I'm looking at my watch for what seems like the hundredth time, wondering if I got the time wrong when I make out a black car with tinted windows pulling up in front of me. A chauffeur exits and walks quickly to open the side door where I glimpse at Juliette. I rush to help her get out and kiss her on the cheek. She's smiling at me, relieved I'm by her side today. Amelia didn't really see the point in being there at all and Juliette just wouldn't ask her. So I took a day off to watch the removal company wrap all her belongings and empty the flat she has been living in for two years now. I know Ju is really excited to move...on. And scared. I just know how much she dreads change, even the slightest. Having a new teaching schedule each year is enough to freak her out, so saying good bye to her neighbour and to a chapter of her life won't be easy.

"Hey I'm sorry I made you wait. I wasn't feeling very well this morning. The removal company should be there any minute now."

When the lorry parks Juliette leads the men to her flat and puts stickers on the things she wants to get rid of. Everything else is going in boxes and straight to he Penthouse. They tell us they'll need all morning and we knock on her neighbour's door. Juliette had warned her and she's expecting us with coffee and cake. She starts crying as soon as she sees Juliette and they fall in each other's arms. She asks for an update on Juliette and Amelia's relationship and has the brunette promise she'll come visit with Lily. We linger for two hours and check on the progress of the men who have been quick and are almost done. I see shock and sadness in my friend's eyes and I wrap her frail body in my arms, kissing the side of her neck.

"Amelia would hit you if she saw us right now." She chuckles between a sob.

"I know baby. Still worth the risk." And I kiss her again. "Hey you want to grab lunch before we head back to the penthouse and start finding a new place for your stuff?" Her head moves slowly up and down in assent. "Sushi?" Her head hasn't stopped moving. "But we both agree you're buying right?" Now her head has stopped and she frowns at me but I damn well know her eyes can't lie and they show me she's joking.

"Sure lunch is on me. After all, you took a day off for me. It's one way to pay you back."

"I can think of so many other ways..." I answer in a sultry voice, my lips brushing against her ear lobe.

"Yup I bet you do. Come on." She slaps my ass.

I could eat sushi every day and so could Juliette. When we ate out together we tried other restaurants but always ended up disappointed and craving for sushi more. So we gave up skimming through the list of restaurants in our neighbourhoods and it has become a habit of ours to just stick to that meal for the past years. But something is off with Ju, she hasn't eaten anything when usually I'm the one who makes her stop ordering one sushi plate after another.

"Hey babe, is it the hot blonde who's forcing you on a diet?"

"What?" She snaps her eyes on mine.

"How much weight have you lost since the last time I saw you? I noticed...when I took you in my arms. What's going on?"

"Nothing. I...I just sort of lost my appetite."

" You losing your appetite is a serious matter. You just can't stop eating and you know it."

She doesn't hold my stare and I know why. She's afraid her eyes will show me what she refuses to tell me. But I also know that forcing her to admit something will just anger her and I know when to be patient with her. I'll need to talk to Amelia though.

After lunch Juliette and I head for the Penthouse where the men from the removal company are still unloading some boxes. All the furniture are already up though and Juliette instructs them where to put them. She kept mostly the pieces from Lily's bedroom, discarding everything else, except for her book cases. As I enter the guest room Lily had been staying, I immediately notice the fresh coat of paint on the walls.

"Amelia had it repainted on Monday. She let Lily choose the colours obviously." She chuckles. One wall is pink, another purple, another a different shade of pink and the fourth wall is white with bright purple stickers of dragonflies. "Come on, help me set up this room before Amelia brings her back from day care." We empty all the boxes with Lily's belongings and fill in the wardrobe, book shelves, chest of drawer. Juliette looks exhausted and ends up sitting on the floor, giving me the last instructions. I pin posters of her Paw Patrol favourite dogs on the wall and make the bed with fresh sheets.

Once done, I help Juliette up on her feet and we walk back, taking the finished bedroom in. "You think she'll like it?" I know there's more behind that simple question and I take my friend in my arms, answering between kisses on her neck that I'm positive she will. But suddenly I stop, resting my lips on her soft skin as I hear someone clearing their throat loudly. I raise my eyes that fall on a pissed off Amelia, staring at me with daggers and folded arms. But she softens as soon as Juliette turns around to face her. " Hey baby" she kisses her lips, keeping her cold threatening stare on me. "You did a great job with Lily's bedroom!" She says, losing her balance, as Lily rushes behind her and pushes her legs to come into her bedroom.

Her jaw drops when she sees it and I'm pleased I could be some part of the result. Juliette suddenly walks past me and I notice her watery eyes. I find her on the couch sobbing silently. I sit next to her and wrap my arm around her shoulders. "Hey babe, I know." She breaks down burying her head into my neck where her tears start rolling down profusely, soaking the rim of my shirt. But she quickly dries them as she hears footsteps entering the living room. Amelia sends us a confused look but I make her understand now's not the time. "Maman!! Come see what Amelia bought me!!"

Juliette and I stand up and walk to where Lily is ushering us excitedly. In front of the elevator is a pink bike with a basket at the front and a baby seat at the back. "Look maman!!!!" Lily screams, sitting on the saddle. Amelia comes behind us and amusedly tells Lily riding in the penthouse is not the best idea "I'll take you to the park in a minute ok?"

Juliette turns to face Amelia and I see from her expression she is not in the same state of mind as her daughter. "The fuck Amelia why would you buy her a bike?"

The blonde didn't expect that sort of reaction and raises one eyebrow. She opens her mouth to answer but closes it as she can't find what to say.

"Hey babe, what's up with you?" I ask.

"Amelia, we didn't discuss this." She spits, motioning to the bike with her crutch. "You can't make decisions about Lily without consulting me."

Amelia seems embarassed. She's looking at the floor and brushing her loose hair back behind her ears. She slowly raises her eyes as she finally finds the courage to speak to an irrational Juliette. "I thought....I wanted to do something nice for her.... I imagined moving here would be tough and buying her a bike is sort of a house warming gift, something to help her with moving in."

"Oh you're so considerate. What about helping me move in then ? You didn't think for a sec it would be hard for me too and that I would have wanted you by my side this morning?"

"Couldn't you ask? I'm not a mind reader...." Amelie tries her best to keep calm but her clenched wrists betray she's upset.

"Things like that just remind my how bad you suck at relationships. Oh for fuck's sake what is it now!" Juliette shouts on hearing her phone chime. She quickly looks at the screen but decides on not taking the call. I had a quick glance too and saw it was her mother.

"Ju, you damn well know she'll keep on calling until you pick up." No sooner had I said that that her phone starts ringing again.

"I know, she has that annoying habit of calling on repeat until I answer. I don't want to talk to her right now. "

"Juliette..." I try to reason her.

"Lea, for fuck's sake. Just, answer the damn phone for me if she calls again. I don't care." She gives me her phone and leaves Amelia and I in the hallway. We stare at each other, having a long silent conversation that ends with Amelia shrugging her shoulders. What just happened?

As expected the phone rings again. Juliette's mother wants to talk to her daughter on facetime.

"Hey Mrs Fischer! How are you?" I say waving into the phone.

"Lea hi ! Why is my daughter not answering her phone ?"

"Uh, she's busy unpacking, she didn't hear it, she'll be here in a minute. You want to talk to Lily in the meantime? Lily ?!" I don't wait for her answer, I know she misses her girls too much. I hand the phone to Lily who runs in the direction of her bedroom to show it to her.

"Amelia, we need to talk. Do these outburtsts often happen?"

"I would not call them outbursts...just mood switches. And yes, quite often and they have become weirder and more sudden these past days. I assumed it was her stressing out about moving in with me..." She sighs and I see her raking her brain. "Most of the times, she is the lively Juliette we know and I fell in love with, singing in the kitchen, making dumb jokes that only make her laugh, happily playing with Lily, being a succubus in the bedroom."

"I don't want to know thanks."

"But at other times, she is snappy, lost in her thoughts, she feels hot suddenly and breaks a sweat, she has lost her appetite and lost weight."

"Yeah, I noticed. What else?"

"Her hands shake. A lot. She has trouble breathing at times. She feels nauseous."

"How did I miss that. Shit I'm so stupid...."

"What's going on Lea?" But I don't have the time to answer, Lily is back with her grandmother on the phone, handing it to a surprised Amelia who shakes her head no, but she takes the phone anyway.

"Good afternoon Mrs Fischer."

"Amelia!!! So this is the woman who's taking care of my baby and grandbaby !! I'm so happy to put a face on your name. Oh my god you are so beautiful !!! And Lily's room is absolutely gorgeous, she loves it so much ! I can't wait to meet you, you must come with my babies to France soon."

Amelia is staring amusedly and suppressing a laugh on hearing her over excited mother in law. Not everyone has a shitty experience with them.

"Well of course, I'd love to come visit and meet you properly."

"Give me the phone." Juliette says curtly. "Salut maman, comment ça va?" (Hi mum, how are you?) Juliette leaves us alone again and Amelia wants to resume our discussion. She's looking at me with an expectant expression.

"Hum, where was I again? Right. When Kelly died, Juliette was depressed and she couldn't sleep. She would act all brave in front of Lily but at nightfall she would crumble...she cried herself to sleep. Lily and her stayed with me because Juliette couldn't stand being alone in the flat she shared with Kelly. I took her to a shrink who put her on sleeping pills and xanax. But she started having weird mood switches and became even more depressed to the point I had to call her mother. That's when she told me Juliette's body reacted strongly to medication. We cut her off and her mother stayed for a month until Juliette couldn't feel the effects of the drugs. I thought Juliette would be ok...she didn't want to take painkillers or only had half a pill. I should have warned you...I was so certain she was being reasonable."

"Shit..." 

"Amelia, how much has she been taking?"

"That I know of? A pill for breakfast. But she probably is taking more."

"I'll keep an eye on her. She has an appointment with her surgeon next week."

............................