Wistful Paradise / H.S. [COMPLETE]

Thirty

Florence

I was so tired, so, so tired. I don't get how people could fly this early in the morning. It was stupid really.

It was still dark outside and the normally green grass was covered in snow, just seeing that already made me feel cold. Harry was in an even worse mood than I was. He wasn't really a morning person and surely not when his sleep got interrupted.

Last night, we'd all stayed up late, watching a few episodes of Love Island together. Gemma's boyfriend was forced to watch Love Island and he mostly stayed on his phone, but Harry didn't.

Gemma, Mia and his mum had never seen Harry like that. He was constantly commenting on the show. And whenever he said that someone made a bad decision or how they don't belong together, his sisters' head turned to the side with a perplexed look on her face.

Gemma and Mia ended up mocking their brother and Anne, the angel she was, shushed his older sisters and told them to leave him alone. It gave Harry a triumphant smile as he leaned his head on his mother's shoulder and smiled up at her. 

Harry and I then stumbled upstairs, both a little drunk on red wine and appetizers because we didn't even make it to the main course Mia had prepared for us.

It was past two and we had to be up at five to drive back to London and catch a flight back to Los Angeles for New Year's.

"Mum we really should be going," Harry mumbled, annoyed because the driver had been waiting for five minutes while Anne's arms were wrapped around her son's body. 

I saw Anne tearing up, my head tilted to the side as I watched them with a sad smile. "I know, but I don't want you to. Promise you'll visit soon, yeah?"

Harry nodded and slowly let go of his mother, Anne took her time to hug me and then she followed us outside, helping with our bags.

Once the boot was filled with our bags, Harry and I turned to his mother one last time. Her whole body was shivering, she was wrapped up in her bathrobe, her arms wrapped around herself for extra warmth.

"I am so proud of both of you. The past half-year has been so hard on you but I am still so proud," She smiled through her tears, her left hand reaching up to caress her son's cheek before looking at me. "Thank you again for the beautiful gift. And don't give up."

I shook my head with a soft smile before Harry and I climbed into the car. We waved at my teary-eyes mother-in-law as the driver drove away. 

"I'm happy she liked the gift," I told Harry, his hand had found its way to Bono laying between us, petting his soft fur. 

"Yeah, I knew she would though," His lips pulled to the side, throwing his head back against the seat with a hum. I looked at him and saw how happy he seemed.

Anne loved her gift and shed tears the whole night when she proudly looked at her charm bracelet. I kept glancing her way on Christmas and she noticed because at one point she pulled me aside and gave me a motherly talk. 

"Are you alright, dear?" Anne asked me while we were filling up the dishwasher. Harry and Gemma took Bono out for a walk and Mia wanted to take a quick shower, which left Anne and me to clean up.

"I've got a lot going on right now, but yeah, I'm fine," I diplomatically answered, years of media training have paid me well. Or so I thought.

Anne chuckled while putting one of the plates in and looking up at me. "You do know my son has been in the business for several years and I can smell a media answer from miles away, yeah?"