Under This Roof

Chapter 42

The car ride is extremely fun. We stop for gas and get ourselves some chips and chocolate. We sing the whole way. We stop for a quick lunch at a random place. And we stop at a gas station another time for Claire to go to the bathroom and vomit. Someone always needs to vomit in a car ride. It is part of the experience.

Around fifteen minutes before we arrive, a song comes over the radio that I know I have not heard before. If I had, I would have recognized something so nice. Harry, on the other hand, seems like he has. As soon as the music starts, I feel Harry's hand on mine. He holds my hand in the middle of the car and I look over to him. He moves his head, meaning to ask me to listen.

The song starts...

Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes

But it's the only thing that I know

When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes

It is the only thing that makes us feel alive.

I feel every word there. I can see exactly why Harry chose to hold my hand now. I look over to him. The song goes on...

We keep this love in a photograph

We make these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts are never broken

And time's forever frozen, still.

Harry tightens his grip. Wouldn't it be nice if Harry and I lived in a photograph, forever? 

I feel my eyes starting to get watery. I take my hand out of his and cover them for a few seconds after which Claire starts to joke again. And I can no longer hear the music, or feel the words, or cry over how hard it feels.

****

Liam pulls off in front of the holiday home Claire and I booked. We are amazed by how nice it looks. Surprisingly, even better than the pictures. All of us are looking at it with wonder, as we get out of car, as we empty the trunk, all the time. The home is a two stories old cottage. It is half covered with green herbs and flowers all over the outside wall. There is a very big and nice garden at the front with wooden table and chairs. The lady owner greets us incredibly nice and shows us around. 

On the inside, the living room is so cosy. The curtains are flowery. The couches are colourful and look so comfy. And there is a chimney. The dining room resembles that of a cartoon movie. Very small with a lot of wood and flower vases around. There is a bar between it and the kitchen. I directly think about the fun we will have here.

Then she shows us the bedroom on the same floor. Afterwards, we go upstairs and see the second bedroom as well as a nice back terrace that overlooks the hills and mountains around. 

This place cannot be prettier.

The lady gives us a few tips about the house and leaves. We agree that Harry and I will take the upper bedroom while Claire and Liam will take the one downstairs. Liam says he would rather always be as close to the kitchen as he can be.

We put our bags in the rooms and come back to the living room. Having spent a full day at work, or at college in the case of Claire, and having spent so much time on the road, all of us are pretty tired to go out tonight. So we decide to spend the night out in the garden and have some fun together. Then, we shall rest well because tomorrow is a full long day.

We change into more comfortable clothes and meet each other outside. When we gather around, Harry opens a bottle of champagne to celebrate that the meeting went so well. And we raise a glass to friendship and good summers, and the fashion show that brought us together.

After a while, we all go in and turn the chimney on. We start to play one of the board games that are present in the house. Liam cheats in the middle of the game and it turns dirty. The whole night and at every single point, one of us jokes and the others keep laughing. We spend a great deal of time over nothing particular, having the simplest kind of fun by enjoying some random talks and each other's company.

When it is around midnight, we separate to finally go to bed.

As I am untying my hair in front of the mirror, Harry pulls me to him by the waist and starts kissing me. The kiss turns passionate quite quickly. That is, until my phone rings.

I push Harry away and go get it. My parents are video-calling me. In the worst moment.

"You'll call them back. It is very late anyway." Harry says, pulling me close again.

"They are two hours behind. They might not have noticed how late it is."

I look in the mirror. My hair is half untied and it looks like a mess. My shirt is half unbuttoned. Yes, Harry is right. I will call them later. I put my phone aside and focus on Harry. That is all I want for this weekend; to focus on Harry.

****

20 September 2014.

I wake up and slip from Harry's arms without waking him up into the bathroom, then directly out the terrace. The view one of the nicest I have ever seen.

I look inside at Harry and find that he is just getting up. I go over to him, kiss him and start getting dressed. I wear the shorts Harry picked with a sweater and a jacket. I put on my running shoes because today will be full of walking.

We leave the house and walk the cosy medieval streets. And it feels like we are no longer in our time. It feels weird to hold the phone, as if we are coming from the future. We stop at a very nice small restaurant and have breakfast.

Afterwards, we go to the biking store and rent bikes. We go from one place to the other on our bikes, we race, we laugh. Life is good.

We visit the church, the market and buy things from the doorsteps of random houses. People leave outside cake, souvenirs and many other hand made food or products. I personally get a jar of jam and a nice hair tie. We slip the money through the letter box, which seems unreal but is true. And we move on to the next station.

We take many photos along the way. We grab a quick lunch from a very tasty small pick-up only restaurant. Everything about this experience is unique. Everything, including these three people here with me, who I love deeply.

We go to the castle, which has now turned to a hotel, for an afternoon tea. If only I could describe how much I love afternoon teas.

Afterwards, we take back the bikes to the shop and go to our holiday home. There, we rest for a while before we go out to dinner in one of Castle Combe's most delicious and nice places.

I put on the black flowery dress Harry picked up and take my black jacket. As I fix my hair in the mirror, Harry looks at me deeply.

"There is something about you and mirrors that drives me crazy." he says. I smile and walk towards him.

"And this dress." he shakes his head.

I kiss him before he puts his hand on my back, and we walk out to dinner.