It's You [H.S.]

5.3 | You without me

April - May 2016

Once she returned to London, they only had a few weeks together before they were due to be separated again. His imminent departure for France to start prepping for Dunkirk loomed large.

Things were just getting back to normal between them, settled into a daily routine largely revolving around his time writing in the studio and his heavy training schedule. She'd been busy too, with her script; absolutely loving writing with Phoebe, who she'd partnered up with after meeting at a Netflix event.

With the uneasiness of her time in Atlanta still fresh, the impending pressure of long distance weighed heavy on their minds. It wasn't helped when she had to fly suddenly to New York after securing a lucrative Tom Ford fragrance campaign, missing his precious last couple of days.

Busy on her shoot day, she missed his Instagram post, so almost had a fit when he sent her a selfie with that terrible shaggy chopped hair during the Another Man photoshoot.

He laughed with glee when she jokingly told him he's lucky she always had a bit of a weird crush on Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber. But he'd been a tease and refused to send her a proper picture of the final cut.

Later that month, the distance only increased when she'd packed up and moved into his LA house, ready to start prepping and rehearsing for Daisy Jones & The Six.

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Their first proper taste of long distance over an extended period of time was proving even harder than they imagined.

With intense and conflicting schedules, plus the added headache of the time difference, they've had to make a real effort to snatch what precious little time they can have with each other, regardless of how busy, tired or not in the mood they might be. But relationships take work, even adoring and fiercely passionate ones.

The proof was in their astronomical phone bills. And they both racked up some air miles too, making the most of rare syncing of their schedules to snatch a couple of fleeting visits.

But hanging out with each other's friends and family helped when their schedules felt impossible and kept them apart. As did the running countdown of when they'd see each other next.

They'd made it a game to sneak that day's number into one of their daily calls or texts; but sometimes they had different numbers in mind.

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18th June 2016

Eloise jolts awake with a start in his massive bed.

Hearing a noise downstairs she stills; holding her breath, heart pounding.

Again. Like a scrape of something heavy. Shit.

She leaps out of bed, tugs down his oversized t-shirt, grabs her phone and tip toes towards the stairs.

Stilling at the top, she listens carefully, holding her breath.

"Would you two keep it down?", he hisses.

"You asked me to find a knife. I'm trying!", she sasses back, before getting shushed again.

Eloise slinks down the stairs and peers around the doorway into the kitchen. Barking a laugh she jumps out, "You four would make the worst burglars!".

They spin around in surprise before breaking into laughter. Shouting "Happy Birthday", they pull her into hugs and smother her with kisses.

"What are you doing here? I thought I was seeing you all later?".