Finding a Happy Ending (Niall Horan Fanfic)

Chapter: 16 All I Want for Christmas is You

Niall's P.O.V

She finally answered the Skype call. "Hello," she greeted me.

I waged a finger. "No Samantha. You cannot casually say, 'hello' to me after you ignored my first two Skype calls!"

She giggled at my scold. "God sorry, you sound like my wife."

I laughed. "Now you sound like my husband, criticizing me, God." I was staying at my brother's house for the brief weekend before I would be driven to my parent's house. When I got there the other night I was so drained from the concert, I got in the door and passed out on the couch. That was the deepest and most interrupted sleep I had in a long time, and yet it was only on a couch. I woke up with a blanket wrapped around my body, and my face deep in a drool infested cushion. My back was sore, and my face was dry and crusty. But every uncomfortable feeling I had was taking away when the sweet smell of potato's filled my nose.

The grand smell perked me right up, and I wiped my face off as best I could with the palm of my hands before going to investigate the kitchen. I traipsed into the kitchen and wiped my eyes like crazy when the sunlight from the large wall windows peered in. I blinked repeatedly, before being able to see Denise at the cooker. The source of the smells. She must have noticed my presence, and she turned to see me half blinded in the doorway. She smiled scanning me from head to toe. "Good morning," she greeted me and turned back to her cooking.

Still blinded by the light, I managed to repeat the line back to her. I was told to sit down at the table, and I did. From there, Denise went on to tell me Greg had taken Theo out to the toy store for a while so I could wake up later then eight. As much as I wished I could have seen Theo this morning, I was thankful he wasn't here jumping on my body to wake up. She talked about how excited he was to see me, and I smiled. I was really glad even at a young age, he didn't forget who I was. I always half expected to have to re-introduce myself to him.

In silence, we sat for a while before Denise shuffled around in the cabinets, grabbed a plate and put the cooking on the dish. She walked towards me, and set the plate down in front of me. I looked down and saw 3 boxties. I inhaled it all, and the scent filled my nostrils with memories. I hadn't had boxty in years, and the smell of potato cakes warmed my body. I thanked Denise for making me them, and she shook her head in approval. She grabbed herself her own plate and sat across from me. "Tell me how it taste, I am really practicing my cooking skills."

I nodded and dared to ruin the hotcake's shape. I put a piece in my mouth and fell in love. It was all gone in a matter of five minutes. It was so warm and homely, I was in some kind of trance as I ate it. Unaware of anything around me. That is how you know food is good.

Around two in the afternoon, I knew I could probably Skype Samantha since it was about nine in the morning there. She was often awake by now. I grabbed my phone and unlocked it. I couldn't help but start thinking about how making friends in other places in the world really made me start learning time zones. I always had to look up time zones and what time it was in a certain place from another certain place. But I remembered the time difference from Ireland to New York, just so I always knew I wasn't Skyping her too early. I called twice before she finally answered. 

I was struck with a idea while I showered earlier on today. I knew it was going to sound funny, but I knew I needed to ask it to someone else immediately as possible. I knew how to make it work too, how to make all the pieces fall into the place. It would be fun and something different too. So when I dried off and dressed myself, I asked Denise what she thought. After a while of talking and explaining, we agreed on my idea. It could be set into play. 

The idea was really the reason I called Samantha. Not that I wasn't planning on talking to her today, but I called much earlier then expected. I was anxious to hear what she would think of my brilliant plan. I wondered how far her eyes might pop out when I told her. It was a funny mental image.