Sitting outside of Starbucks, I checked my watch with a quick glance at the time and sighed loudly. If I was one thing, it was impatient. If I was going to be on time, then it sure as hell couldn’t be too hard for them to be on time too. Going over the pros and cons of just leaving since it was 20 minutes after, I shrugged to myself knowing it wasn’t that big of a loss and stood, starting down Trocadero in search of the tube.

I had only been back home in the UK for a few weeks and I was almost regretting my decision to come back with how busy I already was. I had left for a reason but of course the second I graduated college in the states, I got offered a job in London that I couldn’t refuse. My mum was delighted to have me near again and I wasn’t completely opposed to the nice flat in central London my agency had set me up with.

Having lived in Holmes Chapel until I was 18 with London only a 2-hour bus and train ride, I had fallen in love with the city growing up so living here was pretty surreal for me. Though really I had spent the better part of 3 years in New York City, nothing was like living in London.

Just as I had reached the stairs for the tube, my phone started vibrating in my pocket and I rolled my eyes at the caller. “Hey Chelsey,” I laughed softly, as I had just spoken to her not even an hour a go.

“Mercer! How was the coffee date? Was he as fit as he was back in college?” She asked me excitedly and I could tell she was probably bouncing around her flat, waiting to hear how my “blind date” had gone.

It was blind date that wasn’t actually a blind date, I guess. The day I had come back into the country, I had miraculously bumped into an old friend of ours from college outside my building and he had wanted to catch up. We agreed to get coffee but well…. look how well that turned out. It was just another disaster of a “date” to add to the ever-growing list.

“He actually never showed up, Chels,” I sighed, brushing my bangs from my face as the hard wind blew around me.

She huffed through the speaker, “Well certainly wasn’t expecting that from him. Though I’m sure he’s changed, it has been 4 or so years. Can’t even remember why I had the biggest crush on him.”

I nodded, agreeing though I knew she couldn’t see me and I glanced at my watch again. “Yeah… Chels, I’ve gotta catch the tube back to my flat before my mum gets into town but I’ll text you later or something yeah?”

Agreeing to talk later, we hung up and I descended down to the Underground to head home.

________________________________________

It had been a few months since I had last seen my mum, her attending my graduation at Parsons in New York earlier in May but she had insisted she come down to London and see my new flat, making sure I wasn’t living in the dumps. Living in the dumps I was not, I thought to myself as I glanced around the extremely posh flat. It was decorated top to bottom before I had moved in, but I had added my own touches around with a few photographs and such to make it feel homier.

After straightening a few cushions on the couch and dusting off the kitchen counters, I heard my buzzer go off and I ran to answer it, only assuming it was actually my mum.

“Hello?” I answered, my voice a little louder than normal as the speaker had a few loose wires when I moved in earlier a few weeks a go.

“Mercer sweetie,” my mum’s voice rang through, “Buzz me in yeah? It’s freezing out here love.”

“Will do mum,” and I did just that, pressing the button next to my speaker.

Doing a quick glance around my flat, I figured it couldn’t get any better at this point as she was here already and took a seat at the kitchen bar as I waited for her to reach the 9th floor.

My mum didn’t even bother knocking, just waltzed right in like she owned the place and she greeted me with a giant grin. “Well we certainly aren’t in Holmes Chapel anymore,” she said with a laugh, opening her arms for me.

I just shook my head and immediately walked into my mother’s arms, deeply inhaling her scent of old Chanel perfume and sugar cookies. It smelt like our house and it made me realise that I had missed her more than I thought.

Pulling away reluctantly, a grin stretched across my face and I placed an arm around my mum and ushered her into the living room. “So would you like the grand tour, something to drink? How can I be of service to you?” I asked her jokingly, quickly taking the overnight bag from her shoulder and setting it next to the couch.

My mum rolled her eyes playfully and took a seat in the middle of the couch, patting the spot next to her. “I want to hear how moving back has been, catch me up love. I want all of the gruesome details.”

So I did just that. I told her how my job had been so far, how settling back in the country was. There honestly wasn’t too much to tell so when I finished, I curled my legs under myself and rested my cheek on the back of the couch.

“How’s home been? Still swarming with pre-teen girls because of Harry or has it quieted down some?”

Shrugging, my mum sighed loudly and I just laughed at how irritated she looked at the mention of the chaos our little village had been under as of recent. “It hasn’t been too bad lately because of winter approaching but my lord, Merc, it was awful this summer. I feel terrible for Cecilia and the new lads working at the bakery. And poor Anne and Gem, their house was being stalked every day, I would bet on it.”

I nodded, frowning. “Has he even been home lately? I don’t understand the giant new fascination of our town. He doesn’t even live there anymore so what’s the point of bothering everyone?”

“Someone sounds a little angry,” she teased with a raise of her eyebrow.

“Yeah—I mean no, I’m not angry per say but he’s just a boy, not even a man. Still a god damn teenager,” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “He’s actually a right twat now that I think about it. I don’t think I ever actually told you this but I ran into him once while I was back in the states for school, I guess he was there for a show or something and he didn’t even remember me! I made a right mess of myself trying to explain whom I was and he just kept on walking as if I didn’t change his diaper and bathe him for two years. The nerve of him….”

My mum seemed amused by my rant, her eyes full of laughter and I could tell she was holding back from bursting into a fit. “Love, you have to remember it’s been about 4 years since you last saw each other yeah? You’ve changed quite a bit, Mercer. You’re more grown up, babes.”

“I suppose…” I trailed off, realising she was right. “Still though.”

“That reminds me,” my mum started with a devilish grin. “Anne was asking about you yesterday actually. She said Gemma was staying in the city over winter break with some friends of hers and she thought you two should meet up, have lunch or something to catch up.”

Considering the offer, I shrugged not quite sure how I felt about it and closed my eyes softly before glancing back up at my mum, a hopeful look painted across her features. Her and Anne had always hoped Gemma and I would be the best of friends but we just never clicked. She was more of a partier where as I liked my room and books more than people and socialising. But I decided to throw her a bone and play nice. “I guess it couldn’t hurt?” I offered reluctantly.

A smile slipped onto her face and she nodded, “I’ll get her number from Anne in the morning.”

I nodded myself and let a yawn slip past my lips, eyes heavy from the lack of sleep I had gotten lately. I felt awful with how tired I was with my mum just arriving but she gave me a pitiful and knowing look, already shooing me off the couch.

“Why don’t you head to bed, sweetie? You look awfully tired,” she said softly, sweeping my long bangs from my eyes.

“Completely and utterly knackered, actually,” I laughed, agreeing as I stood up and stretched. “The sofa pulls out into a bed and there’s blankets in the hall closet.”

She nodded, kicking her shoes off and turned the telly on, looking cozy and content.

“We can go get breakfast and walk around a bit in the morning before your train leaves, yeah?”

“Sounds good, love. I love you Mercer.”

“Love you too mum,” I called behind me as I reached my bedroom and immediately fell onto the bed in a huff.

Now if only I could just sleep forever.

Notes

Well uh, hi! I have somehow found myself stuck, yet again, in the boy band craze and here I am (again) writing fic about them. I have it very, very bad for one Harry Styles and so this is well, the outcome.

I know it's short but I wasn't really sure where to end it and I've been so excited about writing again in general that I wanted to post it now rather than what I'm sure would be much, much later.

So please drop me your thoughts/comments/concerns! It motivates me to update and I'd love to hear what you're all thinking about this!