Magicanimalclub: 2 : What Happened?

Closure

I woke up to the sound of Emily's alarm ringing, last night had been amazing, her proposal on the beach, the meal, the night home.. There was absolutely nothing wrong with yesterday, and that hasn't happened in a long time.
"Hey." I murmured as Emma lifted her blonde head.
Emma bit her bottom lip and smiled at me before pressing her young lips against mine.
"You gotta go to work?" I asked her, running my hand down her body.
"Unfortunately. But it's only a six hour shift, I'll be out by four." She replied, stepping out of bed and putting on a long t-shirt before looking in the mirror.
"Y'know you don't need all that makeup and stuff, you look beautiful without it." I told her. She just smiled at me but completely disregarded me as she began to pump some of her skin-coloured liquid onto the back of her hand.

--DAVIDS POV--
"Where's Ash? He didn't come home last night.. I've been texting him but he hasn't responded." Said Rosie in panic as she sat on the sofa beside me.
"He's fine." I assured her, I didn't remember a lot, just that his girlfriend said that she would propose to him.
"Dad.. How do you know?"
"Just wait and see." I told her, sipping my tea. Stampy sat down beside me with a cup of tea.
The door opened and.... Someone walked in..

--ASH's POV--
"Hey Dad!" I greeted, sitting down beside him on the sofa after I dropped my bag on the ground.
"Where's the happy couple?" He asked me,
"Emma's at work at the café for a bit." I said, before he winked at me, "wait- how did you know.."
"Emma told me she was gonna propose." He said, "-and for once in my life I remembered."
I just hugged him, "we're engaged dad." I whispered, making him chuckle.
"Where were you Ash?! I've been texting you!" Rosie asked, walking in,
"Oh sod off Rosie I'm twenty one." I laughed,
"Old enough to know not to go out and drink or sleep with some girl."
"Old enough to drink and sleep with my fiancé." I responded.
Rosie stopped and faced me with wide eyes,
"No.." She began,
"Life's too short." I said,
"Ash this isn't gonna last your only-"
"Let him live his life." Dad intruded, "you only happen once."
"Who's got a fiancé?" Said my brother James, bouncing into the room,
"Me!" I exclaimed,
"Y'wha?! Come on how come he's engaged at 21, and I haven't even got a girlfriend at 24?!" He laughed, patting my shoulder,
" 'cuz you only do one-night-stands." Rosie answered, smirking.
"Shut up! You're single too!" James laughed, nudging Rosie.
"That's what you think."
Seeing my dad laugh just made everything so much better. He was imagining things and forgetting things, but it felt like it was just him, the old him, back with us when he laughed.
"So where'd you propose to her?" James asked,
"She proposed to me, on the beach beside the harbour."
"Oh all the cliché romance! So where's your ring?" Rosie asked,
"I put it on her- that's what you're supposed to do right? It was her mum's."
"Guess so? Why didn't you propose to her?"
"Well it never really crossed my mind.. It was totally unexpected-"
The door knocked.. I wasn't aware of how long we had chatted for, Emily and her mother were at the door.
Rosie opened the door and greeted them, letting them inside.
"Oh my god let me see your ring!" Rosie yelped, holding out Emma's hand, "it's so gorgeous!"
"Thanks." Emily responded, smiling at me.
I noticed her mother, Beth longingly looking directly at my dad who seemed to completely disregard the world.
As Rosie and James seemed to diminish away, Beth, Emily, Dad and I were left to converse.
"I wonder what your mother will say." Dad began, "I bet she'll scream!" He laughed.. He kept forgetting that she died. "She should be coming home any minute." He added. Everyone else was silent as my smile faded.. What would she say?
"In which case.. we better be heading home-" Beth said.
"No please stay! Both of you." Dad insisted.
"Da-" I began, a symptom of dementia was aggression, I didn't want Beth to feel pressured.
"She can sleep in your room and Sqaishey can stay in the spare room." Dad organised.
Beth smiled, no one had called her Sqaishey in a long time.
"I suppose I could.." Beth said, her hand gripping Dad's shoulder.
Emma and I smiled at each other, but I was concerned about the relationship between my dad and Emma's mum.

As night fell I lay in bed beside Emily,
"What's up with mum and him?" She wondered aloud,
"I don't know but... I hope it's nothing." I replied, "I mean.. It is nothing."
"But mum's never like that to any other guys.. All.. Touchy-feely. When's the last she saw him?"
"Since I dropped out of uni she hasn't visited.. So not for about six months." I explained,
"I guess he reminds her of Dad a lot.." Emma said, looking up at the ceiling.
We stayed quiet for about two minutes before I heard voices in the guest bedroom where Beth was staying.

--BETHS POV--
I sat in bed on my phone until the door suddenly opened without knocking and David stumbled in.
"Oh.. Hi." I said, standing up. David looked so confused now and it killed me to see him this way.
"Just wanted to say good night to you and Joe." He said, waving at thin air.. Still thinking that Joe was alive.
"I hope you have a good night too David." I told him, tearing up. "You and Nicole.."
"Oh Nicole's not here." He said,
"Oh..?"I responded, not aware that he remembered of Nicole's death.
"She's seeing her family." David said. Making a tear fall from my face.
"W-well have a good night D-David." I told him, trying not to cry.
The door opened again and Ash popped his head through to collect his dad.
"-he's not bothering you is he?" He asked, noticing my tears.
"No- no not at all. Thanks Ash." I responded. Covering my mouth with my hand.
I saw Ash put his father to bed in the room opposite, and just before he approached his bedroom I called him,
"Ash?" 
"Y-yes?" He replied, stepping onto the threshold of my door.
"Come in.." I said, shifting over on my bed. Ash sat down carefully beside me.
"How can I help you?" He asked,
"How can you help him?" I asked him, my eyes watering,
"Well..." He looked down,
"How can you stand up straight and put on a happy face when you have to look after David? How do you convince my daughter that you love her when you have to go home to this? How can you keep it together when he mentions your mother or.." I stopped myself from saying anymore, Ash put him arm around my neck as I cried, "how.."
Ash took a couple breaths, "I guess you just need to know when to tell the truth and when to lie... I can't tell him the truth about mum.. Because he'll forget it. And then I'll only have to hurt him over and over and over again by reminding him.. Isn't it better just to tell him she's away? Give him- give him something to hold on to?"
I nodded, "how long has he got left?" I dared to ask him.
"Doctor said.. D-doctor said about a month or less." Ash said, his eyes glistening with unbroken tears.
"What happened..." I sighed.