You Raise Me Up

Patrice Bergeron and his girlfriend of three years, Sarah McGill, had just entered the apartment that they shared together when the phone rang. Patrice excused himself from the conversation that he was having with his girlfriend and went to answer the phone. Sarah could only hear parts of the conversation from her spot in the living room, but what she could hear made her curious.

“Yep, we’ll be there, I promise. And hey Tim, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Patrice said before he hung up.

“Ev’rything alright?” Sarah asked, the words rolling off her lips with such an accent that it made Patrice melt. He loved the way she talked and he could listen to her go on and on for countless hours about absolutely nothing if it meant that he got to hear her perfect, unbroken, thick northern Irish accent. So many countless nights he had pondered how she kept the accent up without losing it since she had been living in the United States since she was fifteen, but Patrice had never found an answer.

“Well, depends on how you look at the situation. Timmy, he knew someone who was killed during the 9/11 attacks and he wanted to have a group of guys come over and watch some of the programs that morning to honor his friend.” Patrice told her softly in her ear has he bent down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug. Patrice felt her body get rigid against his, so he pulled away and asked her,

“What’s wrong? Are you alright?” His voice was filled with such concern that it made Sarah melt. Not wanting to fully reveal her past yet, she just nodded numbly and said,

“It’s getting late, I should probably start making dinner.” Patrice just nodded and watched his girlfriend walked away to the kitchen, worried that something was seriously wrong and that there was something that she wasn’t telling him…

“It was just confirmed that this was a terrorist attack and about 3,000 people were killed…MOMMY!!!! DADDY!!!!...No, they can’t be dead…” The words: “We’re so high up it looks like the planes are flying right at us” danced across her mind. “This just in, Osama bin Laden, who was behind the 9/11 attacks back in 2001 was killed last night…I’m sorry Sarah, but they’re not coming back…it’s just me and you left in the family kid…NOOOO!!!!” Sarah jolted awake and shot upright in the bed that her and Patrice shared.

“Sarah…Sarah, calm down!!! It was just a dream!” Patrice exclaimed as he pulled his now hysterical girlfriend closely to him. Sarah clung to him for dear life as she cried against his chest,

“It seemed so real… like I was witnessing it all over again. Them dying, the screaming, everyone running around in fear, the confusion of not knowing what was going on… it was sooo real.” Patrice held his girlfriend tight, not knowing what she was talking about.

Sarah cried for another ten minutes in Patrice strong embrace, before Patrice finally got the guts to ask,

“Who died?” Sarah pulled away from him, looked at him for a moment, and then decided, this is the moment of truth, and I have to tell him.

“It was supposed to be this whole family reunion vacation thing… but in the end it turned out to be pure terror…” Sarah started… and then the flashback of that whole entire weekend came back to her like a jolt of lightening as she told her story to the man she loved…

Flashback…

“Well lads, lassies, here we are, the wonderful New York City!” Tom McGill exclaimed as he led his family that was visiting from Ireland out of the airport and towards the car.

“Oh my Lord, ‘tis beautiful.” His sister, Margaret, muttered as she took in the city. Everyone agreed with her and once the whole McGill family was in the car, the un-official New York City tour had started.

“Now, just down that street there is Broadway…Oh, look, ‘tis the Empire State Building, we’ll have’ta bring ye there during your visit…Mammy, look, ‘tis a big toy store, can we go there too?” Various people shouted out as the family toured the city.

“Well, here we are, home sweet home!” Mr. McGill shouted as he opened the tours to his family’s small apartment. No one noticed the eldest McGill child, Sarah, mutter,

“This is not home, home is back in Ireland.”

“Well, for tomorrow, I think that we should go and see the Empire State, Twin Towers, since those are supposed to be magnificent, and the Statue of Liberty.” Helena McGill, the wife of Tom McGill, suggested as the family started to plan out their day.

“But, Mam, I don’t want to see the stinking towers and the Empire State!” Sarah exclaimed.

“Sarah, if that’s were ev’ryone wants to go, then you are coming with us, no buts about it.” Her mother disciplined her child. Sarah just rolled her eyes, but let out a small smile when her favorite aunt, her Dad’s youngest sister said,

“I really don’t want to see those buildings either. Now, how ‘bout I keep Sarah with me and we will go shoppin’ or somet’ing and you guys can see the Towers and the Empire. And then, we’ll meet up with you when you are gonna head t’wards the Statue.” Sarah looked at her parents hopefully. Mr. and Mrs. McGill looked at each other, had a silent conversation, nodded to themselves, and then turned to Sarah and said,

“We are okay with letting ye stay with yer aunt. But, you HAVE to go to the Statue of Liberty with us.” Sarah smiled a full smile this time and thanked her parents.

“Then ‘tis settled then, now, I t’ink I am going t’ hit the hay. G’night.” Sarah’s grandmother said as she got up from the table. After she left, everyone else decided that they would head to bed too.

The next day…

“Bye, we’ll call you when we are heading towards the Statue. Love you, stay safe.” Mrs. McGill said to her daughter as the family prepared to leave for the days adventures. Sarah nodded, told them that she loved them, and then Mr. and Mrs. McGill, Mr. McGill’s mom, his two sisters, their husbands, his older sister’s two sons, and Sarah’s younger and older brothers left, not knowing that that would be the last time that they would all see each other alive.

“Well, where do ye want t’ go first darlin’?” Margaret asked her favorite niece after her family left.

“Let’s go to Fifth Avenue and go window shopping and make fun of snobby rich people!” (A/N: sorry, I don’t mean to be mean to the people who do live there, they are probably insane nice people… just for story purposes did I say that.) Sarah exclaimed, a gleam of laughter in her crystal blue Irish eyes. Her aunt laughed, and off they went.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe that you said that to that lady!!!” Sarah laughed after her and her aunt were kicked out of the store that they were looking in for being rude to a customer who was insulting their heritage.

“Irish people got a nasty temper… so, you don’t go and call us barbarians and expect us to let it slide.” Aunt Margaret laughed as she pulled her daughter into a hug. Suddenly, Sarah’s phone rang and she answered it.

“Mom, is it time to meet you already? It’s only like 9:00.” Sarah asked. She heard screaming in the background but, she let it slide.

“Honey, I just want to say that I love you and we may not be coming home, planes crashed into the Twin Towers and it’s bad. Your Uncle Jim, Uncle Sean, and your Aunt Emily have already died. I’m soo sorry honey, I love you and I promise I’ll watch over you from Heaven. Your brothers and Da’ say they love you too. Goodbye darlin’.” And then she hung up. Sarah wiped the tears off of her face as she heard her aunt scream and then point to a cloud of black smoke that was forming in the sky.

“Their dying.” Sarah told her as she ran off in the opposite direction of the smoke with her aunt.

End of Flashback…
“They all died, not one of my family members made it out alive. So, now it’s just me and my Aunt Margaret. That’s why you never were able to meet my family.” Sarah concluded, tears cascading down her face like a waterfall. Patrice stared at his girlfriend in shock, in all the years that he knew her, he never knew that horrible story of her past. He clung to her tightly and she just cried into his shoulder.

“Ten years ago, I was supposed to die with everyone else. And now, since it has been ten years later, I feel like ev’ryone should be celebrating my death as well, I should’ve been one of those people who died in the towers.” Sarah said. Patrice, not knowing what to say, said nothing and just held her, eventually the two of them fell asleep.

The next day…

“Are you sure you want to go to Tim’s house?” Patrice asked, as he got ready to leave for his friends. Sarah pulled on her sneakers, dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a black shirt. She nodded. Patrice looked at the girl and pursed his lips and nodded.

“Hey Tim, guys, how’s it going?” Patrice asked as he and Sarah were escorted into Tim Thomas’s house.

“Pretty good, how ‘about ya? Oh, hey Sarah.” Tim said as he took a sip of his water. Sarah mumbled “hello” back to him and pressed her eyes to the TV and shuddered. Thankfully no one but Patrice saw this and he wrapped his arm around her supportively. Patrice, Tim, and Sarah took their seats on the couch that also occupied Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton.

“Sarah, my girl!!! What up!?!” Milan exclaimed as he lazily slung his arm around his best friend outside of the team. No one on the Boston Bruins really got how Lucic and Sarah became best friends, but it happened and they just went along with it.

“Nothin’.” Sarah mumbled as she pulled away from Milan and leaned against Patrice. The team all watched in shock. Never had Sarah pulled away from Milan and shrugged him off so carelessly.

The boys, minus Patrice, all watched her curiously has she started to cling to something that was inside her pocket and then move that very same hand from her pocket to around her neck, which as always, displayed her Celtic cross that she never took off.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe that that really happened.” Brad Marchand said in a low voice, that for once wasn’t making fun of anyone or sounding like everything in the world was such a joke. Everyone in the room looked at the TV and watched as it showed the second plane crash into the Tower. The cameras then changed its angle and it showed all the people on the inside trying to escape a terrible death. This was all too much for Sarah. She quickly got up and ran towards the nearest bathroom and cried her heart out. It killed her on the inside knowing that her family was one of those people inside the second tower that was hit. Knowing that they were some of the unfortunate ones who didn’t make it. After what seemed like hours there was a timid knock on the bathroom door.

“Sarah, are you alright?” she heard Patrice’s soft accented voice say. She left no comment. Instead, she slowly walked towards the door and opened it so there was just a crack to look at her love through.

“New York.” She muttered. Patrice looked at her curiously.

“What?” he asked softly.

“New York,” she said a bit louder. “Can we go there?”

“Are you sure. It has been ten years.” Patrice said, referring to earlier that morning when she expressed to him that she hasn’t gone to New York since that day.

“Yes. I need to go…for closure.” She said softly, opening the door a bit more. Patrice squeezed himself through the small crack and engulfed her into a hug.

“I’d go to the ends of the earth with you. So, of course I will go with you to New York. We can go right now if you want.” He whispered into her ear. Sarah gently pulled away and nodded.

“Thank you.” She whispered as they walked out of the bathroom. Patrice just pulled her close and kissed her gently on the head.

“No problem baby. I love you.” Sarah once again, just nodded.

“Is everything alright? Is Sarah okay?” at least every guy asked when Patrice and Sarah re-entered the room.

“She’s fine. But hey, we got to go somewhere. Sorry guys. Um, see ya next week at practice.” Patrice said to his friends. The guys all shook their heads, unaware of what had happened to Sarah and unaware of what was going on between her and Patrice.

“Bye. And Timmy, I am soo sorry for your loss.” Sarah said as she walked away with Patrice. No one said anything, shocked at how vulnerable she looked and sounded. No one had ever seen her cry and now to see her break down like she had, well, it scared the boys.

“Later Sarah my LOVE!!!!” Milan called after her and Patrice as they walked to the front room and exit the house. Sarah let out a small laugh and called out “bye” to him, just loud enough so he could barely make it out.

“Now, before I get onto the highway, are you sure that you want to go?” Patrice asked quietly as he got ready to turn onto the highway exit that would take the couple to New York.

“I’m sure. I need to do this.” Sarah said, trying to sound brave. She was only half successful, and Patrice sensed that. He reached over, took her small shaking hand into his strong, firm one.

“It’ll be fine. And I’ll be with you the whole time. And it’s okay to cry.” He added, as he saw that she was trying to hold back more tears.

“No it’s not. I’m Sarah McGill and I NEVER cry. This is insane. Why am I so emotional?” Sarah whispered that last part.

“Everyone needs to cry every once in awhile. It’s un-human not too. And don’t worry; I think you look cute when you cry.” Sarah let out a small and weak laugh.

“Thanks Patrice, I have no clue what I would do without sometimes. You’ve been nothing but amazing to me from day one and that’s why I love you.” She told him, taking their intertwined hands up to her mouth and kissing his hand softly, her lips lingering on his skin a bit longer than required. Patrice just smiled and squeezed her hand tightly while thinking,

“This is the woman that I want to marry someday.”

“Well, here we are… the lovely New York City.” Patrice said to Sarah who was looking outside the window, a good three and a half hours later. Patrice couldn’t see her face, but, he could see her reflection in the window and the look of terror that was printed across her face as plain as day.

“It’ll be alright, now, where to first?” He muttered, giving her hand, which he hadn’t let go of since that morning when they first left, and squeezed it again.

“Ground Zero.” He could barely hear her make out. He nodded grimly and drove off towards the direction of the sight.

“I can’t believe that this is where they died.” Sarah muttered as she grimly stepped out of the car that they had came in. Patrice quickly went to her side, wrapped his arms around her, and said,

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I just wished they could’ve seen me grow up, graduate, meet you…” Sarah trailed off. Patrice said nothing as she led him towards a secluded area, away from all the commotion that the new memorial site was causing.

They sat down on bench and Sarah started to fiddle with something in her pocket. After a little bit, she finally pulled out what she was playing with… a nice set of Rosary beads, completed with a nice Celtic cross at the bottom.

“They were my Grandmum’s,” she explained as she looked at them in her hand. “Every mornin’, back home in Ireland, we would pray the Rosary together using these exact same beads. We even prayed them together as a whole family the day they all died. I…” but she trailed off.

“You what?” Patrice asked gently, taking his eyes away from the beautiful beads and landing them exactly on hers.

“I still pray them to her every morning. I know it’s stupid, but, I don’t know, it’s just something I’ve been doing since I was a wee little girl.” She muttered. Patrice wiped a strand of her long blond hair out of her eyes and said,

“It’s not stupid. And if you want, I’ll pray them with you right now if you want.” Sarah eyes widened in shock.

“Are-are you sure? I was afraid to ask. But, it means a lot to me that you would offer.” She exclaimed quietly.

“I would love too. And never be afraid to ask me anything. Now, you can start, and we’ll switch off. Now, are we doing the whole thing or just a decade?” Patrice asked.

“The whole thing, if that’s alright.” Patrice just nodded and Sarah started,

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” And then the couple proceeded to pray the whole Rosary through, not evening caring about some of the strange looks that people were giving them.

“Well, that was very enlightening.” Patrice commented when they had finished. Sarah just gave a small smile and reached over and hugged him. Patrice hugged her back and kissed the top of her head while thinking,

“This whole experience is bringing us closer as a couple, so worth coming even if it is sad.”

“What now?” Patrice asked when he felt his girlfriend pull away from him. She looked around the site that they were sitting at and finally said,

“I know we just prayed the Rosary and all, but would you mind going into the church with me?” Sarah then pointed to the church that was across the street, the one that somehow managed to not get hit by the collapsing buildings and managed to stay fully intact throughout the whole deal. Patrice smiled and said,

“I would love too.” And then, the couple walked hand in hand over to the church to celebrate mass with everyone else that had gathered for the religious celebration.

“Thanks Patrice, for doing that today. It meant so much to me.” Sarah said to her boyfriend later that night when they had finally gotten home. Sarah crawled into the bed next to him and Patrice pulled her close to him as he replied,

“I would do all over again darlin’. It meant a lot that you would let me go with you. And thanks for finally telling me the story on how they died.” Sarah, feeling much better than she had all day smiled and said,

“I’m glad I did. You know, I think they would have liked you.”

“Who?” Patrice asked.

“My family, Ma, Da’, and everyone else who was killed. I love you baby, and I think that you should know that you raise me up and I don’t think that I would be able to get through everything that life throws at me without you. I love you.” Sarah told him. Patrice just kissed her on the lips for his reply.