Nora rubbed at her tired eyes as Harry drove. The sky was darkening with each passing moment and rain pattered against the windshield. "Are you sure you got everything you need?"
"Mhm." She sighs. "Two coats, three sweaters, some jeans and boots."
"There's a mall near my mum's house, so if you need anything while we're there, just let me know, yeah?"
"I will." Their day had been terribly long. At seven am, they flew out of Dubai and into London, which was a five hour flight. It wasn't until they stepped out of Gatwick that they realized they hadn't at all packed for winter in England. Harry had a good amount of clothes at his London home, but Nora had to go out and grab some necessities. So, factoring in the four hour time difference, it was half past six in London, but to Nora and Harry, it was half past nine and they'd both been awake for far too many hours. As Nora yawns, Harry moves his hand over to her knee and gently squeezes it.
"Baby, go to sleep. We've still got about three hours to go."
"I don't want you to be alone..."
"Nora, I'm fine." He chuckles. "I see it in your eyes, try and get some sleep, love." She curls her fingers around his and closes her eyes. The subdued hum of the road beneath the wheels and Harry's soft, almost inaudible singing lulls her to sleep within minutes.
===
She feels the car stop and then the motor shuts down. Nora opens her eyes to see Harry smiling at her. "Hi." He whispers.
"Hi..." His hand comes up and caresses her cheek.
"We're here, love." She looks around and sees the rather large home illuminated with light. "It looks like everyone's still awake..." Nora feels a sudden pang of nervousness at the thought of meeting his family, but then he reads her facial expression. "Nora, please don't be nervous, baby. They're going to love you." She simply nods.
"I know." Harry chuckles and leans across the middle console.
"I love you."
"I love you too." They climb out and Harry grabs their suitcases. Nora shivers as she follows him up the front steps and to the front door. She forgot how cold England can get. Harry uses his key to unlock the door and then they push their way through. She hears a faint 'who on earth' and then the woman she recognizes as his mother begins almost immediately crying.
"You..." He drops the luggage and wraps his arms protectively around her. "I told you to stay put!"
"I can't take the credit...Nora insisted we come." Anne lets go of her son and walks straight to Nora.
"Oh, darling!" She smiles as the crying woman embraces her. "Thank you, thank you so much." Her hands cup Nora's cold cheeks when she pulls out of the hug. "My goodness, look at you. As beautiful as a flower—oh, Nora, I'm so sorry we're meeting like this..you must think I'm a right bloody mess."
"No, no...not at all. Mrs. Twist, I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss."
"We're devastated. You would have loved my brother. What a silly man he was." Nora recognized Gemma as she came in, hugging Harry tightly. "But petal, please, call me Anne." She nods at the welcoming woman.
"Hi love...I thought you were staying on holiday?" The pretty blush-haired girl asks as she pulls away from her brother.
"It was Nora, she wanted us both to be here. Family's more important than a vacation."
"Agreed." She says, smiling. She turns to Nora and holds her hand out. "Love, hi, I'm Gemma. I'm so sorry we haven't met sooner." She hugs Nora now and squeezes her tightly.
"Don't worry about it, it's been crazy busy since Christmas."
"That it has." Gemma laughs and then wraps and arm around Harry, "I can't believe you're here. I'm so glad." Anne helps Nora out of her coat and then leads her into the kitchen.
"I've just boiled a pot of tea, come warm up—Harry, Gemma! Tea's in the kitchen, darlings." As Anne fixes her a mug, her eyes go to the refrigerator. The pictures covering one side are all endearing and Nora smiles as she looks at them. However, the one smack dab in the middle, of Harry and Evelyn seems to catch Nora slightly off guard. She's seen pictures of them around Harry's homes, but this...in his mother's kitchen. It hurts more than any of the others ever had. She's hit with the realization that Evelyn was a part of the family for three long years. Nora is the new girl. The replacement of sorts. Before she can torture herself anymore, Harry's behind her, reaching for the photo. Without a word, he takes it down. One hand is safely on Nora's waist while the other crinkles up the picture and tosses it in the waste bin. She doesn't look at him as he does so. In fact, as Anne hands her the mug, she sits down and looks straight into the milky beverage. She feels him sit down in the stool next to her and then his hand is on her knee.
"Nora?"
"Hm?" She asks, looking up.
"I'm sorry...she didn't know we were coming."
"What are you talking about?" He gives her a look as if to say don't play dumb, I can read you like a fucking book. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You know what I'm talking about."
"The picture?" She asks, "I'm fine, Har. It doesn't bother me."
"Is your tea alright, love?" Anne asks, clearly oblivious to their whispers.
"It's perfect, thank you."
"When did you get in, darling?" Nora let's Harry answer while she sips on her drink.
"We flew out of Dubai at seven this morning, so we got in at seven...but we realized upon walking out of Gatwick that we'd only packed for a desert climate."
"Oh no!" Anne and Gemma both laugh. "Were you absolutely freezing?"
"I bundled in about three of Harry's sweaters and went shopping, so now I've got double to take home."
"Hey," Gemma begins, "At least you've still got a few more months of winter in New York...they shouldn't go unused."
"Good point." Nora giggles with the two women.
"Where's Aunt Dee?" Harry asks his mother.
"She went up to bed about an hour ago. Matty, Ben and Ella went back to their house to take care of the dog, but they'll be back in the morning—Nora, we're doing family brunch, so I apologize ahead of time for the craziness."
"I like crazy." Nora responds, simply. Harry smiles over at her and envelops her hand in his.
"Her family reminds me of us, mum."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Very much so, yeah."
"We're all a bit crazy."
"Crazy, regardless of what anyone says, is good."
"I couldn't agree more, Anne." As soon as the words leave her mouth, she yawns.
"Oh, darling, I didn't know you were coming, so Dee is in your room..."
"That's alright. We'll take the couch."
"Nora, you're welcome to sleep in my bed with me, I know the couch can be a bit small." She smiles at Gemma but shakes her head.
"That's okay, we can make it work. Thank you though."
"Of course, and if you do get uncomfortable my room is the first left at the top of the stairs...there's a big G on the door."
"If this one's snoring keeps me up, I'll absolutely be joining you."
"Nora!" Harry whines, boyishly. "Mean!"
"It's true! You snore so loud sometimes."
"Well, you talk in your sleep." Anne and Gemma laugh.
"what does she say?"
"Absolute nonsense, like she barely speaks English." Nora smiles and scoots into her chuckling boyfriend's embrace. Harry wraps his arms around her and nestles his face into her hair.
"Well, I'm going up to bed, Harry, love, will you please lock up when you go to bed?" He nods.
"Course, yeah. Night mum, love you." Anne walks over and kisses his cheek.
"Good night, sweetheart. I love you very much, and I'm so glad that you're here—both of you." She leans down and kisses Nora's cheek as well. "Good night, petal. Sleep well."
"Good night, Anne. Thank you for having me."
"Oh, it's my pleasure, love. Sleep well, all of you." She kisses Gemma and then leaves the kitchen.
"Welp, I'm calling it a night. See you both in the morning."
"Night, Gem."
"Good night, Gemma." Harry gets up and pulls Nora into the family room with him.
"I don't know about you, baby, but I'm pooped." Nora smiles and lets him tug her down on top of him.
"Pooped, huh?"
"Totally...pooped, Nora." She kisses him warmly and slips his tongue into her mouth. "Hey..." He breaks the kiss and holds her face in his hands.
"What?"
"I'm sorry about the picture..." She went to interject, but he stopped her. "And don't tell me that you weren't bothered, because I know you. I've seen your not-bothered face and that was not it." She gives in and rests her chin on his chest.
"It wasn't necessarily the picture itself...it was that your mom had it hanging right in the middle of all of your family pictures on the fridge." He nods and rubs her arms. "It makes me feel like...I don't know—it's silly."
"Nora Dodson, you spit it out right this minute."
"Like I'm the new girl...Evelyn was a part of your family for three years..."
"Nora..." He begins before sitting up. "Do you know who told me that I needed to end things—the first person who ever made it clear to me that Evelyn and I needed to be over?"
"I do not, no."
"My mum. She told me to open my eyes and I listened to her." He kisses her nose, "Do you wanna know what I saw?"
"Sure..."
"I saw you, Nora." She felt, in this moment, that someone let a butterfly garden loose in her belly. He made her feel so many amazing things.
"That is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me."
"I love you so much and I'm so sure of you, okay?"
"Okay, baby." She kisses him. "I love you and I'm very sure of you."