Affection | N.H

Chapter 49

("Smiles are meant to be big." -S.A.A)

The door swings open to reveal a beautiful woman in her forties. Her face looks familiar because of the Skype call the other night. Her light blonde hair's growth ends just below her ear. Her eyes, her smile and most of her features match with Niall's.

She stands at the doorway and stares at us, especially Niall. And Niall, he stares at his mother with parted lips. The tension in the air is too thick. Her lips slowly start to tremble as she bursts into silent tears. "Niall..." She mumbles as she steps out on the stairs and engulfs Niall in her arms. "My baby." She cries. She is so happy that the cast on his hand goes unnoticed.

I watch and try my hardest not to melt down myself. I wait for Niall to wrap his arms around her too. I mentally beg Niall to hold her too because I know she wants to feel her son's warmth. I know she wants to hear the word 'Mum' escape his lips. Her tears tell it all.

Niall stands still without moving his arms. He darts his eyes towards me. I mouth please to him and give him my best plea expression. Niall looks down again and I sigh in his mother's pain. He is too stubborn. He restricts himself too much. He goes too hard on himself.

"Oh dear." I hear his mother cry in relief. I quickly look up to see Niall holding her against him. His eyes are no longer blank. His eyes hold pain. Seeing his mother is reopening the wounds if his past but at the same time, he can't deny the feelings he has for the woman who showed him the light to this world. "Alright, alright, enough with you. Let's go in now. Then you can tell me what you did to that beautiful arm of yours." Niall's mother gently pulls back from him and pushes him towards the door. Niall waits at the doorway as she turns towards me. "Tarisha." She says under her breath. Her arms fly up in the air as she pulls me into a long, tight hug. "I am Maura sweetheart."

"It's very nice to meet you Maura." I politely smile as she pulls back.

She holds me by my shoulders and examines my face with a look of thankfulness in her eyes. She looks at me as if she is saying thank you silently, without speaking a single word. "Well, we got a lot of talking to do. Come on in love." She tells me in her Irish accent.

As I reach Niall at the doorway, he quickly gives my hand a gentle squeeze. His mother didn't see it. Thank goodness she didn't. She would probably be thinking that I am another hormonal teenager who just wants to get in bed with her younger son.

As we both enter the house, a tall man walks out from one of the rooms. He has got dark brown hair and a smile just like Niall's. He jogs to Niall and jumps on him while wrapping his arms tightly around him. "Niall, you came," he shrieks in a happy tone before pulling back and frowning at his arm. "What have you done?" Niall hasn't spoken a word since he entered. He seems to be nervous. Or more likely...angry. "Bro, talk to me." The man, who I assume is Greg, questions. "What's this?"

"Niall Niall Niall! I have heard so much about you!" A woman in similar years as Greg runs to Niall, pushes Greg aside and hugs him tightly.

"Hi, I am Greg. Niall's older brother. You're Tarisha right? It's very lovely to meet you." Greg puts out his hand before me to shake.

"It's wonderful to meet you too." I politely reply and shake his hands.

"And." He says leaning closer to my ear. "Thank you for bringing this dick down here. I didn't think he will show up. Mum told me the other day after skyping you that he has probably found the one." Greg whispers to me so that his grumpy brother can't hear him.

Unable to find any other words to say, I nod at Greg very shyly. Am I the one? Does Niall think the same?

"And youuuuu!" The woman turns towards me. She has beautiful long blonde hair and gorgeous big eyes. "I couldn't wait to meet you love!" She screeches as she embraces me in her arms. "I am Denise by the way." She smiles widely after pulling back.