Is This Still Love?

Chapter 6

The next morning Danny woke up, again with another hangover. He glanced over at the red haired woman sleeping soundly next to him. He rolled his eyes to himself and pulled himself out of bed. He pulled out his phone, 20 calls made to Emily. None returned.

"Morning Handsome" the red head quipped as she awoke.

"You need to leave" he replied bluntly.

"Oh..." she replied. Danny pulled on his clothes and slammed the bedroom door shut. He tried the number again, straight to voicemail again.

"Em, please just give me a call" he pleaded, his voice full of concern "Just let me know you got home okay"

Emily listened to the voicemail, she was sat in the Driveway of Danny's house. She smoothed down her clothes as her mind raced. Was it all in her mind that the kiss yesterday meant nothing?

Her thoughts went back to Autumn, she deserved better than what her parents had become.

Flashback

Danny and Emily held each others hand as they walked out to the car. Emily's knees buckled as the carriage carrying her baby pulled up. She let out an ear piercing scream. Danny held her up as he tried to compose himself.

Two weeks of grieving...two weeks of adjusting...two weeks of pure hell. Emily's sister rushed over to her and helped Danny hold her up.

"Come on Em, come on" she soothed as she pulled her sister into her. The sobs were hard and the tears drenched the pink dress she was wearing. That was the one requirement Danny and Emily had requested...no black, just pink or white.

The journey to the church felt like a lifetime. Emily did not take her eyes of the tiny pink and white coffin in the carriage in front. Danny held her hand the entire time.

"I want you to carry her in" Emily whispered. Danny looked at her and nodded. He may not have been able to carry her home, the joyous moment they had spoken about, where Emily would be able to watch the love of her life walk out and start a new life with the love of their life. Instead, he would be able to walk her down the aisle on her final journey of her short sweet life.

The chief mourner opened the door to their car. All eyes were on them. Emily felt her knees about to go again. This time Dougie and Harry were behind her and each gave her an arm. She felt numb. She noticed in the corner of her eye, the one thing she had begged that would not have happened, today of all days...paparazzi.

She put it to the back of her mind, as she joined Danny who had delicately been handed the small box. He stoked the top of it gently and placed a kiss on it, as did Emily. Emily could feel her rage building as she could hear the clicking of cameras in the background. Danny could see her tensing up but they both focused on their little girl.

"And now, Autumn's mummy and daddy have asked to say a few words". Emily and Danny both took each others hand and walked to the front. Once again, feeling all eyes burning on them.

Emily took out a crumpled bit of paper and began to read.

"When it came to writing this, it came to us, that usually..." Emily choked. Danny squeezed her hand. "Usually you have many happy memories to share, and we would all sit here and share the good times. But, this has cruelly been taken away from us" Tears fell from her eyes, her hands shaking. Danny took the paper from her and continued.

"So...instead, we wanted to remember the joy you brought us all, in the time when we were the happiest people in the world. The moment we found out about you" he used his sleeve to wipe away tears. "The moment we let your nannies and Grandads in on our secret, how your Aunty Amelia screamed for joy, the way your Uncle Doug went out immediately and bought you a stuffed lizard toy"