lover || mandy milkovich

/ 26 /

When There's a Will

I hold Liam in my arms as we all stand together at Aunt Ginger's 'funeral.'

Patrick holds the box of ashes. "Thank you all for coming out in honour of Aunt Ginger. GG, as I called her. I've decided to scatter her ashes where she was the happiest. On this corner. Her corner. Where she turned tricks in her 20s and 30s."

"And 60s!" Frank shouts out.

"She did magic tricks?" Carl asks.

Frank laughs. "No, son, 'turning tricks' is an euphuism for prostitution. In her day, your great aunt was a legendary pole smoker."

I look over at Lip and Ian, and try not to laugh.

"Could unlock her jaw like a Burmese python." Frank continues.

"We are at her funeral." Jimmy reminds him.

"You know, some people think Gallaghers don't have a work ethic. But Ginger worked this corner rain, sleet or snow. Her old knees hitting that hard pavement, again and again." Frank says.

Fiona nudges him with her elbow. "There are kids here, Frank."

Patrick rolls his eyes and continues with his speech. "Look, you all knew Ginger, so I ain't gonna sugarcoat it. She was a mean, old bitch. But even a mean, old bitch deserves a send-off."

"So this is us, Ginger, sending you off. Right where you belong." Patrick tips over the box and lets the ashes fall to the ground.

"It's touching." Lip sarcastically says.

"I'm tearing up." I joke.

"Okay, kids, let's go." Patrick goes to walk away.

"Patrick." Fiona calls after him. "So Ginger had a will we didn't know about and you just had it sitting in a drawer?"

"Yup." He nods.

"And even though she hated your guts, she still left our house to you?" Fiona questions.

"It was never your house." He says.

"It's weird how she signed the will only a year ago, you know, with her being an invalid and all." Lip speaks up.

"Sighed and notarised." Patrick smiles.

"I don't remember you coming by with a lawyer." I say to him.

Patrick takes a step back. "I gotta get back to my family."

"Seven kids with nowhere else to go." Fiona states.

"Why don't we talk about this when the sting of losing Ginger has worn off?" He suggests. "Tomorrow, maybe?"

We watch as he walks off and joins the rest of his family.

"Are you going to tell the rest of them or shall I?" Lip looks at Fiona.

---

We are all gathered together in the kitchen, wondering what to do.

"You appreciate the irony, right?" Frank leans against the fridge. "Senseless arguments about who gets what bedroom. Refusing to allow me to stay. Now nobody gets to stay."