"Mom, you have to eat first before you get dessert."

She rolls her eyes.

"That's my line, remember? I'm the parent, I know better."

Now its my turn to roll my eyes. I've been here since morning. It's now finally time for her breakfast and she's acting like a pouty toddler wanting chocolate before she eats.

"Well not right now. Anyway, when are they bringing your weed?" I wiggle my brows.

She chuckles but it looks painful. "In an hour." She breaths a labored breath. "I want to feel the sun. Take me outside?"

I nod. After getting the permission from the nurse, we help her to the wheelchair. Then I wheel her out to the garden. They have a beautiful flower garden with benches for people to sit and a few trees to get shade. We sit and take in the flowers. The nurse gave me her weed and told me when to give it to her.

"You gonna give me so I can smoke too, right mommy?" I give her my sweet face

She chuckles. "I am still your mother. I am not introducing you to drugs."

"That is kinda too late, mom. You already did."

She arches her eyebrow in question.

"Me and the boys used to steal your brownies." I smile at the memory

"You were the brownie thief!?"

I jump when she almost hits me. "Hey, I'm confessing. The lord says all who confess will be forgiven."

She shakes her head and lights her blunt. She takes a few puffs before expelling out the smoke.

"Never thought I'd see the day," I look at her.

"Well, the day is here." She says, but something distracts her on the direction of the door, and I look at where she's staring at. My insides vacate my body.

What are they doing here?

I look at my mom. She has a smile on her face.

"Mom, is it alright that they see you?"

She knows why I'm asking.

"Screw your father and his beef, Zaz. Tell them to come closer."

I look in their direction and they are standing from afar. Probably not knowing what to do. I get off the bench and look to mom for her confirmation before I go. She nods as she pulls her weed. I want to laugh cause she looks so gangster.

I pull my cardigan to my body, and I walk to them.

They are rocking guilty expressions.

They pull me in hugs, and they kiss my forehead before we stand and I sigh. "There was no Houston was there?"

They chuckle. "No, there wasn't."

"When did you get here?"

They all look anywhere but at me. "Um, 3 hours before you."

"Oh my god!"

"Sorry, baby. Sorry. We just wanted to be here in case you needed anything. And we wanted to see her too. It's all fucked up, but we still all love her."

"She wants to see you too." I say as I motion with my head.

"Um, baby, how much have you told her about us?"

"I told her everything actually." I don't look at any of them to see their faces.

"I think I should call your fathers and demand my payment. They had sworn I'd never see you again." That's how she greets them

They all laugh. They hurdle around her, and they give her hugs. All of them tear up at seeing her. I know the last time they saw her she was the epitome of female health and beauty. My mother was a gorgeous, radiant woman before this illness, so alive, a ray of sunshine who lit up any room she entered. She was blessed physically, and lucky for me she borrowed some to me.

"They give you blunts over here, who knew?" Bas smirks

"Yeah, can you believe it took cancer for me to be allowed to smoke the lords plant in peace?"

They don't laugh. I see the solemn faces.

"So can we have a hit, Mrs. C?" Jose asks with a playful, hopeful look

"No, your mother takes a vigorous spin class, she'll kick my ass if she finds out I gave you drugs."

We all laugh.

"I also heard about the brownies." she informs them when we settle.

"Snitch!" Leo says

"I was stealing them most of the time anyway, so." I shrug

"I almost forgot; you were the mastermind of all the mischief." She has a fond look on her face

"You knew?" Mason asks

"Of course, we knew. It was always interesting watching all of you cover for each other. One for all, and all for Zaz." She chuckles and we all join her

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that I was the leader of The Pentagon."

"You were not, we just let you think that." Jose protests

"I was too!"

"No, we just let you have your way cause you'd cry." Leo says with a small smile

I roll my eyes and they all chuckle. I see a look of fondness in my mom's face and I know they did the right thing.

"Give me my chocolate, little girl. The munchies have come for me."

They all chuckle. I give her the chocolate.

"Honey, can you give us some space, I want to talk to your boyfriends before I sleep."

I look at all of them and they seem okay.

"Just...be nice, okay?"

"Oh, honey, when have I never been nice?"

I sigh. "How long will it take, I wanna see how far I can go?"

"Um, why don't you go back to your hotel, you can come back after my nap. They'll take me inside."

"But mom." I pout

"We'll take care of her, sweetheart don't worry." Mason comes to hug me and kiss my forehead. I concede and I kiss my mom and leave.

I don't leave but I go to the waiting area to wait for them to finish the talk with my mom so we can leave together. Maybe they can accompany me to my hotel.

I wait for almost an hour before they emerge. They all have red eyes. It's nice to have someone that gets it.

"Baby, you were supposed to be gone. She is sleeping." Bas comes and hugs me first

"I know, I was waiting for you."

We pull apart and he hooks his arm around me, and we walk.

"So where are you staying?" we walk to a parked SUV.

I look around when I don't get an immediate answer.

"My hotel?!" I stop

"Don't get mad, okay. We just wanted to be close." Jose mutters

I sigh. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Even when we were kids, they would never let me go anywhere alone. And it wasn't just because they were keeping an eye on me, they just always liked being close, we all did. I always needed one of my best friends close.

Leo pulls the passenger door for me, and I take his hand as he helps me in. We drive out of the hospital.

"I'm sorry, Zar." Bas says from behind me

I exhale. "Its life, what can you do?"

"It's fucking unfair."

"It's shit is what it is." Leo spits out from next to me.

I look out the window.

"To the hotel or you want to have food somewhere?"

"She'll be up in 4 hours so we can go eat."

He nods and drives us to one of the cute ancient buildings of Zurich. We get a table.

"I want to go to Confiserie Sprungli after this. I want to die by chocolate macarons tonight."

They all smile.

We order our lunch. Leo and Bas order Kimchi burgers, I order pasta and Mason and Jose ordered Swiss veal goulash with sauteered schupfnuden. I gave them both the stink eye for the veal.

We eat over light conversation and after we head to get me chocolatey treats.

I bring my mother some the following day. She was still drugged when I went to check on her in the afternoon and tomorrow would be my last day here. The boys brought the Cirillo's jet so we will be leaving late at night. 

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