After the Earthquake

Part 2

Jordan gently supported Hazel as she made her way across the car park. Despite the horrifying news which had been delivered to her just a week ago, she had a great, beaming smile on her face. "I can't believe I've been discharged! I've been waiting for this moment for so long, I can't believe it is already here."

Dean scoffed. "It's only been a week, idiot. You need to be more patient than that in life. How will you ever be able to stick in married life for more than a week if that's the attitude you give it?"

Hazel suddenly stopped as she reached the car and looked at Jordan with a horrified face. "The wedding! I completely forgot. We're not even married yet." Sadness overtook her features, but Jordan simply patted her head warmly.

"We'll cancel the wedding for now. There are much more important matters to deal with. I don't know if you've watched the news this week, but the country has been shattered. I'm going to volunteer to help with clean-up." Jordan's dedication to helping other people was one of the things Hazel found most attractive about him. She went up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Disgusting." Dean looked thoroughly unamused.

Hazel rolled her eyes at her brother, but nodded to Jordan. "I agree. We'll cancel the wedding, just for now. Wait until our lives are back on track." She turned to Dean. "Oh, by the way... where are you even staying at the moment? I forgot to ask, but surely the house is destroyed. That thing was practically crumbling before the earthquake hit."

"Well, actually, you wouldn't believe it... the house is actually still standing. Dad would have called it 'good, old-fashioned structure' and for once I have to agree with him. It must be indestructible. Although, a few things inside have been destroyed. Photo frames, mirrors and the like. A few cabinets have fallen from the walls. I've even had people in to check that the infrastructure is stable enough to live in, and they say it's as though the earthquake never even hit it."

Hazel scoffed in disbelief. "Who would have known that the ancient building still had some use left in it? I'm so glad, though. I have always wanted to keep that house alive for generations. I wish Mam could still be there with us to share it..." She trailed off, but shook her head as she began to be swamped by negative thoughts again. She turned to Jordan and asked, "Is our house okay? We were going to move into it on our wedding day, only... you know."

He slowly shook his head. "It's completely destroyed. The insurance company will get back to us, but you know how things are after a big disaster like this. Most companies will go under, and who knows if we'll be able to get any money back." He sidled his way over to beside Dean and patted his shoulder. "So, you know, buddy... I would appreciate if I could crash at your place for a little longer than just a week... please?"

His hand was quickly swiped off Dean's shoulder. "You think that's enough to convince me? How much are you paying?"

"Dean!" Hazel interjected.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Of course you can... 'buddy'. We're going to have so much fun living together." His sly smile worried Hazel, and she immediately regretted the fact that Jordan would have to cope with her brother for a long period of time. She hoped he wouldn't change his mind about marrying her after Dean got his way with him.

After a while of helping Hazel get into the car without tearing her bandages, the three made it into the car and back to the house. As she limped her way over to the door, Hazel was excited to see the entirety of the house was in good shape. The walls were painfully bare, presumably as a result of paintings and photographs falling down during the earthquake. However, it felt strangely homey, and Dean had cleared out all of the broken glass. With a few more items, it would feel exactly like home again. Hazel somehow managed to pull herself up the stairs, amidst Jordan's shouts convincing her not to put strain on her body. She made it upstairs and into her room, and suddenly she was taken back to when she was a young girl in this room. Tears pushed at the edges of her vision as she thought of how her mother used to tuck her into bed in this very room every night. Her hand brushed against the covers and she planted herself down onto the bed.

"It's amazing that you even managed to get yourself up here. You must really love this room," Jordan chuckled. He sat down next to Hazel on her blanket and plucked her hand from behind her so he could hold it.

"I do. I really do. It's hard to think that I ever left it, but now that I'm back I don't want to leave again. It's a reminder of..." She trailed off again.

Jordan pulled her hand and kissed it gently before rubbing it. "I'm here for you. I know that nothing can ever replace the memories you made with you mother in this house and this room, but I would like to help you make new memories... with me. You might be hurting now, but it will get better with time. I hope I can help you with your new life. I want to be your future, Hazel, even though the past is painful."

He could not have said anything more perfect to make Hazel stop concentrating on the pain of the past. She leant over and kissed Jordan lovingly. She wanted so much to marry this man, but she knew there was no way she could marry him while such horrible things were unfolding around her. This wasn't the way she wanted to remember her wedding.

The beautiful moment was ruined by Dean thunderously pulling Hazel's overnight bag from the hospital up the stairs. "Can someone come help me? I'm dying here!" Neither of them moved from where they were sat as they laughed at Dean's fury. "I'm looking at you, Jordan! Don't make me bring the invalid to drag this up herself."

"Stop calling me an invalid, you little rat!" Hazel smiled as she realised how normal this felt. She was with her husband – wait, not quite – and her brother, acting naturally, for the first time since her mother's death. Maybe she would be able to get over it after all. Life could only get better from here.