when love lasts | wroetoshaw

twenty six

the flat was eerily quiet that morning. it wasn't just the absence of furniture or the way the echoes seemed louder than usual—it was the knowledge that we wouldn't be coming back. this was it: the day we moved into our new home.

harry was up earlier than usual, surprisingly organised as he double-checked the labels on all the boxes in the hallway. he'd even managed to put the kettle in one of the boxes marked "kitchen" the night before, ensuring we wouldn't accidentally leave it behind.

"you alright?" he asked, glancing up as i walked out of the bedroom, still rubbing sleep from my eyes.

"yeah," i said, yawning. "just feels strange."

he nodded, leaning against the doorframe. "i know what you mean. i've been here so long, it doesn't feel real yet."

i walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning my head against his chest. "it's going to feel even weirder later, driving away for the last time."

harry's arms came up to hold me, and he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "but it's going to be worth it," he murmured. "the new house is perfect for us. we're starting fresh."

the movers arrived at eight on the dot, a small team of three who wasted no time getting to work. harry and i hovered awkwardly at first, watching as they started loading box after box into the van parked outside.

"i feel like i should be helping," harry said, frowning as one of the movers hoisted a heavy box onto his shoulder.

"you'll just get in their way," i replied, smirking.

"i'm not that useless," he protested, grinning.

"no," i said, wrapping my arms around his as we stood in the doorway. "but you do have a habit of trying to carry too much at once and dropping everything."

"once," he said, narrowing his eyes. "that happened one time."

i laughed, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "sure it did."

he rolled his eyes but slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer as we watched the movers work.

by mid-morning, the flat was completely empty. the movers had packed the last of the boxes into the van, and all that was left to do was lock up and hand the keys back to the letting agency.

harry and i stood in the middle of the living room, the silence between us heavy with unspoken emotions.

"ready?" he asked, his voice quiet.

"yeah," i said, nodding.

"it's been good to us, hasn't it?" he added.

"it really has," i said softly.

after a moment, harry reached for the door. "let's go," he said, his hand brushing against mine as we stepped out into the crisp morning air.

~

the drive to the new house felt surreal. even though we'd only visited it a couple of times, it already felt like ours. as we turned into the driveway, i couldn't help but smile at the sight of the red-brick exterior, the bay window catching the morning light.

"there it is," harry said, turning to look at me. "our new home."

i glanced over at him, my excitement mirrored in his eyes. "it's perfect," i said, reaching over to squeeze his hand.

"you ready to do this?" he asked, grinning.

"absolutely," i replied.

the movers wasted no time unloading the van, carrying box after box into the house while harry and i directed them to the right rooms. the living room quickly became a maze of cardboard, with stacks of boxes labeled "kitchen," "office," and "nursery" filling the space.