Moon Tower

21.

this chapter has been edited and updated. enjoy!xx

The drive to the airport was quick for a Wednesday afternoon, the air outside cloudy and cold.

I was running a little late, which I felt terrible about, but it was only because Harry asked me to pick up his mother and sister at the very last possible minute. He was supposed to pick them up at LAX himself, but he was called last minute by his manager with a rehearsal hiccup.

Luckily, I was still on break and was off work today, so I was able to quickly get in my car and speed over. Harry and I were having a lazy morning at my apartment when he got a phone call from Jeff. Before he got the call, I had told him that he was going to be late picking his family up, but he merely shrugged it off. They can wait a few minutes, he'd said before kissing me so deeply I didn't think twice about it. But then his phone rang, and suddenly our morning went from languid to frenzied. From there, it was a mad dash about my apartment-getting dressed, gathering things, and kissing each other goodbye. I rushed around too, pulling on a pair of jeans and a sweater haphazardly. Harry might have been okay with being late to pick up his family, but I sure as hell wasn't. That was not what my first impression was going to be.

Before he left, though, Harry left me his spare key so that I could get Gemma and Anne settled at his place.

This was the second time Harry had given me his spare key. The first time, I'd been too much of an emotional wreck to really process it. The second time, this time, he was out of the house before I could utter a word, my lips still slightly puckered from the quick kiss he gave me before heading out the door. Now, though, as I weaved between cars on the freeway like I was a Nascar driver, I had a little time to process Harry's actions this morning.

To be quite honest, I'm not sure what to think. On the one hand, Harry seemed to trust me enough to lend me his spare house key, but that was a given. But did he expect more, now? Was this Harry's way of subtly hinting at wanting me to move in with him? Or was he simply just lending me the key to pick up his mom and sister?

Coming up on the exit for LAX, I put my thoughts away for the time being. One thing Harry also gave me this morning was Anne and Gemma's phone number. I dialed Anne's number when I came to the airport's pickup area, listening to it ring a couple times until she finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Twist, it's Luz," I reply, my voice going bashful for reasons I couldn't explain.

"Luz, dear. How are you? Are you alright?" She asks. I tell her that I'm doing well and apologize for running late. "Nonsense. You're perfectly on time."

After figuring out where to pick the two of them up, I hang up the phone. I suppose I was a little surprised that Anne had told me to just pick them up where everyone else did, figuring they might want some privacy. I didn't question it, though, just followed the line of cars towards the correct terminal.

I eventually found the two heads of dark brown hair waiting patiently by a pillar, suitcases by their sides and handbags on their arms. I pulled over behind a white minivan, waving at the two women as I came to a stop. Putting the car in park, I got out to open the trunk for them and get their bags inside.

"Hi, dear, how lovely to finally meet you in person!" Anne pulls me into a hug that I'm only slightly surprised by, for the most part used to receiving hugs and cheek kisses from my own mother's friends and distant relatives.

"You as well, Mrs. Twist. Gemma, how are you?" I give her a small hug as well before getting their suitcases in the car and ushering them inside.

We make small talk as I drive back to Harry's house-how the flight was, our shared excitement for Harry's concert this weekend, this year's Christmas plans. I thought talking to Harry's mom and sister was going to be somewhat of a challenge, despite my reassurances to Harry that I was more than comfortable with it; but Gemma and Anne were some of the sweetest people I'd ever met, which really was no surprise, considering Harry was such a gem.