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“I always love the slow mornings with her. I love seeing her in my clothes, and smelling her on my sheets the day after she stayed over. She was everywhere, and I finally have her back.” — Excerpt from Henry Hayes’ Journal

I wake with hair against my face, but I don’t make to move—the hair belongs to my favorite girl on the planet.

I can’t believe this is real, waking up and still seeing her sleeping against my chest.

This is how I wanted to start our new beginning—the two of us tangled between the sheets of my fucking bed, her pressed against me as I run my hand through her curls.

As I look at her peaceful face and watch the rise and fall of her chest, I can’t help but feel like the luckiest fucking guy on the planet. Not only did we find our way back to one another, but she was able to prove to me she was serious about us.

I can’t help my smirk as my phone starts to ring, and I answer it so Ames doesn't wake up.

“Hello?” I didn't bother looking at who it was before I picked it up.

“Um, hi?” Mitch says across the line. “I thought we were going to write this morning?”

Oh, fuck. “I’m sorry, dude,” I whisper to him. “I totally forgot.”

“Henry?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you whispering?”

I don’t bother lying, but by his tone, he already knows what I’m about to say. “Amelia is sleeping, and I don’t want to wake her up.”

“So I take it you guys talked it out and then some last night?”

“We did,” I tell him, my smile still stuck on my face. “I’m happy, Mitch. I’m so fucking happy.”

“Good,” he says as I hear him typing. “That’s all that matters, buddy. When can I meet her?”

“I can have you over for dinner whenever you're in town again,” I tell him. “Maybe we can talk to our publishers and set up something for my next book tour?”

“That sounds perfect, Henry. Since you’re not available, I’m going to go write by myself.”

“Sorry, dude. We can figure out a schedule for our sprint sessions this weekend.”

“It’s fine, Hen. You sound different already,” he tells me. “Happier.”

“I am.”

“It’s noticeable, even just over the phone. ”

All I can do is smile as he tells me that. I know he was skeptical when I told him I was giving Amelia a second chance, but I’m glad I have him. He’s a wonderful friend.

“Thanks, Mitch.”

“Have a good morning, buddy,” he says as he hangs up. I turn my attention back to Amelia, who’s staring at me.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

“I’m mad at you,” she tells me with a tired smirk.

“Already? Wow, that has to be a record.”

“I was going to wake up before you and make you breakfast in bed with whatever I could find in your kitchen, but my plan was thwarted.”

“I’m sorry, Mills,” I say as I press a kiss to her head. “Why don’t we make something together?”

“Fine,” she grumbles. “But this isn't how I wanted to start our new chapter.”

“How did you sleep?”

“The best I have in years,” she whispers to me. “And it’s all because of you.”

I throw the covers off us and grab my shirt, walking around to where she sits in bed, putting it around her and buttoning it up. She stares back at me, her beautiful eyes shining in the low light of my bedroom.

“You know, I thought our new chapter started pretty well,” I joke as she whacks me with a pillow.

“Shut up,” she says with a laugh, the sound filtering through my ears and flooding my body.

“Come on, beautiful,” I say as I grab her hand and lead her into my kitchen. “Let's get you some coffee.”

“You always know the way to my heart, Hen.” She smiles as she sits on my counter .

“Always have and always will.” Once we’re caffeinated, I start to make some pancakes while Ames turns the playlist on from last night and connects it to my speaker, the music quietly playing in the background.

I was always worried my story would end with me being unhappy for the rest of my life.

I know there’s a phrase that says the good guys get to be happy, but I always had a hard time believing that.

I thought I was doomed to some existence where the happiness I was meant to find was simply through my books.

I always worried I’d be too busy making fictional characters happy, and I’d never achieve it.

But as I watch Amelia float around my kitchen wearing my shirt, a huge smile on both of our faces, I realize happiness isn't a stranger to me anymore.

In fact, it’s my companion as I enter this new phase of my life with her by my side.

“I’ll set the table,” she says as she grabs plates and silverware.

“Thank you.”

I plate the pancakes and grab some fruit, throwing it into a bowl before I meet her at the table. Sitting down next to her, I’m unable to stop myself from grabbing her hand and kissing her.

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” she says as I grab her a pancake. “It’s not bad, don’t worry. I just didn't get to say it last night.”

“Well, we were busy doing other things, so that’s okay.”

Her cheeks turn red at the memory of last night.

“I know communication is the most important thing going forward, at least for me it is. My mind works a lot differently than most, and it’s been less than a year of me having a diagnosis.

I'm still figuring out what works best for me, so there might be some trial and error until I solidify a routine.”

“I know, Ames,” I agree. “I want to know everything about how your brain works. It might take me some time to adjust, but I’ll do anything to help make things easier for you and that beautiful brain of yours. ”

“Thank you,” she tells me. “Support is the biggest thing I’ve needed lately. It’s been easier to manage with a routine. I drink tea now. I cut out alcohol. I feel more like myself, but some days are still a fight in my head.”

I grab her hands. “Mills, no matter what, I’m here for you. As long as we communicate about things, we’re going to be okay. I trust you to come to me when you feel scared or nervous or anything. You should trust yourself—I'm not worried about you leaving me again.”

“Because you would chase me down?”

I nod. “Always, Amelia. I’m not letting your fears get in the way of us again.”

“And I won’t either.”

“Good,” I say as I pop some fruit into my mouth. “Now, hurry up and eat so you can call Paige and debrief with her.”

The rest of our morning is filled with laughs, gossip, and Amelia’s presence all around me in my apartment. It’s the best morning I’ve had in a long time, and there are a thousand more like this to come.

My phone rings a few times, and I swear, I could bite my fingernails off as I await to tell them all about what happened last night.

Paige answers first, and eventually, Hads and Ella filter into the call .

“Good morning!” Paige smiles, and I hear Oliver groan in the background.

“God, I really haven't missed this,” he says as he gets out of bed.

“Just go have your coffee, you big grump,” Hads jokes with her brother.

“Amelia, care to explain where the hell you are?” Ella asks me. “That’s not your apartment.”

“What?” Grant shrieks as he comes into frame. “Oh my fucking God.”

“Are you…” Paige trails off before she too screams. “Holy shit!”

“Am I missing something?” Leo asks as he hears us all freak out.

“I’m turning the volume down because I know Paige and Grant are about to scream or something,” I say as I laugh. “And yes, I’m at Henry’s apartment.”

“Did you spend the night?” Ella asks, probably noticing this isn't my shirt. I sent all the girls a picture of my outfit for my surprise date night with Henry, and they agreed the sweater dress was better than the floral one I had originally.

“Ahh!” Paige squeaks.

“Love, please breathe. I don’t want you passing out from excitement again,” Oliver tells her as he returns. “Do you want some water?”

“Stop asking dumb questions, Oliver!” Grant says, his chin on Hads’ shoulder. “Amelia, tell us everything.”

While Henry is in the shower, I spill every single thing that happened last night—minus some explicit details. I do not want any of the boys to hear details about my sex life. Well, except Grant, I guess. He’s one of the girls, and I have missed being able to gossip and talk shit with him.

“It was…the best night of my entire life,” I say as I let my smile take over my face. Back in college, I would have tried to hide all these mushy and gushy feelings, but now, all I want to do is tell my friends every single thing .

It feels good being open with them, and since they have already seen us as a couple, it’s almost better. Their excitement has made me even more ecstatic about this fresh start, and I know this is where I’m meant to be.

At this phase in my life, I thought I would have had everything figured out.

But it’s so easy, isn't it? It’s easy to look to the future and assume you’ll know where you want to be in a few years.

You think you'll get there because not only do you believe in yourself, but it’s so far ahead.

How couldn't you be where you want to by then?

My life looks so different than I imagined it.

Getting to where you want to be isn't just from one point to the other. It’s a thousand small steps, a few big ones, maybe some setbacks along the way, and eventually, you might be where you thought you would be.

Or maybe your mindset changes, and you end up somewhere you never even thought existed.

I’m on a path with so much uncertainty still ahead, but deciding to come back was the best decision I never thought I would make. It was one I never saw coming, and it led me to a new beginning.

When I got on the plane to London all those years ago, I thought that would be the last time I would have to start all over, but here I am, back in the same place I once was.

Life, I’ve come to understand, doesn't have beginnings and endings, at least not finite ones.

Our friends, our family, the people we love, they live on through the stories we tell, through the memories we have of them.

Sure, relationships can end and new ones can begin, but nothing is ever truly over.

Every experience brings a new opportunity to learn, whether it's a new start or something ending. I don’t want this version of my story to end.

With these people around me, I can't imagine our love ever ending. In fact, if I think about how close we are, I’m sure our love will never end. It can’t—not when it’s this real.

“So, when can we get together and have a proper date night with all of us? And when can Henry bring me a new copy of his latest project? I’m ready to saw my arm off and give it to him if it will help him write faster.”

“No need to remove any of your limbs, Grant,” Henry says as he comes out of the shower, a towel hanging low on his waist.

“Oh, hello.” Ella winks at me through the camera as Leo rolls his eyes.

“Shit,” he says as he slides out of frame. “I didn't know it was a video call.”

“It’s okay, babe.”

“Oh my God, she called him babe!” Paige shouts. “This is the best news I could have woken up to. I am so happy for you two.”

“Thanks.” I smile as Henry locks eyes with me where I sit on his bed. “We’re happy too.”

“You two deserve it,” Hads tells me. “When is everyone able to get together? We need a group debrief.”

“Can everyone put their work schedules into the shared calendar? Then we’ll be able to see what weekend is best for everyone,” Ella says as she taps on her phone.

“I’ll send it to Henry,” I let them know.

“Thanks, Mills.” He comes over to me, now fully dressed, and presses a quick kiss to my lips before he heads for his computer. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a book to write.”

“Hell yeah, you do!” Grant shouts. “Thanks, Hen.”

“Well, I don’t want you to lose any more limbs,” he jokes. “Stay as long as you want, baby. I don’t mind the company.”

“Okay.” I smile at him, knowing I’m going to make myself comfortable with one of the hundreds of books he has on his shelves. “I’ll talk to you guys soon?”

“Thanks for the update, Ames.” Paige smiles. “I missed our morning chats. It feels like we’re in college again.”

“I’ve missed them too.”

“Bye, Amelia,” Ella and Leo say at the same time before they hang up.

“Mr. Grouch? Anything to say?” I note how quiet Oliver has been throughout this whole thing.

“Seeing you this happy is weird as fuck. Go back to being cold and annoying, or the planet is going to spin off its axis.”

I throw a smile his way. “Yeah, well, now you know how it felt watching you fall in love with Paige. You’ve gone soft, dumbass.”

Paige just sighs heavily as she looks between Oliver and the phone.

“Sorry, P,” I say.

“Sorry, my love,” Oliver says as he kisses her on the cheek. “Bye, psycho.”

“See you later, loser,” I joke. As I grab a book from Henry’s bedroom shelves, I hear him laugh to himself in the other room, probably from eavesdropping on our conversation. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Mills.”