Gap / Harry Styles RW

Eight

Harry Styles- War is Love

As soon as I get back to our apartment, I grab my phone from my pocket and dial my mothers number as quickly as I can. It seems to take an eternity to connect and I wait anxiously as it rings.

My heart beats wildly in my chest and I feel sick.
"Hello... Skye?" My mother says,
I choke on my words, "what mum? What is it?" I sob.

"Skye, this is a terrible thing to say over the phone, but," I hear sniffles on the other end, "but, Skye," she pauses again, "it's your grandmother..."

My whole body turns cold and my heart plummets. Nan?

"Nan? Is she in hospital?" I ask, "Did she fall over- was she broken into or something?" I'm shaking with fear.

"Skye, she, she..." My mum trails, "she died this morning, she h, had a heartattack,"

"What?"

No. No, no, no, no, no. This was a joke. Is today April 1st or something? This wasn't happening. I can feel my whole body shaking uncontrollably.
"No, Mum!" I scream into the phone. "No, there must be something they can do for her! There must be something! They can fix her!" I cry, "She'll be ok, she'll get better- they can do something!"

I fall to the ground, agonising pain throbbing from my chest throughout my entire body.

"No Mum, No!" I cry into the phone, tears streaming down my cheeks.
This couldn't be happening. I couldn't believe this was happening.

There is a long silence on the other end of the phone and I hang up. I couldn't talk to anyone right now.
I hug my body into a ball on the cold hard floor. I cry into my own arms, my eyes hurt but the tears keep coming.

*Flashback*
"Now have fun over there Kat," my nan says.

I observe her face. Even though she is old, weathered and wrinkled, she is beautiful. Her eyes shine brightly in the early hours of the morning.

"I don't know when I'll see you next, but I want you to know some things," she says, holding me in a hug.
"I want you to travel, to have fun and to do what makes you happy. Don't let anyone tell you what is right and wrong in this world, you must decide that for yourself," she says. "I want you to find love, find someone who treats you like a princess, someone who makes you feel special and treasure the time you have with them, take nothing for granted,"

I nod, breaking the hug between nan and myself. I had never had such a heartfelt talk with her before. I smile and continue to listen.

"I don't want you to worry about me, about your parents, it's about you now Kat, you must do some things in life for yourself. It is time for you to grow as the beautiful young woman you are, to experience things for yourself,"

"I want you to have this," she says, reaching for a small box in her handbag. I open it carefully, gasping at the beautiful emerald ring placed inside the box.

"It was mine, your grandfather gave it to me when he told me he loved me for the first time- it is very close to my heart, and I hope it will be to yours." My nan says, taking the ring from its box and sliding it on my finger.

"Oh my god Nan, I don't know what to say, thank you so, so much," I say, admiring the pretty gem.

"No need to thank me Katherine," she says smiling warmly, with her hands encompassed in mine. "Most of all, if something happened to me, I don't want you to be sad. I want you to remember all of the great times we have had, and to remember that I will always be here with you," my nan says, with tears in her eyes.