Nonna had her MRI this morning.

My dad wouldn't let me go to the hospital with him and my aunt, so Brandon, Anna, and I stayed at the house with the baby.

I got maybe five hours of sleep in total, and it was nearing twelve in the afternoon. I hadn't even seen Nonna yet and my dad said they were currently on their way home, so I was both excited and nervous.

I was sitting in the living room with the baby in laying in my lap while I let Anna and Brandon sleep in. Aurora woke up crying about an hour ago, but I offered to calm her down so they could rest a little more.

Just like in the car this morning, her hands were wrapped around both index fingers, thrashing them around and smiling up at me while I sang itsy bitsy spider to her.

"Good morning." A yawn came from the stairs.

I look behind me and see Anna coming down, tying her hair up into a ponytail.

"Good morning." I replied. "I made pancakes about ten minutes ago, if you want. They are on the plate covered with a napkin."

"Thank you, darling. And our child?" She joked, waking towards the kitchen.

"She's being very good. Hasn't cried since she woke up." I answered, tapping her nose and watching her face light up, which made my heart warm up.

"I love you more than I love Brandon." I hear her say, walking out of the kitchen with a pancake in her hand.

"I love you...too." I trailed off, eyeing her weirdly. "No syrup?"

"Nah. Too sweet." She said as she sat down next to me.

"You're weird." I shake my head with a quiet laugh, looking over at my phone on the table when it lit up.

Releasing one of my fingers from the baby's hand, I carefully reached over and grabbed it to open the message.

- everything will be alright. I'm here if you need me

I forgot that Riley texted in the group chat not too long ago asking if my grandma went to the doctors yet, and I told them she was there and I haven't heard anything.

- thank you...means a lot

-isn't it six in the morning over there?

- yeah I have a photoshoot with my skate club client today

-how are you holding up

- I'm doing okay I guess. Just waiting for them to get back

- hang in there, love. I'm sure everything will be okay

I smiled at his response, ending our conversation there until further notice.

"What's that smile for?" Anna teased from next to me, nudging my arm.

"Nothing."

"Mhm. Judging by Harry's name on the screen, I'd say you are a liar." She started, turning her body to me and biting her dry pancake. "Ready to tell me what's up with you two?"

I sighed as I stared down at the baby before looking up at her mother. "He used to live here a few years ago and in that time...we were dating. He was actually the father, when I was pregnant."

Her mouth formed an "o" shape and the chunk of pancake in her mouth nearly fell out. "The fuck?"

"Yeah. And now, I don't know what's going on. We almost had sex the night you guys came in, and then we did end up having sex the night before our flight here." I told her, smiling when the baby tried putting my finger in her mouth. "Yucky. Don't do that."

She stuck her tongue out at me while I continued to speak to Anna. "No fucking way. Why'd you break up? It can't be a terrible reason since you two are still all over each other how many years later?"

"Three." I mumbled. "We broke up because he had to move back home for personal reasons, which I completely understood."

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I do. I even told him the morning we left." I said.

Her eyes widened. "And what did he say?"

I sat quiet for a moment before answering. "Nothing. He was asleep when I said it."

Her face dropped. "You dumb ass. You are telling him when you get back."

"I know." I groaned.

Both of our heads turn at the sound of the garage door opening and I let Anna take Aurora before I stood up.

"Dad?" I called, worry surging through me again now that they were home.

"C'è la mia cara Madison." (There is my dear Madison).

The sound of my Nonna's voice had me racing over to them as they rounded the corner. My dad was hanging up her coat while she walked over to me, and I nearly bursted into tears as I saw her for the first time in over a year.

"Nonna." I grinned, fighting the tears as she pulled me into her tight embrace. She was a very small woman, and I towered over her by a couple inches since she was only 5'3.

She laughed excitedly and cupped my face after she pulled away, kissing my cheek. "Sei così bella." (You're so beautiful).

"Lo prendo da te." I said, sighing when she hugged me again. (I take it from you).

"Beh di certo non l'hai preso da Ruby." She laughed, patting my butt before pulling away and walking deeper into the house with me. (Well you certainly didn't get it from Ruby).

I snorted at her comment while my dad shook his head.

"Don't make that face. I thank god everyday she takes after you and not her mother. The world would be upside down." She says in English to my dad, her Italian accent standing out incredibly so and making me grin. I missed her voice.

"Okay, mom. I don't think Maddie wants to hear you shit talk the woman who birthed her." My dad says, but I just roll my eyes, as does Nonna.

"I will talk the shit I want. I pushed you out of my vagina." Nonna waved off at my dad as he grabbed her purse from my aunt and set it down on the counter in the kitchen.

"Oh!" I exclaimed when I noticed Anna standing up with a baby in her arms. "This is Anna, Brandon's girlfriend."

"It's wonderful to finally meet you." Anna smiled and stuck a hand out as my Nonna walked up to her.

"We do not shake hands in this family, my love." She says, gently push sing away Anna's hand and pulling her into a hug, careful not to smush the baby. Once they pulled from the hug, Nonna gasped and looked down at the little girl. "And this must be my first great grand baby. Oh my god, I feel so old."

I smiled and leaned against the counter.

"Her name is Aurora." Anna tells her, watching Nonna's eyes light up.

"Oh mio Dio." She brings her hands to her mouth in a light gasp, grinning widely. "I will cry. Can I hold her?"

"Of course you can." Anna handed the baby over to my grandma, and I noticed her eyes start to water.

"Where is that bastard? He is missing me react to his beautiful child." Nonna curses playfully as she talked about my brother.

"He's still asleep." I answered, pushing off of the counter to wake him, but Anna stops me.

"It's fine. I'll go wake him up." She smiled before leaving us by the counter. My dad and aunt walked into the living room to sit down while I hung out by the counter, watching Nonna play around with the baby as she giggled.

"Come sei stato con tutta la faccenda del bambino?" She asks me, looking away the Aurora and up at me with worry-full eyes. (How have you been with the whole baby thing?)

"È stata dura, ma sto andando molto meglio." I answered quietly. (It was tough, but I'm doing a lot better.)

"Sono molto felice per questo, amore mio." She cups my face gently and I lean into her gentle touch, feeling reminded of why I was here. (I am very happy for this, my love.)

"Sanno se i malati tornano?" I asked the dreaded question, fearful for her answer as my eyes watered.

"I allow no crying. Especially not in front of baby because then you make her cry. I don't want to deal with crying baby because your father gave me hell. So shh." She wiped away a tear that slipped and I chuckled at her attempt at cheering me up.

"I'm trying. I'm just worried about losing you." I frowned, pushing back my tears.

"Nothing to worry about, amore mio. My results were clean and I am fine. I promise." She says casually. "Although, they did say I might have urine infection."

My eyes widened, praying that she wasn't saying that to make me feel better. "Please tell me you're not fucking with me because I will start crying."

She lets out her typical, beautiful sounding laugh with the small shake of her head. "I don't fuck with you, baby. It's gonna take more than cancer to kill this bitch."

I let out a quiet laugh of disbelief, the tears of joy spilling over my waterline and I grabbed her face, kissing both of her cheeks and adding in "Maybe drink some cranberry juice for that infection."

"Good note." She chuckled. "I love you, Madison. I go nowhere anytime soon." She nodded reassuringly, and I smiled.

"I love you more. And you better not." I scolded, making the both of us laugh. She snuck a slap to my ass and I jumped, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Let's go sit. Come." She says as she started walking towards the living room.

• • •

We ended up going to the beach a few hours after we managed to wake Brandon, and we spent most of our day there before coming back to the house and making dinner.

Well, technically it was just Nonna and I cooking while everyone else showered and stuff since I was the first to clean up when we got back.

I helped her make Rigatoni with vodka sauce, garlic bread, and a side salad and while she was mixing the salad, I set the table up for everyone.

After dinner, Nonna made my dad and aunt clean up while the rest of us played with the baby in the living room, also starting up a game of charades. That went on for a couple of hours before decided to call it a night since it was nearing midnight.

As I was getting ready for bed, my phone went off on the nightstand and I walked over to it with my toothbrush still in my mouth.

I smiled only from reading Harry's name on the screen, but become confused when I did the math in my head and realize what time it was over there.

Before asking why he was awake, I opened up the message and tapped on the photo he had sent to me. If I wasn't smiling before, I sure as hell was smiling now.

It was from a long time ago, just before he and I started dating. We were both sat on his couch while I forced him to watch Ferris Beuller's Day Off with me. He was fixing a curl in my hair and Gemma happened to catch that moment on her phone.

To this day, I found it so astonishing that this was how I looked at him just a month after we met. If it was possible to fall in love with someone in such a short amount of time, that had to be the moment I fell in love with him.

I forgot I had a toothbrush in my mouth until I felt a drop of toothpaste fall into my wrist and I grimaced, rushing back into the bathroom to quickly spit and rinse my mouth out. Once I was done, I turned the light off and got into bed, texting him back.

- you made my toothpaste fall out of my mouth :/

- oh?

- was not expecting that response haha

- well that's the one you got

- remind me to thank Gemma for taking that picture

- also what the was my hair even doing that day holy hell.

- oh shut up. You looked fucking beautiful

I was biting down on my finger as I continued to text him, feeling my face become warm.

- what are you even doing awake? It's almost six in the morning.

- I fell asleep pretty early last night and woke up ten minutes ago. Now I can't go back to sleep :(

- poor thing. Want me to sing you a lullaby?

- I can't find the middle finger emoji

I snickered, imagining him looking through the emojis, probably missing the middle finger many times.

- grandpa doesn't know how to use his phone

- fuck off

I let out a quiet laugh at his response, finding myself very happy with how this day turned out to be, and I just wish he could have come with me.

Staring at my phone for a very long minute, I finally text him back.

- I miss you

My heart raced when I saw the little bubble indicating he was typing back.

- I miss you more

- how was your day?

Giddily, I send him a response.

- it was actually very good

- Her MRI came back normal so we went to the beach to celebrate, came home and made dinner, played some games too

- happy to hear that, baby. I told you everything would be okay :)

My breath got caught in my throat as I did a double take to the nickname he slyly added in, and now I miss him even more.

- you did.

- thank you for everything, Harry

- I'm always here for you. Whatever you need

- <3

- I'm gonna go to bed now. Talk tomorrow?

- always

- goodnight, love

- goodnight Harry

I was close to sending "I love you" to follow, but I decided against it. It's not something I can say to him through text, especially being in a whole other country. He had to be right in front of me.

I set my phone down on the nightstand with a sigh, catching sight of the Harry's journal that I thought with me. I haven't opened it yet, but I wanted to accomplish something before going back to Canada so if he asks again, I can at least say I tried.

Staring at it for another minute, I reach over and take it in my hands, running my fingers along the smooth leather. There was a small H embroidered in the top right corner, and I traced that as well. Slowly, I flip it open to the very first page, seeing Harry's beautifully written name sat in the middle of the paper on the "property of" line.

Here goes nothing.

• • •