Kate Cassidy, a close friend of the late Liam Payne, shared about her raw experience. She opened up about how the sudden passing of the former One Direction star has affected her emotionally. Sadly, Payne died at 31 in October 1924. His loss surely left an unimaginable emptiness in the lives of all who knew him. Three days after leaving Argentina, Cassidy received news that his friend had died after he fell and was tragically found soon thereafter.
The tragic news came in an equally heart-wrenching phone call from the same land-based mutual friend. Laura then delivered the shattering news that Liam was gone, receiving the horrible call from a family friend that shattered her world. Cassidy had never lost anyone extremely close to her before, and this one hit her especially hard. At that moment, the seriousness of the situation grew. It struck her all at once how little she knew about grief, not having ever even been to a funeral before Liam’s.
Liam Payne, a true trickster with the heart of a boy, remained in the whimsical imagination of Cassidy. He was just a big ole kid at heart,” she recalled. Their frequent outings at McDonald’s, munching on Happy Meals side by side, were just one way their special relationship was evident. Case in point, the last Happy Meal toy Cassidy got had a maze puzzle printed on the backside. She liked how the number four jumped out at her, having a heavy meaning to her and to Liam, bringing back memories of their strong friendship.
The number four was special to Cassidy, symbolizing direction and protection from angels. “That was immediately the first sign I got from Liam, and the number four symbolizes guidance and support from your angels,” she explained. This connection between her past, present and future provided Judith with the solace she desperately needed in the storm of grief.
After Liam died, Cassidy went through a gambit of feelings—anger and frustration being paramount. She soon found herself wondering why there weren’t any warning signs indicating to her that tragedy was waiting. In the hope of finding comfort, she called upon Liam in her mind. She requested that he give her some sign, horrified at his departure and knowing it intimately.
Days turned into weeks as Cassidy mourned. For the first five days after Liam’s death, she felt his spirit nowhere near her. She eventually discovered peace of mind through ensuring his legacy continued. She saw “so many signs” that felt like they were linking her to him. It turned into a medium through which she was able to process her grief and hold on to the happy memories they had together.
Their common house in Florida quickly turned into a major component of Cassidy’s recovery journey. The place was bursting with memories that seemed to reverberate with Liam’s infectious laughter and their mischief-filled escapades together. Cassidy recounted a moment when a close friend visited her during this difficult time, saying, “She put in the garage code, ran in the house and just literally fell on the ground and just hugged me and just said, ‘I am so sorry.’” This act of solidarity pulled back the curtain on what it means to mourn as a community when we’ve lost so much.
As Cassidy considered her life with Liam, she articulated how all of their plans for the future now felt different. Today, I should have been trying on my wedding dress. I had it all wrong, I wasn’t meant to be in a black dress at all. I’m supposed to be in a white gown at this very moment! she wrote with regret. Liam, you should be here with me and doing this! The impact on her life has been profound, and she mourns the absence of all that would have been Liam’s life. It reflected the future they had once dreamed of living together.