Ignoring each other like we didn't even exist was easy.
That's the way it's always been.
Until one starry, blood moonlit night changes everything we thought we had ever known.
When what started as a birthday toast quickly turns into a chance to...
Harry rolls his eyes as he picks up a box full of my candles, carrying them out of the front door of my apartment.
"God forbid you lose one candle." Grunting, he rolls his eyes. "I'll be careful, your highness."
Lauren laughs next to me as she packs a few more books into a box next to me. "I'm sorry that I never let you feel like you and Harry could be open with me."
"Hey—"
"No, listen." Giving me a soft smile, she looks up at me. "It's clear that you both love each other and I wish I could have been there for all of it."
"Yeah, well." I nudge her side. "You're here now. That's what matters."
"Now I won't have to make two separate trips to spend time with my brother and my best friend." Biting her bottom lip, she folds the top of the box and puts it with the others ready to go to the moving truck. "So that's a plus."
I look around at my nearly empty apartment, boxes stacked near the front door, a smile on my face at the idea of where I get to sleep tonight.
With Harry— in our bed.
Being with him feels like we were never apart.
We picked up where we left off and I couldn't be more thankful for everything that he is.
I've made the decision to go to see a therapist once a week, something that has given me another place to be open and honest about my feelings without having to push someone away to deal with them on my own.
Lauren and I's relationship feels stronger than it's ever been and for that I'm so thankful.
It's been a couple weeks since I ran after Harry at the gala and ever since then the weight that sat on my shoulders feels like it's been lifted.
I feel free.
Half of my stuff has already made it to his house, but things like my books and random odds and ends still needed to be packed up.
Which is why all of our friends made their way over today to help us pack up my life.
"Are we still getting pizza?" Andrew comes back through my front door, smiling over at his wife as she stands next to us. "Because if there's no food then I'm going home."
Shelby rolls her eyes as she looks at me. "Don't listen to him. We don't need food—"
"Speak for yourself!" Andrew crosses the room to kiss her. "I'm starving."
With his eyes on her, it feels like I'm interrupting a conversation which makes me walk away with a laugh and into my old bedroom, stopping to look out of the floor to ceiling window that looks out over the city.
I think about every memory here, but when I feel strong arms wrap around my stomach, I relax back into the body that belongs to the man I love.
"You gonna miss it?" Pressing his lips to my temples, Harry rests his chin on my shoulder. "The view is pretty great."
From the feeling in my chest, I can tell he's not talking about what you can see out of the windows.
"I'll miss it, but I'm more excited for the view I'll have with you." Snuggling in close, I smile. "Pretty excited to have a roommate that knows how to give me orga—"
"Whoa!" Turning around, Lauren covers her ears as we both fall into a fit of laughter. "I did not need to hear whatever the end of that sentence was."
Harry leans down, his lips brushing against my ear. "Better not talk about how good your mouth feels around my—"
"Harry!" I turn around, shoving him lightly only for him to pull me back into his arms.
Into my safe place.
"I was just coming to say that the truck is loaded and ready!" Lauren dances in place, excited for the two of us.
"Perfect, are you ready?" Looking over at Harry, his green eyes sparkle in my empty apartment as he takes my hand.
"I'm ready."
__________
"Can you believe it's been a year?"
Sitting across from my mom, I smile at her dark curls that reach the top of her shoulders. "A year that I'm so thankful for."
"Babe, do you want some more?"
Holding up a slice of cake, he looks at me and waits for my answer. "Please?"
Today is one of my favorite days of the year— my moms birthday.
Almost a year ago I was almost positive that I would never get to celebrate another week with her, much less the chance to splurge and buy her a birthday cake that was covered in icing and sprinkles.
"You know... You didn't have to do all of this." Taking a bite of the cake in front of her, my mom smiles. "We could have just watched a movie and called it good."
I roll my eyes. "And miss the chance to go to dinner and embarrass you? I don't think so."
"You think that was embarrassing?" Raising her eyebrow to me, she laughs. "Wearing a silly hat while an entire restaurant sang to me in front of all my friends and my kids was nothing."
She's been doing that a lot over the last few months.
Referencing Harry as one of her kids.
I'd overheard her telling Warren that if he was going to be her son in law one day that she might as well start calling him that now.
"Diane, that just means we are going to have to put our thoughts together for this one's birthday." Wiggling his eyes in my direction, Harry laughs.
"I don't think so." I laugh, reaching over to pinch him only for him to grab my hand and place a kiss to my fingers.
Looking at me with his wild eyes, his smile melts my heart like it has for the last year. "You just think that you don't want a big birthday."
"Pretty sure that I'll be fine with just a dinner with you guys." Looking around the table at my family, I shrug. "That'll be enough for me."
Harry's parents laugh as they turn into a conversation with my mom and Warren while Lauren and her boyfriend ask Harry some questions about their own dining room table.
That's how it's been for the last year.
Two families becoming one and taking care of each other.
About six months ago, my mom found out that her cancer was finally gone. Her remission still meant that she went to doctors appointments, but without treatments that drained her body.
We all met in the office when she got to ring the golden bell. Harry held my waist while Warren held my moms hand, tears coming from everyone as she rang the bell loud enough for everyone in the building to hear.
Life may not always be perfect, but when you spend it with the people that matter the most, it doesn't seem so bad.
It doesn't seem so lonely.
___________
see you tomorrow 💘
twitter @ niallsgoldhoop
-Alex 🍀
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