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<<secrets>>

"You wanna show me where you once lived?", Shawn asks, taking my hand and squeezing it a bit. He knows that it's still sometimes hard for me, coming back here.

"The house we lived in is now part of a grand property. As long as the owners aren't at home we won't get very near." I point approximately in the direction where the house is located. A high and very long fence surrounds the property, and all you can see is trees and rooftops.

"It must be hard to not be able to visit your old home", Shawn looks at me from the side. "I'm sorry for that."

"You don't have to be", I say and smile. "It's not the home it was when I was a kid. It's just ... a house." I look up and down at the fence and to the buildings behind. I think they've been painted recently. I detect the top of a treehouse and can't but smile. "Though it still feels like home."

We continue walking by the side of the fence and after a few meters I stop. "Listen Shawn, I wanted to tell you something. 'Bout my family."

Shawn stops either. "Okay?" He grins sheepishly. "I'm listening."

I struggle to find the right words. "I - eh - uhm. My family is not ... normal." I look down at my shoes.

Featherlight Shawn lifts my chin. "Mandy." Our gazes meet. "Mandy, whose family is normal? - Look at mine. My sister has the influenza and none of us can go out of the house without looking several times if there are paparazzi or fans. My dad's probably the most normal of us at all. He still wears sometimes this cringe tie that Ally and I gifted him Christmas years ago. We had literally no taste in style. - What I want to say is: You should not be worried if your family is normal, cause actually: I have no idea wether this exists."

I swallow. Then I nod. "You're right. - Thinking about it: In my family you wouldn't be that extraordinary - just warning you - though you are for me. I mean-", I stop talking strange stuff and hem. "However. One day you're gonna meet the rest of my weird very normal unnormal family. One day. Don't know when my uncle and aunti can make it. They're very busy."

"Like right now or always?"

"Always. They're traveling a lot."

"They live here in Suffolk too?"

I nod. "Yup. Actually: Right there." I nod in the direction of the fence.

Shawn stares at me. "For real?"

"Not gonna lie."

I grin because he's scanning the fence as he think's about if it's too high to climb about.

"We're gonna climb."

"WHAT?!"

I stare back at him. "You can't be serious!"

"Only if you want to of course." Shawn let's out a sound that sounds almost like - a giggle?! Did he just giggle?!

YES. And he looks like we're seventeen again. The corners of my mouth are dancing and the butterflies in my stomach too.

"It's a shame but I have to be realistic: You have NO idea how many cameras are installed - in the trees, in the garden - everywhere. We can't climb over that fence - despite you desperately wish to get escorted by the local police." And the regional one, I add mentally. A bright grin is wandering over my face. "But I have a better idea. - You're not afraid of highs, are you?"

If he can climb a fence then he can climb a tree too.

***

"Fuck, this is high! And dangerous!" Shawn shakes his head. We've climbed on a tree nearby the property to get a little look on the house I grew up in.
The house is still ... the house. It's still looking cozy and with it's traditional outward appearance which is very well maintained. Lot's of green frames the house and there's still the swing I used to chill on when I got older. Now it's - according to my uncle - my youngest niece's, Jupiter, favourite place in the garden. They use the house as a guest house sometimes. I'm okay with that.

"Do you mind if we climb down? I'm starving", Shawn says with a spark in his eyes.

I grin. "I don't mind. What about pizza?"

"Sound's great!"

Shawn has taken a few steps down the tree when he grabs for a branch and doesn't get it. He's still standing on a bright branch but the tree's waving a bit up and down.

"Watch out! Your fans will kill me if you fall down. But first your mum. ... And then my own mum. - She likes you so much - everytime we do a phonecall she asks me out about you. How's Shawn? Is he okay? Does he eat and sleep enough? Does he take care for himself?", I imitate the voice of my mum.

Shawn grins. "My mum's the same: Is Mandy with you? I want to ask her if she likes cranberry-pie. Will you both come over next month for dinner? Please check your schedule. By the way: Do you two think about moving in together?" Shawn rolls his eyes. "As we could - with me touring a lot right now and you being in England. We literally can't move completely in together at the moment. But-", Shawn looks at me and I can detect in his caramel eyes a question.

"But?"

"Maybe in the future?"

***

[Open Mandy's camera roll ⤵️]

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Hey guys,

little alert:

Drama's coming

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Have fun reading

Rapunzel xo

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