Here We Stand [H.S]

152.

Gran always made sure I had everything I wanted and ever needed, and she never spoiled me to the point where she felt she had to because my parents weren't around.

Her greatest fear was that I'd become a spoiled brat because she was making up for the fact that I didn't have my mum and dad, but thankfully, I never became one.

I was just grateful for everything, truly.

I had done the same thing every year since I could remember and since I had turned eighteen and legal (okay, I admit, I'd drank too when I was underage) but now for the first time in my life, I didn't have a reason to go back home for Christmas.

I didn't have a reason to be miserable and hurting, I had a reason to be happy... and I wanted this Christmas to be the best one I'd ever had.

Of course, it made me feel heartbroken knowing what I was intentionally doing to myself to say the least, but, I had Harry and his family now; and I was now ready to make new memories, traditions and share new experiences with him.

I didn't want to spend future Christmases downing a bottle of vodka and returning to Harry, having him clean up my mess.

It wouldn't be fair to him, I didn't want to spend another Christmas in tears or being unhappy, so I was determined to make this one extra special- especially as it was also our first.

So I made the executive decision not to go home this year, and even though Harry didn't push me on visiting my parents and Gran's resting place, he understood my need to get out there and create new, fresh memories.

I believed deep down that my parents and Gran would want me to be happy, so I decided I was going to be... this year, was going to be the best Christmas ever- I was going to make sure of it.

It had been a crazy couple of days, and I had missed Harry so much, so I was insanely looking forward to having him home and spending some time with him.

At least, now with him being home I would be able to go off and hang out with him while he did his thing, whether that be radio or television appearances, I knew I'd be happy just spending some that bit of quality time with him in between his working schedule.

I was just looking forward to having him home, seriously.

I was still home alone, and in order to treat and congratulate myself on achieving my first end of term pass after handing in my work, a bottle of wine was chilling in the fridge with my name on it, a Chinese takeaway had been ordered and I spoiled myself by deciding to stick on what was probably one of my favourite film trilogies of all time.

Back To The Future.

Fuck, yes.

I was exhausted mentally and physically, but now that I had nothing else to think about because work and my Christmas shopping had been completed, I figured that I owed it to myself to just lay in bed with food and drink, watching the first movie from the trilogy after balancing a work load that probably would have crucified some people.

But I'd done it, I'd actually done it... and now I was free to do whatever I wanted before the hard work would start up again in January.

Smiling to myself, I gazed at my phone and thought back to Harry's text that I had received, once I had told him I had completed it all; his response still having the power to make me tingle all over.

"I'm not surprised in the slightest Izzy, I knew you would do it. I'm so very, very proud of you... you're smashing it baby. xx I love you. xx."

Even over words in a text message, he still had the power to make me feel really good about myself.

Truthfully, having his backing and support while I tried to make a name for myself in a completely different field of work to his was a blessing and I was so incredibly grateful to have such a supportive fiancé who had my back regardless of the situation I was in.