when love lasts | wroetoshaw

twenty two

the flat felt oddly quiet this morning. harry had been in the other room for most of it, doing whatever he did when he needed time to process. i'd spent the morning pacing, my thoughts running in circles. i knew this wasn't something i could figure out on my own. i needed advice from someone who'd been through it all before.

faith.

i grabbed my phone and sent her a quick message.

faith🎀

abbie
are you free to talk? i really need to clear my head.

faith
of course. come over whenever you're ready x

without hesitating, i grabbed my bag and headed out, leaving harry to his space.

~

faith greeted me at the door with a warm smile, her hair pulled back and a mug of tea already in her hand. "come in," she said, stepping aside.

olive's toys were scattered around the living room, but the house was calm. ethan had taken olive out for the morning, and the quiet felt like a welcome reprieve.

"sit," faith said, gesturing to the couch. "i figured you'd want a bit of space to talk."

i nodded, sinking into the cushions with a heavy sigh. "thanks for this. my head's a mess."

faith sat across from me, setting her mug down. "i figured. how's harry taking it?"

"quiet," i said, rubbing my hands together. "he's trying, i can tell, but it's a lot. it feels like there's this unspoken pressure between us now, and i don't know how to ease it."

faith nodded knowingly. "it's normal. ethan was the same when we found out about olive. it takes time to adjust, but you'll get there."

"i just don't know where to start," i admitted, my voice quieter now. "there's so much to think about, and i feel like i'm already behind."

"you're not behind," faith reassured me. "the first thing to do is book your appointment. once that's out of the way, things will start to fall into place."

"that's what everyone says," i muttered, leaning back into the couch. "but it doesn't make it any less overwhelming."

"no, it doesn't," she agreed. "but you don't have to figure it all out at once. take it step by step. trust me, abbie—you'll be fine."

"what if i'm not?" i asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "what if i mess this up?"

faith leaned forward, her tone firm but kind. "you won't. you're already showing how much you care, and that's what matters most. the rest, you'll learn as you go."

just as she finished speaking, the front door opened, and ethan walked in with olive on his hip. the little girl's face lit up when she saw me, and she wriggled out of ethan's arms to toddle over.

"abbie!" she said brightly, her tiny hands reaching for me.

i couldn't help but smile as i scooped her up, her giggles filling the room.

"see?" faith said softly, watching us. "you're a natural."

i laughed, though the weight in my chest didn't fully lift. "it's different when it's your own, though."

"it is," faith agreed. "but you'll figure it out, just like we did. and you'll have us to lean on, no matter what."

~

when i got back to the flat, harry was on the couch, scrolling through his phone. he glanced up as i walked in, his expression unreadable but not unkind.