Riley drops his shirt to the floor and looks at his reflection. He can't believe that Lottie talked him into getting a tattoo. Taking care of it has been a pain in his ass and he still doesn't know what Lottie got.

He sighs and heads back to his bedroom, stopping in his tracks when he sees Lottie standing by his bed in a pair of incredibly skimpy lace panties and a matching, see through bralette.

His eyes go from her face to her breasts, down her toned torso then trail down her incredibly long legs. "Red is definitely your color."

Lottie rolls her eyes playfully. Her eyes drop to his chest. This is her first time seeing his tattoo. "What does it say?" She asks, brushing her fingers over the space below the fresh ink.

"This bird you cannot change." He says in a low voice, looking between her fingers and her face. He can feel his heart flutter under her touch. Her face drops slightly. "What?"

Lottie gathers her hair over one shoulder then turns around to show him hers. She got a sparrow on her shoulder blade with "Fly High Free Bird" surrounding it.

"Did you plan this?" Lottie asks.

"No. I told you I didn't want to get matching tattoos." He laughs. "What're the chances?"

She laughs too, sitting back on his bed.

"You wanna move the rest of your stuff in here?" He asks. "Switch the mattresses since you have the bigger one?"

"I don't have the bigger one. I have the newer one." She shoots back, grabbing a flannel from his drawer. "But sure."

Riley can feel his entire body smile. He's so in love with this girl it hurts. Sure, they've been dating for a while now, almost a year, but making any steps toward a life long commitment seems kind of like they're jumping the gun.

He wants to marry her one day.

Their relationship really hasn't changed since they went official. The only thing that has is them kissing and fucking around more but other than that, everything is the same. Thank god for that. It feels so natural, being around each other.

Maybe this is a life long thing.

"You gonna help me or not?" Lottie shouts from her bedroom.

Riley jumps up from his bed and rushes over to help her. She's got him wrapped around her little finger and he couldn't feel more honored.

Lottie's already got the bed stripped and the sheets put in her laundry basket along with the pillow cases. "Okay, one, two, three." They get the mattress off the frame and lean it against the wall.

"I can get mine out of my room." Riley says.

It takes them longer than they thought to switch the mattresses but they get it done in half an hour.

Lottie gathered their sheets and is in the middle of washing them when her phone starts ringing in the kitchen. Riley picks it up and hands it to her.

She furrows her brows and tucks her cell between her ear and shoulder. "Calvin, what's up?" She asks as she snaps a flat sheet before folding it.

"It's Chuck." He sighs back. "He's in the hospital."

"You don't sound too worried." She responds, setting the folded sheet on top of the dryer.

"It's Chuck." He shrugs. "That bastard has more lives than a damn cat."

A while ago, Chuck got hit head on by a semi truck and lived. A few years after that, a dog in the trailer park went after him and took a chunk out of his thigh. It got infected- really infected and now has an eight inch inverted scar covering the side of his leg. Shortly after that, at work, he fell off a ladder and sprained his back pretty badly. He was supposed to be on bed rest for a few months but didn't lay longer than a week.

Now, he's back in the hospital and his kids aren't too worried about him. It's probably nothing serious.

"Why are you callin' me and not Cathy?"

"Cathy called me a few hours ago and told me to tell you."

"A few hours- you're tellin' me this now?"

"You know I'm at work, Lottie. I'm callin' you on my break."

"Okay. Whatever. We'll be down by tonight." She sighs as she hangs up, pocketing her phone so she can pop the laundry basket on her hip.

"What's up?" Riley asks when he sees her putting folded sheets in the linen closet.

"Chuck's in the hospital."

"Oh shit."

"I'm probably not gonna go see him."

"Why? If this is somethin' bad, you'll regret-"

"Why would I do him a favor? He's been an asshole to me my whole life." She snaps back, shutting him down almost immediately.

"Lottie..."

"Just drop it, Riley!"

He jumps slightly. She doesn't raise her voice like ever. The last time she did at him, they were both twisted up for a while.

She grabs the laundry basket and heads back to the laundry room.

Riley takes a deep breath and scratches the back of his head. She should go see her family if her fathers on his death bed and she knows it.

After about twenty minutes of collecting herself, Lottie finds Riley sitting on the back porch with a beer in his hand.

"I'm sorry." She whispers. "I know you were just tryin' to, y'know..."

"It's okay, Lot. I know it's a hard thing for you to talk 'bout. I just think you should see him before it's too late."

Lottie nods. "You're right." He pats his lap and she sits herself down, her arm around his neck. "Thanks for not flippin' out on me."

"I know this is hard. Me yellin' at you woulda made it so much more harder on you." He rests his hand on her thigh and runs his hand up and down. "So you goin'?"

"Yeah."

He pats her hip and she stands up. "Gonna get some clothes packed."

+++

Lottie sighs heavily as she drops her bag on her childhood bed. Riley sits in front of her and takes her hands in his. "You're beautiful." He whispers, reaching up to caress her cheek. She rolls her eyes and smiles. "Like, heart stoppin' beautiful."

She blushes and drops a hand on his face to push him playfully. "Shut up." She laughs. "We should get goin'."

Riley stands and follows her back out to her car, sliding into the passenger seat. "Where're we goin'?"

"Stringfellow Memorial."

It's a quick fifteen minute drive to the hospital. Lottie takes an extremely deep breath as she turns her car off. "You got this, Lot." Riley whispers, giving her hand a squeeze.

"They'll say it's my fault 'cause I'm not home enough." She mumbles back. "Let's just get this damn thing over with."

She hops out of her car and starts toward the main door. Riley slips his hand into hers as they approach the front desk. "What room is Charles Cross in? He's my father."

"329, Cardiology Ward." The woman responds.

Riley thanks her then the two are on their way to the elevator.

"Charlotte, glad you could fit this into your busy schedule." Cathy says, looking up from her husband. "I told you your daddy was dyin' and now you finally show up?"

"Cathy..." Chuck mumbles, his voice is horse and dry. "Don't. She's here now, that's all that matters."

Lottie furrows her brows at her fathers words.

"So what happened?"

"Don't listen to what 'em doctors is sayin'." Chuck wheezes. "They don't know what they's talkin' 'bout. I don't trust 'em or that bitch with the fat fingers."

"Daddy-"

"It was just a heart attack." He rolls his eyes. "Nothin' too serious."

"You're in the hospital with tubes and wires comin' in and outta ya." Lottie sighs, sitting next to him.

"I've survived worse."

The doctor comes in and does a few checks on his vitals then pulls Cathy and Lottie out into the hall.

She tells them that he isn't doing too well and that his time is limited. He suffered a major heart attack and several minor ones on his way to the hospital. If he has one more, even a minor one, it could kill him.

This time is very unforgiving.

Lottie doesn't believe a word this doctor is saying. "He's been hit by a semi. He got an infection from a dog bite, you seen that scar on his leg, right? He almost broke his spine, could've been paralyzed but this is what could kill him?" Lottie shakes her head. "Sorry, I'm just... a little stressed."

"I understand, Miss." The doctor says. "Just keep him in your thoughts and prayers."

Lottie nods and sighs. The doctors slides her clipboard into the slot next to the door then walks down the hall.

"I'm gonna grab some lunch." Lottie tells her mother. "I'll be back tonight."

"Charlotte."

She snags her purse from her chair and heads down to the waiting room to get Riley so they can get something to eat.

+++

"Heart attack, huh?"

"Heart attacks." Lottie says, picking at her sandwich. "Said that if he has another one, it could kill him. I don't believe it."

"The heart is what keeps the body goin', right?" Riley asks, using his straw to stir the ice in his glass.

"I guess." She wipes her clean fingers off with her napkin. "Told 'em I'd be back later tonight 'fore visitin' hours end."

"You doin' okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She nods. "Chuck defended me when Cathy started hopin' all over me."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"That's- You- You don't get to decided when you want to be a father. You can't just pick and choose when you want to like your kid. What the-"

"Ri," She rests her hand on his. "Nothin' has changed. I still don't like him but I'm here because he's family."

"I just hate seein' you so upset 'cause you're back here." He looks down at their hands. "I love you, Lot."

"I love you too, Ri." She smiles back. "Don't worry about me. I'm gonna be okay."

+++

Lottie sighs as she drops her purse on the bed. She sits and pulls her boots off, her chest feeling incredibly heavy. "How'd it go?" Riley asks, sitting up behind her, his hands rubbing her incredibly tense shoulders.

"Restin'." She mumbles back.

"That's good right?"

Lottie takes a deep breath in. "I don't know." Riley continues rubbing her shoulders, trying to work out the right knots from the stress she's been under recently. "It's so quiet here without Mama and Chuck and Calvin."

Riley runs his hands down her sides to her waist. "It's nice, right?"

"It's weird." She sighs. "Somethin' feels weird, Ri. I don't know what it is but somethin' feels off."