Never coming home *Mikey Way*

Chapter 8

Chapter title:  Something bigger than herself

It was a week after her mother's death that it started; the cough that just wouldn't go away. She had been running a fever for two days, and her chest kept on tightening and tightening. The doctor said it was bronchitis. Meadow said it was something else, something bigger than herself but of course everyone just thought the sickness was making her delusional and would simply pat her head and smile all while handing her the medication she had to take.

It was one of these sick days that her mother's funeral happened to fall on. Meadow dragged herself out of bed, immediately greeted with the all too familiar aches and pains of bronchitis. She grabbed out her simple black dress and slipped it on, all while coughing her lungs out.

Meadow and Grace ate in silence, only muttering a quiet 'hello' when Mikey and Gerard showed up at their door in their funeral attire. They were going for Meadow's sake; after all, it is what supporting friend do. Lucky for them, Meadow wasn't contagious, the doctor said something about it being chronic bronchitis and not acute, but Meadow wasn't paying attention to the rest.

As soon as the front door was open, the brothers embraced Meadow in a group hug, trying to make her pain of a lost loved one disappear. "It's going to be okay," Mikey murmured, "we are all here for you."

Meadow nodded her head in response before breaking out into another coughing fit. Gerard turned to Grace, "are you sure she is okay? It's lasted a while."

"It's only been a week, Gerard, I've had common colds last for longer," Meadow huffed, "I'm fine. Nothing you can say will stop me from going to my mother's funeral. Even if I were dying, I would still go."

Mikey and Gerard accepted that as her answer and the four of them drove to the funeral service in silence.

---

A couple of family members went to the funeral, and Brendon did uphold his words and came to the funeral to support Meadow and remember a time when Monica was alive and gave him cookies every second day. As the service trudged on, Meadow didn't shed a single tear; she felt numb. Towards the end of the funeral, Meadow was called up to say a few words about her mother.

"Hello everyone," she began, "today we are here to honour my mother Monica Shultz and her amazing life. Monida grew up in a fun household ran by my grandmother, her father passing away when she just turned one, and it shaped her to be this wonderful person and this even more wonderful mother. She always taught me to accept everyone and work hard; it didn't matter how well I did in school as long as I tried my best. My mother also brought me to love my passion today; space. She would come out with me every single night at 9 pm, and we would watch the stars for ages, marvelling at the beauty," a few stray tears fell down her face, "when I turned ten, she would bring a canvas out and we would both paint the stars and look at the changing they go through during the years that passed. I have so many memories of my mother, like that time when we were baking star cookies, and I spilt the batter everywhere, and we both couldn't stop laughing because it made a funny picture on the floor. Or when we would always go to this little cafe every Saturday morning and just sit and watch the world go by. She was there for me when no one else was and I was always there for her. Monica Shultz will never be forgotten as long as she never leaves our hearts. Thank you."

Meadow ended her speech and sat down next to Mikey. He gave her a side hug and held her when she finally broke down and cried at the loss of her mother and best friend.

As the service ended, people came up to the coffin to say their final goodbyes. As Meadow walked up to the flower arrangement on top of the coffin, she picked a carnation, her mother's favourite. She placed her hand on the coffin, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. Meadow knew she couldn't do this. People began to clear out, even her grandmother had said her final goodbyes, until it was just her, Mikey, Gerard and Brendon.

"You know," Brendon said softly, "she was like my mother too. I remember those star cookies with the little sprinkles on top. I remember coming to that cute cafe with you guys one morning. I remember Monica teaching me out to ride a bike because my parents were both too busy. She even taught me how to do algebra. Monica was like a mum to me as well and it feels like just yesterday she gave me that hug one last time. It's going to be hard but we can both get through it together."

---

The three of them left shortly after the service, Meadow couldn't take going to the Wake that was happening. She couldn't deal with any more "sorry for your losses" or "you were brave doing that speech" or even the "your mother was a great person." Meadow didn't even know half the people that showed up and to her, it showed that they weren't there for her mother and that they barely saw her after Meadow was born; after all, if they did then, Meadow would remember them.

Meadow opened the door to her house and stepped in, her friends trailing behind her. "How much longer can you guys stay?"

Gerard and Brendon looked at her guiltily. Gerard was first to speak, "I have some college work to do and I'm falling behind. I'm really sorry, Meadow."

"And my parents want me home, we have to move the boxes and stuff to settle into our house, I'm so sorry, I wish I could stay." 

Meadow smiled softly at them, "it's okay, I understand. Does this mean you have to go too, Mikey?"

Mikey looked wide-eyed for a second and quickly looked at his brother for approval. "You can stay. Text me when you need to be picked up."

Mikey nodded in response and watched as Brendon and Gerard went their separate ways. He felt a tugging on his shirt sleeve and looked down to see Meadow attempting to drag him towards the lounge room. "Let's watch The Little Mermaid," she whispered. 

Mikey sat down on the couch, pulling the blanket over him and Meadow, his heart rate quickening as her fingers brushed past his. He knew this wasn't the time to be thinking about this, about how he wanted to ask her out and hold her hand, her mother just died, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking about it. He had been crushing on her for a month now and Mikey knew it wasn't going to disappear any time soon. 

Mikey's thoughts were interrupted as Meadow started to violently cough next to him, her entire body shaking. "You okay?" He whispered.

"Yeah."

They continued to watch the movie in silence, Mikey enjoying hearing Meadow humming along to the songs. He enjoyed every minute of it.

Around halfway through the movie, Meadow stopped humming and pressure appeared on Mikey's shoulder. Looking down, he saw Meadow's head leaning on him, her hair falling in strands, covering a bit of her face. Mikey smiled to himself, feeling his face heat up. He knew he wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Reaching for his phone, he called Gerard.

"Hey, Gee."

"Hey Mikes, did you want me to come to get you now?"

Mikey paused, "well actually, Meadow is kind of asleep on me and I can't really move..."

Gerard quietly chuckled, "are you asking to stay the night?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, use protection Mikey."

"Gee! No!" Mikey gasped.

"No? Do you want to get her pregnant?"

"No! What I'm trying to say is that it won't even get to that. Jesus man," Mikey huffed and hung up the phone, resting his head onto Meadow's and drifting off into sleep.