[ Ā šøĀ ] Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā ThisĀ Ā yearĀ Ā wasĀ Ā extremelyĀ Ā hardĀ Ā forĀ Ā Annabelle.Ā Ā ItĀ Ā startedĀ Ā withĀ Ā herĀ Ā momĀ Ā beingĀ Ā hospitalizedĀ Ā &Ā Ā endedĀ Ā withĀ Ā aĀ Ā funeralĀ Ā atĀ Ā theĀ Ā beginningĀ Ā ofĀ Ā February.Ā Ā TheirĀ Ā familyĀ Ā Ā lostĀ Ā aĀ Ā battleĀ Ā withĀ Ā cancer,Ā Ā Ā &Ā Ā itĀ Ā wasnātĀ Ā easyĀ Ā toĀ Ā getĀ Ā Ā upĀ Ā onĀ Ā yourĀ Ā feetĀ Ā afterĀ Ā somethingĀ Ā likeĀ Ā that.Ā Ā AnnieĀ Ā wasnātĀ Ā Ā veryĀ Ā openĀ Ā toĀ Ā Ā talkĀ Ā aboutĀ Ā herĀ Ā mentalĀ Ā state.Ā Ā NoneĀ Ā ofĀ Ā herĀ Ā friendsĀ Ā āĀ Ā Ā luckilyĀ Ā āĀ Ā lostĀ Ā aĀ Ā closeĀ Ā memberĀ Ā ofĀ Ā theirĀ Ā family,Ā Ā soĀ Ā itĀ Ā wasĀ Ā hardĀ Ā forĀ Ā themĀ Ā toĀ Ā understandĀ Ā whatĀ Ā AnnabelleĀ Ā wasĀ Ā goingĀ Ā through.Ā Ā ThatāsĀ Ā whyĀ Ā sheĀ Ā grewĀ Ā soĀ Ā closeĀ Ā withĀ Ā HIM.Ā Ā HeĀ Ā understoodĀ Ā theĀ Ā situation,Ā Ā theĀ Ā pain.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ļ¼Ā Ā myĀ Ā dadĀ Ā doesnātĀ Ā wantĀ Ā toĀ Ā celebrateĀ Ā christmasĀ Ā thisĀ Ā year.Ā Ā Ā usuallyĀ Ā thisĀ Ā timeĀ Ā aroundĀ Ā weādĀ Ā beĀ Ā pickingĀ Ā upĀ Ā christmasĀ Ā treeĀ Ā &Ā Ā startingĀ Ā decoratingĀ Ā theĀ Ā house,Ā Ā butā¦Ā Ā heĀ Ā doesnātĀ Ā evenĀ Ā wantĀ Ā toĀ Ā talkĀ Ā aboutĀ Ā it.ļ¼Ā Ā Ā AnnieĀ Ā saidĀ Ā walkingĀ Ā nextĀ Ā toĀ Ā himĀ Ā withĀ Ā herĀ Ā umbrella.
āMemories are painful,ā Michael began carefully, hands in his pockets and they meandered down the street together. āAnd times like Christmasā well heās gonna be remembering her a whole lot. Imagining her right there with you putting up the tree, hanging decorations. Itās gonna be rough on all of you. Maybe he just isnāt ready to remember the good times just yet, I mean recovery doesnāt run in straight lines, right?ā
Michael didnāt have a family. Never had. The closest heād ever come was bouncing from care home to care home as a child and then eventually leaving the system altogether when he hit eighteen. But that didnāt mean he couldnāt sympathise and mourn Annabelles loss alongside her, as a friend.
