Never Tear Us Apart
I Hope You Had The Time Of Your Life
Anna felt a tear drop lightly as she stared at a photograph of her sister, father, and herself.
She smiled.
She remembered that day so well. That was the day of Anna’s 18th. Jessica had woken her up at exactly four in the morning, the exact time Anna was born, by jumping on her bed and screaming random things at her.
That day Anna had went with her sister and Dad to go for her license. Passing first try, must to everyone’s surprise.
Anna slowly traced the outline of the photo.
Anna smiled as she turned the page on the photo album.
The next picture was of the three again, but Jessica and David standing, poking their tongues out, with Anna jumping onto their backs’ from behind.
Anna let out a small laugh.
She sighed before turning the page again.
Anna caught her breath slightly at the sight of the next picture.
It was a complete family photo. Anna’s parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunty, uncle, herself and Gerard.
They all looked so happy… But then again, that was all before everything fell apart…
Anna started to cry silently. She slammed the book shut, no longer wanting to bear with the memories.
She sighed and stood up, before grabbing her coat and bag, throwing in her phone along the way.
She wrote a small note to Gerard, saying where she was going, and what time to expect her back…
*Anna’s P.O.V*
I sat down in front of the gravestone that belonged to my sister.
I smiled slightly as I read the inscribing on the tombstone for the thousandth time:
Jessica Ann Worthington
Beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter and friend.
12th July 1978 – 21st March 2004
I hope you had the time of your life
My smile grew.
Jess was a big fan of Green Day. She had even rubbed it off onto me. My first ever concert was a Green Day concert she had taken me to when I was thirteen.
My heart sank as my eyes wondered over the black and gray marble, as I read the dates once again.
12th July 1978 – 21st March 2004
Twenty-five years old. Way to young to die if you ask me.
I still couldn’t believe it’s only been three years since her death. It feels like eternity.
I gently rested the bunch of red roses I had bought for her against her gravestone.
Jessica was the one I would always go to when I needed help. But now that she had gone, I felt lost. Sure I had Dad and Gerard, but there was something different about Jess. I’m not really sure what…
So even though she’s not here, I still go to her grave to talk to her, even though I know there’s going to be no reply.
“Hey Jess.” I said quietly.
“How’s is ya?” I asked quietly.
There was a slight pause, as if I were waiting for her to reply.
“I’m guessing you heard about Dad?” I whispered, looking down at the soft green earth.
“He’s probably there with you now.” I added.
I sniffed.
“I miss you.” I chocked.
“So, so much…” I whispered, fearing if I were to talk, I would burst out crying.
“Why did you have to die? You know I need you.” I whispered.
I sobbed quickly before pulling myself together.
“I’m not sure if I can deal with all this again… I’m don’t think I’m properly over loosing you…” I said softly.
“I need you. Come back.” I whispered, tracing my fingers over the gold letters of ‘Jessica Ann Worthington’.
I slowly laid myself down next to her gravestone. Not wanting to talk, but to just lie in peace and quiet.
I closed my eyes gently, breathing out slowly as I did so.
Honestly, it hasn’t sunk in that I didn’t have a father anymore… I still haven’t come to terms with the fact that he’s not here anymore…
But how was I meant to deal with it when I hardly thought about it? Yeah, I was thinking about it, but not sitting there, all day, just thinking about it fully. I would have brief moments where I would think ‘Dad’s dead’, but as soon as they would come, I would force them out of my brain by thinking or doing something completely different.
In the last two days, I had cleaned the house from top to bottom about three times, I had cooked so much that I could probably do it in my sleep by now, I had caught up on a week’s worth of homework, and I had slowly began to make more plans for our wedding…
The wedding my father as never going to see…
I sighed and sat up, groaning as a rush of blood went to my head.
I stared at the black and gray marble gravestone again.
“I love you Jess.” I whispered before kissing two fingers and gently placing it on the gravestone.
I stood up slowly, brushed myself off and started to walk away.
“Gerard?” I called out as I closed the front door.
“Oh hey Frank.” I smiled as I hung up my coat.
“Hey Anna… I heard about your Dad…” Frank said sadly, walking over towards me.
“I’m so sorry.” Frank said quietly, embracing me.
“So how are you holding up?” Frank asked, letting go of me and taking a step back.
I shrugged, looking down at the floor.
“If there is anything Jamia and I can do, we’re here for you.” Frank offered kindly.
“Thank you.” I whispered.
“Hey, you’re back.” Gerard smiled.
Gerard came over to me and kissed me quickly.
“I talked to Mum before… The funeral’s on Tuesday.” I said quietly.
Gerard looked at me sadly.
I took a step forward towards the kitchen.
“What are you and Jamia doing tonight Frank?” I asked, getting out various pots and pans.
“Ah… Nothing I think.” Frank said slowly.
“Do you wanna have dinner here tonight?” I offered, stopping momentarily to look back at Frank.
“Yeah, sure.” Frank said, perking up slightly.
“Well good. We’ll have all of the guys ‘round…” I said, grabbing the phone off the hook.
“I could use the distraction.” I sighed as I walked out of the room, phone in my hand.
She smiled.
She remembered that day so well. That was the day of Anna’s 18th. Jessica had woken her up at exactly four in the morning, the exact time Anna was born, by jumping on her bed and screaming random things at her.
That day Anna had went with her sister and Dad to go for her license. Passing first try, must to everyone’s surprise.
Anna slowly traced the outline of the photo.
Anna smiled as she turned the page on the photo album.
The next picture was of the three again, but Jessica and David standing, poking their tongues out, with Anna jumping onto their backs’ from behind.
Anna let out a small laugh.
She sighed before turning the page again.
Anna caught her breath slightly at the sight of the next picture.
It was a complete family photo. Anna’s parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunty, uncle, herself and Gerard.
They all looked so happy… But then again, that was all before everything fell apart…
Anna started to cry silently. She slammed the book shut, no longer wanting to bear with the memories.
She sighed and stood up, before grabbing her coat and bag, throwing in her phone along the way.
She wrote a small note to Gerard, saying where she was going, and what time to expect her back…
*Anna’s P.O.V*
I sat down in front of the gravestone that belonged to my sister.
I smiled slightly as I read the inscribing on the tombstone for the thousandth time:
Jessica Ann Worthington
Beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter and friend.
12th July 1978 – 21st March 2004
I hope you had the time of your life
My smile grew.
Jess was a big fan of Green Day. She had even rubbed it off onto me. My first ever concert was a Green Day concert she had taken me to when I was thirteen.
My heart sank as my eyes wondered over the black and gray marble, as I read the dates once again.
12th July 1978 – 21st March 2004
Twenty-five years old. Way to young to die if you ask me.
I still couldn’t believe it’s only been three years since her death. It feels like eternity.
I gently rested the bunch of red roses I had bought for her against her gravestone.
Jessica was the one I would always go to when I needed help. But now that she had gone, I felt lost. Sure I had Dad and Gerard, but there was something different about Jess. I’m not really sure what…
So even though she’s not here, I still go to her grave to talk to her, even though I know there’s going to be no reply.
“Hey Jess.” I said quietly.
“How’s is ya?” I asked quietly.
There was a slight pause, as if I were waiting for her to reply.
“I’m guessing you heard about Dad?” I whispered, looking down at the soft green earth.
“He’s probably there with you now.” I added.
I sniffed.
“I miss you.” I chocked.
“So, so much…” I whispered, fearing if I were to talk, I would burst out crying.
“Why did you have to die? You know I need you.” I whispered.
I sobbed quickly before pulling myself together.
“I’m not sure if I can deal with all this again… I’m don’t think I’m properly over loosing you…” I said softly.
“I need you. Come back.” I whispered, tracing my fingers over the gold letters of ‘Jessica Ann Worthington’.
I slowly laid myself down next to her gravestone. Not wanting to talk, but to just lie in peace and quiet.
I closed my eyes gently, breathing out slowly as I did so.
Honestly, it hasn’t sunk in that I didn’t have a father anymore… I still haven’t come to terms with the fact that he’s not here anymore…
But how was I meant to deal with it when I hardly thought about it? Yeah, I was thinking about it, but not sitting there, all day, just thinking about it fully. I would have brief moments where I would think ‘Dad’s dead’, but as soon as they would come, I would force them out of my brain by thinking or doing something completely different.
In the last two days, I had cleaned the house from top to bottom about three times, I had cooked so much that I could probably do it in my sleep by now, I had caught up on a week’s worth of homework, and I had slowly began to make more plans for our wedding…
The wedding my father as never going to see…
I sighed and sat up, groaning as a rush of blood went to my head.
I stared at the black and gray marble gravestone again.
“I love you Jess.” I whispered before kissing two fingers and gently placing it on the gravestone.
I stood up slowly, brushed myself off and started to walk away.
“Gerard?” I called out as I closed the front door.
“Oh hey Frank.” I smiled as I hung up my coat.
“Hey Anna… I heard about your Dad…” Frank said sadly, walking over towards me.
“I’m so sorry.” Frank said quietly, embracing me.
“So how are you holding up?” Frank asked, letting go of me and taking a step back.
I shrugged, looking down at the floor.
“If there is anything Jamia and I can do, we’re here for you.” Frank offered kindly.
“Thank you.” I whispered.
“Hey, you’re back.” Gerard smiled.
Gerard came over to me and kissed me quickly.
“I talked to Mum before… The funeral’s on Tuesday.” I said quietly.
Gerard looked at me sadly.
I took a step forward towards the kitchen.
“What are you and Jamia doing tonight Frank?” I asked, getting out various pots and pans.
“Ah… Nothing I think.” Frank said slowly.
“Do you wanna have dinner here tonight?” I offered, stopping momentarily to look back at Frank.
“Yeah, sure.” Frank said, perking up slightly.
“Well good. We’ll have all of the guys ‘round…” I said, grabbing the phone off the hook.
“I could use the distraction.” I sighed as I walked out of the room, phone in my hand.