You don't know you're beautiful A Harry Styles Fanfaction

~2~

Ten weeks earlier, mid-March 2020

"Look, there, another one!" I exclaim, needlessly pointing at the only other car in view, a silver Citröen passing us on the otherwise empty street. Ever since we turned off the motorway, I started noticing people wearing face masks in their car, and I'm still clueless to why one would to that. I don't even get why some people wear those in public, unless they really got the virus, and shouldn't they stay at home all together in that case anyway? But alone in the car, it just seems madness to me. Although I probably wouldn't really care if I wasn't that bored from the almost four hours car drive.

"You're right, it really is weird. I wouldn't wear a mask until it is a rule to do so, otherwise I think it does more harm by scaring people than it actually helps." My Mom answers, kind of speaking my thoughts, as she sometimes does. We don't just look almost ridiculously similar, we also agree on the majority of aspects and often think quite alike. That's probably the reason we get along so well, and why I like spending much more time with her than most 23-year olds do with their mom.

"Well, do you think that's gonna happen? That they say everyone has to wear a mask? It's crazy, when you asked me like a month ago, what I thought about that virus in Wuhan, I had no clue what you were talking about. And now it seems like the there is no other topic anybody asks about. But even though it clearly is a problem in Europe now as well, I don't think it is really that bad, do you?"

"To be honest, i have no clue as to were this all leads. I didn't take it seriously at first either, but now I am not that sure. I have even heard some people talk about a look down, like they already have in some cities in Italy, but I can't imagine having that here. But I must admit, I took the masks with me that Lilian was so kind to sew for everyone she knows. Even though I had to hide my smile when she proudly presented them to me, I think they might come in handy if the Government thinks it necessary to make wearing those a rule. Because they are already sold out almost everywhere, some hospitals are already struggling to get their needed supplies, and that can't be something we want."

"Oh good old Lilian, she is too kind. But it probably helps her to have something to do and a reason to visit everyone, getting some new gossip everywhere she goes. She never fails to get some new information, I bet if anyone we know gets Corona, she is the first one to know. Hopefully she's not the first to get it, otherwise she might spread along the with the news."

"Oh come on, I don't think we should joke about it." But she fails to fool me, I see her grinning at the thought.

The first time Corona really affected me was when they closed my favourite cinema, but although it certainly annoyed me, it didn't lead to me taking this Corona-thing quite seriously. I still think its like the flu, an extremely annoying illness that nobody wants and that can be even deadly for some of the elders, but nothing worth fussing over that much.

As we finally pull in on the driveway to the cottage I booked for us for the next 4 weeks, I am really glad to get out of the car. I hasten to get to the boot to let out Mini, our big, lovely Saint Bernhard. I am still proud to have persuaded my whole family to give her that name. To watch the looks on folks faces, when I tell them I have a dog named Mini, and then calling her and having that fluffy mess of proud 100 pounds run towards me is one of my favourite amusements.

As I had foreseen, she is just as eager to get out of that car, happily jumping around me before she runs to the nearest bushes. I take my time following her, she is trained very well and wouldn't leave my eyesight in an unknown environment.

"Do you need help with our trunks, or should I go straight for a walk with her?" I ask my Mom, who stands next to the car, stretching her sour limps.

"Very kind of you, I will manage our luggage just fine, go on a nice walk with her, but not to long, its already getting dark and I don't want you to get lost."

"I've got my mobile and the address, so I will find my way back." We both laugh, knowing that I probably might really need Google Maps to find back, having the sense of direction of a stone.

"If you just follow this road you should get straight to the beach. When you're there, go left, because the street on the right is private, just for the residents of the manors there. Please don't bother breaking that rule this evening, we will be there tomorrow anyways, for the clients house is on that part of the street."

"Of course, where else would it be. Don't worry, I won't offend the residents there tonight." I laugh and the call Mini, whose immediately by my side, and together we leave the driveway and turn left.

My steps are big and springy, I feel real joy walking towards the North Sea. I've actually never been to this part of England, or anywhere near the North Sea, so I'm am kind of excited to see the coast. Maybe I will see the Wadden Meer, something I've learned about in elementary school but never seen in my life. But I'm not quite sure wether I should hope for it, because I guess water will look nicer than mud in the fast disappearing evening light.

I am happy to see water glisten in the distance, and actually fall in a quick run, in which Mini immediately joins me. "Yeah, you like that, don't you? Just look at the water, its beautiful." But Mini rather looks at me, keeping up the exact pace as I am, although that means she has to hold back. We reach the end of the Street, I just continue straight forward, over the small stripe of the stony beach, and only one step away from the probably icecold water I come to an abrupt hold. Mini does the same, unlike me she's not a great fan of water, and we are quite thankful for that, its bad enough trying to dry her after an unavoidable walk through rain.

I breath in deep, noticing the salty note in the clear air. I smile at the ocean, taking it all in. Even though my hometown, Bristol, is also near the sea, it's a half an hour car ride, and I don't go there even remotely enough. In the everyday life, I just don't make the time for it, even though I should, considering how happy it makes me to on the coast. Only after a few moments of pure appreciation I turn my head and look at the rest of the ambience.

The stony beach stretches left and right to me, without an ending in sight. A street divides it from the rest of the landscape. On my left, next to the street I see nothing but grey fields, lined with grassy-grown fences. On my right is a big cottage, although I don't know if cottage is the right word for a building of this size, looking like something out of an Jane Austen roman, with four big chimneys and an smaller part on the side, that looks like it might actually have been the servants part of the house in older times. It stands alone, the nearest next house is just in eyesight, but I can't distinguish any details.

I guess this cottage is the first one of the manors my Mom mentioned, and I actually have to hold myself together to not go nearer and have a better look. But I promised her, I wouldn't do anything stupid and I am bond to that. Plus, the sign with the huge red letters "No Entry" and a little bit smaller, in black "Residents only. Offenders may be prosecuted." doesn't sound too inviting to me.

So I turn left and walk along the beach, wondering if I am going to see that cottage from the inside. I would really love that, but I guess whatever house my Mom is here for will be quite awesome to work in. Ever since a cousin of a friend of an old colleague of my Mom recommend her to an rather famous celebrity, she's gotten more requests to design the interior of whole million dollar houses, loft apartments and manors than she could do in a life time. Whereas only five years ago our family vacation depended on whether or not she got enough jobs beforehand, she can now choose from a variety of awesome and amazingly paid projects. She has always loved her work, but only now she is living the dream of designing whole houses with nearly no budget restriction and often a lot of free room for her own ideas. She has often told me that, the less conception a houseowner has and the more she can go on without strict guidelines, the more pleased are all involved parties with the outcome.

I wonder if this is the kind of project where someone rich just wants another extraordinary arranged vacation villa, giving us just some impressions of his other homes and leaving the rest up to us. My Mom and me love working for people like that. 

Although I personally also like clients with clear visions, because it makes me extra proud to be able to meet and outgo their expectations.