#today is dave's death anniversary and i wanted to post something a little more positive 🫠

[davidjosephkatz]

katz, david j july 23, 1939 dallas, wisconsin - ✞ february 21, 1968 hill 689, a shau valley, vietnam

inspired by:

[ph-piecebypiece-blog]

Chapter Eight

Authors note: I’m going away for a few days so the next chapter won’t be up until Thursday or Friday. It’s already written though so I can post it as soon as I get a second when I’m back, just wanted to let you all know. Thanks so much for all the support so far, you guys are amazing! :)

March 10 2013

Mother's day.  For those who are fortunate to have their mothers still with them, it's a lovely day that gives you the perfect excuse to show your mother how much you love her and to spend some time with her. For those who aren't so lucky, it's a reminder of what you lost. Without fail every year it put Everly in a bad mood. She hated herself for feeling that way, for being jealous of those happy little families out for brunch or for a picnic if the weather was nice enough. It was a day that made her resentful towards everyone who paraded around with their mother who they probably didn't appreciate half as much as they should anyway and then she felt angry towards herself for being so petty. Overall it was just a stressful, horrible day and she wished it didn't exist. Especially since this year it shared the anniversary of her mother's death.

She was just finishing putting her makeup on for the day, contemplating that very thought when her phone buzzed next to her and Harry's named flashed on the screen.

“Thinking of you today, hope you're doing alright xx”

She smiled, her mood lifting just a touch.

“Thanks, Harry. I'm thinking of you too. Any plans? Xx”

“Just heading up to Althorp with Wills to visit mum, might see my uncle too if he's around. You?”

“About to have lunch with my grandmothers then going to visit my mum as well.”

“Try to have a good day, love. Still coming over tonight?”

Everly confirmed their plans before looking at the clock.

“Shit,” She mumbled to herself before throwing her phone into her purse. She was already running short on time and after being distracted by Harry she would now be slightly more than fashionably late.

*

“I'm sorry! I'm sorry!” She frantically apologized, trying to catch her breath as she ran up to the very fancy restaurant where she was meeting her grandmothers. It was unseasonably warm so she found them easily as they were seated on the patio in front of the building.

They both looked up, a slight look of shock on their faces.

“That's quite alright, dear,” Her grandma Evelyn, her mother's mother and Everly's namesake, assured her. “We're just glad you could make it this year.”

Her grandmothers had been organizing this mother's day brunch for the past four years now and every year Everly had cancelled on them at the last minute.

“Here, take a seat,” Her grandma Joyce instructed, pulling out a chair as Everly hopped over the rail of the restaurants patio, earning a stern look from both grandparents. “Would you like a drink? We've started with some mimosas.”

She smiled as the two elderly ladies giggled like naughty schoolgirls at the fact that they were drinking before noon. As much as she'd been tempted to cancel once again and spend the whole day moping about, she was already glad she came.

“A mimosa sounds perfect,” She decided. “I can't miss out on all the fun you two seem to be having.”

Joyce flagged down a waitress and ordered her granddaughter's drink before both of them turned their attention to her, staring at her intently.

“How are you, darling?” Evelyn asked. “You look, well, you actually look wonderful!”

A grin slid onto Everly's face as she realized the stark difference there must be in her since they last saw her, on the last day of Adam's trial and as she thought about the person who had helped her come so far in such a short time.

“I am wonderful,” Everly confessed. “Things are going very well for me at the moment. I feel...happy again. For the first time in a very long time.”

“Oh I am so pleased to hear that!” Joyce breathed a sigh of relief, but there was a twinge of sadness in her eyes and Everly's stomach twisted as she realized they might want to talk about what happened. “We are sorry, you know. We should have seen how unhappy you were, we should have noticed that you withdrew from us.”

“But we just thought you were a normal, young adult who didn't want to be bothered by her family all the time,” Evelyn piped in, defending their actions. “If we'd known what you were going through, we would have been there for you.”

“I know that,” Everly assured them. “I don't blame anyone, but myself. I was good at hiding what was happening because I didn't want anyone to know and get involved.”

They nodded, but before the conversation could continue the waitress came over with Everly's drink, ready to take their food orders and by the time she left, her grandmothers were ready to change the subject.

“So,” Joyce started, a cheeky grin on her face as she sipped her mimosa. “I know you went through a lot and might not be eager to get back into the dating scene, but is there anyone special in your life at the moment?”

Everly hesitated, not sure she wanted to open that can of worms just yet, but the soft smile that slid on her face as she thought of Harry and the pink twinge on her cheeks gave her away.

“Oh, I know that look!” Evelyn teased. “There is someone! What's his name?”

“His name is Harry,” She confessed, knowing she wouldn't easily get out of this conversation. She also knew neither of her grandmothers would tell anyone without her permission and, feeling like a high school girl with a crush, she was quite eager to talk about him.

“Does this 'Harry' have a last name?” Evelyn prodded.

“Um, not exactly...”

“Oh no,” Joyce sighed, a frown replacing the look of glee that had been on her face moments before. “He's not another sleezy drug dealing lunatic is he? What kind of respectable young man doesn't have a last name? Is he some kind of rapper thug?”

Everly giggled at the though of Harry trying to rap or act like a thug as she shook her head.

“No, no, he's definitely not,” She assured them. “And Harry would be a horrible name for a rapper, Grandma.”

“Well I don't know these things!” Joyce shrugged. “Why doesn't he have a last name then?”

Everly mulled over how to answer the question without setting off too much excitement.

“I guess Wales would be his last name,” She informed them, enjoying the look of puzzlement on their faces. “But Mountbatten-Windsor is probably the technical one even though I don't think it's ever used.”

The look of shock that slowly took over them as they worked out, almost in perfect synchronization, who she was talking about was priceless.

“What?!” Joyce shrieked, drawing a few glances of concern to the table. Much to Everly's relief though, everyone soon lost interest probably just assuming she'd had a few too many mimosas already.

“Are you trying to tell us that you are dating Prince Harry, the third in line to be king of England?!” Evelyn asked, thankfully in a much quieter tone than her counterpart.

“I am,” Everly confirmed, unable to hide her grin. “For almost two months now actually.”

“How on earth did that happen?”

“Well I've been working in Dave, my godfather's, bar and he came in one night looking for a quiet place to have a drink when he got back from Afghanistan,” She explained. “We met once at some event Dad dragged me too when we were young, but we never kept in touch so it was nice to catch up and once we started talking we just really hit it off.”

“How has he been with everything you went through?” Joyce asked, her concern evident in her voice. Everly really wished that not every conversation came back to this issue, but she knew how hard it had been for them to see her at the trial so she tried to be patient.

“He's been really wonderful,” Everly assured them. “He was, uh, actually the first person I really opened up to about it and he's been nothing, but kind and understanding about the whole thing and any boundaries I have. He's really been the positive influence I think I needed to pull my head away from what happened.”

“Excellent,” Joyce grinned, satisfied with her answer. “You do seem very happy, you practically glow when you talk about him.”

“I am happy,” Everly blushed. “I got very lucky finding him when I did. Please don't tell my dad though. It's still quite new and I don't want to deal with whatever complaints I'm sure he'll have.”

Joyce nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable about keeping something from her son, but not wanting to interfere in their business.

“Have you heard from your dad lately?” Evelyn asked, having heard from Joyce how strained their relationship had become.

“Nope,” Everly sighed. “And I think it's better off that way for now.”

“He does love you very much you know,” Joyce said quietly, unable to not defend her child, but earning an eye roll from her granddaughter.

“He has a great way of showing it,” She snapped, bitterly. “Not even coming to one day of the trial or reaching out to me once when it was happening really screams 'I love you'.”

“He was the one who got you out of the situation though,” Evelyn reminded her, but was met with more snark.

“Only to save his own reputation!” Everly argued. “'Former Prime Minister's daughter beaten to death by crazy, drug addicted boyfriend while he stood by and did nothing' isn't the most flattering headline.”

Joyce frowned, frustrated that she felt that way.

“He did it because he loves you,” She insisted.

“Can we just not talk about this?” Everly asked. “It's mother's day, not father's day. Today isn't about him.”

Joyce opened her mouth to protest, wanting things to be okay within her family, but Evelyn spoke first.

“Alright, dear. We'll drop it for now.”

The rest of the lunch passed without any more tension. The three shared a few more mimosas and plenty of laughs, enjoying each others company and making up for the time they had lost the last few years. There was guilt felt all round, Everly for pushing her family away and her grandmothers for not stepping in sooner, but they didn't let it rise to the surface and focused on the future.

After their lunch, they said their goodbyes and Everly headed to her mother's grave. She hadn't been in years, since before she'd met Adam, and just the sight of her headstone brought tears to her eyes. She placed the bouquet she'd brought by the stone before sitting on the grass next to her. Before she even knew what was happening, she found herself pouring her heart out. She told her everything, about how Adam had treated her and how heartbroken she was that the first man she'd ever truly loved had turned out to be such a monster, how she feared for her life every day, how she thought her fate was just to stay with him until he accidentally killed her as if it was some kind of punishment for how she'd behaved after her mother died. She told her how angry she'd been at her for dying and how she sometimes had blamed her for what happened to her, knowing she wouldn't have ended up in that situation if her mother hadn't died, but how she instantly felt guilty for ever feeling that way. She told her how strained her relationship with her father had become, how he was such a different person than he was when she was alive and how she wasn't sure their relationship was repairable anymore.

And lastly, she told her about Harry. How he appeared just when she really needed someone and brought the light back into her life. How he'd been so incredibly patient with her and treated her so well. How he made her laugh and how much fun they had together and, of course, how insanely attractive he was.

She hadn't even realized how fast time had passed and two hours later, with her mascara smeared all down her cheeks from all the tears she'd shed, she stood up, brushed off her jeans and headed home to get ready to go to Harry's place.

*

When he opened the door it was instantly clear that he was as emotionally drained as she was.

“You don't have to knock, you know,” He told her his voice soft and tired. “Especially if I'm expecting you.”

“Okay, I'll just barge in next time,” She smiled, earning a chuckle from Harry. She stepped through the door and pulled him into the hug that they both needed. “How are you doing? How was your day?”

Harry sighed, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair.

“I'm alright,” He said a moment later. “It was a long, emotional day, but Mother's day always is. How was yours?”

“The same,” She admitted. “Lunch with my grandmothers was nice and so was visiting my mum, but it was draining all the same. I told her about you.”

“Oh did you now?” Harry smiled as he led her into the living room. Since he'd been out of town all day, they were meeting up later than usual and had both already eaten dinner. “Did you make sure to tell her how devastatingly handsome I am?”

Everly laughed.

“Yes, I did,” She assured him. “And how modest you are as well.”

Harry flopped down on the couch as soon as they reached it, desperate to put his feet up after the long day. He pulled Everly down next to him and put his arm around her as she snuggled into his side.

“How did your mother die?” Harry asked after a moment of silence. “I realized today that I never asked you that and I don't think I ever heard about it.”

“Cancer,” Everly told him, her voice wavering slightly. “Ovarian cancer. She got it young, usually it's more common in older women, but it's one of those cancers that doesn't really have any warning signs until it's too late to cure.”

“I'm sorry,” He squeezed her closer to him. “That must have been awful.”

“It all happened so fast, I think that was the hardest part.” Everly explained. “She was fine and then a few months later she was gone, it didn't seem real. And then when I accepted that it was real, I was so angry at her for not fighting it harder or catching it sooner. Now I know she did all that she could, but it was a tough time, yeah.”

“Will it increase your risk?” Harry asked, suddenly feeling a twinge of panic at the thought of the woman in his arms being taken away from him in that way.

“Slightly, but not as much as other cancers like breast cancer for example. And I get checked regularly so they'd probably catch it in time anyway,” She assured him. Harry nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence until Everly spoke again. “Did Kate go with you and Will today?”

“No, she went to visit her mum instead. She's been before, but it's something me and Will like to do on our own on Mother's day.” Harry explained.

“That makes sense,” Everly nodded as she stifled a yawn.

“She would have liked you, you know,” Harry said quietly after another moment of silence. “She would have admired your spunky little spirit and how strong you are.”

“I'm not that strong,” Everly said quietly after a moment of shock while she absorbed what he'd said. “I got myself into a bad situation then stayed until someone else got me out. From what I know of your mother, she wouldn't have admired that.”

“You're stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Harry insisted. “You went through a horrible ordeal and haven't let it hold you back. You're moving on with your life and have made yourself into an independent, self-sufficient woman and my mother would have found that as amazing as I do.”

Everly blushed at his compliments.

“I would have loved to meet her,” Everly confessed. “I always thought she seemed like such a lovely woman with such a big heart.”

“She was,” Harry agreed. “And you two would have gotten along very well. She would have loved your sense of humour and how you're not afraid to tease me mercilessly.”

“My mom would have liked you too,” Everly smiled, letting her eyes slide shut as the warmth of Harry's house and his embrace paired with the stress of the day suddenly made her very sleepy. “Especially how devastatingly handsome you are.”

She felt Harry's chest move as he chuckled and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head before she slowly dozed off in his arms.