THE NIAM DIARIES

Epilogue

8 Years After

There was ruckus in the kitchen: of plates, spoons, pots, and pans being quickly cleaned.

Niall totally forgot the dishes and it was already afternoon. As he stood there over the sink, he left the radio on hoping for a song that will help him with the battle against the dishes. The strums of the guitar made Niall tap his feet as he scrubbed the dishes and the cool breeze went through the room from the outside. It was already December and Niall’s already set up the whole house yesterday.

The tree stood gorgeously in the living room with all the décor hanging on its branches; the wreath was placed this morning on the door before Niall went to work; and the entire house was decorated just after lunch. But he still forgot the dishes…

Take me back to the house and the backyard trees

Said you’d beat me up, you were bigger than me

You never did, you never did

Take me back when our world was one lot wide

I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried

Just two kids – you and I

Oh my, my, my

Niall glanced at the clock and it was already three. Liam would be arriving within the hour from London and he totally forgot about the dishes… And then there’s James.

Liam, in some amazing way Niall didn’t know, found a way to work in London and go home to Niall in the weekend. Niall tried to force the little secret out of Zayn, Lillian, and even Liam himself but no one would tell him. During the weekdays, Niall doesn’t get lonely either because James always visited him.

James was Lillian’s five-year old son. Two years after Liam and Niall got married, Lillian finally admitted to Liam and Zayn that she was dating Dean. Zayn was happy, Liam felt differently. Niall thought he would never see Dean again but he should have known better.

When Dean proposed to Lillian was the first time ever since Niall left for San Diego that he saw Liam get depressed like that. On the night of their first wedding anniversary, as they danced on the rooftop of the hotel in London, Niall looked at Liam in the eyes and asked why he wasn’t pleased with Lillian wanting to marry Dean. Liam, sensitive to the topic Niall just opened, chose to stay silent; his lips stayed shut which displeased Niall.

“Liam…” said Niall softly, “I know you’ve been avoiding your daughter ever since she and Dean went and told us the good new–”

“–There’s nothing good about the whole bloody thing–” muttered Liam.

“Liam, I’m talking to you – let me finish!” the blond one snapped. Niall let go of his hold on Liam’s hand and swatted off the hand which was on his waist. Liam stepped back, his eyes averting Niall’s gaze. The moon hovered above them, its light casted upon the two of them, their skin pearly white from the moonlight; the wind’s chill also gave the night and their sudden silence a different meaning.

A bit startled by Niall’s change of tone, Liam nodded. They fought sometimes but it’s just usually over some petty things like what food to eat, where new furniture should be put, or just Niall’s habit of leaving his cookbooks, and papers and sticky notes all around the house which irritated the neat-freak Liam; but never has Liam seen Niall snap at him like that. The shadows, made by the moonlight, around Niall’s eyes gave his stare a more striking look. The Irish one felt Liam was being ridiculous: his dislike was more than just a shallow disapproval – Niall was sure of it. There had to be a deeper reason to why Liam didn’t want Lillian to marry Dean.