“Honey, the long hair, his whole look is all wrong…”

“He cleans up well.  I can show you pictures when he was at the White House Correspondents Dinner.  He’s been a guest there for years, along with Elton John’s annual Oscar party.”

“What about his family?”

“His mom is the mayor of a city in Florida,” Jenna said, proud she knew that fact on her own.

“You had me until Florida,” her mother scoffed.

“What exactly is wrong with Florida?” Karen chimed in from behind JC.  He jumped at hearing his mom’s voice, knowing this was going to be a showdown for the ages.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Josh’s mother.”

“He’s a momma’s boy, bringing her to everything so he’s not away from her.  How grown up…”

“What’s wrong with my son that he’s not good enough for your daughter?  I just met her and I already love her like she’s one of my own.  I’d be grateful to anyone that saved my children’s lives, not analyzing every detail critically.  I flew in as soon as I heard something was wrong, that Josh needed people around him.  I think it’s telling that I was here before you were.”

‘What do you like about this man?” Jenna’s mother asked.  All eyes were now on Jenna.

“He’s smart, funny, caring and kind, generous, he’s very driven despite the hardships he’s gone through in his career.”

“I’m a songwriter and producer, before you ask,” JC added. 

“Any chance you could connect her with her favorite singer?  Jenna, what’s his name?  You’ve been obsessed with him since you were 16…”

Justin smiled, knowing she had no clue who he was.

“Mom, Justin Timberlake is married.”

“Oh,” she frowned.  “What about that other one?”

“There were 4 other ones, mom…”

“What about the other blonde, Lance, was it?”

“He’s married, and gay.  He has two cute kids though…” Jenna replied.

“OK, the other good looking one with the dark hair?”

“You mean JC?” Jenna laughed.  “Good to know he’s your 3rd choice for me when he’s my personal first choice.”

“Your first choice?  Since when?  You just agreed that you liked Justin best.”

Jenna looked at JC before she answered her mother.  “When he saved my life.”

Her mother looked at JC.  “I thought you said his name was Josh…”

“It is.  Josh is my real name.  JC Chasez to the rest of the world,” JC said.

“And you are…?” her mother asked Justin carefully.

“Justin Timberlake.  I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but…” he answered honestly.  “You verbally bashing my best friend here, who happens to be your daughter’s boyfriend…”

“Wait, you’re not just friends?  He’s your boyfriend?  You have a boyfriend?” she asked Jenna.

“He is.”

“Well why didn't you say that in the first place?”

“Because I wanted to know what you really thought of him.  I thought you were a saint for letting me listen to some of their songs on repeat as a teen.  Now I realize you had no clue what I was even listening to, while you were in the car.  You don’t care about me, you just want to control my life.  I love JC, and he loves me.”

“This changes everything…”

“Mom, I think it’s best if you leave.”

“Honey, you don’t mean that.”

“I love him for who he is outside of the public persona. You only cared about him once you knew he was ‘somebody’.  I’ve gotten to know and love the real him.  You may suddenly approve of my boyfriend, but I’m still going to decide for myself what steps I’m going to take for my health.  I need you to back off before I legally give you no say in the matter.”

“Honey, go get something in the cafeteria.  I want to talk to Jenna,” William suggested.

“Why can’t you say it in front of me?!” her mother asked.

William sighed. “Fine.  Your mother is scared, Jenna. Remember how I yelled at your grandmother before she died, when she stopped eating? We’re just hearing potentially life altering news about you having a tumor.  She’s processing and going through her grief. I know we don’t know what we’re dealing with yet, but your mom is terrified of losing her only child. Imagine how scary that would be.  I’m sorry for how things have happened today, but given that this is very raw for both of us… Give your mom a break. She means well and wants you to be ok.  She’s afraid and this is how she’s handling it.”

Jenna was quiet for a moment.  “Ok. I get that. But I’m not a child anymore. I may always be your little girl, but I’m an adult that can make her own choices. You didn’t like JC from first glance, and you disagree with how I want to move forward if this is the worst case scenario.  Have your thoughts and opinions, but don’t try to force them on me like you still run my life.”

“Jenna, I just…”

“I know, Mom. I remember how scared Dad was before losing grandma, but it doesn’t help. Remember how Dad yelled at YOU when you almost died? I couldn’t stand watching you cry over it, you were doing your best.  That’s how I’m feeling right now. If I die,” she said with a catch in her throat, “I want to do it my way.  Trust me to make the best decisions I can. I’m not going down without a fight, but let it be MY fight, not fighting with you on how to proceed.”

Her mom sighed. “You’re right. I just don’t want to lose you…”

“None of us do,” JC said.  “We’re all on the same team.”

“I’m tired, can I sleep for a bit?” Jenna asked. 

“Of course. Let’s give her some space, let her relax for a bit,” William said.

“I love you,” JC whispered, and kissed her on the forehead. 

She squeezed his hand, and said,  “I love  you too.”

He looked at Justin and headed  to the door, not looking back. Not wanting to give her mother the satisfaction of seeing a grown man cry. He moved quickly down the hallway and Justin caught up to him.

“C, you ok?” he asked. JC shook his head no, refusing to look at him.

Kelly came up to them in the hallway.

“JC, I should have warned you off about her mom. I’m sorry," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “They just walked in and she took over everything. Like she always does.” 

“She has always been that way?” Justin asked.

Kelly shook her head. “Sometimes worse. Especially when it comes to Jenna. “

“I … I Can’t,” JC finally said, turning to look at them both. There were tears running down his cheeks. 

“You can't what, C?”

“I can't lose her. It’s too soon. I can’t…” he said, sinking to his knees on the floor. Justin pulled him up to a standing position and they guided him over to a couch in the hallway outside the waiting room. 

Karen found them in the hallway. “ Can I talk to him alone?” She asked, sitting down next to him.

Justin and Kelly made their way back into the waiting area, where Jenna’s parents were waiting as well.

Jenna’s mother headed over to where Kelly sat next to Justin and said, “You should have told us about her accident.”

“It was not my story to tell. She said not to tell you, so I didn’t. I asked her if she wanted me to, and she said no." 

“So I am to be kept in the dark? “

“There is a reason that I am her emergency contact and not you, Sarah. I don’t flip out at the smallest things and I go by what she wants. HER wishes, not yours. You don’t control her anymore,” Kelly said. Justin could hear the venom in her voice. 

"I know her better than anyone else. She is MY daughter," Sarah fumed.

"That may be true, Sarah, but you don't own her. She isn't a fucking piece of property. She's a person." Kelly stood up, squaring off with her. 

"I knew her moving in with you was a mistake.  She should have stayed with her family after Steve dumped her." 

Kelly felt Justin's hand on her shoulder, and he said quietly, "Fighting with each other isn't helping Jenna." 

William walked up to his wife and said, “I agree with this young man.  The emotions  are really high right now. " 

"Come see Lance and Michael and the babies off with me." Justin said, leading Kelly out of the waiting room and down the hall. 

"Thank you," she said, taking a deep breath and trying to shake off the anger that she had at Jenna’s mother. 

“No problem," he said. "Will she cause problems between them?"

"If they do everything she says, they’ll be fine. If they say no, then yes, she will try to come between  them. If it weren't for her, she would have probably married Steve. She dodged a bullet with that one. But Sarah is a lot of the reason they broke up. I don't know if she realizes that or not."  

“She does seem like a bit of a control freak.  Is that why Jenna moved to LA with you?”  Justin asked, as they made their way back down to the cafeteria.

“Yeah. That and because we both transferred colleges to get away from our lives. We are both from Rancho Cucamonga. So not that far away, But light years away in our lives from there to here.  She had just split up with Steve, and felt the need to get away from her parents. “ 

“Makes sense, no more than I got to see. “

“Yeah, Tell me about it.”

...

Karen put a hand on her son’s shoulder. 

“Josh, You can’t let Jenna’s mother get to you like this.”

“I don’t want that woman around her, Mom.”

“She’s her mother, so good luck getting her to stay away.”

“I mean it, Mom. I don’t want that woman around Jenna,” he said looking up at his mother.

“Jenna handled herself with a lot of grace back there. She let her know more than once that she would kick her out of her life if she didn’t let her live her own life.”

“I want to marry her, Mama. I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”

“I know that you love her, Josh. That is evident. But, I think that you need to think it through. “

“I’m not going into it blind. I think that now is the perfect time. Please, I need you to support me.”

She hugged him to her side. “You know I will support you in whatever you do, Josh. If that is marrying Jenna, so be it,” she grinned, and he sighed in relief against her.

“Thank you.”

“No worries, Josh. I love you.”

“Love you too. I’m gonna go back to her room, try to catch some sleep myself,”  he said standing up, she got up with him. 

“ OK.” Karen said, kissing him on the cheek. 

...

Sarah noticed that JC went back into the room, and had sat down on the cot next to the window. She stood in the doorway of her daughter’s room.

“So, you think you can just come and go as you please into my daughter’s room now?” 

“I’m gonna sleep while she is sleeping.” 

“No, you aren’t. Now, kindly leave my daughter alone. “  

“He’s not bothering me, Mom. But you are,” Jenna said, opening her eyes and staring holes through her mother. “You have no authority here. Please leave.”

“Jenna. You don’t mean that,” Sarah sputtered.

“The hell I don’t," Jenna said, finally having enough of her.  She sat up and tried to move in the bed, getting really dizzy in the process. 

“Baby, are you OK?”  JC stood and helped her lay back down. She turned on her side. “I need to throw up,” she said quietly and he got the basin off the table and she vomited into the basin.

 A nurse entered the room and looked at her patient and the monitors which were all alarming.  “What the hell is going on in here?” 

“I was talking to my daughter’s boyfriend about leaving her alone, and she got sick.” Sarah said to the nurse.

“Ma’am, Josh has been here with her every minute that she has been here and I have never seen Jenna like this. Now, I am gonna ask you once to leave. And if you don’t, then Security will escort you out of the building.”

“Jenna,” her mom said to her in a pleading voice.

Jenna was in no shape to answer anyone at the moment, still not recovering from throwing up quite yet. 

“Please leave,” the nurse said.

“This is not over,” Sarah said, retreating out of Jenna’s room and walking back into the waiting room. “Come on WIlliam. We have to go.” 

“Shit, Sarah, did you get yourself kicked out?”

“More or less.’

“What did you do?”

“I told Josh to leave our daughter alone.”

“She loves him, Sarah. Everyone can see that they love each other. Everyone but you, evidently.”  

“She doesn’t know what she wants right now, William. She has a brain tumor for Christ's sake. She is not in her right mind.”

“No.”

“What?"

“I said NO, Sarah. I won’t let you sabotage another relationship for our child. I won’t let you do it. Josh seems to genuinely care about Jenna. And he is good to her. That is all you and I need to worry about. “ 

“What….I never…” Sarah was floored by what her husband had just said to her. 

“Steve? Yes. You did. You put shit in that boy's head, and he took off for god knows where, and it broke her heart.. I won’t let you take away what may be our daughter’s last chance at happiness. If this is what she wants, then I support her 1000 percent.”