"Truly, I'd do anything for him. If he really wanted me to, I'd do anything for him. If he asked me to walk away from the chance of a lifetime, I would...I'd probably even be happy about it." Fifteen years prior, Elizabeth waltzed into Harry's life...
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I hear their voices coming from the kitchen, as I quietly close the front door. My cheeks are still hot and blushing, my lips are a tingling mixture of numbness and swelling...I'm sure my hair is knotted and messy, but I'm in the midst of the most wonderfully blissful state. Nothing could knock me out of it. I poke my head into the room and see that they're both sitting on the counters, drinking wine. "There she is..." Mum spots me and Harry observes me as I sneak further in. "Oh, I know that look—look at her! She's been snogged!" I laugh, nervously.
"Mum!" Harry hops down, still eyeing me, warily.
"How was the date, bunny?" She asks. I lean forward on the tiny island in the middle of the kitchen. My smile, I'm certain, is dopey and bright...I can't stop playing the night over in my head.
"It was...perfect."
"Did he kiss you?" I bite my lip and nod.
"You like him?" Harry asks. Mum swats at his arm.
"Look at that face—look at her smile! Of course she likes him!"
"Mum, you're a bad influence." I change the subject, now referring to the wine in their glasses. "Did she talk you into this?"
"I didn't! Harry opened the bottle." He's already pouring me a mugful of Merlot, with a dimply smirk on his pretty face. I know I shouldn't take it, but I do. And I take a hefty sip. "What did you guys do?"
"We went to Worthing Pier."
"Oh, that's absolutely precious! Did you have fun?" I hold up my little stuffed octopus.
"He's so wonderful, you guys..."
"Harry, he's such a looker, just ask your mum."
"What else did you do?" He asks, ignoring mum's comment.
"We spent a lot of time in the arcade and then we went on the carousel...then he took me home." Mum finishes her last sip and then she walks around the counter and kisses my head.
"I'll let you two talk, but I expect full details tomorrow, young lady."
"Yeah, yeah. Night mum."
"Night Ruth." Harry says to her.
"Goodnight, darlings." I hear her yawn as she climbs the steps to our second floor.
"So..." He begins, "what made it—or him—so wonderful?" I can tell that he's being a tease, but I overlook it.
"Just...everything. The way he looked at me...the way it just felt so...easy."
"You know I have to meet him. I have to approve. It's one of the many unwritten rules of our friendship."
"Well, maybe we can all go for drinks tomorrow night?"
