Elude [H.S.]

FIFTY-FIVE

*TW: Talks of loss of a family member and a scene involving a cemetery*

With light just lightly peeking through the blinds in my childhood bedroom, I quickly close my eyes again as I clamp one of my hands over them. I groan as I stretch my legs out, and when I go to reach my other hand to the side to feel for one of Harry's, I'm met with it falling down against the mattress. I blink my eyes open to see that I'm in bed alone - my eyebrows narrowing. I take my time as I push myself up, and I lift my hands to rub my knuckles lightly against my eyelids to try to wake myself even more.

Harry and I had been at my parents house for four days now, only leaving three left on this trip. We've been having a wonderful time since being here, and I can tell that Harry has been enjoying himself as well. We've only seen Mason one other time since being here, and that was when we went out to eat for lunch after taking Harry to our local zoo.

I'm extremely grateful for the fact that we've talked very little about the past during our time here. My parents both made it clear on the second day of our trip that they just wanted to move forward, and not dwell on what's happened. I'm sure my mom probably filled my dad in on some of the stuff that I told her about how my life has gone since I left home, but he hasn't tried to bring it up to me.

Once I feel like I've woken up enough, I climb out of bed and head downstairs. I feel a bit confused when I see that all the lights are off, and I'm wondering if my parents were somehow still asleep, but that still wouldn't explain where Harry went.

I round the corner into the living room, and I jump as the lights turn on, and I hear a chorus of people cheering.

"Surprise!" My mom, dad, Harry and Mason all exclaim in my direction, and my eyes widen.

It takes me a second to process it, but I see that there's a birthday banner lining the wall with some balloons shaped like flowers, as well as different colored streamers.

"We decorated for your birthdays!" My mom says with a laugh, and I look over to Mason to see him smiling.

"They surprised me when I first got here too," he chuckles, and I shake my head in disbelief.

I had honestly forgotten that today was my birthday. It hasn't been a very significant event for me in the past few years considering Conrad never celebrated it. Lyn and Grey were the ones I had spent my last couple of birthdays with, and it usually just consisted of me spending the night at their place after drinking and watching movies.

"You guys didn't have to do all this," I say as I walk further into the room, and my dad is quick to pull me into a hug.

"We wanted to," he says. "This is your first birthday back, and we wanted to make it special."

"Well, thank you," I say, reciprocating his hug. "It all looks so nice."

Once he releases me, I walk over to Harry and he wraps his arms around me as well. "Happy birthday, Maevey love," he croons into my ear before pressing a kiss to the side of my head. "How does it feel to be twenty-six?"