It's Not So Dark When We're Together
Seventy- Five
Ed’s POV
After Angel and Caleb had both been picked up by their understanding grandparents i headed back into the living room. The photo of me and Elena on our wedding day striking me in the face. Alex had also arrived by now and i knew the other three wouldn’t be long, Alex had instantly come over to both me and Amy. Instead he now sat on his own tears in his own eyes.
I sat on the sofa and let tears flow freely down my face as my body shook with the grief that was rippling through my body. My heart had been torn to shreds at just the words Gary had told me. The news channel was still on in the background and i looked up to see a camera now inside the tunnel where my Elena had been killed. I wanted Gary to phone to say he had sorted that her body be transported to our local funeral home. It was as the other three arrived, tears in each of their eyes that my mobile rang again.
I phoned Gary back so that his phone bill wasn’t sky high and let him speak.
“She’s really gone, she had landed on a piece of piping sticking up, however they say she would of died almost instantly and wouldn’t of suffered. I am going to make my way back up to you guys and shall be there in 5 hours roughly. I’m sorry Ed i wish you didn’t have to hear this, her mother shall be coming with me.”
I muttered an ok and put the phone down. I felt pain run through my veins it was as if that confirmed it, that she was gone. My body slumped to the floor the phone dropping down beside me as i cried harder. Through my blurred vision i could see teddy next to me, i could hear him trying to calm me down so i wasn’t ill, his arms around my shoulders.
“I..........she........Angel......”
“Ed calm down please, i know it hurts but you’ve got to keep yourself together. What about Angel, she needs you your all she has now. She will need to understand from you why her mum isn’t here tomorrow, we need to try and keep together for this.”
I took in teddy’s words and lifted my head from my knees, nodded as i realised i was all angel had left now. The rest of her life she would only have me and i had to be strong for her, i had to explain to her somehow that her mummy wasn’t coming home. I don’t know how i was going to get through that stage, how would she respond?
Teddy switched off the TV as i tried to dry my face a little with the tissues he had handed me, tears still gently leaving my eyes. I took the cup of tea that i had been made and sipped it gently, my throat was dry from the crying and the drink helped a lot. I looked up to see that alex and Amy were no longer in the living room, the doors to the garden were open however and knew they were outside getting fresh air.
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Amy’s POV
I couldn’t believe my best friend was gone, the one person i had grown up with, the one that i had spent pretty much every minute of my life with. How could something happen to such an amazing friend, to such an amazing mum.
I was by now sat in the garden of Ed’s house, alex had his arm around me as i cried into his shoulder. I couldn’t believe it that someone so kind, so caring and so friendly could be cruelly taken from this world. The fresh air was helping to keep me calm but i couldn’t help but let tears flow. The news had outlined what had caused the loss of my best friends life but i wanted to know more, i know Gary would know more than the news was saying at the current time.
It seemed like hours that passed as i sat outside, teddy and Ali staying with Ed as Dan came out to sit with me and alex. This was har don all of us but i knew how much harder it would be on Ed. How was he going to explain to angel, how was he going to carry on without the one person he loved. I knew i had to help him with everything, the funeral, any help he required with angel i knew i would be there. I knew everyone would be there for him he needed us at such a hard and emotional time.
As the hour slowly ticked by and my eyes ran dry all i could do was lie on the grass and think of all the memories me and Elena had. The first job we got as a time, the times we had with Keith, a person i would have to inform but that could be left until tomorrow now. Teddy came out to inform us that Gary was ten minutes away and that Ed had made himself sick through all the crying. I knew that the information Gary had would upset him but maybe it would also reassure Ed that her death was not painful.
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Ed’s POV
Gary soon arrived after i had managed to straighten myself out. Gary’s eyes were red as i opened the door to him, i knew he had also been crying a lot. I hugged him as he stepped into the house trying to keep away my own tears. Elena’s mum also following behind crying and who i also hugged.
“Caleb and Angel are at their grandparents, we thought it would be best for now.”
“I’m sorry Ed, i really am. There are some things i must tell you, they may you feel the tiniest bit better and will lighten you on what happened.”
I nodded as i led the way into the living room where everyone was now sat, all eye’s red some faces still having tear tracks down them as Gary and Elena’s mum slowly sat down in the living room to.
“ this is hard to say and hard to take in i know but what i have heard sheds a little bit of relief on it. Firstly she was killed almost instantly after a second explosion sent her onto a piece of sharp pole. The second thing is more of the story i had been told from a girl who was beside Elena through all this, a girl her age that was found beside her holding her hand and wouldn’t let go until it was confirmed she hadn’t made it. This girl is in hospital and John is with her now.”
I drank my tea as i watched Gary confused at to what could make us feel any better about the whole situation, my wife was gone forever at such a young age nothing could help that pain. I stayed silent however letting him carry on when his voice was controlled again.
“The first explosion hadn’t killed Elena and the young girl she was to help when off the tube at their stop. There were two males that were also barely injured form this first blast. After erythrism had steadied these four had worked to help those injured off the tube and onto the nearby Victoria platform and to other people who were in the station. They worked through the carriage helping at least 50 people off the tube. It was as this girl returned and as Elena had finished helping the last survivor off the tube that the second blast struck. Elena had been right beside the door to the carriage that exploded that time. The force of the explosion threw her, landed on the metal that took her life. The girl explained how brave Elena had been, how determined she had been to help those injured to survive, how her life shouldn’t of been stolen with all the life she had helped to save. I know we shall all suffer the pain from the loss of such a loving girl but i know we need to pull together we will fight this, i promise.”
Now i understood what Gary meant. That she had helped so many people to survive did help me feel the tiniest bit of relief but i knew that it would effect me not having her around. I wouldn’t kiss her lips again or hold her in my arms. No longer would i wake up to her beautiful face beside me. I knew that my priority know was keeping the one thing that held part of Elena alive, that been angel. I knew that angel was the one that was the top of my list now, the one that i would look after to the best i could and give her everything she could have. She was the only living part of Elena i had now and that part of her would live on after i did.
I sat in silence watching as others tried to control their tears. Gary was shaking and teddy went to make him a drink knowing he needed something after what he had been through. Gary had in effect lost a daughter like i had a wife and i knew that this would tear him apart just as much as me. Elena’s mum had kept herself quite. I could see the tears flowing down her cheeks as she sat beside me before she spoke.
“I knew you were the best thing to happen to my daughter, the way she cared about you and loved you proved that. I know that you and angel will need help and i will be here for you both, i will never lose the two people that meant the most to my daughter.”
I nodded thanking her as i tried to keep her calm to. I knew this next day was going to be difficult and tomorrow would be one of the worst days imaginable, i knew that i would need the help of Elena’s mum tonight to guide in me in how you tell a child that one of their parents won’t be around anymore. This had to be the worst day of my life.
After Angel and Caleb had both been picked up by their understanding grandparents i headed back into the living room. The photo of me and Elena on our wedding day striking me in the face. Alex had also arrived by now and i knew the other three wouldn’t be long, Alex had instantly come over to both me and Amy. Instead he now sat on his own tears in his own eyes.
I sat on the sofa and let tears flow freely down my face as my body shook with the grief that was rippling through my body. My heart had been torn to shreds at just the words Gary had told me. The news channel was still on in the background and i looked up to see a camera now inside the tunnel where my Elena had been killed. I wanted Gary to phone to say he had sorted that her body be transported to our local funeral home. It was as the other three arrived, tears in each of their eyes that my mobile rang again.
I phoned Gary back so that his phone bill wasn’t sky high and let him speak.
“She’s really gone, she had landed on a piece of piping sticking up, however they say she would of died almost instantly and wouldn’t of suffered. I am going to make my way back up to you guys and shall be there in 5 hours roughly. I’m sorry Ed i wish you didn’t have to hear this, her mother shall be coming with me.”
I muttered an ok and put the phone down. I felt pain run through my veins it was as if that confirmed it, that she was gone. My body slumped to the floor the phone dropping down beside me as i cried harder. Through my blurred vision i could see teddy next to me, i could hear him trying to calm me down so i wasn’t ill, his arms around my shoulders.
“I..........she........Angel......”
“Ed calm down please, i know it hurts but you’ve got to keep yourself together. What about Angel, she needs you your all she has now. She will need to understand from you why her mum isn’t here tomorrow, we need to try and keep together for this.”
I took in teddy’s words and lifted my head from my knees, nodded as i realised i was all angel had left now. The rest of her life she would only have me and i had to be strong for her, i had to explain to her somehow that her mummy wasn’t coming home. I don’t know how i was going to get through that stage, how would she respond?
Teddy switched off the TV as i tried to dry my face a little with the tissues he had handed me, tears still gently leaving my eyes. I took the cup of tea that i had been made and sipped it gently, my throat was dry from the crying and the drink helped a lot. I looked up to see that alex and Amy were no longer in the living room, the doors to the garden were open however and knew they were outside getting fresh air.
*******************************
Amy’s POV
I couldn’t believe my best friend was gone, the one person i had grown up with, the one that i had spent pretty much every minute of my life with. How could something happen to such an amazing friend, to such an amazing mum.
I was by now sat in the garden of Ed’s house, alex had his arm around me as i cried into his shoulder. I couldn’t believe it that someone so kind, so caring and so friendly could be cruelly taken from this world. The fresh air was helping to keep me calm but i couldn’t help but let tears flow. The news had outlined what had caused the loss of my best friends life but i wanted to know more, i know Gary would know more than the news was saying at the current time.
It seemed like hours that passed as i sat outside, teddy and Ali staying with Ed as Dan came out to sit with me and alex. This was har don all of us but i knew how much harder it would be on Ed. How was he going to explain to angel, how was he going to carry on without the one person he loved. I knew i had to help him with everything, the funeral, any help he required with angel i knew i would be there. I knew everyone would be there for him he needed us at such a hard and emotional time.
As the hour slowly ticked by and my eyes ran dry all i could do was lie on the grass and think of all the memories me and Elena had. The first job we got as a time, the times we had with Keith, a person i would have to inform but that could be left until tomorrow now. Teddy came out to inform us that Gary was ten minutes away and that Ed had made himself sick through all the crying. I knew that the information Gary had would upset him but maybe it would also reassure Ed that her death was not painful.
******************************
Ed’s POV
Gary soon arrived after i had managed to straighten myself out. Gary’s eyes were red as i opened the door to him, i knew he had also been crying a lot. I hugged him as he stepped into the house trying to keep away my own tears. Elena’s mum also following behind crying and who i also hugged.
“Caleb and Angel are at their grandparents, we thought it would be best for now.”
“I’m sorry Ed, i really am. There are some things i must tell you, they may you feel the tiniest bit better and will lighten you on what happened.”
I nodded as i led the way into the living room where everyone was now sat, all eye’s red some faces still having tear tracks down them as Gary and Elena’s mum slowly sat down in the living room to.
“ this is hard to say and hard to take in i know but what i have heard sheds a little bit of relief on it. Firstly she was killed almost instantly after a second explosion sent her onto a piece of sharp pole. The second thing is more of the story i had been told from a girl who was beside Elena through all this, a girl her age that was found beside her holding her hand and wouldn’t let go until it was confirmed she hadn’t made it. This girl is in hospital and John is with her now.”
I drank my tea as i watched Gary confused at to what could make us feel any better about the whole situation, my wife was gone forever at such a young age nothing could help that pain. I stayed silent however letting him carry on when his voice was controlled again.
“The first explosion hadn’t killed Elena and the young girl she was to help when off the tube at their stop. There were two males that were also barely injured form this first blast. After erythrism had steadied these four had worked to help those injured off the tube and onto the nearby Victoria platform and to other people who were in the station. They worked through the carriage helping at least 50 people off the tube. It was as this girl returned and as Elena had finished helping the last survivor off the tube that the second blast struck. Elena had been right beside the door to the carriage that exploded that time. The force of the explosion threw her, landed on the metal that took her life. The girl explained how brave Elena had been, how determined she had been to help those injured to survive, how her life shouldn’t of been stolen with all the life she had helped to save. I know we shall all suffer the pain from the loss of such a loving girl but i know we need to pull together we will fight this, i promise.”
Now i understood what Gary meant. That she had helped so many people to survive did help me feel the tiniest bit of relief but i knew that it would effect me not having her around. I wouldn’t kiss her lips again or hold her in my arms. No longer would i wake up to her beautiful face beside me. I knew that my priority know was keeping the one thing that held part of Elena alive, that been angel. I knew that angel was the one that was the top of my list now, the one that i would look after to the best i could and give her everything she could have. She was the only living part of Elena i had now and that part of her would live on after i did.
I sat in silence watching as others tried to control their tears. Gary was shaking and teddy went to make him a drink knowing he needed something after what he had been through. Gary had in effect lost a daughter like i had a wife and i knew that this would tear him apart just as much as me. Elena’s mum had kept herself quite. I could see the tears flowing down her cheeks as she sat beside me before she spoke.
“I knew you were the best thing to happen to my daughter, the way she cared about you and loved you proved that. I know that you and angel will need help and i will be here for you both, i will never lose the two people that meant the most to my daughter.”
I nodded thanking her as i tried to keep her calm to. I knew this next day was going to be difficult and tomorrow would be one of the worst days imaginable, i knew that i would need the help of Elena’s mum tonight to guide in me in how you tell a child that one of their parents won’t be around anymore. This had to be the worst day of my life.