Xavier was telling me the story of how he first met Lacey in elementary school and how Ruth had pushed him off the monkey bars. Ruth and Lacey were a few years younger than him and Xavier had cut them in line for the monkey bars, so she pushed him off. Lacey went to make sure he was okay even though he had cut in front of them and it sounds exactly like the Lacey I know.

I hope she likes her surprise party. I knew that bringing Ruth here would be the best present, I just wasn't sure if she would enjoy having everyone else here. I had to coordinate this with so many people, including Grayson who gave her the day off.

I wonder where she is? Last I saw, she was talking to Jonah and Vince but I haven't seen her in a few minutes. I scan over the crowd trying to spot the curls she's sporting tonight but I don't see them until I look down the hallway leading to the bedrooms and the bathroom.

It looks like she's coughing? Boo is right next to her and I stop listening to what Xavier is saying when Lacey looks up, making eye contact with me as she grabs at her chest and a horrible cry escapes her mouth.

I move in slow motion compared to her mom and Ruth who come flying out of nowhere. I'm snapped back into motion when Ruth tries to hold her up and I quickly push past people to take her place.

"Where are your pills?" Her mom keeps asking and I hold onto her with everything I have. Her hand has wrapped around my arm, but I don't even think she realizes she's holding onto me. There's tears streaming down her cheeks and Ruth has stepped away calling someone on her phone.

I don't understand? "Lacey where are the pills?" Her mom asks sternly and Lacey struggles to breathe. I don't know how to help.

She finally mutters a short response, "Pills are in purse. In Dean's car. Please, make it stop." Lacey pleads and her mom turns onto me quickly.

"Give me your car keys now."

I fumble in my front pocket where I know I left it as I try to hold onto Lacey before handing them to her quickly. Lacey is letting out short gasps and I feel so helpless. I try to take her pulse, but it can't be right? Her heart can't be beating that fast. That would mean-

Ruth crouches down in front of Lacey, trying to get her attention. "Lace please you need to stay calm. The ambulance is on it's way and your mom will be right back with your pills."

"What are you talking about? What pills does she need?" I ask and I feel like that's the first time Ruth has even noticed I'm supporting Lacey while she cries out in pain again.

Her face turns sympathetic and I want to know why the fuck she's looking at me that way. I want to know why Lacey is in so much pain and I want to know how to help.

"She's having a heart attack. She needs nitroglycerine, it'll help."

After that, everything is blur. Her mom and Ruth ride with Lacey to the hospital while her dad makes calls. Xavier is talking to Linc who looks absolutely floored right now. Pretty much everyone left after the ambulance left. I'm trying to figure out why the fuck Lacey is having a heart attack at twenty-four, and why her parents and Ruth weren't even surprised it was happening.

They knew exactly what to do and I-I had no idea that anything was even wrong.

Was there something we did today that caused this? We had sex this morning and we walked around Central Park with Boo, but the pancakes I made this morning wouldn't have given her a heart attack?

I need to get to her and make sure she's okay. That's all that matters right now. I'll learn the why's later.

Grayson rests a hand on my shoulder as I grab a few things together and I didn't even realize he was still here. "Do you need a ride to the hospital?"

I shake my head quickly, "No. My keys are right...here." I say, reaching into an empty pocket to find that Lacey's mom still has my car keys from when she went to get her purse. "Actually, I do need a ride. Are you sure?"

"Of course we are, I'll go ask Jason what hospital they're going to." She says and I look at Grayson.

"She's going to be okay right?"

He hesitates and I feel my stomach drop. "I don't know. We'll leave in a few minutes though."

She turned twenty-four today. Then she had a heart attack.

I mean it doesn't make sense. Lacey would have to have had some pre-existing condition and she's fine. Healthy in every way.

But is she? Healthy people don't have heart attacks at twenty-four.

Lacey did though.

I do-I don't know what to think or believe right now.

*********

All hell is breaking loose at the hospital. Lacey's mom is yelling at Grayson who is taking it oddly very calm.

Ruth is trying not to cry while Xavier holds her.

"She's known you for all of three months and she makes you her medical power of attorney! What do you even know about her and her condition? You are her boss, not exactly the right person to choose to make these decisions."

I have no idea what's going on and I'm too afraid to ask, but I have figured out that Grayson apparently seems to be clued in. I turned my phone off after it rang for the hundredth time.

Eventually Lacey's dad reappears and makes a beeline for me, bypassing his wife that's still yelling at Grayson trying to understand what's going on. I'm not quite sure how Tessa is holding back her own temper, but I think the fact she's sitting on the other side of the room should say something.

"Dean? She's awake and wants to see you."

I wipe my hands on my jeans because I don't quite know what to say. "Are you sure? I-um-your wife sir seems very upset."

He doesn't even bat an eye at her so this must be a regular thing. "Lacey's a little loopy right now from all the meds, but she wants to talk as I'm sure this is all very confusing."

I don't know what else there is to say, so I follow behind him silently. Lacey has her own room and she's laying peacefully in the bed. She smiles at me when she sees me and I wish I could force myself to smile back.

I step into the room and her dad shuts the door giving us privacy.

I have so many questions. I don't know where to start.

"Hey there beautiful," She says. Because that is the first thing out of her mouth after having a heart attack in front of all her friends, I can't help but smile and laugh.

"What is wrong with you?" I ask, shaking my head at her.

"I've got a lot of drugs in me right now. Come lay with me," Lacey scoots over in the already tiny hospital bed to make room for me.

I sit down careful of all the wires and everything hooked up to her, hesitantly wrapping my arms around Lacey as she leans into me, sighing. This feels normal. I can't get how normal this feels when everything else isn't normal.

I hold her, listening to the sound of her monitors, "I'm so sorry Dean."

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"No, I do. You gave me the most amazing day I could have asked for and I let my stupid heart ruin it. I loved every part of today."

I stroke her hair gently, "Lacey I wanted you to enjoy it because you deserve it. Do you have any idea how hard it was to get Ruth here without you finding out? I almost told you a dozen different times. But I'm glad I didn't just to see the look on your face."

"It was such a great day," She repeats again. "Cheer up, we're not going to be sad today. Sadness is for tomorrow," Lacey says, quoting what I said earlier tonight. She pauses for a second to try and take a staggering deep breath, and I feel her entire body shudder with it. "It's still my birthday and you have to listen to me. I promise I'll explain everything tomorrow. I'll answer every question, but for now? I want to enjoy it while I can."

I hear what she's saying and it scares me because I can feel how small she is. I've never thought of Lacey as small and fragile before and I don't want to start now.

I press my lips to the back of her head, "Tomorrow then."

"Dean, will you tell me a story?"

"Anything for you."

So I tell Lacey a story of a place where nothing bad happens. I'm not a storyteller by any means, but it helps her I think. Just hearing me talk about something that wasn't our lives. I wasn't even halfway through when I noticed she was asleep.

I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep myself until a nurse had come in to check her vitals and change out her fluids, waking me up in the process. I was able to slip out of the bed without waking Lacey up, but I have a feeling that's thanks to the drugs she's on and the point of exhaustion she's hit.

Lacey looks peaceful.

She is beautiful and I'm not ready for everything to change. She's an enigma. I guess I never really had an idea of how true that would be.

Everyone is asleep when I get out to the waiting room except for Ruth who is holding a cup of coffee in her hands. This is so eerily similar to last week after Hayes and Maddox's accident.

"It's the middle of the night; do you think you should have that cup of coffee?" I ask, sitting down across from her.

Ruth pulls her hair over one shoulder, "Probably not. I don't think it matters. I won't be able to sleep. Last time this happened, I was awake for almost seventy-two hours before her mom almost had me committed to the psych ward."

I can't help but laugh at the idea of that because Lacey's mom is kind of scary when she uses that one tone. It's like there's no room for argument.

"I'm sure if you want to go back there and sit with her you could. There was a nurse that woke me up, but I bet she'll be gone soon."

She shakes her head, "I need to stay out here with everyone else. Thank you though. I appreciate it."

I'm tempted to get my own cup of coffee but I'll have no hope of sleep if that's the case.

"I had no idea there was anything wrong with her," I admit slowly and Ruth gets up to sit next to me.

"That was the idea. Lace didn't want anyone here to know, but she agonized over telling you. Please don't be mad at her for not telling you. I'm surprised she told Grayson. He's her power of attorney and man, I didn't think they were that close."

I think carefully about everything I've learned about Lacey. She loves so deeply and she is loved so much by so many. "I think that's why she picked him. I've known Grayson for a few years, and he's a smart guy. Probably one of the smartest I know, and I went to Harvard. I can't even begin to pretend I know what's going on here, but I think she picked Grayson so the people that she loves don't have to make the hard decisions for her."

"Probably. That's probably exactly why she did it. I've never seen her mom so angry before. Not even that time we went to Nashville and maxed out the credit cards. Damn I thought we were dead men walking after that. Tonight was new though. We're not ready."

"She's going to die, isn't she?"

Ruth sighs, "We're all dying. Lacey's just a tad closer to it than the rest of us."

And that's the ugly truth.

We are all dying. Every new breath is another breath closer to death. It's ugly. But it's also a sign to live each day to the fullest. I don't think I realized how much I took that for granted until tonight.