"Heave ho," I mumbled under my breath, carrying all of Alice's weight as I shove her to the side of the room and make her sit down on a chair. Her whole body is as stiff as a board, her eyes remained open and didn't even dare to close, it's as if she's a doll.

I began to worry since she hasn't flinched nor utter a single word since the lights went on, if she isn't in this situation, she'll most likely be yelping with joy to finally see Marian and Harry opposite each other, in front of a candle lit table. But instead, here she is, paralysed and mute due to the shock of the sudden darkness.

Marian explained how she has a phobia in the dark because of some events that happened to her past, hinting us that her phobia began when she entered a haunted house on her school's event.

It's a good thing that we have an extra maid which is Divina since I don't think I'll be leaving Alice's side until she resumes to her normal self. Even though it's a good time to have a laugh right now to see Divina in such a long maid uniform which is very unlikely of her to wear one, Alice is not bothered to chuckle but the rest of us in the room are already holding back our laughter because in all honesty, it doesn't fit her, it's not actually her style, very un-Divina like.

"Fucking bitches, stop laughing at me," Divina cursed out loud but it only made the very blunt Liam to let his laugh out that caused Louis, Niall and I to grin. Marian and Harry are just sitting across each other with a hint of curiosity in their expressions, they must be wondering why they're seated across one another.

"Uhmm... Can Marian and I know what the commotion is about?" Harry questioned, hoping for anyone to answer, Louis approached their table and patted Harry's shoulder.

"Oh, Harry, we just all thought that it's about time that the truth will be revealed-" Louis' head turned to Marian's direction. "Right?" Louis queried and Marian's face just turned red and then Louis took off Harry's baker hat off his head and I finally saw how his hair looks like all this time, everyone's jaw drop on the ground and I'm the only one unaware of why.

"Since when did you cut your hair?!" Louis asked Harry and he just shrugged and grinned at everyone, it looks nice on him but everyone is still shocked, shocked like Alice but instead, they're shocked on Harry's hairstyle.

Divina served some pizza that Harry made earlier for them to eat. Louis, Liam, Niall and I just flashed a smile to each other, a symbol for the accomplishment of our plan.

We just observed the two as they eat their meal together while they have a laugh and some chat here and there, the romantic atmosphere felt in the air and the touch of the candle lit on the centre of their table made it more romantic, it makes me feel something so weird, as if I want to fall in love just because of the scene and the feeling.

Suddenly, I felt someone's presence just beside me and my eyes met those blue ones until I scanned his face and saw Niall's face with a smile, I flashed him the smile too as I breathe in air and let my shoulders drop as I exhale. His arms flew on my shoulder and drew me closer to his body but I quickly shoved it away because he knows how I really am not comfortable with a guy's physical touch.

"I hope they'd end up together, I'm already wishing them luck on their future relationship," Niall told me, not seem to be bothered with my actions. I chuckled and turned my whole body to face his frame and punched him lightly on his chest.

"I don't know any history about them, but I already know how cute they'll be," I confessed as I look at where the both of the people we are talking about and saw how much they're really having a nice evening with each other. It's really lovely to look at them, just looking at them makes me long for someone whom I'd be looking at the same way the same as they do with each other.

I'm still a girl of course, I finally accepted the fact that it's natural for me to feel a little bit of a romantic. I may feel this way and the closest person that I can think of is Niall, but anything about it is normal, it's like a delayed puppy love, I can make sure that I don't fancy him, but I do admire him... If that makes any difference.

I felt myself involuntarily leaning onto someone and to be specific, I found myself already leaning on Niall's chest, I can feel his own body stiff, just like how mine would do as well whenever we make physical contact.

I got worried at first as to the thought that he might be uncomfortable but he soon then softens and unexpectedly embraces me and I felt our chests touch one another. My heartbeats then soon became faster than it was because this is probably the closest that I have been with a guy.

I look up to him, a worried expression written on my face but he then reassures with another one of those smiles and once I saw him with that, my body started to soften as his and I closed my eyes and leaned comfortably on his chest while I look at the lovely soon-to-be couple, in front of us.

The evening past, it was enough for all of us to call it a day. Niall engaged Louis, Liam and I to take a picture for the success. Louis kept on telling him to post it on some social media called "smackchat" or something like that, since I haven't grown up possessing a single gadget, I'm really not familiar to anything about those other than texts and calls if they're even considered as social media.

The four of us were struggling to fit on Niall's small touch screen phone which is why we needed to compress, but it's kind of impossible since Louis and Liam are acting like wild animals. Louis is telling Liam that the picture is only for "lads" and that Liam is still a boy and should be discriminated. Although, I'm a female, he insists that I am more lad-er than him since I beat his bum the last time.

Niall is losing his patience by the second so he counted down even if the other two were still pushing and playing around. I smiled at the front camera, waiting for Niall to take the photo and as soon as he said "one" his arms embraced me and that's when the flash stroke. The photo ended with Niall and I in an embrace, smiling, while the other two looks like they were lost with aggravated expressions.

"Oh Niall, I've never noticed this before but... You're actually taking selfies again!" Louis told Niall as he ran to his arms. "Niall, Niall, you're back! You're back, I'm so glad you're back," They hugged tightly and Louis fake cried as he buried his face on Niall's neck. Niall chuckled and rubbed Louis' back. I didn't knew the reason of the sudden rejoice but I just smiled at them, seeing how happy Niall compared to how much Marian told me that he was at his worst the past months brings such joy to me. I'm glad that he's also back.

Niall and I fetch Irish on the music shop and headed home, the rest went home as well. Harry was with Marian, Louis was with Liam and the twins took care of Alice, claiming that they'll be taking her to their apartment for the meantime since she's still shocked that caused her to fall into a deep sleep.

Currently, here we are walking on the very dim streets of Dublin which is usually lit up with a lot of bright lampposts but it's different this time. We continued to laugh about some nonsense just to make time fly, we were also about to eat for some midnight snack but none of us had the appetite to eat sow we just continued to walk and chat.

"Hey, do you mind me taking you to somewhere?" Niall asked after our conversation about Liam and Louis ended. I looked at him with a little bit of doubt but I agreed anyway and so there, we changed routes to go off to where Niall's destination is only to find out that he took me to the park where we first met and where we drenched ourselves in the rain because of our little argument.

Niall is looking at the sky and it made me mimic him and as I look up, I saw nothing but darkness, the stars and the moon were nowhere to be found. A little hum is what I heard, the voice and the tone sounded very familiar, though, I can't pinpoint what it is since I'm really bad at remembering stuff. The hum is coming from none other than Niall, getting louder and louder at some point as he sways his head from side to side, gently.

I continued to listen further and only to conclude that it was the sound of the music box Niall was humming along back then when it's raining, that day when we had an argument.

There were a lot of bench surrounding us but Niall chose to sit on the ground as he lets go of Irish's leash and to my surprise, the dog didn't even jumped to get away from Niall and instead, it had place his head beside Niall's knee wherein he sits in a cross legged position. It took me awhile to realise that the humming stopped and I just stood there, awkwardly until Niall patted the ground beside him, indicating for me to also have a seat next to him and I did so.

He did nothing but stare at the starless night sky, I couldn't help but also do the same, trying to process in my mind what could possibly be the thing he's really looking at other than pitch black and dark sky.

"It's actually been awhile since I had fun," he murmured with a faint smile on his face as he fiddles with Irish's coat and I just look at his actions. "Did you had fun?"

"Yes, of course I did," I answered him as his eyes shifts and searches for mine and they finally landed to each other.

"I'm glad you did," he enthusiastically said with that huge smile on his face until I heard the angels come down from heaven when a voice so heavenly and pure is heard.

Hello, the stars sent me a message

Niall openly sang and I listened to his calming and very beautiful voice yet I'm shocked to finally hear him sing since I know and he did hinted me back then that there's something behind him which makes him resist to sing. Something so painful and now he's actually singing his heart out, the song escaping from his lips getting louder by the second until I can hear it crystal clear.

He had such a wonderful voice, so calming and really light weighted, it makes me want to fall asleep because of his little song and as he stopped singing, I noticed myself gazing at his figure until he looked at me once again wit that very huge grin, it really is evident how happy he is tonight.

"You know... I miss my mother," those words caught my interest and it immediately made my ears attentive to the next things he's about to say. The expression on Niall's face changed, something so bitter-sweet and he's probably remembering those times he shared with his mother. "She just left me all of a sudden, she didn't even told me about it, I was really unaware of that time and the thought of not actually being the last person she sees before she left is really hurting me," Niall's voice cracked, a lump on his throat forming as he bites his lips and tries to contains his tears.

"Wh- what happened?" I questioned, not knowing what I just said and then I suddenly realised it. "Oh, sorry... I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's alright. I've spilled a lot of beans, might as well just give you everything," he mumbled under his breath. "I really love my mother, she taught me about music and everything. She taught me how to be kind and how to be human to your fellow brothers in need, she's actually the reason why I take in homeless people since she taught me that I should help them with all I can," he wiped those liquid forming on his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

"I really do love her, she's probably the best thing that could have happened to me. She always supports me with everything that I want and encourages me as long as I don't end up hurting people along the way to success," as he continued to talk, I tried to connect his tales and what Marian told me and it seems to be consistent.

"Hell, when I even told her about me auditioning for the singing competition on England, she really did supported me! I thought she was joking at that time but no," a happy face suddenly forms again. "She was willing to save up money for me to fly to England just to make my dreams come true, even though she had an illness, her heart had holes, she was born a blue baby. I insisted how she should just disregard it but she already booked a flight for me," I nodded to indicate for him to continue.

"But then, when I finally went to England to audition, it was really unfortunate, none of those who judged me thinks that I can make it," his happy face turned upside down.

"It hurt my feelings of course, because firstly, I've always dreamed of being successful as a singer, I thought I could actually make it. Second, my mother just wasted all that money for her son to bring nothing but disappointment to her and third is, I just couldn't bear the thought of failing her because I promised that I could make it, that I could actually bring some money so that she can get a surgery to treat her heart and we'll live a happy life," my face also turned upside down, it's the same way I feel whenever I think about my parents, they did enough for me and failing the mission that was tasked to me is such a disappointment for my parents, I may have not promised them that I could do it but I did oath to myself that I can and I will.

"When I went back here to Ireland, everything just went... Bad," I look up to him again with his fists clenched. "When I touched Ireland's ground only then I received the message, message about how my mother had a cardiac arrest around 18 hours ago and I didn't had any idea about it," his lips tremble and his eyes start to squint as it let down a tear.

"I went to the hospital and it was too late and I found out that she was already sensing her death even before I flew to Ireland, she didn't even bothered to tell me so that I won't get distracted," that's when the tears fall down continuously on his eyes, causing him to cover his face with his hands as he howls. I felt really bad for him because, he didn't deserved that after everything good that he did so I rubbed his back up and down and shushed him, trying to comfort him and seeing that he wouldn't stop, I pulled him in an embrace so that I can bring him much more comfort.

"Since then... Since then... Since then I-"

"Sshh," I hushed because he can barely make his sentence with his shaky voice and just enjoyed the moment on being with each others' presence for awhile as he continues to cry his heart out.

We spent a few moments without speaking, just Niall pouring all of his emotions. I wasn't bothered, it's alright for us to let out our problems sometimes because it can get really heavy if you keep it to yourself.

He finally coped and his tears ceased when he pulled away from me and wiped his tears. "Since then I thought of myself as the worst son that the best mother had,"

"Oh no, don't say that."

"No, it's true," if Niall only knew how worse of a child I am than his. "Before I flew to England, I had a girlfriend whom I have also loved truly. She offered me a lot of money just to prevent me to audition and go for my dreams and in that way, I can get my mother treated in an instant. But I declined it because my mother and I wanted to pursue my dreams and also because I didn't want instant money," he sniffed and wiped those tears forming on his eyes again. "But, if only I had took her request, I wouldn't have lost her and my mother at the same time," I frowned when he spoke those words, it didn't made sense how he lost his girlfriend too.

"As soon as my mother died, she left and broke up with me because she thought that I betrayed her and all of that."

"If you ever feel sad, just think that your mother is in a better place now and I'm sure she wasn't disappointed on your failure to get through your audition, I think she'd be more disappointed if you stop right now. I think it's best for you to continue on with life, your mother would still be with you, watching your every move and even though she's gone now, you should still try and achieve those things you want, not only to make her proud but also to make yourself proud." I reasoned out, although I don't know if any of my words would help.

"And as for your girlfriend, I actually don't know, I thought relationships and love is all about supporting one another but stopping each other if they think that they're doing something bad. No offence, but I think it was never real when she tried to stop you from auditioning."

"Well, I know that now, I'm actually not trying to seek advice but rather, sharing something to you, I'm sorry if I actually went that far," I blushed because I got embarrassed for even blurting out advices when he wasn't even requesting for one. "The pain is still inside my heart, I guess it would never go away but it's actually starting to hurt less which makes me happy like my old self again and you know what, Victoria?"

"What?"

"Thank you,"

——-——-——-——-——-——-——-——-——-——

A/N hello everyone, sorry for the late update ☹️, I've been really busy at school especially that it's the first week but hey! I managed to update 😂👍🏼 and AAHHH!! I'm really excited to write the next chapter because after the next chapter... 😈😈. Please don't forget about the very last customer Victoria served, the customer is highly relevant and she's probably the start of the complications. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, votes and comments are really appreciated, have a nice day 😊.

Next update: 06/19
Twitter: LovingHLLNZ

All the love, "K" 💋💋