The Vow || Harry Styles

Chapter 15: Silence

Chapter 15: Silence

"Wow, this place is beautiful!" My mum exclaimed with excitement.

Everyone was in complete awe when we stepped out from the Powerscourt House, giving us the perfect view of the huge garden and surrounding area since we were up on a hill. There was green everywhere. Trimmed green grass in the garden, green trees past the garden, and green fields and mountains way off in the distance. There was a huge white path of stairs that led down the middle garden towards a small circular lake at the bottom. There were also patches of flowers around the garden that made the place look so elegant and beautiful.

We took a lot of pictures of the scenery and of us with the scenery in the background. It was also a beautiful day outside, which was very lucky for us. Once when we were satisfied with the pictures we took, we went down the stairs to explore the garden.

Everyone had bright, excited smiles on their faces. I thought that the place looked beautiful and amazing, but I couldn't get myself to feel any kind of enthusiasm at all. So I faked my smiles and pretended like I was genuinely ecstatic to be there even though I wasn't. It also took everything inside of me not to be annoyed at the fact that my family was spending such a long time going around the garden even though there wasn't that much stuff there to look at.

And finally, after forty minutes, they finally decided to leave. There was a popular waterfall nearby by car, so we decided to go and check it out. We went back into the huge SUV that we rented (since there were seven of us) and William drove us to the waterfall. We parked right beside it where other cars were also parked. We literally were able to see it from the windows in the car and everyone was once again in awe. It did look cool, I had to admit, but it wasn't that amazing.

It's nothing compared to the view that Harry and Olivia are experiencing.

As soon as I had that thought, I immediately wanted to take it back. I felt a huge amount of guilt take over me since I was being particularly ungrateful and unfair. I was on vacation in Ireland—which is such a beautiful country—to spend time with my family. And what was I doing instead? Comparing myself to Harry and Olivia and not making the most of my vacation with the people I love most.

I was silent as I got out of the car. I took the time to have a moment to think about my negative energy and how I needed to change. I made a promise to myself that I was going to be better. I wasn't going to compare myself to Olivia and Harry. I wasn't going to let my jealousy make me miserable. I wasn't going to be a party pooper on this trip. I also wanted to make another promise that I wasn't going to constantly check Olivia's Instagram, but I just couldn't do that. Not yet anyway.

Once when everyone got out of the car, my mum ushered us to stand in a line in front of the waterfall to take more pictures. I stood by Bailey and my grandma and did my best to have a nice genuine smile on my face.

"Bailey! What are you doing?" My mum yelled in a joking manner after she took a few pictures. Everyone's eyes landed on Bailey who was making a funny face with her face scrunched up and we all instantly started laughing. I felt thankful at that moment because that laugh helped me feel more relaxed and happy. It also helped bring a more genuine smile on my face afterwards.

William offered to take some pictures as well so Mum could be in them. And five minutes and a hundred pictures later, we decided to go on a hike around the area since there were many beautiful trails. During the hike, I was able to find peace and serenity. There was just something about the fresh breeze and being in the middle of a forest that just made me feel the slightest bit okay.

I trailed behind everyone else, just watching them interact with a light smile on my face. Mum and Dad led the pack. They walked side by side while holding hands, which I thought was really cute. Grandma and Bailey walked together. Bailey was skipping and talking loudly since she was so excited. Clover and William were beside them but they seemed to be having their own conversation. But after a few minutes, William joined Grandma and Bailey while Clover looked behind her and stopped walking to wait up for me. I took a deep breath since I knew what she was going to say.