"What did you say?" Trish asks as we walk through Central Park. The park is buzzing with tourists, children, animals, and vendors. The slushy I obtained isn't good anymore so I toss it, sighing as I wipe my hands on my skirt.
"I didn't say anything." I shake my head, crossing my arms as we continue on. "I didn't know what to say." I shrug.
What Harry introduced to me last night was the element I was afraid of when we got back from our heaven. I saw it coming, I did, but leaving New York City wasn't the thing I had in mind.
"Well what do you think about it now, in this moment?" she continues.
"I mean I don't want him to leave but..." I take a breath. "I can't be the one who pulls him back from something he loves to do."
It would pain me to do that to him, to take something like this away from him. I'm just being selfish because my love for him has grown and it's torture to know he'll be leaving. My gut aches at the thought of him being so far away.
"Maybe he needs this," Trish starts, "He put all this hard work in training for the championship only to be destroyed by it. Maybe he needs this to feel like himself, the way he wants to be."
I nod in understanding.
"Have you thought about going with him?"
"I can't," I frown, "I'm an agent again, I can't pass this up."
"And he's a fighter. He can't pass that up," she says and I look to her, "But what if you did go with him?"
"It would be great but if he were to go, he'd need all of his attention on training and the events. I don't want to be in the way because that's what I will be."
"Well don't say it like that," she says, "He loves you."
"I know," I sigh,"I miss him already and he isn't even gone."
"Oh, Faye," she wraps her arm around me and I chuckle at her babying, playfully nudging her away.
~••~
I sit before my mother's stone, the troubling ache I feel in my chest for nearly forgetting her birthday. The bouquet of daisies she loved rest atop of her stone. I pick at the grass, staring at her engraved name.
Is that all she is now? A name on a stone?
I shake my head at my own thoughts. She's more than that, I know.
My phone vibrates in my bag, Harry's ID appearing. I've been ignoring his phone calls, the words I want to say are all jumbled up and I can't comprehend them myself.
"I knew you'd be here."
I quickly turn my head to see him behind me, his phone to his ear before pulling it away and pushing it into his pocket.
"How?" I ask and he shrugs.
"A feeling I guess," he mumbles lowly as he comes closer, sitting beside me. I continue to pull at the grass, this time pulling multiple strands at once as my nerves arise.
"I'm not going," he says and I blink to him, my heart dropping. His eyes are on my mother. "I changed my mind."
"No," I shake my head, his eyes blinking to mine. "You have to."
"I don't," he shakes his head, "I can stay and be with you."
"Harry," I sigh, "I won't be the reason you give something like this up."
He remains quiet because we both know I'm right. It would be incredibly idiotic for him to do just that.
"I want you to do it," I assure him even if my heart is telling me to shut the hell up. My mind knows this is right and my gut knows as well. I smile to myself, remembering David and his words of wisdom. "You need to do this."
