Alexandria's Superman

(eight) conqueror

(Liam's POV)

"Thank you for taking me in for a couple days, Shelbs." I hugged her tightly while we were parked and standing in the parking lot of a Walmart, halfway between Pontiac and Chicago.

"Of course, Liam. We love you."

I kneeled down in front of my niece, who was super happy to come on the drive with us. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her little legs around my waist, not even making it all the way around.

I stood up with her in my arms and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Rach. You stay out of trouble for your mommy, okay?" I winked at her making her giggle.

"I love you, too, uncle Liam! I don't want you to go, I'll miss you." The frown that made itself present on Rachael's face put my heart in physical pain.

"I'll miss you, too." She laid her head in the crook of my neck.

I faced Shelby again, still holding her daughter; she had a half-grin on her face at the image of Rachael and I in front of her.

"Next time I get a call from Chicago, it better be from you and your cell phone, got it? Preferably you talking about how you're doing better than how I just saw you these past few days."

"I promise, Shelby." Rachael suddenly let out a high pitched, alarming scream. Frantically, I turned around to see Taylor pulling into the parking lot, waving to us. Rach maneuvered her way out of my arms and ran to Taylor's awaiting arms.

Taylor's basically been family since the day he moved to the Riverside school district in second grade.

"Uncle Tay!" She cheered when he swooped her up in a swift motion.

Rachael is probably the only person he will ever get away with calling him "Tay."

"Hey, Shelbs." Taylor grinned at her. He gave her the best one armed hug he could with a growing 7 year old in his arms, clinging to him.

"Hi, Taylor."

It took 5 minutes of screaming and crying on Rachael's part, but Shelby managed to pry her away from Taylor and get her grumpily settled in the car. Leaving her was always the hardest part of visiting her.

"I love you, guys." Shelby said, giving us one more big hug. "I'll see you on Thanksgiving."

Taylor waited until Shelby had driven off to put his car into drive and start our journey home.

"She's getting so big." Taylor commented.

Taylor has been part of our family since the day we met. My brother had immediately taken him under his wing and cared for him like he was his own blood. Gavin's death, my brother, had taken its toll on everyone he was associated with.

He was too good of a guy for his death to go unnoticed. Definitely too good for the depths of Chicago.

"I can't believe he's already been gone for 7 years."

7 years without the best man that this town will ever see.

"Did she come by, Taylor?" My voice was barely audible, I wasn't sure if he had heard me judging by his straight face and lack of response.

Just before I repeated it, his eyes flickered over to me momentarily.

"She did, yesterday morning. She didn't say it, but I have a good feeling she was there in hopes of seeing you, but I told her you went of town."

She probably wasn't there for me. I don't see why she would be. I have given her no reason to stick around, despite that being exactly what I wanted from her - her to stick around.