Destiny {h.s}

15

                             Harry's POV

It's Friday, the day before the party. I couldn't possibly be more excited! I really hope I get the opportunity to meet and talk with Olivia tomorrow night. I have been trying to get Ed to make sure we get introduced at the party. He seems excited about the party too. But for now I am in New York, with a buzz just knowing I am probably in the same city as Olivia Benson.

I'm headed to a restaurant for dinner tonight all by myself. Alone. That seems to be a constant theme these days. The paparazzi have calmed down a bit because its been a while since Charlotte's interview. I'm glad at least now I can go outside without being harassed.

I maneuver my way through the busy sidewalks of New York and accidentally bump into someone. I felt horrible and immediately apologized. When I looked down I saw and elderly man with a cane. I felt 10x worse after that....

"I am so sorry!" I said wholeheartedly.

"It's quite alright young man. Are you headed in this restaurant too?" He asks with amusement clear in his eyes.

"Yes, actually I am." I answer his question while opening the door to the restaurant for him.

"All alone? A handsome young man like you should be with someone. Especially on a Friday night." He says confusion clear on his face.

"Yeah, I'm alone. Still waiting for Mrs. Right to come along." I say with a smile.

"You remind me of a young girl who I ran into just a couple of nights ago when I was in Ohio. We met in a park. She had just left a date. She said he was a jerk so she left." The old man said chuckling.

"Are you alone? What brings you to New York?" I said as we stood in the lobby of the warm restaurant and talked.

"I am alone. At least for tonight I am. I am currently visiting my daughter who lives here. I was in Ohio a couple of days ago. That was where me and my wife have lived our whole lives. She has Alzheimer's Disease and died just Wednesday night. After I had my wife cremated, my daughter thought it would be best if I came to live with her and her family." He said slightly sad and looking down.

"I'm so sorry for your lose. Would you like to join me for dinner tonight? I could really use some company." I say giving him a friendly smile which he returns and accepts my invitation for dinner.

All throughout our meal he tells me about his wife and her disease. He tells me about how they met, when they got married, how she gave him a daughter and son who he loves both very much, how she was the best mother in the world to those two kids, and about when she started to forget who he was. He was gutted, but loved her more with each passing day. And then he told me about how he watched her die. He told me about how he was by her side every moment he could be, but stepped outside for bit to get some fresh air. That's when he ran into a girl on the park bench. He told her about how much he loved his wife, and it inspired her. As soon as she left he rushed back to his wife's side. He sat next to her bed in the nursing home and held her hand while she slept when he heard the heart monitor go blank. He said he had never cried harder in his life.

That when I realized that love isn't something you can force. Maybe going to this party won't workout for me meeting and falling madly in love with this Olivia girl. What I do know is when you are meant to be with someone things just.....workout. I don't know how else to explain it. And so, even though I haven't met Olivia yet, I did see her at the airport and was miraculously invited to this party in her honor.

I want someone to love more with each passing moment, I want someone to look after and someone who will look after me. I want true, undeniably love. Passionate, one for the books, wholehearted love.

The conversation with the old man was eye opening. I never got his name, but this night will always have a special place in my heart. I headed back to my hotel, and slip into bed thoughts full of love, destiny, and who I might end up with...