A Collection of Stories

Trust Me

SUMMARY:

When I was little, I always imagined this fairy tale life, where I'd meet the man of my dreams before I'd go off to college, marry him by the time I graduated, have a few of his kids before we turned thirty. And I almost had that too, until my world came crashing down around me. My parents had been dead for a few months, and my fiancée the same. My year old son and I were left all alone.

Then I met Harry.

The boy who washed all my troubles away, who made me feel alive again.

*

When I was little, I always imagined this fairy tale life, where I'd meet the man of my dreams before I'd go off to college, marry him by the time I graduated, have a few of his kids before we turned thirty. And I almost had that too, until my world came crashing down around me. My parents had been dead for a few months, and my fiancée the same. My year old son and I were left all alone.

Then I met Harry.

The boy who washed all my troubles away, who made me feel alive again.

~

Mim and Da helped my get everything into their house. Ireland was a different change of pace change from Boston. But it was a welcome change, one that Jesse and I needed. I sat in the kitchen, feeding Jesse lunch as the last of the boxes arrived. Mim stood in the doorway, watching me. It was hard losing my parents; it was even harder losing the father of my child, the man I loved.

She walked over to us and sat next to me, touching my arm lightly. I looked at her, running my fingers through Jesse's hair. "How are you feeling, Charlotte?" She asked softly. I looked at Jesse, closing my eyes for a moment.

"I'm doing better that yesterday." I said softly. Jesse yawned as Mim was about to ask another question. I picked him up and looked at Mim. "I'm gonna put him down and go into the city. Call me if he wakes up, please, Mim." I said, going up stairs and putting him down on my bed. He was fussy and refused to sleep, so I sat next to him and sang him to sleep.

I went out the back door, grabbing my keys on the way out. I got in my car and just drove to the city. I drove to the pub Mom and Dad owned before we moved to America.

We left because Gram and Pap had died and it was hard for Dad to stay in Ireland. I grew up there; it was part of my life. I pulled into the parking lot and stared at the door, waiting before I went in.

I opened the door and walked in slowly, waiting for the reaction I've needing so badly these past few months. Uncle Mickey looked up from the bar, his jaw dropping slightly. I sniffed and walked in the rest of the way, being attacked by family and friends from a life time ago. Uncle Mickey pushed through the crowd and hugged me close, kissing my hair softly.

"I'm so sorry, Charlie." He whispered in my ear. I nodded and buried my face in his chest, fighting back tears. He pulled back and kept his arm around me, looking at everyone. "A moment of silence, please," He shouted, bowing his head and closed his eyes. Everyone else followed suit, murmuring a prayer for my parents.

A moment later, he straightened and opened his eyes. "Alright, go back to what you were doing." He said, leading me over to the bar. He sat me in a bar stool and poured me a beer. "Now, I know you're not the legal age yet, but this is a special occasion dear." Uncle Mickey said, looking at me. "Tell me about before the accident, Charlie. I've missed a lot."

I smiled faintly at my uncle, sipping the beer. "Well, we moved to Boston, Massachusetts. We met a lot of guys who knew you, Uncle Mick. They said you were in the navy together or something. Um, I started high school a week after we arrived. I didn't know a thing that was going on and everyone looked at me funny when I named things differently than what they're used to. It's really annoying." I bit my lip as I took another sip. "I have a son." I said.