Lost & Found || H.S. [COMPLETE]

The tale of a surprised girl

"Loving can heal, loving can mend your soul.
And it's the only thing that I know.
I swear, it will get easier.
Remember that with every piece of ya.
And it's the only thing we take with us when we die."

Song: Photograph - Ed Sheeran

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The next few months went by in a blur - December all the way through to February. Yet, a few prominent memories stood out in Emma's mind: Christmas, New Years and Harry's 27th Birthday.

She spent most of Christmas Day crying in bed remembering how happy she was just a year before with Patrick by her side. She had just found out she was pregnant and the two of them were so happy to start their family, unaware that just three months later Patrick would be gone.

Harry came by that evening with a small present for her - even though they told each other they weren't going to exchange gifts. She accepted it only when he told her it was less of a gift and more of a memory. When she opened the small box, her breath caught in her throat. She'd long since forgotten the photos that were housed in the box. It was a photostrip with four pictures of the two of them in a photobooth that was taken at a fair that passed through a nearby town during the summer they first started dating. They were only fifteen and it was the first pictures ever taken of the two of them as a couple. When Emma left for London, she gave them to Harry to keep until she came back.

"I forgot about this," Emma said quietly, looking up at Harry with a sentimental smile.

"It hung on the wall by my bed for years. Even after I left home for uni. I'd always come home to it," Harry said with a fond smile.

"Harry," she breathed, feeling tears burning in the back of her eyes.

"I promised you I'd give it back when you came home," he told her, his smile still ghosting his lips.

"But..." She balked.

"Don't worry. I took a photo of it for myself," he told her, patting the front pocket of his trousers where she could see the outline of his phone as plain as day due to the fact that he chose to wear ultra skinny jeans.

"Thank you," she said, gently picking up the photostrip before setting the box down.

"Turn it over," Harry said, reaching out to tap the front of the picture.

She did as he said, finding his handwriting scrawled across the back. It read: Summer '09. A reminder of us to be here when I'm not.

She smiled fondly, reading the slightly amended words he once said to her long ago.

"This isn't a subtle way of telling me you're going away, is it?" She asked as her smile dropped off her face.

"What? No," Harry chuckled.