'Til Sun Beams Find You [COMPLETE]

Twenty-nine (Part 1)

The three day trip Nico was supposed to take fell through, much to her dismay. Her mother became ill the night before she was supposed to take off, so instead of sunny Los Angeles, Nico spent her weekend in the hospital at her mother's bedside while she fought a stomach bug. It was Monday evening and she was set to be discharged with some antibiotics to take, but they were still waiting on the discharge nurse.

"I don't understand how kids like this stuff," Nico said as she continued working on the Lego piece she picked up before she returned to the hospital Saturday morning. She figured if she was spending all her time there, she might as well had done something productive. "It's not brain stimulating. It's brain sedating. Literally. My brain hurts."

She searched for the single blue piece amongst the hundred others as she worked on the art piece, and then got frustrated when she picked up the wrong size.

"I still don't see what it's supposed to be," Nico's mother commented as she put her arms through her sweater, having watched her daughter work on it for hours.

Nico made a face. "It's supposed to be Batman... see?" She turned it upside down for her to get a better view. "It's like an art piece you can hang on your wall. Pretty cool."

"Why would you want to hang Batman on your wall?" Her mother asked curiously, as she knew Nico was very strict on the aesthetic of her home, and the royal and dark blues did not complement her nude home. Angela walked around the hospital room picking up her belongings.

"Well, I wouldn't but Carter would. He's into this stuff," she said as she flipped a page on the instruction manual.

It was like building furniture from IKEA, and Nico was usually good at that, but times that by three thousand times difficulty.

"Apparently Lego isn't for kids anymore," she continued, having seen some pretty cool sets as she walked around the other day, looking for the perfect piece.

Angela nodded and turned her head. "I guess I can kinda see it. I'm sorry you missed your trip, I know you were looking forward to it," she apologized, feeling terrible that she was keeping her daughter. It wasn't like she didn't insist Nico go anyways as it was nothing serious, only a case of bacterial gastroenteritis, but Nico couldn't see how she could go on a trip while her mother was sick.

And she was grateful to have her company throughout the night because her husband came in the mornings to keep her company while Nico went home to sleep, so she never went lonely.

"It's okay. I can always go another time... it's not like it was some exclusive place like the Maldives or anything.."

"So if it were the Maldives you wouldn't stay with me?" Angela asked in a playful tone.

"If it were the Maldives, you would be on your own lady..."

Angela gasped and then laughed when Nico started giggling. "Silly," she muttered as she watched Nico put together the interlocking bricks.

Angela checked her bag once more to make sure she had all her things as they awaited the final go ahead. When she had all her belongings, she took a seat on the bed and watched her daughter silently.

"So you and Carter..."

Nico glanced up with a smirk. "We're not together."

"But you were going to get on a plane to see him?" It all confused her a bit, and she wasn't sure if it was the extra high dose of antibiotics making her woozy but she was a bit stumped when she heard Nico had a trip to LA planned, and it was Carter who planned it.

The same Carter she hadn't heard of in months, so yeah, it did surprise Angela a bit.

"Well, yeah. I've never been to California. I thought it would be fun, so did he. Sucks it fell through but it's life," she shrugged her shoulders.