Spotlight |h.s|

Seventy Six

Aubrey Hart

After anxiously checking to make sure Harry and I's bags are packed for the fourth time this morning, I finally think we're ready to go.

We've brushed our teeth, gotten dressed, repeatedly checked the room for anything we missed, and FaceTimed my moms to let them know that we were about to leave. They are expecting a call once we land, too. The call ran longer than I wanted it to thanks to Harry and Lani taking this time crunch as their opportunity to bond, what was supposed to be a five minute conversation turning into half an hour. They actually click very well, so I wasn't going to bother and rush them through it.

They talked for so long, I had to get up and look through our things to use up my time and make myself feel productive before leaving. Once they hung up, he gave me my new phone back that thankfully has yet to receive an ominous unknown message, then spent ten minutes talking about how nice my moms are while I continued rushing around.

I couldn't be happier to see him experiencing that type of motherly care he hasn't had in almost 20 years. I can see that talking to them makes him happy, too. Especially when they ask him about things pertaining to me.

To my surprise, he really seems to like talking about me.

He excitedly raved about every little thing in relation to me to them, discussing how he now is addicted to strawberries and doesn't hate watching me read like he would've expected himself to. He told them about his liking for roses and the scent of them because of me and my hygiene products, and his appreciation for the art decorating our room that was created by their other daughter. It was extremely refreshing to hear him talk in that way, and it's something I never would've seen coming back in October.

He has grown so much in the aspect of sharing things with people, actually telling my moms a few things about him and Ruby and how he got into acting along with what he said about me. The things he skillfully dodged when talking to them at the Thanksgiving dinner I roped him and Niall into all of those months ago.

Once Harry convinced me not to search everything for the fifth time this morning, we lugged our bags down the stairs and left them by the door for when we actually leave. Our things were added to the large collection already there from everyone else, Ruby and Niall's flight only being an hour or so after the jet leaves with Jade, Zayn, Louis, Max, Harry, and I in it along with our managers.

Now, we're walking to the kitchen for a quick breakfast before we get going. I'm in a grey pair of joggers and one of his oversized t-shirts. He has on some black sweatpants and a t-shirt of mine, our usual routine of subtly trading clothes being something I never in a million years want to give up.

Niall, Jade, and Ruby are in the kitchen, Zayn and Louis working their way through a joint on the balcony before we go. Jade and Niall have coffees while Ruby is quickly eating something I can't see, Niall's voice cluing me in.

"Why are you eating brownies at 7:00 am?" He questions her, making me immediately turn to Harry with widened eyes.

"Did you not throw those away?" I mutter beside him as we near them, really hoping Ruby isn't digging into some edibles before her plane ride.

"Throw wha- Oh shit." He realizes mid-sentence what I'm asking him about, his reaction along with his quickened pace toward her telling me that he didn't.

I rush her way right behind him, both of us hurrying to stop her from eating more. I look down and see that half of the pan is gone once we make it close enough to the counter, my eyes bulging out of my head as I stare at her.

"What?" She speaks with a mouthful of chocolate, covering her mouth while she talks and wondering why we're so panicked.

"How many of those have you had?" Harry points to the pan, probably hoping someone else helped her devour that many.