matty healy, falling in love over night

goodbye my almost lover

two months later

september 1st

i had a less than a month until i was due.
in the months that had passed i'd worked at the firm that i had transferred to, today was my last day before i left for maternity leave.

gemma's modelling career was taking off, so many companies wanted her and she loved her job.
in the past two months i'd seen her change, her frail state had flourished into someone completely different. i was happy for her.

i loved where i worked, i mainly was an assistant and the other wasn't amazing but it was enough to keep me afloat.

i went to manchester university and secured my place. i would start the course at home, it began on the tenth, so i would do the assignments at home and have skype calls with my tutor until i was able to go in.

matty hadn't tried to call.
he hadn't tired to find me.
in fact the last i heard about him was kian telling me he saw him getting dropped off at the airport by george.
kian said he looked gone, completely gone.

i knew i still loved him because as much i hated him for what he did, it hurt to hear.

we had met our neighbours, they were all lovely. we lived on a row as we were in a flat, at the right side lived josh and jake, two best friends who went out seemingly every night. gemma had gone with them a couple times. the left side lived betty and leo, an old married couple who really deserved everything in life.
when gemma went to shoots or nights out they would coke round with camomile tea and biscuits to make sure i was okay.

and i was getting there.

i went to therapy once a week and it was really helping me work through everything. i went to therapy after lia died but it didn't help, this one did. i was open about my life, lia, matty, all of it. we were really talking through everything i had going on inside my head.

gemma had come to all the baby scans with me and we began to talk baby names one night.

a couple nights previous

"the due date is soon" she said

"i'm so excited" i gushed

"we can be co parents" she laughed

"so you're the daddy?" i grinned

"shutup"

"we need to think about namesssss"

"what about gemma?"

"gemma and gemma huh i love it"

"okay no for serious though, you want lia as a middle name .. what names do you like?"

"i don't knowwwww i want it to come to me"

"you are so difficult grace" she laughed

i couldn't help it, the due date was the 27th of september so not long at all from now. and i meant it. i was excited. terrified but excited. i'd saved al my money and now had a good chunk, my parents also sent me a large check for moving into the flat but i saved the majority of it.

9:30

"hiya mum" gemma said poking her head round my bedroom door

"hey dad" i joked

"work soon"

"ughhhhh"

"last day bitch"

"i knowwwww, can you drive me?" i said pouting

"yet your fatass up you know i will"

i loved our relationship, we were really like sisters. we fought over washing up and stupid things but we always made up within the hour

"gem?" i called

"oui oui?"

"love ya"

she smiled at me before climbing into my bed and hugging me

"i love you"

an hour later gemma had dropped me off at work and sped off for a shoot. i couldn't believe this was my last day, i'd made some really good friends here in the short two months. i knew i'd be back in a couple of weeks but even so, i'd miss having something to get up in a morning for.

"heya grace" the receptionist called angela beamed at me

"hey angela! good morning" i said leaning on the counter

"excited for your last day?"

"kinda .. i'm gonna miss you guys!"

"it's certainly going to be quiet around here without you" she laughed

"ha ha. i best get going but i'll see you soon!"

she smiled at me as i walked away. today i was dressed in a pencil maternity skirt, black patent heals , white blouse and black blazer. my makeup was soft and natural and my hair lightly curled. i had a small black tote bag with all my work documents in it and purse.

i took my place at my desk and revised the tasks i had for the day. it was going to be a long day but one i'd miss in my maternity leave nether the less

7 hours later - 5pm

it was home time. finally. i felt exhausted and now realised why maternity leave was needed. i made my way down to the reception area and as i did i was greeted with a bouquet of roses from sam, one of the guys i worked for and a card from angela. the rest of the work team were crowded around

"you guys" i gushed feeling myself welling up

"don't mention it, it only took you two months to become such a big part of our family, we love and will miss you" james, my boss said

"i'm gonna miss this"

"i'll take your maternity leave" john, another of my colleges, yelled from the back causing a sea of laughter

"i'll be back"

"i don't doubt you won't" laughed angela

1 hour later- back at the flat

tonight i got a taxi home due to the fact gemma was still on her shoot. i placed the roses in a vase of water. i loved them. the deep red.

"i'm home!" i heard gemma yell from the door as she threw her keys into the table beside the door

"heya, how was it?" i asked

"okayyy, i got you something to congratulate you on finishing work"

"oooo"

she wakes in with yet another bouquet of deep red roses, she saw the other i placed in the vase and instantly lit up with laughter

"this is a sign" she declared

"a sign of what?" i asked

"ROSE"

it took a moment before it clicked in my head

"GEM I LOVE IT"

"rose lia caren" she said

"rose lia caren" i repeated completely in love with how it sounded