Chapter 12


'Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make it a new ending.'

~Maria Robinson


Astrid Hofferson panted softly, a bit dizzy after she broke away from the kiss. She was still in shock because she'd been completely caught off guard when Harry did something he'd never done to her before. They'd kissed severally in the past back when they were a couple, but he'd never initiated any of them. The way he held her, pulled her in and kissed her with so much passion that it knocked her senseless, left her defenseless, ignited sparks within her and made her yearn for more. She leaned her forehead on his, still unable to catch her breath, staring at him through her blurred vision.

She wasn't dreaming. Harry Haddock actually kissed her without any form of persuasion from her end, and it left her speechless. A million questions flooded her mind, trying to decipher the mixed signals he'd been sending since she met him again. First, he'd seemed uncomfortable with her presence the first time she walked into his office, then he'd warmed up to her to the point of flirting and making advances towards her while making it seem like he was never considering a possible relationship with her again.

That night at his office was a message that even if he was drawn to her, he was never going to risk giving up his attachment to his late wife. She'd gotten the clear message and had decided to leave, but now? She was really confused, wondering why everything had to seem like a difficult puzzle with Harry. Things just weren't ever simple with him. One moment he was reaching out, and the next he was holding back.

All she could think about was his kiss. The taste of his lips was far more than she bargained for, and one touch from him had her chest heaving.. She stared at him through glazed eyes, her pulse still pumping in her veins at a ridiculous rate. She never wanted this, she'd been mad at him a few minutes ago, and now here she was, tingling from his touch and desperate for more. She searched his eyes for some kind of explanation, hoping that this time he would be very clear about his feelings for her and define their relationship.

"What are you doing, Harry? What is this? You signed my letter already...you let me go." She started, impatient when she didn't get any words from him. He still didn't break his hold on her gaze, and held the sides of her face, brushing her cheek softly with his thumb.

"I signed your letter because you wanted me to...and not because I wanted to." The longing and passion in his eyes melted her and the desperation in his voice was clear enough to show the sincerity of his heart.

"I missed you. I missed you so much...and I never wanted you to leave in the first place."

Tears crept through the corners of her eyes still in disbelief that she was having this conversation with Harry. He was pouring his heart out to her for the very first time, and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to react to it.

"But I...I've only been in the company for two months, Harry."

He held her shoulders like her words frustrated and triggered him. "You still think this is about your job? It's not. It's about you, it's about us."

"Harry…"

"I talked with my driver, Astrid. He told me that you were in tears when he walked in on a conversation between you and me." He trailed his fingers down the sides of her face when he noticed the change in her expression. She never wanted to tell him about those words or talk to him about it. She didn't want to make him feel guilty for choosing Camilla at that point. She didn't want him to deny them or take them back for her sake, because they were all the truths that she'd never wanted to hear.

"It's okay...I'm not going to force you to tell me about it if you don't want to, I've accepted that. I just want you to know that our breakup wasn't your fault, it was mine."

Now he was saying absurd things, deviating from the truth just to make her feel better about their past. "What are you talking about? I was the one who…"

"It doesn't matter what you did. The truth is that if I had chosen to still talk to you, we would have worked it out."

"You don't know that."

"Either way, we were both wrong. I shouldn't have left you like that...not without saying goodbye. You shouldn't be the one bearing the guilt okay? So if I brought our past up or said things that hurt you, please forgive me."

"I'm not mad at you for anything, Harry."

"Then don't leave." She could see her reflection in his glistening eyes. He was almost in tears, while she'd already failed in holding back hers. "Yes, the company needs you, but it's beyond that Astrid. My daughter needs you, and I...I need you."

She needed him too. She missed him as well, even if she'd been pretending like she wasn't affected by the decision she'd made. He'd been on her mind since she walked out of Haddock limited that day. She'd cried, sulked on multiple bowls of ice cream, she'd even stayed up late, staring at his chatbox in her bed every night, waiting for him to text her again. He'd always given her his time and attention, and when she lost it, it drove her insane. She wanted to tell him she felt the same way, and that she didn't want to leave his life either, and that she'd also fallen in love with him a second time.

"In just two months you've been a lot more than just an employee to me. You've been a mother to Zia and…" He gently took her hands in his, still not breaking the eye contact he held with her. "...you've been a partner to me. I'm not willing to give that up, not now...not ever.

"You don't have to be my secretary or liaison officer. I would definitely support whatever company to decide to move to but I don't want to lose you, Astrid. I don't want to pay you visits just because my daughter wants to, but because I want to spend time with you. I'm done relying on her for excuses. I want to be able to see you every single day. I miss talking with you, laughing with you…"

"You just miss teasing me, that's all." Astrid interrupted, unable to hold back her smile.

He didn't deny it, he just nodded instantly. "I miss teasing you the most."

"I missed you too, Harry."

"So I'm begging you, Astrid…" He wiped the tears beneath her eyes with his thumb. "...please...stay."

Astrid glanced at him for a moment, studying his face. It was unbelievable how much he'd changed both physically and personality-wise to the point that she often doubted if he was truly her ex-boyfriend, Harry, the same guy who couldn't even hold her hand in public. He had never even told her of his longtime crush on her, that was something she had to figure out by herself. She remembered how shocked and happy she was when she found out about it and had tried her best to somehow get it out of him.

He was more open now, and she wished it hadn't taken him this long to do so. Her gaze flickered between his eyes and lips still in disbelief, but willing to try this one more time with him. "You still think I'm gonna leave after all that blackmail?"

"I don't know, you can be really daring at times."

"Well, it depends on whether or not there's still a spot for me in your company."

'And in your heart'

She knew most of it was filled with the memories of his late wife, and she wasn't greedy or selfish, she just hoped he could also save even the tiniest spot just for her.

"I think the vacancy was filled up already so I don't really…"

"Alright then, I'll just prepare for my interview on Monday."

"I'm kidding." Harry laughed, "You'll be moved to a much better department, with a permanent position, better benefits and…"

"Harry, calm down, I never complained about my job and position."

"I know, but I…"

"Keep to our initial agreement, at least until your previous secretary returns."

"No, I want to…"

"It's okay, Harry. I want to help with the recent project. You're expecting the contractor next week, right? I have already started working with you on this, I want to see it to the end." She ran her fingers through his hair, "I really don't mind."

"Thank you." He smiled, taking both her hands interweaving his fingers between hers. "Also...the ice ring...are you still down for it? Ummm...It'll be just the two of us, and I know that would make it a date and you'd stated that you aren't up for dating again, and…"

Astrid leaned in and kissed him, and he fell silent. Did he really think that she was going to reject going on a date with him? It was all she'd wanted since she fell in love with him again. She'd always hoped that he would see past the experience of their previous relationship and be willing to start over with her again.

"Yes, Harry, I would love to go on a date with you...all you had to do was ask."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"But you said no second chances."

"Well...it just means that you're good enough to be the only exception."

Harry's lips found hers again, cupping the back of her neck. He kissed her deeply, gently, and a little possessive in his touch. She felt his fingers twined in her hair, desperate to explore. She gave in, her shoulders dropping in response, and her lips rivalled his, with equal demand. When they broke apart, her breath was laboured, heart racing, but with a bright smile spread across her face.

"Wow." Her voice had dropped to a whisper, "What happened to you, Harry?"

He smirked, his hands finding their way back to her waist. "What?"

"You've changed so much. You would never kiss me this way back then if your life depended on it."

His lips quirked into a half-smile "I grew up? By the way, was that the reason you dumped me? Because Eric was a better kisser?"

Astrid shrugged, sucking in her laughter. "Probably."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"Right, because we don't want your ego getting hurt, do we?"

"By Eric? Please, try harder."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, losing herself to the power his presence held and holding back the giddiness and euphoria that was spurred through her.

"He was no match, Harry, because I was drawn to your heart. You didn't have to be like him, we had a different kind of relationship."

That playful smile had returned, and his pain was gone. It was all she wanted, to somehow take his pain away and make him happy, just like he always made her.

"Wait till Zia finds out about us. I would never hear the last of it."

Astrid giggled. "Same with Neil. He'll jump into conclusions and call you his dad again."

"I'm willing to be a father to him, Astrid. If you would let me."

"You've already been a father to him and you don't even realize it. Thank you."

"So, we are really doing this again, right?"

She nodded in response. "Yeah."

"And we're gonna do it right this time."

She really hoped so, because she was willing to invest and give up everything just to make it work this time. She was a little more confident because she felt like she understood him a little better now, and that was all they both needed.

"Yeah, we are."

"I'll pick you up by seven tomorrow evening."

"And I'll be waiting...Hiccup."


"Good morning, princess," Harry said in a low tone, stroking her hair, and completely anxious about breaking the news of his relationship with Astrid. Although he was a little confident in a positive reaction, he was also completely nervous about it, hoping that she wouldn't see it in a negative light in the future and would continue to be in support of it even when she gets older.

"Hi, daddy." She sat up, immediately wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug.

"So, does it feel different being six now?"

"No, dad. I feel the same. See? Growing up does not make you bad."

"I said wait till you're sixteen, remember? You've got ten whole years to go."

"I still won't change, you'll see."

"I honestly hope you don't." Harry squeezed her tighter, "So please prove me wrong."

"I will, daddy. I promise."

"So did you enjoy your party? Or do I have to do better next year?"

"I really enjoyed it." She nodded gleefully, and he smiled, impressed at how it didn't bother her that her birthday party wasn't as lavished and big as it usually was. It didn't matter how high her expectations were, she still seemed grateful for whatever she got. It was definitely another trait from Camilla that almost made Zia her complete replica.

"I loved my dress, my cake and my presents so much."

"I'm really glad you did." Harry pulled away from the embrace, "But you didn't ask me for your present from me."

"You don't have to give me a present, Daddy."

"Why not?"

"Because you already threw me a party."

Harry chuckled. "I'm still going to give you a present because you're my princess."

"Okay. Should I close my eyes?"

"Yeah, but first, I'm gonna give you mummy's present for this year."

The sudden change in her expression scared him. He remembered the last time she'd heard him talk about her mother and his state of mind and reaction had definitely sent the wrong message. She looked at him with so much concern like she was expecting him to be sad at the mention of her mother. Despair struck him at that moment because he'd somehow let his emotions create a wall between Camilla and their daughter. It really hurt him because even if he'd decided to move on with Astrid, he still wanted Zia to keep her memories of her mother, he wouldn't dare mess with that.

"Mummy has a present for me too?"

"Of course." He brushed strands of her hair backwards away from her face. "She always has a present for you, right? Are you excited to see it?"

She nodded, and Harry was relieved when her smile slowly returned. He then pulled out one of the sixteen presents that Camilla had gotten for Zia personally before her death. It was a tradition that she'd instructed in a letter she'd written stating that the presents should be kept out of her reach and given to her each year until her eighteenth birthday. So far it had been four successful years of keeping to her request, and he'd noticed that the gifts she usually received from her mother were her most treasured belongings and the things she usually kept closest to her.

"What's it, daddy?" She sounded totally curious, although her excitement was a little lower than he'd expected. "Is it another art craft set?"

"Why don't you open it and see what's in it?"

He watched in silence, and completely nervous as she opened her present hastily. He was just as oblivious and curious as she was. Her face lit up when she pulled out a big rose gold hardcover diary with a picture of Camilla and Letizia on it. Harry remembered taking that picture at Zia's first birthday party, one of the happiest days of both their lives. Although Camilla had already been diagnosed with cancer, they hadn't let their situation ruin that day, they'd chosen to be happy for their daughter.

"Wow, daddy, it's a diary." Her excitement returned, pulling the book out of the gift bag. "Letters to Mummy." She read the words above the picture.

"Mummy wants you to write letters to her, Zia."

"Is this me? I look so little."

"It is you, you're right. It's you and mummy, on your first birthday."

"Mummy is so pretty, and I look just like her."

"I tell you that all the time, don't I? You look just like her." Harry tugged gently on her cheeks, equally impressed at the effort Camilla had put into customizing the diary. A printed hardcover of both mother and daughter and the graded quality to ensure it lasted for a long time. The pages were headed with different notes and little words of encouragement.

The inner part of the front hardcover held more pictures of her and Zia, and a card glued to the front page. Tears stung his eyes as he glanced at the pictures, but he couldn't do any of that before his daughter. It was time to celebrate the memories they'd spent with Camilla and stop dwelling on the pain of her loss.

"Look, she left you a letter, so you can keep writing back to her." Harry detached the card from the book. "Should I read it for you?"

She nodded almost instantly to Harry's surprise. "Yeah."

Harry unfolded the card holding the letter she'd written four years ago. Camilla had passed away just three days to Zia's second birthday and it had definitely ruined him from even trying to be happy for her. The first year of her death was horrific, he'd been a total wreck, losing all strength to get up and to keep living. He'd endured all that by making his daughter his main focus because she was still a reason to keep going.

He held onto the happiness his daughter brought, hoping it would be enough to keep to the promise he'd made to Camilla, and it did work...until Astrid Hofferson walked into his life again. He held in his emotions, swearing to stop giving Zia reasons to evade things that concerned her mother or talking about her.

"Hi, baby! It's mummy. Happy Birthday, my love! You're already six, Zia, and I'm so proud of you. When I first met you six years ago, all I wanted to do was hold you close to me and never let you go, but then I remembered that you were mine to keep forever." Harry swallowed hard, taking a quick glance at Zia to see her reaction, but it seemed like she was a lot more concerned about him than he was about her.

"When you were just a baby, you cried a lot. Your daddy said it was mostly because I couldn't be with you often and that you wanted to be with me all the time. Whenever you cried, I started crying too, and that somehow made you stop."

"You're growing up to be such a loving, kind, beautiful, intelligent and funny girl. Gosh, you make me laugh. I love that about you." Harry noticed that she wasn't speaking in past tense, it was in the present like she'd been with them, watching Zia grow. "Laughter will take you far in this life. You're sensitive too and cry easily when others are upset or when your feelings get hurt. We're a lot alike in that category. You drive me crazy when you're sassy or whiney. I think we share that trait, too."

"You've started school already, and I know school can be hard, but it'll probably be a piece of cake for you because of how brilliant you are. I'm excited to watch you grow and make new friends. I also know that kids can be mean, and it breaks my heart that you would have to endure those moments, but you're my little sunshine, you always shine through dark times. I'm not scared because your inner beauty and positivity would draw them towards you."

"Some nights after you've gone to sleep, I sneak back into your room. Sometimes I'll give you a quick kiss on the forehead and quietly whisper good night. Other times when I can't be with you, I always pray for you, really thankful for how I got so lucky to have you." Harry sniffed, fiercely battling with his emotions and relentlessly fighting back tears. He didn't want to give in because Zia was watching him closely, probably waiting for him to break down like he usually did. He wasn't going to do it, not this time.

"I love you, Letizia. My love for you has no boundaries. It is endless and grows stronger each day. You are a blessing to me now and forever. As you grow, I hope you'll know just how honoured I am to be your Mum."

Harry fell silent, his heart was heavy, but he tried to divert his attention to the good memories, the healing ones. He wasn't going to keep dwelling on the pain of Camilla's death but open his heart to the healing process, a journey that Astrid loved him enough to accompany him on.

Zia reached out beneath his eyes during his silence, trying to wipe away tears that hadn't fallen yet. He faked the brightest smile, taking her hands in his, and trying to assure her that he was alright.

"Please don't cry, Dad. I don't like it when you cry." The pain and hurt in her voice weakened him and almost made him break down, but he still held on.

"I'm not crying, Zia." He planted a kiss in her left palm, placing it on the side of his face. "It's your birthday, right? Your mummy and I are very happy and proud of you."

"How can I write to her? She's not here, Dad, she can't read my letters."

"Don't say that, you do love mummy, don't you?"

"Yeah, I love her so much."

"If you love her, it only means that she's right here." He pointed towards her chest. "When you love someone, they remain in your heart even if they're not with you."

"She's in my heart?"

He nodded. "She is. So whenever you're happy, or sad and you can't tell me about it, you can write a letter to mummy. She would definitely listen to you."

She smiled in response hugging the diary close to her chest even if it was a lot bigger than her hands. "I will write to her, daddy."

"So...you want to see my present for you? It's not as good as mummy's present."

"I want to see it."

He pulled out a wrapped item and she pounced on it immediately to see what Harry had gotten. He pulled out the box within the wrapper and squealed. "It's a new tablet!"

"It's an upgraded one, and it comes with an app that would help you with your spelling bee competition." He helped her as they both opened the box to reveal the item.

"Wow...It looks so cool. Thank you, dad."

"Does it beat mummy's present?"

"Nope." She grinned. "I like mummy's present better."

Harry laughed out. "I admit it. Your mother definitely gives the best presents."

"I loved Miss Astrid's present too."

"What did she get you, Zia?"

"She got me a big accessory set for my hair, cause she promised to braid my hair like hers."

Harry arched an eyebrow. "And that's somehow better than a new tablet?"

She nodded, "Yeah, way better."

"I'm really offended, Zia."

"I still love it, daddy. I don't need my flashcards anymore, and Miss Astrid also promised to help me win the spelling bee competition."

Harry bit his lower lip, his stomach knotted up as the tension he had previously returned. "About...Miss Astrid. Do you really like her that much?"

"Of course. She's my friend and I really like her."

Harry gave a faint smile as he relaxed a bit because her words eased off the tension. "I like her too...and that's why I asked her...to be my girlfriend."

"Really?!" She squealed loudly, her eyes widened and mouth popped open.

"Yeah, I did." Harry was still a bit taken back by her extreme reaction, even if he was aware of exactly what her birthday wish was. "Wow, you really like her so much, huh?"

She hugged him, squeezing him tight, and jumping with excitement. "Thank you, daddy! I didn't know you actually heard my birthday wish."

"Was that what you wished for?" Harry pretended to be oblivious to it. "Why would you wish for that? Your wish should be for yourself, Zia, not for me."

"I wished for that because I know you like Miss Astrid, and she was your girlfriend before you met mummy."

Harry's jaw dropped, as he jolted away from the embrace, staring at her in disbelief. "What?!"

"I heard you and Nana talking about it." She gave a sheepish smile. "Nana said she was your girlfriend, but she hurt you when..."

"Oh my gosh, shhh...you shouldn't be saying things like that!" Harry cut her off, panicking instantly at the numerous conversation he'd had with his mother and how many of them she was aware of. His daughter had a habit of eavesdropping on adult conversations in an effort to prove to be wiser than her age. Sometimes it was to check up on him and knew how he was dealing with her mother's death, but other times it was just baffling how she seemed to be so interested in topics that were far above her age level, whether she understood the words or not.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop sneaking in on Nana and I whenever we talk? It's disrespectful, Zia."

"I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't mean to. I was awake when you got back so I wanted to ask you to read me a bedtime story."

"You should've asked me immediately. You shouldn't have stayed to listen to our conversation, it's wrong."

"I'm sorry." Her gaze fell to the floor and her smile faded into a remorseful expression. "I won't do it again, I promise."

He picked her up in his arms and placed her on his lap. "Miss Astrid was my girlfriend, but that was a long time ago when I was a lot younger."

"When you were my age?"

"What?! Of course not! Don't even think of having a boyfriend, young lady! Not until you're twenty-five!"

"Nana said until I'm eighteen."

"And Daddy is saying until you're twenty-five! Do you understand?"

She giggled without giving him an answer, his tone sounding really amusing to her. "Eighteen."

"Twenty-five!"

"Eighteen." She burst into laughter when started a little brawl with her, rubbing his fingers at her sides in a tickle. "I won't say yes to you, dad!"

"Twenty-five! You have to agree with me, or I won't stop."

"No!" She kept fighting out of his grip, as he joined her in laughter. "Daddy! Let go!"

He stopped the brawl and wrapped his arms around her. "So, you're totally fine with Miss Astrid being my girlfriend?"

"Of course, dad. I've always wanted her to be your girlfriend...and to be my new mum."

Harry choked, "Whoa...slow down, Zia. She's just my girlfriend for now, okay?"

"But you're gonna marry her, aren't you?"

"Maybe." Harry shrugged. "If she wants to marry me, and if it's okay with you and Neil."

"And Neil would be my little brother?!"

"Yeah. I've been watching the way you love and care for him. You've been like a big sister to him and I'm so proud of you."

"I love you, daddy." She leaned into him again for a hug, resting her head on his shoulders. He smiled and kissed her hair, holding onto her tightly. He rocked her gently in his arms loving every single moment he spent with her. He was relieved that she'd been so understanding and mature enough to support his decision to move on. Just like Camilla had stated in her letter, Zia had grown up to be such a beautiful girl inside out and they were both lucky and blessed to have her.

"I love you too, princess."


"Oh my gosh! Tell me it's a date with Harry and I'll hop on the next flight back to LA right now!"

"What? You're on a vacation, Heather. You better stay put and enjoy it while it lasts." Astrid wedged her phone between her right ear and shoulder while scanning through the outfits hung up in her closet. "Looking for an excuse to ditch your parent's house?"

"Don't you dare change the subject! I leave you for just a week and suddenly you're going on a date with someone?!"

"Alright, alright. Harry asked me out on a date last night. Go nuts?"

Her predicted squeal made Astrid let out a soft chuckle. She knew her best friend all too well but was still a bit uncomfortable knowing that she might've been the reason Heather had decided to end things with Harry. Even if Heather had always rooted for her and Harry getting back together, she couldn't help but somehow feel guilty. Heather was the reason Harry came back into her life again, and Astrid needed to be sure that their friendship wasn't the reason for the backout.

"Oh my gosh, he finally did it! He was really testing my patience exceeding the limit I had given him." She replied, a lot more excited than Astrid was. "I was going to tell you about it if he hadn't spoken up."

"Spoken about what?"

"About the fact that he's fallen in love with you."

Astrid bit her lower lip, walking towards her bed. "Well...he never told me that."

"What?" The disappointment in her tone wasn't filtered at all. "So are you both going to do this again without coming clear about your feelings?"

"I don't know. He said he missed me?"

"You can miss a friend too, Astrid, that doesn't mean anything."

"He kissed me."

"Now you're talking! I was literally about to throw hands right now."

"I didn't expect him to just say that, Heather, not too soon. We have to take things slow, besides we haven't been on the date yet, hopefully, I will get it out of him then."

"You shouldn't hold back either. You love him, so you should also let him know that."

"You are okay with this, right?" Astrid hoped her sudden question wouldn't suddenly make their conversation awkward. "I know you and Harry were…"

"What? I wasn't really interested in going out with him in the first place. Remember that you were the one who convinced me to give it a chance." She replied, her words serving as the closure she needed. "It's clear that maybe the reason why I met him on that website was to bring him back to you. You still owe me a lot for all that hard work."

"Well since you're in Oregon, have you met up with my brother, Freddie? He was really excited when I'd told him about your vacation."

"Yeah, he's texted me a lot since I got here. We've got plans to meet up, I just don't understand why it took him this long to actually show his interest in me, instead of trying to make you his wingman or something."

"You're not exactly the easiest girl to talk to Heather." Astrid teased, giggling softly. "Plus Freddie is really reserved, and the distance has also been an issue for him."

"When did he tell you this?"

"Come on, he's crushed on you since he met you at our parent's wedding. Three years is a really long time, we should give him credit for it."

"And he's been single for those three years?"

"Pretty much. He's never really informed me about his relationships, and if he was in one currently, I don't think he'd want to get involved with you."

"Why couldn't he just talk to me? Three years? That's ridiculous."

"You've been in multiple relationships during those years, Heather, what did you expect him to do? I didn't even know you'd give him a chance, because you weren't serious about it."

"Well, I am now. I had a chat with him and I think we kinda...clicked?"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "The same way you clicked over every other guy on that website?"

"No, no for real, I mean it this time. Freddie just seems...different."

The tone of her voice made Astrid's lips curl into a smile. "Of course he's different, Heather, he's my brother."

"Back to you, Astrid, so are you really gonna do this? You're finally moving on from Stanley after all these years? I mean, I'm very happy about it, but I need to know if it's a decision you're going to stand by."

"Why do you have doubts? You don't think I'm serious about Harry?"

"It's not that...It's just...this isn't the first time you attempted to move on from him. He hurt you numerous times when you both were just dating and for some reason, you always kept going back. It was like you could never see yourself with anyone else."

"I was in love with Stanley, Heather, and that blinded me. Also, I'd previously lost Harry at that time and I blamed myself for being the cause of our breakup. Then I assumed that putting more work into my new relationship with Stanley would make things better."

She was a lot embarrassed at the level of her immaturity in her late teens. She wished she could go back in time because experience had taught her a whole lot. It'd taught her more about relationships, about life and love, the things that people needed to hold onto, and things that weren't worth the effort.

"But I love Harry, so Stanley is in the past now."

"And...you're finally gonna take off his engagement ring?"

"Yes...Yes, I am."


"This is ridiculous, why do I need to be blindfolded, Harry?" Astrid tripped lightly, falling back just in time to be wedged and held back up by Harry who trailed very closely behind her. He'd picked her up from her parent's house earlier, but dropped off Neil with his mother on her constant request to see him. Neil had also pleaded to spend the time she was going to be out on the date with Zia, claiming that he still had an extra present for her. She'd given in reluctantly, still hoping it wasn't much of a burden on Vanessa. Babysitting Zia seemed hard enough already for her.

She'd been excited, but also nervous at the same time. She and Harry had dated before, but he'd never taken her out on an official date. A visit to the ice rink was all she knew about his plans, and she'd dressed casually for it. Since it was a laid back date, she hadn't put much effort into her outfit. She already sucked at ice skating and would probably fall flat and send Harry to the floor with her, and it was a pretty interesting way to land a first date.

He clutched her arm to steady her, and colour drained from her cheeks. Softening his hold, he absently grazed her skin with his thumb, then ducked his head, voice falling into a whisper. "Careful. I can't guarantee that I'll catch you the second time."

Even if she was blindfolded, the aroma of his cologne was as comforting as the blackest of warm summer nights, and she giggled, ready to follow him wherever he led her.

"What's so special about the ice rink? You didn't rent it out, did you?"

"Please...that would make me so predictable."

Her curiosity spiked when she realized that the environment was very quiet, quite unusual for the Holiday ice rink at Pershing square. It was normally busy, especially at the time of their arrival in the winter season. It was also one of the most popular locations in LA so why did she need to be blindfolded to see it?

"You lied to me, Harry. We aren't at the ice rink, are we?"

"Shh...just be patient, you're gonna ruin the surprise."

"Alright. Let's hope you're not gonna throw me off a cliff."

The laughter her words drew from him made her heart soar. "Way to ruin the mood, Astrid."

"The wind is weirdly strong and it's oddly quiet."

"Just relax, we're almost there." He kept leading even further and further.

"This better not be formal, Harry. Look at what I'm putting on!"

"What's wrong with it?"

He suddenly stopped and she could hear faint whispers of his voice. "Are you talking to someone? Why did we stop? Harry?"

"Alright, I'm taking the blindfold off...jeez you whine just like my daughter does."

"Oh yeah? No wonder we get along so well."

She opened her eyes slowly in a squint, and her jaw dropped. Her view was far beyond her expectations. She was right about the wind because they'd already started sailing out to sea on a private yacht. The date setup was unbelievable, a red-themed luxury dinner setting, almost buried in roses. The reflection of the lights reflected on the water, creating sparkles around them. It was a view that seemed almost magical, each sight she took impressed her even more.

The cuisine was eye candy. The dinner table held luscious dishes like mushroom soup, bitter greens with tomatoes the size of peas, rare roast beef slices as thin as paper, noodles in a green sauce, cheese that melts on your tongue served with sweet blue grapes. Although there were roses around, she noticed a bouquet of daffodils in his hands, signalling that he never forgot anything about her, down to her favourite flower.

Her hands flew to her mouth, still dumbfounded in shock. Vanessa was right, Harry was a very expressive person. This was their first date, and he didn't have to go all out, but he did, and it was unbelievable the amount of effort, money and time he'd put into everything. She could even hear her favourite music in the background and smiled when her gaze stopped at her favourite view, the one person she'd loved the most. He seemed a bit nervous waiting patiently for her reaction, trying to hide it a little with a charming smile on his face.

"Wow. Do you always do this? for every date you go on?"

He seemed to relax right after that, now holding up that smirk that usually made him a lot more attractive to her. "Nope. It's just not any date, it's a date with you."

"Why does that make it any different?" She teased, hoping he wouldn't notice the redness in her cheeks.

"Well...this might sound crazy, but all I ever dreamed of as a child for ten years...was to go on a date with you, Astrid.."

"Why didn't you do it then?" The gentle sea breeze blew through her hair, as she struggled to push it away from her face.

He arched a brow, giving her a quizzical glance. "If I had asked you back then, would you have gone out on a date with me?"

Astrid rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? We were a couple, Harry. I wanted to go on a date with you just as much as you did. I just needed you to ask...but you never did...why?"

His gaze fell and he suddenly became silent. Astrid bit her tongue, wishing she hadn't asked him that, and should've just focused on the moment. She knew that it wasn't completely his fault, and a huge part of it was hers.

"I did." His voice was so low, and his gaze hadn't left the floor. "To the winter formal...but you never showed up."

As a young teenager in high school and the most popular athlete on the track team, Astrid had been limited to the clique of friends with similar interests and passion, which Harry was never a part of. She had noticed his name a few times at award ceremonies and was aware that he was her major academic competition throughout high school. The fact that he was nicknamed "Hiccup" was what threw her off from believing they were actually the same person, until sophomore year.

She remembered when she'd caught him almost leaving a note in her bag when they became seatmates in history class. It made her curious and suddenly picked interest in him. She then realized that "Hiccup" was actually Harry Haddock, the same guy who often beat her score in every single test they'd had before then. Being the immature and self-centred teen she was, she became envious and jealous of his performance. She'd often picked on him when he suddenly joined the track team as the waterboy, along with the rest of her friends in her circle.

She'd made him carry her around when she'd once sprained her ankle, and never got her orders straight, just so she could make him go to the vending machine twice to get her a can of soda every day. She'd done a lot of mean things but noticed that he kept coming back every single day, still choosing not to quit the team. She went far ahead as not being a team player whenever they were paired up for assignments or projects. Astrid knew that her actions frustrated him, but he never for once lashed out on her or retaliated. He always held back, chose to be silent and held his emotions inside.

His personality was a lot different from every other guy she knew and she was drawn towards it. She decided to step out of her clique and warm up to him, but unaware that she'd already developed feelings for him. It became harder to get him to open up, even more after they'd become a couple. The winter formal dance was the day she'd chosen to give up, and unfortunately the same day he'd finally decided to be the boyfriend she'd always wanted him to be.

"But still.."He started walking towards her and her stomach tightened. His gaze was tender as he moved closer to bridge the distance between them. "We dated for months and not once did I ever take you out on a real date. It was like I took you for granted when I had you, and then blamed you for choosing to walk away."

Heat travelled down her bloodstream like alcohol, drowning all inhibition she may have felt. He was so close and seeing the vulnerability in those striking green eyes, made her fall in love with him over and over again.

"Thank you, Astrid. Thank you for coming back again, for giving me another chance to make things right."In slow and careful motion, Harry cupped the sides of her face with his hands, his gaze fixed on her mouth before glancing up to lose himself in her eyes. He then brushed her lips softly with the pad of his thumb.

Astrid noticed that his words were in total contrast to what he'd told her previously at his office. This time he wasn't wishing she hadn't come into his life, he was actually thankful that she did, and it was all she needed to feel assured that they were both on the right path.

She gripped the edges of his jacket and pulled him down for a kiss. She probably ruined the flowers in his hand pressing closer to him, but she didn't care, she held on tight onto him like her life depended on it. Her fingers crept into his hair as she deepened the kiss, this time taking control to let him know how much she loved him.

"Dance with me." She wrapped her arms around his neck when she broke away, swaying slowly from side to side.

"What? Why?" He seemed confused but went with it regardless.

"You wanted to dance with me at the winter formal, right? Well, do it now."

"Uhm...I'm not much of a dancer, and I…"

She cut him off with another kiss. "Just shut up and dance with me, Harry."