tea stained newpapers. mileven au.

thirty six.

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX:
SOMETHING THAT IS OURS.
EL'S POV

there's an old saying that claims that home is where the heart is.

for a long time, el hopper didn't believe in such a silly idea like that. she had always assumed home was to be associated with the idea of comfy blankets and furnished rooms. it was a physical extension of a place to build a life. it wasn't what that saying had promised. home could never be a feeling that was forged in connection to her heart.

her life was so unpredictable. in truth, she had no other way to imagine the word.

that was until she met mike.

for the first time in her life, el felt as though maybe what all those wise souls had been trying to tell her about love could be real. home could be a person, could be a feeling. it could be something that was known in her veins, confirmed not by words but through evidence of her soul reaching out towards someone else, yearning to be near them.

it could be known just by how indescribably empty she felt when she had to leave that home even if it was only for a few weeks.

like a ghost floating between windows, el's life between the time of her packing her life away and now was nothing short of uneventful, and quite frankly painful. it's easy to pretend that independence is an light thing to hold. though having tasted what her life was about to turn into, with those nights spent tucked into the other half of her soul etched into her mind, the memory of them bathed in sunlight picnics in the middle of central park, it was hard to quiet her heart from feeling impatient.

she just wanted to be home again.

the steps up to her father's mansion were quiet, the gentle hum of the bees nearby saying hello to the sky. contrary to how she thought this day was going to look like, she felt incredibly at peace. lucas had so kindly picked up el and max from the airport this morning, stating that mike had to go meet with their boss about the biography. he had taken them both to get milkshakes, his chocolate eyes bright as he told max the story of feeding el ice cream that one time when he was caught in the crossfire of their feelings.

how silly that whole ordeal was now.

el's fingertips fished through her purse, heels echoing along the stones as she hooked the key to the mansion into its slot before pushing the door open. slipping into the space, she allowed her footsteps to fall heavy on the floor to announce her arrival. yet, she was only met with the looming silence of the halls.

she waited a second, her eyes observing the entrance. the cold air wracked through her body, her arms curving into the sleeves of her cardigan. at the end of the hallway, she could see all the boxes she had sent over the past few weeks, her whole life scattered throughout her father's living room.

to think back on everything now, the life she had. there was something bittersweet seeing it here out of all places. as if all the time she spent running away from her childhood was simply her wishing she could relive the happiest parts of it.

it was something she couldn't help but to smile at.

"hello? dad?" her voice was careful, gentle amid the mahogany wood panels as if she was scared they would break at the sound of her voice. it was hard not to think that, especially as her voice faded into the air.