Summertime & Butterflies

February 2020

“Babe!”

“Here are this year’s nominees for Actor in a Supporting Role.”

“Just a minute!” Olivia called back, leaning forward on the couch as she turned the television volume up.

“Harry Styles, The Echoes Above.”

Ben poked his head around the corner, peering into the living room. “You coming to eat?”

Olivia held up a finger. “In a sec,” she answered. “They’re announcing Harry’s category right now.”

“Oh!” Ben replied, joining Olivia on the sofa. The two of them stared at the television, though Olivia more intently than Ben, as the program showed a clip of Harry’s Oscar nominated performance.

“Such a good movie,” Ben commented before Olivia waved him quiet. It was, though. The two of them had watched it on opening night, and then again after that. Ben didn’t know, but Olivia had also gone a third time, without him. Her pride for Harry hadn’t waned after their break up, but it would be difficult to explain that to Ben.

“And the Oscar goes to… Harry Styles, The Echoes Above!”

Ben clapped his hands together. “Good for him!” he enthused, watching as the camera panned to Harry. His mother was with him, of course, happily applauding her son as he stood next to her, hugging a pretty blonde woman, the same pretty blonde woman he’d been hugging for two years.

“Aww, I’m so happy for him!” Olivia exclaimed, a few happy tears prickling at the corners of her eyes as she watched her former love take the stage and accept his award.

After her break up with Harry, Olivia didn’t think she would have ever been able to sit on her couch with another man, watching Harry hug another woman, and live his life without her. But as the days past, and the weeks past, she found herself slowly deleting the sad country songs from her iTunes and being able to enjoy seeing happy couples on TV, rather than throwing the remote at the screen – which only happened once.

And then she found Ben. Ben, a classmate from years gone by, a man who’d never noticed Olivia, and in turn, she’d never noticed him. A man who she used just for comfort, someone to make her feel and forget, who somehow became her boyfriend… and slowly, her love.

It was a different love than she had with Harry. It wasn’t better, and it wasn’t worse. It was slow and calm, like an evening stroll through a country field. Her relationship with Harry had been fast and crazy, rush hour traffic through New York City. Sometimes she found herself missing the insanity that was their relationship, but missing it was like missing high school – nostalgic for the memories, but not wanting to go back. But she had kept her promise, and hadn’t forgotten about their summer together. She knew she never would.

“Well!” Olivia stated, turning away from the TV and looking at Ben. “How do you think your chicken turned out?”

Ben shrugged. “Drier than a nun, but there’s lots of sauce,” he said, standing up and holding his hand out for Olivia. “Oof, let me help you up… that damn diamond’s probably weighing you down,” he teased, taking her left hand, which was adorned by a single solitaire engagement ring.

Olivia rolled her eyes, taking Ben’s hand. “Thanks, fiancé,” she teased as she stood up, following Ben into the small kitchen of their simple home, while Harry’s acceptance speech echoed in the background. They were part of each other’s history, but not part of each other’s destiny. And as Olivia sat at the table across from her fiancé, she only hoped Harry had his own happily ever after, like she had finally found hers.

Notes

Oh, my gosh, you guys... it's done! I'm such an emotional dope right now! How do we get so attached to people we create?! Thanks for reading and loving my story as much as I did! Maybe we'll see Harry and Olivia again soon... ;)