CHRYSALIS

13.

Dec. 2020

"Okay dad, I fly in on the 23rd and fly out on the 27th. I should land at the airport around 2 pm but I'll send you the flight information cause I know you like to track it." I speak into the phone pressed between my shoulder and my cheek and I throw my hair up in a clip and zip my sweatshirt up over my sports bra. I tell my dad I love him and say buh-bye before I finish gathering my essentials.

The essentials consist of a neon green fanny pack stuffed with a mask, lip balm, mace, my cards, and my keys. I pop my sunnies on my head and tie the only pair of Nikes I own before I stand, adjust my leggings, grab my water bottle, and sneak out the door quiet enough to not disturb Nicki.

I can't believe I let Harry talk me into a morning hike before work.

Who the hell do I think I am right now!? I don't fucking hike and I certainly don't do it on a Thursday morning.

Harry was very convincing at the cafe on Sunday, he told me the sunrise would be beautiful and I'd feel so accomplished the rest of day and blah blah blaaaah.

What was I gonna say? No!? "Oh, yea thanks but no, I'm gonna pass on spending time with the man I've idolized for a decade. Real nice offer though."

So here I am, up before the sun, jogging down my stairs and into the passenger seat of Harry's Range Rover.

"Good morning, darling." He says, with way to much awake-ness for this hour. He leans over to kiss my cheek in greeting before turning on some music.

"Morning, H." I grumble while I lay my head on his shoulder as he pulls out of the parking lot. He laughs at me while I right myself and turn up the song playing through the speakers.

"Women, they will come and they will goooo...When the rain washes you clean you'll know..." I sing out the window into the dark sky. The drive isn't too long to Runyon Canyon and we find parking easily since it's so early and on a weekday.

I try hard to find a shred of excitement about this hike but honestly, I only enjoy exercising if I feel like I can beat someone at an aspect of it because I'm a low self esteem having, competitive ass bitch and being better than someone fuels me...I can't find a shred of excitement because I know I'm about to get my ass handed to me on this hike.

I have no endurance whatsoever and it's gonna show today. I begrudgingly follow Harry to the trail head and we start walking.

Well, Harry wasn't wrong...it's stunning up here.

We stand at a lookout near the top of the canyon watching the sun rise over the city, I'm very sweaty and panting like a large dog but I made it. Harry was infuriatingly nice and encouraging as I trudged up this trail, made me want to sock him in his stupid, supportive, beautiful face for a second.

I chug a few gulps of water and watch Harry while he takes pictures of the sky. He turns around and fiddles with his phone for a second before slinging an arm around my sweaty neck and turning me around to face his phone.

The first picture he takes is blurry and it's just me looking at him like he's insane. The next one is me laughing as he mumbled something about needing photographic evidence of this morning. The last one is the two of us giving our biggest, cheesiest, grins as the sun flares behind us. "Ah, that's a good one. I'll have to send that one to mum," he says as I watch him share the photo in a message to his mother.