I'll Be Home For Christmas

December 31st

"Hello momma." Piper smiled into the phone. It was always good to hear her mother's voice.

"Hello my darling. Are you all packed up and ready to come home? We've missed you terribly." Her mother, Talia Kendrick, said into the phone.

"All packed up and checked in for my flight." Piper said.

"I thought you'd be a little happier about coming home." Talia said sensing a bit of sadness in her daughter's voice.

"I am." Piper said quickly. "It's just..." She trailed off. Part of her wondered if her mother would even understand.

"That boy you've been staying with." Her mom said knowingly.

"Yeah." Piper sighed.

"Seems you two have really created a bond together." She commented.

"Something like that yeah. I'm happy to be coming home, but I'm sad to be leaving him behind." She admitted.

"Did you develop feelings for him?" Talia questioned.

"Yeah."

"Deep feelings? Love?" She pressed.

"I..." Piper hesitated for a moment. "Yeah." She said.

"Oh Piper." She said sympathetically. "What are you going to do?"

"What can I do at this point. I have to come home." She said. At this rate there was nothing they could do for the time being. They would have to separate and go over their options at a later date. Unfortunately it wasn't just as simple as moving to another city or another state.

"I'm sorry honey. How does...he feel about it?" She was having a bit of trouble remembering his name.

"Harry." Piper reminded her. "He feels like I do, sad to see me go. He's taking me to the airport in the morning." She said.

"That's nice of him. I know you two will figure something out, you were never very good at waiting for something you wanted, and everything will work itself out. I have faith in you Piper." Her mother said encouragingly. "I hope one day I get to meet him, he sounds like a nice boy."

"Mom, he's older than me. He's not exactly a boy." Piper said with a laugh.

"Is he thirty?"

"No."

"Fine, a nice young man." Her mother offered defiantly. "Is that better?" She asked.

"Much." They both broke out into laughter and it reminded Piper how much she definitely missed her mother.

"So your father is planning to pick you up and Andrew and Heidi are getting back into town on the 3rd and I believe school starts up for Heidi on the...8th I think; maybe the 9th." She thought aloud.

"Sounds alright." Piper commented.

"Alright, well I won't keep you too much longer. Just wanted to check in and see how you were doing." Talia said.

"I can't wait to see you mom. I really have missed you." She said.

"And Piper, trust me, everything will work out with Harry. However things are meant to be, they will be. Try not to fret too much." She said, knowing her daughter's tendency to overanalyze things.

"I'll try mom." Piper said ending the conversation.

"Are you ready to go?" Harry asked as she stepped into the hallway.

"Yup! Got my coat, it'll be cold out, I've got my keys, my phone...I don't think I'm missing anything." She said patting her pockets.

"Riveting commentary." He said.