Kiss You? Happily. - Sequel to One Direction Kidnapped Me..WAIT KIDNAPPED?

Chapter Twenty Three - I Lived

~Ana's POV~

The flats I slip on fit my feet perfectly. I admire them in the long mirror covering the wall beside the closet door. My mind is racing, but I'm more calm than not at the moment. I'm ready to place another milestone in my life, one that will stand tall and be admired later when I'm waiting for the end of this road trip. When I have time to look at everything behind me, everything that has been and everything I forgot to pick up. Things I'm going to let go.

I move from the mirror over to my dresser, which is more juvenile than Chantell's. Pictures are shimmied into the side of the mirror, there's a scrawl of letters in the upper right hand corner written in lipstick. Mardi Gras beads are hanging off of the side, new and old, a mixture of ones received from high school parties and a celebration I went to with Kate for my 20th. My graduation tassel is hanging off of the wall beside it from a thumbtack. I pick a ring up off of the hardwood of the dresser, sliding it onto my finger. The same hand ghosts over a picture of me and Kate with matching tops on. A part of me wishes she was downstairs waiting on me. Maybe arguing with Louis about something so irrelevant it makes everyone else in the room laugh. Maybe conspiring with Gemma and Chantell, causing the group of boys on the other side of the table to sweat in their multi-colored t-shirts. Maybe sitting on my bed, telling me my dress brings out the color in my eyes, and asking me to move closer so she could fix one the stray hairs in my face.

A small smile crosses my features. I turn away from the dresser with a sweet feeling in my rib cage. I finally leave the tranquility of the master bedroom, traveling out into the hallway to meet Chantell. I can hear laughter downstairs and it's melodic to my ears. She greets me with a few words and the clap of her hand against mine in a high-five. Stepping in front of me, I let her lead me where we need to be.

"Please tell me! Pleeeeease!" Chantell begs, sliding her hoodie on. I shake my head and follow her lead, the baggy hoodie hiding what bump I've gained in the past few months. She groans and walks downstairs, joining the chattering group of people.

"I don't even know. We wanted the gender to be a surprise when I pop this sucker out." I pat her head and she scoffs at me.

I decided to make everyone invite over their family, or who they were close with anyway, for lunch and the surprise I'm about to throw at them. Most of them do not know I'm pregnant and Chantell decided it would be perfect for her to wear a big sister shirt under her hoodie, take the hoodie off in the middle of lunch, and see how long it takes them to notice.

I couldn't tell the little devil no.

The hoodie lays weird over the comfortable maroon sundress I'm wearing. I slip on my flats and decide to join everyone downstairs while they wait for Harry to finish cooking. Anne is hovering over him and my heart swells as she turns to look at me. I swallow her in a hug and kiss her cheek.

"What about me?" Gemma playfully asks, standing beside us with her arms crossed over her chest. I let go of Anne to hug her.

"Alright!" Harry laughs as Anne helps him pile the food into serving dishes to set the table. The table is barely big enough to fit all of us, but we manage and I snag a seat between Niall and Gemma.

"Thank you so much for lunch, Harry, It's absolutely delicious." I moan around my fork, flavors bursting in my mouth.

"Only the best for the queen," He jokes, gaining laughs from around the table. I give him a royal wave to add to the joke. For a few short minutes, the table is almost silent as we eat.