Bestfriends (Frerard)

Chapter 9

"Her condition had worsened."

Those were the horrible words that resulted in Gerard not going to sleep at all the past couple of nights. The day after his kiss with Frank is when he visited the hospital and heard them. He's been working like crazy to keep his mind occupied, avoiding Frank's attempts to talk to him. Gerard isn't even thinking about them being together. He's thinking about his ex girlfriend dying.

When he drops Mel off to school Friday, he doesn't call in late or sick for work. Instead, he goes to the cemetery and visits his Grandmother's grave, staring at it as memories flood back. Good ones, though. It probably wasn't the best thing to do considering his mindset, but it helped.

He arrives to work late with the excuse of car trouble and traffic, works until it's time to pick up his daughter and heads home, giving her the promise of going to Jumparoo's sometime that weekend.

"Yes! They have so many bounce houses! You're the best, Daddy!" Gerard smiles at her words and tells her it's because she's doing good in school- which is true- but it's also because he feels she isn't having fun and just needs a little something different. Who would want to live under the same roof as their depressed father?

No one.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" Gerard says as they trudge up the stairs. "Do you know if Mommy's body is waking up yet?" Gerards heart splutters and he stumbles over the words, "Uhm, yeah. It's getting there." He lies and Melissa does a weird squeal to project her happiness.

"How about you take a bath and when you're done you can help me paint?" Gerard suggests when he locks the front door. He keeps his paints and canvases stowed away in his closet and hasn't taken them out in a few months. He just really needs something to occupy his mind. "OKAY!" Melissa yells and prances down the hall.

About 30 minutes later, Gerard and Melissa are on the kitchen floor with old newspaper he'd found along with his paint and canvases spread around them. "What are we painting, Dad?" Melissa asks all serious like while she brings the last cup of water with her towards their little work station. "Hmm." Gerard hums while he opens the paint bottles and squirts them onto various paper plates. "Ooh! I know. Let's make a card for mommy!" She gives Gerard her hopeful eyes. Great.

"...Sure. Good idea." He smiles and Melissa beams before she dips her brush in red paint. "Mommy said her favorite color was Red, like Luke's." Melissa states as she begins to form the words I love you.

"Can I ask you something, Melissa?" Gerard says, dipping his brush in blue paint to make hearts. He paints them upside down and they still come out nice. "Yeah?"

"How is Luke? I mean, I've never been there the same time he is. Is he nice?"

Melissa shrugs and is now on the letter O. "Yeah. Sometimes, he screams at Mommy. But then he stops."

Heart number 4.

"Does he scream at you?"

"...Sometimes. But Mommy tells him to stop."

"Why does he scream at you?"

"Well, one time I dropped a cup of water by accident and he got really mad." Melissa tells him, almost done with the words. Gerard sighs quietly and tries not to focus on the rapid heartbeat from annoyance and anger. "Does Mommy ever leave you alone with him if she goes out?" "Sometimes."

There's a lot of 'sometimes'.

"Oh." Gerard says. He's framing the card in blue hearts and it's silent as Melissa finishes 'I love you' and starts on 'Mommy'.