One. || h.s.

Fifty Three.

Just in case you were wondering, I don't have a solid idea of how many chapters are left in the book.  If I had to guess, I'd say it would end around 70, but that might change!

Also, keep an ear out for exciting news to come!!

...

It's been a strange Christmas.  It crept up so quickly I almost forgot about it.  So much was going on that I didn't really have time to think about it or even prepare for it.  Thankfully, everything worked itself out.

Harry and I spent the day in the hospital with Jess, my mom and Terry.  It wasn't anything like it was before when I hardly wanted to see them and all my mother wanted to do was berate me and try to convince me not to be with Harry.  We had a really nice time full of laughter and smiles which sounds impossible considering who my family is.  I was hesitant at first, but I found as time went on, I was happier to be there.  I'm finally able to be comfortable with my family.

Somehow I feel Terry had something to do with my mother's change of heart.  He kept giving me sly smiles or small nods every time we had a nice moment or shared a laugh.  Despite what I thought of him before, I think he was just what our family needed.  He and Harry seem to be quite close, but I've decided not to question it.  I'm glad Harry may be able to now have a close relationship with an older male figure since his father seems incapable of maintaining one. 

Later in the evening Harry and I dropped by his parent's place as he wanted to see his mom.  She greeted us warmly and had gifts for us both.  Harry had written my name on his gift to her which was unannounced to me.  Not surprisingly, Harry didn't spare one glance toward his father who sat at the dinning room table with a glass of scotch the entire time we visited.  Something seemed off, more than just a rivalry between them but I couldn't put my finger on it.  Even so, I think he was pleased with seeing his mother and had the brightest smile when we left.

"Busy day, huh?" Harry laughs as he unlocks the apartment door and let's me in.

"No kidding.  To think we were going to spend Christmas alone in Seattle," I say as I kick off my shoes and hang up my jacket.

"It still would have been great to be alone with you," he smiles and catches me by the waist, dipping his head down to plant a kiss on my lips.

I giggle and he lets me go, smirking his way down the hall while I head into the kitchen.  I rummage around in the cupboards looking for something to eat as I haven't eaten since we left the hospital.

I lean on the counter with a few cookies stacked in a pile, shutting my eyes for a moment.  The entire day has been a blur and has been nothing like I expected it to be.  Last week I was under pressure and stressed out of my mind, expecting the worst of every situation.  It's not until the worst finally happened that things started to get better.