Strictly Professional

47: Purple Tulips

ELLE
Gone Too Soon-Daughtry

"Kids, time to get up if we're gonna make it to church in time!" Maura's muffled voice along with the knocking on the thin door forced me to wake up. I pried my eyes open, darting my head to the closed door across from the foot of the bed.

"Church?" I questioned Niall, though upon looking behind me to him, I found him still sound asleep. The pressure around my waist made me realise his arm was swung over me, which put a smile on my face. I missed having him hold me in his sleep more than I'd like to admit. Quickly but carefully, I lifted his arm to free myself and slid out of bed, tiptoeing bare footed to the door while rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I creaked it open as quietly as I could, being met with a smiling petite woman. She oddly reminded me of my mother sometimes with her warm smile and short physique.

"Good morning Maura." I softly smiled, keeping my voice relatively quiet.

"Good morning darling. Is my son awake?" She smiled back, leaning her weight onto her hand that was pressed on the frame of the door. My response was a shake of the head, which had her chuckling. I opened the door all the way, allowing her this way to see Niall still sleeping, now rolled onto his stomach.

"This kid, I swear to God. Could never get him out of bed in the morning." She shook her head, stepping into the dark room and flicking the lights on.

"I guess things haven't changed then." I joked, smoothing out my hair with my hands. With a subtle laugh, she made her way next to the bed  where Niall laid, placing her hand on his shoulder and shaking him lightly.

"Honey, time to wake up." She soothingly spoke to him and I was unable to stop smiling at the sweet scene.

"Come on now, we can't be late." She continued, changing her tactics from shaking his shoulder to tapping it. She seemed to finally get to him as he barely moved, burying his face into the pillow.

"Always a stubborn one." She chuckled, though didn't seem to be ready to give up.

"Niall James Horan, wake up this instant." She spoke in the regular volume of her voice instead of the soothing tone, resulting in him groaning in complaint. But that finally worked as he lifted his head and forced his eyes open, hair sticking forward as he looked around the room.

"Ma, what are you doing here-" He cut himself off, darting his head to the clock on the wall.

"At six in the morning!" He spoke in shock, looking back at her as he rolled onto his back, lifting himself on his elbows.

"Oh, stop complaining and start getting ready for church! I've already got breakfast ready." She laughed at his reaction, leaning in to kiss his cheek before making her way back towards the door, where I was stood.

"Greg and Bobby will meet us there." She added, taking me completely by surprise when she pulled me down to her by the shoulder, giving me the same treatment as her son and leaving a quick kiss on my cheek. She smiled one last time to the both of us before closing the door behind her. Flabbergasted, I turned to look at Niall. He laughed at the shocked look on my face, sitting up onto the bed. Nipping on his bottom lip, he shook his head.

"What?" I chuckled, going to the suitcase on the floor in search for some clothes.

"It's crazy to me how well you get along with my mother." His words had me instantly stop what I was planning on doing. I got back up, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I walked to the foot of the bed.

"Why is it crazy?" He shrugged at my question, pushing his hair away from his forehead.

"It just hasn't really happened before. She never told me directly, but she didn't really like either of my previous girlfriends that much."