prabhushriram01

[tacosaysroar]

CSG told me to let him know about any shows I wanted to see in Vegas, so I sent him this . . .

And I’m still laughing about it.

[fategist]

lists, layers, layovers: what to pack and how to pack it

There’s a scene in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery where Austin and his colleague/eventual love interest Vanessa Kensington, are newly arrived in Las Vegas, hot on the trail of Doctor Evil’s number two, Number Two. Posing as a married couple, they check into their suite and begin to unpack. Vanessa opens her suitcase to reveal a tidy assortment of clothes, accessories, and spy gadgetry packed neatly and divided into plastic bags.

Yes, the kind of bags you fill with cookies or vegetable scraps before tossing into the freezer for that vegetable stock you may or may not actually make.

This was in stark contrast to my own method, which was to pack clothes -- some of which might have been clean -- into a decrepit suitcase WITHOUT WHEELS -- and cross myself before hauling ass to the airport.

Yes, Miss Kensington, I am disappointed in past me, too.

But I never forgot about Vanessa and her freezer bags. It was so in character for the organized, utterly prepared Miss Kensington. And also because it’s such a great idea. Everything is easy to see and find, and can be left in their bags until they are needed. You can press the air out of bags to compress the contents, and thus you can fit more stuff into your bag.

It took me a while to adopt this method, because I am a messy beast and a procrastinator. And there was something sort of glamorously messy in running off to the airport, as though I were always on the road, and on the run.

This was a terrible method. I’d leave behind items I wanted to bring, and what stuff I did bring would look terrible, be inappropriate for the occasion, or be not as clean as I’d thought. But what choice did I have?

I guess I could have shopped at my destination but if you’re not wearing straight sizes it might still be a crapshoot depending on where you go. Even if you did find a place that could sell you clothes that fit and, even better, you liked and could afford, that’s still time you’ll have to spend buying clothes when you could be, I don’t know, drinking vinho verde at a bar located on top of a multi-story parking garage in Lisbon.

A few times I tried rolling my clothes, which is supposed to make them less wrinkly and afford you more room in your bag. That only works for skinny people, I am convinced. A pair of XXS yoga pants will roll into something not much bigger than a falafel wrap. My XXL cargo pants from Old Navy will not get any smaller than, say, a steak burrito. And shoving underpants into a pair of Toms doesn’t say packing technique or hack so much as utter desperation when your knickers are typically bigger than a tortilla.

Freezer bags, that’s my number one piece of advice. Treat yourself to the kind that zip, as they are just a few cents more than the kind that don’t. Fold or even roll your clothes up. Insert into bag, compress to get the air out, then zip shut. They’re also handy for packing liquids -- dressing, foundation makeup, and lube which, should they spill, should be pretty well contained.

Make a list of what you intend to bring, and cross each thing off as you pack it away. The internet abounds with packing list generators. I don’t have a specific recommendation, but the ones that ask you where you go and when you are going tend to be decent because they can give you the weather forecast and perhaps even recommend places to eat lunch.

We can have a long discussion about carry-on luggage and maybe one day we will, but for now let me say: whatever you pack make sure it fits in the overhead bin. If it doesn’t, check it like a good girl and vow to do better next time.

But if you’re like me and do only carry-on luggage, do not pack any more than you yourself can carry. If you have mobility or health issues that prevent you from doing so, remember to thank whoever ends up managing your bags for you, at your direction. I’m trying to find a way to express this without sounding like an ableist shithead so weigh in if you had advice on that point.

I think when it comes to figuring out what to wear, I say this: wear whatever you want.* Layers are key, that’s what everybody says, but those layers need to breathe no matter where you are.And check the weather before you go. I didn’t before a nine day trip to England when it always seemed to be on the verge of raining without actually providing the relief of precipitation so I felt like the entirey city of London was sweating upon me, all while wearing jeans with long sleeved cotton t-shirts, and I was miserable. But worse than that I was too stubborn to just go to the Evans in Oxford Street or the Selfridges, also in Oxford Street, and buy myself something.

*The one thing I will do, in following the advice of travel professionals and those travel bloggers who post shit like text posts that say “Not All Who Wander Are Lost” without any kind of irony, is keep my travel wardrobe in the same color family. Pick three colors, neutral or not, and just go for it. When I went to Lisbon in 2016, this is what I packed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BDfeHemRuUk/.

I once spent nine days in Ireland with no trousers/pants except these fancy hiking pants I got at Columbia. I hiked exactly twice during that trip, and the rest of the time I walked around Dublin and Galway and Dingle and Killarney looking, and sounding, like a sentient windsock. I got stuck on the hiking part instead of focusing on the fact that I’d spend most of my time walking around cities, drinking and eating and occasionally sitting before eating and drinking again. I could have used a pair of jeans, a warm sweater, and ankle boots. I solved part of my problem by buying myself a beautiful Irish wool cardigan at the Aran Sweater Market in Killarney. I love that thing.

Last spring I went to England for nine days (what is it with me and nine day trips to the UK?) and did more hiking but instead of bringing proper hiking boots I brought LL Bean boots. They were okay for tromping in mud. Not so much for going up steep hills as I am passed by surly French teenagers wearing Adidas.

I think the moral of the story here is I should give up on hiking as an activity. That, and I need to be more honest with myself about what I can and am willing to do when I got on vacation.

But for, say, three days in New York over Easter weekend? This was my last trip, and I packed:

light coat or jacket

scarf to layer with coat -- make it big enough to use as a blanket on the plane, or shawl for modesty

handbag or purse -- crossbody or GTFO

special outfit or dress -- I went to Le Bernardin with my brother for lunch on my birthday, and I wore this Target x Victoria Beckham collared shift. There were rabbits embroidered on the collar tabs. It was the best.

two shirts -- both were long-sleeved

black Old Navy pixie pants -- no pockets but comfortable, and more elegant than jeans

sneakers -- Converse seems to be the default for everybody ever, and I am not special so of course I have owned many pairs though I am down to one pair at the present -- mine are Comme des Garcons because while I am not special I am for sure quite extra

flip-flops for wearing around your hotel room/AirBNB/friend’s guestroom

black leather ankle boots -- sturdy sole, a heel if you care for one

underthings (bra, underpants, garters, slips, socks, hosiery)

jewelry -- just a few things that you might be able to wear at once or put away in an Altoids tin. I wear a watch, stud earrings, sometimes a silver button or a brass heart from In God We Trust that says “bitch please”.

makeup/toiletries

My next trip is London (yes again shut up I love it) and Venice (baby’s first trip to Italy) in September. I have no idea what I’m going to wear. Maybe a trench coat, Hunter boots, and not much else.

The whole reason I wrote this was because @rosamundt asked me on twitter to write her a post about what to pack for some trips she had coming up. I probably should have done this before today, as she has already embarked on trip number one. Trip number two is still forthcoming, a short trip to a large city for a family celebration. My packing list above should suffice, though she may be able to get away with not packing a jacket. And instead of the black leather ankle boots maybe some sandals with a stiff sole. I know she loves those Saltwater sandals but I don’t think I’d want to wear them on the subway. Just as long as it’s not Yoga Slings -- I think those are kind of gross.

[oqonholidaysweek-blog]

Prompts

You can find the list of prompts below. Feel free to select any prompt and create OutlawQueen art (fic, manip, video) inspired by it. You can of course combine several prompts in one creation.   

You can submit any creation you want whether it is a new one or an old one. About the fics, it can be included in any of your existing verses. However, note that any ancient work will not be counted as an entry to win a button. 

OQ on Holidays Week will take place from August 20th to 26th, so please, don’t post anything before. 

 In the meantime, don’t hesitate to tweet or DM me at this account @OQonHolidays if you have any questions. 

Here’s the list of prompts: 

1. Regina Roland and Robin, who can’t stand very loud or very crowded spaces, in Times Square. 

2. Regina & Robin vacation in England, they visit the ‘real’ Sherwood Forest and town of Nottingham, see the statue of Robin Hood and touristy Robin Hood themed gift shops. Robin isn’t a fan of his likeness being used to make money. 

3. Entire Hood-Mills family (Robin, Regina, Henry, Roland and Robyn) goes to Disney World during ‘villains month’.

4. Robin takes Regina camping somewhere out in the wilderness where she doesn’t have her magic. Regina discovers she is NOT an outdoorsy kind of woman... 

5. Regina takes Robin to Hyperion Heights for the first time, to the bar and her former apartment, and people still think of her as the wild tattooed bartender Roni. She’s embarrassed of her cursed persona, but Robin wants to get to know ‘Roni’. 

6. Evil Queen takes Wish Robin out into the real world for the first time and decides to take him to New York City. 

7. Robin and Regina go to Vietnam. 

 8. On a family vacation, OQ family finds an abandoned puppy on a beach. Roland and Henry try to convince their parents to keep it and take it back home. 

9. Robin, Regina, Emma, Mary Margaret, Killian (any other character can be included) are all good friends. Robin and Regina's friends realize they're in love but don't act on their feelings. So, they decide to push them a little. They all plan a holiday trip: book air tickets, hotel accomodation, activities. But at the last minute their friends don't show up and Robin and Regina are forced to spend a week with each other on vacation (maybe sharing a room) and ...well, maybe it's exactly what they need!

10. Robin and Regina go to a fan convention for Henry’s ‘Once Upon a Time’ book outside of Storybrooke to support him and it’s just uncanny how well they ‘cosplay’ as Robin Hood and Regina Mills… 

11. Robin and Regina take Robyn to a heavy metal concert out in California. Turns out Robyn wasn’t interested in the music so much as she was interested in the girl from Storybrooke who just so happens to be into this band... 

12. DarkOQ are on holiday in the EF with Roland and get attacked by monsters. 

13. OQ are in holiday with their children and Roland gets lost 

14. Robin and Regina are both skilled contract killers working for different firms meeting for the first time in bogota Columbia during a pretended or real holidays. Of course, they have no idea that the other one is a contract killer, and even less that they have the same target (based on the movie Mr & Mrs. Smith) 

15. A weekend camping trip with the boys [dealer's choice on good or bad trip] 

16. Regina takes Robin on his first plane ride 

17. Honeymooning in Hawaii 

18. A romantic cruise that veers into the Bermuda Triangle 

19. Hiking in the Redwoods [with or without the boys] 

20. Henry or Roland get food poisoning on vacation and need TLC

21. A day at the beach ends with Regina getting sun poisoning 

22. Henry and Roland go to summer camp, leaving Regina & Robin on a staycation at home 

23. First family roadtrip 

24. Robyn's first day at the beach with Robin, Regina, & the boys [Zelena optional] 

25. Robyn gets her first period on vacation with the family 

26. Regina teaches Roland how to swim 

27. Regina and Henry are in holidays on a cruise, the same cruise as Robin and Roland. Robin, Regina’s ex-boyfriend from college. The first time they face each other, things aren’t that simple and a lot of grudge is still present. But as the two kids become friends, their parents are forced to spend time together, and talk about their past...

28. “Best vacation ever!" 

29. “Why did I agree to this trip?" 

30. "Look! I even laminated our itinerary AND synced it to everyone's phones!" 

31. “Your mum is stunning when she lets herself enjoy nature." 

32. Family day at the beach 

33. OQ spends a few days at the beach, without the kids, and things get steamy on the sands... Or above a rock ;) 

34. Regina breaks her leg during her holidays with her parents and sister, and is forced to stay behind while they are out visiting. One day she decides to get out to get some fresh air and ends up running into a certain British boy with deep dimples and ocean blue eyes. 

35. Regina isn't in the mood for a holiday, but her friends drags her with them and in the end she ends up being grateful that she went. Because she meets the love of her life. 

36. Regina takes a well deserved holiday in Mykonos. Her plan? Party, have fun, maybe meet a guy or two for a one-night stands, and forget her awful boss and pressuring job. But when her eyes fall upon the bartender of her hotel, a handsome British man with blue eyes and a sexy accent, her plans to stick to one-night stands completely fall apart. 

37. At Henry’s request, Regina and Robin organize a family trip (Roland comes too) to Maya’s ruins. But as they visit a temple, they unleash a powerful magic that threatens everyone’s lives. 

38. Regina is on a holiday trip with her friend Tink in Spain. At her friends’ request, Regina let’s a fortune teller read the lines of her hand. Regina, a confirmed bachelor, doesn’t believe her when the woman predicts that she’ll meet her soulmate during this trip : a man with a lion tattoo. That is, until she meets a handsome man with intriguing blue eyes, adorable dimples, and a certain tattoo... 

39. “What are you doing in my hotel room?” 

40. Romantic holidays in Paris 

 41. Robin and Regina take their whole family on holidays. Henry meets a girl he has a huge crush on, and Robin has to help Regina deal with her mama bear feelings and let her son enjoy this summer love. 

 42. A week at the beach. Roland almost drowns. 

43. Wish Robin convinces (after several attempts) the Evil Queen to spend a week in the Forest. Whether it ends up being phenomenal or a complete failure is up to you. 

44. Regina, Leopold and Snow take a vacation to one of the other realms of the Enchanted Forest and they meet a certain thief on the road during their journey. 

45. Regina discovers that she’s pregnant a week before a long planned holidays, and she’s extremely nauseous. “I’m ruining everyone’s holidays.” “No, you’re not.” 

46. Regina and Robin go back to Camelot to take a few days off for themselves and they end up waking up an evil everyone had forgotten about. 

47. OQ take their children and Robyn (who’s about 15 yo) on a trip to San Francisco. “Regina, I really like this girl we met on the pier.” 

48. Robin and Regina have marital issues. Their therapist suggests they take some holidays, just the two of them, to work on their relationship without having to worry about the kids. Will it work in helping them remember how much they still love each other? 

49. “I always dreamt to visit Venise.”

50. During the Missing Year, Regina isn’t doing well, she misses her son and feels like she doesn’t belong. A certain thief offers her to take her away for a few days, to help change her mind.   

51. Regina and Robin are best friends who decide to go on a trip to Las Vegas together. As they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas 

52. Leopold takes Regina to his hunting lodge in the mountains, she gets lost and almost dies in a blizzard, Robin finds her, brings her back to his cabin to nurse her back to health.

53. Regina and Robin take a few days off for their first Thanksgiving together as a married couple. Regina has a little more to be greatful for than she expected 

54. Robin and Regina are friends. Regina went through a tough break up after a long relationship with Daniel. Daniel was an ass, lied, cheated, whatever. Robin has been secretly in love with Regina, but has waited patiently for her to get over Daniel, and it seems she succeeds.They plan this vacation as friends (it can be with other friends) and in the trip they bump into Daniel. This makes Regina doubtful again, Robin is jealous, maybe Daniel tries to win Regina again, and due to the circumstances Robin has to tell Regina how he feels about her. 

55. Modern AU: Regina dedicates most of her time to her job and her best friend convinces her to finally take a break. Her friend books a trip for her with a travel agency. Regina reluctantly goes to the trip and is in a bad mood, always thinking about her job and what she has to do when she goes back, until she meets the tour leader, Robin. 

56. Regina and Robin in Greece (preferably not at the most popular and crazy crowded places) 

57. Regina and Robin go castle-seeing in England 

58. For father's day (or mother's day, you choose), they plan a surprise holiday, so they can celebrate it somewhere else. 

59. Robin and Regina on their honeymoon; a week in a haute top floor Paris suite where Robin is completely out of his element but he endures it for his new bride 

60. Families were accidentally booked for the same cabin, beach house, airbnb and decide to share the space so neither have to cancel the vacation 

61. Visiting Robin’s family in England 

62. Visiting Regina’s family in Puerto Rico 

63. Regina getting racially profiled at the airport, Robin defends her (either established relationship or first meeting) 

64. Roland and/or Henry get lost at airport or at destination 

65. Home alone holidays AU 

66. Jolly Roger 

67. Ship wreck (AU or Jolly Roger) 

68. Plane crash 

69. Honeymoon 

70. Cruise 

71. Traveling to meet their new baby/child/children (adoption AU) 

72. Mile high club 

73. Every year the children point to a spot on a map / globe and that is where they go now $%*^@#* picked Utah / Iran ???  and is so excited but no one else wants to go. 

74. Time machine.

75. Robin and Regina’s families would spend every summer at their vacation homes so they have been friends since they were kids and casually dated as they were teens. Now, they are both graduated and returning to the same vacation homes, hoping the other shows up 

76. Welcome to jurassic world 

77. Lost AU 

78. African safari 

79. A year after Daniel died, Regina is trying to take Henry on his annual camping trip but they get really lost and she’s pretending they aren’t. Finally, they come across Robin, who is camping with Roland and ..... :) 

80. A booking mishap occurs and Robin and Regina each lose their reservation, but the hotel has 1 room left with a single queen-sized bed. Do these strangers share or do they let this ruin their vacation? 

81. Lifeguard has to save drowning victim. [Dealer's choice on who is in which role and whether beach or pool] 

82. Roland and Henry meet on the beach and make friends, then "force" their parents to make a joint vacation of it 

83. Trying the exotic local cuisine, but who likes it and who's grossed out by it? 

84. Rained out camping or tropical trip 

85. Fights over folding vs. rolling the maps 

86. Who gets carsick the easiest? [Adults or kids] 

87. Who declares war on anyone singing "99 Bottles"? 

88. Robin goes to Vegas for his bachelor party and Regina works as a higher end stripper

89. Robin’s deployed in the military and home on his two week leave so he and the family go somewhere before he had to go back

90. Regina Mills is an executive editor in chief of a book publishing company and a total bitch. After learning she is about to be deported to Canada, she forces her assistant, Robin Locksley to marry her. Regina doesn’t have any family left and the couple travels to Robins hometown, to meet his family. Regina & Robin learn a lot about each other on the trip and start to get closer. (Based on the movie The Proposal)

91. The kids are asleep in the backseat, so road head? Why not?

[raybansandcoffee]

In the Heat of Los Angeles - Chapter Twenty-One: Forever (Ben Harper)

Need to catch up? Find the previous twenty chapters HERE. 

Let me start by saying, thank you.

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your understanding. Thank you for your support. Thank you for helping me work through the worst case of writer’s block I’ve ever had in my life.

Here goes nothing.

“Attention passengers, we are beginning our descent into London’s Heathrow Airport where the current time is 11:55 AM and the temperature is 10 degrees Celsius. We ask you to please fasten your seatbelt and return your seats to their upright position for landing. We want to thank you for flying Virgin Airways and hope you enjoy your final destination,” came the announcement over the PA system in the plane. I sat up from where I'd been sleeping with my head on Harry’s chest. I repositioned my seat, took the hoodie I’d been using as a blanket off and rubbed my face. I saw Harry doing the same. I moved my neck back and forth causing it to pop loudly.

“Jesus. Was that your neck?” he asked.

“It was. Just a pleasant reminder of why I don’t fly commercial.” I glared at him. I’d really tried to convince him to just go for it and take the private jet. It was technically SME business and if we’d taken the jet I wouldn’t have had to worry about the weight of my luggage which we spent a good 45 minutes on the night before we left while we were packing.

“We didn’t need to take a private plane for three people to fly to London.”

“It would’ve been so much easier.”

“And way too expensive. You may have a private plane but that does not mean you need to take it.” He leaned forward to kiss me. “You survived the flight. Now just shut up while we land.”

“I hate you. If I end up sick tomorrow from sharing air with all of these people, you are dead to me.” I looked over to Eliza who looked exhausted and like she’d slept in a funny position. She’d gotten the window but had a woman who would not shut up next to her the entire flight. Even in business class I hated flying commercial for a flight this long. LA to Vegas, sure I’d do it if I needed to but never international. I get that it’s more expensive, I get that it requires more stops because the plane isn’t as large but dear god it was a pain in the ass. I always ended up sick which meant that wherever I was flying I was annoyed for the first few days as I dealt with whatever cold or plague I’d gotten from the germ filled flying tube.

“You’ll be fine. Vitamin C dear. We will get you some juice when we land.” I flipped him off. I looked back over at Eliza.

“If I kill him can we make it look like an accident over here?” I asked.

“Uncle Mikey travels, right?” she replied making me laugh.

“You two are going to get in trouble. What if there is an air marshal or something listening to you? You’re threatening my life. That’s never a good thing on an airplane.”

“Add that to the list of reasons why flying private kicks flying commercial’s ass.”

“You won’t be flying private to come see me in France,” he replied.

“Try me.”

“Your father wouldn’t let you take the plane for just you to come to France.”

“I don’t have to ask him, I just have to arrange it.”

“Everlee Mae Scarcello, if you take a private plane by yourself to see me in France I will be so pissed at you.” I stuck my tongue out at him and crossed my arms.

“I hate that you used my full name.” He laughed. “My mother uses my full name when I’m in trouble.”

“If you take a private plane by yourself from Los Angeles to Dunkirk you will be in trouble.”

“I like the kind of trouble I get in with you.” His laughter got loud enough that someone in the row across from us glared at him.

“Sorry,” he said quietly. “You survived this flight and you’ll survive the one home.”

“And then I get to fly private to Mexico. Thank god!”

“I let that slide because your father will be us. Well and The Circus. Did Ty decide if Eli got to come to Mexico? Your Mom invited him right?” Ty and Eli were starting to spend a lot more time together, he’d even been on a weekend trip to Malibu with us already.

“I think he’s coming if he can get off work. He was having to ask Ben if he could swing being out of the office for like 10 days. Even if he can’t come for the whole thing I think the plan is a long weekend.”

“That’s good. So it’s your whole family, Kammi’s family plus her sister’s boyfriends, Eliza’s family, and the Jonas family?”

“Yes, the whole Jonas family actually, which is a first.”

“That seems surprising,” Harry said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders pulling me into him.

“I know, right? With as close as the Mackin and Jonas families are it’s shocking. But I think they usually do a trip to the Hamptons together every year so they had always done their thing without everyone else. Mom this year decided that with two Jonas boys dating some of the girls the whole family should come.”

“How big is the place we are staying?”

“Giant. There’s 32 of us going. There’s I think four or five villas as part of this place. It’s not where we usually go. The group grew significantly this year.”

“Well, I’m excited. Time away before we spend time away from each other. No work. Just fun and family.”

“Exactly.” I laced my fingers between his as the plane jerked when it hit the ground. I exhaled the breath I’d been holding in. “Our pilots don’t even make me feel that.”

“It’s probably the amount of champagne you usually drink based on the stories Kammi told me about you and international flights.”

“You need to stop asking my friends for dirt on me. I know you were texting with Rachel on my phone while I was packing. Don’t think I didn’t see that. I mean at least if you’re going to ask for embarrassing stories about me use your own phone.”

“I don’t have to ask for it, darling. They willingly hand the dirt over these days. Your sister is perhaps the worst, which is hilarious. And I didn’t do much on your phone, she finally told me to take her contact info and text her from my own phone.”

“You should watch out what you and my sister talk about. I am meeting yours tonight. I’m going to guess she has a lot of stories to share about you.”

“She probably does, but she may not be as willing to hand them over as Rachel is. You should see the picture of you two that she text me last night after you went to bed.” I rolled my eyes as the seatbelt light went off because we’d parked at the gate. It didn’t take long for us to be off the flight and walking through the airport. We waited for our luggage before finding the car service that Emma had arranged for us.

I sat quietly as we drove through the city, I loved London. And this gorgeous spring day was just perfect. It had been at least six months since I’d been able to make a trip and instantly I remembered how much I missed it. Harry had asked the driver to take the long way to his house from the airport so that we could drive through the city. I tried not to take pictures every time the car stopped but it was hard not to. I wanted to remember this trip forever and share it with everyone.

Harry and I had gone to dinner with Rachel and Luke right before we got on the overnight flight to come here. The entire time Rachel was talking about how jealous she was. Her doctor was concerned about her pregnancy and didn’t want her doing any extensive traveling for a while. She hated that. She made me promise to send pictures of London and all of the amazing things we were doing. And when I agreed to that she told me that as soon as she got the clear for travel or as soon as the baby was here that we would go on some fabulous vacation. Harry had already started brainstorming fabulous trips for the four of us to take together. It made me so happy to know that he didn’t find my relationship with Rachel even the slightest bit odd but beyond that he was building a friendship with her and her husband.

We pulled up to his house and Harry quickly had the gate open so that we were inside the wall that surrounded the property. His house looked beautiful from the outside. He’d shown me a few photos of it before we left Los Angeles so that I knew what to expect. As he opened the door and I walked into the house I realized that the photos didn’t do this place justice. I heard him speaking to the driver and saw him tip the driver, which sort of pissed me off. We’d had this conversation before we left that because this was a work trip he had to let me pay for things but he wasn’t doing it.

“Alright girls,” he said. “Let’s have the grand tour and then you can both get settled in your rooms before we head out.”

“Head out?” Eliza asked. “Don’t we get a nap?”

“You slept on the plane. We have a week in England. We are having fun. My friends and I have all planned dinner for tonight. I want you to be able to meet them.”

“You can stay home if you want.” I looked to Eliza. “Don’t feel like you have to come out with us tonight. I figure you and Joe didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“We didn’t but I’d hate being the party pooper of this trip. So maybe if I shower I’ll feel less like a gross airplane.”

“It’s the whole flying commercial thing,” I replied. She started to laugh and I could feel Harry’s glare on the back of my head. “If someone hadn’t been such an ass we could’ve flown private, had a more comfortable ride and snuck the kitty with us.”

“We are not the weird people who are traveling with their cat, love. Harold will be fine at home with Rachel this week while we are gone.”

“I still can’t get over the fact that you adopted a cat together,” Eliza said as we walked into the kitchen.

“Together? We didn’t adopt it together. He adopted the cat while I was with Rachel and Cynthia. I came home to the cat.”

“But you’re the one who worked from home for a day so you could spend time with the cat.” I shrugged. It was true. The day after he adopted the cat I worked from home so I could hang out with the cat, which we had both started calling Harold. “So Rachel is taking care of Kitty Harry?”

“She is. Technically, Rachel and Lucas. She was there the day I worked from home. As much as Ty usually does most of our styling I have to deflect to her a lot of the time, she has a lot of really great connections with labels and had a bunch of stuff she wanted me to try for some shit I’ve got coming up. So she brought racks on racks to the house that day and fell in love with Harold, so she volunteered to kitty sit, and when Lucas found out he got pissed. Pregnant women and cat litter boxes aren’t supposed to mix. So he’s joining her for some of the visits to help with that.”

“You know that they have pet sitting services in LA that someone would come and take care of the cat.”

“I do know that,” Harry said. “But I don’t like the idea of someone I don’t know going through my house when I’m not there. Security cameras aren’t really a deterrent. So, Rachel and Luke, it is.”

“That’s nice of them. I hear you and Luke are becoming good friends.” Eliza had been busy enough that she’d barely been at the house in the last week or two since Harry finally met Lucas.

“We are. At first, I was pretty sure that we were polar opposites, me with my long hair and arms full of tattoos and him in his suit and tie. But turns out he’s pretty cool and has a few tattoos. We went golfing this week and he kicked my ass but it was a lot of fun. Much less pressure than the few times I’ve gone golfing with Jimmy. Luke and I both agree that having a partner against the terror twins is a good thing.”

“Terror twins?” Eliza asked as her laugh filled the stairway.

“What they’ve started calling Rachel and I because they are both assholes.”

“We aren’t assholes, we are two men who are in love with two women who look nothing alike but apparently share a brain when they are together. I honestly thought you two were bad together and that she and Kammi would give Nick and I a run for our money when we had them out, but she and Rachel are like this other world.”

“They have a weird way of communicating. It’s years of hiding what they were talking about from their parents.”

“And the little sisters. The twins really are the terror twins, just wait until you meet them. I’m right, aren’t I, Eliza?”

“You are very right. Kourtney and Kayci are the terror twins for sure.”

“I’ve heard this,” Harry added as he started up the stairs. “So we have reserved the right to retract the name and give them something different. But currently, terror twins. Alright, Eliza, you can have your pick of these rooms.”

“Which one is directly below your bed?” she asked which of course caused me to flip her off.

“That one,” he said pointing to the bedroom that ran along the back of the house. He laughed a bit and shook his head.

“I will stay in this room so I can avoid that noise.” She made a gagging noise. I flipped her off.

“You know I found condom wrappers in the room you stayed in at our house when Joe stayed over. So you can keep the gagging noises to a minimum.” Harry started to laugh harder as he grabbed my hand pulling me up to the third floor which from his explanation to me was completely the master bedroom.

“You called it our house,” he said as we made it to the first landing of the stairs.

“You call it our house. You’re rubbing off on me.”

“Hmm, I like the way you think.”

“Pervert.”

“You like it.” He stopped in the bedroom and pulled me into him kissing me as his arms wrapped around me. “I can’t even explain how happy I am to have you here with me.”

“I am pretty happy about it too. I’ve missed London.”

“Well, we have two days here before we get to go home. I think you’re gonna love it there. I’ve been contemplating buying a country house there at some point. So when I just want away from everything I can go home and be cut off from the normal world.”

“That’s what Ed did. His house is gorgeous.”

“You’ve seen it?” Harry looked at me confused. We still hadn’t even made it into the bedroom as he was still hugging me and had started to kiss my neck.

“He FaceTimed me when he got back home after he left LA so I could see the place. He’s got that fancy new iPhone that I’ve forced him into having.” He giggled against my skin. “Can we get out of the doorway? I want to see this fancy bedroom you’ve told me about.” He stepped aside and I saw the master bedroom finally.

“Welcome home, love,” he said directly into my ear before kissing my neck again. The bedroom was rather big, though still not as big as the master bedroom in his home in Los Angeles. I could tell in LA he’d had a decorator come in and do it all. This house was different. There was still a lot of the sleek, modern look that his house in LA had but you could also tell he’d lived here for years and had made this place feel like home, instead of a place that he just slept when he was in a city. The art that hung on the wall looked more like something he would pick than someone would curate for his home. There were personal photos all over the place, things that showed who he was. And I was pretty sure he just tried to hide a teddy bear under the bed.

The entire house felt more lived in than his place in LA. I’d seen the framed records hanging on the wall in one of the rooms downstairs that he’d obviously made a makeshift studio with a piano, guitars and a few microphones. But it wasn’t like he wanted to flash the awards and the platinum records, though no one would blame him for it because he deserved to be proud of his accomplishments. They hung in between photos of him with his friends, art that he’d obviously acquired over the years, and a few random prints of bands he clearly worshipped. There were shelves of records and books surrounding the room and comfortable furniture for people to sit in and get into the zone to write.

“This house is beautiful, H. It feels like home.”

“It could be…someday.”

“Someday,” I replied. We’d finally decided to tackle the distance problem we would face soon on the drive back from dinner at my father’s one night. He went so far as to ask how flexible my job was for me to be able to live and work in a different city full-time. We had offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and London. He knew that if he wanted to leave LA permanently that for me to ever even consider it I’d either need to decide I never wanted to work again, find a different career or move to a city that SME had an office in. I’d told him that I’d always considered the idea of spending some time outside of Los Angeles. I’d obviously considered New York for a while because of the relationship I was in. I’d been offered a job in London and had considered it pretty seriously for a while but ultimately knew that even if I did someday want to do something outside of Los Angeles or SME that I wanted the opportunity to know what it was like to really work with my father and be with him every day.

“I think you’ll love the neighborhood there’s a lot of cute shops. The park is gorgeous. We’ll have to take a walk while we are home.��� There he was saying it again, home. He admitted that London felt like home and that while in LA he got the opportunity to do amazing things and live in this city with incredible weather that he missed the rainy days that England held and the cooler weather. That he missed being a car or train ride away from his Mum. That he missed being able to meet his sister for dinner during the week to catch up on where life was taking each of them.

I’d confessed the details of this conversation to my father during lunch one day because I was terrified and needed to talk to someone who got the way my brain functioned when I was in love. While I wasn’t exactly like my father in relationships we were working on building ours back up. We were talking about things that kids often went to their parents about. While normally I would’ve gone to Mom about this I went to him and when I told Mom she told me she was proud that I wanted to include my father in this area of my crazy brain. I told him that I was afraid I would lose Harry because he’d want to come home. I wasn’t overly interested in doing a long distance relationship permanently and it was unlikely that he’d ever completely give up living in England and be happy spending 365 days a year as a resident of Los Angeles. The following afternoon I walked into my father’s office and caught him looking at real estate in London. Maybe he really had turned a new leaf and just wanted me to be happy instead of just working my life away.

I hadn’t told Harry that I caught my father looking at real estate in London. I hadn’t even really admitted it to my father. I just mentioned that he appeared to be house hunting again. He played it off like he was always in the market of finding new real estate investments, which was true. He owned two homes in California, a condo in New York, and a ranch in Colorado.  He truly did believe in investing in real estate, but looking in London meant that at some point he thought he might need to stay for more than a few nights in a hotel for work. I got giddy but tried to hide that. It could all come back to bite me in the ass. If a decision was made that my job needed to be based in Los Angeles I’d have no choice but stay here to focus on my career.  I mean at least I think that’s what I’d have to do. I hadn’t decided yet if I knew myself without my job, I’d been trying to think about it since the initial fight with my father after the first article telling the world that Harry and I were an item was published. I wasn’t sure I would be ready to make the decision between Harry and my career if I had to. I was just hoping it never came to that.

“I’m sure I will. I’ve been to some of the homes of our London team, most of them live in Notting Hill or Primrose Hill. All gorgeous homes. I’ve told you over and over that I love London and I’m excited about the possibility of spending a bit more time here than I usually do. My team here are all excited to have me at least in the same timezone as them. I have a lunch planned for us tomorrow with some of my staff here in London. We really need to have someone in the London office that helps handle your business. I want you to meet the team and tell me your thoughts on who that is.”

“Can’t it just be you?” he asked. His lips were back on my neck and his hands moving under the shirt I was wearing.

“It can when I’m here. But since we both know that won’t be full-time I need to have someone who can help manage your shit with me. We will eventually need to pick someone in Los Angeles to help too.”

“I’m going to just pretend not to think about it. I get my girl with me now.” I turned to look at him and the smile on his face made my heart melt.

“You get your girl with you now. But eventually, your girl will have to be in different places than you. So having a team of people is a good plan.”

“I know.” He kissed me. “So do you want to shower off the plane grossness and get ready to go meet Gemma?”

“That sounds perfect. I’ll need to call the office here to let them know we are in town and get the schedule they have for me.”

“You don’t just do vacations.”

“Oh I do and when I vacation I go hard. But this isn't a vacation, for any of us and you know that.”

“Are you working constantly?” he asked as we walked into the bathroom and started to get ready to take a shower.

“No, I can’t do a lot of work from Holmes Chapel. The only person I’ll have with me up there is Eliza unless we decide on something else. It will be all email and phone those days but I’m overseeing a photoshoot for my hottest client so I’d rather just do that.”

“I’m currently overseeing a shower for my hottest manager and have decided she needs to get naked right now.” I started to laugh at him. He pulled my t-shirt over my head before hugging me again. He was being super affectionate which just made me happy. He’d been this way at dinner last night too. It was easy to become overly affectionate around Rachel and Lucas, they were constantly holding hands and kissing and sharing food. They would be obnoxious if they weren’t so cute.

“You are so weird.”

“You love it.”

“You’re right. I do love it.” We took a shower together that consisted of a lot of giggles, a fair amount of kissing and the world’s greatest boyfriend provided scalp massage a girl could ask for after an almost 12-hour flight in a germ-filled flying tube. We made it out of the shower and started to get ready. I dried my hair, redid my makeup and got dressed in something that Harry had deemed appropriate for me to wear to meet his sister. I’d been nervous about it. He’d decided he was picking what I wore to meet his whole family. Considering tonight was dinner with his sister and a few of his friends he thought I should be dressed more like myself than I would normally pick because I was always trying to impress people. He’d picked a pair of ripped black jeans and a black blouse with a v-neck. He had claimed that it looks like I wear when we are going out on a date but not like I wear when we are going out on a date with his friends. He was right, when we went out with the Winstons and Cordens despite know them all I spent an hour debating what to wear and ended up wearing a dress and heels.

“You look beautiful,” he said as he kissed me before we headed out of his room.

“I love you too, despite the fact that you are wearing a Cosby sweater.”

“What is a Cosby sweater?” he asked as we headed downstairs. We found Eliza in the kitchen with a glass of water on her computer on the island.

“Hey there, Mr. Huxtable,” Eliza greeted as we walked in the room.

“What the hell?”

“You’ve got a Cosby sweater on dude.”

“Told ya,” I said as I stuck my tongue out at him.

“I think my jumper looks cozy and wonderful.”

“Joe, your vote. Cosby sweater or cozy and wonderful?” She turned the laptop so the FaceTime conversation she was having with Joe was focused on us.

“Full on, 100% Cosby sweater.” Joe started to laugh and that’s when I heard Nick and Kammi in the background.

“Cosby sweater?” Kammi asked.

“I need to see this sweater,” Nick added. They jumped into view of the camera.

“Oh that is one beautiful Cosby sweater,” Kammi said through fits of giggles.

“What the fuck is a Cosby sweater?”

“It’s that your sweater looks like it could’ve been worn on the Cosby show, there’s a scene in High Fidelity about it, which I totally blame my Mom’s love of John Cusack on all of us being able to quote that movie.”

“Yes, blame Grace,” Joe said.

“You do look cozy though.” I looked up at him and smiled. “I like when you look cozy because it makes me want to get cozy.” I heard the gagging coming through Eliza’s computer.

“They are on another continent and still make me nauseous.” Nick enjoyed picking on us. I saw Harry flip him off before he bent down to kiss me.

“Go with thinking it’s cozy. It will make me want to just sit and snuggle you all night. Maybe bring you home and make love to you all night.”

“No complaints here.”

“If I didn’t love my mates so much and want to have you meet them I would take you up to bed right this second. You look cute.”

“I would hope so since you picked the outfit. Are you sure I shouldn’t wear a dress or skirt or something?”

“Nope. You look gorgeous and happy.” He kissed me softly. “You ready to go, EJ?”

“I am. Joe, I’ll FaceTime you when we get home.”

“Have fun tonight. Ev, don’t get too crazy you are meeting his friends for the first time.”

“I will be on my best behavior. Now don’t take the opportunity to not write and work while I’m gone. I expect demos before we leave for Mexico, Joseph.”

“Yes, boss lady!” He laughed before he and Eliza said their goodbyes. We went outside and climbed into Harry’s Range Rover and were off to go meet Gemma. We were meeting her first before meeting the rest of his friends out for dinner. I was nervous, there was no way to not be.

Here was this guy. This guy who in the little bit over a month that we’d been together I’d not spent more than 3 days apart from. That most days we didn’t go more than a long workday without seeing each other and it was rare that he didn’t send me text messages almost constantly throughout the day. Our days had grown longer as we’d been together with me working and him finally starting the writing process or at least what he could before he left for the summer. But despite that, we had grown closer. We’d meet for lunch or he’d sneak into my office to spend time with me before he works. I’d lay on the couch with my feet in his lap reading through emails and proposals while we listened to the demos I was getting from artists. And here we were now, back in his home country in the car headed to meet his older sister and his closest friends. I don’t know how he survived this with all of my friends and family. He literally met almost my entire family in a weekend when we’d been together for two weeks. He handled it like a pro. He didn’t look nervous at all, not once. He had my aunts, Nonna, Marie and most importantly, my Mother in love with him before we flew home to Los Angeles. He became best friends with my Dad and I often caught them on the phone discussing everything from when we needed to go home to Chicago for a weekend to their plans for a huge trip to Wisconsin this fall for a football game. For the first time in ages, my parents weren’t worried about me and whether I worked too much or my anxiety was getting out of hand. The conversations didn’t start with “How was your day” but rather “How are you and Harry doing?”, We were this thing that I didn’t expect.

He was so cool and calm in comparison to my crazy and neurotic. He’d been trying to convince me that there was nothing to be worried about. That his mother would love me and be so happy that her little boy had found a woman like me. That his step-father would think I was hilarious and we’d crack jokes at his expense together. That his sister and I would be fast friends and we’d miss each other more than either of us would ever miss him. That his father would be impressed by how hard I’d worked and how far I’d gotten. But most importantly he told me that they would see the way he looked at me, they would know that he loved me and that nothing else mattered. He’d told me little tidbits about each of his friends. Like despite being much older than him his two best friends were Nick and Louise, one a radio host and the other One Direction’s former hair stylist and makeup artist. He was positive that we’d get along well and I’d feel comfortable being in London more often because I’d fit into his group of friends the way he had mine.

I was much less confident about this than he was. Everyone who met him loved him. I was often the person people hated because they thought I was intentionally not paying attention to them because I was on my phone when the reality was that I was constantly afraid I'd miss an email that was important or that somehow the world would come crashing down if I stopped working for a moment. I sometimes talked too much or too fast when I was nervous and if anyone knew the way I talked to myself in my head they’d have me committed. He must’ve sensed that I was feeling off, it was this thing he’d developed. I hated it. I knew he sensed it because he grabbed my hand in his and as I turned to look at him he smiled and mouthed out ‘I love you’. I smiled back and watched as the lights changed and he took off driving again. Our hands stayed linked and I quickly snuck a picture.

everleemae: we keep this love in a photograph

We pulled to a stop on a small street. Cute shops lined both sides of the street and you could tell that above each of them were flats. He squeezed my hand tightly in his before letting go so that we could get out of the car. He stepped out before I did and as he shut the door I took a deep breath in.

“You’re gonna be okay, E. She's going to love you and she's going to see how much you love her brother. There’s no way anyone could miss that. And his family will love you for that alone, but seriously, you’re amazing. Don’t be nervous.”

“Thanks, EJ. I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d be fine. You’d do what you needed to do to make the best of this situation and enjoy having a week with your boyfriend without any of The Circus around to pick on you.”

“Thanks,” I said. I finally opened the door knowing that if we waited any longer Harry would grow concerned.

“You alright?” he asked.

“Yeah, you know how I am. Just a bit of nerves.”

“You’re gonna be great. I love you, that’s all that is gonna matter to Gem.” He bent down to kiss me. He hugged me as I saw Eliza buzz Gemma’s apartment. A window on the second floor opened and a woman with white-blond hair stuck her head out and looked down at us.

“Hey! Sorry, the intercom system is broken. I’m gonna buzz you up.”

“Thanks, Gem,” Harry called back. I saw the window shut and he kissed me again. “You’re gonna be great. Though I must admit, this woman that I’ve fallen in love with is fearless when it comes to her work. I’ve watched you prepare for meetings with men who had decades more experience than you and you never looked nervous. Here you are shaking like a leaf in my arms to meet my sister.”

“What your sister thinks about me has a much larger effect on my personal life than if the head of some studio thinks I’m a bitch.”

“Don’t be nervous, love. You love me and I love you. That’s all that matters.” I heard the door unlock and Eliza pulled it open, holding it until Harry and I made our way over. He held my hand as we walked up the stairs. We made it to the landing on the second floor as the door flew open. The woman who had stuck her head out of the window threw her arms around Harry. It was his sister, Gemma. He’d shown me photographs of her and told me a lot about them while they were growing up and the friendship they’d developed as adults. “Hey Gem.”

“Hey H. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” He squeezed her tightly before breaking the hug. “Gemma this is…” Dear god, am I ready for this? I probably look like trash. I knew I should’ve curled my hair differently. “My friend Eliza. She’s tagged along to get to know Emma since she has been doing a lot for me in LA recently.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Eliza,” Gemma said shaking her hand. Harry winked at me.

“Nice to meet you too.” Harry moved so he was standing behind me and put his hands on my shoulder.

“Gem, this is Everlee, my girlfriend.” I reached my hand out to shake hers.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Gemma.”

“Likewise,” she said as she shook my hand. “Aww fuck it. I want to hug you.” She pulled me into a hug and I started to laugh. “If you haven’t figured it out with this one, we are huggers in our family.”

“He is a bit of a hugger.” I tried to laugh and not sound uncomfortable.

“I’m so glad I’m finally meeting you. He’s told me loads about you. Apparently, you’re a gift from heaven.” The slight bit of anxiety was no longer apparent in my voice as I laughed.

“He’s crazy. I’m probably a pain in his ass more than anything.”

“Gift from heaven, I’m gonna stick to that,” Harry said as he kissed the top of my head. Gemma let us into the apartment and immediately we were greeted by a tuxedo cat. “Hello, Olivia.”

“She’s adorable,” I added as I bent down to pet her a little. “I’m assuming your brother told you that he got a kitten.” I looked up at Gemma to see her smile and laugh a little.

“Yes, he had to FaceTime me so I could meet the little guy. Have you come up with a nickname for him that is less confusing than Harry?”

“I call him Kitty Harry,” Eliza replied.

“We both sort of call him Harold. It just happened that way. I’d never in a million years call your brother Harold since it isn’t his name. So the cat gets to be Harold. Speaking of Harold I should call my sister.”

“Wait…I thought you were an only child and had half brothers.” Gemma seemed confused and looked at her brother in a panic as if he’d lied to her about my family.

“Yeah, my father was married to a woman when I was younger, they’d dated for a few years before that as well. She has three daughters. The oldest and I are still extremely close. She’s watching the house while we are gone and going to check on Harold."

"Wow. How many siblings have you had over time?” Gemma asked. I started to laugh and Harry looked a bit uncomfortable. He’d obviously told her my father loved a good wedding and a bad marriage.

“Well, I have my three little brothers; Jonny, Mason, and Christopher. Then there were the step-sisters from my father’s second marriage; Rachel and the twins, Kayci and Kourtney. His third wife had two kids; Jacob and Jillian. The fourth didn’t have any but let me tell you she tried so hard to get pregnant that even I knew when she was ovulating.” Just as I expected the room laughed. I was really good at making light of the way the world viewed my father and his marriages. “He’s had some girlfriends with kids but usually they had one and were hoping he’d put a ring on it and give him a second. Oh and then there’s the current girlfriend who you mention baby to or worse bring one near her, she gets this look on her face like she might vomit. My father however really loves babies. You’d think he was going to be a grandfather with the way he talks about Rachel’s impending addition. He was the oldest of eight children; four boys and four girls. It shocks most people that I’m his only child.”

“That does seem surprising unless he hated having that many siblings,” Gemma said.

“I think if he had more than her he’d be broke,” Harry added. I stood up and turned around to look at him, giving him my best glare. “I love you.” My face scrunched a little more. “You look very pretty tonight.”

“You are so lucky I love you.”

“I am, I will admit that so easily.”

“Well, my boyfriend should be here in a few minutes. He was working a bit late today. Then we can all head out. Louise was telling me how excited Lux is to see you and the poor thing didn’t even realize she didn’t get to go to dinner tonight.”

“Why isn’t she coming?” I asked. I’d heard about Lux as well, his friend Louise’s daughter. He loved that little girl a lot judging by the way he talked about her.

“We will all be out too late for her,” Harry replied. “It’ll be okay. I figure we can stop by Lou’s tomorrow to see her. Make sure I get to visit her before we head up to see Mum.”

“When do you leave for home?” Gemma asked.

“We haven’t decided. We thought we could either drive up Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. We are doing some location scouting with the photographer Wednesday afternoon.”

“Did you hear that, Gem? We. This one actually lets me make a handful of the decisions.” We all laughed at Harry's behavior.

“That’s a good thing,” his sister replied. “It is your career after all.”

“I know. Isn’t that refreshing? MINE.”

“Such a child, you are.” Watching them banter made me happy. We eventually sat down in Gemma's living room waiting for her boyfriend to get home from work. I sent a few texts to Rachel to make sure everything was going well at home. She had stopped over before the weekly brunch she attended at her mother’s. She claimed that Harold tried to make her late. Gemma’s boyfriend, Michael, got home from work and we talked for a little while before we all climbed back into Harry’s car and headed to the restaurant that Louise had planned tonight at.

In the week leading up to our trip, I caught Harry on the phone with Louise multiple times a day to plan this dinner. I could tell he was a bit anxious about me meeting everyone, this was probably because I was usually in paranoid nutjob mode about meeting people. Harry normally found ways to make me laugh through my initial anxiety of any activity that had me on edge. Tonight he was quiet though, which meant he was a bit nervous. I could understand why. If his core group of friends in London didn’t like me our world would become incredibly difficult. I wasn’t just his girlfriend. I wasn’t his manager. I wasn’t just his roommate. We were part of everything. Everything would be messy. I reached for his hand and squeezed it in mine. He turned to look at me and he smiled brightly before bringing my hand to his lips and kissing the back of it. It was a small gesture but one he did a lot when he could tell I was feeling unsure of the situation.

It reminded me of a night about a week ago. There'd been a relatively large industry event that I needed to attend because my father was getting honored at it. I’d told Harry not to worry about joining me. I had planned on being Pops’ date because Jessica had actually managed to get work and had a night shoot. Ty had picked out my dress and had a stylist come to the office to get me ready for the event and as I walked out the door to meet my father I saw both he and Harry standing together, both of them in black suits. My father, of course, had a tie on, Harry had a black shirt that was mostly unbuttoned. I’d been so surprised that he wanted to be there for this. It was usually a boring night, I almost always tried to get out of it but Pops had asked me to be the person who introduced him so I had to not only go but talk in front of the room of people.

Harry stayed glued to my side the entire night. He expertly deflected any conversation about what he had coming up to me and my father. I told him to flaunt what he was working on when we had a moment alone and he told me that it didn’t feel right. The night was to honor my father, not feed his ego. When I walked on stage and was announced to the room I could hear Harry cheering above the claps of the rest of the room. It was that night that I realized he did the hand thing. Holding and kissing it to reassure me that he was with me. When the seasoned agents and managers in the room would make a comment about my age or that I was a woman or worse my dress, he would just squeeze my hand and kiss it ever so lightly. I realized as he did it that this was something he’d done all along, his silent way to show me that he was there to support me and that he loved me.

He pulled up in front of the restaurant and parked the car. Eliza, Michal, and Gemma all climbed out of the backseat of the car excited for dinner. Harry paused for a moment before turning to look at me.

“We got this. Right?” he asked.

“Of course. I survived meeting your sister. This is a piece of cake.” I smiled brightly, I was hoping that I could convince him I was fine because he did look nervous.

“You’re a terrible liar, love.”

“Eh, at least you know I can’t lie to you about anything that way. But really, we will be fine. You’re right. I love you. You love me. That’s all that matters. Right?”

“Right.” He leaned forward and kissed me softly, his hand resting on my cheek. As he ended the kiss he rested his forehead against mine and looked into my eyes. “I fucking love you so much.” I laughed at him.

“I fucking love you so much, too. Now let’s get out of this damn car babe.” He kissed me again, this time a little bit more passionately before we climbed out of the car and went inside.

“What bloody took you two so long?” a man with brown hair yelled. It was Nick Grimshaw, I knew this because I wasn’t dumb. I worked in the music industry. Getting an artist on his show was the goal when they were doing press in England. I also knew because he and Harry texted nearly every day and there were pictures of him in my bedroom. Ugh, did I really just call it my bedroom in my head? Yup, my bedroom. Oh well, fuck it. Let’s see what his friends think of the fact that I am living with him already. Based on what Ben and James have told me during the few dinners we’ve had all of this is completely out of character for him.

“What are you talking about?” Harry asked as he hugged Nick. “We didn’t take long at all.”

“You’re a wretched liar, mate. Now introduce me to the lady.”

“Nick Grimshaw meet Everlee Scarcello.”

“It's nice to meet you,” I said as I shook his hand. He pulled me into a hug.

“It’s nice to meet you too. You’ve kept this one in LA longer than he planned.”

“I have nothing to do with that,” I replied.

“You have everything to do with that, love.” Harry smiled as he pulled me into his side. “What can I say? She’s hard to leave behind.”

“I need to get used to it soon.” I started to pout.

“Oh don’t do that to me!” I knew Harry couldn’t resist my pout.

“You’ve learned quick.” I looked to see that it was Lou talking. We’d briefly met when she and Harry were on FaceTime a few days ago. “He can’t resist a good pout.”

“He can’t, which plays into my favor a lot. It’s nice to meet you in person, Lou.” We hugged each other before Harry pulled me back into his side.

“You as well.”

“Wait…how do you know each other already?” Grimmy asked. I could tell he was going to be a fun person to know.

“We met on FaceTime when she and Harry were planning tonight.”

“Unfair. Why didn’t I get to meet her?”

“Honestly?” Harry asked. “I thought you’d met before. She manages a lot of artists. I figured she'd accompanied a few of them to the studio.”

“Babe, I hate to break it to you but I don’t typically travel to overseas for clients who are doing promo. I send a junior agent for that.”

“She says typically because I’m special. She travels with me.”

“She’s traveling with you because she wanted to meet your family you nitwit,” Gemma said laughing. I shrugged. It was true. It was convenient that to go along with him for this photoshoot meant that I’d meet his family and friends, which seemed appropriate considering he’d met everyone in mine.

“You are exactly right, Gemma,” I replied.

“I’m hurt. Absolutely hurt, love.”

“Oh shut up.” He smiled as he bent down to kiss my temple. “I love you,” he whispered in my ear making me smile. "You're doing great.” I pinched his ass, he turned to look at me with the funniest look I’d ever seen. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Introduce me to everyone, babe.”

“Everyone, this is my girlfriend Everlee. Everlee, this is everyone.” I shook my head at him as he pulled the chair out from the table so I could sit down. I had him on one side of me and Gemma on the other. I saw Eliza had made her way next to Emma, Harry’s assistant. They’d developed a friendship over the phone and via email over the last month.

“He’s an absolute lunatic,” Gemma said as I got settled.

“Eh, I'm growing used to it. Most of the time it's at least mildly entertaining to watch.” A waiter came and took drink orders, Harry being smart ordered a bottle of wine he knew I would like for us to split.

“I’m only gonna have a glass, love. I need to make sure you and Eliza get home from dinner safely.”

“We should’ve taken a taxi or an Uber or something. You should be having fun.”

“I’ll be fine.” He reached for my hand under the table and squeezed it.

“So what have you been writing lately, Gemma?” I asked turning my attention back to Harry’s sister. He didn’t let go of my hand but turned to talk to Nick. “Harry’s shown me some of your writing, it’s incredible.”

“I’ve got a few different pieces I’m working on. I didn’t realize that sneaky brother of mine was showing off my stuff.”

“He’s incredibly proud of you. I think he misses being near you is part of why he misses London so much. I have this sick feeling that we are going to be here for the trip, I’m gonna pack to head home and he’s going to put me in a taxi with Eliza and send me off.” She laughed a bit.

“He wouldn’t do that. He seems excited about this trip to Mexico, which frankly I’m jealous. How do I get an invite?” I smiled.

“Mexico might be crazy. So many people. We travel like a village of idiots. Next year I’m putting you on the list.” I saw her smile. Shit. I said next year. That means I just admitted to my boyfriend’s older sister that I was thinking about things we’d be doing in a year. Shit. Shit. Shit. Fuck. I’m thinking about next year. Is it wildly inappropriate to pound my head on the table in the restaurant and then guzzle the bottle of wine sitting in front of me?

“You’re freaking out in there aren’t you?” she asked.

“Yes, I said next year.”

“You’re fine.” She and I were both now laughing. “To be honest, I like that you are thinking next year. You make him happy. You also clearly put up with how weird he is. He told me you’re living together already.”

“I mean not really but yes.”

“He told me how that happened,” Emma said across the table. “I told him he was being mental and he’d be lucky if he had a girlfriend after.”

“I was lucky I had a job after,” Eliza said. “I had to bring some of her stuff over. She was passed out asleep from a migraine and he was FaceTiming me picking what should be packed.”

“Absolutely mental. My brother has this odd level of confidence that possesses him to do crazy things. Moving you in his house while you were apparently on drugs administered by a doctor is rather funny.”

“It is a bit funny. Most people find it entertaining when they figure out that’s how we started living together. I feel like I would normally have had a major problem with living with someone so early but it works for us.”

“I get it,” Gemma replied. “You’re going to be spending all of the summer apart, then someday he’s gonna end up back on the road with his music. Enjoy the time together while you can. No one in the family thinks you two are being crazy. Mum sort of loves it. She’s very excited to meet you.”

“I’m so nervous about that. I mean I was nervous about meeting you because I’m an older sister, I get the job." She laughed a little. “But parents are a whole other ballgame. Your brother has all three of mine wrapped around his pinky finger. In fact, he and my Dad talk almost more than I talk to my Dad.”

“Don’t you work with your Dad?” She looked a bit confused.

“Ah, yes sort of. I work with my father. He and my Mom got divorced when I was 5. My Dad is my Mom's husband. I call my father Pops. It was something when I was that young that I just decided was going to happen and happened. Most people found it weird.”

“That's actually sweet. Harry has told me that he and your Dad have become close. He seems to love your whole family.”

“Well, Pops was a challenge at first but they go golfing at least once a week together now. I am honestly beginning to think my entire family loves your brother more than they love me.”

“Well, I will happily trade you out for him.” We did a friendly side hug and I realized that Eliza had taken a picture of us. “Now, Eliza you need to warn. Let’s pose for one instead of you sneaking one.”

“Well, that was because while Everlee may be ignoring her phone but I’m not. The Circus is curious how you’re doing.”

“Oh, my word.” I grabbed my phone from my purse and looked at it. She was right The Circus was texting like crazy.

The Circus JJ: Is she breathing? ER: Yes. NJ: Has she said anything stupid? ER: Of course. KM: Did she really let him pick out her outfit? ER: She did. He actually did a really great job. TK: No floral prints or ruffles? ER: Nope. Black jeans, black top. TK: Thank god. The last thing we need is a headline in a blog of “Harry Styles replaces Ty Kirkwood as Everlee Scarcello’s Stylist?” KM: Because a blog would know you’re her stylist T? TK: People know me! KM: Of course we do. ;) TK: I hate you. KM: So she’s handling everything ok? ER: She is. She and Gemma are getting along really well. ES: You guys are crazy. I haven’t self-destructed. HS: Yet…

“You are dead,” I said as I turned to look at him.

“You are doing great,” he replied as he leaned in and kissed me. “Don’t worry about what they are saying. Plus you wouldn’t kill me, you find me funny.”

“I do find you funny.” The rest of dinner went well. Harry's group of friends were all wonderful people and were welcoming Eliza and me to their group with open arms. At Harry's suggestion, we headed to his house with several of them for drinks. I'd grabbed myself a glass of wine and found Harry and Nick sitting together in the living room. I sat down on Harry’s lap and got comfortable. “Alright, Nick. Give me dirt on him. He’s been getting stories from my friends and family for weeks. I need some retaliation.”

“She really does. You should see the pictures her sister sent me this morning.” Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. I looked down and saw what he was talking about and shook my head. A picture of Rachel and I at one of her high school dances. I'd had a long weekend off from school, hopped a plane, bought a dress and went to homecoming with one of Rachel’s friends. The next picture was the two of us on a weekend trip the summer after I graduated from high school. I’d dyed my hair pink and attempted to have a rebellious streak before heading to college.

“Love the pink, Ev," Nick said. I laughed.

“Rachel is clearly having too much fun with this.”

“She is. This isn’t all she’s sent but the others I will keep to myself.” I shook my head again.

“I expect to see them,” I replied.

“Of course.”

Nick shared a few embarrassing stories about Harry over the years. Most of them involved him having a few too many drinks, which was something I realized he didn’t do very often. He took his work seriously and didn’t want to do anything to alter the way he could do his job. As soon as he’d started writing and working with the team he’d picked for his album the number of glasses of wine he had with me over dinner lessened. It was impressive to see someone in his position with the self-control he had. The crowd of friends cleared out early and we cleaned up a bit before heading to bed.

Message from Eliza It really is nice seeing you so happy.

The picture of us was cute. I smiled at it as I clicked to save the photo. I then quickly clicked to set my alarm for the morning. I was really going to regret having as much wine tonight as I did considering the all team lunch meeting we all have tomorrow. Harry finished in the bathroom and I saw him as he leaned against the doorway, completely naked.

“Hi,” he said. His voice was gritty, being tired was catching up with him.

“Hi,” I replied as I put my phone down on the nightstand.

“You were wonderful tonight.”

“Thank you for making the introductions go so smoothly for me.” He stalked towards the bed before getting on his knees and crawling towards me.

“Of course. I want them all to love you as much as I do.” His lips captured mine as he held himself above me with his forearms rested on either side of my body.

“You look really tired.”

“I am. But you also look incredibly sexy right now. Hard to resist a gorgeous woman lying in my bed when I know for a fact that she’s naked.”

“How do you know I’m naked?” I asked as I bit my lip. I had the covers pulled up around me.

“Your shoulders are bare.” He bent down to kiss them and then across my collarbone.

“So…”

“Well, you don’t sleep in tube tops and you’ve been becoming rather accustomed to sleeping naked recently.”

“I have been. There’s this person and he’s a terrible influence when it comes to that.” I felt the blankets slide down my skin as he pulled them back. His lips moved down and onto my breasts. My hands moved up his back and into his hair. I pulled at the long locks at the back. “I’m gonna miss this.”

“You’ve got time before you have to miss my lips on your skin,” he said. I felt his breath on my stomach and my skin erupted into goosebumps. “I was talking about your hair. It’s going to go away soon and I’m going to miss it."

“You’ve got time for that too,” he replied. He moved so he was above me making direct eye contact, his hair falling into his face. I leaned up and our lips locked. He was moving slowly tonight. Worshipping my body in a way that almost made me self-conscious. “I love you, Evie.” He said this to me nearly constantly but it felt different just now.

“I love you, Harry.” My hands rested on his cheeks pulling him back down to kiss me again. I could feel his heartbeat racing against my chest.

“Thank you for coming home with me. I am so happy you are here.” He laid next to me and started to brush my hair out of my face.

“I’m glad you invited me.”

“I would’ve brought you home after the first date if I could’ve convinced you to get on a plane with me.”

“Liar.”

“I am not lying. I would’ve brought you home immediately.”

“You are such a liar.”

“I knew there was something special about you the minute I laid eyes on you. After that first date I knew I was going to do whatever I could to make sure there was a second date and after every date, my goal is to make sure I get another. I love you more than I’ve ever loved any other woman, Evie.” His face had softened as he said it. His thumb grazed my cheek.

“I love you in a way I never dreamed was possible, Harry.” I smiled at him. “You make my life better.”

“The moment I laid eyes on you I knew you would change my life.”

I can’t even begin to say what a relief it feels to have finally gotten through this chapter and have it posted. It’s been mentally exhausting to have a case of writer’s block like I’ve had over the last two months. It’s been six weeks since I posted an update. No lie, it felt terrible. I had something in my work life that shattered my confidence about my writing skills and couldn’t manage to get my shit together to get this written. So like I said before, thank you for sticking by me.

Okay...well we’ve made it to London! We have some teases about Mexico. Evie has met Harry’s friends and his sister. She is going to be her normal neurotic nutjob self as she prepares to meet Anne in the coming days. But it’s fun to see them evolve. To know that even during this time jump of a few weeks to get them to England that things are just growing and blossoming for them. 

I’m excited for what I have in store for the next few chapters. I am going to put this out as a warning, In the Heat of Los Angeles will be coming to an end within the next several chapters. BUT I already have plans for a sequel!! I just can’t quit Harry and Evie yet. This story will come to a natural end and a sequel will pick up for them. The few people (my editor and my Mom) who know of the plans for the sequel are excited so I hope you are all willing to stick by me through the next phase of this story.

Thank you again for sticking by me. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this chapter. If you’re curious about the chapter title choice, it was seeing Ben Harper in concert this summer that started to break my writer’s block. Forever is one of my favorite songs and is so incredibly romantic. I suggest you give it a listen. 

xx AM.

P.S. I’m not sure when the next chapter of ITHOLA will come but I will hopefully not have any sort of long breaks due to a broken creative spirit.

[susantregre]

What To Do With Older Kids During Holiday Break

What to do with older kids during holiday break?  It is a question that many families are asking today…or will be asking in the next few weeks!

Here is some practical advice for what to do with older kids during holiday break from a mom of three older kids who has struggled with the concept of quality time spent with teens!

I am now the mom of 3 teenage boys.

It happened suddenly last week when my youngest turned 13.

This last year, I started working on a project that put into words, steps and systemized some of the things I have learned {the hard way} of being a mom.  Watch for that series to get started here on Kids Activities starting January 1…

And one of the things that kept coming up was quality time with teens.

In fact, one of the moms that went through the program actually wrote me and said, “I just don’t know WHAT to do with them!”

Hey, I get it.  In fact, I get it more than you can imagine!  I have spent the last decade devoted to kids activities and crafts…the type of thing you see here on the site.

Give me a 2 year old and I have 100s of ideas of ways to play!

Need ideas to keep that science-loving 5 year old busy for a few hours?

If you have run out of homemade slime recipes...I literally wrote a book for you (affiliate).

But…when it comes to a 13 y/o that rolls his eyes when a craft is suggested or a 17 y/o who seems too busy to spend time with the family, things get a little more challenging.

Activities for Older Kids Inspired by Vacationing with Teens

One of my solutions to this challenge of finding quality time activities for older kids is to draw on any experience you might have from the family vacation. I found over the years, that when the family was AWAY from home, together, with bad internet connection, it was easier.

In fact, as my boys got older, traveling got so much easier!

They started wanting to do the things I liked to do.

No more 13 hour Candyland marathons {shoot me now}!

They could participate in things that I loved to do:

rock climbing

skiing

biking

hiking

exploring more than a 100 yard trail

scuba diving

swimming

card games like poker and Rook

board games like Settlers of Catan

trying new food at a restaurant (and behaving during the WHOLE meal)

going to a movie I actually might choose

concerts

plays

escape rooms

painting classes

cooking lessons

kitchen tours or any type of tour

and so many other things that younger kids are just too young for participation…

Have you played tourist with your kids in your own town?

We live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area which has a million things to do with kids and we haven’t taken advantage of it!  All the things I have mentioned are things we have done while away.  This break, I am challenging myself to find some of those special places to take the teens that we would be delighted to visit if we found them while vacationing elsewhere!

Older Kids Still Yearn to Play

No matter how much eye-rolling and choruses of “oh mom!” I might hear from my teenagers, I try to stay confident that under all that teen angst lies the heart of a child.

Push through the resistance. <–I promise you it will be worth it.

At first, you might need to be a little sneaky.  But I truly believe that your child was given to YOU for a reason because if anyone can outsmart him, it is you.

To prove my point, I thought back to the last time one of my boys was laughing out of control.  You know the type of laugh that shakes their entire body and is completely uncontrollable.  What prompted that laugh?  It is usually rooted in simple play.  Like when the dog {our dear Panda} was intentionally “stuck” under the bed and playfully attacking anyone trying to rescue her.  Or trash-talking after a board game win.  Or when a side of the gingerbread house he had constructed just wouldn’t stay and a pile of gingerbread rubble erupted.  Or when we got lost on a trailride and ended up going in circles despite my absolute confidence we were going in the right direction.  Or when they were trying to explain Fortnite to grandma.

We all need play in our lives.

As kids our world is shaped by play.

As teenagers, play helps make sense of the world and put it in perspective.

As adults, it helps decrease stress and connect us with others.

When you are using the excuse that your teen is too grumpy or disconnected to play, you are depriving them of the very thing that could get them out of their funk.

So it is OK to push a little.  Set some expectations.  Gently demand some participation.

Ideas for Activities for Teens at Home

Traditional play activities should not be overlooked even though kids are older.  There is a sensory experience that happens when you get your hands dirty, jump around or dive into a pool that helps increase endorphins and a sense of well-being.

Think of an older version of any activity that your kid loved when they were younger.

If they loved playing with playdough, then consider suggesting baking bread together or making a batch of sugar cookies that would require rolling out of dough and decorating.

If they loved playing with LEGO bricks, then think of a building/strategy activity like one of the advanced LEGO model sets, putting a puzzle together, or playing a strategy game like Chess.  Make a gingerbread house or city!

If they loved going to the park, then find something physical you can do together outside.  Biking, hiking, snowman-making, simply taking a walk with the dog, going to the community indoor pool, finding a good trampoline park if you don’t have one in the backyard, or creating a obstacle course inside/outside and timing each other’s journey through it.

If they loved kids crafts, this one is simple.  There are so many more options for adult crafts that can work amazingly.  Knitting, crocheting, needle-point, wood-working, wreath-making, sewing, create homemade ornaments for your Christmas tree, make gifts to give this season, a trip together to a local craft supply store can open the doors to so many adventures together…

If they loved making art, again, this one is simple.  Being an artist is a life-long journey.  Experiencing different mediums, trying new techniques and honing skills is something that takes a lifetime to master and there is no reason they shouldn’t keep having that fun as a teen.  If they have always loved to draw, but never tried sculpting, that is something that you could try.  Or if they love painting, but have never tried it on ceramics, that would be an easy activity that would require very little convincing!

If they love playing video games, then put that affinity for strategy and competition to work at your kitchen table in the form of card and board games.  It is the same thing.  Don’t be intimidated by the simplicity of the game when the majority of the activity is strategy!  There is a reason that poker rooms in Las Vegas are filled with 20-30 year olds who were gamers.  They desire community and competition which both video games and card/board games can provide IRL.

How to Get Started Planning Activities for Older Kids

Create a plan of action – get out the calendar and figure out what days are best to do things outside the house and which days are best to stay at home.  For us, we are very adverse to crowds!  So, finding when less people will be visiting our desired destination would be the first thought.

One thing a day – don’t overwhelm yourself with planning or your teen with forced family time!  Start slow.  Adding just one thing each day that you will do together is plenty and can make sure they do have the required 13 hours of texting time they need.

Get teens involved in planning – remember when they were little and you gave them directed choices?  You know…do you want this apple or this carrot stick?  That is the same concept here.  You already have an outline of what the next few days will look like and this can help guide things in a direction that they are excited about (OK, tolerant of).  Let’s say that Monday you are planning something outside of the house.  You could offer three choices:  the paining class, the escape room or the science museum trip?

Take them shopping for supplies – I don’t care what age kids are, this is a good strategy.  The problem with our adult brains is that we OVER-strategize crafts and art projects with the end result in mind.  Kids and teens aren’t like that and we should encourage it.  They would do it so differently than we directed if they had the chance.  Give them that option.  Going to the craft store with an open mind and a suggested project (and budget) with their input will have you bringing home a completely different set of supplies for a completely different project that they are way more excited about.

Share the schedule from day one – don’t spring “forced” family time on them.  It will make them feel held hostage and give them a bad case of FOMO with their friends and online activities.  Setting start and end times gives them a sense of control over their schedule and is respectful of the fact that they do have things they want to do.  If there is a conflict of time, think about being flexible about changing.

Don’t give up after the first day – stick to your plan through the entire holiday.  It is ok to make changes, be flexible and adjust expectations!  Teens are a lot like two year olds…they really do thrive on schedules and family contact, but they have a really hard time seeing it or expressing it.  When you are in a routine that they start to understand, they can relax and begin to adapt to it.  If something goes poorly, stopping it short of the expected time and giving a teen a hug and “releasing” them is fine, but start over the next day.

Set realistic expectations – I know you see other family’s post on FB about how they spent the entire day in a beautiful episode of dancing through daisies followed by organic, vegan picnics and dreamcatcher creations.  There is no family on earth that actually spent their day in that manner (especially if there is gorgeous photos or videos involved).  Behind the camera were tears, a lot of messed up white clothing and 1/2 eaten sprout-infested sandwiches.  You know your family.  You know your kids.  Expect that not everything will go as planned.  Embrace that this is more about spending time WITH them and not getting whatever planned activity completed.

Above all, have fun.  You need the break too.  You need the play.  You need the connection with your kids.  And that only happens if you aren’t playing drill sergeant,  fun police or party hostess.  Be a participant in the activity!  Laugh alongside your kids.  Make mistakes.  Make it so it is easy for them to laugh at you.

Having More Fun as a Family

Life gets busy.  And if you have involved teens, that means it is a revolving door of sports, enrichment activities and time with friends.  A teen’s home base is still HOME.  They still get their confidence, resilience and perspective from their family experience.

If that family experience is only filled with coming/going, directions, corrections and schedules, they are going to miss out on gaining the coping skills it really takes to be an adult in the real world.

If that family experience is sprinkled with inside jokes, playful teasing and quality time together, they are going to gain a perspective that allows them not to take things so seriously.

The truth is, this is just something we need to do.  It won’t look perfect.  It won’t go as planned.  But the investment we make into our kids is the most important thing in life right now…and they need to have a little more fun!

What is your favorite thing to do with older kids?  Please tell me in the comments!

The post What To Do With Older Kids During Holiday Break appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

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