A Light in the Dark // Flicker Series Part I #wattys2019

All That Matters To Me

Chapter 80
Niall's POV //

My afternoon was busy. Frantic, even.

What had started out as a slow morning with a long to do list ahead, quickly got away from me and left me running a few minutes behind all day which has now put me getting home later than expected. I burst through the door in a panic that Evie will be upset with me for being late for our Christmas Light date.

"Evie!" I call out as I quickly come through my parents front door and immediately take off my coat.

"Woah where's the fire!" Evie giggles, stepping into the hall from the kitchen and stopping me with her palms on my chest when I crash into her.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be out this late. I'm late for our date." I explain, out of breath but calming down the longer her hands are on me.

"You're not that late, Niall." She giggles, furrowing her brow when she looks up at me. "The sun has just finished going down. We've got plenty of time."

"Ok...well I'm going to get changed and then we can go, a'right?" I ask, holding onto her shoulders as I look at her.

"Yeah! Let me pull this tray of cookies out of the over and I'll join you." She says, pushing onto her tiptoes to kiss my cheek before disappearing into the kitchen almost as quickly as I entered the house.

I chuckle to myself as I go up the stairs. Of course she's made more cookies.

20 minutes later I'm opening the passenger door for her to climb into the car, with thermoses of coffee in hand.

She thinks we're driving around for a bit and then coming home to eat a late dinner with my parents. But that's not the plan I have in mind for our evening.

"So where are we going? Did you do this as a kid? Do you know all the best spots?" She asks as I turn out of the driveway and onto the main road. Her eyes are sparkling with excitement like a kid at Christmas and I love it.

"We did it a few times when I was a kid, but that was twenty years ago so the 'best spots' probably aren't the same anymore." I laugh. 'We'll pass some decorated houses up ahead, but I actually thought it would be nice to go look at the neighborhoods around the house...you know, in case the offer goes through." I shrug, my heart pounding in my chest out of fear that she'll figure me out.

"Oh..." Her nerves get the better of her for a second before agreeing with excitement. "Yeah that sounds nice! Like a preview for next year..." She pauses and then shows me what I already know: she's afraid to get her hopes up. 

"...If we get the house that is." She adds a second later.

I nod, reaching over to entwine our hands as I always do when we're in the car. "I promise it will all work out, darling. Just don't worry about it for tonight, a'right? James is probably just busy with his holiday..."