Dream Maker

"Hi."

She is really here. Finally!

Maybe I'll get some answers now.

I keep looking at her for a while longer, noticing that she was a bit uncomfortable despite her blinding smile. And what a smile it was… beautiful.

"Hi," I greeted her with a small smile as well, feeling relief that she was finally here.

Why relief? Because she was here? Because I now know more about her? Because I may find out something more? Because she was simply here? No idea.

She approached my bed carefully, slowly - like a timid lamb, "How are you?"

"Better," I grinned, "Unfortunately, they're easing up on the drugs."

"Oh, it's just baby Aspirin and cough syrup, I checked with the doctor," she chuckled.

She's funny.

"So," I smirked, "You've been checking up on me?"

And then she blushed, deeply, "Um… yeah… I mean, I have to know what's going on, you know?" She looked around uneasily, "I hope that you're not mad. But I just have to know. All of this is just too weird, I have no idea how to behave," she shook her head, "I can't explain it."

"Can't explain what?" I frowned.

"This," she motioned between me and her and then around the room, "It's like I'm missing half of myself… you're here and I see you and I'm incredibly happy that you're getting better but, at the same time, you're not here. At least, my Logan isn't here," she added softly.

My Logan.

I cleared my throat, "Well… I am here, and maybe… maybe you could tell me more about us. Maybe it will make things easier for you," I tried to offer.

She shook her head, "I don't think that's such a good idea… The doctor - "

"Screw the doctor," I stated resolutely, "I need to know some things. And maybe, if we talk… maybe I'll understand what we have."

Sitting down in the chair next to my bed, she inhaled deeply before answering, "Okay. What do you want to know?"

Yes!

"First… the basics," I stated, "Like, where do I, I mean… we, live?"

"The Taft building, right off the Old Campus. Top floor."

"Since when have we been together?"

"Officially… since January 2005."

I frowned, "Officially?"

She looked around again, "Yeah… we have been dating for a couple of months before that. Stringless."

Huh.

"Really?" I inquired. Based on everything I had heard, she doesn't seem like a stringless kind of girl.

"Really," she giggled, "You weren't big on commitment back then. I mean… we met shortly after you got back from your sailing escapades and back then you had the same mindset as you, apparently, have now. It shouldn't be a surprise."

I thought for a moment before answering, "I get that part… what I don't get is that you don't seem like that kind of girl. Am I right?"

She shook her head, "You're right," she chuckled, "You even tried to convince me back then that I wasn't a no-strings-girl. But… we liked each other. A lot. And it just happened."

"So we were just having casual sex for a while?" I tried to clarify.

Blushing deeply, she murmured, "This is weird."

"Why?"

"It's different… I mean, you were always this direct but it's different when we were together, just mere weeks ago. Now…" she started playing with her necklace, which was under her shirt until then, "Now we're strangers. You know nothing about me and yet… yet I know everything about you. And I have no clue how to deal with that."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm here, next to you and you're finally awake and I can't touch you or kiss you or hold your hand or tell you that I love you," she teared up, "I can't talk to you because you don't even remember me, it's like I never existed to you. And it kills me because we are so close usually… because we love each other unconditionally," she croaked out and lowered her head and tried to wipe her tears furiously.

Unconditionally.

To love unconditionally… What does it even mean?

I tried to soothe her, feeling bad about everything, "I wish I could help you, you know? I wish I could remember as well because I don't understand my new life and, honestly, it seems like the wildest dream I never dared to dream."

She looked up at me again, tears still streaming down her cheeks, "Just based on what you have just said, I know that my Logan is still somewhere in there."

My Logan.

Apparently I really was someone's. Hers.

"Am I usually also this sappy?" I tried to joke.

"You have your moments," she chuckled before she grew serious, "But no… generally, we're not sappy people. We have our quirks and cheesy moments, but mostly… mostly, we're just real."

Real.

I nodded with a smile, glad that the tension has lowered a bit, "So… we have a dog?"

She grinned broadly and cleared her throat from tears, "Yeah, Moose."

"How did we get to the idea of having a dog?" I inquired, "I mean… it all seems a little too domestic, right? I just can't imagine myself living that kind of life."

"Yeah… can imagine…" she nodded, "It's not that boring as it sounds, you know?"

"What?" I frowned.

"Our life together," she clarified, "It's actually pretty hectic and we went through so much together. That's why we like to have our home as peaceful and safe and loving as we can, since everything else is so hectic all the time."

Our home.

She continued then, "That's also why we decided to get a dog. My mum got one for herself after last summer and then we started talking about it and concluded that we both always wanted to have a dog. We decided on the breed and then got Moose in January. He's almost eight months now."

"What's he like?"

"Crazy," she laughed, making me laugh as well, "He's hyperactive but we are training him and he's really smart so it's going well. He loves people and hates other dogs. When we go to the park with him and he sees another dog, he just turns around and goes the other way. He ate all of our socks. Loves cheese. He's really clingy so we are having a hard time with leaving him alone at home."

I laughed along, not believing what I was hearing, "He seems like a handful."

"Oh, he definitely is…" she chuckled, "But he's the best."

"Where will he be staying now?" I asked, "I mean, can he stay with you at your new place?"

Her face fell at the mention, "Paris doesn't allow pets in the apartment so he will continue staying with my mum, where he had been since the accident."

"Will you bring him so that I can see him when I'm back home?"

"Home…" she whispered softly and then shook her head, "Yeah, I can bring him."

I looked at her for a beat longer, "I'm sorry that you're moving out… Are you sure that we can't find some kind of a solution?"

"It has to be done," she sighed sadly, "If it'll help you, then it has to be done. I mean… it feels awful but I would do just about anything for you and if this is what I have to do, then so be it."

I'll do anything for you.

"Can't you just stay in another room or something like that?" There must be a solution!

"No," she shook her head, "It's a studio apartment, there are no extra rooms."

"Oh."

"Yeah," she agreed silently, still playing with her necklace.

I just had to ask, "What's with your nervous tick with the necklace? I don't bite, you know?"

She exhaled slowly, and looked me wide-eyed, like a deer caught in the headlights, before she fingered the pendant. "It's just something I do to calm myself. It's always on me so I just got used to it."

"You wear it all the time?"

"Yeah," she nodded slowly, "You gave it to me when you said you loved me."

Wow.

"Can I see it?" I gulped.

She gazed at me for a second before unclasping it and putting it in my left hand, the closest one to her.

I inspected it closely - it was a small silver pendant in the shape of a rocket, covered with micro sapphires. I turned it around and, suddenly, all air flew out of my chest.

True love.

"The Long Morrow," I whispered to myself.

Suddenly, she sobbed, making me look at her, "Yeah."

"The rockets on the journal are also because of that, right?"

She nodded and stood up abruptly, "I just… excuse me," and she fled through the doors, leaving me with the sound of her sobs.

When she hadn't come back for almost an hour, I got worried. Really worried.

At first, I didn't notice that she was gone for that long - I was flipping the rocket pendant between my fingers, trying to wrap my mind around everything. I remember The Long Morrow episode vividly, it has always been one of my favourites from The Twilight Zone. I remember thinking about its meaning and how I had always presented it before, before I knew her. And just by that fact and this rocket that I am now holding in the palm of my hand - I know it's real.

It has to be.

As unbelievable as it sounds, it has to be real.

Because… if I had labeled what we have as true love and described it with the rocket, I know that I was right. I wouldn't have done it if it hadn't felt right.

Now… if she would just come back. And maybe I could tell her that I believe her. If it means anything, I do believe her. Which in itself is a miracle, since all of what I have found out in the past few days either made no sense or were plain unbelievable.

I tried calling her but she left her cell here, I heard ringing from her coat. Great. Where could she be?

Needing to go to the toilet, I started slowly getting up and grabbed my crutches for support. When I tried to stand up straight, one of the crutches slipped and I stumbled towards the end of the bed, hissing in pain. Jesus, how long will I be an invalid? I can't do anything on my own!

"What are you doing?" I heard her exclaim worriedly and felt her wrap her arm around my back and help me stand.

"I have to go to the toilet," I grumbled and then glared at her, "Where were you?!"

She blushed a bit before answering sheepishly, "I have been sitting outside your room for half an hour now. I just… I couldn't come in but I had to be close to you."

"Why couldn't you come in?" I asked in bewilderment, followed by a groan caused by trying to walk with the crutches.

"Because I don't know how to behave, what to do," she shook her head and tightened her arm to support me better, "I don't know how to help you get better while being with you at the same time. And it definitely doesn't help that you have no idea who I am."

We finally reached the in-suite-bathroom door and she helped me get inside, "Do you need any help?"

I spaced out during her earlier answer so I shook my head to regain some clarity, "No, I think I'm good," I smirked, "Unless you want to help me undress."

"Miscreant," she grumbled under her breath, making me roar with laughter, "Are you sure you can manage it on your own?"

She was really worried. "Yeah, I can manage. I'll just lean on one of the crutches and there is this holder on the wall," I explained confidently.

She nodded, "Let me know if you need help," and exited the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Okay, I've got this. It shouldn't be that hard, right?

Ten minutes later, I opened the bathroom door to find her standing in front of me, her eyes wide with worry.

Apparently, I was wrong. It is hard and it is complicated and I am fairly sure that I don't have a single properly functioning part of my body at the moment.

"Are you okay?" She asked with concern, wrapping her arm around me again in support.

"Yeah…" I said, "It's just harder than I thought it would be."

"You could've called me to help you," she frowned while helping me sit back on the bed.

I shook my head adamantly, "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. You don't deserve any of this and if there's any way for me to make it easier on you, I have to do it."

A small O formed on her lips before she smiled faintly, "Thank you…" she whispered before a small frown appeared on her forehead, "But… how will you manage at home? Did they organise some nurse for you?"

"No," I shook my head, "I'll manage somehow. Finn and Colin have too much to do with graduation just around the corner, Honor has already missed out on half of her honeymoon because of me and she doesn't even live in New Haven. I can't be such of a burden on anybody now. I'll take it easy and have Frank drive me to my therapies," and then something occurred to me, "I do still have Frank, right?"

She laughed lightly, "Yeah, Frank is still very much present, in fact - he drove me to the city today because I had to study."

"Really?" I wondered.

"Yeah… well, I have missed a lot at school and have a lot of catching up to do. And…" she smiled faintly at me, "I wanted to come and see how you were doing so I had him drive me so that I could study on my way here."

I contemplated what she had said before saying quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Whatever for?"

"For everything…" I tried to explain, "For all the sacrifices you had to make, continue to make… I have uprooted your whole life and I still have no idea who you actually are," time to tell the truth, "I would… I would give everything to be able to remember now, you know? Because it sounds like a beautiful life. And you… you are here and you are real and you are beautiful and I can imagine that if I had ever fallen in love with anybody it would have to be you, just based on mere glimpses that I have been given these past few days," I shrugged my shoulders, my voice strained, "So, I'm sorry."

She sniffled while looking at me with teary eyes, "No need to apologise about anything," she reassured me, "You're really lucky to be alive, everything else will get better eventually. But… as long as you're alive and getting better, it's enough for me," a tear rolled down her cheek, "Because I have no idea what I would do with myself if you hadn't survived the accident," she sat on the edge of the bed, next to me and murmured, "I don't know if I would have survived that."

I looked at her for a moment, feeling my throat close off, tension in my chest and some weird fogginess in my eyes before I reached with my hand to her face and wiped the stray tears away that were flowing easily now. "Shhh," I tried to soothe her, "I'm alive. And they're saying that I'll remember."

She looked hesitantly at me, under her eyelashes, "Can I…" she squirmed uncomfortably, "Can I hug you?"

Nodding my head slowly, I smiled, "Yeah," thinking that I could also use a hug right now. And if it helps her, then all the better. What surprised me the most was the urge I suddenly got to comfort her, to protect her. Even from myself.

Edging closer to where I was propped up by the pillows, she leaned slowly, hesitantly, until she enveloped me a hug. The moment her arms circled around me in a soft embrace, she let out a soft sigh, prompting me to envelop my arms around her as well.

So… this is what home feels like.

It's the 29th today. I'm going home tomorrow. Honor just left to go get dinner with Josh. She will be here tomorrow morning to help me get home. Honestly, I can't wait to go home… I'm hoping it will help me remember, help me give some structure to everything that has happened. As of yet, everything that I've found out seems so surreal. It would be nice to paint a more decent picture.

Talking about home… Rory was here in the morning, she stayed until afternoon but had to go back to Yale then. It was an emotionally exhausting morning. I haven't even known how exhausting feelings can become. But I wouldn't change today for anything. I needed to hear some things, see some things, experience some things.

I finally believe that I really did love her before the accident. I still have no words to describe the feeling nor I am feeling anything remotely similar. But I am confident that the old me, the real me, did love her. Like to-die-for, until-the-last-breath, loved her. Why?

That God-damned rocket.

It just proved everything I had been hearing has, in fact, been the truth. The truth that I am happy. That I have a home. A real, loving home. That I love. That I am loved.

We talked about us, about our home, about our dog. I needed that.

She hugged me. She hugged me like her life depended on it and, honestly, I think mine actually did. It was warm, it was comfortable, it was natural, it was familiar. It felt like home.

I had never thought I would get to experience something like that. I spent my whole youth running away from any semblance of feelings and intimacy, thinking that I couldn't do that. Couldn't handle that. Apparently, I can. She made me do it. She made me be, she made me live.

Even though I don't remember any of it, I am completely grateful to her. Grateful that I got to experience that kind of life, even for only less than two years.

But it had always seemed impossible. And now I know that it's not. That I can do it.

She stayed through the afternoon and we talked about her and her family. She is also a Journalism major, with a minor in Business. She is the editor of the YDN. The nickname was pretty self-explanatory when she told me this information. She grew up with her mum in a small town between Hartford and New Haven, called Stars Hollow. I now faintly remember the rumours about the run-away Gilmore daughter from ages before. Well, that's her mother.

That's why she's so different, even though she is a part of Society. Her dad has been in and out of her life since she was born but she repaired her relationship with him when his dad had died. Apparently, I was the one who urged her to repair the relationship with her father and his side of the family.

We talked for ours. She is funny, smart, intelligent. So intelligent. Eloquent. I kept finding myself transfixed by her words, her speech, her small smiles and gestures. I can see what made me fall in love with her (even though it still seems surreal). She's like a ray of sunshine in this really dark and hopeless world.

Basically, she's special. So special. If I wanted to create a fictional character like her, I don't think I would've succeeded.

In other news, I'm healing properly and on schedule. The doctor hooked me up with a physiotherapist in New Haven, as well as a psychotherapist for my amnesia. I have to come back here in a few weeks to get my cast removed.

Honor will come in the morning to help me get home, Frank will drive us. I asked Rory whether she will come as well but she said that it probably wouldn't be a good idea. Disappointed, I asked her if she was going to wait for me at home. She answered that she will if I wanted her to.

I want her to.

Frank pulled up in front of a large brownstone building. We have just driven through the Old Campus and I realised how much I had missed Yale. I realised that, in my current state of mind, I haven't been back to Yale in almost a year - since we have gone on the sailing trip. It felt good to be back. I wonder if I felt that way when we really had gotten back from the trip.

Honor helped me get out of the car, while the doorman helped Frank with my luggage. We made our way to the elevator and then to the top floor. In front of the only door on the floor, Honor reached in her bag to retrieve the key. I frowned in question, making her shake her head sadly, "She'll come later. She thought it would be better for you to see the place yourself and then she can explain if you have any questions."

"This can't be how it goes, Hon," I shook my head while entering the apartment.

"What do you mean?" She motioned for the doorman where to put the luggage.

"I have all this life that I am missing and the only person who knows everything about it is periodically avoiding me," I exclaimed, "How am I supposed to continue without knowing anything?"

"Logan," she helped me get to the chair closest to us, "she's doing what the doctors have ordered. If they say it should help you remember sooner if you have as little contact with her as possible, then she will do just that. It's just the way she is."

"I want to remember, Hon," I said quietly.

"I know… and you will," she added confidently, "Until then, welcome to your home!" She exclaimed and motioned around, prompting me to do the same.

It's a beautiful apartment. On the opposite side of the entrance, there are large French windows lined through the whole length of the apartment. At the far back is a king-sized bed, with a separate walk-in wardrobe on the right side of it, leading to the bathroom. The bedroom section of the studio apartment is divided from the rest with giant bookshelves filled to the top with books.

She's also a bookworm. Seems I have found someone with the same affinity for books. Huh.

There was a living room section in a far right corner of the apartment, next to the bedroom, set with a comfortable-looking sofa and armchairs, followed by a whole home-cinema set-up. Some things never change.

A small office space starts where the living room ends, towards the centre of the apartment, made of a large double-sided desk. Her side and my side.

My pool-table found its place in the centre of the apartment, behind it the whole mini-bar section. Kitchen was right on the left side of it, taking up the whole left corner of the apartment, with a large centre island and high-tech appliances.

The space between the kitchen and the entrance was set up as a dining room, giving space to some other shenanigans and more storage space.

It looked lived-in. Cozy, warm, homey. I couldn't believe it.

"I actually live here?" I asked bewildered.

"Yeah," Honor chuckled, "It's beautiful, right?"

Smiling faintly, unawarely, I answered, "Yeah."

"I remember when you called me to tell me that you two were moving in together," she started casually, looking out the window, "I couldn't believe it at first. Not in the way you're thinking," she chuckled, still not looking at me, "I knew you loved each other and that it would be just a matter of time… I couldn't believe it because it meant that you would finally be getting a real and proper home. A home you built with someone you loved. And that's all I've ever wanted for you. To have somewhere where you belong."

"Hon…" I gasped, shocked by her revelation.

She turned to look at me, her eyes watery, "I mean it… when we were kids, I have always done everything I could to be your family. Sure, grandma was with us then still and we had our nannies, but you always had it a lot harder than I did. You were always pestered with various expectations, even when you were a kid. You never had the opportunity to dream, to be yourself," she shook her head, "And then they had shipped you off to various boarding schools and you built this wall around you and gave up on just being yourself. You flew through your life with the sole mission not to get attached to anything or anyone, knowing that you couldn't afford that to yourself nor to anybody else."

I understood what she was talking about, I still feel that way, even though my life is apparently not like that anymore. "It's not your fault, Hon, it had to be done. If nothing else, you were the one who has been giving me the strength to hope this whole time. The sole permission to hope."

Nodding slowly, she continued, "It's nice of you to say that. But, even I didn't have that much power nor strength to get through to you. And I had been feeling so bad about it for a long time. But then you met Rory and you started calling me more often and talking about someone named Ace and I just knew that you had started tearing down the walls around you. I was so happy for you and I couldn't wait to meet her, to see that she was really worthy of you. And when I did, it just made sense. She saw you, the real you, the you that I think that even you don't remember anymore. The little boy full of love and care, intelligent and full of life. You deserve that, Logan, more than anyone. That's why I really hope you'll remember as soon as possible."

I gulped slowly, overwhelmed by what she had said, "I really do want to remember. I thought I didn't want to, but I want to. I need to," I murmured, "Thank you, Hon, for everything."

"Anytime, baby bro," she smiled widely and approached me, "Now, let's get you situated somewhere, you should lie down. Bed or sofa?"

"Sofa," I nodded and started getting up with the help of my crutches.

"Would you like something to drink?" She asked me as I had laid down on the sofa, propped up by the pillows, "Are you hungry?"

"Just a glass of water," I answered, "We can order in later, when Finn and Colin are here."

When she left to fetch me some water, I observed the apartment a bit more, Honor's earlier words floating around my mind. It all made sense now. Well, not quite, but I have more understanding about everything now. I still don't feel it and am feeling like I am in a parallel galaxy - observing the life of my alter ego. Or primo ego?

Hearing some hustle on the other side of the entrance door, I gazed towards it, from my place on the sofa, looking above it and smiled widely when the door opened.

She is here.

Before I even got the chance to greet her, there was a loud yelp, followed by a few quieter yelps and unmistakeable paw patter heard and, before I knew it, I was attacked by a giant fluffy creature, panting and licking my face.

"Moose!" Rory exclaimed, aggravated, and came to grab him since she saw me wincing when the dog threw himself on my chest, "Down!"

The dog whimpered but did as told and sat politely on the floor, right next to my face, still licking it, making me laugh wholeheartedly. I honestly can't remember when I have laughed this much the last time. It wasn't as smart, either, since I became short of breath and pain started surging through my chest but I just couldn't stop laughing.

That's when I noticed that she was laughing as well, trying to move the dog from me to give me some air, but he just wouldn't stop.

"Let him," I managed to croak out, desperate not to end this, at least for me, introduction. It felt so natural, so fulfilling, and I didn't want it to stop. Ever.

"He'll hurt you!" She exclaimed and then reached into her jacket pocket, producing a dog-treat, "Moose! Cookie!" She said and the dog turned abruptly towards her and sat as politely as he could. Placing her right hand above his head, she commandeered, "High-five!" Making the dog tap his right paw to her hand, earning himself a cookie.

I laughed at the interaction, "A little bribery never hurt anybody."

She rolled her eyes and sat on the coffee table in front of the couch, "You taught him 'that word for a dog treat which must not be named' to corrupt him. It was your sole mission for two days to make him remember what that word meant."

"Sounds like me," I grinned, not doubting her for a second.

Looking at me while petting the dog behind his ear, she smiled softly, "Hi."

"Hi," I smiled back just as Honor brought me my glass of water.

"I see that you have met your dog doppelgänger," she grinned wickedly and went to pet him as well.

"My dog doppelgänger?" I frowned in amusement.

Laughing at the same time as Rory, Honor answered, "You'll see. He gets the mischievous and diabolical ideas from you."

"Me?" I asked innocently, feigning surprise.

"You," Rory piped in, "I was convinced for a while that you were scheming with him behind my back."

I reached to pet the dog behind his other ear, making him whimper in satisfaction and press his face into my palm, "You're a smart boy, aren't you?" I cooed, which made him lick my palm as well.

"Too smart sometimes," Rory chuckled, making Honor giggle as well.

"I'm just going to unpack some of your stuff and ring Colin and Finn," Honor excused herself.

"They'll be here in half an hour," Rory commented, "I roped Finn into getting the burgers from the Pub. And I'll unpack the stuff, since you don't know where anything goes, don't worry about that."

"Okay, thanks," Honor smiled, "I'll just go and call Josh to let him know I'll be back tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?" I frowned.

"Someone has to stay with you, Logan," she dead-panned, "You can't be alone."

"Honor, no," I shook my head decisively, "go back to the City, please. I have already cost you too much from your honeymoon period and you really shouldn't be missing out on your time with your husband because of me."

"Logan -" she tried to protest.

"Not a word about it, Honor, I mean it," I stated resolutely, "You'll eat with us and Frank will drive you back afterwards."

"But you can't stay alone."

"I'll stay," Rory piped in, making me turn my head towards her in shock, "Logan's right, Honor, you should be with Josh. And I can stay here on the sofa for a couple of days until he gets better."

I grinned widely, "I see you decided to neglect the doctor's orders."

She blushed and looked sheepishly at me, under her eyelashes, "I might have done some research and talked with some professors from the Psych department. They say there's another approach which includes setting up the normal environment, as it used to be before the memory loss occurred."

"You're a dork, aren't you?" I couldn't fight the urge to mock her, even though I felt elated by what she had said.

She is staying.

"Oh, like you aren't," she rolled her eyes, "No need to pretend now."

Touché.

She really knows me.

I nodded in surrender, "I'm happy you're staying."

She smiled blindingly at me and then looked up at Honor, "See, Hon, you can go back to Josh, I'll take care of everything. Don't make Josh hate us for keeping you away from him."

"Josh could never hate you, you're his only friend when dealing with the Huntzberger's. He worships the ground you walk on," Honor giggled and looked at me, "Logan, however, if he would just stop playing pranks on and mocking Josh, he would love him more."

I smiled at the interaction, surprised how familiar and natural it felt, but I just had to groan at her last comment, "Is Josh still as boring as he used to be? Because if he is, I'm afraid I can't give up on mocking him."

"Logan!" Rory exclaimed admonishingly while Honor slapped me lightly on my arm.

"I'd hit you harder if you weren't already hurt," Honor grumbled and marched off to the kitchen to call Josh probably.

Grinning, I asked Rory, "So, is he still boring?"

She smiled wickedly and leaned towards me, as if wanting to tell me the biggest secret, "He's still as boring as he was the first time I met him," she grinned mischievously, "But he's good for her. You Huntzberger siblings need someone to keep you grounded."

My heart soared at her mischievous approach, making me smirk in appreciation, "You mean to say that you ground me?"

"Oh," she smirked, "I do much more than that," she winked and stood up to head to the kitchen, leaving me dumbfounded by her unexpected directness.

And there it was - yet another reason why it made sense that I loved her.

Later in the evening, after Colin and Finn came and we ate, followed by Honor leaving for the City, the four of us (plus Moose, of course) decided to watch a couple of movies.

To say I was shocked by the way (and how much!) Rory ate would be an understatement. But she ate like a goddess, savouring each bite, not hesitating to eat whatever and how much she wanted. I learned about her distaste for anything healthy but the guys have informed me (behind her back, of course) about my mission of getting her to eat more healthily as well.

Now, I was still lying on the sofa, observing the people around me. Finn was snoring loudly in the armchair farthest from me, Colin was in another armchair, texting someone furiously (I wonder what that's about? I should really talk to them a bit more these days to see what's going on in their lives.)

And then, my gaze landed on a stunning brunette, curled up with Moose in the armchair closest to me, soundly sleeping. She had been an even greater surprise today. From her showing up at the apartment, offering to stay with me until I get better even though I can only imagine how much it hurts her, to her eating habits, interacting with my best friends and my sister, caring about Moose, incessantly mocking the movies that we have watched.

I gazed at her for a while longer, getting a warm, unfamiliar but, oh so reassuring, feeling in the pit of my stomach. I lost all track of time gazing at her, forgetting completely about the movie, observing her with Moose (who is a pretty large dog, by the way!) in her lap - is this really my family?

She opened her eyes slowly and our gazes connected, making the warmth in my stomach start fluttering furiously, like butterflies.

I want it to be my family.

TBC!

(Author's Note: Thanks again for your wonderful reviews on my last chapter, I hope that you have enjoyed this one as well - let me know! Surprisingly, I have nothing to add in today's note - probably because I'm finally completely back in my writing game and running off the moment I post this chapter to write the next one. I'm also working on the next chapter of "A Divine Accident" - keep your eyes open for the update coming veeeery soon your way! xo)