Where Hope Is Found

Home Is Where The Heart Is

"Leo is out sick,” Kendall said as I walked into the coffee shop and behind the counter.

“What?”

“Just like I said, he’s out sick with the flu or something.” She went back to the order she was taking care of and I stared into the distance, zoning out with thoughts about Leo. I slowly tied my apron at my back and began to worry. This is the fourth time this month he had been out sick. He said it was just a common cold that he couldn’t shake. He would surely be back within the next day or so ready to go with that perky smile of his and everything would be back to normal, right?

Normal… I wasn’t even sure if I was living a normal life anymore. So many things seemed too good to be true, and of course I’m referring to my relationship with Harry. Everything had happened so quickly and yet so slowly with him. I never thought in a million years my first boyfriend would be so impeccable. Well he wasn’t perfect, he had his flaws for sure, but he was perfect for me and I believed that more and more every day. It’s like he made it a daily goal to help me realize it. I wondered if he felt the same about us in this aspect as I did.

There were the things that seemed to be too good to be true, but there were also the things that seemed too difficult to be true. For example, school. It was the entire reason I was even in London and now I was beginning to think I wouldn’t be able to finish it like I had intended.

“Earth to Charlotte! These orders aren’t going to make themselves!” Kendall practically shoved her arm into mine as she passed by me to give a customer their drink. She hadn’t let down on her crabby attitude for a second since that first day I met her.

“Alright, alright,” I said, mumbling under my breath, “don’t get your knickers in a twist.”

Work that day with Kendall was miserable and I knew after my shift had ended I needed to tell Leo that she was wretched to work with. She was so negative, and crabby, and the list could just go on and on. Yes she worked well and efficiently, but she was just so… I don’t think there was even a word to describe her attitude as a whole. I just couldn’t handle it anymore.

As soon as I entered my flat I went straight to the living room and propped myself on the couch, patting Samone on the back as I dialed Leo’s number into my phone with the other hand. He answered on the fourth ring.

“Hello?” His voice was scratchy and he didn’t sound well at all.

“Leo?”

“Oh hey Charlotte how are ya?”

“I’m fine. How are you? You don’t sound much better.”

“Oh I’m doing a lot better,” he said quickly, clearing his throat before continuing more distinctly. “I’ll be back and better than ever on Monday.” He began to clear his throat again and this time I pulled the phone away from my ear, the sound so loud and scratchy.

“Leo I think you should go back to the doctor. You don’t sound better to me at all.”

“I’m… Fine,” he said between coughs. “I promise ya I’m…” it sounded like he dropped the phone then and all I could hear was more coughing.

“Leo?” I said, concern creeping quickly back to my thoughts. “Leo!” All thoughts of talking to him about Kendall vanished from my mind as I kept yelling his name into the phone. When he didn’t return to the phone but I could still hear him coughing terribly I hung up and called Harry for help.

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“I don’t know why I’m here.”