Description
A New Year
Alexis tightened the grip on her cross as she placed her hand over her mother's. A trembling smile spread across her face as she squeezed it tightly. She inwardly cursed at herself as she felt tears already begin to brim in her eyes, one silently sliding down on the hair-shrouded side of her face. She didn't want to spend New Year's Eve crying like she had Christmas Eve. Especially not around Marion and Blu. She didn't want to show any more weakness than she already did.
However, Marion's wide grin as he placed a party hat on her mother combined with Blu's comforting smile as he gently squeezed her arm calmed her worries. They were both here for her. Things were going to be ok. She wouldn't have to suffer through this alone. Not that her father didn't care. No. It wasn't like that. He just couldn't remember that her mom was in the hospital now. Alzheimer's and severe arthritis had drained his lovably cheerful and comedic personality, leaving behind a confused old man that Alexis sometimes had trouble remembering was her father. But she still loved him dearly, and while she didn't visit him as much as her mother, she definitely would cut time out of her schedule to go see him in the retirement center. She loved to see him smile.
"Um, Alexis are you alright?
She looked up from her thoughts and smiled at the familiar mechanical drawling accent. "Of course I am, silly." She grinned, placing a light kiss on Blu's cheek. He blushed slightly, before nodding in reassurance. "Alright then, ya just looked a little off to me."
Alexis looked to the side briefly before turning back to face her mother once more.
"Hey Alexis, when do you think your mom'll wake up?", Marion asked as he gingerly fingered a gray lock of her mother's bangs, a hopeful look on his face.
Alexis took in a deep breath before responding,tightening her grip even further on her cross. "I...don't honestly know, Marion... Sometime soon...I hope..."
"Me too.", Marion said as he looked up at her, a gentle smile on his face. "Me too."
Blu's gaze remained transfixed on her mother as he processed both the steadiness of her heart monitor and the peaceful look upon the elder woman's face. Something about her told him that she was a wonderful and caring person. She had to have been. To raise someone as remarkable and kind as Alexis. He could just picture her and Alexis laughing together. In fact, if he concentrated hard enough, he could just imagine her waking up and hugging Alexis in a tearful reunion. He smiled at the thought, it warmed his core to imagine such happy outcomes.
And suddenly out of the blue, it dawned on him that he didn't know this woman's name. Despite everything Alexis had told him about her, he realized she'd never told him her mother's name. Feeling slightly ridiculous, he turned to Alexis, clearing his vocal processor to catch her attention, "Hey, Alexis, I just realized, your mom, you never told me her name."
Alexis and Marion both looked up with equal expressions of disbelief. "Oh!" Alexis grinned as she tenderly looked at her mother. "Her name's Lily."
Blu smiled and nodded, he liked that name. It seemed to suit the old woman.
Suddenly Marion let out a little cry and motioned to the clock hanging on the wall, which read 11:59. "GUYS!!! IT'S TIME!!!" Marion crowed.
Grinning, all of them joined hands, with Marion holding Lily's right hand and Alexis holding her left. All simultaneously counted down, "3, 2, 1!!!"and all took in a deep breath before shouting, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!" And as the clock struck 12:00 for a brand new year, all made a wish. That Lily would get better.
[AN: For those who're wondering how both animatronics left the pizzeria, the pizzeria is closed for the holiday season- so Blu and Marion pretty much walked out.
Also: Also, for those of you who don't know, Alexis' mother, Lily, is suffering from both urinary tract infection as well as liver failure. She has been placed in a medically-induced coma.]