Reminiscing Memories

*Hazel’s POV*

There were three boxes next to my bed. I stared into the sketchpads, looking at each of the drawings I’ve ever drawn in my life. It was well later into the night and visiting hours was over. My mother warned me before that she would have to work often to pay for the medical bills so I won’t get to see her much for a while. Pandora wanted to stay, but she had to go to work in the morning, so I told her to leave and get her rest. The boys, well, they left, except for one boy.

Liam Payne.

I wasn’t sure what it was, but he didn’t want to leave my side. He was stretched out on the couch on the other side of the room, feet in the air and one arm over his eyes with a cover hanging half off him and half on the floor. I tried to get him to leave, but he wanted to stay. He didn’t want to leave my side.

I guess I would be lying if I didn’t say it didn’t make me happy that he wanted to stay with me. I wasn’t so lonely now like I was the night before whenever my mother had to work. The loneliness the hospital room carried was quite overwhelming. Liam, of all of them, made me feel especially relieved.

I sighed as I continued to look through the drawings. Everything looked so new to me and nothing could trigger a memory of mine. I bent over my bed, putting the pad back in its box. I noticed something lying the on floor then. I reached down, picking up the paper, resting back against my bed. It was the drawing Liam showed me earlier. I found myself looking back and forth between the drawing and the sleeping Liam on the couch.

What was I supposed to think about all this? They all honestly thought these pictures would bring a memory back. I sighed, looking over to see the huge vase of flowers they all came in with earlier. It was filled with lilies and roses. Okay, so I remembered the names of the flowers, which was something. I reached over, pulling out a white lily.

I stared at its beauty. The flowers were real, which was something I slightly liked. The pedals were soft to the touch and I smiled as I took a sniff of its wonderful aroma. I closed my eyes, letting the smell fill my lungs.

“Haze! Look at this!” I heard from a distance.

My head was bent down, smelling a bush of roses. I turned my head, seeing Pandora skipping down the line of flowers, holding a white lily.

“A lily in a rose garden?” I asked, a little confused.

“There’s a small patch growing over there…” Pandora said, pointing towards the direction she came from.

“It’s pretty.” I said, smiling at Pandora.

She stuck the white flower, it contrasting brightly against her black hair. With her blue eyes seemed to stand out then. A slight breeze picked up then and the fedora on her head went flying off. We laughed and Pandora went running after her favorite hat.

I blinked. Was that a memory I just saw? I stared down at the flower, twirling the stem in my fingers. I could see a number flash before my eyes.

4/18/2011

I blinked again as I stared down at the boxes on the floor. I kicked the covers off as I got on my hands and knees to start digging through the boxes and looking inside the sketchpads.

“What… Hazel? What are you doing? You’re not supposed to be out of bed.” Liam said, on his feet and walking quickly over to me.

I looked up at him with an open sketchpad in hand. “You’re awake. Good, you can help me.”

“What? What are you looking for?”

“I’m trying to find a drawing with a date.”

Liam pulled a box towards him. “What’s the date?”

“April 18, 2011.”

He started digging. Together the two of us were digging through the load of sketchpads. “I… I think I found it.” Liam said, holding up a sketchpad. “There’s two drawings with the date.”

I moved over to where I was next to him. The first picture was exactly what I saw in my memory, Pandora smil

ing with the white lily in her hair. The next picture Liam flipped to was the white lily Pandora was holding in her hand. Liam was looking at me as a smile came to my face. I looked up at him, holding up a white lily. “This… this brought back my memory of a moment I had on this day.”

Liam was amazed. A smile of relief filled his features. “Really? What happened?”

“Pandora found a small patch of lilies in a rose garden. She brought one back to show me and put it in her hair.” I giggled slightly, remembering the fedora flying into the wind.

Liam looked down at the drawings. “And that lily in your hand made you remember?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

Liam reached over, taking the small lily from my hand. “I… We should get this pressed.” Liam said, twirling the lily in his hand the same way I did not too long ago. “We can put it in here. Proof to show what brought your memory back.”

I smiled. Our eyes met for a split moment before he nodded at the bed. “You should get back into bed.”

He stood, holding out his hands to help me up. I took them and slowly rose. After the accident, I luckily didn’t receive any fractured nor broken bones. I was badly bruised though and sore. The excitement of the memory made me forget the pain when I went looking for the drawing. “You’re really cold.” Liam noted as his hands rested on my upper arms.

He led me to my bed where I climbed in. He grabbed the sheets and put them over my legs before looking back the couch where he was sleeping before. He walked over, grabbing the quilt he was sleeping with before. I pulled the cover up and he walked over, putting the quilt over me. “Wait, what about you?” I asked.

The room was pretty cold and we had no control in the temperature. Liam shrugged it off. “I’ll be fine.”

He pulled the quilt closer to me and was about to walk away before I grabbed his arm. He looked back at me. “No.” I said, grabbing the quilt. “You’ll get cold.”

“You should be more worried about your wellbeing besides my own.” He said, giving me a raised eye.

I felt a pout come across my face. I couldn’t bring myself to let him take care of me like this. I kept a grip on his arm as I looked around, trying to think of what to do. A thought came to mind, but I knew I would feel weird doing it, but I couldn’t let him go like this. I scooted over some. I let go of his arm and patted down on the bed. “Here.” I said.

Liam looked at me confused. “What… You want to share the bed?”

I nodded. “It’s cold.” I felt my lip twitch into a smile. “Keep me warm.”

I heard his breath escape some as he laughed. “What? Seriously?” He shook his head some. “I can’t-“

“Please?” I asked, my face pulling down to a sad frown as I silently begged him.

He stared at me, mouth parting some before he sighed, giving in. He sat down, swinging his legs under the cover. “I won’t be hearing the end of this with the guys…” Liam muttered to himself as he pulled the covers up to his stomach. He laid back, putting his arms behind his head, looking at me.

I smiled before pulling my portion of the cover up and laying back. Liam brought his arms from the back of his head to rest them on his stomach. I settled on my side towards Liam, letting my eyes shut. “Are you okay?” Liam asked. “I’m not taking up too much room am I?”

“You’re fine.” I said, yawning some.

He scooted himself down some to where he turned over, facing me also. I noticed something then. I pulled my pillow over. “Here. I’ll share.”

He hesitated for a moment before resting his head on the soft pillow. “Thanks.” He said, smiling some.

I offered a small smile back before closing my eyes. I always had the hardest times falling asleep ever since the accident. I didn’t know why, but I always felt unsettled and scared to fall asleep. I was scared I would have nightmares, but they never came because even though I was scared there was nothing my memory could remember that was scary. With Liam here next to me, I felt a little better. Hearing his slow, even breaths as he fell asleep was calming to my ears.

My breaths soon matched his own pattern of breathing and my eyes felt heavy with the coming darkness of sleep.