Saturday:
This day came way too soon. Niall woke you up and you rolled over towards him your eyes filling with tears.
You: Nialler I don’t want to go… I don’t want to go. I just can’t face it…
He pulled you close and hugged you: its okay babe I’m here… I’m here.
Niall and you sat in silence for a long while, until you heard someone knock on the door, it was your mum.
Mum: C’mon babe, you need to get up… we have to leave in two hours or so.
You sighed and got up, you were checking to see if the water for your shower was warm enough when your Mum walked in: Oh my god! Mum you scared me!
She faked a smile: Here babe, your Aunt bought this for you before she came over.
She held out a black dress, it was a beautiful dress. It was completely black, no straps and would come to your knees. It got tighter right under the boob area and went out.
You hugged your Mum: I’ll tell Auntie Lisa thank you.
Your Mum held you tighter back: How are you doing Hun’?
You looked at her confused, but when she grabbed your arm pain came to her face: I’m so sorry this had to happen to us Shelby … I’m so sorry.
You looked at the ground: I wasn’t for a while… but now I just learned to accept it. I mean I’m still completely broken about it, but I realized something when I was eating my soup yesterday.
You’re Mum: ….and what is that?
You: I love Niall mum, and if he wasn’t here to help me through this… well I don’t think I’d be here at all to be completely honest with you Mum.
She held her hand against her mouth, and you smiled at her weak as she walked out. You heard her hug Niall and tell him he was a blessing. You looked at yourself in the mirror. The dark circles around your eyes were now faded, your cuts were healing, and your face was filling in again. You could almost see who you used to be again. You smiled: I miss you Dad… I miss you loads…
You got in the shower, and just relaxed. All your memories with your dad played out in your mind, when he would take you swimming, losing your teeth, the holidays, camping, or when he’d take you on vacation to different parts of the world, your first boyfriend… you laughed.
That wasn’t the greatest memory but you missed it.
You: Ugh… Dad. I wish you could be here right now… you’d really like Niall, Dad. You really would, you smiled to yourself as you turned off the shower.
You got out and got dressed into the dress your Aunt got you, you straightened your hair and put on mascara. You got out of the bathroom…
You: Niall can you wrap my arm again… so I can just tell family members I fell…
Niall pick up the bandaging stuff, and wrapped your arm. As he taped the last bit of it he kissed your wrist again and then your nose.
He looked straight into your eyes: I love you Shelby.
You grabbed him and pulled him close, your lips were just inches apart. Niall hadn’t kissed you since before your Dad died.
You: I love you too Niall.
You pulled him in and kissed him, he kept kissing you and it was just magic. You felt happy again, all the pain of your Dad dying went away. Everything that had ever happened in your life that was bad just slowly disappeared when you kissed Niall. Your smiled broke the kiss…
Niall: You smiled again… I‘ve missed that. A lot.
You smiled again, and patted his butt, go get ready. He got in the shower and you went downstairs to get some shoes from your Mum. She had a pair of silver heels. You slipped them on. They were a bit big for you but you didn’t mind. Niall came down the stairs minutes later in a tux. He looked so handsome; you couldn’t keep your eyes off of him.
Mum: Alright, where’s John?
You: I’ll go get him! He’s probably still downstairs.
You walked down the stairs and saw John looking out the window.
You: Hey John. It’s time to go.
He turned around and smiled at you faintly: Look at you squirt, I’m happy you’re doing better.
You hugged him: Me too. Let’s go, I can’t face everyone without you.
He laughed: Yeah especially, Aunt Margret.
You both shivered and laughed. You took his arm and guided him up the stairs. Your Mum smiled when she saw him.
Mum: Well let’s go.
You reached for Niall’s hand and he intertwined his fingers into yours.
The funeral was awful, you were crying… well everyone was crying, but theirs were silent. You couldn’t control yourself. Niall put his arm around your shoulder and held you close. You cried harder and harder as the funeral went on. The worst part was when your Mum was saying her speech about him and how great of a father he was. The slideshow had memory upon memory of him. It started when he was young, and progressed to meeting your mum, dating her, and then marrying her. There was a picture of John when he was born. When John at four years old on your dad’s lap with you in his arms, then you growing up with your dad. You lost it, you ran down the aisle weeping, Niall ran after you. You swung the doors open and fell to the ground in the hallway. Niall sat down next to you rocking back and forth.
Niall: Shh… shhh.
You laid there in his arms with him until you got yourself under control, when the ceremony finished you had a get together at Niall’s house with close family members. You made small talk with the family with John and Niall sat and talked with your dad’s dad in the corner.
You heard someone taping a glass to make an announcement it was your Mum. Everyone turned towards her…
Mum: I would like to thank you all for coming. It has been a really tough time for my kids and I, it feels so good knowing all of you are here for us… Well let me get on with it I guess.
Your eyebrows bunched together, you whispered to John: What is she talking about?
Mum: You all know how John is going to college in the fall, well I decided we won’t be moving back into our old house when they remodel it, it’s too big for just Shelby and I. I decided we would be moving in with my sister Lisa.
Your jaw dropped, Aunt Lisa lived in England not Ireland… how would it work out with Niall?
