Not So Typical

Chapter 24

I don't know how we ended back up at the correct hospital room, I think Harry has a photographic memory and isn't telling me. We had walked in silence but our hands stayed tightly grasped. As we approached the doorway the electronic beeps and whirs seemed to wrap around me like a thick fog, not allowing me to focus on anything else.

"Harry, come see mummy, don't be shy" she quietly whispered as we walked into the room.

I expected him to drop my hand and leave me to sit with Gemma by the door but he clung tightly to me as took small steps toward the bed. I had no choice but to follow him or he was going to drag me with him.

"Hi mum" he said softly as he bent over and placed a kiss on her forehead.

She gave a kind smile and reached for his free hand. The small motion seemed to take every single bit of energy she had in her body, she was awake now but I think everyone knew that there wasn't much time left.

"This is Melody, Mum. She's special and wonderful and I'm really glad you two get to meet each other."

I glanced over at him to see color filling his cheeks and I felt mine doing the same.

"Nice to meet you dear, I'm Anne" she breathed out with a small smile.

"You've raised a great son, Mrs. Styles. I don't know where I would be without him" I replied giving Harry's hand a squeeze.

"I always hoped he would turn out to be a nice boy, I'm glad I get to see that become reality. I can tell you make him so very happy."

She seemed to be panting after saying that many words at one time, she was getting weaker with every moment she tried to interact with us.

"I love you Mum, we all do. Me and Gemma both, Robin too."

Gemma appeared next to him, placing her hand on top of Anne's so that Harry and were both holding it tightly.

"It's okay if you think it is time to go Mum. We won't be upset, we have each other. Harry has Mel and I have Ash, we're gonna be okay. You raised us well, you've done your job. If it is time to go home, go home Mum."

Tears were falling from all four of our faces. Harry was squeezing my hand so tightly I felt my fingertips losing circulation. I leaned my head against his arm and kept to myself, this was their moment. Gemma was right though, I would take care of Harry, he wasn't the guy I had painted in my head as a child but I knew he was the one I was going to spend my life with, I would take care of him.

"I love you both so very much" Anne whispered before closing her eyes.

She seemed to drift off into a peaceful sleep, her hand holding onto her children's and their hands holding her's. A few minutes passed before the nurses came in and unhooked all the wires and started preparing for her body to be taken away and be prepared for the funeral.

This wasn't how I wanted this to be, I didn't want my first time meeting his mum to be the last. I wanted this to end with taking her home, not completely well but only needing time and medication to get better. Instead we would be staying here for a few more days to sort the funeral arrangements and to bury his mother. He was barely an adult and he was burying his mother, I couldn't bear the thought of having to do that myself.

"I'm okay. She went happily and that's all I could ever hope for" Harry said as we stepped out of the room.

I nodded but didn't push the conversation further, I knew he needed some time inside his own head to sort out everything completely and I was okay with that. We decided to return back to Brighton for the night to collect appropriate funeral clothes and arrange to be away at our jobs and to return the next day. Gemma seemed a bit more upset about things but promised she was okay being alone for the night and we had to take her word for it.

The train station was busy with people returning back to their homes after a long day at work. We somehow managed to make it through the entire process in complete silence only communicating through hand squeezes and eye glances. It wasn't until we got inside the taxi that would take us back into the city that the silence was broken.

"There is no one else for me, you do realize that yeah?"

"What are you blabbering on about" I said being pulled from my daze.

"After all of this, how you handled it and how you treated me. How my mum acted towards you and how you acted towards her. I know it for sure. You're the only one for me Mel."