Collaboration || Dan Smith

Sixty-Seven.

~ April 28th 2020 ~
Dan's point of view

Me and Lana sit down on my parents cream sofa together. I guess this time is much more relaxed. "So what's the news you've got for us? Does it involve us having to get all dressed up to see you in a white dress?" I awkwardly choke on my coffee while Lana literally slams her face into my shoulder.

That has got to hurt.

"No. No..." I shake my head as mum holds her heart. "Thank god. I don't want to miss out on that." To be honest I'd get both of our families involved. Not Lana's parents though, they're arseholes. "What is it then? Are you two moving in...already?" If she looks as if me and Lana moving in together is the worst thing ever...just wait until she legitimately finds out the news.

"Yeah. There's that but..." I bite my lip in nerves. This time it feels weird. Not necessarily awkward...but weird. Maybe this is how I'm actually meant to feel in this situation? "You're not...pregnant?" Mum whispers while dad lowers his paper and looks at me and Lana both.

Of course me being a gentleman-stroke-arsehole that I am, I look towards Lana. She can reveal it. "I might be..." She whispers while mum cups her hand over her mouth. Dad this time smiles nodding his head. "Oh my gosh...oh my-" mum stands up. This time she hugs me instead of Lana. "I'm so...happy for you both." She doesn't seem neither happy or angry. She's just...in shock.

"Rod! Come and help me serve this cake. We're celebrating." Mum pats Lana on the shoulder, probably the only time she has shown affection towards my girlfriend, and then walks out of the room while dad leans over and hugs Lana.

I on the other hand look at Lana in confusion. "Why did they take it so well?" She took the words from right out of my mouth. I shrug back my shoulders, "you stay here okay. I'm going to go all detective and listen..." Lana smiles as I quickly kiss her on the cheek and leap up from the sofa. I then disappear into the hall. I hear my parent shushed voices almost straight away - although I can't hear exactly what they're saying.

   So I move closer to the stairs - they're not in the kitchen like mum said. That's already pretty weird. I creep up each stair one at a time until I'll sitting on a few steps down. "Fuck!" I loudly moan as I hold where my heart is. Why the fuck is this playing up again? All I did was...never mind. I grit my teeth and bare the scary pain. Instead I focus my mind on what my parents are up too. The bedroom door is slightly open and I see my mother and father embrace each other lovingly. Neither of them seem happy which is peculiar.

   I peak my eyes over the last stair. Honestly I might just FaceTime Lana so she doesn't miss out. She'll probably ugly laugh at my hideout stake.

   "It's too soon." Mum cries.

   That's when I stop digging into my pocket and reaching for my phone. Instead I remain hidden as I listen in on their conversation. "I know, I know..." my dad coos over her crying. This just makes me feel like complete shit.

   Obviously I didn't mean for this to happen. Me and Lana...we aren't exactly careful. We get drunk on fine wine while watching tacky movies on the Movies 24 channel, and then we end up doing the dirty. One of those times...I must've forgot protection and now I'm here.

   Listening to my own mother cry over...me and my baby yet-a-fucking-gain. Jesus. I'm really the worse son of the year. That's when I rub my heart as something doesn't feel right. Maybe I should go to the hospital? I've even having these pains for a little while now. Enough is enough. "I can't have my baby suffering again. He already misses Bee so much!" Mum loudly cries as...it breaks me to see her this way. She grabs something from off of the bedside table and shoves it into my father's chest. "I miss her! I miss Maisie. I miss my old Danny! This isn't right! He is replacing them both." That's when my father lowers the picture...

   It's the photo the hospital took of Bee...just after she...oh god.

   I heavily breathe in and out as my heart feels like he is legitimately about to explode. This has just came out of the blue. I try rubbing it but that only makes it worse. So I try ignoring it. But this time I can't ignore it. I try crying out but I can't.

   I can't do anything except for hold my chest. My body stumbles down a few stairs heavily, but I cannot feel a thing other than that tremendous pain. My breathing only gets shorter and shorter. I hear mum come out into the hall. While everything fades to black - she then notices me. However I can't see or call for her.

   The only shout I can hear is her calling me by my name. My name and screams rings through my ears until my world cuts to a unsettling darkness.