The Unexpected Journey-A Prince Harry Fan Fic

Chapter 81

Harry had been right.

He had warned her on her way out the door; despite how normal she felt, how it seemed as though very little had changed—everything had. When he finally released hold of her so that she could make it her meeting with Dr. Colvin—he had cautioned her of the eminent circus that awaited her outside of the gates of the palace. She was no longer the blonde girlfriend of a senior royal. She was the next royal bride, the soon-to-be wife of the third in line to the throne, the Peoples' Prince. He tried to drive it home—how when they walked into that room full of reporters, when they sat down for that interview, she became public, they gave the world permission to lay claims to her. She was their future Duchess, after all. They had dropped a bomb on the world and Harry wanted to be crystal clear; people were going to be clamoring for photos of her. They wanted to see her, see the ring. They wanted to know what she was about, what she was like—they were going to be all over her. At least for a while.

He had been absolutely right.

They were waiting for her. She said a silent thank you to Harry for insisting she keep some clothes at his place—knowing that photos of her returning to her place in the clothes she wore the night before would have been all over. Having showered and dressed at Kensington, she went directly to her meeting at the hospital, her Security Officer Williams following along.

And the press attention began. Though they were well aware that they could not come on hospital property—there were throngs of photographers waiting for her at the entryway waiting to catch a glimpse, to see if she was returning to work or not.

Though there was a bustle of chaos outside, inside things could not have gone more smoothly. The meeting with Dr. Colvin could not have gone better. When she told him she was leaving, he was not at all surprised. He had seen the interview the night before and he had been around long enough to know how things worked, to know the complexity of her situation. He congratulated her, offered his support and helped her work out a plan to leave as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Her regular shift duties would end the next day. She could come in, say good-bye to any of the current in-patients she had worked with before and her Crisis Team coverage would cease immediately. Though he valued her services immensely, he knew from experience that the level of fame that was about to hit her was not the best fit for the hospital, or vice versa. She would be allowed to terminate with her current caseload based on her own professional judgment, doing what was best for her clients; transitioning them to another Psychologist.

And then she would be done. He told her they normally have a going away party for outgoing staff but—given her unique circumstances—he offered her an out. An out she did not want to take. She wanted to say good-bye, she wanted that moment, that closure. It was important for her, it was important for them. She didn't want an out. And then Dr. Colvin hugged her, told her he was proud of the work she had done and that he knew she would continue to serve the children and the families she had served at the hospital and before that in Bendal. Finally, with a warm smile, he offered an open ended invitation to seek his counsel or assistance on anything she might need in the future.

It could not have gone better. That's why—once inside the privacy of her own office—she broke down and cried. Even with all she had waiting for her, even with the life she was looking forward to with Harry—it was incredibly difficult to leave.

The very same process, the very same emotions followed her as she met with Gerald at St. Joseph's. Initially she had been thankful to have been able to have both meetings on the same day, thinking that getting them out of the way all at once would be easier. But, after seeing Gerald and spending more than a few minutes correcting her tear-stained makeup, she thought maybe she should have spaced them out. Making sure she looked presentable—correctly guessing that the press would be waiting for her—she stepped out of the Veteran's Services Offices and began her trip home.