(~Time Skip to the After Party~)

After we all had a lovely lunch in the function room, everyone went out to the grounds, where we had lanterns and pole lights everywhere, with a stage off to the side, completely set up with a drum set, guitars and bass guitars from my studio/music room, while I went to my room to change into one of my mum's' old dance dresses, and ran back downstairs, meeting James at the back door, quickly grabbing mum's traditional Irish cloak on the way to the grounds.

(pic at the bottom is of the for the face claim for James, I know he isn't 16 in this pic, but please use your imagination and bear with me)

We even had a stretch of wood flooring set in front of the stage as a prompt to dance floor, everyone crowding around the dance floor as mum walked onto the stage with Anuna - the chorus group that she and uncle Michael performed with.

"Now that we have all been fed and had a lovely chat with each other, I would like to announce the first bit of entertainment for the night, after being trained and copying both Michael and I, of our interval act of the 1994 Eurovision, I am proud to present Anuna, James Flatley and Serena Sheppard, in Riverdance." Mum said, causing everyone to clap as Katie McMahon started Anuna off with her beautiful voice, allowing them to join in the chorus. (This will basically be what's in the video)

https://youtu.be/w0v_pu6miJ8

"Hear my cry,

In my hungering search for you,

Taste my breath on the wind,

See the sky as it mirrors my colours,

Hints and whispers begin.

I am living to nourish you, cherish you,

I am pulsing the blood in your veins,

Feel the magic and power of surrender,

To life.

Every finger is touching and searching,

Until your secrets come out,

In the dance, as it endlessly circles,

I linger close to your mouth.

I am living to nourish you, cherish you,

I am pulsing the blood in your veins,

Feel the magic and power of surrender,

To life." James guided me onto the dance floor making sure I didn't trip on the cloak, as I closed it up and started rising the cloak above my head, once it was fully raised, I slowly opened the cloak, lowering it to the ground slowly as James then took the cloak out of my hands, allowing me to start dancing, just as mum did in her performance with uncle Michael.

Once I had finished my dance, I got off the dance floor, allowing James to do his competition with the drummers, just as uncle Michael did, only difference was that while uncle Michael's shirt was a deep blue, James' is an emerald green, this act causing uncle Michael to smile proudly at his nephew, the faster the drums went, the faster James moved his feet.

Allowing the other instrumentalists to join in to allow James and I - me with hard shoes on this time rather than soft, to have our own little 'battle' before the other Riverdancers that danced with mum and Michael in the original performance to join in perfect sync.

All the while, we all had smiles on our faces as uncle Michael and mum couldn't help themselves and join in on the dance they created together, alongside James and I, when we all struck the final pose, with mum and uncle Michael staring each other down and James and I doing the same right next to them, everyone cheered.

We all took a bow, before Lily came running out from the house, with her phone in her hand, mum got a worried look on her face when she saw Lily's face, white as a sheet, as if she's been told something terrible has happened, but it couldn't have, could it?

Mum took the phone and went into the house, while everyone started to quiet down, Lily quietly whispered something to my uncles and Philip, making them all look towards me with sympathetic looks, only worrying me even more as I saw uncle Mark tear up, as well as grandpa - who was standing next to my uncles.

"Lily, what's wrong? What's happened?" I asked her, slowly moving closer to her, she shook her head as if she didn't want to believe the news she must have gotten, which only worsens my worries, even more, when my uncle Mark and grandpa's tears won the battle they were having and came over to hug me.

"It's best if this news came from your mum, sweetpea. But know, that we are all going to be here for you, your mum, Philip and little John." Uncle Michael said as he came over to me, after whispering something to James - probably the news that they don't want to tell me.

"Uncle Mike, just please tell me that it's not about dad." I pleaded with him, my eyes starting to water at the thought at the worst happening to him runs through my head, he looks at me sympathetically, giving me enough information in his look to causes my own tears to pour, much like uncle Mark and grandpas.

Once uncle Mark and grandpa let go of me, I immediately ran into the house and in the direction my dad and I's - well I guess mine now if the worst has happened, secret room behind a wall in the library, I was so focused on getting to the library that I didn't even hear James and uncle Michael running after me, until James managed to catch up to me and held me as we fell into a wall and slid down to sit on the floor.

I buried my head into James' shoulder, wrapping my arms around his neck as tears still poured from my eyes, hearing James sniffle as well, uncle Michael finally caught up to the two of us and wrapped his arms around the pair of us, being both of ours rock at this moment in time.

It's funny how the happiest moment in time can immediately change to the most heartbreaking the next second. However, I guess it's mostly moments like this that make you realise what you have and how to cherish those around you, with every breath you have in your lungs.

"Sh, it's okay, we will always be here for you darling, just like you always want to look out for James and John, we will always look out for you and be only a call away and we will immediately be there for you, you and I were there for James when his parents passed, we will always be there for you darling." Uncle Michael told me, James nodding along to him and hugging me tighter to him, as we heard a pair of hard shoes running downstairs.

"Rose, darling where are you?" Mum called out, James lifted his head from the top off mine, shifting me in between him and uncle Michael.

"Up hear aunt Anya." He called back, me stilling me crying to just tears trailing down my cheeks, my head now buried into uncle Michael, we then heard the hard shoes run up the staircase, towards us.

Michael moved over a bit, allowing my mum to wrap her arms around me and bury my head into her shoulder as we both cried to each other, I pulled away slightly to look at my mum, but still leaning on her for support, James and Michael each holding one of my hands.

"How bad is it, mum? Is dad okay?" I asked her, she looked a bit shocked but then the shock turned to sorrow, probably thinking that I guessed from everyone's looks downstairs.

"I'm so sorry mo leanbh (my child in Irish Gaelic), he was in a really bad accident and didn't make it long enough for the ambulance to reach him." Mum told me, both of us crying again, causing James and Michael to hug us both this time.

After mum and I had finished crying for this moment in time, we both thought that it was best we go to bed, and as everyone was staying here for the night, we arranged the rooms to fit everyone, me sleeping in what was dad's room, allowing Keira and Lynn have my room for the night.

Mum, came into the room, after setting John down to bed, James was on the air mattress on the floor - even after I offered half the bed to him, and came over to sit by me, Lynn came in as well, carrying one of the many Irish cloaks dad got for mum when I was younger and mum danced more often, they both came over to the bed, Lynn laying the blanket over me as her and mum started to hum the instrumental to, mo ghile mear - an old Irish song they used to sing to me during rehearsals, before all three of us started to sing it to each other, James joining in on the harmonising.

https://youtu.be/VcCVjiKfDk8

"Lá na mara

Lá na mara nó rabharta

Guth na dtonnta a leanadh

Guth na dtonnta a leanfad ó

Lá na mara nó lom trá

Lá na mara nó rabharta

Lá an ghainimh, lom trá

Lá an ghainimh

Can you feel the river run?

Waves are dancing to the sun

Take the tide and face the sea

And find a way to follow me

Leave the field and leave the fire

And find the flame of your desire

Set your heart on this far shore

And sing your dream to me once more

'Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear

'Sé mo Shéasar, ghile mear

Suan gan séan ní bhfuair mé féin

Ó chuaigh I gcéin mo ghile mear

Now the time has come to leave

Keep the flame and still, believe

Know that love will shine through darkness

One bright star to light the wave

'Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear

'Sé mo Shéasar, ghile mear

Suan gan séan ní bhfuair mé féin

Ó chuaigh I gcéin mo ghile mear

Amhrán na farraige

Ór are na seolta

Amhrán na farraige

Ag seoladh na bhfonnta...

Lift your voice and raise the sail

Know that love will never fail

Know that I will sing to you

Each night as I dream of you

'Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear

'Sé mo Shéasar, ghile mear

Suan gan séan ní bhfuair mé féin

Ó chuaigh I gcéin mo ghile mear

Ag seinm na farraige

Ag seinm na farraige

Seinn...

'Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear

'Sé mo Shéasar, ghile mear

Suan gan séan ní bhfuair mé féin

Ó chuaigh I gcéin mo ghile mear

Ghile mear, the wind and sun

The sleep is over, dream is done

To the west where fire sets

To the ghile mear, the day begun

'Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear

'Sé mo Shéasar, ghile mear

Suan gan séan ní bhfuair mé féin

Ó chuaigh I gcéin mo ghile mear

'Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear

'Sé mo Shéasar, ghile mear

Suan gan séan ní bhfuair mé féin

Ó chuaigh I gcéin mo ghile mear

Ó chuaigh I gcéin mo ghile mear

Amhrán na farraige

Ór are na seolta

Ag seoladh na bhfiann" All of us sang in harmony, small tears sliding down our cheeks - and if you are wondering, Lynn and James, are both like older siblings to me, since I met them I have always seen them as such.

"I love you deirfiúr beag (little sister in Irish Gaelic)." Both Lynn and James said at the same time, before staring at each other, before hearing me giggle slightly at both of them.

"And I love you both as well my deartháir and deirfiúr (brother and sister in Irish Gaelic)." I say to them, cuddling into the cloak remembering when dad gave this to mum as a Christmas present, even though they weren't together at that point, they both tried their hardest to make sure that we were all happy, it was the day after that mum would meet Philip.

"Goodnight mo leanbh." Mum told me, kissing my forehead softly, then doing the same with James, before she and Lynn left the room, it was then that I allowed my eyes to close, to take me into the land of unconsciousness where I could relive all the memories I have with my dad, until I would have to wake tomorrow.

First Posted: 16th March 2019

Edited: 16th March 2019