Wings of an Angel ||niall horan||

Chapter 26

Leonora Williams

I sipped at my wine as I watched Kenny chase Louis's twins in their backyard. He had the biggest smile on his face. Most kids were scared to play with him because like they had told their mom, "I don't want to catch his sickness." 

It hurt every time when I heard him crying because no one liked him at school, we had to chance classes and it got better, slowly. Everyone was always weary of him, but they warmed up to him slowly. 

"He is a cutie pie." Eleanor smirked as she came up by me on the deck. "Why thank you. I made him." We both cracked up laughing, "Your girls are adorable." 

Eleanor snorted, "But they have their father's mouth. Louis swears so much that it has rubbed off on the girls. I have had to wash their mouths out with soap twice this week." Louis and Niall were around the firepit, "FUCK!" Louis had exclaimed as Niall dropped a log on his foot. "You clumsy oaf. That hurt!"

Niall laughed as he took the large wood off of his mate's toe, "You big baby!" 

That caused Kenny to stop running, he doubled over and laughed. "Mummy! Did you hear that? Niall called him a baby!"

The twins joined in on their laughter. El and I chuckled, as Louis flipped off Niall. Niall ignored him and looked up at us and winked at me. 

I blushed. "He really likes you." Eleanor said. 

"You caught that?" 

"I am really happy for you two. You know, he never shuts up about you."

I shook my head, "I'm sure he does."

"No, he talks about you at practice so much that Louis comes home and tells me all about it. It's quite funny. He is totally smitten with you and your son."

"Kenny does love Niall."

Eleanor bit her thumbnail before speaking, "Do you think he will propose?"

This caught me off guard, I nearly choked on my wine, "God's breath!" El said when I started coughing like crazy, she pat me on the back.

"Mummy! Are you otay?" Kenny yelled. I nodded, "Thank you El." 

"Sorry, if I overstepped my boundaries. Louis says I do, a lot." I waved that away, "No it just surprised me. But, I don't know if he will. Honestly, I am just enjoying his company. He is truly a great man." 

She nodded, Niall and Louis were arguing about why the fire won't start, "You know, you reminded me of her."

"Who?" I furrowed my brows. 

"Dawn. She was very kind hearted like you. She was very polite and very witty."

"She sounded lovely." 

"But she was not always a great person." I looked at her, she explained, "She was- what is the word? A drunk. When she went out with her friends, which was a lot, she'd get wasted. To the point where she barely knew her own name. And when she got home, she'd make a ruckus. It would wake Niall and he'd go help her and she would attack him." 

"What?"

"She would hit him. She was very abusive to Niall when she was drunk. And she was drunk constantly, part of the reason why she could never hold down a job, always showed up hungover. Niall wouldn't leave her, he paid over $3,000 for her rehab. She got a little bit better but-" She stopped, "She was kind to the public eye. Niall came over a few times when she got really bad." 

"Oh my God. The way Niall talked-"

"Niall talks about her like she was a saint. He wants people to think she was the greatest wife ever. But she was abusive non the less to him. And when she got pregnant, she calmed down a little."

"Wow, he never told me that." I said looking down as Niall and Louis hugged as a small flame engulfed the fire. 

"He wouldn't tell you. He believe she was perfect despite all of it. Louis and I begged him to divorce her when they first got married. But, he wanted to believe she would change." El sighed, "He deserves the best, I am so glad you're in his life." 

I made a small smile, "Yeah me too." That's the thing about skeletons in our closets, we all have one. But we will never tell. Niall waved at me to come down. "I think that's our cue."

She laughed, "yes. Don't tell Niall I told you."

. . . . 

"So what did you think of them?" Niall asked later that night as we got ready for bed, he had convinced me to stay with him in his room for a few nights, to see if I wanted to make it permanent. 

I brushed out my hair, "They're really sweet. I love Eleanor." 

"Yeah, she's great. I can tell she really likes you."

I nodded, "I am glad Kenny and the twins got along." Niall stripped off his shoes and threw them in the closet, then he came behind me. Resting his chin on my shoulder, hands on my grey shirt, "Yeah me too." 

"You were incredibly adorable when you were younger." I snickered as I thought about the picture. Niall grabbed me and threw me over his shoulders, carrying me to the bed, "Whatever!" 

He flung me on the bed, I burst out laughing, "I'm serious."

He hovered over me, "Uh huh." 

We stared into each others' eyes. I was enjoying every minute I spent with this man. I could get lost forever in his eyes, the way the sparkle when he's excited, the way the glow in the dark. Okay, they don't literally glow but you get the idea. I mean jeez, you'd think this was a romance novel if they did. 

I loved him, with all my being. And I could tell that he truly loved me. It hurt me to know that he was abused by his ex wife, but then again, I didn't know her nor the entire story. I was not about to ask either. "What are you thinking about? It's something  serious, because your eyebrows are pinched together." Niall pointed out. 

I flushed, "Oh nothing. I am just super duper tired."

"Well," He kissed me on the lips, "Let's get you to bed, my love." He smiled as he helped me up, I wanted to look at him and ask, How could someone hurt someone so lovely and wonderful? But I didn't.