Close As Strangers » (Ashton Irwin a.u.)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Friends for Life

A couple days pass, and Grace still hasn't woken up. News crews have been outside trying to get a statement from me. One afternoon I finally walked outside and told them that Grace isn't dead and that they can stop treating us like she was. They left after that.

I was getting anxious and impatient. She must've hit her head extremely hard or something. Did comas last this long? I read where it could take someone a year or months to wake up. That worried me.

Today my family came to visit. My mother almost cried earlier looking at Grace. She loves her a lot, and she can't imagine anything bad happening to her. She had to leave the room.

But now I am with my little brother and sister. They look a little scared of her, knowing she's alive but looking dead. What kid wouldn't be?

"Will she wake up?" Harry asks. I nod.

"We don't know when, but she will," I tell him.

"I miss her. She's always fun," Lauren adds.

"I know. I'm sorry we don't visit much."

"That's okay. You have work."

Harry is sitting in my lap, and I tousle his long blond hair. "What's your favorite thing about Grace?"

"Her cooking," he says with a laugh. I can't help but laugh too. "She's better than you are."

"She is," I agree. "What about you, Lauren?"

"I like when she takes me shopping, and I like when you guys come over for Christmas."

"Me too."

The room is quiet for a minute. "Did you cry, Ashton?" Harry asks.

"When?"

"When you found out."

"A little bit. Not so manly, huh?"

"It's okay," he says. "I cried too."

"Ashton, can you give her this?" Lauren asks. She hands me a small flower and a card. I nod and let Harry off my lap. I put her card on the table with the rest of them.

"I think she'll like this," I tell her, taking the flower and tucking it behind Grace's ear.

"She looks pretty," Harry says quietly.

"She does," I agree with him again.

"Are you in love with her?" Lauren asks.

"I am," I reply without any hesitation.

"That's good."

I nod. "Well, I think it's time for you guys to go on out front."

"Do we have to?" Harry asks.

"Yeah. You should stay with mum and the others. Keep them entertained."

They grab ahold of each of my hands as I walk them back to the lobby. I decide to sit with everyone else so I don't have to be completely alone with Grace just yet. I haven't found the right things to say to her.

Harry still sits in my lap but eventually switches to Michael. Lauren sits beside me, leaning her head on my arm.

The day they met Grace was what they say one of their favorite days of their lives. It was nothing extraordinary though. I had asked Grace if she wanted to spend the day with us, and she gladly agreed.

She came over and the first thing she did was hug Lauren but then looked at Harry. "You know what?" she said.

"What?" he asked shyly.