To be so lucky {H.S.} ✔️

Chapter 10

The morning was absolutely perfect, everything I could have dreamed of.

It took us nearly an hour to hike all the way up to the waterfall spot, the one I'd stumbled upon a few weeks earlier, with Oscar. When I'd invited Harry, I'd fully intended to explore new places. However, once I parked my car at the bottom of the trail, my gut told me I should stick to a place I knew. My gut was right.

Once we got there, I freed Oscar from his leash, letting him run around happily, chasing a few birds, drinking fresh water. My dog was an amazing swimmer, so him being close to the water wasn't something I worried about.

"So, what do you think?" I asked, checking Harry's expression.

He stood, arms opened, head thrown back, taking a deep breath. "Beautiful."

Beautiful, was a good way to describe it. We had been fully surrounded by tall trees during the walking part of the trail, but not there. The waterfall spot was more open, almost like a little clearing in the middle of the woods.

The ground was speckled with pebbles and a few bigger rocks that almost looked like natural sitting spots so that any lucky souls that managed to stumble upon that place would have a seat to rest while enjoying the peaceful view of the water swishing over the rocks. The small water collection, at the bottom, was as clear as glass, except for the place where the water toppled into the pool, creating a mass of small bubbles.

The musical sounds of the birds chirping, the water gurgling and the wind gusting through the leaves, just made everything perfect.

"I think it's beautiful too. But if you like this place, you should see the place where my mother grew up in." I settled on one of the rock seats that nature seemed to have improvised for us. Harry did the same, next to me. We both sat in silence, for a moment, watching Oscar chase a tiny sparrow.

"Where's that? Your mother's birthplace, I mean."

"It's called Flores, and it's a very small Island in the Atlantic Ocean. This " I gestured to the scenery in front of us "is beautiful. But Flores... That island is just magical. Oscar was born there too."

"Really? Do you go there often?"

"Not really. I've only been there twice. First with my parents, when I was 12. My dad wanted me to know more about my roots, so we travelled to Portugal. First, we went to Lisbon, because he wanted me to know the capital of the country. Then we travelled south, to Algarve, where my dad was from. The beaches there are cool, but most places seemed to be too packed with tourists for my liking. Finally, we stopped at my mom's little piece of heaven. I fell in love, instantly."

I paused, reminiscing of those days. "I think that was our best trip as a family."

Harry was smiling, resting his elbows on his knees. "The smile on your face right now, tells me you really mean that. What about the second time?"

"Three years ago. It's when Oscar came into my life. I went back there to try and re-align my chakras or whatever. It was almost like a retreat to clear my head of... you know."

I was looking straight ahead, avoiding eye contact. The last time I'd spoken to Harry about that particular subject, we found ourselves caught up in a moment that I wasn't ready to repeat.

Through my peripheral vision, I watched as Harry hesitated, stretching his arm in my direction, probably intending for a comforting gesture. Deciding it would be smart to avoid his touch at that moment, I changed the subject.

"What about you? I realised I've been pulling the self-centered bitch vibe pretty perfectly, by  never asking about you or your family."

With the moment passed, Harry retracted his hand. "What would you like to know?"