within the meadow √ h.s.

f i f t e e n

delilah decided to spend the weekend at her mom's. gabriel was leaving soon and she wanted to have time with him and his new family before they were gone.

baby amelia had grown and her limbs were chubby and cheeks rosy. she was much cuter than when delilah had seen her at the hospital after being born. rosalie had her dressed up in a white dress with a matching white hat, but amelia did not look happy.

the twins were off in the backyard thinking of ways to get into trouble as malia sat with rosalie and amelia on the floor.

"and we just finished sending our things up to the new house, so we won't have too much stuffed in the car," gabriel explained.

"oh, we're going to miss you guys so much. my oldest baby is moving away. you have to call me everyday and send videos of amelia. i don't want to not see her grow everyday," laura expressed.

"mom," gabriel's cheeks began to heat up. "so, delilah, how's harry?"

"i-uh..he's-" delilah was caught off guard by the change of subject and felt the bending of her bones, but ignored it. "he's good. yeah, doing great."

laura saw something flash behind delilah's eyes. she knew harry had some kind of affect on her by the way she spoke and the way she didn't reach for a book at every opportunity. she sent delilah a knowing glance, saying something along the lines of 'we can talk about this later.'

after dinner and a movie with everyone squishing together on the sofa, or sprawled on the floor, they dispersed off into their rooms.

everyone except delilah.

instead of going off to her old room which was now malia's, she grabbed a book and found herself outside under the glittering sky.

she sat on the steps of the patio and admired what nature had to offer instead of smothering herself with her book. eventually, her book captured her attention more than the wonders of the night sky. she was so engulfed by the printed words in her book and the crisp night air fusing with the scent of crinkled, coffee stained paper.

when the door creaked open and footsteps were heard, delilah's eyes remained glued on the pages as if it were her lifeline.

"delilah, baby, why didn't you turn on more lights if you were going to read?" laura asked taking a seat next to her on the step.

she looked like delilah's mother, and that ached her heart.

"sweetheart, what's on your mind?" laura questioned. delilah knew there was no point in lying to her mom. "you stuttered and got all weird when gabriel asked about harry."

"i just-i really like him. did you know we met at the meadow?" delilah never had a problem opening up to laura. she was fairly young when she took in delilah and had gabriel. "there's no way we met there and it means nothing. it has to mean something, it's the meadow!"

although some would think delilah was blabbering and not adding up, laura knew exactly what she meant. the meadow that holds a special place in her heart, the one that laura took delilah to for every birthday, on the anniversary of her mother's death, where delilah would ignore the presence of the landscape only to cover her face with words. that meadow was everything to delilah, it was something she believed in.

"we met there, and i don't even know how to explain it, mom. how can i put it into words? god-i'm constantly staring at words on pages, so why is this so hard to formulate into sentences?" delilah's frustration was clear as day in the dark of the night.

"because, baby, you're feeling it all. some things you can't explain, and love is one of those things," laura explained.

delilah was taken aback by her mom's statement and use of the word 'love' because that had never crossed her mind. "but i-no, that's not it. it can't be."

"delilah, it isn't impossible," laura chuckled lightly. "i don't know how long you two knew each other when amelia was born, but you guys had something going on. seemed magical almost. i mean, you showed up with someone and didn't even have a book," she teased, but seriousness was lacing her words behind the lighthearted tone.

"no, mom. i can't feel that way," delilah insisted. "he's leaving, but it's okay, i guess."

laura's chest tightened at delilah's words. "well, maybe embrace the possibility of that love until that timer goes off. have fun together, don't think about it ending. like you said, you didn't meet at the meadow for nothing. try not to think so much, delilah. i know you're really good at thinking, but try and not to overdo it or you could end up destroying yourself from the inside."

the thought of love floated around in the cool air wanting to be captured by the breeze, but it was too heavy to be carried away.

tell him. tell him. tell him.