One Last Summer (Dylan O'Brien Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty

Finally.

Thankfully.

Anything but the words she chose to use.

I knocked on the door and waited. I usually used to just barge in but it didn't feel right becuase it won't be the same.

"It’s open!" Ms. Lanchester yelled from somewhere in the house. I opened the door and stepped inside and immediately regretted it.

I felt, smelt, and saw her everywhere I looked. Our pictures were on the wall and her sneakers were tossed in a corner by the coat closet where she always left them.

"Ms. Lanchester?" I called walking through the living room.

"In the kitchen Dylan."

I headed to the kitchen to meet Alexis' mother baking chocolate chip muffins. She used to make them for us all the time.

"Hey, Dylan!" She said all excited. I smiled because I could see she was trying to put on a brave face.

"Hey."

"Are you okay?" She asked glancing over her shoulder at me.

"No." I said softly. She turned and wiped the flour from her hands before stepping to me.

"You miss her don't you?" I nodded and bit my lips. I didn't want to cry again.

"It's okay to cry, you know Dylan. I'm here for you." I nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat.

"It's supposed to be the other way around. How are you so strong?" She shrugged and led us to the counter and we sat on the stools.

"It’s never easy for a parent to lose a child Dylan. But parents take comfort in knowing that their child didn't die empty. You know what I mean?"

"I guess so. Like, she actually lived right?"

"Well, not exactly. She got to finish what had her so caught up and busy. She finished everything she started. So she didn't die with a bunch of 'what ifs'. 'What if I'd stop writing when that teacher told me I sucked?' 'What if I didn't send my stories out?' 'What if I didn't accept the scholarship from CCA?' 'What if I didn't let Dylan know exactly how I felt about him'?" I smiled at that last piece.

"You knew?" She nodded and rubbed my cheek.

"She called me the next morning and she was so happy. She told me you were planning an entire day for her. So I just want to say thank you. The last phone call from my daughter made me smile because she was so happy." I nodded.

"I did love her Ms. Lanchester. I loved her very much." She smiled at me and patted my hand.

"I know you did. I just have one favour." I frowned at her.

"Anything."

"Could you promise, that you'll come check up on me? Whenever you're home from college, so I have something to look forward to? I mean I understand if it's going to be too hard for you. It's just that you were more than my daughter's best friend; you were like a son to me. I'm not trying to replace your mom, or have you replace Alexis. I just need to know that there would be somebody out there that cares enough to pop by and see how I was doing."

My heart ached because I realized that Alex's mom lost just about the only blood relative she had left.

"That goes without saying. And I'm going to the University right here so I'll be around often. You can't get rid of me that easily." She laughed.

"Good, cause somebody's gonna have to bury me when I die." She said with a sad smile as a single tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.