For Eternity [H.S AU]

09

Falling - Harry Styles
You're Somebody Else - flora cash

December 29th, 2021

HARRY STYLES

I've been sober for fourteen days now. I've been going to therapy almost every day, and I really feel like it's making a difference.

At one point in my life, I never thought therapy was for me. The word and concept of it scared me enough to never think about going. Even when I knew I needed it, I would refuse, saying I was okay. But then she came along... Karissa. My Karissa.

I started drinking around the time we first met, and even when she was in my life, I wouldn't stop drinking because alcohol was an escape for me. Then my beautiful little girl came along. Astrid Styles.

Karissa and Astrid are the light in my darkest days. But even those lights are bound to dim, and alcohol would somehow creep back into my system. I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop. That was until Karissa told me something that made me wake up and realize I needed to stop drinking and get help. She would take Astrid away. I couldn't lose the two people I love the most in my life.

So I stopped drinking, but then I would relapse again and again. I would sit on Mitch's couch and cry, crying while having a bottle of alcohol in my hand. That, for me, was the only thing that kept me alive.

Then I started going to therapy. I hated it. But then going to a session every two days a week became a routine I enjoyed. I'm happy to say I haven't had a drink in fourteen days, a new record for me.

I sit on the edge of the bed, waiting for Aurora to return my call. Isa took Astrid to the doctor because she woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and a runny nose. She said she stayed up the rest of the night, and when I offered to pick her up and take her to the doctor, she refused.

My phone rings, and I don't even check to see who it is when I'm already answering. "Hello?" I ask.

"Hey! Astrid and Monty are out of the doctor, he just gave Astrid some medicine for the next couple of days, but he says it's a normal cold. She'll be fine."

"Ugh, that's good, that's good," I say, mostly speaking to myself than to Aurora. "How's Astrid?"

"She's okay. They gave her two shots to help with the fever. They're on their way to your house. Astrid kept asking about you," she says.

"Thank you for letting me know, Aurora. How's Karissa doing?" I ask in a worried tone.

"She's doing better. She called me last night, Astrid couldn't stop crying, and she didn't know what to do," Aurora says on the other line.

She could've called me.

"I'm glad she's doing okay now," I lied.

I hang up the phone, impatiently waiting for Astrid to get here. She called me this morning saying Astrid was sick and that she didn't stop crying, I told her she could stay home and sleep, and I would take her to the doctor, but she said no, that she got it.

I immediately got out of bed and went grocery shopping. I googled things kids can eat while sick, and I bought everything Google told me to. I also bought a new humidifier that could help her throat and cough.

I rush downstairs, sitting on the arm of the couch, staring at the door, waiting for the doorbell to ring. I haven't seen Astrid since Christmas. Karissa, for some reason has been refusing to let me see her. That's the only thing why I want her to come over today because I want her to see how good I am doing.