All I Ask of You

I grabbed my phone hastily, Aidan tailing behind me. I answered it, and put it towards me ear.

"Dad?" I answered, grinning from ear to ear.

Instead of it being my father, is was my mother. My bother and I don't have the best of relationships, due to my decision to live with my father when they got divorced. She cried hysterically on the other end of the line, and my heart practically dropped.

Please tell me everyone's alright, I silently prayed.

"Oh, Evelyn!" She cried painfully in my ear, "Y-You need to get to the hospital." With those last few words, I felt my heart breaking.

"Mom," I whispered, hurt, "Please, please, please tell me Dad's alright." My father's been a huge part in my life, I owed him so much because he was always there for me. It didn't shun me, afraid to look at me because of his ex wife, the woman he still loves.To this day.

I turned around, tears were in my eyes and Aidan already had his arms around me as I spoke into the phone. "Is he?" I asked, hysterical.

"He got into a car accident, honey. The doctors aren't telling us anything." My mother said on the other line.

I looked at Aidan and wiped at my eyes, trying to compose myself, but it was hard to do. I didn't know if my father was going to live or not.

And I needed to be there.

"Aidan," I whispered, "I need to get to the hospital." He nodded, and left the room to get his daughter. "Mom, I'm on my way." I hung up, walked out of my room and towards the front door, Aidan and Amber trailed behind me.

When we reached my car, Aidan drove and I sat in back with Felicity, hoping she could keep me from braking down into hysterical sobs.

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit a while with me.

My father was there, always. From the time I fell in love with Matt, to the time he told me to get out. I went to him right after that happened. He was the one who told me everything will work out and that Matt's just like any other guy. I could have fallen for anyone, and they would do the same exact thing Matt did.

Except, he had a feeling it wasn't going to be this way for forever. And even though I denied every word he spoke, I still held onto that hope that it won't be like this for forever.

But I told him I was going to move on from now, and that I didn't want to feel anymore of this.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

He smiled at me, as he wrapped his arms around my small frame and spoke in his soft gentle voice, "Baby girl, I support your decision and I am with you at anywhere, and anytime."

Which just made me cry even harder into his shoulder because Matt had said something on those lines to me before. And he isn't with me today.

Where I needed someone like that the most.

But then I realized - Aidan. He checked the mirror every five seconds to make sure I was okay. He smiled faintly each time I caught his eye. And I realized that it's someone like him that I need.

Not someone like Matt, who failed to realize how much I needed him.

--

We got out of the car quickly as we reached the hospital. I unbuckled Felicity and we both hopped out of the car. Aidan stood outside the door, as he waited for us. I told Amber what happened, and she practically had tears in her eyes because my father was a father to her, too.

Aidan scooped up Felicity in one arm, and then I found his other one linking it's into my shaking, sweaty hand. He squeezed it, and I knew who I wanted on my side right now. I smiled up at him, as we walked towards the doors.

When we got in, I saw my mother pacing in the waiting room. I remembered that look she had on her face, she was scared.

And as I made my way towards her, someone noticed and jumped out of her seat and ran towards me, her arms wrapped around me as she cried into my shoulder.

I let go of Aidan's hand to wrap my arms around my second youngest sister, Melanie, as she cried hysterically. Melanie was only eighteen, leaving her to be the middle one. I was the oldest.

"It's okay, Mel," I whispered softly, as another pair of arms wrapped around me, too. I opened my arms for Ashley, she was only sixteen. The next thing all three of us new, we were crying and our mother had joined us.

Who was also sniffling.

I haven't seen any of them since two years ago, and I couldn't even notice that Ashley was so beautiful, and she looked exactly like myself. Exactly how I was at her age.

When we finally composed ourselves, we pulled away and wiped at our eyes. My mothers blue eyes looked so lost, just like I remembered when it came to the day of the divorce. She looked at me sadly, as she cupped my face in her soft, gently hands.

"My baby," She cooed, "I've missed you so much." She dropped her hands and wrapped them around me in a motherly hug. I wrapped mine around hers, also. God how I've missed this.

When she pulled back, it when then she chose to notice Aidan and Felicity. She grinned, "Who's this?" She said, walking towards him and appraising him.

Did I mention my mother didn't really like men like Matt?

I walked towards Aidan and lace my fingers through his once more. "Mom, this is Aidan," I said softly, "Aidan, this is my mother, Nicole."

"It's nice to meet you, Aidan." My mother rejoiced with a smile. "And who's this beautiful young lady?" She asked, eying her.

"This would be Felicity, Aidan's daughter." At the mention of her name, she looked at my mother and grinned.

"She's certainly an eye catcher," My mother said as she tickled her. Felicity laughed and squirmed in Aidan's arms.

But when she saw me, she opened her arm and reached for me.

"Evie sad," She said, as Aidan gave her to me. She placed a kiss on my cheek, and I smiled.

"That's okay, baby." I said as she cuddled into me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

Aidan's hand was still in mine as we went to sit down, everyone following suit. Mel sat as my feet, not wanting to leave, as Ash took the seat next to me.

Amber sat next to my mother. "Oh, Amber!" She said, seeing her there she wrapped her arms around the fourth daughter. She was around so often when we were younger, she knew her to well. "You've grown into such a beautiful young woman!" She gushed. Amber laughed and wrapped her arms around my mother.

"You don't look any different, still young and spiffy." She laughed with my mother.

"With added wrinkles," My mother noted, and she laughed.

"I don't notice any wrinkles," She she said, paring at my mothers face. "You're still as beautiful as ever."

--

No One

Matt stood outside on Val's doorstep, with roses in one hand, in his other one in a pocket holding the velvet box in his hands. He knocked several times on the door, before she answered.

She grinned up at him, as he bent over to peck her lips softly. He didn't feel anything when he kissed her that was remotely close to when he has once kissed Evie on Christmas Eve, under a mistletoe at his parents house.

His heart had pounded so erratically in his chest, and it felt like he was alive for the first time, just pressing his lips to hers. He was experiencing feelings he has never experienced before.

But even when they pulled away, he still felt it.

Matt walked into her house, it was small but it was still a nice house.

Val sat down on the couch, but Matt told her to stand up as he gave her the flowers. She grinned, but her heart dropped as he stood on one knee.

Matt didn't know how to do this, and he knew she wasn't for all the sappy stuff that Evie was into, so he just went for it.

"Valary," He started, as he went for his pocket. "I have loved you, and I will always love you, will you marry me?"