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Chapter 825  Wednesday

Amy, consumed by guilt and ostracized by the very people she cared about, desperately needed someone to advocate for her. Taking a deep breath, Lucas adjusted his tie and stepped out of the car. The air hung heavy with the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming roses.

Although nervousness gnawed at his stomach, Lucas steeled himself for the task ahead.

A uniformed maid, her eyes echoing the sorrow that clung to the house like a shroud, answered the heavy oak door. "Dr Perry?" she inquired, her voice a gentle murmur.

"Yes, that's me."

"They have been expecting you since Dr Drew called to inform them that a friend of Miley is coming over. Please, come in." She ushered him into a grand foyer.

Sunlight streamed through a high arched window, illuminating a space that was opulent yet tastefully decorated. Crystal chandeliers glittered overhead, casting rainbows on the polished marble floor. Expensive paintings adorned the walls, and a grand staircase curved gracefully towards the upper floor.

Lucas shifted uncomfortably in the plush velvet upholstery he had been offered as he waited for Miley's parents to join him.

A knot of tension tightened in his stomach as the heavy oak door creaked open. Mrs. Garwood stood behind it, her face etched with sadness.

Lucas saw a faint echo of Miley in the woman's blue eyes, a color that stood out amidst the sea of familiar brown hair that ran in the Garwood family.

"Dr Perry?" she inquired, her voice a strained murmur.

Lucas rose, smoothing down his tie.  "Mrs. Garwood," he said, his voice sincere.  "I'm so sorry for your loss.  Miley was a wonderful person."

Her eyes welled up, a flicker of appreciation battling the storm of emotions on her face. "Thank you, Doctor. Please, come in."

He followed her into a richly furnished sitting room, the air thick with a potent mix of grief.

Family photos adorned the mantelpiece, showcasing a younger Miley with her parents, a radiant smile mirroring the one he remembered.

There, in the younger Mrs. Garwood's bright smile and Mr. Garwood's crinkled blue eyes, Lucas saw the undeniable source of Miley's captivating grin and sparkling azure eyes, a stark contrast to the dominant brown hair that framed both parents' faces.

A pang of loss shot through him, and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I didn't know Miley had any friends here, so we were surprised when Dr Drew mentioned that you were coming over. And I'm surprised it is you. Surely, you remember me, don't you?"

Lucas blinked, momentarily thrown off guard. He had treated countless patients over the years, and while he faintly recognized Mrs. Garwood, the memory wasn't strong enough to connect it to Miley.

My apologies, Mrs. Garwood," he admitted, a touch of embarrassment coloring his voice.  "I see many patients, and unfortunately, faces sometimes…" n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

A gruff voice cut him off.  "Doctor Perry, surely you remember us," Mr. Garwood entered the room then, his face grim.

"Dr Drew was out of town on the day of our routine check up and we were assigned to you. I said you were too young to know anything."

A spark of recognition ignited in Lucas's mind. It had been the same day he met Tom's parents for the first time.

Shame washed over him as he realized he'd never connected the dots between the Garwoods from the clinic and Miley, the vibrant friend he'd met by chance.

"Of course," Lucas said, forcing a smile, "Mr. and Mrs. Garwood. I apologize, it's been a while. I should have recognized you both sooner."

"It's alright. Please sit. I had no idea you knew our daughter. If I may ask, how long have you known her?" Mr Garwood asked with interest.

"I met her during a dark time in my life. I had just resigned from the hospital that day. I was drunk and passed out in a bar and she took me home. I'm embarassed to admit that to you," Lucas added when both Miley's parents exchanged a look.

"She was like an Angel. Bright and cheerful," Lucas continued, reminiscing on what little time he had spent with her.

"That's our Miley. She was so full of life. Until she wasn't," her mother said with a sniffle.

"Did you know about her condition?" Her dad asked, and Lucas nodded.

"Yes, I did. She told me she found out about it three weeks prior our meeting," Lucas said and they looked at him closely.

"And?"

"And she didn't want anyone to feel sorry for her. She wanted to tick the items on her bucket list and have fun, not stay stuck on any hospital bed receiving useless treatment and wasting valuable time as she knew she would if her parents found out about her condition," Lucas said since he had decided not to directly tell them he was here in Amy's defense.

He had thought about it long and hard and decided that the best way to show them Amy was innocent of whatever they thought she did wrong, was to show them that Amy's only crime had been that she was too weak to say no to their very stubborn daughter.

"What bucket list?" Her mom asked with a frown, wanting to know what Miley had wanted to do so badly that she would keep her condition away from them and not receive treatment.

"She wanted to get married and have a kid. I believe she mostly wanted a kid because she didn't want you both to feel lonely after she was gone. She wanted to leave you a grandchild," Lucas said, and Mrs Garwood's eyes teared up as she looked at her husband and he extended a hand which she took as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"She told you that?" Mr Garwood asked, and Lucas nodded.

"Yeah. I suppose I came here because I feel sort of bad. We were not in best of terms as at the time we parted ways," He said and they looked at him in confusion.

"Why? What happened?" Mrs Garwood asked.

"I thought her plan was stupid and I told her so. I mean, she was dying. She didn't even tell anyone about it. Not her parents, not even her best friend…."

Mrs. Garwood's eyes narrowed. "You know Amy?" she spat, the name laced with bitterness. "The one who let our daughter suffer while she kept quiet?"

Lucas winced inwardly. "I met her through Miley. That was when she flew over to Heden upon hearing of Miley's condition. She was distraught and wouldn't stop crying…."

"You were talking about why you fell out with our daughter," Miley's father reminded Lucas, not wanting to hear anything about Amy.

"Oh, yeah. Well, she wanted me to marry her…."

"What?" Miley's mother asked in disbelief.

Although Lucas was the type of son-in-law they would have loved her to bring home to them, she couldn't believe that Miley would actually come up with such a ridiculous plan.

"That was my exact reaction too. I felt even more insulted because she offered to pay me for it. I was to get married to her and help her have a baby. I was too offended by her suggestion I left. I cut her off and I left," Lucas finished.

"I don't understand. How did she plan to have a baby when she had barely six months left?" Miley's father asked as Lucas had hoped he would.

"That was where Amy came in. I was annoyed by her illogical and blind loyalty to Miley. I get that Miley threatened to cut her off and run off on her own if she decides to tell you both about her condition, but how could she keep it to herself? Why would she take a break from work just to watch over Miley and ensure that Miley was fine? Why would she offer to be Miley's surrogate just so she can hold on to a part of Miley? She is a young lady who should worry about what men might think when they find out she has had a baby, but she got mad when I told her all of that. Her love and loyalty for Miley is irrational. If she was doing it because she wanted to get paid, it would have been better, but she made it clear she didn't want anything other than to have a part of Miley with her forever. She even yelled at me and embarrassed me in public. She kept insisting that Miley was stubborn and once she had her mind made up, nothing could be done to change it and she would rather be by Miley's side and make all her wishes come true than have Miley cut her off. Does that make sense?" Lucas asked with righteous indignation.

A flicker of understanding softened Mrs. Garwood's expression as she listened to Lucas, his tone gentle but firm.

"It was all Miley's idea and Amy went along with it?" Miley's dad asked, exchanging a look with his wife, while Lucas pretended not to know why he was asking her that.

"Totally. Miley was fiercely independent, and she didn't want to burden you with the worry.  She…" he hesitated, searching for the right words, "she wanted to fight it on her own terms. Amy heard about the bucket list first from me before she heard it from Miley. Why do you ask?" Lucas asked and Miley's dad shook his head without saying a word.

He didn't see the need in telling Lucas that Miley had gone ahead with her plan and in the end had settled for a bastard who dared to threaten them for money.

The conversation flowed, laced with tears and raw emotions. Lucas talked about the fear and frustration he knew Amy must have felt, caught between her loyalty to Miley and the desperate wish to intervene.

By the end, the anger in Mr Garwood's eyes had softened, replaced by a profound sadness and acceptance.

"We just wanted to know," Mr. Garwood finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "We just wanted to be there for our little girl."

Lucas nodded, his heart heavy. He knew there were no easy answers, no way to rewind time and rewrite the tragic story.  But he hoped, with a sliver of optimism, that his visit had shed a light on Amy's actions, mending a fractured friendship in the face of an unimaginable loss.

"Believe me when I say I have never seen such love and loyalty between friends. I might have left because I was mad at them, but I admired what they shared. Miley was so lucky to have had such a good friend as Amy by her side. I can't imagine how Miley would have fared had Amy not known about her condition and stayed by her side. I'm sure Amy must be so distraught right now. Is she here right now? Can I say hello to her?" Lucas asked, pretending not to know that Amy was not there.

"No. She is not here at the moment," Miley's mom said with tears in her eyes.

"When is the funeral? Maybe I can see Amy at the funeral," Lucas said hopefully.

"On Wednesday. Amy should be here by then," Miley's mother said after exchanging a look with her husband.

"That's too bad. I doubt I would be able to see her before leaving for Husla again. I came in on Friday for a friend's wedding and I have to leave tomorrow," Lucas said regretfully, glad that there was a possibility of Amy being allowed to attend the funeral.

As Lucas rose to leave, Mrs. Garwood reached out and grasped his hand, a tremor in her voice. "Thank you, Doctor," she said, the title a formality they both understood. "Thank you for coming over and for telling us all these. I kept wondering why she would keep her condition away from us and all of that, but you've answered all my questions."

Lucas squeezed her hand gently. "There are no words, Mrs. Garwood. But please know, Miley loved you both very much."

Leaving the opulent mansion behind, the weight of the conversation lingered, but there was a lightness in his heart. He couldn't bring Miley back, but he had helped bridge a gap, a small act of comfort in the face of overwhelming grief.  He hoped that somehow, somewhere, Miley would be at peace knowing that her family and the friend she cherished were no longer divided.

"So? How did it go?" Lucy asked, bringing Lucas back to the present.

"I believe it went well. You should give her some days off to attend the funeral. It's on Wednesday," Lucas said and Lucy sighed.

"Sure. I will. Thank you, Lucas. Thanks for helping her clear the air," Lucy said before hanging up.