She didn't sleep a wink last night. Her mind was aching from all that thinking. At five thirty in the morning, she was sick of just lying in her bed and thinking about her father lying in that hospital bed.

Kim crawled out of bed in her sweatpants and her father's college sweatshirt. She went into her living room, the table light and took out the photo albums. Hours past of silence and soul searching. Life was perfect, she always thought. This was the price she had to pay.

"You're up early." Gerald took a seat behind her and pulled her against him so she had something to hold her up when she couldn't do it.

She pointed to a picture and laughed. "I was nine...and my dad came home from work on day and was crying. I never saw my dad cry before, not once; not even when watched Titanic when my whole family cried. I remember walking to him and asking what was wrong." She paused and pinched the bridge of her nose. "He said he lost his job. He was working in that factory for twenty-three years and he lost his job. I asked him again 'Dad, why are you crying?' He looked at me and he said that he couldn't buy me the pair of jeans I wanted. And I thought it was so stupid, I mean why was he crying because he couldn't buy me jeans, so I just left it at that. But then a couple of days later, I figured it out. I always told him jeans were my life, I loved jeans. And when he said he couldn't buy me jeans, it meant he couldn't give me the life I loved. So I went to him and I hugged him and I told him that I didn't love jeans anymore. That I loved him way more and that was the life I wanted, a life with my dad. And he smiled at me," her voice cracked. "And he pulled me up with him and he started dancing with me and my mom took that camera and snapped that shot."

Gerald rocked her side to side gently, kissing her temple.

"I can't make this better. I can't something that's going to fix him. And now all I have are memories; just sleepless nights of coming down here and just looking at these pictures hoping for something different.

"Ate?"

Kim turned her head to see her innocent little brother standing there in the pyjamas Gerald helped change him into. "Hey bud, what are you doing up? I thought you'd be sleeping until dinnertime." She smiled, trying to hide the real pain inside.

"Can we go see Dad now? You said we can see him today, right?"

"You never forget a thing," she stood up and kissed the top of her brother's head. "Go and get ready, and then we'll leave, okay? I have some of your clothes in the dresser downstairs."

As he walked to the staircase, she stopped in her tracks and had a realization that broke her heart all over again.

"Hey," Gerald walked on over and took her into his arms. Watching her cry tore him apart, and knowing he had something to do with it broke him even more.

It was a feeling that took him by surprise. For so long, he's been with countless women, had numerous relationships, but they all ended to a certain point, where both of them ended up alone.

Standing in the middle of the room, watching her break down; all he wanted to do was to wrap around her heart just to protect her from all the hurt.

Gerald wrapped his arms around her, trying to calm the quivering and trembling. "Kim," he whispered.

She pushed him away for a minute, but still holding onto his waist. "He's never going to see him to grow up."

Within a few minutes, they were all changed into fresh clothes. Gerald borrowed from Kim's sibling's stash, taking her brother's jeans and pullover sweater. It was a good thing they were the same size.

All three of them jumped into Gerald's car and drove in silence towards the hospital. Once there, Kim walked into the room first. Her father's IV bag was being changed, but he looked a lot better than a couple of hours ago. If only she could say the same for her.

"You sure you got the diagnostic right? He looks better than ever," Kim smiled, surprising both the nurse and her dad.

"Kim, what are you doing here? I thought you went home to get some sleep," he sounded annoyed, just like he did whenever one of them disobeyed his orders.

Kim shrugged. "Not likely."

"I'll be back in an hour to check on you, William," the nurse patted him on the shoulder, and did the same to Kim.

"First name basis with the doctors and nurses? Don't you think you jinxed it right there?"

"If I tell you to go home right now, will you listen. I'm going to be discharged soon anyways."

Which meant he was going to be home alone helpless with a six year old to take care of. "Brian's waiting to see you," she pushed the thought away. "He was upset that he couldn't stay awake to see you last night. So he's outside waiting to see you now."

This was a conversation he didn't want to have. How was he to explain his condition to six year old who still believed in Santa Claus? "Bring him in. But you better leave me alone with him. I need to do this alone."

Kim nodded, and stepped outside. Her little brother had his back against the wall, drawing circled with the toes of his shoes. It was what he did when he nervous. Gerald bent down to his level and his lips were moving, but Kim didn't hear what he was saying.

When the door clicked shut, they look at her. "Can I see him now?" His eyes lit up.

"Yeah," she smiled. "He's waiting for you, bud." He entered the room and Kim shut the door behind him.

Gerald stood next to her the entire time. They slid down the wall until they were both seated. He held her hand and kept whispering encouraging words in her ear.

"Shh," she shushed him. She stood up and barged into the bedroom, hearing her brother begin crying. "You told him?"

"I'm never going to see you again?" His voice cracked. "What about tomorrow?"

"Bri, come on, let's have Dad rest. We'll come back after lunch."

"Are you still here?" His eyes grew red almost instantaneously. "I don't want to leave."

Kim grabbed her brothers arms, trying to pull them apart from her father's body. "Bri, we need to let Dad rest."

"No! You never wanted to spend time with any of us! You only wanted to be with your boyfriend! Never! You need to leave! We don't want you here!" He screamed, holding on tighter.

"Brian, go with your sister," William tried to persuade.

"You don't want me here?"

"Brian - "

He got cut off when Brian stormed out of the room.

"I'm sorry," Kim said, trying to decide whether to follow or not.

"Don't. Your brother needs time. He won't leave the hospital, he'll probably just go to the cafeteria. And it's not your fault. He doesn't understand."

"And he shouldn't have to understand!" Kim raised her voice angrily. "You should've told us. You shouldn't have waited until you collapsed in your own house. You shouldn't have waited until the last minute to tell us; when we only have a couple of weeks!"

Gerald grabbed Kim's arm, trying to pull her back and control her.

"It's okay, Ge. She needs time. She didn't have as long as you did."

"What are you talking about?" Kim asked, staring at her father and then switching glances to Gerald who had his head down. "I didn't have as long as he did? He knew?" Gerald still didn't meet her gaze. "You knew?" Her anger rising.

He tried to touch her arm again, gently. "Let's go outside and talk about this."

Kim yanked her arm away, disgust rising in . "I can't believe this. You knew and you didn't tell me?"

"Kimberly, stop!" William ordered.

"How long? How long did you keep this a secret?" Her question toward Gerald.

"I told him at the party." William answered.

"Two weeks? You knew for two weeks and you didn't bother to tell me!?"

A third attempt at trying to get ahold of her. "Kim, not here."

"Don't touch me," she warned, and followed her brother's exit. Gerald followed her.

"Kim! Can we please talk to about this?" They walked through the hallways until they reached the foyer. And to his luck, it was full of doctors, and patients entering and exiting. "Kim!"

"I said don't touch me!" She spun around and it looked like death warmed over in her eyes. "How could you not tell me? This is my father we are talking about. It's my father's life!"

Gerald understood why she was anrgy, and knew that she probably wouldn't understand her reasons. "Kim," he started. He might as well try to reason with her. "I couldn't tell you. But believe I wanted to."

"You wanted to?" She nodded and swiped at her eyes. "Great, well that makes everything better. It makes me feel like nothing ever happened. Oh and you know what, because you wanted, I'm sure my father isn't dying anymore."

Her sarcasm sliced him like a knife. "I know you're upset."

"Upset? No, that's where you're wrong. I was upset last night. I was upset when I found out my father was dying last night and that I'll be luckly if I see him next month. That was when I was upset. Now?" Her entire body shook. "I'm infuriated! I am so angry. I feel betrayed that my boyfriend knew about this and he didn't tell me."

A doctor grabbed Kim's shoulder and she slid away. She didn't want to be touched, not right now by anybody. "What!?"

"I'm going to have to ask the both of you to step outside. You're making a scene and disturbing many of the patients entering here."

She roller her eyes. "There's no need because we're finished."

"Kim! I couldn't tell you because your father asked me to. I'm sure that doesn't mean anything but I gave your father my word."

"You're not sleeping with my father!" She yelled back, and the room went silent. "You're my boyfriend, not his." She realized how ridiculous that sounded, but it was the truth. "Your loyalty is to me." She closed the distance between them and used her index finger to poke him. "If it was me, I would've told you without a doubt. Because it deals with your family. It's a life or death situation, and I would've told you without a single thought!"

"Kim," he sounded defeated.

"Do you know what you did, Gerald? You took away two weeks from me. Two weeks that I could've spent with my father. You made me look like a fool. You saw me last night, Gerald. I just got the ultimate worst news that anybody could ever get! I was told that my father didn't have a year, didn't have months, doesn't even have a month! He had weeks. And you took away two weeks where I could've spent with him. The man that I love made me waste two weeks of my life that I could've spent with my dad. I'm never going to get that back, and it's all your fault!" She turned around to try and look for her father.

His hands reached for her absent-mindedly. "Kim, please. Kim, stop, please."

She pushed him away, "I told you to stay the hell away from me! Don't touch me, Gerald! Stop, leave me alone! Stop it!" Finally she untangled herself from his hand and broke free.

It took awhile for her to realize that she just called him the man she loved. In front of complete strangers. It wasn't the most romantic moment, and it wasn't what she expected the moment to be. But it is what it is. The moment she was finally brave enough to tell the man she loved that she loved him was the exact moment she wanted nothing to do with him.