The Second Time Around

Chapter Eighteen

Woohoo! Okay so this chapter is a little different than the previous ones in the sense that there is a switch between Lucy & Harry's points of view in the middle, so you can see what each of them are doing without starting a new chapter. So yay! I hope everyone had a great Christmas! :) Enjoy! xo

Chapter Eighteen (Lucy’s Perspective)

“Merry Christmas, Mum!” I exclaim, bounding into her bedroom. She stirs slightly as she wakes up, one eye cracking open. My words sink in and she smiles before sitting up in bed.

“Come on! I want you to open your present!” I say gleefully, tugging on her wrist in an attempt to pull her out of bed. Her blue eyes seem to glow as she laughs with me.

“Alright, alright! I’m moving, I’m moving!” She giggles, following me down the stairs to the living room. The tree takes up a majority of the corner. Christmas lights twinkle within the branches and various green, red, and gold ornaments decorate the entire tree. A shining gold star is perched on the very top and the room is still warm from the embers in the fireplace that are nearly completely died down from last night. I drop cross-legged onto the floor in front of the tree and she joins me. She combs through her dark hair with her fingers and pushes it behind her shoulder. I pick up the small present wrapped in gold paper from under the tree. I hand it to her and she takes it from me with an eager smile.

“I wonder what it is!” She exclaims, tearing the paper off of it. There’s a white box inside, and I grin in anticipation of her reaction once she opens the box. Her fingers lift the lid from the box to reveal another black box sitting snugly inside the white cardboard one.

“Oh, my God, Lucy, you shouldn’t have!” She says once she spots the Michael Kors logo on the top of the black box.

“Open it!” I encourage her. She giggles and opens the black box to reveal a sparkly gold watch. “Is this the one that I pinned a couple of weeks ago?” She asks in disbelief. I nod rapidly, barely holding back my excited laughter. “Lucy! I can’t believe you bought this for me! I love it!” She exclaims, pulling me into a huge hug.

“I knew you’d love it!” I say, laughing. She gives me one more last squeeze and gently sets the box down on the coffee table. She turns back to the tree and pulls out the only other present under the tree.

“Here! I know it’s only one thing, but I put some cash in there so you can buy the rest of your present when you go back to America next week,” She says, handing me the medium-sized box. I quickly tear the wrapper off and my jaw nearly hits the floor.

“Mum! How- What- I can’t believe it!” I exclaim, pulling the rest of the paper off, revealing Studio Beats headphones. I’ve wanted a pair for ages! “Oh my God! Thank you Mum!” I yell, pulling her back in for a hug.

“You’re quite welcome, dearie,” She says warmly, smoothing my hair with her palm. “Come on, let’s go make some Christmas desserts to take to Anne, Gemma, Harry, and Robin!”

Oh.

“Mum, I can’t go,” I begin slowly, remaining seated on the floor.