Songbird [H.S]

THIRTY-ONE

"Did you pack the cherries? Please tell me you didn't forget them."

Marley's eyes widened at the realisation she never double-checked Harry had packed everything in their bag for that day. It was a rookie move leaving the boy in charge of packing their stuff - knowing how forgetful he was, she wouldn't be surprised if he'd left half their things at home. However, the teenage boy had been adamant that he could sort everything out himself and insisted Marley should sit down and watch the television until they were ready to leave. Any chance he got, he would take over jobs Marley would spend her day doing. He would cook, clean and do her laundry if it meant the teenage girl would rest. Marley tried to argue but he refused to let her help.

Seeing as it was the last day of the summer break, Harry had decided it would be a good idea to take Marley on one of her nature walks - only this time he brought along a picnic and was in charge of choosing where they went. Since their trip to the lake, the teenage boy had gone out for short walks in the local area by himself, finding it a good way to unwind after a stressful day at work. He'd discovered a large field of sunflowers only twenty minutes from his house and instantly knew Marley would love it. Hence why they had settled themselves on a thick picnic blanket, surrounded by gorgeous golden sunflowers to soak up the last of the summer sun.

"Lovie, you've been eating them all day, every day for the past week. Of course, I didn't forget them." Harry sighed, "I'm not stupid, I value my life."

Recently, Marley's hormones had been running rampant and Harry had found out how temperamental his girlfriend could really get. Even before she was pregnant, the blonde girl had a bit of a temper, only now, there was no telling what mood she was in. One minute she was snapping at Harry for breathing too loud and the next she was crying because she felt bad for being mean. She was always hungry, her cravings starting to set in and her ankles ached all the time. Not to mention she was completely exhausted most of the day because Pip's new favourite thing was to sleep during the day and kick whenever Marley attempted to rest.

Marley rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's remark, knowing that he was only teasing but could sense he was a little annoyed she didn't trust him to remember everything. She remained silent as she watched him unpack the rest of the food - an assortment of fruit, sandwiches and cookies for them to snack on throughout the day along with a few glass bottles of lemonade.

A gentle breeze tickled the bright yellow petals, making the sunflowers dance in the afternoon sun. Bees and butterflies fluttered their way through the field, making Marley smile contently as she felt the tension easing from her shoulders and any stress fade away. As soon as Harry set the plastic container of cherries down on the blanket, the girl instantly grabbed one and popped it into her mouth - noting how Harry had already removed the stones and cut off the stalks for her.

Harry settled himself so he was laying on the blanket, staring up at the clear blue sky with Marley snuggled into his side. His hand found its way tangled in her long blonde waves, delicately playing with her hair in the way she likes. Sometimes he likes to braid small sections of her hair as they talk, usually in an attempt to keep himself awake when Marley couldn't get to sleep at night.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Bambi. It's perfect." The blonde girl hummed quietly, admiring the flowers towering above them. The beautiful colour never failed to brighten her day. "Sunflowers are my favourite."

"They were Nana's favourite too. She always used to have them in her kitchen." Harry mused with a sad smile, shoving a handful of strawberries into his mouth as a distraction. It was still a little difficult for Harry to talk about Josephine but it was definitely a good sign he was able to bring her up without being prompted to. Marley gave him a soft peck on the cheek, proud that he was making progress. Grief was a very confusing thing to navigate but it seemed like the boy was starting to find his way through it. Obviously there were still some difficult days but Marley was able to help him through it all.