After Headlines

6: Home

" I thought Lillian was recovering." Bexley said as she and Cara helped JoJo pack. Lillian had been fighting cancer for the past three years, and thing seemed to have been looking better for her. For a while at least.

" She was but I guess something went wrong with the surgery." JoJo stressed, tossing things onto her bed.

" I'm sure she'll be okay." Cara promised. After a hour long argument, the whole crew was going back home with JoJo. They all had some time before rehearsals for their shows anyway.

" Ready to go?" Josh appeared at the door.

" Yeah." JoJo threw her bag over her back.

They all gathered in the living room. Natalie decided it best to hang back. She knew there was a lot of history and thought it was best not to get involved. Instead, she offered to house sit while they were away.

" Thanks Nat." JoJo pulled her into a hug.

" Of course." She nodded sincerely. JoJo could see Cara talking to Levi out of the corner of her eye. Levi, much unlike Natalie, was significantly harder to convince. He suspected that Sky and Cara still had feelings for each other. Natalie had her suspicions too but, she much rather just wait for thing to play out.

" Our plane leaves soon, we've gotta go." Bexley interrupted.

oOOo

The plane ride was quick and before they knew it, they were in the Rochester airport.

" Hey Jo!" Trevor called.

" Hey Trev!" She went to hug her brother in law, then turned her attention to her nephew.

" Aunt Jo!" He gave her an adorable smile.

" Hey Peter!" She grinned.

" Is Elizabeth at the hospital?" JoJo asked as Trevor exchanged hugs with the others.

" Yeah, and in another mood, so be careful." He gave a light smile.

oOOo

" JoJo!" Elizabeth called. JoJo turned to see her heavily pregnant sister making her way over.

" Hey sis." JoJo smiled.

" How is she?" JoJo nodded to the room when Lillian laid. James, her boyfriend, sat in a chair next to her bed, dead asleep.

" Not as well as we'd hope but, she's strong." Elizabeth sighed.

" Yeah." JoJo nodded.

" Josie." Martha Bachmann ran over to hug her daughter.

" Hey ma." JoJo gave a small smile.

" Oh my goodness, you all came? You kids are the sweetest." Martha hugged the others.

" Of course." Cara smiled. JoJo glanced back at the room to see Lillian just waking up.

" Go ahead." Martha grinned.

JoJo slipped into the room to see her sister's eyes light up.

" JoJo!" She smiled at JoJo rounded her bed to hug her.

" Hey, girlie." JoJo chuckled.

" What are you guys doing here?" Lillian looked at the others in confusion.

" Came to see you." Cara grinned.

" JoJo's our sister, and any sister of JoJo is a sister of ours." Josh beamed. Lillian's face broke into a wide smile.

oOOo

" JoJo." Bexley said as she slid out of Lillian's room.

" Yeah?"

" Would you be okay if Josh and I slipped out to visit my parents?" Bexley asked.

" Oh my gosh, of course." JoJo nodded.

" Okay, call if anything changes." Bexley pulled JoJo into a brief hug before grabbing Josh.

" We good?" Josh slipped his hand into Bexley's.

" Yeah." Bexley nodded.

" Bye Jo!" Josh waved to her over his shoulder.

" Bye Josh!" JoJo grinned.

" Love you too!" Ben called sarcastically.

" Love you son!" Bexley shouted.

" Love you mom!"

oOOo

" So are you and Sky still together?" Lillian asked as she and Cara played cards on a tray table next to her bed.

" Um, no. He has a girlfriend actually." Cara replied.

" And you?"

" I have someone...."

" Hmm....is he cute?" Lillian asked.

" Yes." Cara laughed.

" Okay. Just so we're both aware, I don't believe you as far as you can see without glasses." Lillian replied.

" Haha." Cara rolled her eyes.

" What?" Lillian giggled.

" Why is Lils giggling so much?" Sky asked as he, JoJo, Ben, and James walked in with Chinese food.

" Oh, nothing." Lillian smiled mischievously.

" I cannot believe you sent us to the other side of Rochester to get Chinese food." James said as he handed Lillian her food.

" But you love me." She teased.

" Do they always win?" James looked to Ben helplessly.

" Oh, absolutely." Ben nodded profusely.

" Where's Bexley and Josh?" Lillian took a bite out of her egg roll.

" Went to visit Bexley's parents. They should be back later." JoJo replied.

" Okie dokie." Lillian nodded.

oOOo

" Hey ma." Bexley sat on the couch next to her mother as Josh and her father worked on the grill outside.

" What's up, sweetie?" May Time looked to her daughter.

" I need advice."

" Are you pregnant?" May asked abruptly.

" What? No." Bexley made a face.

" Nevermind, continue."

" Josh and I were talking about fostering a child." Bexley stated. May was silent for a moment.

" I wanna give another child the chance you gave me." Bexley brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

" I think that's a wonderful idea. But just know, it can be a lot." May replied.

" I know. I wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine." Bexley shrugged.

" Not only that. Were you planning on adopting?" May asked.

" We haven't thought that far into it." Bexley shook her head.

" The hardest part of being a foster parent, is that you have to send them home sometimes. Sometimes, you have to let go. And it's hard. You build those bonds only for them to be severed." May explained.

" And I know, it's just as difficult as it is for the child. Another thing, that I'm sure you know, is to be patient. These kids, much like you, have been through a lot. They aren't all gonna be angels." May added.

" But, on the flipside, any child would be blessed to have you and Josh caring for them. You two will be wonderful parents." May smiled.

" Thanks ma." Bexley gave a light smile. Her phone broke the comfortable atmosphere.

" Hey Ben?" Bexley answered.

" Bex, Lillian just got rushed into surgery."