Forced Reconciliation

25.

// FLASHBACK // MAY 2017 //

Andi Rhoades

"Andi! Baby, where are you?" Harry's voice booms through the house and creeps through the open door to the backyard in my spot in the grass.

Pulling off my gloves and setting them on the ledge by the garden, I turn on my heels to make my way back to the house. I brush off any dirt from my jeans and use my forearm to wipe the sweat from my forehead.

As I enter through the back door I see Harry looking around for me in the sun room just around the corner. "Sorry babe, I was out planting the flowers!" He jumps slightly at the sound of my voice and turns to face me. As soon as our eyes meet, his face softens and a small smile tugs up on his lips.

Harry drops his phone on the bench by the window and is making quick steps towards me. "How's my girl?" He gives me a quick kiss and his hands fall to my hips.

"I got bored, so I decided to go to the store and pick up the plants and plant them."

Harry smiles, "Jesus, A. You just finished the semester yesterday, why don't you take a break and just hang out?"

"Can't sit still, I'm so excited for tonight," I pinch his side and give him another kiss.

Tonight Harry is performing a secret show at the Troubadour and it's his first solo show in the US. It also happens to be my first time seeing him perform live. He was in London last week to kick off his solo career, and as hard as I tried to make it work so that I could be there, I just couldn't swing it with all of my finals.

It was really disappointing for both of us when I realized that I wouldn't be able to make it. Harry was really looking forward to me being there, and I was so excited to watch him perform his entire new album for the first time in front of a crowd.

But as soon as Harry saw my school schedule and all of the finals I had coming up, he convinced me that I needed to stay here and finish out my junior year of college on a good note. I fought back and forth with him, telling him that I could get by and study on the flights, but Harry values my academic career too much to let me half ass my finals.

"I'm so glad you'll be there," his forehead pressed against mine. "You make everything more magical."

His words have my stomach doing somersaults, and I can't seem to wipe off the huge grin that's constantly plastered to my face when Harry's around. It's been almost a full year since Lila and I met Harry and Max in Italy, and it's been non stop butterflies ever since.

I moved in a few months ago, and I'm still getting used to this massive house being a home. Harry has given me free reign to do whatever I want to his house to make it feel like my home, and for the last little while, I haven't done anything besides bring in my clothes, a few pillows and photos of the two of us.

Today I planted peonies in the garden in the backyard.

"Wanna see what I planted?" I'm sure I look silly getting excited over something as stupid as white flowers in the backyard, but Harry's face still lights up at my question.

He leans down to kiss my cheek, "Lead the way, my love." I grab his hand and begin guiding him through the sun room, to the back deck and down the stairs to the little mess I've made.

There's a small brick wall that raises the flowerbeds from the grass, and I've planted about twenty peony starters to grow along the back fence. Most of them are white, but I've sprinkled in a few pink and yellow as well to add some color.

"It doesn't look like much now because they're so small bu-"

"Shh, I love it." Harry interrupts me with his lips to my ear as he stands behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist from behind. "I like that you've added some you, makes it feel more like home now."