supersonic | liam gallagher / damon albarn

twenty eight

I was sat in work at my desk when my phone rang. The time was just reaching three in the afternoon and I had no idea how, feeling as though I'd been sat in a daze for minutes when really, it had been hours.

Months had passed. Damon and I had been making our relationship work somehow, but it was growing increasingly harder only having the weekends together because of the distance, and sometimes, not even having those if he was busy.

Over the past few months, Blur had released another album and toured the UK which, of course, I was so happy about, but being without him for so long had made waking up every morning difficult.

Damon had noticed the decline in my happiness and the day after their tour ended, he turned up at my door with a suitcase and two boarding passes for a flight to Cyprus.

The two of us had the most amazing holiday. There was something about being with Damon in a place that wasn't home made me see him in a different light. Seeing him drinking beer on the beach with sunglasses over his eyes or heading out for our evening meal with his hair still damp from the shower, dressed in a shirt and shorts instead of his usual track jacket and jeans. Little things that I had often imagined about Damon yet never seen, were all far more beautiful in real life.

I was in love. And I was happy.

Pulling myself from my daydream at the sound of my phone ringing, I quickly grabbed it, holding it to my ear and clearing my throat.

"Good afternoon you're through to Britney."

"Britney get to the hospital quick."

Hearing my brother's frantic voice down the end of the line I suddenly felt far more awake than I had done the rest of the day.

"Ryan what's wrong? Is everything okay? What's-"

"Stacey she's in labour, she's not due for another month and she's just totally collapsed they took her away with a load of machines and wires and stuff and oh God."

I shut down my computer and gathered up my things as Ryan continued to panic down the phone to me.

"Ry I'll be there as soon as I can. Stacey is going to be just fine okay? And the baby, everything will be just fine."

I quickly explained to my boss what was going on, hoping he'd understand. Sure, my brother had friends. He had plenty of people he could've called on if he needed a chat or someone to go to the pub with, but when he needed someone, I was always his go-to.

My boss was more than understanding, even taking the liberty to call me a taxi to get me to the hospital as quickly as possible.

My heart was in my mouth the entire journey. The year had flown by in the blink of an eye, I hadn't even realised how far along Stacey was in her pregnancy because I'd been so wrapped up in my own little world for most of the year, trying to land on my feet instead of fall flat on my face.

My palms were sweaty and I felt like a couldn't breathe whilst I was sat in the back of the car. I'd somehow managed to type out a text to Damon, who I knew was stuck in hours of boring but important meetings all day with Blur's management, so I didn't expect a response for a while.

I looked out the window, the trees seemed to be passing so slow outside and it looked like people on the pavements were walking quicker than the car was moving. Every second that passed, I grew more and more anxious, just wanting to be there for my brother and Stacey.

Throwing the taxi driver a ten pound note, I jumped out the car and ran up the steps to the hospital reception. Ryan had told me he was waiting in the maternity ward entrance by the desk, and so I followed the signs that pointed in that direction.