Just Hold On // L.T. ✓

13

~‪The sun goes down and it comes back up,

‪The world it turns no matter what~

Louis patiently waited in line, looking up at the sign that said "Medical Billing". He had his checkbook in his hand, and his face was emotionless. The procedure had gone well, and Lottie complained often, but Jay was getting better, slowly.

"Johannah Deakin." Louis said, going up to the billing office. There was just a couple of things that he had to pay for, and he didn't mind it.

The money from the job had arrived at his house yesterday, and he was ecstatic to begin to spend it. But he knew that he had to do it wisely.

After spending the money, Louis took his girls out to a movie. The four of them - Lottie, Fizz, Phoebe, and Daisy. He got the four of them in his dad's car, left the small twins with Dan, and they were off to watch Jurassic World, which had just come out a couple days earlier.

He treated the girls, letting them get a large popcorn and some candies, and they were all excited to see it. Lottie was just tired, and leaned against Lou while they were at the concessions counter. "I love you, Lou."

"Love ya, Lotts." He said back. "You know I'd do anything for you?"

"Of course." She smiled. "Even kill someone, most likely."

"Maybe." He shrugged. "But as a worst case scenario."

After the movie was over, he took the girls back to dad's and headed to the hospital to see his mum before visiting hours were over.

At a stoplight, Lottie popped her head up from the backseat. "Surprise!"

"Charlotte Tomlinson!" Louis screamed at her. "You should be at home, resting."

"You sound like mum. Or Fizz, because they are basically the same person. I want to see mum too, okay?"

Louis didn't turn the car around, because he knew that Lottie was older than the rest of them. The two of them walked inside the hospital instead, all the way to the oncology ward, getting their little visitor's badges. "Hello, mum." Lottie said, going to sit in the chair.

Jay's eyes lit up when they entered her room, and she put down her book. "Feeling good?" Louis asked, unzipping his jacket since the room was a little warm.

"I'm feeling pretty good today." She smiled, but it didn't meet her eyes. Louis was tense, as he noticed the fear in her eyes.

"What's wrong, mummy?" Lottie asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, stopping for a second to put her hair up in a bun.

"Nothing, dearie." Jay said, not wanting to worry her daughter. "Don't be sad."

Even though Lottie had looked so happy the last week, she responded with, "But it's so hard, mummy. Everything makes me sad."

Jay took off her reading glasses. "Well, when you're sad, you make others sad, and that's just spreading sadness. Why not spread happiness instead?"

"When you're sad?" Louis asked, trying to work through the logic. He sat on the other side of his mum.

"Well, even if you're sad, others still deserve to be happy, right? If you can't help yourself, help others, right?" Louis sucked in a shaky breath before releasing it. These felt like dying words.

"Hey, Lotts. Go wait in the hall for a minute, ey? I want to talk to mum again." Lottie stood up, wiping her tears, and Louis watched her walk into the hall towards the bench.

"What is it, Boo Bear?" Jay asked, searching his face for any hint.

"I'm going back to New York in September." He said. "To keep doing what I did a couple weeks ago."

"Louis, you should be doing what makes you happy. Not what makes you the most money."

"Mum, I promise that I'll follow my heart after you're better. I'm only 20. I've got to make a lot of dumb mistakes before I realize what makes me happy."

"I guess you're right on that one." She smiled and chuckled. "Did I actually raise you right?"

"You raised all of us right, mum." Louis said, and a single tear fell out. He brushed his fringe back. "We're all amazing little people of our own. All seven of us. Who'll live amazing lives." Louis started to cry then, and Lottie came back in to get into the group hug. "You are the best mum I could ever ask for."

Lottie was trying to hold back her own tears. "We'll come and see you in the morning, mummy, okay? We'll bring the babies too."

Jay smiled at them. "Run along now, kiddos. Let mummy get her rest."

"Love you mum." Lottie and Louis said together, and then they clasped hands and left the building together, trying to control their emotions.