Lovers

Being Apart

Well, we all seemed to be quite excited about that last chapter, haha. I'm glad you're all pleased xxx. This one isn't nearly as exciting, and I don't particularly love it, but it's here, haha. Enjoy/comment/vote xxx
-ab

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August 7, 2027

Patrick

"Are you alright, hon? You look a bit pale right now," I say to my wife with a yawn as I speak with her on FaceTime in between her shows. It's rather late in London, but the two of us haven't gotten to talk in a long time. Brittney is being so kind as to allow us a few moments to catch up, while the two are hanging out.

"Yeah, I'm fine. For real," she tells me. "I'm just tired, that's all. It's been a long week."

"Well, at least you only have to more shows before your day off."

"Yeah," she smiles. "That'll be nice. I'll finally be able to get my much needed sleep."

I laugh, knowing that she can sometimes drift towards the 'sleep-deprived' side of the spectrum when she's in a show. Of course, she knows how bad it is for her and tries to avoid it, but, as she always puts it, if her body doesn't want to sleep in, then it won't let her.

"Any fun stories since we've last talked?" I ask Harper, changing the subject.

"Not too much. Scout messed up his lines the other day, but he recovered really well and we laugh about it now. That's the only weird thing that's noteworthy, really."

"I suppose that's for the best. You don't want to be constantly reporting bad things that happen."

"No, I certainly don't," she smiles. "We are aiming for Broadway quality, here."

"On Broadway?" I gasp. "I never could have guessed."

She snorts. "Thanks for that sarcasm. I really needed it."

"I figured you needed it. Hey, I got you to laugh, didn't I? I think you needed that."

"Yeah, I did," she admits. "Thanks."

"Hey, Harper," I hear Brittney say in the background, "do you want to stop and grab a snack somewhere or should I just cook something up here?"

"Let's stop and grab something on the way into the theatres," Harper replies, her head turned to look at her friend.

"Okay. I'm going to go grab my overnight things, then. I'll be back."

"Okay," Harper tells her friend. She turns back to me.

"Are you guys at Brit's flat?" I ask.

"Yeah," she replies.

"Shouldn't you like... actually talk with her while you're at her flat?"

"It's fine," Harper shrugs. "She's sleeping over at Taylor's with me tonight, hence why she was speaking about her 'overnight stuff.'"

"That's fun," I tell Harper. "Any reason in particular?"

"No, I just wanted some girl time... and it's a bit lonely over there in Tribeca sometimes, being the only person in Taylor's big flat."

"Understandable," I nod. Taylor's New York City flat is a rather humongous penthouse- even bigger than our house in Hampstead. Really, upon Harper mentioning it, I really could see how it could be somewhat lonely, or even eerie, if you're the only one there. Her wanting some company is completely understandable, and I'm so glad that her and Brittney are close enough that Brittney is able to provide her with that companionship.

I spend a few more minutes speaking with my wife- it does seem that she's loving New York City, which is great. Of course, I knew that she would thrive, but I was worried about her for a bit, when she first left. She panicked so much that morning, and in all honesty, I wasn't entirely sure if she'd even make it to her opening night on Broadway. Deep down, a part of me was expecting for her to be back within the week.

That didn't happen, though, and I'm so proud of her for that. She's adapted to the new environment so well, and I think that both of us are even growing more used to being apart from each other.

That's probably for the better- we grew to be very dependent on each other's company, which is a good thing, but also, you can never be sure what life will throw our way. For all that we know, there might come a time when she has a job in London, and my company decides to transfer me to the Edinburgh office, or the Cambridge office, or the York office.

She doesn't know this, but I was almost transferred to Edinburgh once, back when I first began my job. Thankfully, I talked my way out of it, and I think that now, with my specialty in children, it'll be best for me to be kept in London. Still, there's no way to ensure that. If that were to happen, while she has a job on the West End, we would have to spend time apart.

Or if she ever booked a UK tour, then we would have to do the same. She has auditioned for a few of them, but didn't book them. I wouldn't be surprised if she did book one someday. Especially now, with this Broadway credit under her belt, Harper is making quite the name for herself.

I guess my point is, while Harper and I love each other so much still, this time apart has been good for us. It has given us both a newfound sense of independence and freedom. While we are still young, we should embrace that.

When I hang up from the FaceTime call with Harper, I realize just how late it's getting here. I don't have work tomorrow, but I'm quite tired. I decide to just watch some telly for a bit, then go to sleep.

I prepare myself for bed, getting into pyjamas and brushing my teeth, then climb under the duvet and turn on the telly that's in my bedroom.

After flicking through channels for a bit, I eventually settle into some historical documentary on the French Revolution. It's quite dull, and I don't remember seeing much of it. I mostly remember my eyelids growing heavier and heavier, until I'm nearly lulled to sleep by the deep voice of the man narrating the documentary on the telly. Luckily, just before I fall into sleep, I manage to hit the power button on the remote to turn it off.

Then, I'm out for the night.