I hope that each and everyone one of you know that I read every single comment that you leave, if I don't reply it's probably because I don't know how to or my cheeks hurt from smiling too much to even type.
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When Louis goes back to work, except this time as a year one primary teacher, Harry invites Niall, Jesy, and Perrie to work with him. The shifts allow Harry to bake throughout the day, which allows for more items to be put on the menu.
His favourite part of shifts, though, is being able to go see Louis at work. Bringing not only him treats, but his itty bitty students treats too.
Having shifts and ‘employees’ does bring down the amount of money the bakery brings in that doesn't go towards buying more supplies for the bakery, but it balances perfectly with Louis’ new income.
Speaking of income, with their new found money they are able to finally start making larger payments towards the loans they took out, and by Christmas time, though their loans aren't paid off, they’ve discussed payment plans with the bank, and they’re scheduled to have them, along with the rest of their student loans, paid off in a low of three years and a max of five.
Holiday season is their silently-agreed favourite time of the year. Their business nearly triples, due to people needing party platters or specially designed cakes and pies, and so they get to decorate the bakery with holiday lights and tinsel, a big Christmas tree in the corner of the bakery.
(They also have their own Christmas tree up in their living room, not to mention a mistletoe in every room because Louis couldn’t resist.)
Due to the bakery doing so well, and Louis making enough money for their easygoing life, they get to close the bakery for a week during Christmas, and both of their families come down for a visit during that time.
They set their bedroom and the extra one up for their parents, and then they set out extra mattresses in the living room for themselves, Gemma and Lottie, and the twins.
Gemma and Lottie have been best friends since they first met, despite the age difference. Lottie chose a college near where Gemma lived, and now they live together in a cosy little home. Gemma has her boyfriend, and Lottie has a few off and on things, and it’s almost like both of the families have just merged into one already.
They push all the little tables downstairs together for Christmas dinner, plugging in the interior Christmas lights that string around the cafe for a pretty, dim lighting that makes the night even more beautiful. Jay and Anne don’t allow Harry or Louis in the kitchen at all, claiming they cook too much and this is for them.
They hang out with the twins. The twins that are now 8 nearing 9 years old. Phoebe is as mischievous as ever, and Daisy as sweet, but they both meet in the middle when it comes to sass.
They all exchange gifts, but by far the best gift given is the gift Daisy gives Harry, which is a framed photo of him and her on Louis’ graduation day.
Everyone has grown so much in the years since that day.
It’s around the one year anniversary of the Pink Milk cafe, that Harry’s treatment is done.
He had three different doctors at the Centre, different meetings throughout the week and at different times. Honestly, he could probably fill both their bathtubs with all the city bus tickets he had to buy over the years he had been going.
There was never a set time in how long Harry would have to be doing his treatment, though, it was always more of a ‘go until you’re okay again’ type of thing.
The problem with Harry was breaking down a lot of the walls he had built since that time and really restructuring a lot of the ways he thinks to get him in the healthiest mental position possible for the amount of trauma he went through.
So it was a very step-by-step process, and when steps are involved, there is always room for step backs, which happened most frequently in the first year. Overall though, the doctors told Louis that once Harry got comfortable around them and was able to really open up, it was easy to help him. He was cooperative, and loving, and definitely the most kind-hearted patient they had had in a very long time.
Even though they couldn’t erase what happened to him, they helped him recover from it, and they helped him leave it in the past rather than having those fears and struggles rob his present and future.
So they let him go. They told him to call if he ever needed anything, gave him genuine, heart-aching hugs, and let him go.
