Aubrey had never moved as fast as she had at that moment. In just a few minutes she had thrown on shorts, a loose t-shirt, and her sneakers. Jax was waiting for her at the door and the two climbed into his truck and bolted down the now abandoned streets to Maple Hill Memorial. The city was so quiet it was almost eerie at this time. No shops were open. People were sleeping peacefully, awaiting the sunrise to get their days started. In just a few hours the streets would be bustling full of life, but right now they were praising the peace.

The two sat quiet throughout the car ride. Aubrey looked over at Jax. Even though it was dark in the car, she could see his face, hard as stone, moving slowly as he bit the inside of his cheek. Norma and Jerry had taken him in as their own son – considering his history with family members she could only imagine how he was feeling. Not like this was a picnic in the park for her either.

Both Andy’s and her mom’s parents had passed away when she was young. Norma and Jerry were always like the grandparents she never had. They’d thrown birthday parties for her. They’d been there for every holiday. They’d baby sat her when Andy was busy at the shop. Hell, they’d even met any boyfriend she’d ever had. One time she was waiting for a date at the Inn and the guy didn’t walk up to the door to pick her up so Jerry ran out there with a shotgun to ‘teach the boy some manners.’ The thought made her chuckle before she realized that tears are falling down her cheeks. Shit. She couldn’t cry now. Norma needed her.

She took a deep breath and leaned her head back into the head rest. She closed her eyes to try and contain herself but it was only made worse. Rolling down the windows, she managed to steady her breathing and calm herself down just a bit before she wiped the tears from her face.

“You know you don’t always have to be strong for everyone..”

She heard his voice from the other side of the car. Turning her head to look at him, she could see that his stare remained focused on the road but watching her through the corner of his eye. Taking a deep breath, she looked away again, staring out the window at the passing houses as the car drove by. What did he know? If she wasn’t strong, who would be? She had to be strong for Norma. If she broke down, then everyone would break down and it would be a big mess.

“Trust me.” He spoke again, his eyes still not meeting hers. “That shit will break you down.”

Again she couldn’t say anything. just stared out the window. The rest of the ride went on in silence until Jax pulled his truck into the parking lot of the hospital. Both of them rushed out and ran towards the front desk to get information before running up to the emergency room. They froze in their tracks when they saw Norma curled up on one of the waiting room chairs. Streaks of dried tears remained on her face, embedded in her fine lines. They rushed over, and Norma stood slowly when she saw them. Harley wrapped her arms around the frail woman, pulling her in for a tight hug before feeling the warmth from, Jax’s body as he joined in holding the two. Her shirt soon became wet with Norma’s tears as she held the old woman, feeling her body shake with grief in her arms.

“Have you heard anything?”

Aubrey spoke after giving Norma a few minutes to regain her composure. She may not have known much about love but Norma and Jerry had always been her role models. The two had been together for over 50 years and she’d never witnessed a couple more in love than them. A shiver went through her at the thought of having to be alone after being with someone for that long. Looking down at the fragile woman, Aubrey’s eyes filled with tears again but she wouldn’t dare let them escape.

“He’s going into surgery now. They said it was severe. We just have to pray for the best.”

Her voice was shaking and Jax helped her have a seat before he sat down next to her, holding her against his chest. She looked so pale and weak. Aubrey couldn’t stand to see her like that. Even at her age, Norma was always putting on makeup and doing her hair. Looking proper at all times. Never in her life had she seen Norma as unkempt as today. Her silver hair, usually neat and pulled back was stringy and hanging lazily on her shoulders. Her eyes usually glimmering with kindness and life were missing their spark. Her body usually full of energy, now rested in Jax’s arms, small and weak.

If it was one thing she couldn’t handle was seeing the strongest female role model in her life breaking down like she was now. She was actually thankful Jax was there to comfort both of them. Even though she wouldn’t allow herself to cry, it was taking a heavy toll on her.

“Aubrey?”

The frail woman’s voice was heard after a few moments of silent sobbing into Jax’s chest. Aubrey looked up to acknowledge her.

“Will you call your father, dear? I didn’t have the time after calling Jax.”

“Of course, Norma. I’ll be right back.”

She stood to grab her phone before making her way down the quiet halls of the hospital. At this time of night, only the emergency room was hustling and bustling with people. The rest of it was almost eerily quiet. It was just the peace she needed to regain herself before calling Andy.

---

Jax watched as Aubrey walked down the long dim lit hallway until she disappeared around a corner. She was usually a rock in these types of situations. When anyone needed a shoulder, she’d be the one they leaned on and she’d whip them back into shape. He was witnessing it first hand. She wouldn’t let anyone sit there and feel sorry for themselves. But this right here wasn’t one of those situations. This wasn’t in their hands and that must’ve scared her. She’d dealt with her mother leaving, but that was a choice. Her mother chose to leave. Andy chose to break down. Aubrey chose to mask it all away. Jerry didn’t choose to have a severe heart attack. The doctors have very limited choices that would affect his survival.

She’d never admit it but she needed comfort with this to. Jax hadn’t been around long enough to see the extent of her relationship with Norma and Jerry but from the looks of it, they were close enough to have this effect on her. He excused himself from Norma, following quietly after Aubrey to find her slumped down against a wall, hands covering her face as she cried. He stepped closer cautiously to not startle her before he knelt down and wrapped his arms around her small, shaky figure. She instantly pressed herself against him, reeling in the comfort he had to offer. He’d never seen Aubrey cry but he never wanted to see this again. The pure pain he felt from her sobs wasn’t one he was familiar with. He’d been shot, stabbed, beat, but this pulled at a different heart string.

He let her cry it out until the tears came to a slow stop. She pulled back slightly, wiping the tears from her red cheeks before clearing her throat and putting up that all too familiar wall. They both stood from the floor and Jax brushed a tear soaked strand of hair from her face before leaning in to kiss her forehead. Her breath seemed steady once again and she lifted herself slightly to meet his lips.

“Go,” she whispered against them. “Make sure Norma is okay. I’ll be right back.”

“You going to be okay?”

He asked, concerned. He’d never seen her like this. It worried him more than he cared to admit. Aubrey Beckett was a strong women. To see her break down wasn’t something he knew how to handle.

“I’ll be fine Jax, go.”

He nodded and turned back down the hallway to see Norma sitting still, in the same spot. Tears streamed down her cheek but her eyes stayed glued to a spot on the floor. He sighed, approaching her slowly before sitting next to her again, placing a hand on the old woman’s back to rub it softly. A feeling of helplessness came over him again. There was nothing he could do for Jerry. Nothing he could do for Aubrey and Norma. He couldn’t make Jerry better. He couldn’t comfort the women. He was useless and he couldn’t have been more grateful when Andy showed up. You could feel the change in vibes when he came in. As chaotic as he looked, he was still thinking on the bright side and that was wearing off on the rest of them.

---

A few hours went by and still no word from the doctors. At this point they had been moved to a different waiting room. The room was down a secluded hallway, the lights dim and warm against the dark wooden furniture. The seats were more cushioned in this room, clearly meant for those with longer waits. As the hours passed, a few other people had occupied the room, all with loved ones going to their scheduled procedures. There was one phone in the room and when it rang, someone was supposed to answer it – it would be the surgical staff asking for so-so’s family to alert them that they were out of surgery and let the family know where to go to see them.

The phone had rang numerous times and each time their heads would all raise with hope that it would be news on Jerry, but each time it was someone else. Aubrey had become like an answering service – jumping to pick up the phone at first ring only to hand it off to someone else. With each hour that went by she could see Norma’s hope dimming. It was painful to watch. She could see the worry in her father’s eyes as well. It was deeper than usual. He was scared. She hadn’t seen him scared in quite some time. Then her eyes found Jax. He was staring intently at Norma and Andy’s interactions. The hurt in his eyes wasn’t masked like he’d usually kept it. He was just as worried as the rest of them.

She needed some air. They’d been cooped inside the windowless rooms of the hospital for far too long and her anxiety had gotten the best of her. Standing up from the seat, fixed her shorts and nodded her head at the door.

“I’m going to grab some coffee for us. The cafeteria should be open by now.”

“I’ll come with.”

Jax had offered, leaving no room for argument. Aubrey nodded her head and the two made their way down the long white hallway, decorated with old images of when the hospital first opened. There were even framed uniforms of nurses and doctors hung up with pride. In a way it gave a sense of comfort – knowing that the hospital had been running successfully for quite some time and Jerry would be in good hands.  She felt a hand on her lower back and turned to see Jax looking down at her. He was worried, she could tell, but she didn’t know how to make this better.

“How are you holding up?”

He finally asked, his hand had soon made his way up her back and wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her close to his side. There was a sense of comfort there that she really didn’t expect from Jax Teller. With a deep breath, she shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m fine, really.”

She spoke up in a steady breath. She needed to believe that more than he did. Though he didn’t seem satisfied with her answer, he kept quiet and she was grateful for that. She’d had more than her fair share of breakdowns this morning and now that she was finally stable, she needed to keep it that way.

Jax followed Aubrey’s lead to the paper coffee cups, grabbing two while she grabbed the other two and stood in line to fill them up. The cafeteria was full of people a lot more than she could have thought since they’d been secluded in that room for so long. This room had windows, large ceiling to floor glass panels that finally shined some light in from the gorgeous day outside. The rays of sunlight somewhat lifting her spirits.

After the two filled the cups, they each grabbed a handful of cream and sugar packets, making their way to a table to sit for a few minutes. She could see Jax itching to break the silence as he poured some cream in his coffee and stirred it slowly.

“Thanks..” she mumbled

“For what?” He raised his eyebrow to look at her.

“For being here today. Taking care of Norma when I was losing my shit.”

He smiled softly, his large hand reaching across the table to grab hers. She didn’t hesitate to lace their fingers as his thumb brushed the top of her hand softly.

“Least I can do for all that you’ve done for me. I just never realized how close you guys were.”

“We have a long history.” She shrugged. “I never really had grandparents – Norma and Jerry kind of filled that void. They have always been a part of my life.”

Jax nodded, again not pushing her to talk any more than she wanted too

“I’m glad you’re here though. It’s definitely brought some comfort to everyone… especially me.”

He chuckled to himself as he took a sip of his coffee. “You really think so? I’ve never felt more useless than I have today.”

“No.” She shook her head, still stirring the sugar in her coffee that had long since it had been mixed in. “I don’t know how I could’ve done it without you.”

“I knew you had a soft spot for me.”

He joked, causing her to finally crack a smile before throwing a sugar packet at him.

---

The phone finally rang in the waiting room, Aubrey sprinted towards it, almost knocking the coffee cup out of Andy’s hands. To her relief, this time it was for them. The voice on the other line had finally asked for the Crawford family. After 7 long hours, the group stood and walked down the hallway to the recovery room. Aubrey walking side by side with Norma, holding the older woman close to her while Jax and Andy walked behind the women.

Andy’s face wasn’t lite up like it usually was. His eyes showed the kind of gentle concern he’d only seen on Gemma’s face a handful of times. He was concerned about Norma and Jerry of course, but his eyes were focused on Aubrey before he finally spoke up.
“How’s she doing?”

Jax didn’t know what else to do but shrug. It wasn’t like she was an open book. He knew nothing of what was going on inside of her head. It was clear the anticipation was getting the best of her. Coffee sure hadn’t helped. Her anxiety had had her walking back and forth along the hallway, pacing nervously before returning to Norma the whole time they’d been there.

“She’s holdin’ it all in. I think she’ll be good once she sees him. It’s Norma I’m worried about. I’ve never seen her as quiet as she’s been today.”

“She’s been with that man for over 50 years. Day in and day out. It’s tough.”

“50 years.” Jax repeated.

“I can’t imagine being in her shoes right now.”

They rounded the corner to another room. The beds were lined up against the wall, separated by curtains while family members crowded their loved ones. Norma spotted Jerry and practically ran across the room to his bed. He was still asleep but she wrapped her arms around the man and cried. Her fears had been put to rest for now and the fact that she got to hold her husband at this moment meant the world to her.
The three of them stood by, watching the interaction. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. The thought of being with someone for that many years, having that type of undeniable connection and having a scare like this was terrifying. Jax knew the darker side of this. Losing Tara ripped him apart, but even to him this was new. Sure, he’d been with her for a long time, but not like Norma and Jerry. The two had never left each others sides. Their love didn’t have to be questioned, it didn’t have secrets and restraints, it was what everyone wished they could have.