Always, Alice

Mum

If anyone reading this is dealing with grief or loss, you got this, you are so strong ✨

Harry, Alice and the class spent lots of time practicing the words over the rest of the week. They only had four weeks to perfect it and that wasn't long when it came to teaching five and six year olds to do a performance on stage. Alice loved practicing with them though, and - it turned out Harry had the voice of an angel too. She could sit and listen to him teaching them their song all day long, was there anything he couldn't do?

Friday came around before they knew it and Alice was relieved it was the end of another week. Harry had suggested that Alice, Niall and Hayley come round to his for an evening of dinner and drinks on Saturday which she couldn't wait for, her three favorite humans. Tonight however, she was going over to see her dad - she wanted to sort out her mum's belongings. It had been playing on her mind for a while now and she wanted everything sorted before anything would be touched by the woman currently making herself at home in the place Alice grew up.

As she was tidying the classroom she heard Harry shuffle up behind her. The kids were all away and it was just the two of them left.

'I've got to shoot off today, are you still coming round tomorrow?,' he placed his hand on her hip, his beautiful tartan jacket wrapped around him ready to head out into the cold.

'Yeah, I can't wait,' she replied and wrapped her arms round his shoulders. He looked into her eyes, full of kindness and warmth - an encouraging smile across his lips.

'Be strong tonight, I know it's worrying you,' he said softly, brushing a lock of hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

'Thank you,' she looked down at her feet before Harry pulled her into a tight hug. She relaxed herself in his arms, he had a way of making her feel so safe. Harry then kissed the top of her head and made Alice look at him again before telling her to call him if she needed anything.

'I will, I promise,' and they pushed their lips together before saying goodbye. Alice sighed as she watched him go, tonight was not going to be fun.

*

'Alice this is always your home, always,' her dad said to a distraught Alice. 'You can come back here or stay in the other house, it's totally up to you,' he told her, hugging her closer to his side as tears rolled down her face. Her mum hadn't been gone long - it was still so raw and her emotions were all over the place.

'I don't want you to be alone Dad, I don't want you to be lonely,' she said, wiping tears away with the sleeve of her jumper.

'Alice, the house will be quiet without my girls - but the memories here still feel so alive, and you're not far away - pretty much round the corner. And who knows, maybe I'll finally get myself a dog,' he chuckled, and Alice felt herself laughing too. 'This is our home sweetheart, it's where we made the most wonderful memories, you, me and you mam, this will always be our home no matter what life throws at us or how grown up you get.'

It was around dinner time when Alice arrived outside her dad's home. She took a deep breath before pushing through the front door, although nowadays she felt the need to knock rather than just go in - which she did before stepping inside. She was greeted by her dad, standing in his living room talking to one of the woman's kids that now lived there - her heart sank a little, she wasn't even really sure why it made her feel so sad.

'Hey Sweetheart,' her dad called over, 'I'm so glad you're here,' he said.

'Should we get started,' she replied, she didn't want to be here longer than she had too, she didn't like how it felt here anymore, this wasn't somewhere she felt welcome.