I was standing outside, in Anne's backyard, while Harry was inside talking to his parents. He brought Avery and Becca over, since Avery is going to stay the night with them to spend a little time with her grandparents.
I stayed outside, still mad about what happened earlier. I wasn't as mad, but I was still upset. I decided to let it go and not bother me, since my other senses are already heightened. I shivered in the cold air, scolding myself for not bringing a coat with me.
I looked at the sliding glass door when it was pulled open by Harry. He shut it behind him before saying anything to me. We didn't talk for a while. Harry stared at me, with desperate eyes, and his mouth opened like he wants to speak.
Finally, I break the silence, "sorry for hitting you with the pillow." I apologize, not really meaning it but desperately wanting to talk to him. He always knew how to calm me down. But he also pushes my buttons harder than anyone I've ever known.
"We've been together for how long now? I'm used to it. You always find something to hit me with." He joked. I smiled softly, still feeling too upset to share a laugh with my husband. "I'm just glad you picked a pillow." He smiled.
I looked at him, questions swarming my mind, wondering what is going to happen to us if I let it go. "Was she talking about you, Harry?" I asked quietly, not wanting to know the answer.
"I don't know." He said. "Listen, Taylor," he walked in front of me, cupping my cheeks, "there is nothing we can't get through." He stared into my eyes, showing me how genuine he was being. I smiled softly again, sliding my arms around his back, pushing my body into his. He kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
Part of me felt pessimistic about Harry's statement. There's still a lot we haven't dealt with and when Harry said "it's not gonna fix us", it makes me feel like there's something wrong between us. I push the thought away and look up at him.
"The security cameras delivered today," he said with a smile on his face, "I already installed them." He humorously rolled his eyes and dropped his hands to his sides. I smiled wide, knowing he didn't want to do that, and loving him for doing it anyway.
The back door slid open again, Avery standing in the crack. "GrAnne wants to know if you guys are hungry?" She asked.
We walk inside, walking in behind Avery, hearing Rob and Becca laughing at something. Anne sees me and smiles, then looks at her son, making fun of how long his hair is getting. He protests about getting it cut, which Anne fights him about.
"I'm growing it out! End of discussion." He laughs and sits down at the table, across from Rob and Becca.
"You look like a woman!" Anne states. I agree with her, which creates an echo from Becca and Avery.
"People ask if you're my other mom!" Avery says, smiling.
"That-" Harry stops talking and looks at Avery, "that is-that is totally wrong!" He gasps. "Fine." Harry says quietly, reaching over the table to shove Avery's head back.
"I think you look great." Rob says when it's quiet. We all look at him, wondering why he waited so long to speak up. "I'm the step-dad! My opinion doesn't count." He tells us. We all laugh and Anne kisses his cheek, telling him the opposite of what he thinks.
"None of your opinions matter because I'm my own man." Harry says, flexing his muscles to prove his masculinity.
"Oh please." I snort. Avery and Becca laugh, then look at Harry. Harry and I went back and forth, humorously arguing about how Harry never does what he wants because he is too afraid of criticism. He denies it, claiming he doesn't want to make anyone unhappy, how he doesn't want to do the wrong thing.
When it got quiet again, Anne asked about Halley. I answered her with what I knew and then told her that Halley talks to Avery more than Harry and me. We all looked at Avery, who had a frown on her face. I scrunched my eyebrows and tapped her arm lightly.
"Ave?" Harry called for his daughters attention.
She looked up to see all of us staring at her with concern. She cleared her throat before answering. "She said she misses all of you."
"Are you okay?" I ask. She doesn't answer and instead tells us that Halley is doing great with her internship. I looked over at Becca to see her with the same frown that Avery had.
"She called us the other day. It was a nice surprise." Rob said. "She told us that she is excited to come home and that she misses us and wondered how Gemma is doing."
"Where is Gem? Isn't she living with you guys or something?" Harry jokes.
"She is with Tom." Anne says, glaring at her son.
"They're still together?" Harry asked. "Who would want to date her for that long?" He jokes.
"That's a dollar in the "rude comments about my sister" jar." Avery points at him. My mouth falls open at how sassy Avery is. We laugh at her and Harry shakes his head.
"Has she talked to you yet?" Anne asks Harry.
"About what?" He asks, taking a bite out of his lasagna.
"Just about what's going on?" Anne says, looking at Rob. "Do you guys talk on a regular basis?" She asks.
"Semi regular." Harry shrugs.
||WOO DOUBLE UPDATE.||
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Reticent
General Fiction"I thought it was over. I figured we'd been through everything and there was nothing else that could rip us apart. I didn't know I could be so wrong." Written- Jan 2nd 2017 Completed- Nov 23rd 2017
