Jim kissed Aimee as he put her into her buggy
�She�s beautiful Jim, the spit of her mother�
�Thanks Bob, how are you keeping, last Robbie said you were biking around Poland or somewhere like that�
�Yeah it was good, got back a few weeks ago... look I am so sorry about was has happen, June was one unique woman�
�She was, she was one in a million�
�How are you managing?�
�Not bad, it was bit difficult to start of with especially with Aimee, but it is getting easier� Jim looked at Bob and smiled �Thanks for coming Bob�
�No problem, what are friends for, you are a good friend and June was...�
�One in a million?�
�Indeed Jim, indeed�
Jim went into Aimee�s room and stood watching her, he stroked her strawberry blonde hair as Aimee stirred, reached out for her teddy bear. Jim smiled at the expression on her face, it was an exact copy of the expression that
June would have on her face when she slept. It bought tears to his eyes. �Oh Aimee� he sniffed � I�m not going to let anyone hurt you, you have been through so much already, I owe it to you� re mum, she would never let anything harm you, she is watching over us I am sure. I promise you I am going to be the best dad in the world�
�You ok Jim?� asked Polly as Jim sat down on the sofa
�I think so... I�m dreading tomorrow, how can I make my daughter�s first birthday the joyful occasion it should be when the one thing she truly wants I can�t provide, she wants her mum and instead of her being with her, we had to bury her today. June was the only person, who could truly understand me, what am I going to do without her.........�
�Don�t be daft Jim, you are a fantastic bloke and a fantastic dad, you are a stronger person than you think you are. Aimee will not want for anything, you will manage, once you have adapted to being a single parent you will do the best you can, I know you can do it. June would have been so proud of you today the way you have handled it�
�Thanks Pol� look I�m grateful for everything you have done for us, I could not have managed without you�
Jim awoke to the sound of Aimee crying, he put his hand out as if to touch
June�s shoulder, as he did when Aimee would wake in the night to let her know that he would attend to Aimee, except this was different. He got out of bed and went to Aimee�s room; he could see her standing in her cot, crying for her mum. Aimee had cried like this every morning since June had been killed, that pitch of cry shook Jim to his core, the cry that meant she wanted her mum to hold her. It broke his heart to hear his daughter in so much pain and he could do nothing to help her, he could never provide what she wanted.
He picked Aimee up and took her back into the bedroom so he did not disturb Polly, hugging Aimee as she began to calm.
�It�s ok angel Daddy is here for you�
Aimee looked up at Jim who was watching her play and handed him a brick
�Dadda� she said smiling
�Thank you angel� Jim heard the post drop �I wonder if you have anymore birthday cards, shall we have a look�
Polly smiled as she saw Jim and Aimee sat on the sofa looking at cards and presents
�Someone is having fun� Polly said as Aimee tried to wear some wrapping paper as a hat
�Yeah, should have brought her a roll of paper as a present�
�What did you buy her?�
�We bought her a buggy for her dolls, it�s been in the wardrobe made up ever since we bought it, June and I were so excited that we put it together when we got it home, June thought it would help Aimee with her walking�
�That sounds like June, ever practical�
�Indeed... I had forgotten until getting the buggy out of the wardrobe that
June had also written Aimee�s cad that day too, I just dissolved when I found it and read what she had written�
Jim closed his eyes and tried to fight the tears, he had been alone for the past 3 hours, the first time since June had been killed. Polly had gone home, Aimee was asleep and he was finding it hard to cope with the silence.
He clutched at a photo of June holding Aimee as the tears continued to flow down his face.
�I can�t do this� He proclaimed into the empty room, his eyes fell to the mantelpiece where June�s wedding and engagement ring were. He stared at them, suddenly dropping the photo from his hand and rushing to the kitchen, frantically searching the cupboards, he opened the cupboard below the sink and his eyes fell on what he had been searching for.
He removed June�s bottle of vodka from the cupboard, removed the lid and put the bottle to his lips.
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