within the meadow √ h.s.

t h i r t y o n e

waking up with harry's heavy arms around her brought her back to years prior when things were good. back when she had gone through the first change in herself.

see, delilah changed a lot since meeting harry. before harry she was quiet, and buried herself in books. after a few months of hanging out with him, she opened up and blossomed into the vibrant delilah he left behind. she remained that way for the most part, until josiah took off. delilah had to become an optimistic and life-admiring version of herself to welcome her baby into a world that would love him unconditionally. now, delilah was left defeated and her soul was emptied at the loss she desperately wanted to work out. another change would be found within herself because when leo left the world, he brought a piece of delilah with him.

harry woke up and thought delilah was still in a heavy state of slumber from the exhaustion, and so he carefully slipped from her hold because he really had to use the restroom. making his way downstairs to cook breakfast for everyone, he noticed mila was gone and must have snuck off to head to the cafe.

in the midst of his cooking, laura and gabriel woke up to help him, despite his many protests. the three of them knew that delilah would probably decline the offer of food, but anything to occupy the day helped.

delilah tried to get out of bed. she really did try. the failed attempt discouraged delilah so much more and invited the treacherous thoughts to swirl in her head. emotions remained in her chest which brewed the whirlwind further. her body refused to allow her to rise.

she truly hated how much she found comfort in her bed because it made it that much harder to leave. she gave up her miserable attempts to leave her bed and instead hid under her covers, hoping to fall into the arms of sleep.

"delilah, would you like some breakfast?" harry's voice grabbed her out of sleep's arms and into reality, where her mind was dangerous and heart shattered.

"no, thank you," her words were muffled by the covers. she faintly heard harry sigh before leaving her room.

when harry returned downstairs, laura and gabriel were worriedly talking about something with urgency in their tones.

"is everything alright?" harry checked.

"we're concerned about our jobs. i have two weeks of sick days i can use, but after that it becomes a problem. my ex also has to go back to work because there's only so much he can do hundreds of miles away from his office, but i really can't leave delilah after only two weeks," laura heavily sighed.

"i took all of my days off when we visited rosalie's family, and i only have this week that i can use my sick days," gabriel's hand ran through his hair.

"i um- i might be able to help with that," harry offered. "i can check on her and keep her occupied, and i know mila would be able to help as well after closing up the cafe."

while cleaning up from breakfast, laura heard a loud shatter upstairs and immediately made her way to find delilah. walking through her bedroom door sunk her heart.

delilah sat on the floor with leo's little blanket, hat, and the bear clutched tightly with a mess surrounding her. it looked as if a storm blew through and ravaged the space while she sobbed.

laura was on the floor holding her sweet daughter in no time listening to her heartbreaking cries and slurred words.

"it hurts so much, mom."

"i can't do this."

"what did i do wrong?"

"why isn't he here?"

laura cried with delilah, not knowing how to soothe the excruciating pain. "baby, i love you so much. you cannot blame yourself for anything, delilah."

delilah fell asleep with her head in her mother's lap. laura ran her fingers through her daughter's hair as she cried herself to sleep with the whirlwind breaking free from its barrier slowly but surely.

during delilah and laura's moment, gabriel had poked his head in to check on them and felt his heart break for his sister. he went back downstairs with tears falling.

"she has to come back from this," he sighed and wiped his eyes making harry knit his brows together with concern.

when delilah woke up she felt the burning of her eyes and the soft touch of her mother reminding her of the whirlwind awaiting her. the mess that she created in the midst of the havoc in her mind frustrated her. it wasn't until the sun had set and the loneliness overtook her thoughts laying in her bed that she felt the need to leave.

quietly climbing down the stairs, she saw the people she loved sitting around her kitchen island with mugs in their hands.

"c-can someone take me to the meadow?" she was dressed in many layers and had a beanie on to contain her wild hair and shield the cold out.

"yeah! yes, of course," laura said, setting her mug down, just happy that delilah would get some fresh air even if it was cold out.

"i-would you be able to take me, harry? you don't have to if you don't want!" she clarified herself.

"yeah, of course i'll take you," he gently smiled. "although, i don't have a car."

"use mine. it hasn't left the garage in a while," delilah suggested. harry grabbed his coat and followed her out the door and to her car.

"hey, you got a new car," he noticed.

"my old one was kind of falling apart," she shrugged.

harry held her hand the entire drive. it would be the first time returning to their meadow in years, and he really missed it. delilah hadn't been there in a little over a month, and she really missed it.

stepping out of the car and breathing in the fresh air was almost therapeutic to delilah as she saw the open field in the moonlight. it was a reminder of the past and all of the good and bad.

hand in hand, walking to that tree that they always found each other at, it seemed surreal. they sat side by side and let the cricket chirps fill the air, and the cold air nip their skin.

it seemed as though the breeze of the meadow coaxed the whirlwind out of delilah as she soon found herself feeling every emotion she buried.

thinking about what could have been if leo made it, and how she would have brought him to enjoy the meadow like her mother used to do with her. the breeze came with a hunger for emotions to ease the mourning mother of sorrow and defeat.

with her head against harry's chest, delilah's whirlwind of emotions was released and set free. delilah didn't think she could feel everything all at once and she didn't know that what she was feeling could erupt into the open.

harry had never felt his heart ache so deeply as he held his precious sunshine.

the breeze was able to carry away those emotions that had been bottled up for long enough that it left her completely empty. the meadow cradled delilah, like it had for most of her life. it played a new role for the two of them, and it rooted its way into their heart.

delilah knew she would be okay, eventually.