Medley

71: WHEN YOU SLEEP.

In the morning, Harry surprises me with the news that instead of Will driving us to London, he's rented a car and we're having our own little road trip, just the two of us.

Not that I've ever complained nor will I start now, but I'm excited to finally be able to do something together outside the confinements of a hotel room or a house.

I love how he comes up with all these little big things: our 'first date' or the baby stuff he sent to Sasha, or now this. All carefully planned but kept a secret to surprise me.

About fifty minutes into our trip we take a little detour and make a stop at Holmes Chapel, his hometown, so he can show me where he grew up.

We drive by a Church built in the 1400s and that historical/old-town look sets the tone for most of the village. It's a lovely place. 'Quite picturesque', as Harry describes it.

But the majority of it I see through the car window. Almost everyone knows Harry here, if he's spotted we'll be exposed and that's not part of our plan. So when he decides to show me the park by the river he used to always go to as a kid, we drive around to make sure no one's there before we get out of the car.

Luckily, the park is deserted. It feels strange but extremely nice to take a walk under the tree-covered paths holding hands without a worry in the world like all normal couples do.

The rest of the three and a half hours driving south to London, we spend listening to music and singing along to our favorite songs at the top of our lungs, with the windows rolled down and the wind in our faces.

I'm not sure yet what is it about this place that makes Harry loosen up and relax. He talked last night about me being free and in-the-moment, and that's exactly what he is today.

England suits him.

In a moment of quiet, right before we enter London, I stare out the car window and my mind wanders.

This much happiness in such a short period of time shouldn't be allowed. You can get so easily used to it even knowing that nothing lasts forever.

And when it stops... where do you go from here?
You can't certainly keep going up, the only way is down.

But, like I've told him and myself before: I'm all in.

Narrow roads lined by trees, away from the noise and the crowds of the city, indicate we've reached our destination: the outer suburbs of London.

If no one tells you, you would never guess you are crossing through an inhabited neighborhood.
All the houses sit in huge portions of land surrounded by woods and are invisible from the roads. The only giveaways are the tall iron gates that mark the entrances to each of the homes.

"Do we have a verdict yet? Or would you need to see the inside first?"

Harry asks after we've circled the house, walking without haste, taking it all in: the dense forest surrounding, the beautiful flowers in the garden, the majestic swimming pool made to look like a pond with 'green' water, the continuous singing of the birds, the peace and serenity that the whole place inspires.

The house is the most prominent figure in this vast piece of land. Still, it's the last thing I notice. A combination of stone, brick and wood, the two-story house looks like an old traditional German home, except for the large, tall windows.

"I've seen enough to be able to say I'm already in love with this place, Har!"

I think it is evident in my enthusiasm and the ear-to-ear grin on my face, that's why he's asking even before we go in.