Our Bakery

Close to Proper

Louis and I went on many more dates over the next three months, and I started telling people who asked, that I was in a relationship. We saw each other almost every week, and he came over to my flat quite often. He'd been over three or four times, and mostly we'd watched movies or played scrabble. He stayed the night one night after we'd accidentally gotten drunk. I woke up and he was gone, though he'd left a little note on the coffee table.

"Thank you for letting me stay. See you soon H! Xx"

Things were going well. I had a raise at my job, a person I very much liked as an almost boyfriend, and was overall happier.
It was December now, cold weather and big scarves and intricate snowflakes dancing in the bright lights of London. I loved winter. Louis, just liked the Christmas part of winter. He'd get grouchy in the cold and complain when the snow was too high that he couldn't wear sneakers, but had to wear boots instead. It was cute to see him annoyed. I'd just kiss his cold nose and he'd be all warm again, forgetting about his shoe dilemma.

I drove around the block and met Louis inside of the place of our first date, the bakery. The bakery was really called Corner Street Sweets, but "the bakery" did them just fine. We had gotten to know the owners very well over the months, Nancy and Scott, a sweet old couple who just adored me and Louis.
I greeted Nancy and sat down. Louis walked in soon after and kissed my cheek before sitting down.

"Hey." He said, his nose red.
"Hi." I answered back, taking my coat off. Nancy brought us some tea and we warmed up, talking and discussing little things. I set my hand down in the streak of light shining onto the table. It was the kind of rainbowy light beam that only happened due to big windows. Louis set his hand on top of mine and I smiled into my tea.

"Oh! Before I forget," Louis started. "Do you want to maybe come to a Christmas party with me at my parents' house? They kind of want to meet my boyfriend." I stopped breathing when he said boyfriend. Was he my boyfriend? My heart beat inside of my chest was too fast to be normal and I realized how excited I was subconsciously.

"Harry?" He said. I guess I'd gone silent.
"Yeah?" I said quietly.
"Do you want to... um. Meet my folks?" He said, his rosy cheeks up in a smile.
"Yes. I'd love to meet them."
"Oh good! My sisters will be excited too."
"Oh! Umm... I know, hold on. Felicite and Lottie?" I asked, hoping I'd remembered the names.
"Bingo! I hope you won't be nervous dear, they're all lovely people, they just get excited easily. As big of a deal as you are to me, they make it bigger..." He looked into his cup. ".. Somehow." I smiled eagerly and just a few hours later we were back in our separate houses, me cuddled up next to my pillow, wishing it was Louis, and him, sound asleep, muttering incoherent nothings.

I woke up at 10 and got ready for work. A long long day. I got dressed quickly and ate my breakfast before stopping at the gas station. I bought some gum and pumped my gas in the chilled air before driving off to The Tavern. I walked in and opened the blinds. When I walked into the kitchen, I saw Kathy sitting down, reading a People magazine. I pulled it out of her hands quickly.

"What gives H?" She half yelled.
"I'm meeting his parents!" I told her. "His parents! On the 23rd!"
"That's a big step Hare, are you excited? Did he say anything about you guys?"
"His called me his boyfriend!" I sighed and said under my breath: "I have a boyfriend."

Kathy made many sexual jokes at me that day, but it still sacked when the shift was over and I had to say bye to her. On my way home, I sang along to the radio. I loved music. I loved just about everything at the moment. As I walked into my home, I turned the light on and threw my keys on the counter. Noon to midnight was quite a shift. I pulled off my clothes and didn't bother to put pajamas on. I brushed my teeth and turned the light in the living room back off before laying down to sleep.