I just want to start off by saying sorry for posting Chapter 7 twice. My exams are coming up very soon, so I most likely will only post once or twice over the next week. Thanks and review to help me improve the series!

After I met your mother part 1

Chapter VIII

Thanksgiving was quickly approaching which was on the 28th of November 2013. Lily had called me a couple of days ago, asking whether or not I'll like to go to Italy for thanksgiving. I responded yes, as the group had thanksgiving with each other for the past few years, and it was starting to become a tradition. They also said that they would like to invite Tracy, but she couldn't go because she was spending it with her family back in Washington. Robin and Barney said that they could go, because Robin was planning to go to Milan with worldwide news the week before, but she asked her boss if she could stay in Italy a bit longer and have thanksgiving with us.

The weeks coming up to thanksgiving went by very quickly. I had so much going on. Work was getting more and more intense, before the exams a few weeks before Christmas. Also, I saw Tracy every few days, and at that time, I was really considering to ask her if she wanted to move in with me. Tracy was perfect for me in every way. Even more so than Robin. We had the same sense of humour, and we both liked and disliked similar things. I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

" Ted, this is getting boring. Just get to the point." Barney told me, "Just go forward a bit to thanksgiving."

"This is my story, and I'll tell it the way I want to." I told him sternly. "Meanwhile, moving forward."

It was the night before going to Italy, and I was with Tracy in the burger shop with the red and green neon sign, and we were talking about the time when we went searching for this place, which soon afterwards branched out into many restaurants, a few years ago. "This is it." Marshall said, me telling the story.

"This burger is soooo nice it is unreal." Tracy said, inhaling her burger.

"I know right. I don't know what I'll do with out you." I told the burger with a straight face.

Tracy laughed. She then started singing to the burger, and even though she still tells me that I'm just flattering even today she is amazing. I don't know why she didn't do the vocals for her band, because her voice is breathtaking. At the end of the date we said goodbye. "Well, I guess I'll see you in a week then. Have fun in Washington. I love you so much." I told her truthfully.

"Ted, I love you so damn much I know that it is only a week, but we have been together so much over the last six months. I'm going to miss you." She told me.

We closed in for a kiss, which lasted a few minutes.

"Bye then, I'm going to catch this cab. " I told her before stepping into the cab and waving to her.

That night I took it easy because I would have to get up at 5:00AM the following morning to go to the airport.

The following morning I woke up, and headed straight to the airport. I felt relatively alone, sitting by myself before boarding. I had got used to Tracy's company over the last six months and I missed her sitting beside me. The flight was long, and I arrived at 4pm, the first to arrive, at Lily's and Marshalls in Italy. I knocked onto their very nice apartment, and around a very attractive area, people were sitting outside a nearby coffee shop and people were walking their dogs, a very relaxing area, very unlike New York. They greeted me warmly, "Ted, It's so great to see you, you're the first to arrive. Barney and Robin are scheduled to arrive in 1 hour. So, Ted, "Lily started as we sat down on a couch a few minutes later," how is it going in New York, and how's Tracy?" Lily asked casually.

"She's doing great. Her first book, which is going to come out just before Christmas has gone down extremely well with the press. They love the book; they say that it is a revelation, which it is. " I continued, " I've read it; it really changes my mindset about poverty and how it is so important to help. She can't be here unfortunately as she is with her family. " I told them. "So how are you guys doing, I guess that you must love living here. It is so great, it is so peaceful and carefree, and it is so different to New York."

"It has been amazing." Lily told me. "The neighbours are all very friendly, and there is another American couple just down the street, so we have been to brunch with them a couple of times. My job is going so great right now. I never suspected that it was going to go so well." Lily told me.

Marshall continued, "We are going to have to take you guys around Rome. We have done pretty much all of the sightseeing in Rome like the Coliseum and the Pantheon, and all that you should definitely see it. We have not spent that much time in Europe, really for 10 years, so it has been good to have a change. "

"Uhh… when do you get back again?" I asked.

" Mid- March." Marshall told me.

The conversation went on, about the past, about the present and about Tracy. Marshall and Lily were very keen of Tracy, as Lily sometimes called Tracy to see how she was doing, and they also asked her to Italy for thanksgiving. I know that they would not admit this, but they were losing Robin and Barney to Robin's job. They tried to keep in touch but Robin was so busy all of the time, they couldn't. It was sad, and things were changing in our little group.

Sorry about the short and rushed chapter today. I'm really busy at the moment, with exams and that sort of stuff so my content won't be as consistent or as good as it should be.

Please leave a review to help me make the story develop.

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