Yesterday
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now its looks as though they're here to stay
Oh I believe in yesterday
Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be
There's a shadow hanging over me
Oh yesterday came suddenly
Why she had to go
I don't know, she wouldn't say
I said something wrong
Now I long for yesterday

Yesterday
love was such and easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh I believe in yesterday
Why she had to go
I don't know, she wouldn't say
I said something wrong,
Now I long for yesterday

Yesterday
Love was such and easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh I believe in yesterday

-Yesterday, The Beatles

Two months had passed. Two agonising months of loneliness, regret, despair and bittersweet memories. For Nick, the most predominant emotion that he felt was confusion. He just could not understand how someone could tell another that they loved them, and then leave within the same time frame. He tortured himself, constantly wondering why she left, what he had done to push her out of his life.

After Lilia had left, she went straight back to her home, to Genuine. It was the only part of her that wasn't infected by him, that didn't haunt her with his presence. He had never been there. The only shadows she saw where memories of the nights that they had talked on the phone for hours, sharing descriptions of the sky they could each see and comparing them. It was her life before him, and she was determined to keep that part of her.

She carefully wiped the counter clean and surveyed the place. It was ready for the night's business. She threw off her apron and found her keys and pursed, checked in with her aunt and then made her way out the door.

Turning on her care, she flipped radio on to her usual station.

"And the Boys are back in town in just four days! That's right ladies, and we have the tickets to the sold out show! Every time you hear a song by those five talented Boys, be caller number 5 and you score yourself two of the most coveted concert tickets around," the announcer informed his audience cheerfully. Lilia changed stations in disgust, a stab of pain as she heard mention of a name she tried so hard to forget.

And he'll be here soon, she thought. He'll be so close, in your city. A few minutes away. Sighing, she pulled onto the road and tried to push him out of her mind.

* * * *

"Our next stop is Toronto Nick," Brian informed his distracted friend.

"Hmm?"

"Toronto. We'll be there next, for a week. Three shows?" he added, to confirm if his friend was listening to him.

"Oh, that's cool," was his reply, as he turned back to gazing out the window as scenery whipped by.

"Paul and everybody are excited, you know how it can be, being in their hometown and everything. Seeing old friends they left behind," he continued, trying to reach Nick.

"Or the friends that left them behind. Listen, I know what you're trying to do, B. I know she's there."

"And?"

"And what? She obviously doesn't want to see me, that's been made painfully clear. So what can I do? Nothing," Nick said, finally looking away from the window. Brian sighed as he observed his friend, the once clear blue eyes now clouded and intense. He observed Nick's appearance in dismay. He had watched him deteriorate with the past two months since Lilia had put and end to their relationship, with nothing but a note. He was pale, he had lost weight, his eyes dark from lack of sleep. He was uninterested in everything, went through the motions of performing and meeting people, always detached from it all. But what was scaring Brian the most was his voice.

When singing, it was the only time that anyone could really know what he was truly feeling. It rang alarmingly with his emotions. Any other time though, he was a stone, never betraying the slightest truth of the hell he was living through.

He hid it well with the fans anyway. But with the four who knew him best, there was no front, no denying the truth. It was obvious that he was still reeling from Lilia's hasty departure.

"You gonna be okay with this?" Brian asked carefully.

"I have to be," was the stony reply.

* * * *

"Lilia, I have to say that I'm really worried about you," her doctor told her frankly. Lilia sighed, in frustration as another name was added to the list of those who were hounding her.

"You've lost weight, you're suffering from lack of sleep. Lilia, you look half-exhausted. None of this is good for the baby," Dr. Callahan listed off from her.

"But is it healthy? It's doing fine?" she asked.

"Yes Lilia. Everything looks normal. But you have to start eating more, sleeping more regularly. You should also start cutting back on the work hours. Fourteen hour days could cause anyone stress and you need as little as you can get," was the reply. Lilia sighed in relief at the healthy prognosis. No matter what, as long as my baby is healthy, everything will be alright. But she was concerned at trying to convey the importance that work had to her. She could forget everything then, she would push it aside and concentrate only on work. It was the only salvation she had, the few hours of peace she could claim.

"Have you decided what you're going to do yet?" the doctor asked.

"No, I haven't. I'm just going to take it one day at a time," she said, and winced at the flash of memories that saying brought back. She ignored it and paid attention to what the doctor was saying.

"As I've said before, adoption is a really good option. But you also have a lot of things going for you right now. Even as a single mother. You're financially secure with your own business. Even so, if you're prepared to keep it, you're setting yourself up for a lot of work," her doctor reminded her. Lilia felt like this was a speech that she had used before, on pregnant teenagers.

"Don't you think I know that?" Lilia demanded irritably, her frustration reaching the breaking point.

"What about the father?"

"He doesn't know. He can never know," Lilia breathed insistently.

"That's your decision, Lilia. But I urge you to consider telling him," the doctor suggested. Lilia closed her eyes and wished, again, for the thousandth time, that she could.

* * * *

"C'mon Lilia, you have the connections! Can't you get us tickets?" Anna pleaded.

"Anna, Paul, Damon and Sandy are my friends. I will not use them so that you can go see a concert," Lilia said, determined.

"But Lilia! I missed my chance, just so that I could stay here and open for you! You owe me!" declared the young waitress. The 18 year old had been hired on a whim, because Lilia had been delighted by her persistence, even though now it was giving her a headache.

"Anna, one more time and you're seeking alternative employment!" Lilia warned, smiling. Anna rolled her eyes, grabbed her tray and set to work.

As soon as she was alone, Lilia put her head in her hands and tried to control her sadness. A pattern was developing whenever someone mentioned the Boys. She'd fly at them, her temper taking control. You have to get control over yourself. They didn't do anything, calm down, she scolded herself angrily.

* * * *

"So, he didn't react at all?" Kevin asked.

"He just sat there and said that there was nothing he could do. He's totally given up on her," Brian informed the rest of the Boys about the afternoon's conversation.

"This is not cool at all. I'm worried about the kid," AJ said.

"We all are. Have you taken a good look at him lately?" Howie added his two cents worth.

"This makes me so mad. We all fell into Lilia's little game. We all liked her and accepted her and even felt sorry for her after we learned about her mother and stuff. And she turns out to be a conniving bitch who is to much of a coward to say good bye face to face, she just leaves a note and takes off," Brian said, concern for his friend making him spiteful. He continued on his tirade while AJ tried in vain to get his attention.

"Lilia doesn't like confrontation," Paul said from behind. Brian turned around and tried to stammer something out.

"Paul, I know she's your friend…and I know how all of you feel about her, but after what she did…I mean, why did she take off? I thought everything was great between the two of them," Brian asked, trying to explain his anger and apologise for insulting someone that Paul cares about.

"I wish I knew Brian. I haven't heard from her at all, which is not only unusual, but almost unheard of," Paul informed sadly. "I'm going to go to Genuine, and let her come to me."

"If only Nick would do the same, but I think he's given up on her," Brian said.

"No, Lilia will go to him when she's able to. It would make things worse if he were to go to after her," Paul told them.