Forever And Ever.

45

My head was killing me. I felt like I'd been asleep for about seven thousand years. "Jess" Liam shook me "Jess, fuck sake wake up will yer man?". I open my eyes and look at him. He looks older, like the age frying pan has hit him right in the face.

"Morning" I grumble.

"Morning, Honey, guess what day it is today".

"Thursday?" I wasnt even sure it was thursday.

"And?".

"My birthday?" I ask. "Oh god, again? How old am I this time?".

"Fifty" he replies with the upmost confidence.

"FIFTY" I shout back "what? Thats impossible".

"Its very possible and it's today, half a decade old, can you believe it?" He puts his hand on my shoulder "come on, we gotta go down for birthday breakfast".

I get up, I was already in button down pjamas so I just followed him into the kitchen and "SURPRISE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY" some people shout. Some of them I recognised and some of them I didnt.

"Hello, everyone" I reply awkwardly "nice of you to come". This really was my own personal hell.

A petite brunette girl steps forward, I knew who she was straight away because she looked exactly like her dad, that and the fact that she was wearing a bow in her wavy bob cut hair to keep her fringe back that I had given her as a toddler. A pink sparkly one. "Happy birthday mum" she smiles "this is from me and Tommy". She holds up a package wrapped in silver holographic wrapping paper.

"Oh Eliza, look at you" I smile "yer so big now, so beautiful".

"Thanks mum, but ive been big for a while" she chuckles.

"W...who's Tommy?" I ask, feeling like thats the wrong thing to ask.

"Oh mummy, dont be so silly" she hands me the package and then pulls foward a boy that is about nineteen, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here and he was dressed like a goth "This is Tommy, your son".

"Our son" Liam adds and then takes my hand "are you ok, Jess?".

"Yeah I'm fine why?" I ask.

"I think its getting worse, Dad" Eliza replies.

"Dont be irrational, tommy has been away with university and all that, maybe he just slipped her mind" Liam shrugs.

"Yeah but her own son?" Tommy adds.

"It happens maybe she's just tired" Liam mutters a response.

"I am right here you know" I reply but they ignore me.

"Actually thinking about it, she's messing little things up alot recently" a  blonde woman I dont recognise replies.

"Yeah only out of concern for her I'm going to say, the other day I asked her to help me walk the dog and she tried to put the lead on the cat for half an hour to go walkies. We laughed but I think its getting serious" a man I dont recognise replies.

"Dont make up such fuckin' toss, Guigsy. you of all people should know, she's just fuckin' tired man" Liam defends me. Guigsy. I know that name, where do I know it from?

"Whats going on? Am I dying?" I ask.

Liam looks round at me, well actually everyone does and he hugs me. "No no, dont be silly, Jess. You're far from dying my love. Yer absolutely fine" he replies "I love you so much".