(❁'◡'❁) Flashback Starts (❁'◡'❁)
Third POV: in the flashback
The church was silent apart from the cries of Jeremiah Fisher. His brother was next to him crying silent tears.
It was the funeral of Susannah Fisher, the sunshine to everyone's dark days.
Abby was sitting at the keyboard and microphone that was facing the audience, it was her time to sing a song in tribute of her mother figure. She picked a song they wrote together during the summer when she was 14, that was the year her birth father, Tyler, passed away and her family moved to Boston.
She felt lost and confused. Susannah gave her some motherly advice. Abby was grateful and asked Susannah to help her write a song, one that celebrated how she felt about the older woman. Susannah was flattered the young girl wanted to dedicate a song to her, it made her feel special.
It seemed like the appropriate time to sing this song. At funerals, the songs are depressing, the lyrics talk about how missed a person was now that they were gone, but this song was happy, it celebrated the reasons why Susannah Fisher was loved by Abby and many others.
Abby took a breath to calm her nerves. She remembered this song was not for just for Susannah, but for her sons as well, who needed to remember their mother the way she wanted, a happy, creative person with hope for the world and a selfless heart.
🎵
I don't wanna make a scene
I don't wanna let you down
I try to do my own thing, and I'm starting to figure it out
That it's alright, keep it together
Wherever we go
And it's alright, oh well, whatever
Everybody needs to know
You might be crazy
Abby looked to her parents who gave her a small smile letting her know she was doing well.
Have I told you lately, that I love you?
You're the only reason that I'm not afraid to fly
And it's crazy
That someone could change me
Now no matter what it is I have to do
I'm not afraid to try
And you need to know that you're the reason, why
I don't even care when they say you're a little bit off
She smiles as she remembers a funny memory of Susannah.
Look 'em in the eye, I'd say, I can never get enough
'Cause it's alright, keep it together
Wherever we go
And it's alright, oh well, whatever
Everybody needs to know
You might be crazy
Have I told you lately, that I love you?
The audience members were in a trance listening to the young girl pour her emotions into the song. It was clear to them that the deceased meant a great deal to her.
You're the only reason that I'm not afraid to fly
And it's crazy
That someone could change me
Now no matter what it is I have to do
I'm not afraid to try
And you need to know that you're the reason, why
If it was raining, you would yell at the sun
Pick up the pieces when the damage is done
You say it's just another day in the shade
Look at what a mess we made
She smiled at Jeremiah and Conrad thinking about the mischief they got up to and Susannah scolding them, but hugging them after their punishment. She was firm yet caring.
You might be crazy
Have I told you lately, that I love you?
You're the only reason that I'm not afraid to fly
Conrad couldn't take his eyes off her as she sang about his mother. It just made him fall for her more than he cared to admit.
You might be crazy
Have I told you lately, that I love you?
Her eyes became blurry with tears as sang, her heart screaming for Susannah to hear her from amongst the stars above.
You're the only reason that I'm not afraid to fly
You might be crazy
Have I told you lately, that I love you?
You're the only reason that I'm not afraid to fly
And it's crazy
That someone could change me
Now no matter what it is I have to do
I'm not afraid to try
And you need to know that you're the reason, why
🎵
After the service, the beach house was being used for the wake. Abby finished using the toilet when she heard some sniffles coming from the rec room. She looked in seeing Conrad hunched over crying.
She rushed over and held him, he looked to see who was holding him and relaxed in her embrace. They changed positions so he was lying on the couch, his head in her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair, gently scratching his scalp.
"Abby," he said. She hummed, letting him know she was listening. "Can you sing that song you wrote about Mom last summer? The one about a lighthouse?"
She looked down at him, "now?"
He moved his head to look at her, "please?"
She couldn't say no to him, not when he was this fragile. She smiled slightly and nodded. Conrad turned his whole body to lay on his back so he could look at her when she sang to him for his mom.
Author's Note: Imagine there's no music, it's acapella and without the the ad-libs. You can play from 0:53.
🎵
When it gets real, just know that I'll be there
Abby kept her right hand in Conrad's hair scratching his scalp gently as she sang.
I got your back, like it's just you and me there
I'll go to war for you, let them bring it.
I'll take on the world for you, better believe it
So if you need me, just call out my name
We ain't never scared, no we're not afraid
Whenever, whatever, know I'm down for life
I'm your ride or die
When the night gets cold and the lights go out
The sun is gone behind the clouds
And you feel lost and I'll reach out
Abby takes her left arm that was resting on the back of the couch and brought it down to hold Conrad's left hand.
To guide you home with my lighthouse
Whoa-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh
I'll guide you home with my light house
Whoa-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh
I'll guide you home
Whenever you're down, I'll lift you up
People gonna hate, let them hate on us
I'm moving too strong, I click too deep
'Cause I got you, and you got me
So if you need me, just call out my name
We ain't never scared, no we're not afraid
Whenever, whatever, know I'm down for life
I'm your ride or die
Conrad plays with her fingers and the gold rings that decorated them.
When the night gets cold and the lights go out
The sun is gone behind the clouds
And you feel lost and I'll reach out
To guide you home with my lighthouse
Whoa-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh
I'll guide you home with my light house
Whoa-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh
I'll guide you home
If you ever need me, know I'll be there
She smiled at him singing this line and gently pushed his hair away from his eyes.
Don't you ever be afraid to call
I'll be waiting over the horizon
Don't you worry, I'm not very far
I light it up, show you the way
I light it up, show you the way
I light it up, show you the way
I light it up, don't be afraid
Conrad was mesmerised by her angelic voice.
When the night gets cold and the lights go out
The sun is gone behind the clouds
And you feel lost and I'll reach out
To guide you home with my lighthouse
When the night gets cold and the lights go out
He took in all of her features, her dark chocolate eyes, the natural curl of her lashes, her plump lips that shined with gloss, the way she styled her braids tied with a black bow, how she loved having a hair accessory in her hair.
The sun is gone behind the clouds
And you feel lost and I'll reach out
To guide you home with my lighthouse
Whoa-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh
I'll guide you home with my light house
Whoa-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh
I'll guide you home
🎵
They embraced the silence when they heard footsteps approach the room. The feet stopped moving making both turn their heads to Belly at the doorway.
"Hey, Bells," Abby said with a smile, but it wasn't returned.
Belly would have seen this as a harmless gesture between best friends, but her jealousy took over.
"Is that for Conrad?" the Allegro girl asked nodding her head to the plate in the girl's hands.
Silence, again.
Belly looked down at the plate briefly before setting it down on the nearby cabinet. Conrad sat up from his lying position sensing the girl was not happy. When she made a quick escape, he looked to Abby, who nodded for him to go after her, so he did.
"Belly. Belly wait," Conrad said following her through the hall and down the stairs. She ignored him.
He reached for her arm when they got to the end of the stairs, "Belly, wait."
She ripped her arm from his hold, "What do you want? Let go of me."
People started to looked their way.
"Belly, it's just Abby, okay, she was just comforting me," he explained knowing where her mind was going.
"Sorry to interrupt your little moment," she spoke trying to not bring more attention to them.
"She was helping me."
"So you'll accept her help but not mine? Got it. Glad to know where I fall in the ranking of ex-girlfriends."
He shook his head, "this is not about you being my ex, okay, she's my best friend and she was making sure I was okay."
"And she just had to have your head on her lap whilst she ran her fingers through your hair?"
"Is she supposed to sit on the other side of the couch, not making eye contact with me? Grow up."
"Go to hell," she shot back.
Abby stayed at the top of the stairs not wanting to create more problems, but she could hear everything, even the jealous tone in Belly's voice.
Conrad eyes held hurt, this was the last thing he wanted to do at his mother's funeral, "I should have known you'd be like this."
"What do you mean?" she was confused.
"Forget it-"
"No, say it. Tell me."
He held eye contact with her saying, "I knew it was a bad idea, starting something with you."
Belly was hurt, she didn't expect him to say this to her. "I don't believe you," her voice was quiet.
"It was a huge mistake."
"I hate you."
"Good."
"I never want to see you again," Belly said moving to walk push past him then tripped and fell.
Gasps were heard, people too engaged into the drama to remember it was a funeral, not a reality show. Conrad helped her up, but she pushed him away as she made eye contact with her mother.
Disappointment was all Laurel could feel. She turned away from her daughter. Belly looked around embarrassed before she walked out the home. Conrad turned round and caught Abby's eyes as she sat on the top step. She stood up and walked back to the rec room, Conrad following.
He knew, for him, it was more than just his best friend comforting him. To him, it was the girl who he liked for years putting his needs first, the girl who used her talents to honour his mother. The girl who he should've been with at the end of last summer, not Belly.
The girl he just realised that he was in love with.
Until next time...💜
Edited: 24.06.2024