“After all you might be. Does that embody the attractive Harper, by any probability?”

The point out of Harper’s identify makes me smile. Pondering again a couple of weeks in the past, each time somebody talked about Harper’s identify or spoke about her ordeal, I froze. My coronary heart constricted. I used to be crammed with worry and anxiousness over by no means getting one other probability together with her. Now, right here we’re, trying to the long run, planning, shopping for property, making love… two small phrases remind me of my Saturday evening in Harper’s mattress. I’m simply glad that Carl can’t learn my thoughts.

“Yip. Stolen moments with Harper are what I reside for, pal.”

Carl makes sick noises and I dig him within the ribs. It’s job I really like him as a associate.

“Nah, significantly, I’m blissful for you. It’s a very long time coming for each of you. Onwards and upwards.

Onwards and upwards. I just like the sound of that.

***

I abandon my automobile exterior of Harper’s store and spot all of the lights are off. I take out my telephone and name her. It solely rings twice earlier than she solutions it.

“Get out of the automobile and stroll throughout the street,” says Harper.

“What? The place are you?”

“You’ll see. Come and discover me.”

The road goes quiet, and I do as I’m informed. “Stroll alongside the waterfront, previous the again of the pub.”

“Actually, babe?”

As a lot as I’m knackered, I play alongside. To get Harper this animated, it should imply one thing to her. I see her silhouette up forward and the road goes lifeless. I pocket my telephone and we meet one another within the center.

“Hello.” She kisses my cheek and folds her arms over her chest.

“What’s occurring?”

“Go searching. Inform me what you see.”

“Other than my stunning woman standing in entrance of me?” She nods. “Sea, cyclists, timber, homes… It’s quiet tonight. Peaceable, even.”

“Now look to your left.”

I do, and I see a phenomenal home with a glass balcony on stilts. The backyard beneath it’s excellent. Somebody with inexperienced fingers lives there from the variety of shrubs and timber that litter the area.

“What am I taking a look at?”

She takes in a deep breath and pauses. I hear it clear as day. Harper is nervous.

“I do not need stolen moments with you, Drew. I don’t need to sneak round like youngsters.”

“Then we gained’t, nearly as good because it was.” My phrases hit the spot as a result of Harper giggles.

“Critically, I need to get up with you and go to mattress with you. I need to have the ability to run round bare, order take-out with out judgement from my mother and father, and I need to have the ability to breathe.”

I am confused. I’m not usually so gradual on the uptake, however I don’t know what to say or the place she goes with this speech.

“I can’t come residence. To not that home. It holds too many darkish reminiscences.”

If I’m trustworthy with myself, I noticed this coming, however I hoped remedy would clear up a few of her worry and anxiousness across the place we name residence.

“Dr Carmichael talked about one thing about transferring home, however I by no means actually paid any consideration, then in the present day Jack stated one thing fairly fascinating.” She paused and regarded out to the water. “Any home can grow to be a house, however I’ll by no means discover one other Drew.”

“Is that what Jack stated?”

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