Forever My Father

Chapter Sixteen

Over the next three days, Zayn probably spoke a maximum of fifty words. Majority of them asking to be alone for a bit and the other half pertaining to what they should have at the funeral. Zayn hasn't been going to school over the past couple of days simply because he doesn't want to deal even more with the questions than he already has to, and Harry and Liam are understanding about it. What they weren't understanding about was the fact that Zayn would always leave right after he woke up to go play hockey on his own for an hour and half before coming back home and falling back to sleep.

As Friday arrived, Zayn found himself dreading the day more and more, but he knew at one point or another he was gonna have to attend his second parent's funeral. Only difference this time being, he understands what the concept of death is and the point of a funeral.

As Zayn makes his way back from the hockey arena he notices Harry's car isn't there and was instead replaced by an unknown car in the driveway, so as the boy begins to enter the household he is quick to make sure Liam and Harry are still home with him.

"Zayn! Baby, come here for a minute. We have someone we want you to meet," Zayn hears Harry call from the kitchen. The boy finds himself quickly walking into the kitchen where he immediately runs to hug the man. "Nice to see you, too, bubba."

"You didn't leave," Zayn mumbles into Harry's shirt and Harry can't help but pull the boy in tighter as he heard him say that.

"I'm never gonna leave you, Zayn. You're stuck with me until the end of time," Harry says as he kisses the boy's forehead before gently pulling him away. "Zaynie, this is Trisha. Yaser's-"

"Wife. I know. Um, it's nice to meet you again?" The boy awkwardly says as he fiddles with the back of his neck.

"As to you. I wish they were on different circumstances, but, still, it's lovely to genuinely meet you this time," Trisha says with a small smile. And though he knows he should probably say something, Zayn remains silent. He remains silent and simply exams the lady stood in front of him.

She looks exhausted if he's being honest. There are bags under her eyes along with what seem like permanent tear stains. The once glowing and young looking skin on the lady seems to be dulled and aged a good ten years in a matter of weeks. Overall, she looks awful and Zayn can't help but wonder if that's what he looks like to everyone else around him.

After a few more moments of just examining the woman, Zayn finds himself doing something that not only shocks him but everyone else in the room as well. He steps forward and pulls the woman into his chest and just hugs her. He hugs her and she hugs him back before finally the boy feels tears on his shirt.

"After you left, he would- wouldn't stop crying. He thought he l-lost you, he couldn't li-live with losing y-you. You're h-his favorite person," Trisha cries into Zayn's shirt and the boy can't help but allow the tears to fill his eyes, however, they don't manage to fall. Instead the boy just continues to let the woman cry into his shoulder as he does whatever he can to console her. After roughly five minutes, the two manage to separate as Trisha wipes away any remaining tears.

"I'm sorry, I guess I haven't really allowed myself to sit down and release out all my emotions yet, and just you- you're so identical to Yaser," Trisha says quietly as she caresses the boy's cheek. "I'll never understand how you Malik's are so strong."

"Mummy?" A small voice suddenly appears from around the corner, slightly scaring Zayn. As the boy turns around he's met by two young looking boys, the younger of the two hiding behind the older one, who hold the same lost look Zayn has seen on himself far too many times.

"Zeke, Zach. Come here, babies, I want you to meet someone," Trisha coos as she crouches down lower for the boys, and Zayn can't help but smile at the fact that Yaser chose to name all three boy's starting with Z. It was Gemma's favorite letter.