*Harry's POV*
I opened my eyes and all I saw was white. The brightness of the place blinded me and it took a while for my eyes to adjust to the brightness. I looked around and saw nothing but a dark figure up ahead. The figure was slowly getting bigger. I realized it was coming towards me. I wanted to run away in fear but my feet wouldn't move.
As the figure made its way closer, I could make out some of its features. I realized the figure was a woman. She had long, wavy brown hair. She looks familiar.... I froze. No. This can't be. She's dead.
My mum stopped walking once she was three feet away from me. I wanted to run towards her and hug her but I couldn't move. I tried so hard to move but after a few minutes, I gave up. It was no use. Tears spilled down my cheeks. It hurt to be so close and not be able to touch her--to feel her warmth. My mum gave me a sad smile and a tear rolled down her cheek. Even though she was sad, she was still beautiful. It's been so long since I've seen her face. I can tell that she's well-rested. The wrinkles are gone and her hair is a rich chocolate color.
I opened my mouth to say something but no words came out. My mum noticed my struggle and finally spoke.
"I love you, Harry. I love you with all my heart." My tears came down like a waterfall. I wish I could say something to her. I wish I could tell her that I was sorry and that I love her too. All I wanted to do was run into her arms.
"Do you love me, Harry?" my mum asked, her tone suddenly becoming venomous. "Do you? I don't think you do because if you did, you wouldn't have done what you did to me." My heart was shattered into a million pieces. I opened my mouth to protest but nothing came out. I'm sorry, mum! I'm sorry for everything!
I saw my mum pull out a knife from behind her back. I wanted to run but of course my feet wouldn't move. My mum walked up to me slowly, closing the remaining space between us. She then ran the knife into my stomach and I screamed in pain.
I woke up panting. I found it difficult to control my breathing. I lifted my shirt expecting to see blood but I saw nothing. I ran my hand through my hair in relief and took a deep breath. Once I started to calm down, I turned to look at the clock. It was 4:35 AM. I need to smoke. Right now. I got up and put a jacket on. I found my pack of cigarettes and a lighter, put them in my pocket, and walked out the door.
It was pleasant walking down the empty streets. It was cold outside but there was no snow on the ground thankfully. I kept walking. I dug out a cigarette and quickly lit it. Right when I was about to put the cigarette in my mouth, an image of my mum's face flashed in my mind. I dropped the cigarette in shock and the nightmare from earlier started to creep back into my mind. I could feel the knife in my stomach. I could see the anger in my mum's eyes. Do you love me, Harry? Do you? I don't think you do because if you did, you wouldn't have done what you did to me. I began to feel sick to my stomach.
"You're wrong!" I shouted. I'm going crazy! I looked around to see if anyone heard my sudden outburst. There was not a living soul in sight, thankfully. I kept walking. The venomous words my mum said to me earlier on replay in my head.
"You're wrong," I repeated in a small voice. "I love you. I wish I could turn back the time. I would've done things differently. But I can't.... And I'm okay with that. What matters is what I'm doing next. I'm changing for you, mum. Just for you. I'm going to be a better person."
I walked around the empty streets thinking about my mum. I wanted to prove her wrong. I thought long and hard about how I was going to quit smoking and drinking. I want my mum to see me clean. That way she can rest in peace knowing that I truly have changed for her. After walking around aimlessly for two hours, I went back to the apartment. I was startled to see Dani on the couch staring at me with worry in her eyes. Her hair was tied back in a messy bun and she was still in her pajamas.
"Where have you been?" she asked loudly. I flinched at how loud her voice was.
"I went out to smoke," I answered quickly. "But I didn't smoke. I walked around to clear my head after having a nightmare." I was surprised I didn't smoke. My craving was gone.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just--I heard the door slam and I woke up to see what happened and saw that you were gone. I thought you went out to smoke but you didn't return after half an hour. Once two hours went by, I started to worry about you. I thought you ran away." I was shocked at how worried she was. It felt nice to have someone care about you. "Do you want to talk about it? Your nightmare, I mean." She patted the seat next to her on the couch. As nice as that sounded, I shook my head.
"No. I'm over it. Thanks, though."
A nightmare. What a lovely way to start off my birthday.
~
It is now noon. Dani and I are inside the Hard Rock Café in downtown Seattle waiting for Rachel to arrive. I'm nervous about meeting Rachel. I don't know why she's so excited to meet me. I'm not an interesting person.
We're planning on exploring the city today. Dani was surprised that I haven't been to Pike Place Market or the Seattle Waterfront before. I wanted to tell her that I spent my teens getting wasted but I figured she had enough to worry about, and that detail would only make her freak out some more.
Before coming to the Hard Rock Café, Dani and I went to the Seattle Public Library. She had some books on hold that she had to check out. We got to walk around the library for a bit and I was amazed at the size of the place. The architecture of the library was stunning and there were so many things to look at inside. I've never seen a library of that size before.
I studied the menu in the café. I wish I could order everything. Everything sounds so good. Growing up with a single parent and being homeless for a few years, I never got the chance to eat fancy food. I looked around the restaurant for an idea of what to order. I felt like a creep looking at what people were eating. After a minute of watching people eat, I decided I wanted a turkey burger.
"She's late," Dani said, breaking the silence. "Where is she?" Right on cue, a blonde-haired woman came bursting through the doors. "Oh, there she is." Dani got up to greet her friend. "Rachel, this is Harry. Harry, this is Rachel." Rachel and I shook hands. It made me nervous how happy she was to see me. Her eyes wouldn't leave mine.
"Sorry I'm late! There was so much traffic!" Rachel gasped. That woman needs to calm down and take a deep breath. "It's great meeting you, Harry. I've heard so much about you!" I turned to look at Dani. Dani quickly looked down at her menu. Is she blushing?
"Sorry for making things awkward!" Rachel laughed. I guess she noticed our exchange. "I didn't mean it like that. I was the one who told Dani to 'adopt' a homeless person and change their life. I didn't think she'd do it but she did. She told me how she met you, how you opened up to her about your problems, and how you're making progress." I was shocked at what she said. I turned again to look at Dani. This time, Dani had the courage to look me in the eyes. She gave me a shy smile.
"Sorry about that," Dani apologized. "It's just--I got excited."
"I understand," I said, smiling at her. She shouldn't feel sorry. I'm not mad.
"Dani!" Rachel said out of the blue. "You never told me that Harry was a cutie." I choked on my own saliva and Rachel winked at me. This is so awkward! Thankfully, a waiter came to take our order.
~
Today was a lot of fun. After eating lunch at the Hard Rock Café, we walked around Pike Place Market. Pike Place Market is a lovely place to visit. There is so much to taste and so much to look at. It was neat looking at all the little shops inside. I even got a picture with Rachel the Pig (statue)!
After that, we visited the Gum Wall. The Gum Wall was disgusting yet interesting to look at. We took some pictures in front of it and contributed some gum to the wall before leaving. We then stopped by the Seattle Waterfront. It was refreshing staring out into the water and looking at the boats passing by and the seagulls flying high above. We rode the Seattle Great Wheel after and the view was absolutely stunning. I may have also ridden a carousel and had more fun than the little boy who rode it with me. And last but not least, we visited Ye Old Curiosity Shop. The place was a bit creepy but very interesting nonetheless. I was glad we got to explore Seattle on a sunny day. Even though Seattle is rainy and cloudy most of the time, nothing beats Seattle on a sunny day.
Walking around made us hungry so we decided to eat dinner at Ivar's and we got some ice cream for dessert. I felt bad about the large amount of money Dani spent on me but she kept telling me it was no problem. We said goodbye to Rachel at 8 PM and didn't get back to the apartment until 8:30 PM.
I sat on the couch exhausted from all the walking we did today. Dani went to the kitchen to put leftovers in the fridge. I closed my eyes and smiled. This is the best birthday I've ever had. I have never been so happy in my life. I'm thankful for everything that Dani has done for me. She is truly a wonderful person.
"Close your eyes," Dani said suddenly. "I have a surprise for you." A surprise? I kept my eyes closed even though I wanted to open them so bad. "Okay. You can open your eyes now." I opened my eyes and found a small chocolate cake with a lit candle in front of me. I smiled. She's too sweet.
"Happy birthday! I'd sing 'happy birthday' but I have a terrible voice," she laughed. I laughed with her.
"Thank you. And to be honest, I wouldn't mind listening to your voice. It'd be a good laugh," I joked. She laughed even harder. She's cute when she laughs. She closes her eyes and has to put a hand over her mouth to control her laughter. "How'd you know it was my birthday today?" Dani stopped laughing and I saw a flash of uncertainty in her eyes. She quickly recovered and responded to my question.
"I--I saw your date of birth when you handed me your application. I know it was wrong of me to look. Sorry about that," Dani said apologetically.
"Stop being sorry. It's fine," I told her. I gave her a smile and she returned it.
I made a wish before blowing out the candle and we each had a slice of chocolate cake. I'm surprised we still have room for cake even though we've been eating the whole day.
"Oh, there's one more thing," Dani said. I saw her reach behind her and pull out a small box. She handed it to me and I took it in my hands.
"I can't," I protested.
"Yes you can," she urges me. "Open it." I carefully unwrapped the gift and opened the box. Inside was a watch with a brown leather strap. It looked expensive. I frowned.
"I can't take this," I told her again.
"Stop saying that. Just take it. It's your birthday. This watch will come in handy when you're out and about," Dani responded. She took the box out of my hands and carefully removed the watch from the box. She then took my hand and put the watch on my hand. My heart rate sped up at her touch. "It looks good on you." I blushed and looked at the watch. It was a nice watch.
"Thank you so much. For everything. You are the kindest person I know," I told her and meant it.
We then spent the next two hours talking. I told her about my family and she told me about hers. I could listen to her talk all day. I really enjoy her company. Dani would occasionally brush her hair out of her face and I couldn't help but realize how beautiful her eyes were. My gaze lowered onto her lips. They were pink and plump. I wondered what it felt like to kiss her. Dani kept rambling on and on about school but I wasn't paying attention. All I could think about was how I was falling for her.
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Harry's in love. Aww! :') Please vote and comment! Thanks. x
Also, updates may be a bit slower from now on. Work has been exhausting and I haven't had much time to write lately. Don't worry, I'm still writing though!