Keeping Love

Chapter 18

When I woke up in the morning both Olivia and Ethan were gone.

I got up and got ready in the bathroom.

Just before I was about to head downstairs Olivia saw me from the bottom of the stairs and ran upstairs.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the bedroom.

"Don't go down there!" She said in a warning tone.

"What? Why?"

"They're interviewing priests." She said bitterly.

I gave her a confused look, "I don't think you interview priests."

"Well they have three of them in the kitchen right now and I'm pretty sure only one of them is going to get the job." She gave me a pointed look. 

I laughed, "I take it you don't like the priests."

"No I do not." She said, "but don't let my granny hear me say that. I'll be in the coffin next to grandpa."

I gave her a look to say that wasn't funny.

We heard the priests leave and it was finally seen as safe to go downstairs.

"I liked the short one, what was his name, Gerry?" Her uncle was saying when we walked into the kitchen.

"Now yes he was nice." Her granny said, "but your father was friends with with Pat."

"Grandpa was friends with a priest?" Olivia asked in disbelief handing me a piece of toast she'd been making.

"Yes." Granny nodded, "Father Pat used to give him bits of work."

"Oh so it was a work thing." Olivia nodded putting more bread in the toaster.

"Yes but they were friends too. They went down the pub often enough."

"Can priests even go down the pub?" Olivia asked in distaste.

Her granny laughed, "oh Olivia, don't be silly. Of course they can."

"So he'd at least have some personal experience of daddy." Her mum said.

"He was a bit doddery at times." Her uncle pointed out.

"We all agree the third one is ruled out?" Her mum asked and they all nodded.

"I told you they were interviewing priests." Olivia whispered to me handing me a cup of tea and then picking up one of her own and sipping at it.

I was glad to see Olivia pick out the next piece of toast from the toaster and eat it herself.

Later that morning Ethan came and found Olivia and me. 

"Michael's just phoned." He said to Olivia, "him and some of the guys are coming round this afternoon. He said he was speaking to Eve and some of the girls were going to come too."

"Ok." Olivia nodded.

"Who's Michael?" I asked Olivia.

"Ethan's friend."

That afternoon I sat in the front room as Olivia stood by the coffin.

"Olivia!" Her mum called out, "your friends are here."

She came over to me and took my hand, "come say hi." She said.

We walked into the hallway and a big group of people were standing in the hallway. Ethan was talking to them.

When they saw Olivia a couple of the girls ran forward and gave her a hug.

This only caused Olivia to start crying again.

After Olivia had said hello to everyone Ethan shouted over to her, "Olivia, it's too crowded in here, let's get out for a bit."

Olivia looked unsure, she looked back towards the front room.

"It's a good idea." I whispered in her ear.

She looked at me and then nodded.

"Ok." She shouted over to Ethan and he then led the group out the door.

Olivia held onto my hand as we walked out the door.

A girl walked up to us and asked Olivia excitedly, "is this Joe?"

Olivia smiled and nodded.

I squeezed her hand, "have you been talking about me?" I teased.

"Shush you." She said, squeezing my hand back.

The girl grinned at Olivia.

"This is my friend, Eve." Olivia said to me.

"Her best friend." Eve corrected her.

We walked down the street until we got to a park. There were quite a lot of people there but we found a place to sit.

Olivia sat holding my hand.

"How long are you staying?" A girl I didn't know the name off asked me.

"I don't know. A few more days. I'm staying for the funeral and then then a couple days and then I'll have to go back." Olivia squeezed my hand. I looked at her and smiled.

"We'll all come to the funeral." Eve said looking around the group, "if you want us there?" She looked at Olivia now.

"Thanks." Olivia nodded. I could tell she was fighting back tears.

We stayed with her friends for about an hour before she whispered to me, "I want to go back now."

"Ok." I nodded.

I stood up, "we're going to head back now." I said to Ethan as she said goodbye to all her friends who promised they'd see her tomorrow.

"Do you want to grab some food?" I asked her as we walked back to the house.

She shook her head.

We went back to the house. She tried to go into the front room but it was packed full of people. 

"I'll go back later." She said coming back out sounded defeated.

"It's alright." I said wrapping my around around her briefly.

We went into the kitchen that was almost empty besides her parents and some of her mums aunts.

"Did you have a good time with your friends?" Her mum asked.

Olivia nodded.

"Is Ethan back?"

She shook her head, "he's still out. I just felt like coming home."

"Granny and grandpa are coming down in the morning." Her dad said, "I'm just off the phone with them." He clearly meant his parents.

Olivia nodded.

That evening the house stayed busy. It amazed me how many people wanted to come by and pay their respects to Olivia's grandfather. People as far back as his school days and neighbours he had grown up with were coming round when they heard the new to hug her granny and see the family. None of this seemed to surprise Olivia. She thought he was the most amazing person and it made sense to her that people would show up like this.

I thought back to when my uncle had died. I thought a lot of people had visited at the time but I had been wrong. Most had sent cards. There weren't even as many people at his funeral as were in Olivia's grandparents house the night before her grandfathers funeral. We didn't have as big a family as she did.

"There's too many people here." Olivia said finding me, "I keep getting hugged by people I don't even know but met me once as a baby."

"Do you want to get out of here?" I asked her, "we can go for a walk." We had barely left her place since we arrived, except today to go to the park with her friends.

She nodded, "let me go tell mum."

I followed her afraid she wouldn't be able to find me again if we separated.

We found her dad and told him we were going outside for a walk and some fresh air.

"I think that's a good idea." He nodded at me. I knew he was worried about her.