Almost every time we saw each other in the next week, neither of us knew exactly how to act. Hannah was composed and mature, while I on the other hand, power walked out of a room when I saw her, or blushed furiously and was unable to speak. Sure it was frustrating, but I liked this. The immaturity of this little thing we had going, I thought it was sweet.
"Hey Hannah." I walked into the living room where Hannah was laying on her side, phone in hand. I quieted myself as I rounded the side of the couch, thinking she was asleep.
"Hey..." I slowly ran my hand up her back before sitting down near her head. I gently tucked her hair behind her ear, trying my best not to disturb her.
"Hannah?" I heard her sniffling and saw her turn her head away from me.
"What's wrong?" I couldn't hear an answer over her hyperventilating.
"It's okay..." I just wanted to hold her. So, so badly. Seeing her like this, it broke my heart. "Can I- Is it okay if I hug you?" She sniffled again and moved her head and shoulders into my lap.
"It's okay. I'm here. It's alright." I whispered and softly combed through her hair with my fingers, with my other hand wrapped around her torso.
I could feel her body moving as she cried in my lap. Shaking violently with every breath.
"Hannah..." Her hand came up and gripped my arm tightly. I gasped, honestly scared at the way she was acting.
"I know that you don't want to talk to me right now, but I am going to talk to you." I couldn't just sit here and do nothing while she was in pain like this. Honestly, I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to upset her any more, I just didn't know the situation. Either way, I wasn't going to force her to tell me. I know that's the last thing I'd want if I were like this.
"Obstacles don't block the path. They are the path." That was just a proverb I saw on the internet, but for some reason it seemed like a good fit for the situation.
"I don't know what you are going through, and that's okay, of course it's okay. I jus...whatever it is, I know that you can get through it. Even if you don't think that you can. I'm here for you, if no one else is." I sighed deeply.
"We haven't known each other for very long, but I'll always be here for you. Okay?"
"No-no matter wha-what?" She kept her head down as she spoke.
"Yeah, yeah of course." I leaned down and kissed the side of her head. "No matter what." I whispered.
"Thank you."
She closed her eyes and didn't wake up for the next couple of hours, and soon after she calmed down, I also fell into a dream.
- - - - -
When I finally woke up, Hannah was sitting up on the couch, looking down somberly at her phone.
"My," her voice cracked and she winced at the words that followed, "my mom died."
I tried to hide how horrible I felt for her. But no matter how hard I covered my mouth or clenched the couch cushions beneath me, tears still came streaming from my eyes. I didn't know how else to feel. Hannah's mom, her fucking mother, just passed away. I couldn't even begin to imagine how she felt.
"And th-the shitty thing is..." She was trying to laugh to cover her tears, which only looked more painful. "I found out through a text. No call, no 'you need to come home', nothing. Fucking nothing." She slowly pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, her face remained full of agony.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Nope."
"You should leave. Respectfully. You need to be at home right now."
"Nah."
"'Nah'? What-you don't want to go to the funeral? To see your family?"
"Nope. Those fuckwads will be just fine without me."
"Hey, come here. Please?"
She sighed and scooted closer to me on the couch before resting her head on my shoulder.
"Thank you... For telling me what happened."
"Yeah." She wrapped an arm around my waist before laying down on my lap once again. "No matter what right?"
"Right."