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Outside the operating room.
Missy, Emilia, Mary, and Sheldon's grandma were all waiting.
Mary was chatting with Emilia, asking how she usually celebrated her birthdays in the past, hoping to throw a party that would make Emilia super happy. After all, if Emilia was happy, Beattie would be too.
Meanwhile, Missy was whining to Grandma about how awful Sheldon was. Grandma listened with a big grin, even tossing in a few jabs at Sheldon herself. But when Missy pushed her to "serve justice" and call Sheldon to chew him out, Grandma just laughed it off.
Missy totally saw that coming.
Ever since she was little, she'd loved doing this kind of pointless complaining. It was her way of saying, "Hey, I'm here!" Grandma knew Missy knew it was pointless, so she just chuckled and let her ramble. And Missy knew Grandma knew she knew.
In the end, everyone loved Sheldon.
So no one actually held it against him.
It's like those funny or embarrassing family stories—year after year, they come up at every gathering, everyone laughs, the tension melts away, and the warm, cozy vibes kick in instantly.
"They're out!"
Even though Missy was griping to Grandma about Sheldon, she'd been sneaking glances at the operating room the whole time. The second she spotted Adam, she shouted to let everyone know.
"Adam, how'd it go?"
Mary grabbed Emilia and hurried over.
"The surgery went great," Adam said with a smile. "You'll be able to see her soon."
"Thank God!"
Mary, the devout believer, immediately thanked the big boss upstairs, then threw her arms around Adam. "Thank you, Adam!"
"No problem," Adam replied with a grin.
Emilia reached out, wanting a hug from Adam too. But somehow, Missy swooped in between them like it was nothing and stole Emilia's hug for herself.
Adam's lip twitched as he watched.
Mary gave her own mom a quick hug—classic American TV family stuff. In moments like this, everyone's gotta hug it out to show how excited they are.
Missy clung to Emilia way too long, until it was almost awkward—Mary and Grandma had already finished their hugs. Only then did she let go.
Then she spun around and hugged Adam instead.
"…"
Adam gave a half-laugh, half-sigh and muttered, "Really?"
"Yep, really," Missy said with a cheeky grin. "What, am I worse than Emilia or something?"
Adam didn't answer, just gave her a quick hug back.
"Ahem."
Sheldon's grandma hugged Emilia too, and Mary—now free—finally noticed something was up. She cleared her throat and said, "Adam, could you help us get a room? We'd like to stay overnight with Beattie."
"Of course," Adam said, smiling. "I've already moved Beattie to a VIP room. It's big enough—you can just add a couple of beds next to hers."
"That's awesome!" Mary beamed.
"There's one more thing I need to tell you guys," Adam said, choosing his words carefully.
"Bad news?" Missy asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"Yeah."
Adam glanced at everyone, his eyes settling on Emilia. "The surgery was a success—we removed the tumor from her bronchus, so Beattie can breathe easily now. But the cancer's spread too much and done too much damage. She's only got about a month left."
"Wahhh!"
Emilia burst into tears on the spot.
Missy and Mary flanked her, one on each side, hugging her and whispering comfort.
"Sigh."
Sheldon's grandma let out a soft breath.
The news wasn't a shock. Beattie hadn't expected to make it out of the operating room alive anyway—she'd already said her goodbyes. Getting to spend her daughter's birthday with her, plus an extra month, was a bonus.
Soon, with Missy and Mary's help, Emilia calmed down. Still sniffling, she started talking with them about how to make the most of that month.
First up, Mary decided to extend her leave from church so she could stay with Emilia the whole time, accompanying her cousin through this final stretch of life.
Emilia wasn't an adult yet, so Mary would handle the funeral arrangements and take over raising her. Luckily, ever since Adam invested in little George's business, it'd been booming. The Cooper family wasn't short on cash anymore, so they could do whatever felt right without worrying about costs.
Missy was still in college, so she had to head back that night. She'd come back in two days for Emilia's birthday, then spend every weekend after that with her mom and cousin.
As for Sheldon's grandma?
She waved it off, saying, "Don't worry about me. I've got places to go. I'll show up when you need me."
Hmm… Atlantic City in Jersey, the Vegas of the East Coast, anyone? 😉
In the VIP room:
Beattie woke up from anesthesia and was wheeled in. Seeing her, everyone got emotional again—lots of tears and hugs.
Leaving Emilia with Beattie, Mary led the others out.
"Missy, come early the day after tomorrow, and don't forget to get your cousin a birthday gift—put some thought into it!" Mary instructed.
"Relax, Mom," Missy said, rolling her eyes. "Just make sure you remind Grandma."
"Your grandma… Wait, where'd she go?"
Mary turned around and realized her mom was gone.
"She ditched ages ago," Missy teased. "Her life's way more exciting than yours."
"Don't you dare turn into your grandma," Mary said, rolling her big eyes dramatically.
"Grandma's my hero!" Missy shot back with a grin, then waved. "Gotta run—paper to write. See ya!"
"Be safe!" Mary called after her.
"Got it!" Missy waved back coolly as she walked off.
That night:
Before grabbing dinner at Alice Gray's little spot, Adam swung by the VIP room. He checked on Beattie's condition and asked Mary if they needed anything.
"I'll be staying at the hospital tonight. If you need me, just come find me or have a nurse page me," Adam said before heading out.
As he stepped into the hallway, Mary chased after him.
"Adam, the nurses say you've got some pull around here. For Emilia's birthday party, could we make it a bit bigger? Invite more people, make it lively?" Mary asked, her big eyes full of hope.
"Uh…" Adam blinked. "Mrs. Cooper, who else were you thinking of inviting?"
"I want little George and Sheldon to come see their sister," Mary said. "Plus Beattie's friends, Emilia's classmates and buddies. After this, Emilia's moving to Texas with me for school. I want it to be a big deal—her birthday party, a goodbye to her friends, and an early coming-of-age bash so Beattie can see her 'grow up' and 'graduate.'"
"No problem," Adam said after a moment, nodding. "I'll talk to the director."
He had enough sway for that. Besides, it wasn't like he'd be breaking new ground—last time the director's niece had cancer and wanted a party, the guy made the whole surgical team show up and help her classmates set up their quirky little event. Compared to that hospital-wide blowout, Mary's request was a piece of cake.
"Thank you, Adam!" Mary said, overjoyed.
"No worries," Adam replied with a smile. "But… will Sheldon actually show up?"
"He better!" Mary's eyes narrowed. "I'm calling him right now."
Adam wasn't in a rush to leave anymore. He stood there grinning as Mary dialed Sheldon.
"Mom, I'm busy. I'm not going," Sheldon's voice came through, predictably stubborn.
"Excuse me?" Mary snapped, all boss-mode. "Did I ask? This is an order—you're coming, and you're getting Emilia a thoughtful gift."
"But Mom—" Sheldon tried to protest.
"No buts! You're coming!" Mary barked. "Got it?"
"Yes, madam," Sheldon mumbled, sounding totally defeated.
Adam chuckled and walked off.
Poor Sheldon—always getting roped into family stuff!