Just Peachy

- Chapter Forty Three -

Three years. It's been three years now since I moved.

"Bonjour, ma chérie," Sierra hummed into my skin.

"Morning." I replied and smiled down at her. Her head rested against my chest. "Sleep well?"

"Yes," she sat up and furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"Dads anniversary of getting the cure is today." I stare up at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry," she sighs and places a kiss against my hand.

He was getting better up until eight months ago. I bit at my lip to hold back my tears.

My dad died six months today. Officially half a year that he had been gone. I was there when he died. He begged me to stay with him, not to let him be alone.

He told me how much he loved me. How sorry he was. My mom couldn't handle it so my brother stayed with her outside. Leaving me. And him. But really we all new I wouldn't last long there. Inevitably breaking down and rushing out to get my brother to be brave for me.

The past three years of being happy, living a good life with him. My friends staying over and we all got along. My dad's illness looming over us whenever he would cough and rush out the room, my mother following close behind.

He liked Sierra. He loved her. She was his favourite out of all of us. As much as we told him not to they would go and smoke together in the garden.

The thought pushing me over the edge and as I choked on my thoughts, Sierra helped me sit up, pulling me into her chest.

"I know. It'll get better soon." She mumbled into my hair as she soothed me. "Do you want to go into work?" She asks softly and hums when I nod.

"I need to push through this." I groan and move away from her, standing awkwardly at the side of my bed, keeping my gaze from her and keeping my hands busy.

"How long have we been together?" She moves towards me, clasping our hands together and keeping us close.

"Almost two years." I roll my eyes playfully.

"A year and ten months actually." She corrected me with a smile. "Okay let's get ready and we'll go to work."

We showered, got ready and left for work.

Sofie hugged me as soon as I got in as she did every month that went by, Mr Blanchet does this same but with a comforting squeeze of my shoulder at the end of it.

"Hun!" Audrey hugged me and Sofie. I hid my face in her shoulder. "I thought I'd annoy Zack and do his job."

"Please I want to be able to sleep at night!" Zack groaned and then murmured, "I miss your dad too."

"He's only saying that cause he found him hot." Zack and Sofie bickered for the rest of the day, helping to take my mind off of the looming pressure.

I phoned my mom at my break.

"Mom, how are you doing?" I ask and she breathes out shakily.

"I want to move back. You can stay here but I can't." She breaks and I can hear her sobs.

"I'll see you soon, we can talk about it." I smiled to myself, hiding the pain tugging at my heart.

My head hung as I contemplated the past four years of my life. I made a new life, a more successful life. I can't leave these guys- they're my closest family.

But I did the same with Diego and Julia. What about them? I kept in touch with Diego, texting every now and then updating each other.

Texting him was too painful right now. I need my dad and he was the next best thing. I just wasn't strong enough.

"Okay, I love you. Bye." My mom says with a raspy voice, raw from crying.

"I love you too," I said before she hung up.

I walked back into the office with everything I needed in front of me. It was a blessing in disguise that Julia never chased after me.

She never even tried. I was happy about that. She's married and happy, successful. Much better without me. Kira's perfect for her.

I just need to move on. There's no need for her to think about me anymore so why do I think about her everyday.

I focus on my girlfriend. Sierra's perfect for me. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be, Julia and I.

That's what I like to tell myself to keep guilt from settling in.

Almost a year later I was sitting in my living room, snuggled into Sierra when she shifted, moving away from me. "I know it's not the most romantic but..."

"Uh huh?" I grin when she couldn't tear a smile from her lips.

"Eden McLaughlin, will you marry me?" She showed me a beautiful, delicate silver ring with a clear crystal on it.

I pull her towards me, "yes, of course!" I said into her lips as she slid into onto my ring finger.

"Thank god you said yes," she chuckled and I stared at my hand.

"I want you to have a ring too." I grin and she mimicked my face.

"We can find one that matches?" She asked and I nodded.

"Sierra could you not have taken her out somewhere?!" Zack grumbled with Liv next to him, holding his pinky. "Even the four year old is embarrassed for you."

——————————————————————
I originally thought of this story when I was 13 and it was going to be straight (I thought no one would read a wlw book because I was 13 and didn't see representation on a lot of things) so I've been working on this new book for a year now because I am no longer 13 year old me and if I wanted the representation then I could add to it too.

Sorry for the long note just wanted to have a wee rant.