Prompt: Hows about "The books that I keep by my bed are full of your stories" ? Since you left me to write then I thought I should help the cause.
What's it been - 30 years since I got this prompt? Sorry Luce - I am lazy like that.
Well this was a rather specific prompt wasn't it.
Your girlfriend brings over way to much stuff, you think as you eye the room, taking in the three pairs of shoes she's got on the floor. Did she actually pack and bring shoes? you chuckle and take a glance at the now bursting wardrobe. Holly didn't have that many clothes - but it's too crammed now anyway. You're sure if this were anyone else you were dating - you would have instantly thrown in all out the floor - just to let the other person know that they haven't won you over completely - not yet at least.
But this is Holly - the woman had you fumbling at diatoms. You're such a sucker for her little head tilt and those pleading brown eyes. Ugh.
And for the past week - she's been hauling these med-school books from her apartment to yours. Apparently one of these five ton books had an obscure bit of information crucial to a recent case and she's spent the last few days digging through these books before falling asleep on them - much to your amusement. The sight of the nerdy Holly Stewart falling asleep over her big bad medical books with her glasses on her face was a joke that you enjoyed a lot, your girlfriend - not so much.
It's late at night now - and Holly's supposed to be home soon and you're bored. Bored off messages from the gang on your phone, bored of all the lame T.V shows airing. Right now - you just want Holly to be home already so you can tease and annoy her till you fall asleep. She should be home soon though but you're too restless.
Perhaps a little read through the Doctor's boring nerdy books would make you drowsy a little bit. So you haul out the smallest book you can find - which is pretty huge itself and pull it open.
The first thing you can see is that Holly wasn't one of those people who kept their textbooks neat and tidy.
This was chaos. Utter chaos. There were notes written on every inch of free space available in four different inks, various passages highlighted in bits and pieces - random words circled and marked.
So, this is what causes migraines.
You can't understand much of it. Half's Latin scribbled with terse writing (Holly - like the doctor cliché had a handwriting only she could manage to decipher). Random doodles filled any empty space left. How did anyone make sense of it all you can't imagine.
Flipping through the pages - some are sparse with notes but most are filled with it - it feels nice to see it. Makes you feel connected to this younger version of your girlfriend - someone who grew into this sweet, awesome woman.
Turning through the pages - reading through the little notes here and there - you come across this bit of text in a roughly drawn box, darkened from being traced over and over - almost absent-mindedly.
One day it will all be worth it.
It was probably something Holly told herself when things were tense and she felt panicky - you can't help but smile as you see it.
That night when Holly was reading through the journals, with Gail asleep next to her - she was surprised to find someone's writing other than hers in it. That warm feeling she felt as she realized who had written it was the best ever.
Right below her little motto was written -
It most certainly is.