Bloom

Four: Christmas and kisses (12.2K)

"I have just experienced my first theft in the big city. Am I a proper Londoner now?" Rhetorically asking Harry a question to somehow calm my nerves.

"June? June, are you okay?" I heard his worried tone through the phone, took a few seconds to breathe in and focus on the reason I had picked up my phone in the first place.

"Is the seat at the table still available for me?" I asked anxiously. I hated when things didn't go as planned and inviting myself last minute to Harry's family festivities made me feel uneasy.

"Of course. Do you want me to pick you up at the airport?"

I thought for a bit about the hassle it would have been for him to drive from home all the way to Heathrow just to pick me up. Shaking my head, I took a deep breath. "Simply send me the address and I'll be there in a couple of hours." Shortly after we had hung up, he sent me the info and I desperately tried to find a taxi on Christmas Eve in London. Bloody good idea, innit?

-----

I had never been to Holmes Chapel if anything I had only ever been to London and Brighton while being in Great Britain. I was glad that my ignorance didn't bother Harry much, especially when he'd tell me stories of places he had been to and I'd end up nodding, mentally picturing where the hell the city he had mentioned must have been. Maybe one day, I'd get to visit a few more places and add them to my memories.

As we passed through Harry's hometown, the view reminded me of small country sides you could find in Switzerland; nice old brick houses, a rather small population, lovely neighborhoods, and one or two local shops, no more. Surely, the charm of this place's been amplified by the amount of snow gathering on the horizon in late December. It was true what they said: everything looks cosier in winter.

I was deep in my thoughts when I felt the taxi coming to an alt. I smiled at the lovely driver whose name I had learned to be Peter after we've talked during the whole journey, I paid for my fair, wished him well and took one last deep breath. Closing the taxi's door, I was met by the cold air outside which, in all honesty, felt nice on my burning skin. I started walking a few meters before I noticed Harry waiting on his doorstep in the cold for me. He got up and walked up to me faster than I'd ever seen him walk and without a word, pulled me in a hug. Since he was a kid, he had been told by his mum that a hug could comfort anyone in any situation. I smiled at the kind gesture, snaked my arms around his waist and embraced the feeling for a few before pulling away and taking a step back.

I sensed him staring at me, probably checking up my face to detect any sign that could have given my distress away. He gave up then finally opened his mouth "Let's get you warmed up, yeah?"

I nodded, giving him a reassuring smile that everything, except for that incident, was okay.

We stepped into the house, the first thing I noticed was the pastel colour of the walls; a subtle peach, giving the place a warm, almost spring-y atmosphere. Two hands found their way on my shoulders, I realised then that it was Harry who tried to take off my coat. I grinned and thanked him before stepping further into the hall. Being a stranger in a house always meant there'd be moments of standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, waiting for the host to lead the way. That's exactly what was happening at Harry's.

"My family is in the living room. Come with me." I looked at him and smiled before I followed him down the hallway, getting closer to the noise. Two women were sitting at a coffee table, they stopped talking when they noticed Harry and I. It'd have been impossible not to notice how alike they looked. The younger woman got up first and with the biggest smile I had ever been given - except Harry's – she introduced herself as Gemma. I did the same and once my name left my mouth she pulled me in for a welcoming hug – I definitely needed to get used to greetings. She took a small step back and left the room for a bit, I was now facing who I assumed to be Harry's mother.