enjoy. He's loved to cook since he was a kid, his mom would let him, Sara, and Ange help with dinner a few times a week. This morning, he was making peanut butter and chocolate chip pancakes. Not very healthy, but it was Laney's favorite.

He just set the last pancake on the stack, bringing it to the table, when his phone rang. He grabbed it from his pocket, not bothering to look at who it was.

"Hello?...oh hey Sara..."

Laney made her way downstairs, plopping down in a chair at the table. Josh smiled at her.

Then his smile quickly faded.

"What are you talking about?" A few seconds later, Josh let his phone drop, hitting the table with a thud. Laney looked up at him. He was just starting out the window in the kitchen.

"Josh?"

He said nothing. Laney reached over and grabbed the phone, reading who it was.

"Sara?"

"Laney! Thank God!"

"What's going on?"

"It's our mom, she's getting worse. Dad put her in an assisted living home yesterday."

"Oh my God! Is she okay?!"

"He said she'll be fine, but Ange and I are going to see her around lunch. Think you can get Josh to come?"

"If I have to drag him all the way there."

"Thanks Laney, you're a life saver! Just...take care of him will you?"

"I will. See you soon Sara." She hung up and looked at Josh, who was just staring into space.

"Josh?" She stood up and moved into his eyesight. He seemed to stare right through her. She snapped her finger inches away from his face.

He shook his head slightly. "Wha...?"

"We should probably go."

"Where?"

"To see your mom."

"Right..." He zoned out again.

"Josh, hey!" She snapped her fingers again, suddenly feeling like she was Darla in one of the Ever After videos.

"Huh?" He looked at her again.

"Let's get dressed, okay?"

"But I just made breakfast."

"We can eat it later."

Josh was out of it the whole time he got dressed. Laney had to help him button up his shirt.

Laney drove since Josh was too out of it. When she parked the car, Sara met up with them.

"How is he?" She asked, looking at Josh who was just blankly staring out the window.

"Been like this since you called."

"I was afraid of that."

She walked around to Josh's side and opened the door. "Hey Joshy, mom's waiting for us." She said brightly. Josh slowly looked at her then nodded, unbuckling his seat belt then getting out. The three of them walked through the glass doors into the building, Sara led the way to their mom's room.

Just as Sara grabbed the doorknob, Josh grabbed her hand. She looked at him.

"I can't go in there." It was the most coherent thing he said all day.

"Josh..."

"You know what her diagnosis did to me. You saw how I acted."

"You have to see her Josh."

"Why? In a few months, she probably won't remember us anyway..."

"Wow. Really Josh? If you keep acting like a douche, I'm gonna smack you."

"But I am a douche."

She rolled her eyes and open the door. Josh sighed and followed her in, Laney on his heels.

"Hey mom! I brought Josh and Laney!" Sara said brightly.

"Humph, 'bout time Joshua." She looked at him and smiled.

He put his hands in his pocket. "Hey ma."

"Do you wanna go to the day room?" Sara asked.

"Better than sitting in this room all day!"

She greeted Laney with a hug as they left the room. Josh linked arms with her to help her walk.

"Joshua?"

"Yes ma?"

"See that piano over there?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Play me a song."

"But there are other people here..."

"Oh, so what? Half of them don't even know where they are or what day it is."

"Okay, one piano melody comin' up."

As soon as he was out of earshot, she turned to Laney.

"Do me a favor will you honey?"

"Anything Mrs Ramsay."

"Don't let him fall off the wagon like Amanda did."

Laney looked at her, confused. Sara chimed in.

"This whole thing has been kinda hard on him. He'll out on a brave face, like he always does, but just...watch out for him."

Josh stared playing a slow, soft melody in the background. Laney looked over at him for a second before looking back to Sara and Mrs Ramsay.

"I'll take care of him."

❤️❤️❤️

She woke up to what sounded like heaving, then the toilet flushing. She got up and went to the bathroom, swinging the door open. Josh was sitting on the floor next to the toilet. He looked up at her. She looked from him to the toilet, then back to him. He stood up and went to the sink to brush his teeth.

"Did you just do what I think you did?"

"Just a stomach bug or something babe." He said after he spit a mouth full of toothpaste into the sink.

She leaned against the doorway. "Josh..."

"Please don't read into this Laney. I just didn't feel well, okay?" He out his toothbrush in it's holder and walked passed her, laying down on the bed.

"You'd tell me if you weren't right?"

"Weren't what?"

"Fine."

He sat up and looked at her. "Of course I would."