Highest Rank: #3 in Fanfiction! :D
Ellie is a bright and bubbly, yet dedicated new nurse in the Emergency Department at Chicago Medical Institute. Dr. Harry Styles, meticulous, hardworking, and driven, is the head of the department. Ellie's little q...
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Three Months Later
I stole a glance at Harry across the church and he winked back at me. I knew we were thinking the exact same thing - we were next. I turned my focus back to Gemma and Aiden as they finished their vows. I couldn't wait to become Harry's wife, but this, this truly charming and romantic wedding, this would have to tide me over until our big day.
As soon as the wedding was over and we had recessed out of the church, Harry grabbed me by the waist and kissed me long and deep.
"Harry, there are children here," I laughed, finally pushing him away. "And grandparents. Do you want them having heart attacks on our account?"
"No, but I can't help it. I'm a man in love," he said, stealing another kiss. How could I deny him? I loved him so much, and damn, he looked fine in a tuxedo.
He grabbed my hand and we took our place in the receiving line, greeting the hundreds of guests who came pouring out of the church. Harry told anyone and everyone that we were going to be the next ones getting married.
"You know, we're not supposed to steal the show on your sister's wedding day," I giggled, nudging him after the twentieth time.
"Who's stealing the show? Look at them, they're in love, they're being showered with attention. They're fine. So let me show off a little."
"Show off?"
"Yeah," he said, sneaking a kiss to my temple. "Let me show off the best thing that's ever happened to me."
It was impossible to not love him. It was impossible to not wake up every day and thank God that he was by my side, literally, since I had finally moved in with him. It made sense because my lease was up at the end of May, and we would be married in six months anyway.
I was blown away by Harry's commitment to staying sober. I was convinced that the accident had really changed him; he really could have lost everything, including his life. And now he knew that he wanted to live and what he wanted to live for. He was almost giddy about the thought of getting married and having children, much more than he'd ever been. I think that something inside of him clicked and it made the possibility so much more real.
"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked while we waited for our dinner to be served.
"You," I answered. "And how proud I am of you."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "Harry, you've come such a long way in the past months. Your position in the hospital is secure, your relationship with your parents is good, you're still going to your meetings. And that's all because you're doing the right things, making the right choices."
He leaned close enough to whisper in my ear, "The best choice I ever made was asking you to be my wife."
I leaned my head against his shoulder. The sounds of silverware tinkling against water glasses signaled the guests' desire to see Aiden and Gemma make yet another show of affection by kissing, as if they hadn't done it ten times already. Harry took the opportunity to kiss me, saying, "No one's looking at us anyway."
When we danced, Harry said, "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"
"Only about twenty-five times," I smirked. I didn't wear my hair up like this very often, braided around the back and pulled into a tight twist, which gave him plenty of opportunities for growls and whispers in my ear.
The evening was festive, full of laughter and love. Aiden and Gemma were beaming all night, as any couple should be on their wedding day. Anne was already dropping hints about having grandchildren, but knowing how eager Harry was, we'd beat them to it.
The champagne, wine and beer were flowing all night, and Harry didn't even look twice. I refused the opportunity to drink alcohol as well, as a show of support to Harry. He didn't say anything, but I knew he appreciated it.
When we arrived home in the wee hours of the morning, Harry surprised me by suggesting we take a bath.
"A bath? At 3 AM?" I laughed.
He shrugged. "I'm tired, but restless, I guess. A bath sounds relaxing."
"Oh, okay," I said, working my hands around his waist and smiling up at him.
"Oh, and did I mention that I also love any opportunity to be naked with you?"
"Ulterior motives," I laughed, releasing him and walking to the bathroom.
Harry loved being involved with the pediatric ER construction, which was going very well. He had returned to his regular schedule in the regular emergency department for now, but he had been demoted from the position of emergency department head. It was more of an act of protecting him than punishing him, since the administrators deemed that he was under too much stress. Still, it stung a little, like a slap on the hand, but in the long run, I could see that he was thriving.
When he wasn't actually working, he spent most of his time in the construction area, watching things progress, tweaking the plans. If he wasn't there, he was shadowing doctors in the pediatric unit, getting a feel for his future ER patients. He was finding his niche, falling in love with the tiny patients who needed the most encouragement in the midst of their various illnesses. It created a new tenderness in him, and in me as a result. I had no doubt that he would eventually be promoted to head of the pediatric ER, if not head of the entire pediatrics department.
His obsessive need to be successful at everything was fading and it was being replaced by a genuine love for his work, along with the ability to handle his stress more effectively. I fully expected that Harry would be able to juggle everything in our life with grace and confidence, even when we added children to the crazy mix that was our life.
His leg still bothered him from time to time, but the rest of his body had healed well; his skull and collarbone were good as new and the scar on his face was fading. Luckily, they'd had a plastic surgeon do the stitches on his face to minimize the scarring. He would always be brilliantly handsome to me, no matter what. Occasionally I wondered what he and I would look like in 50 years, when we were old gray. I wouldn't be surprised if he was still making women swoon even then.
Kurt, Harry's friend from AA, started coming around more, well, when Harry was home, at least, which was less and less often now. They seemed to be developing a good relationship and I was happy that Harry had a good male friend. I hadn't really considered it before, but he really didn't have many friends when we first met; at least I didn't see him spending a lot of time with anyone in particular. I think that having "couple" friends - Bridget and Ian, and Gemma and Aiden, when they were in town, helped Harry to realize there was a world outside of the hospital, as well as people who loved him and wanted to be with him. It was good for him to get out and enjoy other aspects of life even if he did love his job. It was all part of the balance.
The weather turned colder again, another winter approaching. It was hard to believe that Harry and I had been together for almost a year. What was even harder to believe was that by the end of the year, Harry and I would be husband and wife.
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NUMBER 3! Can't believe it - love you all! xoxo
It may take me a few days to pull together the details for the next chapter. After all, it's not easy to plan a wedding :D
