Crash [H.S.]

fifty seven

Joselyn Myers

The single red rose perched between my fingers hadn't left my hands since the moment it was given to me. Not since we left the graveyard, not throughout the entire car ride back to Harry's, and not since I sat myself on the picnic table bench in his backyard.

Today was Patricia's funeral services, and of course I've been a wreck all day. It was only three days after I received a call from Tony telling me that Flutter Flower Boutique would no longer be in business and he was putting the property up for sale. And it was only three days before that when I found out that Patricia was no longer with us either. Six days, six long, dreadful days it has been.

I wasn't shocked when Tony told me about the shop closing, I wouldn't want to keep it running if I were him either. After what he's been through, as much as it was what Patricia and his daughter loved, it was just too hard for him. In his own words, "I couldn't do it justice like they did, this old man is better off leaving it to rest with them." My heart just about shattered into a million pieces at that. I would've completely lost it had it not been for Harry sitting right next to me with his hand on my knee for comfort.

When I saw Tony's name flash across my phone screen, I just had to look at Harry who was already sitting next to me on my couch, and he just knew. "Answer it, I'm right here." I could practically feel the warmth that spread through my body all over again just recalling his sweet, reassuring voice from that day.

Harry has barely left my side in these last six days, other than use the bathroom and take showers when I wasn't joining him, or if he has to take a call from Jeff to discuss whatever they discuss whether we were at my apartment or his house—and I wasn't complaining for a second.

I discovered that having him join me in a long, steaming hot shower was actually very calming to me lately. Having him standing so close to me under the heated stream of water, feeling his gentle hands run up and down my skin to rub in the soapy liquid of my strawberry scented body wash after using my loofa to spread it around, feeling him press soft kisses to my wet skin when he stood behind me with his chest to my back and just held me until I would stop crying if I was—it was one of the few things that's kept me sane in these six days.

It was like he was literally washing away any negative feeling I felt that day.

So of course, he wasted not a single second when I hung up that very same phone call from Tony, also telling us the funeral arrangements, I didn't even need to ask him if he would mind going with me.

"Do you want to go?" Harry looked at me after a few seconds of silence after I dropped my phone into my lap, a small sigh falling past my lips.

"Yeah, yeah I do." I answered shortly after, not that I needed much thinking on the matter—I knew I wanted to pay my respects to Patricia and everything she meant to me no matter how short lived our time together was, even it was going to be so fucking hard.

"Okay, then we'll go. We'll be there for her." Harry quickly responded back, my eyes widening slightly at his lack of hesitation with the word "we."

"You'll go with me?" I questioned him slowly, already feeling tears brimming my eyes at how considerate he was, not even needing me to ask in the first place—I don't think I would be able to handle going alone.

"Of course darling, it's not even a question. You're not alone in this, we're getting through this together remember." And that's when my cheeks got wet, silent tears spilled from my eyes as I felt my heart grow ten times it size with love for this man next to me.

"Thank you Harry." I choked out between cries, my emotions getting the best of me when I eagerly leaned forward to bury my head into his chest and hug him as close to me as possible.