Echoes of Us

Three

The sound of the glass breaking echoed throughout the house, Harrison squinted as the noise met his ears.

In his arms, Avery jolted awake, and Harrison set her down on the stairs gently.

"What was that?"

Avery glanced around, looking for what had caused the sound, before turning back around and looking at Harrison questioningly. 

"I'm so sorry, Bird," Harrison said softly as he slowly lowered his head to look at the glass shards on the stairs.

Avery's eyes stayed on Harrison for a while, before flicking down to see what Harrison was looking at. 

She was confused at first, unsure of what she was seeing, and then she realised what it was.

A picture frame lay broken on the stairs, and Avery blinked in confusion as she crouched down and picked up a broken piece of wood. She turned it over in her hand, her expression softening as she noticed the photo that had been inside.

"Oh no," Avery whispered, "our wedding photo."

Picking up the picture, Avery brushed off the smaller shards of glass clinging to its surface. They slid off and fell to the floor with a soft, twinkling sound as they hit the larger pieces below.

"Careful," Harrison warned, his voice laced with concern as he watched Avery brush away the glass. 

Avery finally looked up at him and smiled softly. 

"Do you remember this day?" 

Harrison sighed softly and returned her smile. 

"How could I forget?" 

Their wedding day had been beautifully chaotic. 

To start off, Avery had woken up late, and that would have been fine, but then the florist forgot to deliver the flowers. 

Avery, along with her bridesmaids, frolicked through the venue's garden pavilion in search of any flowers that looked presentable enough for a makeshift bridal bouquet, eventually creating something that vaguely resembled one. 

Harrison had booked a hotel room near the venue as both he and Avery lived two hours away, it seemed more practical to keep everything at the hotel and then transport them to the wedding venue on the day. He'd felt quite proud of himself, meticulously drafting a checklist and ticking everything off as he packed them into their suitcases; or so he thought. 

After getting dressed and straightening out his suit with his hands, Harrison lifted the bottom lining of the suitcase to retrieve his shoes. The same shoes he and Avery had spent an over hour choosing in the store, only to realise, they weren't in the suitcase. 

Harrison had pulled out every item from his suitcase and checked every other bag he had brought with him, as well as the bathroom, the closet, even under the bed. Those shoes were nowhere to be found. 

Realising he didn't have time to go back home and get the shoes, Harrison made a frantic phone call to the front desk, desperately asking them if they had any spare shoes, anything, that he could wear to the wedding ceremony. They had sent a staff member up to his room, and upon opening the door, Harrison accepted the fact that he was in a right mess. In the staff members hands were a pair of fluffy, white, open toed, slippers. 

Avery had burst into laughter when she finally saw Harrison's fluffy slippers, teasing that the wedding photo was going to be amazing. 

It sure was. Looking at it now in Avery's hands, Harrison couldn't help but smile even wider as he took in every detail.