After The Storm - A Short Story

Seven years ago, in the house of the Werthing family, was Mia Werthing’s ninth birthday. She was an only child, living with her big-hearted parents. She looked more like her mother, who had blonde hair and ocean-green eyes, than her father. Her father was a kind man who you never saw without a pair of glasses resting on the brim of his nose. They were one big, happy family. Until the accident.

Mia was sat at the dinner table with a birthday hat on opposite Jacob, her father, when Colleen, her mother, entered carrying a chocolate cake with the number ‘9’ iced on it. Colleen placed the cake on the table in front of Mia, who readied herself to blow out the candles when a knock on the door interrupted them. Colleen walked over and opened the door to find a middle-aged man with brown hair and blue eyes stood there. Colleen opened the door wider to let him in.

Liam Jones was Mia’s godfather but he was more like an uncle to her. They had been inseparable ever since the day Mia was born. The moment Liam held Mia in his arms he knew that he would do anything to protect her from harm.

Mia stood up from her seat and ran over to Liam who bent down to give her a hug whilst Jacob walked over and stood next to Colleen. They watched Liam hand Mia a small box wrapped in blue wrapping paper with a white bow and Mia eagerly opened it to find a silver bracelet with the phrase “belle âme” imprinted across it. She turned to Colleen and handed it to her so that she could put it on Mia’s wrist. Mia turned back around to face Liam with a huge smile on her face only to find him announce that he had to leave. Her face dropped and she grabbed his hand, begging him to stay so he bent down again to be the same height as her and put his finger to Mia’s forehead, just like in E.T.

“I’ll be right here.” He mimicked.

E.T. was their favourite film that they always watched whenever Liam looked after Mia. They had a cute tradition where whenever Liam left, he’d re-enact this goodbye. Mia giggled slightly and let go of Liam’s hand, allowing him to finally leave.

Seven years later, Mia, now at the edge of sixteen, was lying on her bed fully clothed with ‘The Show Must Go On’ by Queen blasting out. As soon as the lyric “the show must go on” commenced, Mia started to fake cry.

“FREDDIE!” She yelled over the blasting music, continuing to fake cry.

Colleen entered and tilted her head, giving Mia a confused look. “What are you doing?” She laughed, familiar with this kind of comical behaviour from Mia.

Mia turned the music down and smiled at her mum. “Just listening to the lyrics intently, realising that I’ll never get to see Freddie Mercury live, no biggy.”

“Okay, well your dad and I are leaving in ten minutes so do you want to come downstairs to say goodbye?” Colleen asked.

“Yeah, of course. I’ll be down in a minute.” Mia replied and her mother left, closing the door behind her.

Mia stood up from her bed and walked over to the mirror to brush through her newly dyed pastel blue hair. She took a hair bobble and tied her hair up into a messy bun before turning her speaker off and making her way downstairs.

Colleen and Jacob were hard at work, dragging the suitcases to the front door when Mia came down the stairs and voluntarily helped her dad with the last bag.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” Colleen hugged her daughter.

“No, it’s okay.” Mia smiled when they pulled away from each other. “Liam didn’t bother with me after my ninth birthday so why should I bother with him?”

Jacob sighed and put a hand on Mia’s shoulder fondly. “You know that he moved away when the divorce happened and he threw himself into work.”

“Yeah but one call in seven years wouldn’t hurt.” Mia stated, passive-aggressively.

“I know, sweetie.” Colleen sympathised. “But he didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Mia looked down and thought about the last time she saw Liam. She still wore the bracelet he got her despite the heartbreak he caused her. She was curious about what the inscription meant. Belle âme. She’d wanted to ask him the next time he visited but he never did.

Jacob looked at his watch and his body arose to a sudden urgency. “We’re fifteen minutes late, we should be going.”

Mia frowned and laughed slightly. “Your train isn’t for another half an hour. I’m sure you’ll make it.”

“Oh, you know how your father is.” Colleen smiled. “Better to be safe than sorry.”

Jacob pulled his family into a huge hug and sighed contently. “We’ll see you in a week, okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll miss you.” Mia pulled away from them to let them leave.

“We’ll miss you too.” Jacob replied.

“Bye, sweetheart.” Colleen said as Jacob practically dragged her out the door.

Blackness. A sudden ringtone.

Liam was lying in bed, asleep when his phone went off. He turned on the lamp, rubbed his eyes and reached for his phone on the bedside table to answer it.

“Hello?” His groggy voice seemed too loud due to him only just waking up.

Liam listened to the news on the other end of the line with a hard expression and his face faltered as he began to tear up. He rubbed his forehead in complete dismay as he tried to comprehend the horrific news he was receiving. No. It can’t be. They can’t be dead. One minute, he was excited to see them the next morning and the next minute, he would never see them again.

Liam sat on his couch opposite Jacob and Colleen’s lawyer who had travelled out to New York to meet with him.

“Mr Jones, as Mia’s godfather, you are now her legal guardian. It is in your hands to take care of her. She will be departing from Heathrow airport tonight and you must meet her at JFK airport at five o’clock tomorrow morning.” The lawyer informed him.

Liam sighed, his head in his hands. “I have no idea how to take care of a kid.

“She’s not a kid anymore. She’s a teenager.”

“Well I don’t know how to take care of a teenager.” Liam replied.

The lawyer stood up and collected his things then looked at Liam. “Neither do I. Good luck.” And with that, he left Liam with the responsibility of the goddaughter he let down seven years ago.

Liam stood in the foyer of JFK airport, waiting for Mia to arrive. A weird sensation filled his stomach. He still couldn’t comprehend everything that had happened. It felt like a dream. He wished he could go back to seven years ago and never leave.

Mia finally made her way through baggage claim, pulling a suitcase along behind her whilst she looked for Liam. She stopped and looked around until her eyes fell on him holding a sign with ‘Mia Werthing’ written across it. He noticed Mia and smiled, waving her over. Mia didn’t wave back; she just walked over and stopped in front of him. An awkward silence fell between them.

“Your hair is different.” Liam noticed. “And you’re taller than when I last saw you.”

“I dyed it. And yeah,” Mia began to walk past him, shoving his shoulder slightly, “The last time I saw you was when I was nine so I have grown up.”

Liam watched her walk away and murmured to himself, “And you’re meaner”, before quickly following after her as they made their way through the airport.

They soon arrived at Liam’s apartment and he showed Mia straight to her room. Liam’s apartment was quite small; the door split the kitchen from the living room. The kitchen consisted of about four cabinets with a stove, washing machine and fridge, all crammed in the corner of the apartment with a rectangular dining table surrounded by six chairs placed directly opposite the kitchen, in front of a window. On the opposite side to the kitchen sat a black leather sofa, big enough to only just fit two people on, against the wall, facing a TV. The two bedrooms were right at the far end of the apartment and Mia’s was a decent size. A double bed stood against a window with two bedside tables either side. A dressing table and mirror stood against the opposite wall where a wardrobe was crammed into the corner.

“It’s not much,” said Liam, “but it’s–”

“Where my parents used to stay when they visited you.” Mia interjected.

Liam paused and looked at Mia. “Yeah.” He replied weakly, the grief starting to set in. They stood in silence, neither of them knowing what to say until Liam couldn’t stand the quiet much longer. “Mia, I’m so sorry about your parents. Are you okay?”

“Can a person be okay with a situation like this?” Mia questioned.

“I know but–”

“Why do you care?” Mia looked up at him.

Liam was taken aback by this. He didn’t know what to say. Why would she think he didn’t care? “Because I’m your godfather and you’re in my care now.”

Mia shook her head and made her way to the bed where she placed her suitcase down. “Exactly. You only care because you have to. Besides, we both know I’m only here until I can move out.”

“Mia, the first time I ever saw you was the day you were born. I stayed with your parents before your mother went into labour. I stayed at the hospital until your father finally came out of the room to announce that he had a daughter. And when I held you in my arms for the first time, I told myself I was never going to let anything bad happen to you. So when I ask if you’re okay, it’s because I mean it.” Liam stated.

Mia looked down at her hands in her lap. “I wish people would stop asking me if I’m okay. I’m clearly not. My parents just died for fuck’s sake. What part of that would mean that I’m okay? I just don’t know what I’m going to do without them. One minute they’re leaving to meet you and then the next, the train has de-railed taking them with it. They didn’t even get to the airport. And now my whole life has turned upside down. I have nothing left.”

“You have me.” Liam smiled.

Mia looked up at him and smiled back.

“Anyway, I’ll let you unpack.” Liam turned to leave.

“Hey, Liam?” Mia stopped him.

Liam turned around to face her. “Yeah?”

“I never asked you how you were doing. This has to be hard on you too.” Mia said.

“I’m getting by.” Liam replied before leaving the room and Mia turned to the suitcase, opening it up and beginning to unpack it.

Mia woke up after a two-hour nap, hoping it might help her slightly to fight off the jetlag. She stood up and creaked the bedroom door open, checking to see if Liam was awake. She could see him setting up the dining table for breakfast and decided to leave her room to help him. Liam looked up when he noticed her walking towards him.

“Hey.” He smiled, a little awkward.

Mia began to help him place plates on the table and that’s when Liam noticed the bracelet still firmly attached on her wrist.

“You kept it?” He asked, surprised.

Mia looked down at her wrist and then back up at him. “Of course I did. I was actually wondering what belle âme meant?”

Liam smiled. “It’s French for beautiful soul.”

He expected Mia to smile at this but she looked down, clearly upset. “Why did you never visit after my ninth birthday? I know you couldn’t stand to stay after your divorce and wanted something new but seven years is a long time.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Liam felt ashamed.

“So why didn’t I see you until now?” Mia persisted.

Liam sat down. “Because the first couple of years I became busy with work. They wouldn’t let me have any time off. But after that, I felt guilty and I didn’t want to–”

“Face me?” Mia finished. Liam didn’t answer which was an indication to Mia that this was in fact true. “You made it worse by leaving it so long.”

“I know.” Liam sighed. “And I truly am sorry.”

Mia nodded. “It’s okay.”

A silence fell between them again. Liam looked at Mia in sympathy and tried to think of something to say or do…

“Why don’t we go to Paris?” He suggested.

“What?” Mia raised her eyebrows.

“Yeah.” Liam said. “I mean, it’s summer so you don’t have to be in college or anything.”

“Well I was expelled anyway.” Mia blurted out by accident.

Liam looked at her. “How come?”

Mia thought back to the day she was called into the headmaster’s office. He clearly wasn’t very happy. She remembered he had been sat in his chair at his desk with his arms folded as he stared at Mia who sat opposite him.

“Are you going to speak or are you just going to sit staring at me?” Mia had said.

“Are you aware of the posters put up around the college?” The headmaster leant forward.

“Yeah.” Mia nodded. “I’ve seen them about.”

“And you think it’s acceptable to do this?”

Mia furrowed her eyebrows. “Wait you think I did it? You don’t have proof that it was me.”

The headmaster turned his computer screen to face Mia and then played a video of Mia sticking up a poster that said “Priorities! You can always retake a class but you can’t retake a party” in the hallway.

“Well that’s just stalking.” Mia smirked.

“Did you really think you could get away with vandalism like this?” The headmaster turned his computer back around to face him.

Mia sighed. “But it’s not vandalism; I was just adding–”

The headmaster cut her off. “Don’t talk back to me!”

“That’s how a conversation works!” Mia argued.

“I have no choice but to expel you.” He stated.

“Sorry, what?” She questioned. “For sticking up some posters as a prank?”

The headmaster looked down at a piece of paper on his desk. “This isn’t the only thing you’ve done, Miss Werthing. If I am correct, you have vandalised college property more than once, swore at many students and staff and been deviant towards uniform requirements, dying your hair an unnatural colour. Do you have anything to say?”

Mia gritted her teeth. “I think the answer to that question would be fuck you.”

“Mia?” Liam snapped her out of her trance. “Why did you get expelled?”

Mia looked at him and opened her mouth slightly. “Yeah I’d rather not talk about that. Besides, I’d have had to leave anyway because I’ve moved here now.”

Liam sighed and pursed his lips. “I suppose. So are you up for it? A trip to Paris?”

“Sure.” Mia smiled and nodded. “I’d like that.”

Liam and Mia walked out of the apartment building, pulling their suitcases behind them. Liam unlocked the car boot and lifted the suitcases into it as Mia got into the car. Liam soon joined her and started the engine.

“I already connected my phone to the Bluetooth.” Mia stated. “What shall I play? A bit of Panic! At the Disco?”

“Who?” Liam started driving.

“Panic! At the Disco.” Mia replied. “Only the greatest band alive. Wow you’ve been deprived. I need to educate you.” Mia looked down at her phone and began playing ‘Hallelujah’ by Panic! At the Disco then looked out the window as they made their way to the airport.

When the plane landed at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, Mia and Liam immediately made their way to the RV centre and hired the cheapest one they could find. They then found themselves getting food at a drive-through because they were starving after such a long flight then Liam began to drive the RV whilst Mia went into one of the bedrooms at the back and took a nap to sleep off the jetlag. Eventually, she naturally woke up and joined Liam at the front in the passenger seat.

“So, where do you want to go first?” Liam questioned.

“I have no clue.” Mia replied. “I don’t really know many places here, you’re the expert on France.”

Liam glanced at Mia. “What makes you think I’m an expert on France?”

“You got me a bracelet with French wording on it.” Mia shrugged.

“Fair point.” Liam laughed slightly. “Well, we could go see the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe or there’s Sacré-Cœur.”

“I feel like we’re going to have to queue for a very long time to get into the Eiffel Tower so we could try the Arc de Triomphe?” Mia suggested.

“Arc de Triomphe it is.” Liam nodded as he continued to drive them through the streets of Paris.

Liam and Mia spent the whole day visiting monumental places in Paris and going to many souvenir shops. They even went grocery shopping to buy essentials for inside their RV. It got to about nine o’clock at night when they parked in an RV park and sat outside, sharing a bottle of wine. Then two, then three. They were soon lying on the ground, blind drunk.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been drunk before.” Mia slurred. “Like sure I’ve been to parties where we’ve drank alcohol but I’ve only really got tipsy. This is straaaaaange.”

“So what do you want to do now?” Liam asked.

Mia sat up and gasped. “Do you know what I’ve always wanted to do?”

Liam looked at her. “What?”

“Get a tattoo.” Mia said.

Liam thought about whether this was a good idea or not, then he shrugged. “Okay.”

They arrived at a tattoo shop which Liam drove them to in the RV; of course this was a terrible idea but that thought didn’t cross their minds until they found themselves in a messy situation later.

Mia was sat in the chair as the tattoo artist cleaned her left wrist, whilst Liam was stood beside her.

“What are you gonna get?” Liam slurred from beside her.

Mia looked at the phrasing 'belle âme' on her bracelet, still attached to her wrist, and held it up. “Make it permanent.”

“Oooooh I like that!” Liam smiled, closing his eyes slightly and then opening them sharply once again.

The tattoo artist set up the needle and held it above Mia’s wrist. “Ready?”

Mia nodded in reply and closed her eyes as the needle began to run across her skin. Liam watched closely and started to feel his stomach turn.

“Oh would you look at that. Blood.” And with that, Liam was unconscious facing down on the floor.

The next morning, Liam was driving the RV through the streets of Paris with a pounding headache. Mia was next to him in the passenger seat, looking out the window.

“I can’t believe I let you get a tattoo.” Liam sighed. “What kind of parenting is that?”

“I don’t know.” Mia replied. “I don’t know why I got one. I never wanted one.”

Liam looked at her. “You said you did!”

“Well I was drunk.” Mia argued. “Also, I’m not eighteen yet and you drove drunk last night so you’re really not doing great with this whole parenting thing, are you?”

“This is why I never had or wanted kids.” Liam said. “Because I don’t know how to look after them.”

Suddenly, they heard a loud siren behind them then saw blue lights flashing in the rear-view mirror. Liam went to pull over but Mia stopped him.

“You don’t want to pull over.” She stated.

“I have to. The police are behind us.” Liam frowned.

“Switch places with me.” Mia took her seatbelt off. “I’ll drive.”

“What? No!” Liam argued. “You’re not old enough to have a driver’s license yet!”

Mia took off Liam’s seatbelt and pulled him out of his seat, sitting down in the driver’s seat. “Yeah but you still have alcohol in your system and are most likely going to jail.”

Liam refused to sit in the passenger seat and stood behind Mia. “So do you!”

“Not as much as you do.” Mia said. “Now, how does this thing work?”

Mia floored the accelerator pedal and the RV zoomed forwards, hitting extremely high speeds.

“WOOOOOOOO!” Mia yelled and laughed as Liam fell backwards and quickly stood up again, sitting down in the passenger seat.

“OH MY GOD MIA STOP!” Liam shouted as he attempted to get his seatbelt on.

“Nope!” She popped the ‘p’. “We are not going to jail because you’re an unreliable carer!” She changed gear and pressed her foot down on the accelerator again.

“How are you driving well?” Liam questioned. Because honestly, she wasn’t that bad.

“Mario Kart.” Mia joked. “Oh, and Fast and Furious. By the way, just me who has realised that they constantly change gear when there’s no need to? Like you get up to the highest gear when you’re going the national speed limit which is seventy miles per hour in England and don’t need to change gear until you slow down. They’re definitely going over seventy miles per hour and continue to change gear. Why? WHY?”

“Mia, the police are still close behind us.” Liam interrupted.

“Yeah, hang on.” Mia sighed.

She turned the wheel as they turned down a road and drifted the RV, losing the police as they zoomed past, going straight along the main road.

“And we lost them.” Mia smiled.

“How the hell did you do that?” Liam asked.

“I watch a lot of racing films.” Mia shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal or like anything out of an action film. Because it really was like something out of an action film. It would also be good to mention that the police weren't even after Mia and Liam, they were just paranoid because they knew they still had alcohol in their system.

It’s the least to say that the rest of their trip wasn’t as eventful as those first couple of days. They visited all the places they could think of and bought many, many souvenirs from gift shops. But it was finally time for them to go home. And a couple of months after, Mia was ready to go back to college. Of course, with them living in America now, this meant that she was going to a high school instead.

“I’ll miss you.” Liam said as they stood at the school gates, saying their goodbyes.

Mia laughed slightly. “Dad, I mean Liam!”

“Did you just call me Dad?” Liam raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, we’re just going to skip past that. Please.” She insisted. “What I was going to say is that you’ll see me in six hours.”

“I know. But I spent seven years feeling guilty for never seeing you and now that we’ve spent so long together, I’ll just miss you again.” He admitted.

Mia shook her head and smiled. “You’ll see me at the end of the day.” And then she held her finger up to his forehead, just like in E.T. “I’ll be right here.” She mimicked.

Liam couldn’t help but laugh. And then he watched her walk away into the school gates as they waved goodbye to each other. And he knew. He finally had a daughter.