Bloom

The Whole World is Sleeping

Reign and I added to our list a few nights ago before we fell asleep. It's not much, but it's more than we had. Now it reads:

Things we know about H and L:

1. H has one and only, please, and let us love written on his diary.

2. L and H aren't allowed to be together. Why? Unknown.

3. Grammy was friends with H, L, and G

4. We don't know who L or G are, but we have ideas. Darcy doesn't agree with mine.

5. ...

6. L wrote an entry for H, so we know they were truly in love with each other. It wasn't unrequited.

7. L.T. are L's full initials.

8. L was having a baby, but according to later in the entry, the baby was lost. H was just as sad to learn this as he was to learn of the pregnancy.

She still won't tell me what number five is. That's fine. She can keep her secrets.

We put down our search for two and a half days because the last entry was too much. It was sad and vulnerable, and we felt wrong for reading it. So, we put it down and walked away for a while.

But as always, that only lasts so long because we know there are more lines to this story and I feel in my gut they're happier than the last one.

L was going to have a baby. H wasn't ready for it and neither, it seems, was L. Darcy, Grammy, tried to be there for H, but why did she know? Why did she care so much that she cried about it to H? Other than being really good friends with L, G, and H, and her being a dramatic person, it doesn't make sense to me.

I wouldn't cry to my friend because of something horrible in their life, I'd let them cry to me. Grammy and I don't always see eye to eye on things, so maybe that's just her way of dealing with difficult things with people she loves.

Italy. A lost baby. Forbidden love.

This could be a novel; this could be a bestseller that my Grammy loves to read on planes and long trips. She lived in a novel when she was young. No wonder she's traveling around Italy chasing that feeling, I would be too if I lived this story firsthand.

"Maybe mum knows something about them. Maybe H was around when she was growing up," Reign suggests.

"Yeah, like she'd tell us. If she hasn't before now, she doesn't have anything to say. I asked her questions a few weeks ago and she didn't say much," I shrug.

"Can't hurt to ask again," Reign says, she can sense my reluctance. "Come on, Darcy, give me a chance,"

"Alright, but if she gets mad at us for bothering her at work it's on you," I tell her as she drags me up the stairs to mum's office.

"Mum? Can we come in?" Reign knocks on her door. There's no answer, just the faint sound of keys tapping and the hum of a printer. Reign pushes the door open and struts in. She sits down in one of the plushy, tan, swivel chairs in front of her desk.

"Morning, lovey, what are you up to?" Mum stops working to look at us which shocks me a little bit.

"We had some questions for you," Reign starts. She picks up a notepad and pen from the desk and sits as if she's a journalist. "Question one. Do you know anyone called H?"

"Do I know anyone called H? That's an odd question to start with," mum laughs before she sees the serious look on Reign's face.

"He was friends with Grammy when she was young. They were really close, and we wondered if he was still around after you were born," I elaborate for my sister.