Wildest Dreams - Sal Vulcano

Grief

⚠️ Death/Grief ⚠️

The phone rung early morning, it was my mum and I knew it wasn't good news.

"Hello..."
"Ellis, He's gone. You should come to the hospital" My mum sobs on the other side of the phone.

I get out of bed with tears rolling down my eyes, my brother calls asking if i'm ok and tells me he'll pick me up on the way. I throw on the first thing I can find and make my way outside where my brother was already waiting. We never said a word to each other on the way to the hospital, we were soon in the room with my mum. We both hugged her and I couldn't look at my dad just yet, my mum sobs into our shoulders as we sat down beside her. I look at my dad who looked peaceful now, all the pain had gone. My aunty took my mum home and myself and my brother waited on the death certificate, after receiving that I look my dads hand and said goodbye to him one last time. The rest of the day was spent in my mums house with family speaking about funeral arrangements.

Around dinner time I went home, I unlocked my door and kick off my shoes, locking the door behind me, I sit on the couch and turn on the tv. I was in a weird headspace, we were expecting my dad to pass but I never actually thought it would happen, how naive.

I sit on my phone on the online banking app sorting out my finances and setting money aside for the funeral, my mum couldn't work due to health conditions and I wasn't going to see her in a financial burden. My phone begins to ring and the photo of me and Sal pop up with his caller ID, I sigh before answering the call. I really needed him here with me right now.

"Hiya" I smile as I answer.

"Hey Ellis! I just wanted to check in with you, I'm kinda jealous of Q having Ava here with him. Wish you were here with me. What have you been doing today?"

"Um... I was at the hospital for most of the day..."

"What?! Are you ok?!" I hear the panic in Sal's voice.

"My dad passed away this morning, Cancer".

There's a pause on the other side of the phone before Sal begins to speak. "El, i'm so so sorry babe. I wish I could be there with you". We speak for another couple of minutes before I hear a voice in the background telling Sal it was time to go on stage, we say goodbye and I make my way up to bed settling down for the night.

The next couple of weeks were a blur, with arranging a funeral which i'd never done before it was a lot more than people expect from the coffin to the flowers and music and a speech for the day. The funeral was over and done with in the blink of an eye and we went to the wake afterwards in my dads favourite local pub. As the day got on I was downing alcohol like it was water mainly to get through everyone approaching me with their condolences. Around 6pm I was completely smashed, a couple of family members offered to take me home but I declined. I sat the bar with Ava who came back for the funeral, she hadn't had a drink and was the designated driver. I sit in my black dress and tights staring at the bottom of my glass when I get tapped on the shoulder, great, another one of my dads friends coming to offer their condolences. I swing round slightly in my chair and I nearly fall off when I realise that it's Sal is stood in a black suit and tie.

"Sal?" I question jumping off the bar stool he pulls me into him and I wrap my arms around him with tears falling down my cheeks.

"I'm so sorry for your loss El" he mumbles against my shoulder. Ava must of traveled back to Scotland with Sal and told him where the funeral and wake would be. I was so drunk I could hardly stand, Sal looks down at me brushing away the tears from my eyes. "Can I take you home?" He asks, I nod back in response as Sal orders an Uber, I stumble towards my mum and brother letting them know i'm going home. I climb into the Uber with Sal holding my hand as we make the 15 minute journey back to my house.

He was really here.