"oh, mom," i gasp and choke back the sob that so desperately wants to escape.

"i guess my point is, you might not feel whole right now, and, sweetheart, i understand why, but you will soon. fate won't keep you two apart when it's been so clear that together is where you're meant to be. hold strong and don't let this pain of missing him make you push everyone else who loves you away."

clutching that picture to my chest, i let her words sink in and vow to do better at this whole "missing someone" business.

after all of the emotional heaviness at lunch, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon shopping. even though it's a pastime i know my mother loathes to an extreme, she knows that it's something i love. i didn't realize how much i needed some mother/daughter time, and now that she's opened up my eyes to how well she knows what i'm going through, it's easier knowing that i have her to talk to about everything i'm feeling with cohen being gone.

the sun is starting to fall behind the trees by the time we make it back to the complex where sway's is located. even with the late hour, the parking lot is far from empty.

mom pulls her car next to mine and gives me a big hug. "i want you to come to me if you start feeling down again, dani. don't let it fester until you're being dragged down with exhaustion. miss your man, but don't mourn someone who's coming back to you."

"promise. i love you," i respond, feeling lighter for the first time in weeks.

i don't think i realized how much i needed this. i just don't feel like i can talk to the girls about this knowing that they're missing their brother just as much as i am. lee doesn't understand even though i know he would try. and chance is just . . . chance.

"i'm going to go and see your father before i head home. do you want to come with me? i know he would love to see you."

"i'll be over in a little while. let me drop all of these bags in my trunk and head in to tell sway i'm going to take tomorrow off. i think i just need a mental day. one that's away from those damn cameras."

"all right, baby."

she walks away, waving at sway through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the salon and heading through the door to corps security, my dad's company he co-owns with the rest of his buddies. it's not lost on me that he probably loved it when i started working right next door so that he could keep his eyes on me.

absentmindedly, i walk behind my car and toss in the bags that hold the clothes i did not need to buy. my mind is still on the afternoon and everything my mom and i talked about. it isn't until i step between the cars that i notice the piece of paper sticking out from the driver's side door, flapping against the window with the light breeze.

reaching out, i snag the slim paper and look around. shrugging off the feeling of being watched that crawls up my spine, i unfold the paper and almost lose my lunch.

i must be screaming. that's the only thing that makes sense, because not even seconds after my shocked and terrified hands dropped the note, i see my daddy, who is followed by greg and maddox, barreling through the door of his office and charging across the parking lot. right as my head slams against the ground, i feel my body being lifted and cradled in his strong arms as he rushes away from that piece of paper, which is now being clutched between greg's fist as he and maddox look between each other with trepidation written all over their faces.

"she's going to the fucking hospital and that's the end of the discussion, izzy. you didn't fucking see her, izzy! her head slammed against the ground, goddamn it!"

damn, my head hurts. i push myself up from the couch in my dad's office and look around at the worried faces. my dad is crouched down on his knees in front of the couch, and my mom sitting on the armrest above where my head was just resting, her hand lying on his shoulder. i'm sure she is trying to calm him down. maddox is leaning against the desk, and greg is pacing the room.

"i'm okay," i say, but it comes out like a moan when my head starts to feel like it's spinning. "i think."

"see! she doesn't even fucking know if she's okay. let's go, little princess. time to go see the doctor." he jumps to his feet and goes to grab me before my mom reaches out one slim hand to stop him.

"calm down, ax. let her speak for herself before you go crazy." she turns to me with concern etched on her face. "sweetheart, is your head bothering you?"

"a little." i stop and look up to greg, the last person who saw the message. "do you have it?" i ask him.

"yeah, baby girl. don't worry about a thing, okay?"

a look i don't even attempt to process passes between him and my dad.

"i think it might actually be a good idea to go get checked," i moan. then i lean over and lose my lunch all over my dad's feet.

dad freaks out. he's convinced that i'm broken and someone needs to fix me. my head is hurting more from his continual barking at the staff at the urgent care clinic. my mom just sits back and lets him do his thing. she told me a long time ago that she learned her lesson when it came to him. he's going to over-parent and be protective to a point of annoyance and there just isn't a damn thing that will change him.

"hello, ms. reid. i hear you took a nasty spill this afternoon," the young doctor says when she stops in the room. she smiles sweetly at me before looking over and seeing my parents. her face instantly goes hard. "mr. reid, i presume?" at his nod, she continues. "i hear you've been giving my staff a hard time today."

i giggle, and mom snorts a laugh out.

"hello, dr. webb," i say after reading her jacket and effectively cutting my father off before he can start in on his rants. "it wasn't that bad. just a little bump when i hit the ground. lingering headache."

"don't forget you threw up, dani. remember."

"yeah, daddy, i know. i was there." i roll my eyes and look up at the doctor.

"that's what they said. your scans look fine, and aside from the contusion and obvious concussion, i would say you're fine. i'm going to write you a prescription for some low-dose pain meds that will be safe to take in your condition."

"jeeze, doc. you make it sound like i'm dying." i laugh and then wince when my head throbs.

"oh, i'm sorry. bad habit i guess. i know pregnant woman don't usually like us to refer to them as having a condition." she laughs, looking down at her chart, and doesn't even notice that the room has gone electric.