Spaces

Chapter 4

June 5, 2018.

Time couldn't have gone by an faster. These are the moments in life when I wish we had more hours in a day to put more time in my schedule to be with Harry. 9:30 was blinking on the digital clock. We have exactly 45 minutes to get ready. If we leave 10:16 we will make it to the airport in 30 minutes.

"Harry, do you have your bags ready?" I asked. He came out of the kitchen with a bowl of cereal.

"Ella, don't worry love I have everything good to go," he assured me. "We are going to be on time don't worry."

"I wish you weren't leaving," I said as I realized that are time together was just getting shorter and shorter. Each second passed was going to be equal to a minute we would be apart when he left.

"I'll go back home. Wait until my new visa is given to me then I'll come back," Harry put his bowl of cereal on the table and looked at me. "I know you hate it when you have no control over anything. Nothing is going to keep us apart."

Harry put his arm around me and I hugged him. I closed my eyes. I tried to focus on the rhythm of our hearts beating in sync.His embrace was tighter than usual. He was just trying to tell me that we will always be together.

"I love you Ella. Nothing will ever change that not even the distance," he whispered into my ear. I could not take it anymore and I started to cry. I didn't want Harry to notice so I held it in and just let the tears flow down my cheeks. "Please don't cry."

"How could you tell?" He pulled me back and looked at me.

"This doesn't have to be goodbye. I don't want to leave. You don't want me to leave. Why don't I stay?" Harry said.

"What would we do?" I asked him trying to imagine our schedules becoming interrelated.
"Everything and anything we think about doing," Harry said smiling. "I'll stay two more months and return to England later."

" Harry you can't stay," I replied. " Your visa."

" I'll stay for the summer. My request for my student visa to come to graduate school was approved. What do we to worry about?," Harry said as he grabbed my hand. I tried looking away, but his other hand reached out for my face. We stood in silence. I was looking at his face and he was staring back at me. He gave me a smile and I smiled back.

"Are you sure?" I asked him. He paused for a second, a bit hesitant. He nodded his head yes. "Maybe you shouldn't this wasn't part of our plan. Our schedule is off track now."

"Ella, I'm not ready to leave you," he replied.

"Okay," I replied as I pulled him close to me. He gently kissed me. Our foreheads were pressing against each other as we closed our eyes and held hands.

The summer was full of things to do. We went to the beach, watched movies, went to amusement parks, and best of all we cuddled in bed for as long as we could. I didn't even care about the schedule for the day as long as I could be with him for as long as possible before he had to leave.

June 28, 2018.

It really came from no where. One day, Harry woke me up in the middle of the night, "Ella, you know I've  never really gotten to see America."

"Haz, " I said as I looked at the clock. " It's two in the morning."

"We should go on a road trip," he said as he pulled me closer to him.

"Haz, what are you talking about?" I asked half a sleep.

"I'll tell you when you wake up later," he said. I drifted to sleep. That day when I woke up, Harry was out of bed. I went to the kitchen and he was making breakfast.

"Hey beautiful," he said smiling. "I see your awake."

"Good morning," I replied as I walked up to him and gave him a peck.

"The road trip I was telling you about. We should start planning it soon," he replied.

Harry and I planned a road trip from New Jersey to Florida. Our final destination was going to be Disney World. I know it seems random, but Harry had never been. To be honest, it was one of my favorite places to be. I loved making schedules for each day: which rides we were getting on along with which times. The best part was probably completing the schedule I had for each day we were there. That was only five days.

August 5, 2018.

The summer went by really fast. I couldn't believe our two months had passed by. As the day for Harry's departure got closer and closer I felt the same way I had felt two months prior. I didn't want him to go. To make things easier we had agreed to say goodbye the night before. By the time I had woken up, he was gone. The space next to me was empty. Just like that he was gone.

I tried not to think about it. It would only be time before he received his new student visa and could return.

Harry called me when he landed in the airport.

" Hey babe," he said as I answered the phone. I tried not to cry. In my head, I tried pretending like he was just out at the grocery store buying the groceries for the week. " I just wanted to check in with you. I'll call you again when I get home. I'll see you in a matter of weeks. I love you."

" I love you too Haz," I responded. I knew I had to say goodbye. It was only a matter of seconds before I would break down in tears so I quickly said goodbye and hung up.

In order to take my mind off Harry, I filled my agenda with things to do.