You & I (Niam Horayne)

Dinner Night

Chapter 44:

LIAM

The whole week has surprisingly been a great one! After Niall and his mum fixed things between them, he's been a bit more happy about things, and I was happy for him. Harry and Louis were going good, both of them sometimes too caught up in each other to notice if someone else was talking to them. Zayn still wouldn't tell us who he was talking to, but he was always smiling while texting on his phone. And, surprisingly, Nathan was actually being a good friend. He always asked how Niall and I were doing and if we had any plans before we started talking about random things.

I was currently helping my mum set the table for dinner. I was very nervous. She insisted that I invited Niall and his mum over for dinner. She thought it would be a wonderful time, and though I agreed, I was still terrified of the impressions that would be made. I mean, Niall already knew my mum and I knew his, but they didn't know each other.

"Okay! Everything is finished! Now, I'm going to get dressed up before they arrive. Liam, can you turn off the oven for me, dear?" She asked, and I nodded as she left the room. I looked at the table, four chairs. Two were angled on one side and the others were opposite, almost in a circle. I felt a bit queasy, but I was trying to think positively and hope Niall liked the setting.

I went to the kitchen and turned off the oven when I heard the doorbell ring. I yelled out "COMING!" before rushing out from the kitchen and to the front door, collecting myself in case it was Niall. I opened the door and smiled as I saw him and his mum standing there. He was wearing a white button up shirt, opposite to my black one, and some dress pants. His mum was wearing a nice soft pink dress. They both looked amazing.

"Um, welcome." I laughed a bit from my nerves. "Come in. My mum will be down in a second." I said. Maura walked in first, and I complimented her. "You look lovely, Maura. My mum will certainly ask you where you got the dress." I said and she smiled at me, giving me a small hug before walking through to the living room. Niall stepped up and pressed a kiss to my cheek saying "You look amazing, Liam."

I fought off the blush that was tempted to crawl to my cheeks and said "As do you. Hot even." I said, winking at him. He laughed before he pulled me in for a kiss on the lips. I smiled into it, feeling like everything would be alright tonight.

"Hello! I'm Karen, Liam's mum. You must be Maura! Niall is an excellent boy, and I am just so thankful that Liam found him. Oh! That dress is beautiful by the way." My mum said as she came into the room. She tended to ramble around new people.

Maura laughed and our mums hugged before she said "Thank you. I'm glad that Niall found someone who truly cares and loves him." She said. It was such a huge relief to know that Maura was now fully okay with out relarionship and saw how much we loved each other. How in love we were.

"Well, I hope you're all hungry because I cooked quite a bit. The table is this way." My mum said, leading my mum away. I smiled at Niall before we walked after them, hand in hand. I held out the chair for Maura before doing the same for Niall. They were our guests, and I would always be polite to the both of them. They deserves every kindness.

My mum came from the kitchen with some pineapple juice and a bottle of red wine. She held the wine out to Maura and said "This is my favorite kind. Would you like some, dear?" She asked. Maura looked a bit uneasy looking at the bottle. She seemed tempted to say yes, but surprised Niall and I as she shook her head.

"No thanks, love. Trying to cut back on the wine." She said in a regretful voice. I knew she hated the fact that she used to drink so much. She hated knowing that Niall had to put up with her like that.

"Mum, you can have a little. I won't be upset with you for-" Niall began, but Maura shook her head and smiled slightly at him. She was being strong right now, and it was very admirable to see. Niall looked proud, and I knew that was all Maura wanted.

"It's fine, Niall. I don't need any." She said, patting his hand. He nodded, and I saw his eyes a bit watery at the fact that his mum was actually trying so hard for him. We sat in a silence for a while until my mum set the wine down on the counter behind her and then uncapped the juice.

"Well, I personally prefer the pineapple juice anyways." She said, smiling at Maura as she poured her a glass. Once that was all settled, and I helped my mum serve the food, we began to eat and have a conversation.

"So, I've heard you've gotten a divorce, and pardon my mentioning it, but I just wanted to say that I find it very admirable and strong that you are raising Niall more on your own now. It really shows strong character." My mum said.

"Thank you. I have to admit, Niall's been taking care of himself for a while due to my... um, alcoholism. It was a struggle to get over things, but your son made me realise that I was only hurting myself and my son. Um, what about your husband?" She asked my mum. My happy mood deflated a bit at the mention of him. It's been so long.

"Oh, he's overseas. My husband is in the military. At war right now. Has been for about four years. When he first left, it took a toll on Liam and I. Liam was so upset, and I tried my best to appease him, but I-"

"May I be excused?" I asked, not wanting to hear about my dad. I missed him so much, and everyday he was gone scared me even more. I just wanted to have some space right now. It still hurt me, but I always acted unaffected.

My mum nodded, and I got up to leave the room, seeing Niall looking at me with concern, but I ignored it. I left the table and made my way to my room. I closed the door gently behind me before standing there for a while, my eyes drifting to the nightstand drawer.

I took a deep breath and walked over to it, sitting on my bed and opening it slowly. My hand shook as I reached inside and brought the letter out. It was the last letter I got from my dad, before he was sent across the world to fight for his life and our freedom.

I never opened it. I never read it. I only knew he left overseas because my mum read the letter he sent her. It was before I got mine. I didn't want to open it. It would make everything seem too real, and I didn't want that. I wanted to live this lie that I conjured up, pretending my dad just worked all day and came home when I slept, left when I woke. I wanted to pretend he wasn't in danger, but safe at home, watching comedy TV as I went to school. But I couldn't. It was real, and I needed to get back to reality.

Still, no matter how much I told myself 'open the letter' my hands never moved from clutching it. I felt a tear drip down my cheek. I wanted to scream and cry, but I couldn't. We had guests over, and I was doing so good by holding this all in.

My bedroom door opened and I looked up to see Niall standing there with a worried look on his face. That was it. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I burst into tears, Niall immediately rushing towards me and holding me close to his chest. His hand roamed through my hair as he whispered in my ear. "Shh. You're okay, Liam. I'm here. I love you. You're okay. You're okay. It'll be okay..."