Free (Sequel to Through The Dark) Complete

Chapter 24

The day was pretty quiet.  Both Julie and Harry silently wrote, throughout the day, bound to the cabin because of the snow.  The sun had now set, and the snow was still falling.  Julie turned on the couch to see Harry sitting at the counter, back towards her, concentrating on that writing journal he always had with him.  She knew he was working on songs all the time, but it had been awhile since she had seen him actually do it.  She looked back down at her notebook.  It was never as professional looking as his, but she was proud of some of the things that had come out of it.  She took a deep breath and got up.  She walked quietly behind him and hesitated.  She took a deep breath before she spoke.  "So, I will make you a deal."

Harry picked his head up and smiled when she spoke.  "Sounds intriguing.  What's the deal?"

"I will make a late dinner for us, if...." She stopped for a second.  Was she really going to do this?  She reached her arms around his shoulders from behind and set her notebook open to the page she was working on, on top of his.  "If you tell me what this is missing."  She had been working on a song for a while.  But no matter how hard she tried and how much she redid it, it just didn't seem to come together for her.

Harry froze when her arms came around his shoulders and the notebook ended up in front of him.  He didn't even respond.  He figured he should, but he felt shocked.  This was a big step in whatever type of relationship they had now.  After, he turned and watched her walk to the kitchen, watched her open the fridge and take out some items, he finally spoke.  "Yeah, sounds, perfect."  He watched her as she silently got a few things out of the cupboard and the cutting board.  "Julie?"

"Hmmm?"  She asked, keeping her back towards him.  She needed to be more open to asking for help, but this was still hard for her.  This song had been something she had been working on for a while.  Long before Harry and she had broken up, but she kept coming back to it.  Having him, or anyone for that matter, reading it now was kind of scary.  When he didn't say anything else, she turned around and looked at him.  "Harry?  What?"

"Sorry."  He laughed and shook his head.  "I just didn't expect this.  I just wanted to make sure before I read it, you were really ok with this."

"Funny."  She said shaking her head and pulling out the chicken breast from its wrapper.  "Yes, I'm ok with it.  Guess I gotta get used to it at some point, right?  And as much as I hate to admit it, I wouldn't trust many other people more than I trust you with it."  She put the chicken breast on the cutting board and cut it into small pieces.  "Hope a simple chicken stir fry is ok with you."

"Yeah, that sounds perfect."  He responded.  He watched her for a while first.  Cutting up the chicken and then chopping some vegetables.  He was dying to read what was in front of him, but he missed this simplicity with her.  When they'd had their quiet time together in the past, he would often write while she cooked, or they would cook together.  It wasn't often enough as far as he was concerned, but he longed for those days.  After a few more minutes, he finally focused on the notebook.  He would never cease to be amazed at her way with words.  He knew he wrote well.  And he was friends with some pretty amazing song writers, but her words ̶ they always seemed so much more to him.  He read through them, once, twice and then a third time.  He picked up his pen.  He had to put himself into her mindset.  When she was going through her healing, her progress.  He had to look into her thoughts at that time.  She was trying to believe in herself.  Trying to be forgiving, yet also trying to realize how strong she was.  "Dinner smells great."  He said looking up at her.

"Thanks.  But it's not that big a deal.  You've had this before."  She put the lite oil in the pan and then threw in the chicken.  She leaned against the counter.  "I'm thinking of having a glass of wine.  Would you like one?"