"Tate?" The neighbor called as she entered the house through the back door. She shut it carefully behind her and placed her cigarette purse on the counter "Tate, we need to talk about something"

"I feel like you come over just to piss me off" Tate replied as he strolled into the kitchen, smirking a little. He was in a much better mood than the last time they spoke. Reuniting with Violet had him feeling happier than before but way more tense than usual "What do you want?"

"Take a seat, honey" Constance took a seat and pulled one out for her son too. He refused and instead used it to rest his feet on as he pulled himself up onto the island.

"Please just cut the crap - I don't want to want to stab you again" He said looking at his feet to avoid his mother's eyes.

"It's about your son" She swallowed, bracing herself for an angry reaction and possible another knife in her direction.

"Don't talk to me about that" He groaned, reminding himself off the terrible mistakes he made "I don't have a son"

"Tate, this boy needs to know who his father is" Constance sighed

"I know" Tate put his head in his hand in shame "But it can't be me"

"The other day, he asked me where his daddy was-"

"Tell him he doesn't have one!"

"Michael! His name is Michael and he needs a proper family, not just a grandmother! One day, maybe tomorrow or maybe ten years from now, I will die and he'll have nobody!"

"He can't know me, Mom! He'll complicate things - Vivien trusts me now, Violet let me in again. If I meet him, everything will turn to crap again!"

"Tate, he-"

Suddenly, Constance was interrupted by violent coughing and hacking. She pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it over her mouth. The cough didn't stop and wasn't going to anything soon.

"I'm going to get you some water" Tate decided as he opened the cupboard and took a glass.

He turned the cold tap on and filled the glass three-quarters of the way. As he turned it the other way and went to put the glass on the island, he noticed it.

A new bright red stain on his mother's handkerchief.

Blood.

"Oh my God, Mom, that's blood!" Tate shouted as he pushed the glass towards her. Her coughing subsided as she took a few sips.

"I know" She replied "This is what I meant"

"Mom, you're scaring me - What the hell's going on?"

"Truth is, Tate, I have primary lung cancer"

"Cancer?" He repeated, whimpering a little. His mother was not his favorite person ever but he didn't wish her dead. He disliked her and loved her at the same time. Cancer was serious and it was as if his whole world had crashed down.

"I guess it was the cigarettes" She said, a few tears escaping "I just wanted you to be there for your son when the t-time came, I didn't expect you to care"

"That's crazy" He wept, wiping the tears from cheeks "Of course, I'd care" He looked into her eyes through his sad, aching ones "I care about you, mom. I care about you a lot even though, you're a bitch sometimes"

She laughed a little, holding her crying son in her arms. She didn't want it to be like this, to be diagnosed, but she didn't exactly get a choice.

Constance wanted to see her son marry a beautiful girl in a pretty church. Adelaide in a bridesmaid and her in a big lilac hat like other mothers whose sons were getting married. Maybe one day, they'd have kids and live in the perfect house where the kids would ride their bikes up and down the street. She'd be sitting in the front porch with her daughter-in-law and ice tea in her hand. Then Tate would return home from work and the kids would run up to him and he'd put them on his shoulders and life would've been perfect.

But you don't choose your path, you don't even choose the shoes you wear when walking down it.

"I'll bring him over later" She let him go

"No" He objected "I mean, I need to check with others but I'll call when I know"

"Okay" She smiled, pinching his cheeks before gathering her things and exiting the way she came.

-

"Vivien, I need to talk to you" Tate stated as he entered the master bedroom. Thankfully, Ben was in the study and Violet was playing with Beauregard. Vivien offered a smile and sat in the chair.

"Talk away" She replied, trying to lighten the mood. Tate was always serious with her which was a good and a bad thing. Vivien wanted to forgive and forget, as did he, but unfortunately they couldn't wipe the minds of everyone else.

"Constance stopped by" He swallowed and looked up at the ceiling, combing his curls with his fingers "She wants me to meet...him"

"Him?"

"You know who" He sighed, not wanting to play this game again "Our son and I said I'd check with you to see if it was okay"

"If you want to meet him you can" Vivien confirmed as she got up, attempting to leave the room.

"There's more" He held back tears. Talking about such matters tore a hole in his heart "She has cancer"

"Oh my God" She breathed as she covered her mouth in shock. Constance had cancer. The kind-at-heart woman next door had cancer.

"She said that when she dies, she wants him to have a proper family...here"

"He deserves to know his parents" She said, still sad and shocked at the news about Constance "But I have one request"

"Of course - anything you want"

"I don't want this child to call me Mom"

"I'm confused. I mean, I get that he kind of destroyed your family and I'm sorry for that but-"

"Because I want him to call me Grandma"

-