Frozen (Frat Boy Niall) EDITING

Epilogue 5: Better Days

Four months.

Who knew that in four short months, your life could change so much?

Life is like a ticking bomb. The seconds keep ticking down, never stopping no matter how much you beg them too. And one day, the bomb is going to go off, taking everything you've ever had with it and you're going to be stripped down to nothingness.

Unfortunately, my clock had ticked out and that bomb went off a little too soon than what I was prepared for.

Sighing, I wrapped the white knitted scarf around my neck and slipped into my tan Uggs. "Olivia." My soft voice called out.

In just a few short seconds, little feet patters drifted across the wooden floor boards of my little house.

The house wasn't much, but after Brandon had registered in the military and we moved to Rochester, New York, I had decided that it was best to maybe downsize and get my own house for my little family. Olivia was still a baby at the time, so Eleanor had moved in with me for the months that Brandon was gone in order to help me get some sleep and just help with the house keeping.

That's how my life worked for the course of the year and a half. Brandon would go off to war, I'd go to work, and Liv would have food in her belly and a house over her head.

However, June rolled around and suddenly it was the second Sunday at 10 in the morning that a folded American flag was being carried to my door with the one letter I'd never hoped to receive. Since that morning, nothing has felt the same.

Not the house. Not my bed. Not my heart. Not my mind. Not my family.

Nothing felt right without him here.

But for the sake of Olivia already losing the two most important men in her life before she's even old enough to understand, I had to continue on. I had to fight to stand up and I had to push myself to move, but for the sake of her, I was going to do the best I could and continue living every day.

"Momma." She giggled and wobbled straight into my legs. A smile was brought to my lips as I glanced down to see my baby girl staring at me with big, vibrant blue eyes. She fell backwards onto her bum, giggling with her mouth open as she fell onto her back, her curly, light, brunette hair falling around her shoulders.

"Are you ready?" Squatting down into a crouch, I held her little boot out and helped slid her small foot into the shoe. I did the next foot before reaching my out and helping her stand back up. Her thin, pink lips puckered into a kiss and I grinned widely before pressing my lips down onto her slightly slobbery ones. Her small arms wrapped around my neck and I pulled her small body into my embrace in a tight hug while I growled in her ear a little.

Liv giggled and pulled away, laughing harder as I started to tickle her sides. Her laugh was so contagious. Like music to my ears. It was the melody that I could listen to every day, all day long, and never get tired of hearing it.

"Pa'k?" Her eyes light up as she looked up at me.

"Wanna go?" I asked, rested my forehead on hers as she held into my cheeks. Liv nodded and I smiled before picking her up. "Alright, let's go!" I kissed her cheek and grabbed my purse before walking out the door and locking it.

She giggled all the way out to the car and was brightly smiling as I buckled her into her seat.

That was one thing I absolutely envied about my daughter. She had an attitude just like her father. She was always so happy and always smiling. I mean the poor girl tripped down the bottom four steps of my parent's stair case and was still giggling. Nothing ever seemed to break her giggly mood and rarely ever did she cry or act up. She was so quiet and she found joy in entertaining herself. She thought everything was so funny and she looked at the world as if it was the most pure and beautiful thing she's ever seen. Olive Jane had the most beautiful mind and I was almost scared to let her grow up because I didn't want her to lose her purity of sight.