4

                                    

                                          
Sitting on the grass next to my mother's grave, the alcohol made its way down my throat. I stare at my mother's name, thinking of all the times we spent together, thinking about the time I was told she was taken from this world. I lay a bunch of roses by her grave as more tears fall down.
                          
"I miss you mom" I say as I turn around and sit on a bench close to her grave. Huddling within myself because it was currently the evening time...meaning it was literally freezing. I continue drinking the alcohol, staring into space.
                          
Andy's Pov:
                          
I walk into the graveyard and see my broken little girl sat on a bench, staring into space, huddled up to keep the warmth in her body. I look at her for a moment with soft eyes, taking my jacket off to give her some warmth. God she looked so broken. I headed towards her with slow steps in order not to startle her. I sit down on the bench with her and put the jacket around her, she takes one look at me and I can see how destroyed she was, her face was stained with tears and her eyes were red and swollen. I open my arms for her to lean into. She takes it and leans into me, her head on my chest, she cries and cries as her sobs echoed around. I rub her back and hair as I lean my head on hers.
                          
"Everything's okay, I've got you"
                          
"I just want it to all stop, just for a second"
                          
"It's okay" at this point it started to rain 
                          
"None of this is okay dad! stop lying to me" She shouted as she stood up in anger, on her way up she accidentally dropped the bottle of alcohol, pieces of glass smashed on the floor. She rubbed her face in frustration, anger and sadness as she crouched down to the floor and started to pick up the pieces of glass scattered on the cold wet floor.
                          
"I'm sorry, I just- I'm sorry" she cried out as she picked up the pieces of glass, I bent down to take her away from the glass before she hurt herself. 
                          
I grabbed her cold hands and pulled them away "dad get off" she said as she tried to pull me away
                          
"Esme you're going to hurt yourself"
                          
"I need to pick it up"
                          
"Esme stop" I said as I noticed she sliced her finger on a piece of glass
                          
"No!, Get off me! please just let me go" she said as she struggled against me, I took her in my arms in a warm hug and wrapped her warmer in my jacket. She cried into my shoulder as the rain started to pick up, colder and faster. I took her to the car and she got into the passenger seat, I got into the car and started to drive home. The entire car was silent on the way home, the only sound was the sniffing of Esme, a mixture of her crying and the coldness in the air. We arrived home and I told her to sit on the couch as I grabbed a few towels to dry her off and the medical kit to clean her cut. 
                          
"The school told me what happened" I start to say as I sit down, put a towel over her shoulder and grab the medical kit to clean the cut "We arranged some home tutoring from now on, you won't have to go back into that place until this is all over I promise okay?"
                          
"Alexa and Sophie told me to stay away" she said as she scoffed to herself "my best friends don't even want me around anymore"
                          
I was taken aback, the three had been friends for as long as I could remember, toddlers. 
                          
"Give them time, things are gonna work out in the long time, everything is just heated right now"
                          
"I'm sorry about everything, the alcohol, the crying, the drama I just- I wanted everything to be good today you know? I wanted a healing day, celebrating mom...I'm sorry"
                          
"Hey" I say as I put a finger under her chin to make her look at me "none of this is your fault, I mean don't get me wrong taking and drinking the alcohol I'm angry at but none of this is or will ever be your fault okay?"
                          
"I just wanted to numb the pain for a bit, that's what you adults talk about all the time" She says with a slight laugh
                          
I chuckle back "I know" I say as I finally finish cleaning and bandaging up her cut
                          
"Thank you" she says to me with a sad smile. "Hey and those idiots at school, ignore them okay" she just nods in agreement but sadly looks down to her lap.
                          
"How's Jake, is everything okay with the case?" she asks me 
                          
"Its going as well as it could be, we have a good lawyer on our side"
                          
"It'll all be okay right?"
                          
"Always" I reassure her. 
                          
She puts her hand up to her mouth as her face goes pale and she gags "I'm sorry I need t-" she says before she runs to the bathroom. I smile and shake my head as I head towards the kitchen to grab her some medicine and water, hearing her throw up in the distance. Laurie comes into the kitchen "Is she okay?" she asks as the throwing up continued. 
                          
"I found her in the graveyard next to her mom's grave, she had drunk an entire bottle of vodka...hence the bathroom situation right now"
                          
"I see, you told her about the home tutoring right...everything is safer that way"
                          
"Yeah I did, she seemed very keen about that idea, hey I'm gonna stay with her tonight, going to let her sleep on the couch...I just wanna watch over her just in case" I say to Laurie just as I hear feet coming down the stairs.
                          
"I think I'm dying" she said as she plops herself down on the couch and grabs her stomach and head in pain. Me and Laurie look at each other and let out a soft chuckle.
                          
"You're not dying, you're experiencing the amazing world of a hangover" I say as I grab a blanket and softly put it on her as I can already see her falling asleep
                          
"Mmmhmmm, I love yo-" she said as she slowly drifted away into sleep. I smile at her softly and sit next to her on the couch, grabbing my paperwork to carry on with the case.