Together

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Well, there's been some good news today, hm? A HUGE congrats to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for welcoming their baby boy. I'm so excited! (But I high key thought it would be a girl!) In other news, this chapter is so ew but whatever haha. I hope you don't hate it?? Comment/vote if you wish haha xx
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March 5, 2026

Patrick

As the date of Harper's birthday approaches, I realize that I'd better get planning the little brunch that I'm going to have for Harper.

I quickly comprise a guest list, consisting mostly of her close friends. Katherine, Nessa, Taylor, Joe, Megan and Harry, her cast mates from Les Mis, and Ruby, from Anastasia.

That's a good group, it seems to me. Harper loves having all of their company, and I know that she is constantly in contact with those who she may not see quite as often.

I want her to take a day off sometime soon, so that we can go see Les Mis again. It's something that she's been wanting to do for quite some time now. Of course, I'm more than willing to take her, but we just haven't been able to work out a time yet.

I wonder if she has any weeks coming up where there's a cancelled performance, or even just a rearranged schedule. Even if that means an added show, her contract only calls for eight performances per week. I could probably get her out of one then.

Or maybe Les Mis will have a weird schedule in an upcoming week.

Though it's unlikely, I'm able to check quite easily, on the website for the productions. It doesn't appear that either of them have altered schedules until Easter, though, which is still much too far off. I'm not wanting to wait so long.

I'll have to see what I can do about getting her a day off, though I'm worried that Luke won't be too fond of that idea. She missed many shows when I whisked her away on our holiday.

I have one other surprise that I want to get going for her birthday. I want to bring her dad to see her in Anastasia. I've been talking to the doctors at  the hospital, and they think we can arrange it, so long as it is a matinee show. It can't interfere with his rest at night. I have two tickets, in the front row of the dress circle, booked for the afternoon of March 14, Harper's birthday.

She has no idea about this, but I know that she can always see the people in the front row of the dress circle. It's hard for her to avoid making eye contact with them, sometimes, but she's not allowed to. Making eye contact would mean breaking character, in many people's standards.

Her dad isn't doing very well at all, but the doctors are nearly positive that he will be alright to have a few hours out. Lots of pediatric patients go on entire trips when they're starting to decline, as a 'final wish' sort of thing.

There's not too much more that needs to be handled with this situation, so I decide to send out invitations to Harper's friends, for our little celebration.

Patrick: Hi! As you may know, Harper has a birthday coming up on March 14, and we are having a little brunch celebration with friends before lunch that day. 9:00 to 12:00 in the morning, before she has to go in for her shows. If you'd like to come, and are free, I would love to have you. Please let me know by March 12, so that I can get the proper amount of food. I hope to see you there x

The message is the same for everyone that I send it to, and is really just copied and pasted. With Taylor and Joe's invitation, sent to both of them in a group message, though, I add an extra, follow-up text.

Patrick: Only if Taylor is comfortable with this, by the way. Harper understands if she wants to stay home, but it might be good for you to get out of the flat, Tay.

I get a pretty quick response.

Joe: We will be there x

Taylor: I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm not showing yet, anyway. I've just been feeling yucky, so I've been staying home.

Patrick: Understandable. But you can come feel yucky at my flat, at least, haha.

Taylor: That's a plan.

I laugh at Taylor's text, then set my phone down and look around the room. The clock informs me that Harper won't be home for nearly two more hours, which leaves me with not very much to do.

I decide to go fix myself a little snack, so I go into the kitchen and get a handful of pretzels from our bag. After that, I curl up in front of the telly and find myself quickly engrossed in a cooking show, where people are making a recipe that I could never cook look like the easiest thing in the world.

I don't seem to realize how quickly time passes, but before I know it, Harper is slipping back into the flat, with traces of makeup still on her face and her hair curly from her pincurls.

"Hi love," I say to her. "How was it?"

"It was the same as always," she shrugs. "Nothing too amazing happened. I'm exhausted."

I give her a small smile, knowing that she's always quite exhausted after her shows. She wants to get to bed quickly, so I flick off the telly and the two of us head to our room.

"Good news," I tell her, once we are both changed into pyjamas and snuggling under the duvet. "Taylor is coming to your birthday celebration."

"We really don't have to have that," she reminds me.

"I know, but I want to."

"It's 24. That's not even a big deal."

"It's as exciting as 23 was. At least this is an even number."

"Don't you think you should be saving the hype for 25?"

"Hush. Every year can be exciting still. Just because you're an adult doesn't mean that you're not allowed to have some fun every now and then."

She giggles a little bit. "Whatever you say, love."

At that, she slides down a bit further underneath the blanket. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I reply, kissing her cheek before turning off the bedside lamp, then wiggling my way down until the duvet covers me up to my chin. "I love you."

"I love you too."