Reminiscing Memories

*Liam’s POV*

I didn’t want to leave her side at all. I didn’t want to take her home either, since I knew the absence of her mother would only make her feel worse. So, I brought her back to my hotel room. Hazel needed someone close to her, someone besides myself. Someone I knew who could help Hazel more.

I led the silent Hazel down the hallway in the hotel I was staying in, sliding my card on the door and leading her in. I pulled on the covers on the bed. A hand grabbed my arm. I looked behind me. Hazel’s eyes were rimmed red, her cheeks flushed, and hair soaked from the still pouring rain. “It hurts, Liam…” Her voice cracked.

I face pulled up in pain. I really didn’t want to see her like this. I reached out, pulling her against me, holding her tightly. There was nothing I could do besides stick by her side as she through mourning of her mother. “Do you want me to call Pandora?”

I could feel her nod against my chest. I gently pulled her back. “I’ll call her, okay?”

She nodded, bringing a hand up to wipe at her face. I gently led her to the bed where she jumped in, pulling the covers over her and burying her head in a pillow. I pulled out my phone, stepping away from the bed and into the bathroom.

“Hello?” I heard a voice full of sleep answer.

“Pan?”

“Liam? What? This is the first time you’ve ever called. Is everything okay?”

I took a deep breath, beginning to briefly explain, trying to keep myself quiet so Hazel wouldn’t hear me in the other room. “Oh, my God!” Pandora shouted. “Where are you at? Are you still at the hospital?”

“No, we’re in my room.”

“The same hotel?”

“Yes…”

“I’ll be over there in ten…”

I gave her my room number before hanging up. I rubbed a hand over my eyes. I was exhausted, but I knew my day has barely ended yet. I dialed another number, someone I felt who could help and needed to know. “Hey, Li. Sup?” Zayn’s voice spoke through the phone.

“Zayn… Something just happened…”

Zayn was silent as I told him in more detail than Pandora. Towards the end of my explanation, I heard a knock on a door. I walked out of the bathroom, opening the door to my room. “Where is she?” Pandora demanded.

I pointed to the bed, where Hazel has barely moved from. Pandora ran over to her, getting on her knees as she brushed the covers back.

“Liam?”

“I’m here.” I said as I hurried back into the bathroom.

“I’m really sorry about what happened.” Zayn sighed, voice turning sad. “Hazel is the last person in the world that ever deserved this… I’ll tell the guys. We’ll take the earliest flight and head over. She needs her friends by her side.”

I nodded. “I called Pandora, she’s here now.”

“Alright. Just stick by her side. As much pain she’s obviously in, she needs to know that we’re here for her.”

I felt myself nod again. “Alright, man. I’ll see you when you get here.”

“’Kay.”

We hung up and I stuck my phone in my pocket, leaving the bathroom. Pandora was lying on the bed under the covers with her arms around Hazel. Pandora looked up upon seeing me making an appearance. “She’s asleep.”

I nodded, walking over to the couch and sitting down, resting my arms on my elbows and bringing one hand up to rub my face. “Liam… go to sleep.” Pandora said. “I’ll take over from here.”

I nodded again before turning myself and falling back on the couch, throwing an arm over my eyes. It didn’t take long to fall asleep.

I was shaken awake the next morning. “Liam… wake up!” I heard.

I opened my eyes, seeing Pandora stand over me. “Niall just called me. The boys are here… I’m going to go get them. Can I use your car?”

“Yeah…” I groggily said. “Keys are in it.”

“Okay. Why don’t you climb in bed with Haze? That couch has got to be uncomfortable…”

Next thing I knew she left and I was on my feet walking over to the bed. I sat down on the edge, noticing my shoes were still on. I rubbed my face with my hand, using each foot to kick them off. “Liam…” I heard a murmur behind me. I turned my head, seeing Hazel pulling herself up and rubbing her eyes.

“Haze…” I started, reaching back and touching her hand.

She let me take a hold of it, she squeezing back. “I’m so stupid…” She sniffed. “Why did I have to say that to her? I feel like I was blaming her for not telling me what happened with my father. It’s my fault that happened. I should’ve just kept my mouth shut. Maybe she would still be alive…”

I scooted myself back, turning around and reached up with my free hand. My hand cupped her cheek and she looked up at me. “Hazel… it’s not your fault. Don’t ever think that. Your mother was a strong, hard-working woman. Do you not remember the words you told her? The memories you shared together? She was listening the whole time. Hazel, you acknowledged to her that you knew she was afraid of not spending enough time with you, but you told her that it was okay because you cherished all the memories you had together.”

The tears were falling now. She sniffed, trying to reach up and wipe them away. I grabbed her hand to keep her from wiping her tears away. “Don’t be ashamed to express how much you will miss her. Don’t think of this as an ending, but now your mother can rest in peace knowing that her daughter didn’t grow up to hate her mother for how much she wasn’t home, but loving her with as much effort she put in to be a family. She raised a daughter without fully knowing how much she’s come to grow, but now she watch from above and see her daughter become something more and witness with her own eyes.”

“You are Hazel Anna Morgan.” I said, my hand propped under her chin, lifting her head some. “A strong girl who always held her head high in the worst cases of scenarios. A girl who may have lost her memory once, but tried her hardest to make herself remember. A girl capable of making her friends care deeply and want to watch over her like a little sister. A girl I know will grow into a person her mother will be proud of.”

I dropped my hand, her head staying where it was. She sniffed. The tears stopped by now though the sad expression was not gone. A small smile came onto her lips. “Thank you, Liam.”

She reached over, putting her arms around my shoulders to pull me close, only to kiss my cheek softly before doing so. “I don’t know what I’d do if not for friends like you and Panda.”

Maybe I was just overthinking things, but that kiss she left on my cheek seemed to make an imprint on me. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her. “Yeah…” I said, resting my cheek on her shoulder.

This was the most I could do. All I could be was her friend and help her through her pain.