P.S.

Olivia’s mind was racing as she strode from her parent’s driveway. Her thoughts and emotions were tumbling together, crashing around in her head. They made no sense, and she found it difficult to focus on her exact feelings. She was walking blindly, having no sense of direction or purpose until she realised she was standing in front of the playground swings.

As a child, Olivia would often run away from home after a fight with her mother or sisters, but only ever made it as far as the swings. She would sit on the swings and pump her legs until she was flying as high as she could. After a while, she wasn’t thinking about Denise making her do dishes or Stephanie hogging the remote. She would only focus on getting this-close to flipping over the bar, shrieking with excitement as her stomach dropped in time with the swing. It didn’t take long before she calmed down and went home, giggling and out of breath.

She didn’t expect the swings to work quite how they did as a child, but before she could change her mind, Olivia settled on the seat, now tighter than she recalled. She pushed herself through the sand until she took off pumping her legs.

Harry’s past comments crushed Olivia. She loved him with everything she had, and to find out there had been a time when he didn’t feel the same was devastating. His words were far more than just a rude gripe about her. They were the worst words anyone could speak about another. She didn’t know how easy they would be to forget.

However, the intoxicated, sad boy who spoke those words wasn’t her Harry. She was not sure how bad he struggled after their breakup but if she went by her own experience, every day was a fight to get through. She, too, found the bottom of bottles and had choice words about Harry. Granted, she didn’t tell those words to his sister, but if she saw Gemma, would Olivia had reacted the same as Harry did? She didn’t think she would have been blameless either.

Olivia was not sure how many minutes had gone by – more than the one she asked for, but not by many – when she noticed Harry walking across the playground towards her. She kept her eyes forward, legs pumping. She was unsure what to say to him. The swings hadn’t worked their magic as they had in the past. She snickered to herself – did she really expect they would?

Harry had followed Olivia off the deck and down the driveway, but waited out of her sight for a few minutes. He wanted to give her the space she requested, but he wanted to make things right, too. He watched with dumbfounded amusement as she started swinging, unsure why that was her coping mechanism but he hoped she would tell him. Letting her slip through his fingers again would be the biggest mistake of his life – not dating her.

Olivia didn’t slow down as Harry approached the swings. He sat down on the swing beside her, facing the opposite direction as he watched her fly through the air. He pushed back on the swing and pumped his legs. Soon, he and Olivia were swinging oppositely in sync, meeting in the middle before flying in the other direction. Neither spoke a word, and if they weren’t in the middle of a fight, it would have been fun.

“A few years ago, my grandparents moved into a retirement home,” Olivia began, her voice quiet. She wasn’t sure if Harry even heard her speak until she saw him look in her direction. “They lived in their house forever, raised my dad and my aunt there. So it was a mess… old toys and books and shit all piled up in the basement…”

Harry didn’t know where Olivia was going with her personal anecdote about her grandparents home, but he didn’t ask, he only listened to the story she deemed important enough to share with him.

“Jessica and I were going through this one box and found a bunch of old Barbies,” Olivia continued, keeping her eyes forward as she told Harry her tale. “There was this half-naked Totally Hair Ken. Do you…?” She trailed off, waving her hand. He wouldn’t remember a Ken doll from the nineties.

“No,” Harry said in response to her unanswered question. “But… go on,” he urged. He didn‘t want her to stop talking.

“Anyway… Jess said he looked like you…” Olivia glanced at Harry for only a moment as she gestured to her head. “The hair…” she explained with a dry snicker. “Somewhere along the way, we got the bright idea to make it into a voodoo doll. And then we found a blonde Barbie and obviously… Taylor…” she surmised with a shrug.

Despite her admission of cursing him, Harry allowed himself a small smile. “A voodoo doll…” he repeated, echoing Olivia’s snicker. “Creative…” he teased, hoping to get a smile out of her.

Olivia didn’t smile. “Yeah… We drew tattoos and… cut off all the Taylor doll’s hair, and then… We threw them in a fire.”

“Jesus,” Harry snickered. He wasn’t sure if he should be angry or not, but the thought of Olivia furiously drawing his tattoos all over a doll and then tossing it into a fire was amusing to him, and not insulting.

Olivia stopped pumping her legs and stretched her toes towards the ground, coming to a quick stop. She ran her hands across the chain link before looking up at Harry. “It might not be the same as saying you’re dead to me, but… I wasn’t singing your praises either,” she told him with a shrug. “I said some things… mean, ugly things… about you, about Taylor. And I lied about our relationship and made you seem like a total asshole. I wasn’t innocent either. God, I was so mad at you, back then…”

“I never, ever meant any of it…” Harry tried to explain as he slowed his swing. “I was only…”

“Yeah,” Olivia interrupted. “I was, too…” She was silent for a moment, chewing on her lower lip. She wasn’t an emotional person, but she could feel tears pricking in her eyes. “It’s just… it makes me sad we were both once at a point where we… really didn’t like each other.”

Harry heard Olivia’s voice crack, and he reached out for her swing, pulling her closer to him. “Listen to me,” he told her, his voice hoarse. “I’ve always loved you. Even when it seemed like I didn’t, I did. And I always, always will.”

Olivia covered Harry’s hand with hers. “I know,” she answered, not surprised by her answer. “Me, too,” she promised him. There had never been a doubt in her mind she would always love Harry. “Even when I was throwing your doll twin in a fire, I still loved you. Wouldn’t have cared so much if I didn’t…”

Harry beamed, relieved she would not give up on them. “I get that,” he answered. “So, I guess now, we…?”

“Keep going?” Olivia supplied. “I mean, Harry, I want to move past this. I don’t want to lose us over this… I just got you back,” she reminded him with a choked chuckle. “And I’m not mad at you now,” she added. “I’m just… It makes me sad. Both what I said and what you said… that whole shitty blip in our past. But I want to move past it because I love you.”

Harry tugged his fingers through a lock of Olivia’s hair. “It’s like that scene in Sex and the City,” he realised. “When Steve and Miranda have to go onto the bridge if they’re both willing to just… learn from their past, let it all go, and move forward together.” He pushed on the swing, getting Olivia to his eye level. “I’m on that bridge, and I love you too.”

Olivia furrowed her brow. “Did you really just…?” She trailed off, shaking her head. “Of course you did…” she snickered. A romantic-comedy reference was not rare with Harry. It would have been odd if he hadn’t thrown a movie narrative into their conversation.

“But I’m on that bridge, too,” Olivia whispered, resting her forehead against Harry. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

Harry grinned, pulling Olivia into a tight hug. “You’re supposed to say ‘and I’m not looking back’ and then I can say ‘oh, but Miranda looked back’ and then you roll your eyes at me and we both think about that sex scene, remember?”

“Well, I’ll roll my eyes, anyway,” Olivia said before doing just that.

Harry looked at Olivia and pressed a kiss against her lips. “You wouldn’t be my girl if you weren’t cheeky,” he reminded her. He took her hand, pulling Olivia from the swing. “Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested, gesturing towards the elementary school. “Show me where you first kissed that lucky boy,” he teased.

And walk they did. They walked around the small school half a dozen or more times. Olivia shared stories about her time at the school, pointing out former classrooms and where she kissed that boy. They talked about their past and their time apart, and Harry discovered it wasn’t Olivia who left Ben. Although he cared about the small detail so much before, he realised he didn’t care anymore. She told him how she moved past her anger and even found herself happy for him when he accomplished all his successes. He detailed his relationship and breakup with Hailey, leaving no stone unturned despite how poorly he came across. He even asked questions about Ben, and Olivia reciprocated with her own questions about Taylor and Hailey. They were both realising none of the past mattered, and their former relationships only helped in bringing them together again. It was something they couldn’t answer, but they couldn’t be sure if they would have still been together if not for their time apart.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder or something, right?” asked Harry, flopping onto the grass in the middle of the field, tugging Olivia down with him. He stretched out on his back and ran his fingers through Olivia’s hair as she rested her head against his stomach.

“Something like that,” Olivia agreed, finding Harry’s hand and lacing her fingers through his. She ran her other hands along the soft, manicured grass. “This is what we need. Something like this.”

Harry closed his eyes against the sun. “Something like what?”

“This,” answered Olivia, gesturing to their surroundings.

“A school?” Harry asked, his brow furrowed with confusion. And she called him the weird one?

Olivia laughed. “No!” she exclaimed. “This,” she told him, guiding his hand along the turf. “Grass. A yard. Your house in LA doesn’t have a single blade of grass unless you count that ornamental shit. Which I don’t,” she added. She let out a contented sigh. “We need grass. Kids can’t play very well on concrete.”

Harry smirked, lifting his head. “Whose kids are you talking about, hmm?” he teased, propping himself up with one elbow.

Olivia rolled over, facing Harry. Her face flushed at her offhanded comment though she was certain Harry had the same thoughts. “Oh, who knows,” she told him, offering him a shy grin. “Neighbours. My sister’s…. Ours.”

Harry couldn’t deny the tingle in his stomach at the prospect of having children with Olivia. She was his entire future and it would be a dream come true to create a family with his love. Still, he noticed her blush and wanted to tease he a bit more. “Oh, we’re having kids?”

Olivia inched herself closer to Harry. “Well…” she intoned, feathering her lips against his. “Guess you’ll have to marry me first and see what happens.”

He squeezed her hand to show he was teasing. “We’re getting married too, huh?” he asked. He didn’t tell her he knew since their first date he would marry her. He knew what kind of ring he would ask her with, and he knew what he would say to her when they vowed their vows. But he kept his thoughts to himself, for now. She would find out soon enough.

Olivia swatted Harry’s stomach. “Ugh, well I guess it is only half my choice…” she mused, squeezing Harry’s hand as he ran his thumb against her ring finger, silently telling her he would soon claim her finger. “I can’t tell you what to do…”

Harry laughed. “What kind of wife says that?” he joked. Before she could answer, he wrapped his arms around Olivia and rolled her over, settling on top of her. He stared into her eyes, feeling as though he was looking into her soul and his future. He could see everything with her. How was it possible to love one person so much? He pressed a kiss against her lips. “Honey… I’m going to marry the shit out of you.”

And he meant it, absolutely.

~*~*~*~

*6 months later

Olivia stepped out of the family room onto the expansive patio and took a deep breath. After months of searching, Harry and Olivia had finally found their dream home. It hadn’t been easy, but when they found the French Traditional home nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains of Hidden Valley, it seemed as though the universe built the home just for them. An hour from Los Angeles, it was close enough for convenience but far enough away for privacy. And, with acres of manicured lawn surrounding the home, there would be plenty of space for their future children to play.

Of course, there was still one thing Harry needed to ask.

He’d had the ring for months, this much she knew. Harry was never one to hide his excitement, and he had been quite possessive over a certain dresser drawer. But Olivia never peeked. She knew he would have an elaborate event planned, and she didn’t want to ruin it for him. And, regardless of her aversion of surprises, she didn’t want to ruin it for herself either.

She crossed the patio and rested her arms on the railing. Moving day had been long and arduous, and it was far from over. But now that all their possessions were in their home – albeit in boxes – and their helpful friends had gone home, Olivia felt at home for the first time in ages. She still had a hard time believing the beautiful home was theirs, and she wondered if there would ever be a time she wasn’t in awe of their surroundings.

Harry watched Olivia through the family room window. The house was quiet now, just the two of them in their beautiful new home. Everything about their new house was perfect, but the fact it was theirs together was the best part. He hadn’t ever been the person to live in one place for any length of time, but he could already picture he and Olivia, grey and frail, rocking together on the front porch in their golden years. This house would be their home forever.

For months, he’d been planning his proposal in his mind. He wanted it to be the perfect moment for Olivia, with elaborate fanfare, romance abounds. But as he stood in the middle of their new house, staring out at his love, he realised he there would never be a more perfect moment than right now. They in love, happy and finally settled in a home that belonged to both of them. It had been the perfect day, and he couldn’t wait any longer. His stomach jolted as he came to the realisation he would ask her to be his wife. After bolting upstairs to retrieve the ring he’d hid from Olivia, he pushed open the French door and walked towards her. She didn’t turn around as she heard him, but cocked her head to one side.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of this view,” she commented, turning her gaze back to the valley.

Harry slid up behind Olivia. “Neither will I,” he teased, but he wasn’t talking about the mountains. He gave her bottom a squeeze before wrapping his arms around her waist. “Welcome home, sweetheart,” he murmured into her ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder and kissed her neck.

Olivia smiled at his words. “I love our home,” she whispered.

“I love you,” Harry countered. His stomach fluttered as he kept his fist tight, running his knuckles along Olivia’s arm. She rested her cheek against his head, maintaining her gaze. They stood in a comfortable silence until Harry couldn’t wait any longer. He opened his hand and, in a swift motion, revealed a glistening diamond ring. Olivia didn’t look down until she felt Harry slipping the ring onto her finger.

“Marry me.”

It was a simple statement. He could have launched into a romantic speech and told Olivia how her touch softened his scars, how she was the cradle for his heart and his soul. He could have told her how she was the treasure of his life and eternity together wouldn’t be enough. But she knew. He knew. They didn’t need the words and the prose. They only needed each other.

Despite knowing the moment was coming, Olivia’s breath caught in her throat as Harry voiced his request. She drew in a shaky breath as she looked down at her hand, hardly seeing the jewel through her shock.

She turned to face Harry, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she looked into his eyes. The eyes of her best friend, her true love, the father of her future children and now, her fiancé. It was apropos he didn’t technically ask, but state a fact they both knew would happen. Still, he needed an answer.

“Of course I will.”

Harry hardly let Olivia give him an official answer before he scooped her up, lifting her off the ground as he hugged her. They laughed in unison as he slowly spun them in a circle, and he found her lips as he set her on the ground.

“Thank you for finally asking me,” Olivia whispered as she smiled. “I’m so happy.”

Harry grinned against her lips. “I love you so much,” he murmured. “I can’t wait to spend forever with you.”

They swayed in unison, keeping time with the aimless song Harry hummed under his breath. He held his fiancée tight as she buried her head against his neck. As he ran his hands up and down Olivia’s back, Harry smiled to himself. The simplicity of his proposal was so much sweeter than an extravagant occasion. As he held his girl in his arms, slowly dancing outside their beautiful home, a Walt Whitman quote came to his mind.

We were together. I forget the rest.

Notes

Thanks for reading! Part 2 is complete! And, because I have an obsession with these two, stay tuned for Part 3! <3 <3 <3