Annie kept her word. The morning after, she told Lloyd she wasn't feeling well. Him, Marie, Beom, and Ho were all there when she took a deep breath, looked up, and died.

Lloyd was, of course, heartbroken. She was a third mother to him. She raised him like her own. But, deep down, he knew it was coming. He was always mentally prepared for it. That doesn't mean he didn't cry with his mother, though.

Beom and Ho weren't as saddened by it as the others were. Ho barely knew her and felt incredibly weirded out in a room full of crying. Beom respected that woman. She was the first and few people from any of their families to accept their relationship, and she took care of his son well. She came to their wedding, she was always there.

Marie was the most devastated. She was her true mother. She was always kind to her. She would comfort her when she was called cruel names by her family and never missed her school events. She lost her mother all over again.

The funeral was the same day, Jewish funerals are like that. François felt like he was back at his mother's, though this one was much more grand and heartfelt. Marcel, again, wasn't very affected. It still hurt to see people cry like that. He patted Lloyd's hand as she was being lowered.

------

Wearing a long black dress, Lloyd made a speech to the public about fixing the old roads in the north before going to his room. He felt so heavy. The one constant in his life was gone.

He remembered her letters of godspeed during the war. Of staying in his childhood room as she took care of him, playing piano, doing homework together. He's a grown-up now, and she's dead.

"I brought you more banana milk."

Ho was standing by the door, holding the cup he poured for him. His nephew smiled and took it.

"Are you going to bed?"

"No, not yet. I'm just sad." He drank it slow.

"Oh."

Lloyd looked at his feet. "Don't walk on your toes, imobu."

The older embarrassingly lowered his feet. He had a terrible habit of walking on his tippy-toes. He wasn't trying to make himself look taller. He was already a giant. He just liked it more than walking on his heel. He did so often as a kid that he needed to wear special shoes to help him control it.

"Why are you sad?"

Lloyd couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed. He understands his uncle doesn't get the big picture. He looks into the tiny details in the background, not the actual centerpiece.

"Auntie died, imobu. I really love her." He sat up, rubbing his long hair. "I don't like death."

"Yeah, it's not cool." He played with his fuzzy earrings. "You'll be good."

"Thanks." He gave him the cup. "And thanks for the milk."

"You're welcome." He walked away. Lloyd wished to talk some more, but he didn't directly say it. He knew better than to do that.

Another death came into mind. Ho still doesn't know about Hunter. He heard the rumors and he asked them about it. They lied. Lloyd hates lying, but he knows how important it could be. It weighs on him every time he sees him, but Ho should forget about it soon. One time, he forgot to pick up Haruki from school and didn't remember until midnight when his angry son walked through the door. It's funny now, not so much then.

François walked in after finishing his online therapy appointment. He saw Lloyd changing for bed. His body pains him. It looks sickly.

"Hey dear one." His voice was gentle. "You good?"

He turned to him, frowning. "Not really. I'm really sad about her."

"Oh, I know." He walked in to sit on the bed. "We all support you, baby. I'm always here."

He was fixing his shirt. "Thanks. It's just really hard not having her with us. It feels so weird."

"I know, girl." He hugged him when he was in bed. "It'll be ok."

His body felt hot before the tears started. François knew what to do. Losing a mother is hard. He rocked him back and forth, rubbing his back and talking in a quiet tone.

"I love you, Franny." He wiped his face.

The other got his hair out of his eyes, feeling sad when he saw it was brown. "I love you too, baby boy. It'll be ok soon, I promise."

-

"Auntie!"

He ran to her, embracing her body. She was young again. She was short, had brown curly hair, and hazel eyes. She looked so pretty.

"Sweetheart, listen to me." She touched his face. There was pity in her eyes. "Something bad is going to happen when you wake up."

"What do you mean? Is François alright?"

"Yes. It has something to do with you." She looked up. "You won't die, I promise."

In his dream, he felt something that he had forgotten. It was strong. It made his heart go fast, and his skin sweat. It was fear.

-

Apple sprung up and immediately ran to get his doctor. She knew it was coming. Her owner woke up screaming a few seconds later.

"What's wrong?" François jumped up. He hadn't heard him scream like that in almost a year. "What's wrong?!" The blood drained from his face as Lloyd was foaming at the mouth.

He rushed into the hallway, screaming for his doctor. The guards were already there, assuming there was another attacker before noticing the king gasping and shaking in bed. The doctor already came, Apple barking and crying.

---

"What's going on?! You're keeping him in a room away from us!" His parents were both there. It felt like they were back in that hospital nineteen years ago, trying desperately to get any answer from the doctor.

"He needs to stay by himself."

François was beside himself in tears, hugging Marcel for support. "Why?!"

"Seizure."

Marie groaned and rubbed her hand on her face. "But why was this one so severe? He doesn't scream nor foam at the mouth when they seize. I'm worried about her." Recently, Lloyd told her he uses all pronouns, so she's been trying them out a lot. They themself like they/she because they makes her sound mysterious.

"This could've been more serious if it wasn't caught earlier. This could've been fatal even." Apple was picked up and hugged by her grandfather. She's the goodest girl in the world. "He needs to be alone to rest. We're doing everything we can."

Bloodletting wasn't everything, but she thought if she could drain the "bad" blood, he would be a little better off.

"You didn't answer my question."

The doctor fixed her pockets, standing like an old man. "Well, we can say the stress and the change in weather certainly didn't help. However, we can't give you a definite answer."

---

Lloyd woke up in the morning, still sore and embarrassed. He was lightheaded from the blood loss, but he trusted the doctor. He went to the bathroom, flicking on the lights.

"Oh my God."

He had to be dreaming. He moved his head and opened his eyes as wide as he could. This couldn't be happening. What will everyone think?

He spun his head when he heard footsteps. Valentino and White were standing in the doorway, holding a meowing kitten and chocolate. Their jaws were so open that a fly could've gotten in.

"You need to help me hide this."

Herman Gold -
Gift of The Almighty