Anna's P.O.V.

I hate winter... It's cold and brutal, and it takes no prisoners, kinda like cancer. There she was, just laying there, not moving, a picture show playing on the big screen behind her coffin. All the memories any of us had with her showing on that screen.Recent ones where we celebrated her 38th birthday, or old ones, where she was a baby.People were doing the usual thing that they do at visitations, reminiscing about the past, some laughing about memories, others crying. The whole town was here, even the mayor and his son. Everyone dressed in black.I sat in silence in the back room, to my right was Lizzie. She stayed next to me all night. To my left Vic sat back leaning on the arm of the couch.

Occasionally people would pass through to express their condolences, saying how much my mom would be missed, or how she was too young to die.I just sat emotionless, I never said anything I just nodded.My aunt sat on the other side of the room saying the things that I probably should be saying, but I didn't care. Next to walk in the room was Sam and the mayor. He walked over to us and Vic sat straight up and grabbed my hand. "Well I'm sorry did I miss something since the last time we met..?" He smirked and kneeled down in front of me. He always put on a show for the people, trying to campaign even before he was old enough to run for his father's position. Everyone turned their heads to see what he would do next, I just rolled my eyes. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there Anna! I should have been right next to you through all of this, but school's been stressful and, ya know that's no excuse!" Shelly walked in through the door.She looked at me and the down to the idiot on the floor. "Please forgive me my dear?" He looked up into my eyes. Why the hell did I ever like this guy? I was tired of his bullshit. I stood up and he stood up grabbing my hand. "It's not like I wanted you there anyway... I've had Vic and he's been better than a substitute for you, considering you weren't even there to begin with." The snickering around the room made his face turn redder than a cherry, especially the laugh from his own father.Shelly was about to die standing by the door.I grabbed Vic's hand and nudged Lizzie to stand and we walked towards Shelly to walk outside.

"Never in my life have I seen that boy's panties in more of a twist than just then." She looked back at the funeral home. "Your momma woulda been proud baby girl." she kissed the top of my head and then lit a cigarette, along with Lizzie.She turned to Vic, "Her momma hated that boy more than me!"Lizzie, Shelly, and I all giggled remembering the night my mother found out I'd been suckered into dating him. Vic looked at us confused. "What's funny?"

"That boy walked in the diner holding hands with our little Anna over here." Shelly began.
"That woman stood up on a chair and started screaming at him!" Lizzie was choking on her own smoke. I was blushing remembering the embarrassing scene.

"Then she jumped down and told him if he broke my heart she would find him, and she would kill him." I finished the story, by then Lizzie and Shelly were leaning on each other for support. "It was much funnier, if you were there." I whispered in his ear.I took his hand and led him back to the building.I walked into the room, Sam was sitting in a chair, obviously still mad, he had a pouting face on.The crowd of people had died down and it was getting late.The funeral home was closing the coffin but I stopped them for a moment alone with my mom.

I let go of Vic and the men stepped back.I looked down at her face, she was still beautiful, she always had been.I didn't blame her anymore for leaving, nor did I blame myself, I just accepted it, like she told me to.She was wearing her favorite blue dress, wearing make-up I and Lizzie had put on her. I pulled out a little note I'd written for her, like all the little kids do in the movies. But I meant every word I said in that letter, I wrote it when I was 13, when my father told me mom would probably die from this cancer.I squeezed her hand one last time before the closed the coffin

I went home that night, Vic was staying in a hotel down the street, but he drove me and Lizzie back to our place.Lizzie took a shower and I sat with Vic in my room.I hadn't cried all night. But now I was letting it all out.Everything I had ever held in about my father, how much I hated him, and my mother, how much I would miss her.

He laid on the bed, listening to every word I said, brushing his hand through my hair like my mother did.He sat up and kissed my cheek.Lizzie came through the door "Out."She said to him half smiling. He stood up"I've gotta make a phone call anyway."

"And I've gotta take a shower!" I grabbed my towels and walked out of the room.

Vic's P.O.V.

I heard her shut the door and turn the water on, I took the opportunity to call the boys. I walked across the hall to the other room that was once Olivia's.I called mike's phone. "Hey bro! What's up? Is she okay? Is she near you? Anna?" He started to scream through the phone. "MIKE! She's in the shower right now! She's... okay, now I guess, she cried a lot."I could hear the boys in the background yelling and asking questions.

"Tony wants to know how Lizzie is?" Right at that moment she walked in the room. "Oh sorry..." she whispered. "I forgot you were on the phone." She started to walk back out. "Hey Lizzie somebody wants to talk to you here's his number." I wrote Tony's number on a piece of paper. He was protesting on the other side, but all of us knew he liked her, what made her even better was her gauges."Who's is this?" She mouthed to me. So I mouthed Tony back to her and she happily walked (ran) to the other room to grab her phone.I heard Tony's phone go off on in the background and he left their room.

"Idiot...Anyway tell her we're sorry we aren't there and we miss her!" Jaime said.

"Guys! I called because I have a question..." I said not trying to sound too eager.

"Yea what's up bro?"

"How would you guys feel if we took Anna and Lizzie with us on tour?" I heard Tony walk back in through the door.

"YES!" They all yelled simultaneously. I thought they would think about it a little at least.I laughed and talked to them a while longer before hanging up.I heard the water cut off and her feet scurrying across the hall to her room.I sat on the end of my bed contemplating a few things.She walked into my room dressed in a pair of VERY short shorts and a tank top.Did she really have to wear the shorts? She sat next to me and leaned on my shoulder like she always does, it gets me every time too.

I wrapped my arms around her kissing her head.She started shivering, and her fingertips were cold.She crawled to the other side of the bed and grabbed a blanket off the top of the dresser next to the bed.. Don't look up her shorts Vic Do not do it! I kept repeating in my head until she settled.She had wrapped the blanket over her shoulder, and because of how small she was, the thing engulfed her.Her head was bobbing up and down, trying to stay awake through the fight of sleep."Anna just go to bed," I started laughing as she stood up and wobbled back and forth. "You look more drunk than tired." She turned around quickly to say something, but she got dizzy and fell.I caught her before she could hit the floor.Lizzie walked in. "The last time she slept was in the hospital room with you and I."I looked at Anna concerned but she was out like a light, sleep had won her over.I picked her up princess style and carried her to her room.

"I'll be back tomorrow for the Funeral." I looked at Lizzie as I stood to walk out of the room..

"Good cause she's gonna need you big time tomorrow."

The next day came and there was a lot of crying, like there is at every funeral.Again Anna didn't cry, she just sat through it all, with an emotionless expression.All I could do was hold her hand, and with every word the preacher said, her grip was tighter.On the row across from us was the mayor, no son today.Shelly was right behind Anna, rubbing her shoulder.Lizzie was on the other side of Anna, holding her other hand, but she didn't seem to have the same grip she had on me.

I looked around the room to all the people, some standing others sitting in the pews.At the far back next to the door was a man, I don't know why he caught my eye, but he did.Maybe it was because everything except for Anna's eyes reminded me of him.We met eyes, he nodded his head and walked out the door as the preacher finished up his long story.Men picked up the casket, and walked out.Anna. Lizzie and I followed after. Was that her dad? Anna's Aunt and uncle followed behind us, she'd been crying since we got here.

We got to the cemetery, the preacher continued feeding us stuff about how she was a good woman, Anna told me that they had only met the preacher once or twice.Anna looked ready to punch the guy in his face, she wanted this over with and her fury was showing. "Anna," I whispered. "breathe." Her anger settled and the man finally finished up.We all stood up, and the man handed Anna a lily that was on the side of the casket.That was it, she fell into tears. She's never cried like this in front of everyone.I kneeled down next to her and Lizzie was on the other side."WHY THE HELL DID SHE LEAVE ME?I NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG, FIRST MY DAD NOW HER! MOM COME BACK! I NEED YOU!" She was hitting the ground and pulling up grass.Damn this whole thing finally hit her. The preacher leaned down to help but I picked her up.She was wailing, punching my chest as I carried her princess style, away from the crowd.

They were murmuring crap about how she had gone crazy.I heard Shelly and Lizzie start going off at them behind me. She looked me in the eyes, the same look her mother gave me when I made the promise."I promised her I would take care of you."I said to her. "You don't have to worry about me leaving you just 'cause they think you're nuts, obviously they don't know how it feels to be like you.I might not either but I'll be here to support you.So don't worry Anna, I love you."

The tears were coming out of her eyes like a waterfall now. I hadn't intended to make her cry even worse but they seemed like tears of relief.She laid her head on my shoulder again.

Anna's P.O.V.


"Anna, I love you."

I just let it all out again, by the time I had finished crying, I had no tears left.All I could do was lean on his shoulder.I could still hear Lizzie and Shelly screaming at the people for calling me crazy, but that's how I was at the moment.He sat me down on the passenger side of my Jeep.He climbed up in the driver's side and looked over at me.

"I love you too, Vic." He was a little shocked at my comment mid sob.He smiled, again with that smile, the thing that made me fall for him.He's been here for me, whenever I needed him.Lizzie and Shelly came walking up obviously pissed at the people who were now pulling out of the cemetery, to go back to their everyday lives.But I couldn't just go home and move on.I would probably never put on another show at that place, all I could think about was my mother by now.

"Anna, come with me." I snapped back to the real world, to face Vic.

"What?" I said looking really confused, 'cause believe me, I was."Come with me, you and Lizzie. We need a new sound tech, our guy just quit. It's not only an opportunity for you to get the hell out of this town, but you also get to be with me, well at least I hope you want to be near me." He smiled, and looked over at Lizzie who was just as surprised as I was."Tony wants to see you again too." He said to her.

"GOODBYE!" Shelly yelled at us "Get out! Go! Or you'll be stuck here, lonely like me!"Shelly was hugging us and twirling us around, and we hadn't even said yes... yet.

"Anna what do you think?"Lizzie looked at me. I was looking at the ground then over to where they were lowering my mother in the ground.A gust of wind blew through the cemetery, I looked to Vic.He would have to leave soon, so it was either go with him, or stay and be depressed.I looked up, to where I know my mother was looking down, probably smiling at me.

"Yea I'll go as long as Lizzie's going." I said. Lizzie started jumping up and down, Vic picked me up and spun me around, then planted a kiss right on my lips.

"Awwwwwwwww! Lizzie and Shelly said at the same time.

"To the diner for shakes?" Shelly spoke up. "I'll pay."

We all hopped in my jeep. Blaring the radio, when journey came on.My mom's favorite song, and that's when I knew she was agreeing with me, I smiled at the sky for the first time in a while, I truly smiled again, and it was always when I was next to Vic. Always.

Notes

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