Glass half full

Chapter 2

After waiting in my car for a few minutes Peter called and said he was by the main entrance so I made my way to him. On seeing him I could feel my eyes starting to well up once more, he greeted me with a much needed hug. After our embrace I thanked him and looked up at him "thank you for being with her, it means a lot"

"She has been there for me since Lisa died, it's the least I could do, she's finally back with her kids and husband". The thing about my auntie is how strong she was despite everything. She had lost her first child 15 years ago and then her husband and daughter, Peter's wife, within a year of each other but she continued being the rock of the family including mine.

"there's the silver lining you always come out with" and we laugh together. "I suppose it's time eh?" "ye, let's go" he held me in a side hug as we made our way through the hospital onto the ward. When we got to the nurses' station they saw Peter and said that they had moved Hazel to a side room so it was more private and someone was with her. "Do you know who" he asked with a questioning look. "They signed in under the name Nicola", oh that's fucking great I thought, Peter thanked them and we were shown to the room. We waited outside for a few minutes until I felt ready. I hadn't seen my Auntie in a couple of years although we spoke on the phone a couple of times a week and hadn't seen or spoken with my mother for a good while apart from our talk earlier on in the day.

Peter gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze breaking me out of my thoughts and then opened the door where I was greeted by my mother sat next to my Aunties bed and the body of my Auntie Hazel. With the tears leaking out of my eyes I made my way over to the other side of the bed and held my Aunties hand, I knew she wouldn't feel it but I think it was out of need. I needed the comfort she so often gave me whilst I was growing up that I didn't get from the woman now opposite me. Wobbly on my feet Peter puts a chair behind me and guides me into it, I smile at him in thanks before looking back at my Auntie and then put my head onto the bed as the tears continue to flow. Letting the grief take over completely I start to feel my anger rise at the woman opposite me and I know it is her sister who has just died but I just can't seem to control myself right now. "so when are you leaving" she looked down before looking at me "probably after the funeral, I'll help with the organising and sorting out her house and then go home, so probably about a week" .

Great is all I think, this is another opportunity for her to be centre of attention when this lovely, beautiful human I'm clinging to has lost their life. I look down at her and kiss her forehead before leaving the room. I'll have another chance to see her in the funeral home but I can't be in that room any longer with my mother in the room. I leave the ward and find a toilet, I wash my face again and then head outside and sit on a bench where I light a cigarette to try and relax myself. Just as I'm about the throw the last away Peter sits next to me and gives me a slight smile. "the last I heard Hazel was proud of you for giving up" as soon as those words left his mouth I felt sick, I threw the cigarette away and felt like I had failed her. "I just wanted to calm down, at least I'm not smoking anything else" he laughed and nodded. We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before telling me that my Auntie had already planned everything for her funeral and that he just had to call the funeral home when they opened in the morning. I didn't want to ask but I needed to know "who's the named executor of her will?" he took an envelope out of his pocket and it had my name on it. "I don't know, I just have an envelope for you, one for Nicola, one for me and Shannon and then one for the other 4" I knew he meant my 4 cousins. I nodded and just looked at the envelope in my hand when my phone started to ring. I couldn't help but laugh at the name that popped up and showed Peter, he laughed too and encouraged me to answer. "Hello Jodie, my lovely ex, to what do I owe the pleasure" yes she's my ex but we were and still are good friends and I'm a sarcastic bitch.

"Hey y/n, I heard, I'm so so-"

"Please don't finish that, you know I hate pity" I sighed. I've had enough things happen in my life, and it comes with the territory of my old job but you kind of come across as a psycho when you say you're used to death.

"I know, I'm sorry, are you going to see her or what are you doing, where are you?"

"I'm sat out the front of the hospital with Peter, I've already been inside and Nicola was there too so ye it's been a great couple of hours". "oh y/n, that's a lot, I'm at my Mum and Dads for the week if you want to come over, with Nicola being there you're not going to want to stay at your house if she's still got a key" shit, I completely forgot about that, it not as though she would even ask either she'd just walk in like she owns the place and she's too cheap to get a hotel for herself.

Making my mind up with those things in my mind I agree and tell Jodie I would see her in around 30 minutes. I stand up and turn to Peter giving him a hug "thank you for meeting me here, I know it's hard for you too, she was very grateful for you, we all are" he sniffed and rubbed my back as we continued to hug. When we finally broke apart I told him I would speak with him tomorrow and then we parted ways. I jumped in the car and made my way to James and Donna's.