A/N - Chapter 3!! I know it's short and I'm sorry! Suggestions appreciated!
"We are here today to mark the passing of Dr Sean Maddox. A loving husband, father and friend. . ." The priest began. The words didn't mean anything to Tina. This man had never even met Sean. He knew nothing about them, not one thing. Only the few pieces of information Tina had given him over the past week. Rather than listen to the stranger Tina found herself silently playing with her daughter. Silently she moved Melia back onto her knee and began to swing her arms playfully. She was vaguely aware of Sam's eyes on her, but she didn't know if he was smiling or looking at her as if she was the most disrespectful person on earth.
"And Sean was always there when little Amelia needed him. She might have been young but Amelia was definitely a daddies girl!"
Tina resisted the urge to jump up there and attack him. Melia hadn't been called Amelia since she was born. She'd told him that. Sean's daughter's name was Melia. Mel if they wanted to shorten it even more. Never Amelia. Calling her Amelia was as bad as calling her Amelia Eve Maddox. She hated that the stupid priest couldn't even get her name right! Before she could completely lose her head she felt Sam's hand on her arm and realised that she was meant to be saying something. As she slowly passed him Melia she walked forward towards the podium. She scanned the congregation for a minute before she began.
"I had a big speech prepared for today, I'd spent hours on it. But when I got here today I threw it away. Nothing can prepare you for the emotion you feel when you bury your husband at 29. Nothing. I'm not pretending that Sean and me were perfect. Far from it. We had our problems, some very public, as a few of you will know. But we worked through them and that's what made us so strong. Three years ago we moved to Australia. It was meant to be our fresh start and it certainly was. We both got new jobs, a new house, our beautiful daughter Melia. Things were the best they'd been for us in a long time. But I guess you can't stay high too long and boy were we brought down with a bump. I don't know what to say today that can in anyway compare to what I'm feeling right now. But Sean. . ." she said, turning to the coffin on her right, "I love you, you know I do. And I always will. I'll be yours forever sweetheart" she whispered as she walked shakily down the step and back towards her seat. Once there she simply collapsed in Sam's arms and stayed there until the end of the service.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tina sat in the far corner of the pub, sipping her rum and coke every few minutes without ever really tasting it. She glanced around the room. Nearly all their friends were here. Some she hadn't seen for a long time. Sunny was in the middle dancing with Amy. Charlie and Duffy were chatting to what looked like a plumper Eve and Tina swore she could see Max talking to Sam somewhere. But as far as she was concerned she was all alone. No one seemed to want to talk to her. She simply sat alone in the far corner and watched as the world went by. Just as she was wondering if she could leave now without it seeming rude she felt someone slide into the seat beside her. She turned round, expecting to see Sam. Instead she saw the one face she had not wanted to face today. Max.
He smiled at her reassuringly, as if to say he wasn't going to make a scene, he offered his hand and cautiously she took it, allowing him to softly shake her hand.
"Long time no see" he muttered quietly.
Tina nodded. All words seemed to have vanished from her throat long ago.
"I'm sorry Tina. I know that doesn't make any difference right now but I am"
Tina found her voice, "I know" she whispered, "But please, right now I don't want to even think about why I'm here today. Just tell me what you've been up to the past three years"
And so Max spoke and eventually the crowd started to thin. By the time Max made his excuses (train to catch) and left there were only five people left in the pub. Tina, Sam, Sunny, Amy and Tina thought it was George in the corner but she couldn't quite tell. As she looked at them all, enjoying 'one for the road' she couldn't help but miss Chloe. She was the one person that hadn't been here today. Tina understood why. She'd gotten the letter off Chloe about 2 years ago, explaining what was happening and saying she'd be in touch when she'd gotten an address. Tina hadn't heard from her since. She probably didn't even know that Sean was dead. She didn't even know that if one moment her best friends life had been ruined forever. That her best friend had lost her soul mate, her lover, the one person she loved, the person she was meant to spend the rest of her life with.
Just as she was drifting off into her thoughts again she felt someone sit down beside her. She didn't even have to turn round to know who it was.
"Hi" she said softly, unable to raise her voice any higher.
"Hi yourself" Sam replied, just as soft.
"How is everyone?" Tina didn't really care but the silence she was cocooned in was threatening to suffocate her.
"Worried about you. Me included" he replied. Tina didn't say anything, she didn't have to. Sam had been her confidant for a reason. He knew what she was thinking without her having to say it. Rather than press on the issue he put a brandy in front of her and watched to make sure she drank it all. Eventually he stood up and helped her to her feet.
"We'd better get going, Melia's probably killing the babysitter!" as soon as he said it his heart sank. 'Killing' yeah because Tina needed to be reminded of death today. As he went to apologise Tina spoke,
"Yeah your right. We'd better go"
And so they left, Sam's arm wrapped around Tina again as they made their way to the car. As they set off Tina gazed out the window. Her and Sean had been looking forward to coming back to England for months. Had both booked five weeks of work to spend as much time as possible with friends and family. Now it looked as though Tina would be staying for a bit longer, and suddenly all she wanted was to be back in Australia.
"We are here today to mark the passing of Dr Sean Maddox. A loving husband, father and friend. . ." The priest began. The words didn't mean anything to Tina. This man had never even met Sean. He knew nothing about them, not one thing. Only the few pieces of information Tina had given him over the past week. Rather than listen to the stranger Tina found herself silently playing with her daughter. Silently she moved Melia back onto her knee and began to swing her arms playfully. She was vaguely aware of Sam's eyes on her, but she didn't know if he was smiling or looking at her as if she was the most disrespectful person on earth.
"And Sean was always there when little Amelia needed him. She might have been young but Amelia was definitely a daddies girl!"
Tina resisted the urge to jump up there and attack him. Melia hadn't been called Amelia since she was born. She'd told him that. Sean's daughter's name was Melia. Mel if they wanted to shorten it even more. Never Amelia. Calling her Amelia was as bad as calling her Amelia Eve Maddox. She hated that the stupid priest couldn't even get her name right! Before she could completely lose her head she felt Sam's hand on her arm and realised that she was meant to be saying something. As she slowly passed him Melia she walked forward towards the podium. She scanned the congregation for a minute before she began.
"I had a big speech prepared for today, I'd spent hours on it. But when I got here today I threw it away. Nothing can prepare you for the emotion you feel when you bury your husband at 29. Nothing. I'm not pretending that Sean and me were perfect. Far from it. We had our problems, some very public, as a few of you will know. But we worked through them and that's what made us so strong. Three years ago we moved to Australia. It was meant to be our fresh start and it certainly was. We both got new jobs, a new house, our beautiful daughter Melia. Things were the best they'd been for us in a long time. But I guess you can't stay high too long and boy were we brought down with a bump. I don't know what to say today that can in anyway compare to what I'm feeling right now. But Sean. . ." she said, turning to the coffin on her right, "I love you, you know I do. And I always will. I'll be yours forever sweetheart" she whispered as she walked shakily down the step and back towards her seat. Once there she simply collapsed in Sam's arms and stayed there until the end of the service.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tina sat in the far corner of the pub, sipping her rum and coke every few minutes without ever really tasting it. She glanced around the room. Nearly all their friends were here. Some she hadn't seen for a long time. Sunny was in the middle dancing with Amy. Charlie and Duffy were chatting to what looked like a plumper Eve and Tina swore she could see Max talking to Sam somewhere. But as far as she was concerned she was all alone. No one seemed to want to talk to her. She simply sat alone in the far corner and watched as the world went by. Just as she was wondering if she could leave now without it seeming rude she felt someone slide into the seat beside her. She turned round, expecting to see Sam. Instead she saw the one face she had not wanted to face today. Max.
He smiled at her reassuringly, as if to say he wasn't going to make a scene, he offered his hand and cautiously she took it, allowing him to softly shake her hand.
"Long time no see" he muttered quietly.
Tina nodded. All words seemed to have vanished from her throat long ago.
"I'm sorry Tina. I know that doesn't make any difference right now but I am"
Tina found her voice, "I know" she whispered, "But please, right now I don't want to even think about why I'm here today. Just tell me what you've been up to the past three years"
And so Max spoke and eventually the crowd started to thin. By the time Max made his excuses (train to catch) and left there were only five people left in the pub. Tina, Sam, Sunny, Amy and Tina thought it was George in the corner but she couldn't quite tell. As she looked at them all, enjoying 'one for the road' she couldn't help but miss Chloe. She was the one person that hadn't been here today. Tina understood why. She'd gotten the letter off Chloe about 2 years ago, explaining what was happening and saying she'd be in touch when she'd gotten an address. Tina hadn't heard from her since. She probably didn't even know that Sean was dead. She didn't even know that if one moment her best friends life had been ruined forever. That her best friend had lost her soul mate, her lover, the one person she loved, the person she was meant to spend the rest of her life with.
Just as she was drifting off into her thoughts again she felt someone sit down beside her. She didn't even have to turn round to know who it was.
"Hi" she said softly, unable to raise her voice any higher.
"Hi yourself" Sam replied, just as soft.
"How is everyone?" Tina didn't really care but the silence she was cocooned in was threatening to suffocate her.
"Worried about you. Me included" he replied. Tina didn't say anything, she didn't have to. Sam had been her confidant for a reason. He knew what she was thinking without her having to say it. Rather than press on the issue he put a brandy in front of her and watched to make sure she drank it all. Eventually he stood up and helped her to her feet.
"We'd better get going, Melia's probably killing the babysitter!" as soon as he said it his heart sank. 'Killing' yeah because Tina needed to be reminded of death today. As he went to apologise Tina spoke,
"Yeah your right. We'd better go"
And so they left, Sam's arm wrapped around Tina again as they made their way to the car. As they set off Tina gazed out the window. Her and Sean had been looking forward to coming back to England for months. Had both booked five weeks of work to spend as much time as possible with friends and family. Now it looked as though Tina would be staying for a bit longer, and suddenly all she wanted was to be back in Australia.