Together

Missing Her

Hello hello hello! I hope you've all had a nice few days. Dance is going well so far this year, which is good for me, but the schedule isn't leaving me time to write, really. I'm going to do my best, and I'll definitely update when I'm able to xxx. This chapter is a bit of a filler, but it's sweet and I think you'll all like it. Comment and vote if you wish to xxx
-ab

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December 7, 2026

Patrick

After work, I have to spend a few hours getting the entire apartment cleaned up. Harper doesn't want to come home to an apartment that was trashed by her husband and his friends while they were drunk. By the time that everything has been cleaned up, though, all remnants of my 'bash,' as my friends are calling it, are gone, short of the beer bottles in the recycling, which I'm going to take care of.

I flop down on the sofa and turn on the telly. I wonder what Harper is doing right now. She's probably out with her friends, having the time of her life in New York. Today is her day off from Les Mis.

I can't believe that it's only Monday. This week has already seemed to be so long. I probably brought this upon myself, but I only got through work today by popping painkillers every few hours, to ward off my horrid headache.

I just want this day to be over, I decide. I pull out my phone to send a quick text to Harper.

Patrick: I hope you're having a nice day. I'm going to bed early as I'm not feeling top notch. I'll be fine in the morning, I promise. Enjoy that city that never sleeps and keep me updated on what's happening in terms of your return back home. As proud and excited for you as I am, I miss you so much.

I see a little 'typing' bubble pop up, so I wait for a moment, until my wife responds.

Harper: Oh no. Sending so many hugs and cuddles, xxx. I hope you're feeling better in the morning. I love New York, and of  course, Broadway, but I can't wait to be back home and in your arms, cuddled up... I'm going to have to go see some West End shows back home, as I've missed so many of the Broadway shows we had tickets to since I'm on Broadway suddenly, haha. Today has been fun, and I'm meeting up with some old friends from the Royal Academy of Music tomorrow, since Nessa and Katherine are coming home. It'll be fun. I love you so much.

Patrick: I love you too. Have a great evening. Goodnight xxx.

After sending that message, I plug my phone in to charge for the evening, then I decide to take a nice, long, warm shower to help me calm down before bed.

I spend my time in the shower thinking about what I'm going to get Harper for Christmas. It's also going to be right around the time of our first anniversary, and so I want to make sure that it's perfect. We agreed on not getting huge gifts for each other, so it's going to be hard to find something simply perfect.

I'm most excited to shop for little Audrie. She just turned two months old, and she couldn't be more adorable. I know that she's the light of Taylor and Joe's lives, and I've been over to see her many times as well. It makes my entire day a little bit better.

It's incredible to see my older brother be a father. I've always seen him as a bit of a father figure to me, though, as he is so much older. While my real father is amazing, Joe and I were so close growing up, and he always looked out for me, from the days of playground bullies to when my heart was broken in secondary school because I realized that the girl who I fancied had begun dating somebody else. He's always been there to look out for me. Now, I'm old enough to look out for myself, but he's there to look out for his little girl, who he loves more than absolutely anything in the world, short of Taylor, who he loves just as much.

I hope that when the time comes for Harper and I to have our own little bundle of joy, we can be half as good of parents as Taylor and Joe have grown to be. Taylor has grown into the role of being a mother with such grace and elegance. I've never seen somebody appear so natural, holding a little girl up against their chest to comfort her while she cries.

Harper keeps saying that, once she's home and settled back into London life, she wants to start trying for a kid. I love the idea, but I'm also terrified. It's not a question of if we are ready. Both of us know that we are. But the responsibility is still intimidating. It's a commitment that we are making for, really, the rest of our lives.

As I lose myself in my thoughts of babies, and starting a family with the absolute love of my life, I find myself rolling around in my bed, unable to get to sleep, in spite of how truly tired I am.

It's strange having the big bed all to myself. I'm used to having my wife next to me, wrapped in my arms and being all cuddly, like she always is when she gets tired. Or, if she's feeling cheeky, then she'll start kicking me under the blankets, until our legs are all tangled together and both of us are giggling like children.

It takes so long, but I eventually manage to push all of my thoughts that are keeping me awake out of my head. Yes I miss Harper: she's been gone for a week, but it hasn't been quite that long since I've held her in my arms. The truth of it is, though, who knows how long it'll be until I hold her again. It could be a few more weeks, so I need to get over myself.

Pushing everything out of my brain, I remember that I'm really quite tired. Within a few short minutes, I'm drifting off to sleep.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better than today was. I don't regret throwing my little 'bash.' It was fun. I just regret all of the alcohol that I had at it.

Oh well. Lesson learned, I suppose.