✓ pinky promise , t. holland

lxxiii. no one else i'd rather have

SEVENTY THREE

REAL LIFE

THE MOMENT TOM didn't hear an aggravated and sleepy mumble from the right side of the bed, he immediately sat up. Usually, whenever his body moved during the night, Anna would groan when she had to reciprocate the movements to be comfortable in his arms again.

Not getting the response nor feeling a body next to his alarmed him. Looking around the room, he made sure that Anna wasn't changing into a pair of cooler clothes than her fleece holiday outfit or cleaning up a cup of spilled water—or whatever the scenario was. When he ruled out those potential events, he slipped a shirt over his bare torso and headed out of the shared bedroom.

He carefully and quietly descended down the stairs, hearing Anna's voice emit from the living room.

"Am I—I mean I guess I shouldn't listen to the woman who's trying to make me feel worse about myself, but it doesn't help when she has a whole army reminding me about it," Anna whispered.

From Tom's place on the staircase, he could barely make out her small figure seated on the couch, Tessa sleeping comfortably on her lap.

His heart seemed to break; it being quite obvious that she didn't wake him up to converse about the worries that were agonizing her. However, he couldn't blame her. Tom had been helping his parents around the house tremendously, and to say he was slightly tired was a complete understatement. Though he never said that he was exhausted, Anna could easily tell. His well-being was more important to her than just about anything in the world.

Before Anna could even begin to talk to herself negatively, Tom intervened.

"Annabeth. You are a wonderful, successful, strong and all around a great woman who is a total badass!"

Anna sat up from her spot on the sofa, Tessa still curled up and sound asleep. Tom smiled, walking over to his two favourite girls (his mother was his ultimate number one, though).

Anna had hardly ever heard Tom use the entirety of her name; so when she did, she knew he meant seriousness.

"Did I wake you up?" She asked. A small sliver of remorse was evident in her words.

Tom immediately took notice and shook his head. He pressed a small kiss to his girlfriend's forehead before, somehow, squishing himself in between the back of the couch and Anna's body.

"I had a dream and I somehow knew that you weren't with me, so I just - you know what, nevermind." He laughed. A yawn slipped past his lips as he wrapped his arms around the love of his life.

"I just want you to know that you're the best person in the world. There's no one else I'd rather have with me."

Tom pressed another kiss to Anna's forehead before allowing his eyelids to shut. It was one in the morning, after all.

The two were content and filled with love for one another. Nothing could separate the two.