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Seth scoffs. “So, I didn’t want you to have to pick.

We all know that my relationship with Shelly is not good and that I don’t really want to be here but my relationship with you is a different story.

You’re my little sister and I love you. I want to be here for you and if that means I have to set my differences aside for the time being to help you then I will.

You need to go home and be with your husband.

I’ll stay here and keep an eye on things. I’ll help Drake out when he needs it.”

Tears form in my eyes, but I manage to keep them at bay. “Are you sure?”

He nods and gives me a sad smile. “Yes, I’m sure. Life is throwing everything at you at one time. It’s okay to let someone help you out here and there and even let them take care of you from time to time. Can you fly though?”

I nod. “Yes, I’m just sick from all the stress of everything I think.”

Seth nods then moves to help me off the floor. “Go pack up and I’ll start breakfast for everyone.”

I’m in my room packing when Drake knocks lightly on the door, clearly unsure of what to do. I try to smile at him, but it feels forced. “So, Seth’s my uncle?”

I nod. “Yeah, he’s great. You’ll love him once you get to know him. Shelly and him have a very strained relationship, and for good reason, so there might be some tension at first but it has nothing to do with you I promise.”

Drake nods and walks farther into the room. “I’m sorry about your husband.”

“Thank you.”

He sighs. “You know when she first told me you were coming, I didn’t know what to think.

Then I got mad because I felt like we had been doing this on our own this long, so we didn’t need you now.

Then you got here, and you didn’t try to force a relationship on me and I started to appreciate that.

The next thing I knew it was normal to come home and see you here, comforting even.

It’s harder than I thought to see you leaving again. ”

His words hit me like a wrecking ball. I sit on the bed and pat the seat next to me. “It’s only temporary. A part of me wishes I didn’t have to go but Axell needs me too. It’s so hard to balance it all.”

“I get that. I’m not mad that you’re leaving. I understand why you are. I also know that if Seth hadn’t come here that you wouldn’t have left. You would have stayed here and worried constantly,” Drake tells me and he’s right. I would have.

“Axell and I didn’t leave things on a good note when I left L.A. My fault not his, but we were just starting to figure things out and planning for the future again. A future that involved you. He was on his way here.”

“Here? As in Aynor?” Drake asks.

I nod. “Yeah, his brother Jagger said that from what they can gather he booked a flight to South Carolina a couple of hours before the accident. I’m guessing he rushed home to pack some stuff then was rushing to the airport when it happened.” My voice breaks and a few stray tears escape.

Drake wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me into him.

“It’ll be okay…mom.” His words threaten to make me cry more but we are interrupted by Seth hollering at us for breakfast. I never thought I’d see the day when I heard Drake call me mom.

My heart should be overjoyed but it’s weighted down, sinking like ship.

After breakfast Seth goes into Shelly’s room, I guess he figures if he’s going to have to be in here with her then he should get the tough conversation over.

I still can’t believe he came all this way for me.

He’s going to stay and help Drake with our mother, for me.

He’s the best brother ever. Drake grabs my bag and takes it to the car.

Seth had booked me a flight back to L.A.

when he booked his to come to South Carolina.

I was thankful he thought ahead like that.

Seth finally appears from our mother’s room and walks toward me. His muscles look tense, but he wraps me in a hug as soon as he reaches me. “Keep me posted.”

“Of course, I will,” I tell him. “You too.” Seth nods. “I can’t thank you enough Seth. I don’t know what I’d do right now without you, but I feel so torn. I hate leaving you knowing this isn’t what you want.”

Seth runs his hands through his hair. “Just now talking to Shelly I realize that it may not be what I want but it might be what I need. Don’t worry about this. Everything will be okay.”

I nod and head out the door and climb into the car with Drake.

He drives us to Myrtle Beach where I wait for my plane.

Drake sits in silence with me, my nerves worse than ever.

When they call my flight number to board I stand up and wrap my arms around Drake.

“If you need me, I’m a phone call away.”

“I know,” he tells me.

“I’ll see you soon,” I tell him with a pat to his cheek. I know that’s a very uncool mom thing to do but I couldn’t resist it. “I love you Drake and I’m very proud of you.” I turn around and leave before he has to worry about saying anything.

On the plane I try my best to stay calm, but nothing works. I try to read but I can’t stay focused. I’ve read the same page countless times before I give up. I need something to keep me busy though because if I’m just sitting still my mind will come up with every possible worst-case scenario.

I know that as of this morning there had been no change in Axell’s condition.

Last night I had been to upset and in shock to really understand anything Jagger told me.

I had called him this morning after Seth got to the house to apologize and find out what had happened.

He told me that Axell had been speeding when it started to sprinkle.

He went to switch lanes and lost traction causing his car to flip.

He had been rushed into surgery for his internal bleeding.

While in surgery they found he had a punctured lung, multiple broken ribs, a broken arm and collar bone and they had to remove his spleen.

They had managed to stop the internal bleeding, but he was in a drug induced coma until some of his other wounds started to heal.

At that point they would start to lessen the drug intake to pull him out of the coma but that was only if his body decided to release him from the self-induced coma.

I had never been big on praying but if I was going to start now seemed like the best time to start. So, for the rest of the plane ride I prayed to every higher power I could think of while I fought back tears.