Mutual [Horan]

[01] Beginnings

Niall Horan had had a rather exhausting train ride down to Cork; the county in which his only remaining grandmother resided. His visit to the south-eastern county was planned weeks in advance; on the account that his father's eighty-one-year-old mother was about to become an eighty-two-year-old.

Niall, having not seen his grandmother for several months, was looking forward to meeting with the older woman; even though it was only for a week. The predetermined notion was that Niall would move into a spare staff room at Summerset Retirement Home; where his 'Nanna Pat' had lived for just over eighteen months.

And, as Niall lugged his duffel bag towards an awaiting cab, Patricia Horan was just waking up for the day. Her withered face bore a smile; as it did every morning; and she looked up to the nurse standing above her with ancient eyes. Adeline Owens offered an arm for the elderly woman and Pat slowly lifted her hands, clutching cold fingers around the girl's forearm and pulling her fragile self up. Adeline offered her second hand as support on the woman's back until she was upright and propped against the bedhead; an array of plump pillows between her nightie and the wooden board. "How are we today, Pat?" Adeline said softly – her Welsh accent seeming out of place in the Irish town – as she turned to the small kitchenette's bench (that was hardly ever used for Pat, even though quite capable, would rarely cook for herself) before pouring just-made tea from a pot into the lady's special china mug.

"Oh, I'm alright, love," Pat replied, smiling with crooked teeth on full display as she began to smooth her bedcovers of crinkles in the fabric.

Adeline smiled at Pat's wellbeing and turned back to face the woman, the cup of tea, dubbed with milk and sugar Adeline had since added, in hand. "There ya go, darling," Adeline said, carefully placing it in Pat's frail hands. "Would you like your breakfast now or do you want it in the dining room? Shirley's having hers in there."

Pat thought for a moment; Shirley was the woman who resided in the room just across from her own. She was a nice lady with a real sense of humour. "I 'tink I will, 'tank you, Adeline," she smiled a toothy smile again.

Adeline nodded, making a note of the fact in her head. "Right, well I'll see you in just a moment then," she offered, fixing the woman's blankets, so she was well wrapped up. Pat, slurping at her tea, made wide eyes at the girl and gave little nods in confirmation.

The nurse then left, still smiling as she pulled the door shut. Adeline Owens had always wanted to be a nurse – ever since she was a little girl – she wanted to be someone who mends people back to good health; although working at a retirement home – where everyone she cared for was aged seventy at the very least – her job had somehow become about keeping people happy until they died – and that was taking a toll on the twenty-one year old.

"Alright, Ad?" an overweight, middle-aged-looking woman queried as she wandered down the hall, noticing Adeline idling at the door. Adeline's eyes quickly snapped up towards the woman's and, in an instant, a warm smile was etched back onto her face, carving a slight dimple in her left cheek. "Always, Cassie!" she beamed. "Although I might nip out for a fag – could you set a place for Pat at breakfast?"

Cassie half-heartedly went to roll her eyes and, as a result, ended up shooting a wasted glance at the wall before her eyes went back to Adeline, a smile forming on her lips. "You know those things give you cancer, don't you?"

"If only," Adeline joked, disappearing down the lengthy hallway, treading carefully on floorboards, as to not wake any still-sleeping residents. "Thanks, Cas," she whispered, upon hearing the woman's heavy sigh from the other end of the corridor. Finally, she reached the staff quarters and, after quickly poking her head into her own room and finding a half-filled cigarette box and her I ♥ NY lighter, she left through the staff exit.

She pulled out a cigarette from the box that's packaging depicted a graphic image of throat cancer. Adeline had long since taught herself to ignore such things. Lighting it with hastiness, she put the 'cancer stick' (as her father liked to call them) to her lips and breathed in deeply, her clouded mind suddenly seeming much more alert and aware.

As she allowed her arm to hang loosely beside her body, she gave her wrist the slightest of flicks, allowing any ash to be swept away by the wind. She drew her iPhone from her pocket, as she pulled up her cigarette for a second drag. Quickly opening the Facebook app, she noted the top post being that of her sister's, complaining about Cardiff traffic. Adeline smiled; she'd heard the same complaint several times before.

The exit door abruptly swung open and Adeline turned to face the exit. Cassie stood there, lightly panting. "Ad, Pat was asking to eat breakfast with you. Everyone's in there already."

"Sure," Adeline smiled, dropping the cigarette and pressed it into the ground with the ball of her foot and popping her phone into her pocket. She followed Cassie back through the staff quarters and down the long corridor until it eventual broke off into the communal hall, where the residents (and occasionally staff) ate their meals together.

Adeline quickly spotted Pat, next to Shirley, at a table over the far side of the hall and made her way over, leaving Cassie behind once again. She sat down across from the women, tucking a few stray strands of hair that the wind had pulled free behind her ear. "What are you two nutters talkin' about?" she said, cheerfully.

"Pat here, was telling me about her grandson that's coming to stay with us," Shirley smiled at me. "What's his name again, love?" she turned to Pat.

"Niall. Yeah, he's a lovely lad; about your age, Adeline and he's a singer in a band," Pat smiled, her crooked teeth as crooked as ever.

Adeline frowned, "Ya never told me he was a singer, Pat! That's really cool. You'll have to get him to sing for everyone here." Somewhere at the back of Adeline's mind, she had a nagging sensation, telling her that she was missing something big. Niall, the boy's name was. She wondered for a long moment, before adding Pat's last name onto his. "Hold on a second! Are you trying to tell me that your grandson is–" a pounding of footsteps broke Adeline's train of thought and she turned to face the culprit that was her distraction. "– Hey Nan!"

And there he stood; a blonde boy, wearing a massive grin and a collection of stylish clothes. Niall Horan of One Direction was officially at Summerset Retirement Home.

[A/N: THIS STORY HAS BEEN IN MY HEAD FOR SOOOO LONG AND I SIMPLY FOUND IT NECESSARY TO WRITE. THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST STORY I'VE WRITTEN IN WHICH THE BOYS ARE FAMOUS; SO I FEEL LIKE IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE. THANK YOU FOR READING, YOU SUPERSTAR. BE KIND AND DROP ME A COMMENT. I LOVE YOUR SEXY FACES AND YEAH. STAY FABULOUS.]