Stay Together For The Kids - Michael Clifford Fanfiction

Last words.

I see beautiful big, round green eyes blinking back at me. For a second I have this euphoric, optimistic, belief that it is Michael staring back at me. It takes me a few seconds to realise my daughter is standing before me, trying to talk to me.

"Mummy?" She repeats.

I sit up quickly, realising my mistake and feeling guilty that I had not awoken earlier. Ruby looks distressed.

"Lily." I hear mum calling.

I turn, and see her standing, talking to a man I can't see. I rub my eyes, trying to wake up fully.

I blink a few times, and through my haze of tiredness I see mum move out of the way, and I get a full view of the man mum was talking to.

My whole body burns with rage. It is Mr. Barance, Michael's lawyer.

Mum walks over to Ruby and I, and picks Ruby up into her arms.

"What's he doing here?" I whisper through gritted teeth.

"He just wants to talk about legal matters." Mum whispers back. She gives me a look that tells me to behave, before leaving the room with Ruby.

I glance over to the man in the hall. I grit my teeth and stand up. I guess I might as well get this over and done with.

I walk over to him, knowing my face is distorted into a look of anger and dislike.

"Hi, I'm Mr. Barance." He says, putting his hand out for me to shake, seeming oblivious to my apparent hate.

My jaw tightens as I shake his hand. I remember perfectly well who he is. I don't say anything back but a murmur to acknowledge who he is.

"I'm here to talk about your husbands will."

That throws me off guard. "What?" I demand.

"Your husband, Michael Clifford, and his will." The lawyer is looking at me with a worried expression, and I can guess my face is as blank as my mind.

Of course. His will. I guess I should of seen this coming. I wonder if I can delay this for later.

"Should we get started?" He asks, guiding me over to the couch.

"I'd rather wait for my mother." I say bluntly, but sitting down on the couch nevertheless.

Mr. Barance sits across from me, an air of carelessness about him. I try my hardest not to hit him. How dare he come into my home, and want to talk about my husbands death like it was no big deal. Just another day at the office.

Mum, thankfully, quickly comes bustling back into the living room. I look up at her as she enters, and she can tell I'm asking her to stay.

Once mum is seated next to me, with her arm resting on my shoulder in what I think is her attempt to calm me down, the lawyer takes no time in handing me a stack of papers.

"To my beautiful wife..." I start reading and my heart breaks as I read his words. It was written just after we had gotten married. We had opened a bottle of wine and wrote both our wills. We were meant to update them when Ruby was born, but we had never got the time. I guess that's all I'll ever want now, just a bit more time.

Michael's lawyer is reading, but I'm not really listening. I'm letting the memory of him, that night consume me. I remember his alcohol fuelled kiss, sloppy and slow, reaching down my neck. I remember giggling in the bathtub as we ended up in a water fight. I remember telling him I would always love him. And I remember sitting on the carpet, our clothes sticking to our wet bodies, listening to old albums we had forgotten about. And I remember him telling me that this what he had always wanted.

"Lily?" I snap out of the memory as I hear someone's voice reach me from far off.

"Sorry." I apologise. "What were you saying?"

"The house. It belongs to you."

"The house?" I blink.

The lawyer whose name I've forgotten frowns. "Yes, the house he purchased under his name. 22 Forrester Drive-"

"Yes. I know the house." I say quickly. "He gave me the house?" I ask, confused. I'm not so much confused as surprised. I hadn't given a thought to the house. I hadn't realised that someone would of had to take ownership of it.

The lawyer nods. "Well, he only states that his assets, other then the house be divided between you and and Karen, his mother. But he still has insurance, royalties, savings and superannuation which will all go to you."

"Which means what?" I ask, though in starting to get a clear idea.

The lawyer leans back in his chair, a self gratified look on his face. "Which means you're looking at receiving an estimated figure of $1.2 million."

"Excuse me?" I splutter.

The lawyer actually looks smug. Like he's expecting me to be thrilled that my dead husband left me a small fortune. I don't give a fuck about the money. I would rather my husband.

"I've already started to get in touch with your lawyer to make all the arrangements." He tells me. I'm not really listening but I can tell mum is.

"You'll need to go and sign a few things, but in the meantime I suggest talking to Karen and sorting out who is getting what. You'd rather sort it out in person then having a messy lawsuit." He advises me.

"We'll make sure to do that." Mum talks for me. I feel her grip around my shoulder tighten, and I think she knows I'm not ok.

"Great." The lawyer says, far too cheery. "I'll be seeing you very shortly I imagine." He packs his briefcase back off, saying goodbye to us both as he does. I don't say anything, just watch him leave with a cold dislike.

As soon as the click of the door shuts, I turn to mum. "I don't want that money." I tell her quickly.

Mum tuts. "I know it's hard right now. That you don't want to take money off him. But it's yours, Lily." She tries to reason.

I explode. "I don't want it to be mine!" I yell. I'm off the couch and walking up and down the living room. "I want him! I want him to come back."

Mum gets up to, trying to stop me from pacing, holding me by the arms. "I know, Lily. But think about Ruby. She's going to be need to be supported. She's just lost her dad. This is a good way to start to give her the support she needs."

I stop pacing, and start crying. Ruby has lost her dad. I repeat the phrase in my head. God, I had been so selfish. I had lost a husband, but I couldn't see that Ruby had lost a dad. And I know Mum had lost a son. I hug into her.

"I'm sorry." I whisper.

"Don't be sorry." I hear a chuckle in her voice and I'm surprised. "No one blames you." She tells me.

That isn't true. I blame me.

"You're going to need to go the house, you know that?" Mum asks, now watching me as I break from her hug and sit on the couch.

"I can't go into the house yet. I just can't." I say quietly. I feel like I am pleading with her, to try and make her understand.

Mum nods, sitting down next to me. "I know. I know." She says quietly. I move into her arms.

We stay like that for a while, mum agreeing to get in contact with Karen for me. I don't want to hear Karens broken voice just yet. It's selfish, but I can't stand to think about how she must be feeling. And I don't want to think anymore.

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I really really love this song and wanted to fit it in somehow, I feel like it's Michael's song to Lily. :(

Hope you're enjoying xx