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welcometohetaliahell · 6 years ago

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Where They Live in Their Countries

*each of the characters more than likely have multiple homes through their countries, and even the world, but what I will be focusing on is where they most likely stay given the season/time of year.

The America’s

America: When it’s time for a new Congress to be sworn in or a new president has been elected Alfred will stay in DC from anywhere to a few weeks to the whole first year of a new presidents term depending on how he’s feeling about the way things are going. His house there is always clean and ready for him to move back in, so it has most of his stuff, because politics are crazy, and you never know when you’ll be needed. He has an apartment in New York and in Seattle which is where he spends the majority of the colder months because he knows that while it’ll be cold as hell he will at least have something to go out and do where if he spent his time in Texas he might be bored. He does, however, go to Texas and LA during the warmer months to spend some time on his ranch, part cows part dog rescue/sanctuary, and to party a bit on the West Coast and grab the latest tech and everything. Canada: Technically he has three homes throughout his country, but he spends the majority of his time between the one Ottawa and the one in Calgary when dealing with politics and social movements and everything. But he does have this cabin way up by the Northwestern Passages that he sometimes escapes to when everything with either his country or his brother or just the world, in general, becomes too much. This little cabin has the bare essentials, one bed, a small kitchen with a food fireplace, and a toilet with shower in the corner. No walls, one door, a few windows. When he goes here the boy is alone and he likes it, often he brings a few books and maybe even a caring kit or something else to do though he mostly sleeps when he’s up here and Kuma loves it he can go out a wander around without worrying about scaring humans and he’s never gotten hurt or lost. Mexico: She technically has a home just outside of San Luis Potosí near the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve but more often than not she’s traveling around her country spending time with her people, getting involved in a social movement, the culture, and trying to influence change and have a good time. She likes to keep busy but stay out of mainstream politics, she’ll go to protest and rallies but avoid political speeches and stuff because it just gives her a headache. She loves her people, not the government/politics which irritates her boss at times but she’ll just kinda disappear whenever they try to get her to stay and participate in a speech or something and she willn’t show back up for a while. She has never missed a world meeting though, she feels like her voice is more likely to be heard there versus trying to talk to her boss. Cuba: Kinda like Mexico, he technically has a home in Havana, but he very much likes to travel around his country and just hang with the people and help them out if he can. When the embargo was lifted he stayed in Havana for a while to make sure everything went smoothly and no one was getting hurt. He even did a few guided tours and all for people, but he mostly just moved about like a local and tried to be friendly and greet everyone. He’ll often stay at places that are close to the beach and have an open design because he really loves being out and about and heard prefer to fall asleep to the sound of the ocean over the roar of A/C.

Europe

Britain: Technically he still has a number of homes scattered across his former colonies, except for America, but many of them he hasn’t visited in decades – either out of worry or shame. His main house is located a short ways away from the train, which is only about a half an hour ride into London. He didn’t want to live in the heart of London because he still wanted some peace and quiet, but he wanted to be close enough that if the Queen or Parliament needed him he could be there in under an hour. He also shares a cabin with his brothers out near Inverness, Scotland – Angus actually lives there full time but once a year or so all the brother meet up and spend a week there because despite all their bickering and fighting they are family. France: He spends most of his time in his apartment in Paris, mainly because he loves waking up in the morning and going to his balcony and being able to smell the roses on the streets and the fresh baked goods and yeah. He loves the feeling of life that is there. But if it is the holiday season or he just wants to get away and have some alone time he goes out to this little Victorian-esk cottage he has out in Cluny where he can still enjoy wine and good company but with fresh air and open fields. Russia: He still lives in that same house he has lived in for centuries, it’s not run down and if it were anywhere else in Europe where there was a noticeable change in the seasons his house would look a lot less scary than it does on the outside. The inside, however, has changed many times over the years but in general, it is open and kinda fancy but like once you get used to how old the place is it’s really nice. He likes to keep the windows uncovered and there’s a fireplace in nearly every room so a lot of light. He shares this place with sisters most of the year except when tensions get high with the government and he’ll have them go back to their countries because while he knows they can’t die and so does everyone else that knows about them he, like China, has been “killed’ a few times and so he just wants to make sure they’re safe. Germany: He does have a small apartment in Berlin for business and everything but hates being there just cause of the past, he loves how it’s progressed and all but with Prussia exploring being near the place where they were once viciously separated doesn’t do him any good. His main home is in Frankfurt and he has a nice yard where all the dogs can run around and play and sometimes he’ll sit out there and work. He also has a greenhouse from Japan and Italy where he grows some cornflowers and his own potatoes, mostly he puts the snow shovels and stuff in there. He doesn’t have a basement! He has 5 rooms total in his place; his room, an office (with some of Prussia’s journals), Prussia’s room, and two spare guest rooms. It’s two stories with an attic where he keeps some of the “out of sight out of mind” kinda things from the past. He has some workout equipment in the living room but there’s a big closet downstairs that he hides it in when people come over. Italy: He has a place in Venice that he likes to go to when he just wants to drop the facade and be him, not who people think he is. But he loves his apartment in Rome, so he only goes to the home in Venice if his brothers are going there or he needs to escape. He also visits Germany a lot but has tried his best to plan those visits out and not just show up startling Germany in the middle of a fútbol match or as he’s coming home from work. Southern Italy: He tries to stay as far away from Rome as possible unless his brother drags him there or there’s an important event – there’s a little bit resentment there because of his Grandpa but also he hates how loud it gets there. He likes dividing his time between Naples and Lecce, he likes the vineyards and just chilling by the beach. He enjoys sculpture more so than his brother and so goes to a lot of those types of museums. He does share a little place in Venice with his brothers that they celebrate holidays at or escape to where the Vatican is bothering them again. Spain: He balances his time between his place and Romanos. He lives out in the countryside and really doesn’t travel into the city all that much, unless France and Prussia visit, because he likes keeping busy with gardening and music over boring meetings and paperwork. His house is also decorated with some of his artifacts from his life as a country, and he has a lot of books. He loves learning, old habits, and if the weathers bad or he’s just not feeling well he’ll sit down and read, and he gets so lost sometimes that hours will pass and suddenly Romano is there wondering why he didn’t answer his message. He also has an open plan house, but one story, where the living room and dining are pretty much the same and the kitchen is just separated by a counter/island space. His office has his guitar in it along with some recording equipment. Scotland: As mentioned he spends a good bit of the year at the brother's cabin near Inverness, he likes the quiet and the history that is around there. But he also stays in an apartment above a pub in Glasgow that he works at during the busier, tourist months of the year. He likes having something to do but he also enjoys the solitude which what Arthur uses as his excuse as to why he doesn’t let him go to any of the world meetings, saying he’ll try and start a fight. Poland: Like Germany, he chose to live away from the bigger cities of his country due to the history but also the noise. While he’s very much a people person he likes how chill Wroclaw is, plus he can have more land for horses. The outside of his place isn’t too extravagant, but the inside is completely renovated and modern. He had two, TWO, closets that separate his everyday clothes from his special event party clothes. He likes going into the city to have fun, which he often does towards to end of a work week he’s having to spend in the city. Lithuanian: He does not like the city and tries to not have to stay the night there just cause he has the weight in the air of how busy it is and everything. His house surrounded by woods and there’s a really nice river that runs near it. He often sits outside and reads and eats meals out there when it's nice. He has a two-room place, one being his bedroom and the other being his office. Poland, however, loves to drag him off to his country and spend time with him. He sometimes stays at his house and he’ll wander around the town with him loving to go to the markets and get fabric that isn’t in regular shops and such. Latvia: See Estonia. He goes back to his country when he needs to, but he hates being alone and Estonia is an internet rat so he likes to think them living together is good for both of them because he gets Estonia to eat and go outside and Estonia helps him not feel lonely. He loves his country though, he’s just still a bit unsure of what to do really. Estonia: See Latvia. He appreciates the company in his apartment. His city isn’t really loud ever, and so Latvia is calm there and he also helps him to remember that there’s more to life than working a playing online. He has helped Latvia go back and forth between their countries and he really enjoys the culture there, but Latvia is welcome to stay as long as he wants. They’re brothers and they’re still learning how to be countries and it's nice to learn together. Austria: He and Hungary share a home in Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, and he doesn’t have a place anywhere else. His bosses have no problem coming to him if they need him or just calling if he has to travel it usually isn’t for more than a few hours and if he needs to he gets a hotel room. He enjoys being by the river and surrounded by mountains, plus he just loves the old vibe the place has – there’s less noise pollution from people and more natural sounds. He has his piano is a room, that’s part library, that has windows looking out to the river and mountains with a set of huge doors that he likes to open up during the warmer months. Switzerland: He lives on a gated property because he’s super protective and maybe a bit paranoid about his safety and the safety of his sister but it’s a super nice house. It two stories with a big open floor plan for the kitchen, dining, and living room. Upstairs there is his room, his sisters, a guest room (that’s rarely used), and a nice open office area where he likes to work on his computer while his sister paints, crochets, reads, or whatever she wants to do. The dining room opens out into the backyard where there is also a nice garden that he can see from the office space. There’s also a large shed to the right side of the house where he keeps all his guns, and everything locked up but often at night, he’s in there cleaning them and such. Netherlands: So, he technically lives by himself a nice little house off a country road with a nice garden full of tulips and such, but Belgium and Luxemburg are always there, and they even have rooms at his place. He lives maybe 20 minutes or so from Amsterdam, but it looks like you’re in the middle of nowhere because there's huge fields and old houses. He likes to short drive into the city if he has a meeting and he likes being able to go back to his home that is very much his safe space and when he’s not working he likes to tend to his tulips and loves going to market to sell them but also buy a bunch of other stuff, mostly for his bunnies. Yes, he has bunnies. Belgium: See Netherlands. While she has her own room at Netherlands house and is there a good bit of the time she has an apartment in Brussels that she really likes and its super convenient for her when she has meetings, but she also loves the festivals and concerts and just being super immersed into the life of the country and the people apart of it. Luxemburg actually really likes staying with her and she even let him add his own corner to her office when he can paint and sew and stuff. Belarus: See Russia. She enjoys spending her time reading in their library, or the large living room, but also enjoys going out with her sister shopping. Her home in her country is very modest being nearly identical to the others on the street. Most of her things are at her brother's house, she loves her family and likes to stay close. Ukraine: Similar to Belarus, she mostly lives with her brother but her home in her country is much more personalized and she often returns to randomly outside of when Russia sends her away. Being older she likes her privacy and enjoys being at her brother’s house cooking and being around family, but she also enjoys curling up on her sofa at home crocheting and what not.

Nordics

Iceland: No one really knows honestly, like he could be a longtime resident in a hostel/hotel, or he could have an actual house but what is known is that he lives on the northwestern portion of the land away from all the volcanos. He does have an apartment in Reykjavík for business necessities but outside of that none of the Nordics know where he actually lives, just that its obviously a place with wifi. Norway: Kinda like Canada he has one main home and it’s in Oslo where he can ride the train anywhere else he wants/needs to go and he chose to live there for the convenience of the airport and the shopping centers and everything but he also has a place in Trondheim where he goes when he doesn’t need to worry about politics or anything and a cabin up in Alta that he and the other Nordics travel to for a little escape and to spend time together. He also sometimes travels down to Denmark’s place in Skagen to visit but that’s a secret, shhh! Finland: So, he had Sweden live together, with Sealand obviously, and they don’t live in Sweden. They live in a little town called Kemi that’s right by the Swedish border in case Sweden does have to go back over. They compromised on living there because it’s a small town perfect for Sealand but again it’s close to the border. He does rent an apartment in Helsinki when he has to go do business and more often than not Sweden in back in Stockholm so Sealand is with him. Their house in Kemi is adorable a rather spacious because that’s where the Nordics celebrate their holidays together. Denmark: He lives in Copenhagen, which seems stereotypical, but he lives there to get as close to Sweden as he can get without crosses borders just to annoy the shit out of him when they’re both there for business. He also has a place in Skagen because it has a gorgeous beach but also because that’s the closest he can get to Norway without crossing borders. He likes to travel to the cabin and spend time with Norway there. And it has an awesome port and he loves fishing on a boat in his free time, sometimes he also works at the cafes/restaurants in the town. Sweden: See Finland for where he mainly lives, but he has a place in Stockholm that he rents for when he needs to return home for business meetings and everything and he also stays with Sealand when there’s any kind of trouble with the Finnish government going but mostly he books an apartment in Stockholm for a few weeks and the returns to Kemi.

Asia

China: He lives just a little way outside of Beijing, away from the noise and a good bit of the air pollution but close enough that if he needs to he can travel to a meeting. Similar to Turkey he has relatively stayed in the same spot for close to a century but remodeled him home a number of times. Recently he has added more privacy to it with a large garden surrounding and blending into the area. He likes to sit just outside his living room with his tea and listen to the world. His house is orderly but not lacking in character. He has a number of artifacts from his long life scattered about, along with a number of books. He has a large and cozy dining area where he likes to invite over his family for the holidays. Japan: He only goes to Tokyo for conventions and works with the government/other countries. He likes his apartment there and has had to stay there for an extended period of time but whenever he can he likes to escape out to Kochi where he can enjoy the peace and quiet but also take part in the markets and festivals there. Depending on whether or not he’s spending the holidays with his family he goes back to Tokyo to join the crowd essentially, though he tries to not be alone on the holidays. South Korea: He has an apartment in Seoul and he absolutely loves it there. Fast internet, fashion, food, and lots of people. He also has immediate access to the train and the airport if he has to go anywhere. If he wants to stay somewhere else he’ll just rent the place for however long he’s gonna stay there, but he loves the noise and energy of the city while having easy access to anything and everything he could ever want or need. India: Similar to Scotland he has a small apartment above a shop he works at, selling ceramics and rugs. He loves the hustle and bustle of the market but towards the rainy seasons he goes out to the countryside and sometimes stays with the monks, meditating and helping out with the farmers. He really likes to keep busy and his boss doesn’t really bother him too often, only when he wants his to make an appearance somewhere with him as a “representative” or something, or just to remind him of when the world meetings are. When he’s in the countryside he also likes to visit the animals and make sure they’re doing alright – he hates poaching but understands the farmers need to keep their own animals safe so he does the best he can with installing fencing and such to keep the two separated.

Ottoman Family

Turkey: He lives on the same property that his house during his empire was on, just the house itself is much smaller and the yard has been turned into a garden. He hated the empty space in the huge home and so he one day demolished the whole and rebuild it – which was a shock to Hungary, Egypt, Greece, and the others who visited a few months later. But he’s happy and he likes sitting out on the back-porch area he made looking out into his garden. He likes growing his own spices for many of his dishes and there are a few fruit trees back there too. His dogs like to play in the small creek he re-directed to run through which he listens to fall asleep. He jokes that it was his mid-life crisis, but really he just wanted to change it from the empire to him now. He stays there a lot of the times, avoiding the politics of his country. Greece: I swear this man lives in the ruins of the temples of the old god’s, but he has to have an actual place because he’s always fresh and clean whenever another country shows up, but no one has an idea where he actually lives. He’s similar to Cuba, he bounces around his country enjoying to warm weather and cool breeze from the ocean, staying in hostels or sometimes with an ancient family. He lives to have sunbath i.e. nap, on the beach. Egypt: He likes to be by the Nile and lives in a very simple one-story home with a large back porch that leads to a walkway that takes him down to the waters. It helps clear his mind but also keep him connected to his past and his mothers past. He does like being close to the city so that he can enjoy the markets and go to museums and such, again keeping him rooted to his past but he likes to contemplate a lot and spends time reading and writing about his thoughts. His Pharaoh hound trails behind him and will often nudge him to remind him to eat or when it's getting late. Hungary: See Austria. While she enjoys spending time with him and their home is absolutely beautiful full of artifacts of their past but with every modern amenity, they could possibly need/want she enjoys going back to her home during the summer. Her apartment in Budapest is her little escape, her own little world, and more often than not she needs to be there during the summer anyway. She loves seeing her people and spending time with them at markets and festivals. Sometimes Austria has tagged along with her but when she really needs to be alone there he never questions her and gives her that time. She likes to bring him back a pressed flower, a trinket, or something that see-saw a few days prior that reminded her of the home she has with him.

Other

Prussia: Because of his situation (him not being a country) he tends to bounce all over the place. He’s actually gone to England and asked about his old places in his form colonies and stayed at a few of them. He likes to explore, it was one of his favorite things to do when he was an empire, and it keeps his mind busy. He also likes to add his new adventures to his journal collection. He goes to Germany’s for the holidays and stay’s there for the Spring and Summer festivals, also whenever Germany needs him to watch the dogs. But during the winter he’s gone, somewhere on the other side of the world being “The Awesome Prussia”. Australia: Again, do wild animals count? He is a most permanent resident at a animal sanctuary where he helps rehabilitate the wild animals of his home and those that can’t be released back into the wild he helps settle into residency at zoo’s or other long term care facilities where they’ll live like they were in the wild but where they’ll constantly be checked on. He rents a place when he needs to in Sydney but really if he can help it he’ll do a one-day trip there and back cause he prefers kangaroos to people. New Zealand: They’re kinda like Iceland except no one has any clue where they may even live. Some speculate they live in a hobbit hole others think they have a nice tiny apartment in the city. All that is really known is that when another country comes to visit they pop-up out of nowhere somehow always knowing exactly when and where that other country is, even if they don’t want to be noticed.

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mbcorvo-author · 5 years ago

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12/12/12 tag game

@dotr-rose-love tagged me in this game something like a week ago...and then I forgot 'til now that I didn't do it, sorry!

Since I already answered a similar game with Luciel from Beyond the Veil, this time Fabrizio and Eric will be the ones answering!

1. Where were you born? Eric: Italy Fabrizio: actually we are from the same italian region! But different towns in different provinces...

2. Is there a place you’d like to travel to? Fabrizio: I'd really love to go to Scotland, in particular Loch Ness! Eric: Greece, I think...Or to visit London's Museums. Fabrizio: Now that I'm thinking...another place I'd like to visit is Area 51, on the net I read about people going there in September an- Eric: Fabrizio no!

3. Do you have a pet? If not, would you like one? Fabrizio: Yep, but they are back home: I have two dogs and a cat. Eric: I have a cat back home.

4. Tell us sth that easily brings you to tears. Fabrizio: uhhh...I don't know? Usually sad stuff...but there are some memes and stuff that makes me laugh to tears. Eric: Doctor Who, the new series, season 5 episode 10: "Vincent and the Doctor".

5. What’s your dream or goal? Eric: completing my studies and maybe getting to work with ancient manuscripts...even a simple job in a museum or library could do for me. Fabrizio: Well, that's easy...it's of course expLORING THE SUPERNATURAL, GOING TO ALL THE PLACES BEYOND THE VEIL AND SEEING EVERYTH- Eric: Fab, please, take it down a notch. Everyone knows how you are enthusiastic about this stuff.

6. What is sth you always wanted to do/try out but have never got the chance to, so far. Eric: well...I think I always wanted to take it a bit slower with my studies, but I also have fear that I will not be able to pass all the exams if i don't put all my efforts with the study. Fabrizio: Pfft! You're freaking smart, I think you'll get your grades even without studying. Anyway, in my case...uhh there are a lot of things that I wanted to do or try but never got the chance. Maybe...one of those cliché-y dates like going to see falling stars? Eric: Really? I thought that you'll say something about paranormal or supernatural stuff. Fabrizio: well, now I have the chance to discover more about them, so those are removed from the list. And also, between falling stars you could find...aliens. Eric: oh, now that sounds like a thing more like you.

7. What’s your opinion about the writer that created you? Fabrizio: They're nice. Eric: Well...yes, more or less okay.

8. Favorite scent? Fabrizio: freshly cutted grass and grandma's lasagna! Eric: old books

9. Favorite color? Fabrizio: Dark green Eric: I don't have a favourite, I think...maybe blue?

10. Is there anyone in you’re life you’d love to change lives with, for a day? Fabrizio: I'd change my life for a day with Luciel! Or another Djinn! I'd like to see how it feels having all those powers and granting wishes and shapeshifting! Eric: ...I'd try a day as Fabrizio. He is always happy and enthusiastic about stuff and looks like it would be a day in which I won't feel stressed. Fabrizio: Aww...but, well, I don't think that being me would be that interesting.

11. If you don’t have superpowers, what’s one you’d like to have and, if you do have, is there one that you could live without? (because maybe it’s troublesome?) Fabrizio: I'd like to be able to use magic! Creating potions and using spells Eric: you know that witches have to study to do them? Fabrizio: Oh, right...I'm not good at studying, can't concentrate for too much time. You? What you'd like as a superpower? Eric: Ah, I don't know. Maybe the ability of understanding and knowing languages without spending years studying them? That would help with my studies.

12. Do you believe in love? Fabrizio: Yep! Eric: Eh, maybe? I don't really know. I'm not into it...like romantically or physically.

Not tagging since I’m a bit late for the game, same for the new answers, so if you see this and you want to do it, feel free to do so!

#corvo answers #mgcorvo-author #12/12/12 tag game #beyondtheveil wip #beyondtheveil wip characters #beyondtheveil characters #corvo writes #writing tag game

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phroyd · 6 years ago

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There are still a few things in public life that you cannot fake. You can fake photographs and you can fake news. You can fake conviction and you can fake emotions. You can fake a Twitter-petition and you can fake Facebook outrage. But you cannot fake an almighty crowd.

The numbers attending Saturday’s march for a second “people’s vote” on Brexit will no doubt be contested. The organisers claimed more than a million people were out; detractors inevitably argued a few thousand fewer. But make no mistake, for anyone who travelled to it, and shuffled along among it and who tried to find their way home after it, the Put it to the People march represented a formidable sea of humanity, and a powerful strength of feeling.

And let no one tell you that this was just a London crowd. By 10.30 at Speaker’s Corner there were people arriving for the high noon rendezvous from all corners of the country and beyond. Groups draped in the saltires of Scotland and the dragons of Wales. Anna Soubry MP was among the earliest arrivals, walking cheerfully down Park Lane through the gathering crowds with her daughter (“my security for the day”) having been forced to stay away from her home last night after death threats.

Meanwhile phones were alive with feeds and photos of people making their way from Newport and Newcastle, Carlisle and Canterbury. An entire train had been booked from Bristol, rattling along Brunel’s Great Western Railway into Paddington. There were overnight coaches from Inverness, dawn starts from Cornwall.

Some had gone more than the extra mile. Ed Sides, 63, had walked here from his home in Swansea over the past couple of weeks. I’d spoken to him on the penultimate leg of his journey, along the Grand Union Canal. “If I didn’t do something I felt I would regret it for the rest of my life,” he said, voicing the sentiment of many. Sides had tried to make the theme of his quest “walking and talking”: “When you talk to ardent Leavers and you meet them on the street, or by a riverbank where they are fishing or whatever, you find you can have a proper conversation,” he said. “And that’s something we all need to do in the coming days.”

Like many of the marchers, he felt that if nothing else walking had been a good way of avoiding the stress and frustrations of watching the news. “I thought, if I am sitting at home on Twitter for the next three weeks I am going to go insane.”

That feeling was shared by those expats who had flown in from the continent who, having been denied a vote in the first referendum, were now facing the climax of three years of painful uncertainty. Rebecca MacKian, 52, who has lived in Turin for the past 15 years, joined up with 20 others from the “British in Italy” group to be here.

“If no-deal happens then the next morning we will become what the Italian government now calls an ‘illegal resident’,” she said, a status that will affect everything about her life from driving a car to continuing to run her training business. “We have literally been working every day – 1,000 days – with each other to try to get some clarity on all of it. I never thought I would become addicted to Parliament TV, but I have.”

Jason Harris, 47, had got up at 2am to be here with his 14-year-old son Oran. They lived on the frontline of backstop territory in South Armagh, Northern Ireland, three miles from the border. Harris, a landscape designer who works on both sides of the border every week, also felt he had to be here rather than shouting at the television. “It is clear that either no deal or her deal will leave things in Northern Ireland up in the air for years,” he said. “I fear we will spend the next decades just trying to get back the freedoms we have given away.”

Like many on the march his priority had changed in the past week or so, with the options narrowing and the cliff-edge looming, and the online petition torevoke article 50 climbing towards 5 million signatures. “Revoke would now be number one, number two people’s vote,” he said. That idea had travelled in this crowd. Variations of the three Rs populated signs and banners: revoke, remain and reform.

There have been many attempts to divide the respective Leave and Remain tribes since the referendum – into somewheres and nowheres, populists and globalists, gammons and snowflakes.

One of the simplest distinctions, however, has always seemed to come down to that division between those who relish the idea of being cheek-by-jowl with people unlike themselves, and those who feel threatened by that idea. As the tide of protesters inched its way along Piccadilly toward Trafalgar Square it looked like an above-ground exhibition of what most Londoners experience below ground every day: the tolerant sharing of space with others. The people who had come to demonstrate voiced, above all, a conviction, to borrow that telling phrase from Jo Cox, “that we have more in common than that which divides us”. (Cox, it goes without saying, would have loved this event. Her killer would have loathed it.)

There had been suggestions that the march would be met by counter-demonstrations, but there were none in evidence. As the crowd first massed, with its blue and gold EU flags, I heard one or two shouts of “traitors” from those driving by. These “patriots” would have done well to talk to Brigadier Stephen Goodall, who led the “Veterans For EU” group.

Goodall will be 97 in June. He had travelled up from his home in Devon with four generations of his family including his great-granddaughter. During the war he helped to pull survivors out of the rubble of the Coventry bombing. He served in India and Burma and was awarded the Military Cross in 1945 for bravery behind enemy lines.

I had spoken to the brigadier the day before the march about his reasons for coming. “It was an easy decision,” he said. “There is not much time left for me to do anything and I just feel if we can even at this late stage get people thinking sensibly, then it will be worthwhile.” His great anxiety, as a former controller of the Slimbridge Wildlife Trust, was that our fractured politics would deflect us from the co-operative spirit required to combat climate change. “One thing that I always bear in mind from when we were in Malaya in the 1950s,” he said, “was this imperative that governance was first about reaching hearts and minds. We need politicians who think first of people,” he said, “not about their investments in the City of London.”

Goodall was pushed in his wheelchair near the head of the march, along with a brass band. It was impossible watching that sight not to make some comparisons with those few stubborn souls on the ill-fated “March to Leave”, moved to trudge along lonely hard-shoulders by Nigel Farage, only to find that he had turned up for the photo opportunity and left them to fend for themselves. Farage, alive to BBC requirements for “balance”, had returned to preach on Saturday to his handful of leaderless foot soldiers at a pub car park in Linby, Nottinghamshire: “You are the 17.4 million,” he told a crowd of 150.

As the thousands upon thousands flowed down towards Parliament Square there was, contrarily, a spirit that the Brexiters have failed over the past three years ever to begin to convey: that of creative optimism. You saw it in the 100 and more tango dancers led by Matthew Cooper, who had met in growing numbers on each of the past three protest marches, aged between 20 and 80. And in the improvised speeches on freedom given by an Emmeline Pankhurst lookalike under the statue of the suffragette. And even in the bloke flogging Donald Trump toilet rolls from a shopping trolley to stockpile should the rationing begin.

There was a very droll Britishness in the spirit that tempered any edges of anger from the many younger voices on the march. There were lots more students’ union buses than on previous marches, and among them plenty who had lost their faith in the Labour leadership to solve the crisis and deliver on its conference commitment to campaign for a second referendum.

Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on a screen. Get outside.

That brief marchers’ favourite “Oooh Jeremy Corbyn” had been replaced for several sections of this crowd by a more plaintive “Where’s Jeremy Corbyn?” The answer, perversely, was that the Labour leader was canvassing in Morecambe Bay – about as far from this event as it was symbolically possible to go.

Only one of Labour’s frontbench felt able to lend his voice to this event. Tom Watson, breaking ranks, was given something of a hero’s welcome on the speakers’ stage alongside some of those others who have emerged from the sorry parliamentary process with heads held high: Soubry, Jess Phillips, Dominic Grieve, David Lammy, Caroline Lucas; and some of those from beyond the Commons who have best articulated the cause of returning to the people to find a way through the current impasse: Michael Heseltine and Nicola Sturgeon.

Their collective message served as a reminder that when the prime minister stands up again this week and claims to speak for “the people” with her unloved deal and her fingernails-down-the-blackboard phrases about delivering Brexit, she will not speak for the million individuals who filled the wide streets and squares of the capital yesterday, or for the millions more across the country who were with them in spirit.

Watching the crowd I was reminded of a book I reviewed for this paper not long after those electoral convulsions of 2016 here and across the Atlantic. The book, On Tyranny, by the Yale historian Timothy Snyder, was a little survival guide against the digital forces of populism and the brutalist politics they promoted. Snyder called above all for a “corporeal politics” in response, for voting with paper ballots that can be counted and recounted; for face-to-face conversation, and for marching rather than online petitioning: “Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on a screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people.”

Those who did this on Saturday will no doubt be told in the coming days, as Britain determines the kind of country it will become, that they were wasting their time and effort. But this march mattered in the simple and fundamental way that mass marches always matter: as a reminder to those who make decisions in their name that democracy is not a settled state, but a shifting expression of collective will. As one little girl’s sign had it: “The people are STILL speaking”.

Phroyd

#brexit #london #protest #uk news #article 50

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scotianostra · 5 years ago

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Happy 88th Birthday veteran Scottish actress Phyllida Law, born on May 8th 1932 in Glasgow.

There is very little about her early life except she was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Megsie "Meg" and William Law, a journalist. She said once of he Glasgow upbringing “When you grow up in Glasgow with a Glaswegian granny, you’re taught that pride is a wicked thing. I still feel a bit like that." Phyllida grew up in Glasgow’s west end, just off Great Western Road, but war broke out when she was just seven and she found herself evacuated to places such as Lenzie, in Dunbartonshire, and Skelmorlie, Ayrshire.

That gave her a love for the Scots countryside which means she now splits her life between her home in London and a family cottage in Argyll. Phyllida would fit in well with the Scottish & Proud ethos, in an interview she says:

“I’m passionate about my Scots heritage. How could I not be? I can’t live without it. There’s no way I could live without those hills and it’s got to be the west coast. “I sometimes travel to Edinburgh then go up to Pittenweem or somewhere and I think to myself, ‘This isn’t Scotland.’ It’s a wonderful coastline but it’s not Scotland for me.

“When my parents lived in Glasgow they were always looking for a cottage to which they could retire. They found one in Ardentinney, so I visit that a lot.

She joined the Bristol Old Vic in 1952, from what I can gather she was first in the wardrobe department, the first pic shows her standing, from a 1952 photo. Heron screen acting credits start in 1958 and are very extensive, the pick of them are Dixon of Dock Green and a stint as the storyteller in the great children's show Jackanory in the 60's. It must have been during her time in the BBC's children's TV department she met her husband to be The Magic Roundabout narrator Eric Thompson,

Angels in the 70's and of course Taggart in the 80's as well Thomson, the variety series hosted by actress Emma Thompson in 1988, Emma just happens to be her daughter. Heartbeat, Hamish Macbeth and Dangerfield in the 90's, Waking the dead and Doctors in the noughties has kept her busy, now in her 86th year she has still been appearing on the small screen, in The Other Wife and New Tricks during the past 8 years. Film roles include She is known for her work on Much Ado About Nothing , The Time Machine and The Winter Guest.

Phyllida spends most of her time in Argyll in a house she shares with her daughter Emma. The third picture shows mother and daughter receiving honorary degrees from The Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow in 2013.

With Phyllida's advance years she is classified as 'extremely vulnerable' category in the current climate, her older daughter Emma, who lives in Italy, flew out from her home in Venice, just as the corona virus was starting to take hold in the country, arriving in Scotland in early March to look after her mother in her home in Argyll on the banks of Loch Eck. Emma has a love for Scotland too and once said of the loch ...

"I've played on its banks, picnicked on its beaches, swum in its chilly, unsalted depths, cycled round it, drunk it, got drunk near it, kissed in boats on it, got married near it and never wearied of it."

Let's hope all is well with the family.

Phyllida is still working her latest project is in post production, Then Came You, a film about a lonely widow who plans a trip around the world with her husband's ashes, to visit the places they loved in the movie also stars fellow Scots Craig Ferguson and Still Game's Ford Kiernan

#Scotland #scottish #Actress

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skz-thunderous-stays · 6 years ago

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28 Questions!

Tagged by the darling @mymakeupmaybeflaking

28 Questions

Rules: tag the person who tagged you, answer the questions, tag 20 people, love yourself

1. How tall are you? 5′5

2. What color and what style is your hair?

Shoulder Length hair which is a copper-red but my brown roots are coming through. I’m letting the colour grow out.

3. What color are your eyes?

Blue

4. Do you wear glasses?

Yeah! Been wearing them for about 9/10 years now.

5. Do you wear braces? Nope! I got the option when I was younger but I said no. If someone can’t like/love me because of my teeth well then I’m better off without them. I don’t want to fix any part of myself.

6. What is your fashion style?

Black jeans, Queen t-shirts, leather jacket and boots or leggings and a sweater.

7. Full name?

I’ll give you my first and middle name. Megan Theresa

8. When were you born?

January 14th 1999 but I have the soul of an 80 year old.

9. Where are you from and where do you live now?

I was born in a small town in the North West of England and I still live there now but I spend a lot of time living in my university accommodation which is 30 minutes away from my home town by car.

10. What school do you go to?

I go to a Performing Arts school.

11. What kind of student are you? Quiet, shy, gets their work done on time but often procrastinates..diamonds are made under pressure, darling!

12. Do you like school?

I like my friends. Do I like the forced social interaction? No..not really.

13. What are your favorite school subjects?

I used to study history until University and that is still my favourite subject.

14. Favorite TV shows?

Murdoch Mysteries, The Pacific, Midsomer Murders (Seasons 16-18), The woman in white, Triple D..and I know I’ve missed a shit ton out!

15. Favorite Movies?

Bohemian Rhapsody (10 times in cinemas..lord help me)

Meet the Robinsons

Treasure Planet

16. Favorite Books

Fever by Dee Shulman

17. Favorite pastime?

Reading, Writing, surfing youtube and I do love a good nap.

18. Do you have any regrets?

I try not to think about them but I have a few, yeah.

19. Dream job?

Stage Manager in London.

20. Would you like to get married someday? I would love to get married at some point! I would love to get married to someone who doesn’t mind that I’m obsessed with a certain cast or band and just takes me for me. Weird noises and all.

21. Would you like to have kids someday?

Maybe? I mean I’m only 20..Maybe adopt? I definitely don’t want to give birth so maybe adopt? I’d have to work on myself a lot before I do though.

22. How many?

Maybe 2?

23. Do you like shopping?

Eh. Depends.

24. What countries have you visited? Scotland, France, Italy and America twice!

25. What is the scariest nightmare you’ve ever had?

It would have to be the one where I was out shopping and we got evacuated to the shelter and I got in the shelter but the doors closed just as my parents were about to get through. 11 years later and I still haven’t forgotten it.

26. Do you have any enemies? I don’t think so.

27. Do you have a s/o?

My current s/o is my bed.

28. Do you believe in miracles? Sometimes.

Tag: Anyone who wants to do this because I don’t want to force anyone!

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valentineheaven · 7 years ago

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Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me (Jack Lowden x Reader) / Part of “The Book Of Christmas” Series

Here is the third part of my «The Book Of Christmas» series. Again a lot of love and tenderness. This magic holiday is already very close, so spend it with those you love.

Summary: You can have a wonderful and sweet relationship for a long time, but at one point, one oversight can kill all feelings. You broke up with Jack after four years of relationships. But have not you hurried? Perhaps your love is not killed? Today is Christmas and, maybe, it will help you to be together again.

Song: Elvis Presley – Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)

In all this Christmas bustle it is impossible to find any person who would be sad or upset. It seems that thanks to this festive and magical atmosphere, people simply forget about all their worries and just live wrapped up in a fairy tale. It seems that comfort and love reign everywhere.

Jack stood at the window of his apartment and looked at all this magic from a height of seventeen floors.

To him, the past few months have been incredibly bad and difficult. All this is because three months ago you broke up after four years of relationship. In truth, you were one of the most beautiful couples, your friends were jealous of your relationship. Jack loved you very much and seems to still love you.

All these several months of his thoughts were filled with thoughts of you. He tried to forget you - plunged himself into the work, filming in several films at the same time; a month lived in Scotland, every day occupying himself somehow; often met with friends in pubs and clubs - but all is useless. Thoughts about you can’t be drowned in alcohol or lost in the virgin Scottish forests. The reminder of you is everywhere. It seems that it reigns in the air - invisible, but so intoxicating.

Here he is, drunk without wine, riding on a nightly illuminated by thousands of garlands London to meet another opportunity to forget about you. Today everyone is celebrating Christmas, so Jack was invited to a gala dinner in one film company. Briefly examining, crowned with gold garlands, the streets of the British capital, Jack smiles, remembering all his memories connected with this wonderful holiday. He recalls how, in his childhood, in a cozy Scottish house with his brother, he unpacked presents; how he watched Christmas movies with you and danced surrounded by a star shining sky.

Because of all these memories of you, family and Christmas, he didn’t notice how he came to the venue for the dinner. It was a tall glass building, the last floor of which seemed to be making a hole in the innocent blue canvas of the night sky. At the entrance to the building, the paparazzi were already on duty, wishing to snatch the best shots. Jack quickly skipped past the camera clicks and entered the film company building.

The hall in which the dinner was held was almost at the top - the twentieth floor. Just stepping into this room, the guests immediately fell into the solemn atmosphere of the main holiday. In the hall there was practically no bright light, it was only lighted by light yellow overflows of floor lamps and neon lights of hung garlands. The view from the windows goes straight to the sky … It was necessary to lower your head to see the city, but it does not need anything when you see such a magical view. Jack seemed to have disappeared long ago in all this splendor.

“Hey Jack!” – someone shouted loudly.

It was his old friend who works in this company. He walked over to Jack and hugged him tightly.

“As I have not seen you for a long time” – the guy said with a broad smile.

“I’m also very glad to see you” – Jack replied with a tight smile.

“You’re some kind of lost. Don’t you like it here?”

“No, I like it here: music, people and view” - said Jack, pointing to the blue cloth of the sky behind him.

“I know it’s not easy for you now, this whole bunch of work, interviews, parting with Y/N, but today all this can be left behind,” - the guy said with a smile, putting a friendly hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Besides, there are a lot of interesting people here today, many representatives of the film industry, with whom, I am sure, you will have something to talk about. And by the way …” - the guy continued to talk about something briskly, but Jack already did not listen, did not look at him.

All his attention, all the interest of his gaze at this moment was chained to the girl who entered the room. To the girl in a black dress, fitting all the charms of her beautiful figure. It was you. The same you who broke up with him a few months ago, but only now you have become even more beautiful. It’s like a few months you have painted your beauty, filling it with a new life. Your face shone with beauty, so virgin and gentle that it made your image even more fragile and feminine.

You didn’t notice Jack in this whole crowd, but he noticed you long before you came in. Together with you, that intoxicating feeling that reigned everywhere, wherever Jack went, entered that hall.

“I’m sorry, I need to go” - Jack said quickly, interrupting his friend.

He didn’t know whether you think about him or not, it doesn’t matter to him. The important thing is that you are here, that he can see you. You stand at a table with snacks, holding a crystal glass of champagne in your hand, and talking to someone briskly. Jack decided to wait until you were alone to say hello to you.

He knew that he still loved you, that he needed you. All the months spent without you were the most nebulous months in his life. Everything seemed wrapped in a dense fog through which nothing could be seen. He walked, trying to cope with his thoughts about you, trying not to get lost in all this, but something pulled him back.

“Hello” - softly and sweetly you whispered in his ear.

Jack turned to you; his face was already full of a big smile.

“Hello” - also melodically and tenderly he said. “I didn’t expect to meet you here. Did you decide to work in a movie industry?”

“No, of course not” - you smiled. “I was invited by my friend - Natalie, you know, it’s incredibly stupid and boring to sit on Christmas at home alone, and it’s not possible to visit a family dinner, because the family is far away. So I gladly accepted her invitation” - you smiled sincerely, you answered Jack.

He was the same as he was before, beautiful and calm, smiling and cheerful, kind and beloved. Yes, beloved ones. After breakup with him, you went to your parents in Italy for a month, (your family is full-blooded British, but they have lived in Italy for sixteen years). But – neither the Italian nature, nor the Florentine guys, nor the work – couldn’t make you forget about this Scottish man who for four long years was the meaning of your whole life. Or maybe he still the meaning of your whole life?

“Where did you spend those four months?” - Jack asked, although he knew where you were.

“Well, I went to visit my family in September. Autumn in Italy is especially beautiful. Then for a long three months I went to work, wrote a lot of good reviews and articles, everything else as usual” - you said, taking a sip of some champagne from the glass. “And you?”

“The only place I went was Scotland, I had visited my family too, then a couple of interesting projects turned up and I started to go to the shooting, probably spent two months on all these films" - he laughed softly.

“Are you dating with anyone now?” – said you unexpectedly for both of you.

“Um …” - Jack drawled; by the expression of his embarrassed face, you realized that you shouldn’t have asked about it. “No, I’m not” - with a smile, he finally answered.

In truth, you were very much afraid of what he would say. This second pause between his words seemed to you a long time into eternity. But, having heard that he is alone, in your soul triumph has triumphed.

“And you?” - Jack asked quietly, but your attention, like the attention of everyone in the hall, was riveted to the man in a gray suit standing in another corner of the hall. Jack turned to see him.

It was the head of the film company, who arranged this dinner. He was a middle-aged man of strong build and with pleasant gray-blue eyes, which made his expression so kind. He stood against the embroidered with stars sky, holding a fragile glass in his hand, in which champagne was scattered like fireworks. The arrow on the clock slowly crawled to the number twelve on the dial, so the head of the company decided to make a festive speech.

“I know how tired you are of my long statements about the cinema and the meaning of cinema, which I tell you every single day,” - he began with a smile. “But today I’m not going to bore you with these boring conversations, especially since tomorrow we have a meeting according to plan” - in the hall there was a piercingly quiet laugh.

You watched, observing all the words that this man says. He looked like the man who had already seen a lot and who wouldn’t say foolish words.

Jack was also interested in his performance, but occasionally the glare of his eyes fell on you, watching the way you listened to the words of the head of the company.

“Today we celebrate one of the most long-awaited, most beautiful and most magical holidays of the year - Christmas. For one day we have the right to forget about everything - about work, about studies, about problems - and just enjoy all the splendor that surrounds us today. For one day we have the right to feel like children. Ask, why children?”

“Why children?” - shouted from the crowd one of the guests, interrupting the head of the company. Stone silence was deafening laughter.

“Thank you for asking, Miles, I appreciate your enthusiasm,“ - the man said with a kind smile, turning to the guy in the crowd, and continued. "Because children are, in my opinion, a symbol of Christmas, because it’s these little creatures looking up at us from the bottom up with their big clean eyes, the only ones who can make us believe in the existence of real magic, because their souls are so pure, and the hearts are so blooming that they themselves can easily act as the embodiment of magic”

All the time of his performance in the hall stood a fragile, like crystal, silence, which didn’t want to break with a single rustle. All that you heard is the loud voice of the head of the company and the intermittent breath standing next to you Jack.

"So now, when the clock arrow hits twelve, forget that you are an adult man and woman, forget that you have some worries and problems, and remember yourself as a child. Find in your heart a part of the heart that still breathes childhood, let it instantly take possession of your whole being and just believe in magic. Become the personification of a magic. Become a child and make a wish. Guess what you really want»

He finished his speech exactly when the clock struck twelve. A loud rumble broke the crystal silence and announced that it was time to believe in a miracle.

While clock continued to beat sharp sounds, there was silence in the hall, those little girls and boys stood in the hall, who, crossing their soft fingers, whispered their secret desires, knowing that they would necessarily be fulfilled.

Jack found in himself that little red-haired boy and made his wish.

"Dear Santa, bring my baby Y/N back to me” - he said with his lips, without a single sound, and opened his eyes.

“I congratulate you, friends and colleagues! Merry Christmas!” - said the head of the company and raised his glass.

“Merry Christmas!” - chorus repeated all the guests and drank their champagne.

Soft light gently plume fell to the pad in the middle of the hall, where a few minutes ago there was a crowd of bewitched listeners. Tart female voice, singing in rhythm to the slow melody, as a light mist fell on the floor, wrapping the dancing couples.

“I hope you will give me a dance?” - giving you an intoxicating smile, asked Jack.

“Of course” - you smiled and went with him towards the dance floor.

You stood in the middle of the hall, bathed in silver lights of the soffits. You haven’t danced together so long, so now you were overwhelmed with an incredible feeling. A kind of passion mixed with virgin sympathy. This feeling was read in the eyes of both of you.

With one hand Jack gently hugged your waist, and with the other hand stroking your back, occasionally touching with his cold fingers your bare shoulder and settling a kind of trembling in your body. It was not just gentle touches; it was the touch of a loved one. Your face covered the silver veil of light, your movements were measured and smooth. Jack studied your face, as if trying to find at least some flaw. But there were no flaws in your face, and he knew it.

You loved his soft red hair, so immediately got your fingers in them, gently stroking his head. He liked that, so he smiled at you. His marble-blue eyes, pampered with the caress of light, gently looked at you, making you admire their natural beauty. You both could no longer bear this feeling, which tied you both tightly with a satin ribbon.

This touch is the most tender and the most desirable. The touch of your lips, merged into a tender kiss. His lips slid on yours. You already have forgotten this feeling, covering you during a kiss. You felt a light frosty blush on your cheeks as your lips moved away from each other.

Now you exchanged with each other by the warmth of your intermittent breathing, feeling the thin material of hot breath surrounds your faces.

“Y/N, we both know perfectly well that we still love each other” - you felt the breath of his words on your lips; you felt the taste of his words. “Our breakup a few months ago is a big mistake. If you knew how many times I tried to forget you, and how many times I couldn’t do it” - he said, and taking your chin, lifted your gaze to him.

“I know it’s hard to forget someone whom you loved for many years” - smiling, you started. Jack was a little nervous about these words, but his face still breathed happy calmness. “I also tried to forget you many times, but, dammit, Lowden, you don’t get out of my head even for a minute” - you both laughed softly. “Nothing - neither Italy nor the Florentine guys, nor a lot of work – couldn’t occupy my thoughts more than you” - you looked at him with sunny tenderness in your eyes.

“We should try to start our relationship with a clean slate” - Jack began. «This breakup battered and exhausted both of us; we drowned in the lake of our own thoughts. The New Year is a great opportunity to start a new one and return the old one" - he said quietly, looking intently into your eyes

“We don’t need to forget the old, we just need to continue what was started a long time ago, love is immortal, Jack, you told me about it” - said you, and your lips again burned a kiss.

The head of the company, speaking with a Christmas speech, was right that today we must forget about everything that weighs on us, and believe in the possibility of the miracle surrounding us wherever we go. Those little girls and boys who stood here at twelve o'clock and asked for desires didn’t yet know that they would begin to come true so soon. The power of faith in a miracle, faith in the beautiful helped to direct the magic in the right direction.

The only thing Jack wanted was you. He wanted to cure himself of his love for you, but he couldn’t, because he loved you too much. The only thing you wanted was to find true love. So the Christmas night brought you to Jack. The most sincere and true love that you so wanted to find, lived in his heart. And this love belongs only to you. And today you are convinced of this again.

#jack lowden #jack lowden imagine #jack lowden x reader #jack lowden fanfiction #jack lowden fanfic #dunkirk #dunkirk movie #dunkirk cast #dunkirk imagine #christmas #christmas imagine #imagine #imagine series #poetry #jack x reader

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gameseo · 4 years ago

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davidkaplanrussianbusinessman · 4 years ago

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Travels by David Kaplan

Opening new horizons is a way of life for millions of people who do not wait for free time, do not take a rain check indefinitely, but simply plan and go. Traveling is an investment that makes a person happier and more prosperous.

David Kaplan knows how to travel with pleasure. The list of his trips is rich: he explored almost all the world's cities, having visited 65 countries. He knows where it is best in the fall, winter, spring, or summer. Where to go with a big company, and where it is better to relax on your own. He knows what cities are a must in your bucket list, what cities deserve only 1-day stop, and where you should not go. In each beloved town, he has at least five favorite restaurants.

The world is the home of cosmopolitan.

For many, the homeland is the place where they were born, went to school, were free and happy. David Kaplan was born in 1963 in European Jerusalem - the Lithuanian city of Vilnius - in a traditional Jewish family with fidelity to the Jewish spiritual traditions and values . The Kaplan family lived for many years in Lithuania. After graduating from the Faculty of Applied Mathematics of Vilnius State University, David remained in Vilnius for some time, later he moved to his historical homeland Israel. He worked in Russia for many years. He is a true citizen of the world. But no matter how much a person travels, he can be happy and free only at home, surrounded by his people. For David Kaplan, the homeland is Israel. Today he lives and works in Jerusalem. The travel experience of this cosmopolitan of Jewish origin can be trusted. Travel around the world with David Kaplan!

✓ David Kaplan recommends planning all your trips.

You prepare everything in a pleasant expectation, then you enjoy it, and after all, you have something to remember. I advise you always to prepare for the trip. When traveling, the place where you can have some rest is essential. Also, it's crucial to find right people to travel with. Think about who you want to spend time with and where. Then make a list of places where to go and with whom you want to go. And after that, be sure to coordinate your plan with friends and relatives. Also, the rest must somehow be interfaced with business or with a hobby. The more hobbies a person has, the more reasons he has to travel.

✓ David Kaplan recommends traveling with a company.

My advice is to travel as often as possible with a large, friendly and fun company minimum of 4-6 people: family, friends, acquaintances, etc. But some places are definitely created for privacy. There, a person gets charged with a unique energy. Such secluded trips most often occur in the fall. Not late nostalgic, but early autumn, filling spiritually.

✓ David Kaplan offers criteria for choosing a place of travel.

In choosing a city for travel, there is no concept of winter or summer. David Kaplan recommends going where you have not been. Age also matters: at different ages, you can see London and New York in different ways, as well as museums and attractions. It is important to consider financial capabilities. No one will go to the most expensive city in the world if he has a limited budget. Thus, the choice is divided into two groups: according to interests and opportunities. At the same time, there are places that, on the recommendation of David Kaplan, should be visited by every self-respecting person. Cities: Baden-Baden, Vancouver, San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Rome. Islands: Bermuda, Caribbean, Maldives, Seychelles. You can go to Belgium only for the best food. If you would like to travel with children, Turkey would be an option!

✓ David Kaplan advises returning to where it felt good.

The desire to return to a particular city is not related to geographical location. Someone returns to their favorite museum or an annual event, someone to their favorite restaurant or a club. I want to go back to where there is something specific that you enjoyed. You come back for impressions to once again catch these emotions.

The second factor that brings people back to the city is owning real estate there. The third factor is the residence of relatives or friends. Therefore, each has its personal "return."

✓ David Kaplan teaches you how to travel through photographs.

I believe that there is nothing to go to New Zealand and Egypt. You do not graze goats, but you can see the pyramids by photos or films. Here is my recommendation for choosing a place to travel: to buy BBC and Discovery documentaries. If you see something that touches you, you should fly there.

✓ David Kaplan recommends going on a trip at least once

A single trip is enough for all of Southeast Asia. If we talk about a tourist trip to Japan, I advise you to opt for the city of Kyoto, especially in spring, during the cherry blossoms season. At the same time, stay there for at least two weeks to fully feel the place. Visually, this is an entirely different world. You must carefully prepare for such ambiguous trips: sit down with books, read everything in detail, discover the history - then this great country will open its doors for you. Without preparation, the trip will be nothing but a waste of time. Once you can go to Morocco, the island of Fiji and the city of Cancun with its sea, stars, and discos.

✓ David Kaplan recommends traveling all year round.

In fall. When summer has already ended, but autumn has not yet arrived, when it is still not cold, but not hot, I recommend going to Lake Como in Italy, to Baikal or Altai in Russia. These are some of my favorite places. When summer goes turns into autumn, these places are utterly enchanting. Pastel colors, peaceful calm atmosphere – you can sit in silence and look at the water. Altai is a place of extraordinary power. Having traveled to 65 countries, it was in Altai that I saw nature from all countries accumulated in one region. That beauty is unreal.

In fall, David Kaplan recommends a six-hour road trip from Montreal to New York. Fantastic views await you along the way. You pass Niagara Falls, then you see a maple forest, beautiful, green, yellow, white, blue mountains, rocks. You can go crazy with pleasure. Nature lovers must visit the magical Waterloo Forest in Belgium.

In winter. I recommend Courchevel. A paradise for those who love skiing. In terms of service, there are many better places. But it is in Courchevel where the best ski logistics in the world is, and this is the best place for the beginners.

In spring. The annual spectacular sight in late March-early April is the cherry blossoms. First, go to Tokyo, and in 5-7 days, I advise you to get to Kyoto. Also, in spring, it's an option to spend some time on the tropical island of St. Barth. It is called the island of millionaires. There are the best villas, hotels, and yachts in the Caribbean. I also recommend St. Thomas with its unique island exotic framed by dense tropical greenery and stunning bays with snow-white sand.

The summertime destination should be Italy. Especially Sicily with its many islands: Panarea, Taormina. I recommend going on a date with active volcanoes on the islands of Stromboli and Vulcano. I also advise you to visit the Greek paradise: the snow-white romantic island of Santorini and one of the most mysterious legendary places - Mount Athos.

In June-July it is good to travel to Asia. David Kaplan recommends visiting the abode of the world - the fabulous country of Brunei. It's known to be one of the wealthiest countries in the world. You'll find luxurious palaces and mosques, mountains, rainforests, waterfalls, white beaches, and the gentle sea there. Devote one of the summer vacations to the mysterious Buddhist kingdom of Tibet: lakes, majestic Kailash, distinctive culture, and religion. After Tibet, you start looking at the world differently. It is unforgivable to be in China and not visit the legendary Shaolin Monastery in the Songshan Mountains.

There are a lot of options for summer travel. Behind the atmosphere of quiet luxury, David Kaplan advises you to go to Tahiti or Bora Bora with their picturesque bays and the best snorkeling in the world.

In August, visit the most beloved Scottish Queen Mary Stuart. The famous castle and the picturesque lake with the same name of Linlithgow. In this country, you can master archery and try yourself in the ancient and aristocratic sport - falconry with Harris hawks. A unique activity for me is golf. Scotland is the birthplace of it. There are more than 500 golf courses throughout the country, some of which are among the best in the world. Golf is enchanting.

From August to the end of September, David Kaplan recommends going to Norway for fantastic sunsets and real performance of dancing lights turning into the northern lights. Another main attraction of this country is the stunning beauty of the fjords.

The North Pole is a pearl of your summer vacation. The Arctic summer does not last long, only two to three weeks. As a rule, a trip to the realm of ice and snow can only be carried out on an icebreaker, and you can only fly to some rocky shores by helicopter. Such a trip is incomparable. The North Pole is the top of the world. Only there you can take a breeze of fresh polar air, see drifting perennial ice floes, arctic flowers, and the rarest polar animals such as whales, belugas, seals and, of course, polar bears.

After such a trip, you will undoubtedly want to go to the South Pole in December and January and make a circle around the globe. Visit Antarctica and see with your own eyes a colony of emperor penguins.

I wish you unforgettable travels!

#KaplanDavid DavidKaplan DavidKaplanphoto KaplanDavidphoto DavidKaplanPhotographer KaplanDavidPhotographer KaplanDavidTraveler DavidKaplanTra

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imaginethebeautifulworld · 7 years ago

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71- and what was ur fave thing about each of them? and for the us, can you do states??

71: Countries you’ve visited?

United States

PennsylvaniaI love the fact that in PA, you just can’t escape the trees. The forest is everywhere. Deal with it.

New YorkI’ve only been to New York a couple of times, and each of those times was to the Big Apple. My favorite thing about NYC I think is how no one bats an eye your way. No one asks questions, and it’s kind of great. (That’s the image I got anyway).

New JerseyNew Jersey is kind of one of those layover states for me- a place that I’m only passing through to get somewhere else. But I did have the chance to stay at my roommate’s house when we were getting ready to head to Newark to fly to London. She’s the granddaughter of some really rich dude- Her house is big enough to fit my entire village in, no lie. She took us to her local mall, and I was faced with the blooming reality that there are actually people out there that can spend $3785 on a single pair of shoes and not bat an eye. She is among those. But she also now knows how to thrift shop like a boss, and I think we really balanced each other out in that end.

MarylandI’ve only driven through Maryland, sadly. But as it stands now, my favorite part is probably that it’s the state where one of my homies lives. Oh! And the Baltimore Barnes and Noble! They had a kickass train set in their children’s section, and I spent a good portion of my afternoon there. Got a full set of Shakespeare there~

VirginiaI’ve been to Virginia once in my life, and that was for my high school senior class trip. We hit up Busch Gardens (where I rode my first upside down roller coaster ever), Virginia Beach (my first time seeing the ocean, where I decided to run as far in as physically possible while wearing jeans and all my outer layers), and Norfolk (where I and my best friend hopped aboard a wedding cruise, were mistaken as wedding guests, and basically completely avoided our classmates as we danced with the wedding party and shared stories under the stars with the bridesmaids.) For Virginia- it was the memories. Good, good memories. But mostly Busch Gardens. I love the way that park is set up; each section is based off another country. Highly recommend the pretzels in their Germany, by the way. And check out the Loch Ness Monster- it goes into a tower and- Yes. Terrifying. Love it.

United Kingdom

EnglandMy beautiful, precious England. Lived in the centre of Westminster for about six months, and I had never been happier. I did get to visit a few places outside of London- Rochester, Nottingham, Sherwood, Bath, Dover, Canterbury, Stonehenge- but not as many as I would have liked. For England as a whole, I adored how easy it was to travel around the country- the public transportation there is leagues beyond anything the US could hope to find within the next decade. As for London- I feel I’m a bit more of an expert on this from living there. London- Despite being one of the bigger cities in the world, it never felt crowded? I only was overwhelmed by the size in my first week (then I explored a bit and realised it’s honestly one of the easiest cities I’ve ever had to navigate), My favorite part about England was that, no matter where I was in the country, despite being completely different soil (sometimes brick red, sometimes white chalk), it always felt like I was home. I’ve never fallen in love with a human, but the emotions I feel in regards to London- I find it’s comparible. I didn’t want to leave. I’ve been stateside for over 2 years now, and every day my heart still pangs in longing for the Belgian waffles outside Baker Street station, the roasted chestnuts that are floating around between Tate Modern and the Millenium Bridge, the annoying voice of the lady at Charing Cross always reminding you to “mind the gap,” the houseboats of the Romani in Regent’s canal, Little Venice, the way the hot cocoa from Pret a Manger is so rich that it just melts in your mouth, the peppercorn sauce from Garfunkle’s, the secret gardens in Regent’s Park, the divine massages that come with every new hair style, the salt in the air, the brilliant colours alligning the Queen’s Walk (whether you’re heading towards Southwark or Victoria), and the constant, spontaneous hailstorms that go totally vertical if you’re on Westiminster Bridge.London- London was honestly a dream come true, and as the real world creeps ever closer, I’m becoming more resigned to never having the opportunity to go there again.

ScotlandI only got to spend a couple of days in Aberdeen. We three (my roommate, her boyfriend, and myself) were going to visit Edinborough, but after comparing costs, we realised it was way cheaper to rent an apartment in the coastal city than it was to rent individual beds in the latter. We explored the coast, found a mall, saw a film, I flirted with a cop, befriended a couple of cats, discovered an abandoned castle- Scotland was the most peaceful place I have ever been. I would be entirely content with a small flat somewhere in Aberdeen- The library was very much like one in one of our coal towns, the theatre is active, the shopping district is lively, Primark of course has wonderful selections, and there is a lovely deli/cafe hidden away that makes the best homemade lollis I have ever tasted.

France

I think I would have enjoyed France a lot more if I hadn’t gone in the spring. As it was, I visited Paris (and Versailles!) during my Easter Break, and for the first two days, I was extremely disappointed. Paris itself is amazing; the food at any pop-up stand is to die for (totally recommend the Croque Monsieur served at the open-air stands in Jardins de Tuileries!), you can buy really fucking good wine at any grocery store for less than 10 quid, and there are little secret nooks and crannies you would never expect. However, the city itself smells like shit, and the homeless population is almost overwhelming. It was by far not the cleanest city I toured while in Europe, but it was definitely the… There is gold in most of the buildings, and a certain romanticism that is purely French in itself. My third day, the sun was out, and I did most of my exploration then. If you abandon the Metro, you’ll find gold (literally). You just have to… Learn to ignore the negatives and appreciate the positives. Perhaps one day I’ll return, and give her another chance. When that happens, I’ll take someone with me.

Belgium

Belgium was quiet, there were swans everywhere, I met at least four cats in each of the three cities I explored, and it’s the perfect blend of Germanic architecture and French linguistics to make my heart skip a beat. In Ypres, I found some really cool looking in-ground huts, and a giant wooden cat sculpture in the town square (all cobblestones, by the way). My afternoon was complete when I saw a tractor just roll on through the main streets like it was a normal thing. In Oostende, I was nearly blown into the sea by a squall and found the most romantic little park I’ve ever come across. In Brugge, I danced with an older gentleman playing an accordian, sampled more chocolate than should be tolerated, threw a bottle of beer at a party I wasn’t even invited to, and accidentally found a thrift store and befriended the elderly couple who managed it. I also purchased a watercolor from a local artist and his fiance, both of whom I’m still penpals with to this day. Belgium was quiet, peaceful, and perhaps the most genuinely friendly of countries I’ve wandered.

Netherlands

Another in which I went with my roomie and her boyfriend. We stayed in Amsterdam, and oooh boy there were some moments. At one store, I was mistaken for a local and had a gentleman start talking to me in Dutch. We toured the Jewish Historical Museum; it was the first time I had seen my roomie brought to tears simply by being in a room. There was a carnival in the Red Light District, and we bought a cotton candy that was bigger than our three heads combined. I loved Amsterdam because it was probably one of the most laid-back, cleanest places I have ever seen.

Italy

Spent my birthday in Rome, took a train to Venice. Rome is easily walkable, but be warned that it’s mostly cobblestones and there are a lot of hilly spots; don’t wear shoes you haven’t broken in yet, no matter how cute they are. Don’t take pictures with the guys dressed up; they’ll try to charge you about 5 quid per photo. If you’re craving pizza, there is a tiny, almost invisible pizzeria just across the road from the Spanish Steps. Buy yourself a whole pie; it’s worth the 8 quid. I liked Rome for the mere fact that it felt like a foreign city. It had distinctly contemporary aspects to it, but the orange trees, the heat, the dry air- that was all a new experience for me. I honestly wish I had been there for more than a day. As for Venice- we (my roomie’s bf and me- We scored a deal on Groupon for flights, hotes, train ride for Rome and Venice for two, and we met up with my roomie in Venice with her folks, who had taken her to Florence and Naples) splurged on 1 euro gelato, the best damn apples I have ever found, really bad films- That was just the first night. Our train ride had us sitting across two glorious lads from Brighton- I don’t think they actually had any luggage; their sacks were filled with at least five bottles of wine and half the breakfast buffet. The second day in Venice, we toured the city, moved from our hotel to a private apartment that my roomie’s parents rented, and I discovered the joys of premade toast with nutella, Italian bridal showers, and befriending the local fishermen. The food, the culture, the drinks- well, the wine. I will never do limoncello again in this lifetime. The absynthe in Paris was leagues better, and that’s saying something.- Venice is- There’s something almost mystical about the place. The water trickles all around you, and the wind whispers in old dusty walls. It’s a complete maze, and some corners you turn into have no ending, no life. And’s almost completely walking, which only adds to the whimsy. I- Venice was magical, and I hope I can return to explore on my own before she succumbs to the sea.

Vatican City

Stopped by while in Rome, and I was super disappointed by the hellishly long queue waiting to go into the Chapel. My traveling buddy and I instead opted to explore the mini city within the tiny nation. We found the ATM that has Latin as an option, and played a small round of catch with a young Swiss boy who was there with his grandparents. I feel bad as I don’t really have much feedback on Vatican City, but I can say at least the exterior architecture is ace.

Spain

Oh Spain. Where to begin? Barcelona houses the best gelato out of all the cities I toured (with a small exception to the Gelati Leche I found in Rome, but it still dominates in Vanilla and Chocolate.) The beach is wonderful, the waters were so blue it was almost like looking at the sky again. Our Irish buddy was with us, and it was the first time someone taunted me enough to swim out into the sea deep enough that I could no longer touch the bottom. Again, I always underestimate how much I like being in water, so I didn’t pack a change of clothes that first day. We did do some exploring and some shopping, but the best part after the hours spent on the beach was finding an Italian restaurant that was playing Spice Girls’ music videos in the background, while the owners spoke in French. Spain was the last trip I did while abroad, and the flight home was to Finals Week, and my last week in London. Our flight home brought with it the sunrise over France, knowledge that I was coming to a new chapter of my life, one I still haven’t written yet. But the greatest and most transformative moment came after we had returned.Traffic was fucking shite man. I didn’t get back to school until about halfway through my one history final, so late that I didn’t even go to my room. I hauled ass in with my big backpack, my notes in my free hand, panic written on my face, desperation in my words. Unofrtunately, the professor could not by contract allow me to take the exam. However, in a private meeting later, he asked me to confide what grade I needed to earn full credits back in the States. On account of my earlier performance, he gave me the grade, assured me that I “would have gotten an A anyway; I know you know your history,” and only gave me a brief chiding on poorly timed scheduling.Somehow though, I didn’t mind. I should have been more upset about missing an exam- a Final, no less!- but in comparison to everything I had done that weekend-Spain taught me that sometimes in life, there will be conflicting paths. Both will give you an opportunity, but it’s up to you to decide which one to take. I chose the path that gave me more stories to tell, gave me memories of soft sand and amazing french fries and complimenting strangers over breakfast, gave me a hat and a hand-painted fan that I couldn’t have found anywhere else. I chose to follow my heart, and while I may not have gained the A I wanted for that module, I earned something that can never be replaced.Spain taught me that life is short, and while there are goals you will want to reach, don’t push aside those chances to live a little.In The EndI miss traveling. I want to see more of the US, I want to visit friends and family in Ukraine, Phillipines, Louisiana, Madagascar, Russia, Germany, and Brazil. But for now, I’m here. For now, I’m bettering myself in the small ways. The world is so much bigger and far more wonderful than you could even begin to imagine. I may never see Nepal or Alaska, I might never get a chance to explore the Amazon or wander Kenya. But what I can do is keep collecting each memory, every moment, keep it all close to my heart. Because those little moments?

Those are what make the adventure truly amazing.

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raybansandcoffee · 7 years ago

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Always in My Head: A London Calling Series: Saturday Night Live Opening Theme (Howard Shore)

So I’ve had this idea in my head for months. Finally, after the world’s worst case of writer's block, I decided I needed to write something different. So, I wrote this. Getting back inside the world of London Calling and Annie’s mind has been weird but refreshing. This is the longest short story tied to London Calling because I couldn’t bring myself to cut it into two parts. So, I hope you enjoy it!

“Good morning, Sugar.” Harry’s raspy sleep-filled voice spoke directly into my ear. It wasn’t really morning. The pain of traveling all the time was you slept when you could and sometimes that was in the middle of the day. We’d landed early this morning from London and both crashed immediately upon reaching our apartment.

“It’s…” I glanced down at my watch. “1:37 in the afternoon.”

“Fine, good afternoon, Sugar.” He kissed just below my ear.

“I think we are supposed to get up,” I said as I turned to my side and buried myself into his chest. “I vaguely remember a text from Jeff and Tommy saying we were supposed to do lunch.”

“We clearly have missed lunch.”

“I know. I told them both to fuck off and that I was sleeping. So I think they said that they were coming over at like 2:00. Evidently you’re supposed to work this week.” I laughed a bit.

“But it’s Sunday and I just want to snuggle my girl and stay in bed.”

“Tell your managers that. I wonder if it will fly.” I knew it wouldn’t. They weren’t just his managers, they were two of his best friends. And the week ahead of us would be one of the biggest of his life. That didn’t mean he wanted to be worried about it today but I knew he needed to be. He reached for his phone on the nightstand and clicked to open it and make a call.

“Hey man.” I heard Jeff answer because Harry had the volume turned up loud.

“I’m not doing anything today.”

“Funny story, buddy. The car is dropping me off right now. Tommy and I will be up in like 2 minutes.”

“Go away. My girl is naked and I’m going to keep it that way.”

“I am not naked! I’ll let you in,” I said loudly as I climbed out of bed.

“You’re betraying me, Annie!” Harry called after me as I pulled a hoodie on while walking to the living room of the apartment. This place was one of my favorite in the world. Harry had fallen in love with New York when we’d made a trip shortly after the boys decided to go on break. He could blend in for the most part and just live. He’d decided that we needed a place here and there was no way I was going to put up a fight about that. I loved New York as much as he did. It was a place that inspired both of us to sit and write and just watch the world go by. I made it just as Jeff and Tommy walked off the elevator.

“Hi guys.” I hugged them both.

“Sorry if we woke you up,” Tommy replied.

“It’s okay. The crazy starts tomorrow. He needs to learn to function on a strict schedule again. Despite having stuff going on with the release of an album this boy still just does what he wants.” I went into the kitchen and started some coffee. "That ends soon.”

“I’m glad you were able to come with him,” Jeff said. “You’ll help us wrangle him for the week.”

“Ha! I should ask for gifts for using my skills to help you. After all these years I’m a pro at making him do shit he doesn’t want to do when he needs to do it. You two make my life easier because he at least feels bad telling you no.” They both laughed as they sat down at the island in the kitchen. A few minutes later Harry wandered into the living room in sweatpants and no shirt. His hair was an absolute mess, one of the side effects of how short it was these days was the bedhead he obtained usually meant his hair stuck straight up. He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around me before bending down and kissing my neck. I bent my head backwards and kissed him.

“Hello gentlemen.” His voice was still raspy. “Look at my girl being amazing and making me coffee.”

“Actually I was making me coffee. Want a cup?”

“Yes, Sugar.” He went to the other side of the island and hugged Jeff and Tommy. “So do I get to at least enjoy part of today?”

“Yeah, today is going to be a good day,” Jeff said.

“It’s just dinner and fun today,” Tommy added. “The real work doesn’t actually start until Tuesday. Tomorrow is going to be all done here. We have your stylist coming to decide what you’re wearing for the week and hopefully an early night for you. Then Tuesday you go in and get started.”

“And I get to shop and enjoy New York!” Harry glared at me. “And tag along to watch you work?” He smiled to show his approval.

“Was your Mom coming to the city for the week?” Jeff asked. Jeff knew that I wanted to find an excuse to bring my Mom to New York ever since we’d bought the apartment here. When he managed to book this trip for us he suggested that I bring my Mom along

“Yeah, she flies in on Wednesday. She’s really excited to see the place and be here to represent all of the parents. I’m disappointed that Harry’s Mum and Robin couldn’t join us.” We’d really hoped Robin would be feeling well enough for them both to travel and to have a good week with family but it was just going to be my Mom and we were happy with that.

“That will be fun. She’ll have a good time. I’ll make sure the passes are worked out for both of you with the network for the week,” Jeff said.

“Thanks,” I replied.

“She’s gonna love it. She hasn’t seen the apartment yet so I know she’ll be happy to have some time in the city with us.” It was amazing what we’d been able to convince my Mom to do since she retired. She’d spent six weeks with me last summer while Harry was busy filming Dunkirk. We decided to travel for a lot of it as I’d gotten approached by a travel company who wanted to plan trips that I would take and then write about on my website. It was an incredible partnership that took my Mom and I amazing places. We’d traveled all over England, gone to Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Austria, Holland, and a few trips to France to see Harry when he had a day or two off. She’d also been able to come out to Los Angeles to visit a few times when we were there. She really hated the idea of us spending all of the money on her at first but she was getting a chance to see the world and we were happy to give it to her. I’d heard she and Harry talking last summer when we’d gone to see him in France. He told her he was glad that I’d had someone to travel with while he was busy working so that I wasn’t alone or just sitting in a hotel room waiting for him to come home and sleep.

“Let’s face it boys, I’m not the reason she’s coming here.” I started to laugh as I was talking. “She hasn’t been to New York in ages and loves the city, I somehow managed to get tickets for us to see Hamilton next week when he’s finally done working, and she gets to be the proud gushing mother-in-law as she watches Harry perform Saturday.”

“What can I say? The woman loves me.” He smiled big enough for his dimples to show which of course caused me to smile.

“More than me some days,” I replied as I put his cup of coffee in front of him. I jumped up onto the counter to face them and enjoy my coffee. “So Tommy can you help me arrange a car to go pick her up? She told me she could just meet me at the apartment but I’d rather pick her up at the airport.”

“Consider it done,” he answered as he started tapping away on his phone.

“Thanks.”

“So what does the rest of today involve then? You said dinner and fun.” Harry leaned back. His body language showed that he didn’t fully trust them that he wasn’t going to get stuck working.

“Yeah, your girl planned it.” I smiled proudly before taking a drink of my coffee as Jeff continued talking. “She didn’t want to have a big mob going somewhere. Arranged for a chef to come and cook dinner. Your band is all here and will be coming over as well as Lou and Harry.”

“My girl planned a dinner?” He looked at me smiling.

“Your girl planned a dinner. Remember that little Italian restaurant we went to for our date night when we were here in February to meet with your label?” He nodded. “The chef from there is coming to do the dinner.”

“You’re pretty amazing, Sugar.”

“I try.” I finished my cup of coffee before jumping down off of the counter. I filled it up with another cup before adding sugar and cream. “I also need to try to look like a human. People should start getting here around 3:00. I wanted the band to feel like they could just come hang out with us today. So you three get your schedules for the week figured out and I’m gonna go shower off a red eye flight.” I left the kitchen and went back to the master bedroom. After finding the clothes I was going to put on for the day and stealing Harry’s pink iPhone from his suitcase I went into the bathroom.

I turned on Harry’s record and climbed into the shower. I sang along to every word like I did every morning. He was being paranoid and wouldn’t let me put it on my phone yet. It was just on this pink iPhone that floated around our house. A phone that he refused to allow to connect to the internet for fear that someone would figure out how to hack it and leak it. I wanted to laugh at his freakish paranoia but I got it. We’d been through this before. His mother’s iCloud had been hacked. Photos of us, our family and our friends flooded the internet. The minute the album was mastered and finished it went onto the pink iPhone and stayed on the pink iPhone. He was the only person able to play it for anyone which meant anytime it needed to be played for someone for advance press purposes, opinions from a label or friends we were on a plane flying somewhere with the pink iPhone. He had learned quickly to leave it in the bedroom when I was getting ready because I listened to it every day when I got ready. It gave me the chance to be in awe of his talent every morning and most of the time without him being embarrassed about my gushing.

“So have you listened to the whole album or just this one on repeat?” he asked as I stepped out of the shower.

“Fuck me!” I yelled. He’d been sitting on the sink in the bathroom watching me and I didn’t notice. “The whole album, in proper order. I just happen to like this song most.” I secured my towel around my chest as I walked over to him.

“Kim has always been right about you. So self-centered. You love the songs that are about you most of all.”

“Most of yours are baby.” He laughed before leaning forward and kissing me. “Well most of them that you write. Your album defies logic because most of them are not about me.”

“That is correct.” He kissed me again. “You smell good.”

“I smell clean, something you should try. You still smell like an airplane.”

“I’m gonna shower. Lou sent me a message. She’ll be here soon. Said if we needed to cut my hair tonight we could if I wanted.”

“It is getting a bit shaggy,” I said as I ran my fingers through it. “I like it though.”

“I’ll need to get it cut before Saturday.”

“I know but let’s not do it today. Let’s just focus on being with friends.”

“Sounds perfect. I’m gonna shower. You should keep singing to me though. You sounded good in the shower.”

“Get out of my face.” I started to laugh pretty hard as I walked into the bedroom to put my clothes on. I’d decided on a pair of black distressed jeans and white sweater. I’d decided not to wash my hair because I didn't want to deal with trying to style it. I went into the bathroom to do my makeup and opted to just pull my hair up in a bun.

“You look cute,” Harry said as he stepped out of the shower, towel barely being held up at his hips.

“You look underdressed.”

“Really? I was thinking this would be a great look for dinner.”

“Funny.”

“For real though, you look cute.”

“Thanks baby.” We both finished getting dressed and ready to entertain for the rest of the day. It was nice to have a quiet afternoon with Harry's team and show them some hospitality before a busy week of rehearsals, fittings, and press. His band and team were hardworking and incredibly devoted. Feeding them a nice meal was the least I could do. Harry walked out of the bathroom and caught me playing on my phone.

“Nerd,” he said as he saw me taking selfies.

“You love me.”

“True.”

bookshopbirdie: I’m so excited to be in New York that I’m growing flowers from my head. Don’t worry, @harrystyles is laughing at me…really loudly.

We made our way into the living room to find Jeff and Tommy had made themselves at home and found beer in the kitchen. We’d managed to have as assistant come stock the apartment up with food in advance of our arrival. It didn’t take long before the apartment was filled with friends and good conversation. Seeing how at ease Harry was in this situation made me so happy. He was doing what he loved and not sitting in our house growing bored as he had been at the beginning of the break. Here he was, less than a week out from his first televised performance as a solo artist and it would be on Saturday Night Live. The level of pride I felt was off the charts.

As usual he was being cautious this evening. Not drinking too much and just enjoying the company of our friends. He practically floated around the room between conversations so easily until the hours got late and he plopped himself down in the chair I was sitting in beside me. I’d been in conversation with Claire, his pianist, most of the night.

“Thank you for tonight,” he said quietly in my ear before kissing the top of my head.

“Of course, baby. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Jeff and I knew you needed to relax before this week. You’ve got an extremely busy schedule and we wanted you to at least have a day to enjoy yourself.”

“Well, thank you. Evidently we don’t have anything until 10:00 tomorrow so we can sleep in a little bit.”

“Fuck yes! THANK YOU JEFF AND TOMMY!”

“For what?” Tommy asked.

“Scheduling him a late morning tomorrow. It means that I get to sleep in tomorrow.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied. “I figured jet lag might kick both your asses and you’d need the rest.”

“You are correct, sir.” Our friends all filed out of the apartment and we were alone again. Hiring a chef and a catering company for the evening seemed like it was a little bit overboard but when I looked into the kitchen to see it clean and hear the dishwasher running I knew it was worth it. We wouldn’t spend the first night in New York cleaning up after a party.

“You looked beautiful tonight,” Harry said as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“You smell amazing,” I replied. He may not have drank a lot tonight but I had a fare amount of wine. I heard him start to laugh at me as he slid his hands under my sweater.

“You’re tipsy aren’t you?”

“Maaaaaaaaybe.”

“Oh lord. Let’s get you in bed. We have a long week for you to start out with a hangover.”

“Meanie head.”

“Uh-huh. Meanest ever. Get in the bedroom.”

“Oooo. You’re being forceful. I like it.” He laughed as he pointed towards the master bedroom in our apartment.

“Not being forceful to be fun. Just trying to get you into bed so we can sleep.” We made it into the bedroom and I started to strip my clothes off throwing them on the floor. As soon as I was down to my panties I crawled under the covers. “Not gonna put your pajamas on?”

“Nope.” He just shook his head at me as he picked up my clothes off the floor and put them into the laundry hamper. He reappeared from the closet in his boxers and climbed into bed next to me. I moved closer to him in bed and started to kiss him. He pulled back from me and yawned. “Am I really that boring?”

“No, I’m just really that tired. We had a really busy day yesterday, then flew here at the crack of dawn and have barely slept. So I’m tired, not bored.”

“Fine. Leave me sex starved.” I threw myself onto the bed nearly hitting Harry in the face as I flailed my arms out.

“Oh you melodramatic woman. You had sex last night.”

“We were in a different country. It doesn’t count.”

“You test my patience every day. You are lucky I love you.”

“I know," I said as I climbed into his arms to get comfy. “I love you too, Dimples.”

“Goodnight, Sugar.” It didn’t take much for me to drift off to sleep in his arms. The next morning I woke up without the help of an alarm which was so rare. I did also wake up alone in bed, which was not rare. I was not a morning person and Harry sometimes was. I looked at my watch as I picked it up off the charger. 9:35 AM. What time did they say people would be here? I think it was 10:00 which meant there were likely already hoards of people in my apartment and here I was in bed in just my lace boyshorts. I climbed out of bed and quickly used the bathroom before pulling on really short shorts and the t-shirt Harry had worn the day before. I walked into the living area barefoot to find Harry and Lou with a sheet on the ground and her cutting his hair. “Good morning sleepyhead.”

“Hi,” I replied before going over and kissing Harry and giving Lou a kiss on the cheek. “How’d you sleep baby?”

“Decently. You thrashed a bit in your sleep. Probably the wine.”

“Probably. Did you have a goodnight Lou? You were going out after you left here, right?”

“Yeah, we went to a bar near the hotel and a had a few drinks. You should’ve come with. You would’ve loved it.”

“She probably would’ve but she also needed to sleep. I’m actually shocked she’s awake already.”

“Me too,” I replied as I curled up on the couch watching Lou meticulously cut his hair. My phone started to ring in my hand. I glanced down to see it was Kim and a FaceTime request. I hit accept and saw her walking around the house with one of the twins attached to the front of her. “Hey!”

“How’s New York?” she asked.

“Great. I mean I haven’t seen outside of the apartment yet but it’s great so far. Harry is getting a haircut.” I turned the phone so she could see Harry and Lou.

“Hey Kim!” they both called.

“Hey,” she replied before I turned the phone. “So I’ve figured out a trick.” She held the phone back so I could see the baby attached via a baby carrier to her front. She then moved the camera and I could see the other on her back.

“That is fucking awesome. How did you get them on like this?”

“Magic. It has to be magic. I normally can’t get either of them on without Nate and today managed both. They both have been fussy all day and refused to stop crying. I clearly can’t carry them both so I put Max on like a backpack and Jack on the front. I’m pretty sure there’s vomit in the back of my hair but I don’t care right now. They stopped crying.” The twins were just around four months old and Kim was still home with them.

“That’s quite the trick.” I laid my head against the back of the couch. “I wish you guys had been able to come with.”

“Me too. I could go for actual American food right now. Like barbecue or a really good cheeseburger or something. I love Nate to death but I’m so tired of his attempt at cooking things I would like, he fails every time.”

“We will pack some junk food to bring back. Send me your list. I’ll make sure to go to a grocery store before we leave.”

“You’re an angel. So do you have a big day today?”

“Harry has a fitting today so I don’t have a strenuous day by any means but he’s being demanding and I can’t go out and explore.” I stood up as I saw the elevator door open and walked towards it as Jeff and Tommy entered the apartment.

“Good morning,” Jeff said handing me a venti coffee from Starbucks.

“You’re my favorite person ever, Jeffrey.”

“Hey!” Harry called from behind me.

“Don’t worry, we brought you coffee too,” Tommy replied.

“Less about the coffee more about her saying Jeff is her favorite person ever. I thought I was your favorite,” Harry said.

“You’re all wrong. I’m her favorite,” Kim argued via FaceTime.

“She’s probably right,” Jeff answered. “Hey Kim. How’s London?”

“Cold and rainy,” she replied.

“You’ll have to tag along for their visits to LA soon. Maybe you and Nate can sneak out with them for Harry’s Late Late residency.”

“That sounds like a wonderful dream but I doubt that I’ll be able to leave the twins.” He laughed a reply before heading to Harry to get started with their day. “I’ll let you go. You’ve got a house full.”

“I do and I need to change. I’m in pajamas which is becoming increasingly inappropriate the more people fill my apartment. I’ll text you later. Bye boys!” I said waving at Kim and the twins.

“They would say bye if they could talk. See you when you get home,” she replied before ending the call. Life was different but it was good. I missed being able to drag Kim and Nate along for a trip somewhere but I loved their boys as if they were my own. Knowing that anytime I was home all I had to do was make the short trip to their house and I could get my fill of baby snuggles made the times where I was there alone so much better. I headed into the bedroom and threw on some clothes.

The day was spent watching Harry try on a variety of outfits before they determined what he would wear. As usual I sat quietly observing with my camera and my laptop as I wrote. During the period of transition in our life I’d tried not to write. Harry had really wanted to just disappear. He wanted us to have a normal life, like normal people and not constantly give people access to our lives. It was something he hadn’t had since before going on X-Factor. It had been something we spent a great deal of time discussing during the remaining days of One Direction. We wanted to agree on what I would be doing and have the decision made before the first moment the break started.

I’d really done my best to accommodate that request and only failed a few times. I wrote about topics rather than life. I’d post photos and write about the travel we’d done over the years or about an album I’d been listening to or a playlist I’d made. When I started to get bored of that I’d write about current events which usually drove Harry nuts. I was opinionated and an American ex-pat who started ranting about politics on her blog and caused his management to contact him in regards to the opinions of his ‘friend’, that is until he finally parted ways with Modest and signed with Jeff. Once that happened I was off leash, Jeff didn’t care what I said or did and also knew better than to call me his friend. Modest had always had a hard time respecting the relationship Harry and I had, especially after he put a rather large diamond on my hand.

So those times I’d failed, well I was lucky Harry loved me. He went on a self-imposed social media hiatus, or at least that was what it seemed like. He lurked. He read what people wrote. He looked at the tweets. He searched through their Instagrams. I’d accidentally gotten overly proud of him while he was filming Dunkirk and posted a picture of him in uniform, he looked sexy I couldn’t help it. I’d posted a vague photo of him from Jamaica that thankfully didn’t give away our location. I’d shared a picture of him with my niece and nephew as they slept on the floor in front of the fireplace waiting for Santa Claus. I knew he wanted anonymity but I wanted the world to know he was safe, he was happy and he was loved.

“What are you doing, Sugar?” Harry asked. He picked my laptop up off of my lap and laid down with his head replacing the computer. I ran my fingers through his freshly cut hair.

“Thinking about doing some writing but mostly just enjoying watching you change clothes repeatedly.”

“I saw you taking pictures of me when I’m half naked.”

“Maybe.”

“You’re a perv.”

“So if I went through the pictures in your phone right now there’s none of me scantily clad?” He started to laugh as he blushed a little.

“They aren’t on my phone. I’m not that stupid.” He smiled a devious smile. “They are on my laptop, which you know.”

“You’re crazy.”

“You love me.”

“Yup.”

“Harry, you need to get back to work,” Jeff called from where he and Tommy had set up office on our dining room table.

“Alright. Well, write away sweetheart.” He gave me a kiss before getting back to work.

10 April 2017: New York State of Mind (Billy Joel)

It’s a big week in our world. Giant. Monumental. HUUUUUUGE.

That fantastic fiancé of mine is making his worldwide solo television debut. No big deal, right? It just happens to be on Saturday Night Live as it’s being broadcast live from coast-to-coast in every timezone. Well, I think it’s a big deal, he’s acting like it’s just another thing to do on a Saturday.

He’s so at ease with his job it’s insane. He’s trying to act like he’s not checking Twitter on his phone to see the reactions. He is. He’s so grateful to have his fans and I can tell you I’m so grateful that they all love ‘Sign of the Times’. The excitement I have for everyone to hear the rest of it is unexplainable. I am so unbelievably proud of the work he has put into this record and the quality of the product he’s putting out. It’s my favorite album and I listen to it every day while I’m getting ready. I know the album backwards, forwards and inside out. I’m not saying this just because I share a house with this man, it’s the best album I’ve heard in years. Release date can’t come soon enough so I can stop hiding what songs are my favorites and start using the lyrics as Insta captions, because we all know I will.

Well, this week is going to be busy and fun and amazing. Today is wardrobe fitting for Harry and the band to make sure that they look all pretty for Saturday Night Live. Then tomorrow rehearsals start. Wednesday is going to be my big day. My Mom arrives in the city!! She hasn’t been able to visit us since we got the apartment here and she gets to represent the parents this week as everyone else was unfortunately unable to travel with us. Mom has been instructed to take tons of pictures to capture every moment of this experience so that she can share with the other parents. They also know that it’s very rare that I don’t have a camera attached to my hand to document our life.

Thank you for all of your support of Harry during this experience. I promise you, it will be worth the wait we’ve all endured for this first record. It’s beautiful.

All the love. (Yup….I’m stealing this from him.) xx Annie

“I don’t want to get out of bed,” Harry whined as my alarm went off. He had a table read today. They wanted to incorporate him into some sketches so he got to sit in on the table read. It was going to be one of the few times during our trip that I didn’t have to stay cooped up in his dressing room or the apartment. I made him promise me that I could get out and enjoy the city on my own today and if he was busy take my Mom out later this week. Though she had informed me via FaceTime last night that she wanted to take in as much of what Harry was doing as possible. This would be the first time she met his band. The first time she’d seen Lou in ages. And her first time to our new home.

That was still weird to say. New home. We’d done this on a whim, sort of. We thought having a place in New York for a while might be fun. We found a real estate agent who showed us a few things. Both of us being obsessed with the history of things fell in love with our place in New York immediately. Our building is a former 19th century bookbinding factory that was converted into some of the most amazing condos I’d ever seen. It didn’t take much for us to decide to buy and we were coming up on a year since Harry signed the papers to buy the place.

Ever since we’d been discussing if we were going to keep a house in LA, move out of the city or downsize for a while. We both loved Malibu and the idea of being out of the city a little. We also knew we’d be on the road for the better part of the next year and half to support his record. We didn’t really need houses all over the place but we loved being in LA so it was hard to give up.

“Let’s stay in bed a bit longer,” he said as he snuggled up against me.

“You have a table read today as well as photoshoots. Time for you to go work.”

“And what are you going to do all day?”

“Lay here naked waiting for you to come home.”

“UNFAIR!”

“You’re so fucking gullible. I’m gonna come with you for a little while but I’m off to take pictures. I haven’t been able to explore and photograph New York for a while. So it’s time for me to do some work since the rest of the week is based off of your schedule and my Mom being here.”

“I wish I could go with you and take pictures. I love being your assistant. Spending an afternoon with you as you go out and explore with your camera has become one of my favorite ways to spend a day.”

“I know but you being my assistant would not afford you the life you love.” He started to laugh.

“You’re the only thing I need in life to love it.” I leaned in to kiss him softly. Without even really trying he was the sweetest and kindest person I’d ever met. His arms wrapped around me and held me tightly. “What time do I have to be ready?”

“The car is picking us up at 10:00.” I saw him glance at the clock over my shoulder.

“Then why did the alarm go off at 7:00?”

“You normally like to go to the gym in the morning. You also should eat breakfast and make sure you look presentable and don’t show up with bedhead and morning breath.” He laughed a bit at me. “Plus setting the alarm for this early, despite neither of us being morning people, means that we can lay here and have some quiet time, just us. We won’t likely get much of that for the rest of the week.”

“So very true. Your Mum will be here. There will be lots of friends and people around. Now is a good time for quiet.” He kissed down my jaw line and onto my neck. His lips left featherlight kisses across my collarbone as he shifted my body so I was laying on my back. In a quick movement he was in between my legs and hovering over me.

“You don’t look like you intend on this time being quiet.”

“It all depends on you.” He ducked down and captured my lips. “Will you be quiet?” I started to laugh loudly at him. “I’m going to take that as a no.”

“We should be getting out of bed.”

“We should be doing a lot of things. But the question is, would you rather go to the gym or let me make love to you?”

“If you have to ask that question I clearly am engaged to an absolute buffoon.” He laughed as he started to pull at my tank top.

“I knew your answer. You are not engaged to a buffoon. Just a man who is really excited to get his fiancé naked.” The tank top came off and he started to kiss down my chest. I heard his phone start to ring on the nightstand.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” I asked.

“No,” he replied barely removing his mouth from my stomach. The phone stopped ringing and then started again. “I don’t care who is calling. We need to have some time this week where it is just us.”

“I know.” His phone finally stopped ringing and then mine started. “Okay, what if it’s an emergency?”

“FINE!” He threw himself onto his back on the bed as I reached for the phone. I saw that it was Jeff calling but didn’t want to say it before I answered.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Is he in the shower?”

“Nope.”

“Gym?”

“Nope.”

“Shit. I’m a terrible friend, aren’t I?”

“Yup.”

“Have him call me later. Enjoy your morning.”

“Bye Jeff.” I hung up the phone and looked at Harry. “What?”

“You answered a phone call from Jeff during sex?”

“We weren’t having sex.”

“Fine. You answered the phone in the middle of foreplay and it was my manager.”

“I could’ve been an emergency.”

“Was it?”

“Well I don’t know. He asked if you were in the gym, then the shower and then is sort of figured out what was going on and said he was being a terrible friend and you should call him later.” Harry started to laugh loudly.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Our clothes were quickly pulled off and thrown on the floor in the bedroom. Our bodies twisted together and our breathing synced up. The phones might’ve rang again, but neither of us would’ve known. We were in our own world.

“So I’m not going to the gym this morning,” he said as he stood from bed and headed to the bathroom. “Shower with me.”

“Okay,” I replied as I stood up and followed him. Our shower was quick and we got ready quickly. Jeff had wanted to come over to the apartment before we left so that he and Harry could have one last meeting before the week started. I left them alone in the living room while I finished getting ready. I knew I needed to be dressed decently, it was a big day for my fiancé. Not the kind of day you show up to in beat up trainers, a t-shirt with holes in it and yesterday’s eyeliner. Yet considering a good portion of the day I’d be running around the city alone I knew it was also the kind of day I wanted to be comfortable. No heels to try and impress the people who expected Harry to have a model on his arm. He knew he didn’t need a model on his arm, he just wanted me. I put on a pair of black skinny jeans, a light chambray shirt, and a pair of nude flats.

I made sure to tuck a camera into my bag that I was carrying today. I never really wanted to carry around my entire camera bag and had found a purse recently that had a good amount of space for what I’d normally need and a camera or two, depending on the day. I grabbed a portable charger for my cell phone, some extra camera batteries and was ready to go. I walked into the living room and saw Harry and Jeff sitting and talking.

“You ready to go, Sugar?” I nodded as I sat down next to Harry and rested my head on his shoulder.

“Sorry about earlier,” Jeff said.

“Don’t even mention it. It’s nothing.”

“You’ve come along way. You used to turn bright red if I interrupted you two and you saw me the same day.”

“Jeffrey, you also used to turn red. But we’ve become good friends. Now it’s just normal for us.” I laughed. “I just prefer when it’s via the phone and not you appearing in the house.” There were a few times that had happened and then the whole vacation on a yacht that was a terrible idea if you wanted privacy and loved to have sex. Harry and I had to learn how to sneak around, we felt like we were on vacation with parents, it was rather funny.

“I tend to call first after that time,” he replied.

“You ready for today, baby?” I asked.

“As ready as I can be. But I’ve got my girl by my side and my best friend with me,” he said as he glanced at Jeff. We got all of our stuff together and headed down to the street where a car was waiting for us. Jeff climbed into the front seat leaving Harry and I in the back. He grabbed my hand and laced his fingers in mine before bringing it to his lips. He mouthed out a silent ‘I love you’ to me before I rested my head on his shoulder. I watched the city fly by out the car window.

This time tomorrow I’d be headed to the airport to pick up my Mom. I was so excited. It had been months since I’d seen my family. We’d been spending time in England prepping for all of this craziness. We’d also been taking time to go up north and visit Harry’s Mum and Robin. It was hard to leave but Anne constantly told us to live our lives, enjoy the time we have together and go on an adventure. So I promised to take as many pictures of this adventure as possible to show her the next time we made it back home. We pulled up outside of NBC’s studios and I saw a few people who appeared to be hoping they’d see Harry when he made his way into the studio. The door opened and I heard the few girls yell his name.

“Hello,” he said as he walked over. I stood just smiling at how amazing he was at this part of his job. “How are all of you doing?” He made small talk with them while Jeff texted someone on his phone. I grabbed my camera from my purse and took a picture of Harry as he took pictures with these fans. He was dressed like he normally did which was not what most of New York was used to. My friends who lived in the city had monochromatic wardrobes consisting of black, light black (grey), and negative black (white). Here was this tall, skinny, British kid in black skinny jeans, tan Chelsea boots and an obnoxious Hawaiian print shirt. He loved sticking out and being himself.

“Hi, Annie,” one of the girls said. I waived as I walked over.

“There’s my lovely fiancé. She claims she’s my official photographer for the week. Will you be blogging the pictures, Sugar?”

“Of course,” I replied smiling. “I posted a little bit of a blog yesterday and will probably wait until everything is over this week before I share the pictures. My Mom lands in New York tomorrow so I’ll focus on spending time with her and making sure this guy gets where he needs to on time.” The girls laughed. We talked to them for a few more moments before heading into the building.

We were greeted by a PA and led upstairs. I stood back and watched Harry turn on his charm. Every staff member he met smiled at him the way the girls had outside and at every One Direction meet and greet. He had this charisma that would make anyone fall in love with him, or at least that’s what Chris Martin always told me. He shook hands with everyone and I could see him doing the mental process he had on how he’d remember their names this week so that he wasn’t constantly just yelling for random staff and not remembering their names. He always wanted to know who everyone was. Finally someone took us to what would be his dressing room for the week. We all settled in and I watched as Harry looked around to see that the room was set up just how he’d do it himself. Candles that smelled like home. Little things that made it feel like it was his and not just a closet they stuck him in for the week. There was a couch in there and I laid on it as he and Jeff talked.

“You don’t need to stick around if you don’t want to, babe,” he said.

“I’m okay. I heard them say that you and Jimmy were going to be doing some promos during the first part of the day. I want to stay for that.” He glanced at Jeff.

“I think she’d leave me for Jimmy Fallon if he asked.”

“He’s cute and funny.”

“Are you saying I’m not cute and funny?”

“You’re cute.” I glanced up from my phone to see his face shift at my reply. “And funny, I just like getting that reaction out of you.”

“I love you despite you being so mean to me sometimes.”

“Robin informed me that I needed to knock you down a few notches this trip. Can’t let your head get too big or you’ll float away like a hot air ballon. I need my fiancé when this week is over. So expect me to bring you back down to earth.” He flipped me off. It wasn’t long before they took us out onto the stage to start filming some of the promos. I took a few pictures to text to our families and a few on my camera that would be much better.

Eventually it was time for me to leave and him to get to work. I made a deal that I’d come back in a few hours. As soon as I was out on the street with a coffee I was happy. I was in my element. A camera in my hand and no destination, just a desire to explore and take pictures. I had music playing through my headphones so that I could be in my own little world as much as I wanted. Getting lost in New York was something I loved doing, except that one time that I actually got lost. It took Harry a while to find me and so now he requires that he has access to my GPS location so he can find me when I go off on my own.

bookshopbirdie: History is happening in Manhattan, and we just happen to be in the greatest city in the world. In the greatest city in the world.

When it was time to finally head back to NBC’s Studios I hopped into a cab so I could get there without trying to navigate the subway. Sometimes I got lost and while I never had a problem with that happening it often annoyed Harry that I’d not care where I was going. He’d get worried. I managed the tube at home fine when I needed to but I was still learning New York. I was happy spending a day lost but needing to be there for my fiancé in a short amount of time meant not being okay getting lost.

Once I got up to SNL’s floor I was directed to the main studio to find Harry. He was in conversation with Jimmy Fallon when I found him. They’d both been busy earlier so I hadn’t had a chance to meet him but I knew Harry would take the opportunity based on the look he just gave me.

“Jimmy, I want you to meet my fiancé. This is Annie Catalano.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Annie,” Jimmy said as he reached to shake my hand.

“It’s nice to meet you as well. Hopefully Harry hasn’t been too much of a pain to work with today.”

“He’s been wonderful and you’re American.”

“I am. I lived in Iowa for my whole life until I up and moved to London. Then somehow met this guy and I’ve stayed.”

“She’s a huge fan of yours. So is her Mum, she gets here tomorrow.”

“You both made the trip for me didn’t you?” I started to laugh at Jimmy’s question.

“Actually I think my Mom is making the trip just to see Harry. I’m chopped liver. Her future son-in-law however, the sun rises and sets on him.” Harry blushed a bit. My Mom and I were close but she loved Harry. I of course understood why, I fell for him, I knew why everyone else did. We chatted with Jimmy for a little bit before we were ready to leave. “Hey baby, go sit on the stage I want to get a picture of you.”

“Okay, then we are going to get dinner. I need a date night before your Mum gets here and the week gets crazier.”

“Sounds wonderful to me.” I took a few pictures of him goofing off on the stage before we packed up what we needed and headed out to dinner. He had made reservations at a restaurant not far from home and we were completely alone which was wonderful. When we got home and climbed in bed I loaded the pictures onto my laptop to show him.

bookshopbirdie: Hey there @harrystyles!

“That picture turned out good.”

“Yeah it did,” I replied before putting my phone on the nightstand and turning to curl up in bed next to Harry. “I’m not going to head to NBC with you in the morning.”

“I didn’t imagine you would be. You get to go pick up your Mum. I think I’ll be able to have lunch with you both when you get there. Tommy said he’d go with you to get your Mum and then we’d all have lunch at one of the restaurants in Rockefeller Center.”

“Sounds perfect. Tommy doesn’t need to go with though,” I said.

“He knows that. He volunteered to. He’ll pick you up here and go with you and then you’ll all come to see me.”

“Okay.” I leaned forward and softly kissed his lips. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, getting here wouldn’t have been possible without you by my side.”

“I’ve loved watching every minute of it.” Our conversation slowed and we drifted off to sleep. We had several more busy days ahead to get through. Sleep was precious right now. And in the morning, when our alarms went off, it was obvious we hadn’t gotten enough.

We moved like zombies around the apartment as we got ready. I took the time to curl my hair today and decided since I wouldn’t be running around the city that I could wear heels. I put on a pair of tight black jeans, a gray top, and black leather jacket. I found a pair of black heels and slipped them on before grabbing my purse.

“You forgot something important,” Harry said as he stepped out of the bathroom. I was looking at myself in the full length mirror in the bedroom. I glanced over at him as he held up my engagement ring. “Don’t forget this one, sweetheart.” He walked over to me and slid the ring on my ring finger while he kissed me. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Harry.” I glanced down at my hand and smiled at the ring. I was still amazed at how beautiful it was every time I looked at it. Sometimes I’d been known to get distracted staring at my hand and then get laughed at by all of our friends. He gave me another kiss before I caught him glance down at my ring.

“I did a good job.”

“You did.”

“Not good enough to get you down the aisle yet.”

“When are we going to fit that in? You’ve got an album out in a matter of days and we are on the road on tour for the next year and a half. Planning a wedding sounds like stress neither of us need. But you know what I do need?”

“Me?” he asked. I nodded. “That’s all I need too. You and only you.” One more kiss and we headed out of the bedroom. We discovered that in the living room Jeff and Tommy were waiting for us. They basically had complete access to our apartment and lives this week to make sure that everything happened as it was supposed to. “Hello gentleman."

“Hey you two,” Tommy said. “Annie, are you ready to head to the airport? We have a car waiting downstairs.”

“I am.”

“See you in a bit, sweetheart.”

“Have a good morning, baby,” I said before moving to kiss him. After a few short kisses Tommy and I were out the door and headed down to the car. Today we had an SUV, enough space for the three of us and Mom’s luggage.

“You excited?” Tommy asked. He was sitting in the back next to me.

“I am. I haven’t seen Mom since the beginning of March.”

“I didn’t realize it had been that long. I thought you’d seen your family last month.”

“I’d talked about it but he had so much going on that I stuck around home.”

“He’s lucky to have you,” Tommy said. I looked up from my cell phone where I’d been reading emails to turn and look at him. I smiled and knew I was blushing a bit.

“Thanks, I’m lucky to have him too.”

“So, what do you have planned with your Mom today?”

“I’m pretty sure we will spend the day at the apartment or around there. Maybe go hang out at SNL for a little bit. I know she’ll want to see Harry as soon as she can. We are gonna do lunch with him today in between his rehearsals.”

“That will be nice.”

“I think you and Jeff are joining us. She loves you guys.”

“Your Mom is pretty great. Think she’s gonna be making meatballs while you’re all in town?” I started to laugh, she’d cooked dinner for everyone a few times when she was staying with us in Los Angeles and they all immediately fell in love with her meatballs, it also meant that I was being asked to make them a lot more frequently.

“I think the plan is to make them Sunday so that Harry can rest and enjoy a quiet day at home.”

“And we are all invited?”

“Our doorman will let you in whether you are invited or not. So yes, you’re invited.” It wasn’t much longer and we were at the airport. The driver pulled up somewhere to park and I hopped out of the car to go get Mom. “You don’t have to walk with me, T.”

“I know. I want to.” It wasn’t long waiting before I saw my Mom walking towards us with her backpack on. I’d bought it for her when we were traveling as well as a camera, a laptop and a few things she might enjoy having when she travelled and they all fit nicely in the backpack. I hurried over to her and we embraced in a tight hug.

“Hi, Ma.”

“Hi, Annie.”

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” We finally ended our hug and I saw her look to my right where Tommy was standing. “Hi, Tommy.”

“Hi, Joy. How was your flight?”

“It was great. These kids needs to stop spoiling me. First class was completely unnecessary.”

“You were on a plane so early this morning that the least we could do was make sure you were comfortable. We are going to head to SNL’s studios and meet Harry for lunch. We can stick around there this afternoon if you want or we can head home or do whatever you want.”

“We will figure it out. See what Harry wants us to do.”

“Told ya,” I said looking at Tommy as we got her luggage and started to head to the car.

“Told ya, what?” Mom asked.

“She said that you were coming to see Harry and not her.”

“Well, it’s kind of true. She’s not going to be on Saturday Night Live. This is a big deal, Annie. It’s not like when you send me snapchat videos of you being weird. He’s on SNL.”

“See, chopped fucking liver.” Mom just laughed as she followed me out of the airport and towards the car. We made small talk as we drove through the city but Mom was easily distracted. She’d point out everything we passed that she was excited about, which was pretty much everything. We pulled up outside Rockefeller Center and hurried upstairs, bringing her bags with us.

“Joy!” Harry practically screamed when we walked into his dressing room where he was sitting with Jeff and his band. He jumped up off of the chair and engulfed her in a hug.

“Hi, Harry.”

“Have a nice flight?” he asked.

“It was good, thank you for the upgrade.”

“Of course. Are you ready for lunch?”

“Yes,” she said. “Are you sure you have time for lunch?”

“We made sure he had time,” Jeff added as he stood up and hugged my Mom. She was almost like a mother to everyone. She’d met the whole band, she and Lou had known each other for years and sometimes she and Jeff had been known to text back and forth about things. We headed out of the dressing room and to the elevator to get to one of the restaurants. Harry grabbed my hand and pulled me into him.

“I forgot to tell you this morning how cute you looked.”

“Thanks babe.”

“So tonight we are going to do dinner with your Mom. Just the three of us.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. I knew that this was a big week. Time away from his team was rare. “We had a date night last night. I don’t want to keep you busy tonight too.”

“I always have time for you and our date night last night wasn’t keeping me from anything. It was just what I needed. And tonight, we get Mom time. I thought you’d want some alone time with her tonight. Things just get busier for the rest of the week, so tonight is for family.” He bent down to kiss me as the door opened.

“Come on lovebirds,” Adam said. I flipped him off before walking into the elevator.

“You’re just jealous that the wife didn’t come on the trip.”

“I am. Completely jealous. She says hi, by the way.”

“Tell her I miss her. We will have all of you over for dinner once we are all home. I miss the kids.”

“She’ll love that.” The elevator door opened and we made our way to the restaurant and then were taken to a private room for us to all have lunch. I was in between Mom and Harry with Lou next to Mom.

“So I have an idea,” I said as I leaned forward to talk to Lou. “I need your help.”

“What’s the idea?” she asked.

“Think cotton candy.”

“Okay…”

“Let’s chop my hair and dye it pink. Help him celebrate the pink album.”

“I love it!” Lou said.

“That would be cute,” Mom added.

“Tomorrow he doesn’t need me. Girls day?” Lou asked.

“Perfect. Mom, you okay with that?”

“Of course. I love a girls day with you two.” Lou and I sat silently texting each other ideas for shades of pink to dye my hair, I wanted to surprise Harry with it. We were trying to decide how much of my hair to cut off and what color to go. With a tour approaching short hair might be nice but also buns. I survived on top knots, ponytails and buns of all sorts because I hated taking the time to do my hair most days.

“Are you coming back with us?” Harry asked as we stood to leave the restaurant.

“Of course. But tomorrow I’m stealing Lou. We are having a girls day with Mom.”

“That sounds like a fabulous idea. Maybe you should try and get massage appointments. You need one. Your back has been acting up.”

“You should give me one.”

“I could be convinced to do that.” He kissed me again before stepping into the elevator. The rest of the afternoon Mom and I hung out with Harry’s team and watched a few of his rehearsals with his band. The crowd from the show that gathered to listen to him perform was bigger than I expected and everyone was whispering back and forth about how great he was. I swelled with pride watching him and hearing what everyone said. Once we were done we gathered his stuff, Mom’s bags and climbed into the car that would take us home. We got Mom settled and then headed to a restaurant not far from the apartment for dinner. "A toast to you, Joy. Thank you for joining us this week. It means a lot to have you here to support Annie and I.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she replied. We all clinked wine glasses and jumped into conversation. Harry had Mom and I laughing as usual. I loved how well they got along. I’d been so nervous when he first met all of my family. Our relationship moved quickly and we were unconventional. But everyone loved him and welcomed him to the family as if he’d always been there. We made our way back to the apartment early so Mom could get some sleep. Harry and I headed into the bedroom by ourselves.

“Today was a good day,” he said as he climbed into bed next to me and took my phone from my hand. “So what are you and Lou doing tomorrow?”

“Doing some shopping with Mom. Probably getting mani/pedis. You know, girl stuff.” She had gone out and bought the coloring we would need and we were prepared to do the shopping and the mani/pedis but mainly we were ready to do my hair.

“That should be fun. Your Mom however isn’t a mani/pedi fan normally." He had started to rub my shoulders as I moaned a bit.

“We started to get them done with we traveled last summer. She likes them now. She just hadn’t ever gotten them enough.”

“You’re a good daughter to treat her to this kind of fun.”

“You’re a good future son-in-law to help treat her. I love you,” I said as I turned over in bed so I could look at him. He bent down and kissed me softly.

“I love you too.” We snuggled into each other and fell asleep quickly. In the morning there were alarms and texts and phone calls and emails and people and no alone time after we emerged from the bedroom. “Have fun today,” Harry said before he was ready to head out of the apartment. He wrapped his arms around me.

“Sing pretty today. I’ll see you tonight.”

“I love you.”

“I love you.” He bent down to kiss me and was quickly taken out of the house. “Okay so pink hair?” I turned to look at Mom and Lou who were the only people left in the apartment.

“I’m so excited about this,” Lou admitted. “He’s going to be blown away.”

“I hope he likes it. We all know he loves my hair long, chopping it off might not be the best plan.”

“You loved his hair long, he chopped it off,” Mom said. Lou and I both started laughing.

“And he keeps it so fucking short. I miss the long hair of the man I fell in love with. So yes, this is payback.”

“We’ve cut your hair short before and he liked it. You also know that when you’re running around on tour you enjoy having short hair. And, there’s always stennies.”

“Yes, but first we have reservations for brunch down the street before appointments for massages and mani/pedis.”

“For all of us?” Mom asked.

“Yes, Harry did this last night. When I told him we were having a girls day he took it literally.” They both laughed. We grabbed what we’d need and walked down the street to the restaurant we were having brunch at. We had mimosas and more pastries than imaginable in addition to a great breakfast. Days like this with Lou when we were on the road with One Direction had always been my favorite. We’d steal Lyla and Lottie sometimes and occasionally it would be just us. We’d formed a bond on that first tour that hadn’t been broken in the years since. l knew how important she was to Harry and made sure that she knew she was important to me too.

Once we were done with brunch it was off to a spa nearby. Harry had really arranged for everything. Massages, facials, pedicures and manicures. Of course I picked a blush pink polish knowing that supporting this man I loved’s pink obsession was my goal for the day. We bought some snacks and champagne on the way back to the apartment and Lou got to work. She was getting everything set up so I decided it was time to do an instagram shot of my nails.

bookshopbirdie: Anything is possible with sparkle and a little bit of pink.

We took over the master bath as she chopped my hair off. It was one of those moments where I held my breath and closed my eyes as she did the major cut. It had been well over a year since we’d cut my hair and it was rather long. I felt the scissors and heard them as they cut through my hair.

“Okay, it’s gone,” Lou said. I finally released my breath and opened my eyes. “I still need to give it shape, obviously. But it's gonna be cute.” I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair.

“I’m gonna love it.” Mom was sitting on the counter in the bathroom and talking to us as Lou gave my hair a style and started coloring it. She’d just finished with the last picture of it when we heard the elevator open in the living room and the commotion of everyone in the house.

“Sugar, we’re home!” Harry called.

"Good luck,” Lou said as I took a deep breath and walked towards the living room.

“How was today?” I asked.

“Good. Rehearsals are great. The sketches are going well. I’m getting excited.” Harry turned to look at me and his mouth fell open. “You…you…you cut your hair.”

“Technically, Louise cut my hair.”

“And you colored it…pink.”

“Again, that was technically Lou.”

“It’s beautiful,” he said as he ran his fingers through my hair. “What made you decide to do this?”

“I wanted to support my wonderful fiancé. As he likes to remind me, pink is the only true rock and roll color.” “You are amazing.”

“Eh, I do what I can.” He laughed before kissing me and running his fingers through the pink hair again. Our night was fun and quiet. We were ready for tomorrow to be one final day of Harry in rehearsals before Saturday which would be the big dress rehearsal and live show. We were up early for breakfast with Mom and some of Harry’s team before heading to NBC’s studios. Mom and I did the tour around there during the day as a way to have fun and keep busy while Harry was working. She was having a lot of fun watching him rehearse with his band, which we did make sure to get to.

“He’s incredible,” she said in between songs when they had stopped to talk about some stuff. I was on my laptop doing some writing and she was sitting beside me. “He was always fun to watch on stage with the boys but this is just so different. You have got to be so proud of him.”

“I’m unbelievably proud of him. I mean there’s a line of people sleeping on the street already to see him and they only know what one song sounds like. He’s in his element. It’s nice to see him this happy because of his music and for it to be all his.”

“I can’t wait to hear the whole thing.”

“We can do that before you leave. He’s still being super protective of it but tonight maybe we can listen. It will just be the three of us at home. He wanted to have a quiet night tonight before tomorrow and Sunday which will be lots of his team. And Nick is flying in today.”

“He is?” Mom asked.

“Yeah, he and his Mom are coming to see Harry tomorrow and spend some time in the city for his birthday. They are going to come for dinner Sunday since Jeff has declared that we are making meatballs for everyone.”

“That sounds like a perfect way to spend Sunday, though I'm sure you two will be out late tomorrow night after the show. Don’t they usually have an afterparty?”

“They do and we’ll go but we both are used to functioning on little to no sleep. Lots of travel and crazy these days.”

“Well, I can wake up and get started on stuff. We can go buy everything we need tomorrow before we have to come to the studio.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Harry walked over to us.

“How do I sound?” he asked. “You sound great,” I replied.

“You’re fantastic!” Mom gushed. I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be the only one who cried tomorrow watching him. “Thank you for inviting me to be here for this. I really like ‘Ever Since New York’, it reminds me of what I listened to when I was your age.”

“That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Your daughter plays most of that stuff around the house so it was bound to influence me at some point. What are you working on, sweetheart?”

“A blog with some of the pictures I’ve taken while I’ve been here. You did sound great though. You look comfortable with the guitar. I like it.”

“Well, they only need me to do a few more things and then we can get out of here and go home. I figured we could get that Chinese delivery we tried the last time we were here. Joy will like it.”

“Yes, she will. So that is perfect.” He finished up what he needed to do and we were in the car headed home. Mom and I both broke into some wine as soon as we go home. “So, Harry, baby, Mom hasn't heard the whole record. How do you feel about playing it for her?”

“Nervous,” he said laughing. “But we can do that.”

“I would really like that,” she replied. He got everything ready and we sat down in the living room, Harry now joining us with a small glass of wine, and he hit play.

I could still remember the first time I heard every song. The first time I heard them played together, in order. I cried. We had listened, just the two of us after he decided the track listing. We were at the house in LA, it was a quiet weekday afternoon with warm weather and the windows open. He was nervous to play it for me, worse than he was now because playing it for my Mom was one thing, but playing the album for me was something he admitted to me terrified him. If the person he loved more than anything hated what he’d done he wouldn’t know how to function. Luckily for both of us, I was in love with the album. The sounds he created, the lyrics, and the emotion struck me from the first time I heard it and still did now.

“We don’t talk about it/It’s something we don’t do/Cause once you got without it/Nothing else will do.”

Meet Me in the Hallway faded to a close and he hit stop. He didn’t want to keep listening to an album with someone if they didn’t like the first track. He knew in that moment that he’d need to leave if the first song didn’t appeal to his listener. He paced when he played it for me the first time in order and I’d been there for every step of him writing and recording the album. He looked up and waited for my Mom to speak. She was someone who always put a lot of thought into what she said when it came to our work, both mine and Harry’s. She wanted to give us her opinion, soften it if she thought it would hurt one of us. She opened her mouth and then hesitated.

“Harry, it’s beautiful.”

“You're not just saying that?”

“No, it’s a wonderful song but so heartbreaking. Just listening I can feel the pain of what you were going through.”

This was the point where I’d get nervous every time the song played to one of our family members. The song was something that broke my heart the first time he played it for me. I knew the exact day he was writing about. The way he felt, the way I felt. It was a day I wouldn’t ever get out of my head. We rarely fought, but we’d been through a lot of stuff in our time together. This song was his emotion on the day of our one of our biggest fights to date. A day that I’d locked myself in the bedroom and refused to leave. My anxiety and depression was getting the best of me. He was always the one who wanted to talk through what we were going through, I wanted to just cry and be fine. He sat on the floor of the hallway for hours that night until he finally got up and walked around the park for a while. When he got home the door had finally been unlocked and he crawled in bed beside me. When he played the song for me I was transported back to our bedroom and could recall everything down to the pajamas I had on that day and shirt he’d grabbed as I threw him out of the room. His ability to channel that pain into something so beautiful was amazing.

“Thank you.”

“You look nervous, Annie,” Mom said.

“It’s a hard song to listen to still.” Harry pulled me into him on the couch, kissing the top of my head. My legs were pulled up into my chest at this point. “A lot of emotions being brought up again. But it’s a beautiful song, one of my favorites.”

“Really?” he asked. I nodded. He started to play the rest of the album. It was always fun to see if people could pick out lyrics that were about me or try to guess if they were about someone else from his past, his mother had done the same thing. Though it didn’t take long for either of them to figure out Sweet Creature wasn’t about me, it was about Gemma. It was Anne’s favorite song he’d ever written and probably always would be. Only Angel started and I watched my Mom’s face light up. It was my favorite song on the record and one I knew the moment I heard it she’d love. The choir, the guitar, the way he channeled The Rolling Stones in the sound, it was something I knew she’d love immediately. The second half of the album always blows me away listening to it and it did Mom as well.

“Harry, you have a masterpiece on your hands. I can now understand why Annie gushes constantly about this album. You did a great job. I can’t wait to actually go out and buy a physical copy of it to have it.”

“Thanks, Joy. That means a lot.”

“So which song is your favorite, Annie?”

“Only Angel.”

“She’s selfish.”

“Why is that?” Mom asked.

“It’s the only song that is blatantly about her and not utterly heartbreaking.” Mom started to laugh loudly. “The rest are a combination of women in my life, women in Mitch’s life, and some of the others that wrote with me. She’s my angel.”

“And when he thinks about me he hears fucking choirs in his head,” I said as I started to laugh loudly. Harry just shook his head at me. We ate dinner and I searched through Twitter. and took time to post a picture of my hair on Instagram.

bookshopbirdie: Pink is the only true rock and roll color.

“Everyone loved the delivery of stuff earlier today.” He’d had coffee, water, juice, and fruit delivered. Amongst the fruit, platters of cut kiwis to taunt them and make them think he’d be singing Kiwi this weekend.

“I’m having pizzas delivered tonight. Those fans are diehard. They deserve a reward,” he said as he opened up his fortune cookie from dinner. “A dream you have will come true.”

“Well, I’d say that’s true,” I said as I smiled at him and opened mine. “You will marry your lover.”

“One can only hope,” he replied as he rolled his eyes. Mom laughed. She was the only person in my family that we joked like this around. My Dad, Step-Mom, brother and sister-in-law were all anxious for us to settle down and get married. They constantly asked if we’d set a date. Mom just knew it would happen when we were ready for it to.

“Awww, mine is so true.” We both looked at my Mom as she held handed her fortune to us. Harry took it from her and read it.

“There is no greater pleasure than seeing your loved ones prosper.” He smiled before pulling her into a hug. It was another early night for us to go to bed knowing the day ahead of us tomorrow. I laid in there with Harry listening to him talk through the excitement for the next day until he made himself tired enough that he fell asleep.

When we woke up in the morning I made breakfast so he had a meal early and a way to start the day without having to eat something from a coffee shop or cafe. He was off to the studios earlier than Mom and I were. We took time to hang out at home and for me to get dressed since I was dressing nicer than I had all week. I'd gotten a black mini dress with lace on the shoulders and an embroidered bird design to wear tonight. It looked perfect with the pink hair. I grabbed a jacket to bring with me and we were off. Nick had text me that they would meet us at the studios. They were waiting in the lobby when we walked in.

“You look lovely,” he said as he hugged me and kissed my cheek.

“Thanks, you look wonderful yourself. You ready for this?”

“I should be asking you that. You cried sitting in the studio watching me hit play on his song for the first time and we were recording it in advance of when it aired. Are you ready?”

“Yes, I have tissues in my purse and Lou promised to touch my makeup up before we all go out tonight.” All of us piled into an elevator and headed up to find Harry. I walked into the dressing room and he was dressed for the start of the show in all black. A black suit and black shirt. My heart skipped a beat. There were hugs all around and small talk before everyone filed out to give Harry and I a moment alone together.

“You’re going to be amazing,” I said as I was sitting on his lap on the sofa.

“I’m so happy I have you hear with me.” He started to kiss my neck.

“I’d be nowhere else right now. In this moment there is only one place in the world I need to be and that’s with you.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you. You’re going to be great. No matter what happens tonight, you need to remember one thing.”

“That you’re proud of me?”

“Yes, I’m so proud of you. I feel lucky to have been able to be with you through this process. To see you go from being part of a band of five to a band of four to commanding the stage on your own has been a journey that I’ve been so lucky to witness. Thank you for choosing me to be in your life.”

“Thank you for finally saying yes to drinks. I will never in my life complain about a snowstorm again because if there hadn’t been a blizzard that weekend I don’t think I’d have you.”

“I know what you mean. Every time it snows I think about waking up snuggled up next to you in that old apartment under the quilt you gave me and how agreeing to drinks those night and one snowstorm changed my life.”

“It changed mine too.” He kissed me softly and sweetly. I didn't want to leave the dressing room. I just wanted to stay snuggled up to him in this moment forever. That’s when I heard the knock at the door.

“Annie, you need to go get your seat,” Jeff said.

“She’ll be out in a minute.” Harry rested his forehead against mine and looked straight into my eyes. “I love you more than the world.”

“And I love you. You’re going to do amazingly.” One final kiss and I stood up. I opened the door to see Jeff standing there. I hugged him. “Thank you. Thank you for believing in him and getting him here.”

“I had the easy job. He’s amazing and you know it.”

“Still, I’m grateful that you are who is helping him through this. Anyone else wouldn’t be capable of understanding him in the way you do. So thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You should go grab your seat. I have you with your Mom, Nick and his Mom in the front row.” I took off down the hallway and sat down in between my Mom and Nick.

“How is he?” Nick asked.

“As good as we could ask him to be considering what tonight is.” There was still time before the show started and I wanted to show off my dress because Harry kept going on about how he loved it when we were in together.

bookshopbirdie: All dressed up for a big night on the town.

You could hear the announcements throughout the studio that it was almost time to start. As the lights went down Mom grabbed for my hand holding it in hers just as Nick did the same with my other. I looked at them both and smiled as I squeezed their hands in mine. They didn’t let go once, not even when they laughed at the cold open which had Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump, the Grim Reaper version of Steve Bannon that SNL had been using, and Jimmy Fallon as the most frat boy version of Jared Kushner ever. Here we were waiting for the moment that Harry took the stage. The anticipation that led into it was finally going to give us our reward. I thought I’d be less nervous once the show started, but I was wrong. The nerves only built when I heard those words.

“Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

From the moment they announced that Harry would be on SNL I knew I wanted to write that moment from Annie’s perspective. The pride of seeing him prepare for it and get to the night where he would have the biggest performance of his life. Yes, I know there’s a bit of a cliffhanger. Maybe someday I will write her basically bawling her eyes out as he performs. But for now, this is what I wanted to write.

I hope you all love it. I can’t wait to hear what you think.

Now it’s time to get back to work on In the Heat of Los Angeles! I miss being in Evie’s crazy brain.

xx AM.

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