The drive to Holmes Chapel was never-ending, especially when it was just Wednesday alone with no-one but herself and the radio to keep her company. Harry had offered to drive her up along with Gemma the day after, but she knew that she'd have been in no mental state to sit in a car with anyone for 3 hours, given what day it was.

She'd set off at noon and by the time she'd pulled into her mums' driveway, after all the unnecessary pitstops to grab food and drinks, it was 4 in the afternoon.

She got out of the car anxiously, removing the ray bans from her face as the front door opened.

"Come here Nessie, give me a hug" her mum said as soon as she was in front of her, sparing no time in pulling her into a tight, warm embrace.

Her mum was the only person on the list of people that could hug her at any time; even her previous boyfriends and Harry hadn't been afforded that privilege.

Holding her daughters face in her hands, Jane Green eyed her with the concerned look of love that was reserved only for a mother to their child.

"Have you been eating? You look like you've lost weight. Do you want me to make you something?"

"Mum I'm fine, I eat like a horse, you know this" Wednesday replied, nudging her mums' hands away from her face with a screwed-up expression.

"Well you never know with London, people spending all day eating salads and soups and never actually having a good, hearty meal."

Wednesday rolled her eyes as she followed her mum into the house, carrying her small case of clothes.

The familiar excited tapping of paws on the ground sounded out and before she knew it, a wet tongue was on her cheeks, excitedly jumping up to her.

"Hi Pongo, hi boy" she cooed, kneeling down and giving kisses and hugs to the slightly overweight black Labrador. "I've missed you."

Following her mum into the kitchen, she instinctively went straight to the fridge and had a look inside, mirroring her teenage years. Pulling out a yoghurt, she grabbed a spoon and ate as she stood against the counter.

"Was the drive alright?"

"Mhm. Long" Wednesday replied between scoops.

"Harry and Gemma are coming up tomorrow, aren't they?"

"Yep."

"I'm excited to see them, it's been a while. It will make a bad day a bit better at least."

Wednesday swallowed, not looking up to her mum. Instead, her eyes travelled over to the dining room, visible through the open pane glass doors to the side of the kitchen. She never got used to the sight of everything being back in its place in there, as if nothing had happened. A stranger would never know.

A silence fell between them that neither knew how to fill. Sneaking a look at her mum's face, she saw the same exhaustion and hint of sadness that she saw when she looked into a mirror. The type of sadly optimistic expression you only see on those who are grieving. It was only for a second, but she caught her mum sneaking a glance at the dining room too, the lines around her eyes deepening.

Clearing her throat and putting down the yoghurt, Wednesday stood up taller and smiled as genuine as she could.

"Come on, let's go sit in the garden for a bit. It's a beautiful day."

Opening the doors to the garden, they sat on the patio for the rest of the evening, filling each other in on everything that was going on in their lives as they watched Pongo roll on the grass as the sun set.

As the night wore on, they departed for bed, but not before Jane pulled her daughter into a long hug, something Wednesday suspected her mum had needed. She didn't realise before how much she'd needed it too.

She'd spent the night dipping in and out of sleep, anxiety wracking her body until she was fully awake by 7 in the morning. The warmth of tears were already present in her eyes, but before she could give in to her emotions, she put on her running gear and headed out, sticking her earphones in and blocking out the world.

Though she was rarely up this early, she loved this time of day. The sun had only just come up and a dew had been left overnight that made the air feel fresh in her lungs. There were no people, no cars. Just her. She ran down the small country lanes, passing the cows that gathered opposite the gates. Even when her legs were aching and her chest was burning, she kept running, kept going farther. After she physically couldn't take any more, she looked down to her phone, panting. She'd ran almost 10 miles and an hour and a half had already passed.

Walking the entire way back, she entered her front door another hour later with legs that felt like jelly, to hear her mum in the kitchen.

"Oh blimey, I thought you might have gone on a run" Jane said as she saw Wednesday's red, sweaty face. "Do you want a cuppa?"

"Not just yet, I'm gonna grab a shower" she replied, heading off upstairs.

Stripping off her running gear, she stepped into the perfectly warm shower, letting her head rest under the stream for a few minutes as she closed her eyes. She wished she could have spent all day there, alone and away from everyone else's gaze. But she knew today was bigger than her and she needed to be strong; if not for her, then for her mum.

Once she'd showered and got dressed, she went down the stairs to hear a familiar voice coming from the kitchen.

"Hello sweetheart" Anne smiled, coming forward to hug her, Wednesday awkwardly leaning into her side.

"Hi, you alright?" she replied, forcing a warm smile onto her lips.

"Same old, the cats are still running the house" she grinned, rubbing Wednesday's arm. "Harry and Gemma will be here around lunchtime."

"Oh, they've set off early haven't they?" Jane quizzed, finishing the 3 mugs of tea sat on the counter.

"Yeah, they didn't want to dawdle around when they could be here, they said."

"That's sweet of them" Jane responded, passing over the mugs to them.

They spent the next couple of hours chatting, Wednesday filling them both in about how work was going for her and Harry with the new album. Before she knew it, it was already 12.

Uneasily glancing at her phone and seeing the time, she knew if she didn't go now, she wouldn't go at all. Getting up from her stool, she grabbed the leash and attached it to Pongo.

"I'm just gonna take Pongo for a walk" she explained.

From the expression in both Jane and Anne's eyes, they knew she wasn't just going for a walk, but a walk to somewhere specific. But Jane knew her daughter liked to be private and keep certain things to herself; everyone had a different way of grieving. Unspoken understanding fell in the room as they both nodded, watching her leave the house.

Pongo, as ever, was eager for the walk and despite the location she was going to, his pulling on the leash made her smile.

"Slow down, you crazy dog. You'll get your walk, I promise."

After 10 minutes of walking through the town, following a stone wall along the side of the road, Wednesday saw that familiar archway. Walking through it shakily, she followed the grassy path to the place she hated that she knew so well.

The tombstones, some old and crumbling, others shiny, small and new, were dotted on either side of her. Spotting the small birch tree that signalled it was time to turn left, she potted down the row of headstones, Pongo more calmly walking beside her, until she spotted the headstone she was looking for.

"Hi dad" she smiled weakly, sitting down on her knees in front of him. "It's been a while."

She noticed the daffodils in the pot next to them, dead but still with patches of colour to their leaves, as if they'd been left in the past few weeks. Her mum.

Her mouth opened and closed, failing to find the right words to say. Instead, she felt the warm splash of tears spilling over and onto her cheeks, unable to keep them at bay any longer and comforted in the knowledge it was just her alone there; no-one to judge or pity her.

"I miss you" she cried quietly, Pongo sensing her upset and rubbing his face onto hers.

A whole year without him. It didn't feel real. Some days she could have sworn it only felt like a week before that he'd been ringing her up, eager to know all the details of her life on the road. Other times, she cried thinking about how long she'd gone without seeing him, of how much he'd missed. It wasn't fair.

They sat there for a while, Wednesday on her bum as Pongo lay curled into her side, both of them staring at the headstone. The grass was wet and she could feel it through her jeans, but she didn't care.

She talked about everything she'd done since the last time she'd visited, every little new thing that had happened in her life, whether big or small. The tears didn't stop falling but she didn't mind; for once, they were running free. She even managed a chuckle as she mentioned the breakup with Patrick, knowing he would have been saying something inappropriate along the lines of "Thank GOD for that." He'd never been a fan of him since the day she'd brought him home.

After a while, the talking stopped and they sat in comfortable silence, her tears drying up but her eyes still puffy as she looked up to the blue sky, breathing in the gentle breeze. She didn't know how long she'd been sat like that before she heard the soft footsteps behind her on the grass.

"Thought you might be here" Harry said gently, sitting down beside her as Pongo's tail wagged excitedly.

Wednesday turned to look at him as he petted Pongo with a small smile, whispering to the dog under his breath before looking back to her. He stared back at her with a kind smile, his eyes sad with a glossy look as if he too were battling tears. Looking down to his lap, she noticed the bouquet of white roses, feeling the lump in her throat return at the small, but beautiful gesture.

"I thought he deserved some new fresh flowers" he explained. "Couldn't find any in the Liverpool colours though, so these will have to do."

She laughed for the first time that day, grateful for the release of tension and watched as he gently removed the dead flowers, throwing out the murky water in the pot before placing the new flowers in and filling it up with the bottle of water he'd brought along.

"It looks perfect. Thank you" Wednesday murmured, sniffing as she looked back at it.

They both stared in silent appreciation, Wednesday suspecting that Harry was taking the time to pay his respects privately.

As Pongo stood up a few minutes later, restless and ready for a run, she followed suit.

"Come on, let's go" she said, both to Harry and Pongo as she rubbed the grass from her legs.

As they all stood up, ready to leave, Wednesday looked back down to the headstone for one final glance.

"Bye dad. See you soon."

They walked back the long route, letting Pongo have a run about in the next field for ten minutes before arriving back to her house.

Despite her emotions, the day was beautifully sunny and after greeting Gemma, they all moved into the garden, Jane placing out a platter of finger foods for them to pick at as they sat and light-heartedly joked around. The phone never seemed to stop ringing with relatives and friends sending their love to both Wednesday and Jane, including her favourite nanna, who had stealthily told her granddaughter that she'd transferred £20 into her account and told her to buy something nice for herself—she never failed to put a smile on her face.

As the sun started to go down, stories were shared and they reminisced about both her dad and Robin, laughing about their friendship and how wherever they were, they were sure to be joking about the football. By 7 at night, Wednesday could feel tiredness in her bones, her eyes feeling heavy under the weight of the day.

"Wednesday love, you're coming tomorrow, aren't you?" Anne asked as the 3 of them prepared to leave, Harry turning to look at her too.

Anne, always a fan of a summer BBQ, had decided a week ago to throw one for no real reason and invite her friends and family, including Jane and Wednesday. She knew these days that life was too short not to do the things you wanted to do and tried to enjoy every day as if it were her last.

"Yep" Wednesday smiled, hugging her arms to herself.

Jane saw Anne and Gemma out as Harry walked over to Wednesday, his eyebrows pulled together as he noticed her shivering slightly.

"You gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine. Go on, go home and spend some time with them. You see me enough as it is", she replied, a tired smile on her face as she ushered him in the same direction.

He didn't argue, instead kissing Jane goodbye on the cheek before following them out and away down the road.

Wednesday awoke the next day to a frenzy on Twitter from the fans. Within a few seconds, she knew why—Harry's Rolling Stones interview, along with photos from a stunningly captured photoshoot, had been released on the website. After reading the interview, she scrolled through the photos, looking at each one with intensity. He looked so happy and...free. He looked like the Harry she'd always known, the one who had no fears. The photographer had excellently captured his personality, from the shy moments to the silly ones, as well as the natural charm he exuded.

Smiling, she sent a screenshot of her phone background to Harry.

she text him, sending the image of his Rolling Stones Cover on her phone screen.

Her phone buzzed a few seconds.

Laughing to herself, she locked her phone and got ready for the day.

Wednesday could already hear the sound of talking and music coming from within the house as she knocked on Anne's door later that day with her mum stood by her side, opening when no-one came after a few minutes and walking through to the source of the noise.

"Ah you're here" Anne shouted from her seat outside on the patio, where various amounts of people were also sat scattered, jumping up to welcome them in.

Squinting her eyes, Wednesday could make out Gemma and Harry stood next to each other, getting their picture taken together in their matching white and cream linen outfits. They couldn't be more alike if they tried.

"We've got the BBQ fired up so it should be ready in an hour or so to start cooking. Wednesday, what do you want to drink?" Anne asked, opening up the fridge to show her the options.

Choosing a bottle of beer, she left her mum and Anne gossiping in the kitchen to go outside, greeting the familiar faces of Harry's family around her before taking a seat in the far corner, watching as Harry and Gemma sat down near her.

Most days, Wednesday's loud demeanour and naturally dramatic personality meant she was always the one talking, seemingly dominating any conversation she was in. But, every now and then there were days like that day, where she was content to sit back and watch everyone else's conversations, silent observing.

She smiled as she watched all the cousins mess about with each other, sarcasm dripping from their every sentence. Occasionally they'd turn to her and ask a question or try and get her opinion on something, but mostly she just watched them with a smile, happy in their company. The cousins she had were either miles away or years older and the only time they ever seemed to gather was for big life events—her family just wasn't that big or close. Since becoming friends with Harry, she'd lived her secret big family dream vicariously through him and after all these years, she sometimes forgot that they weren't her actual family.

As the afternoon passed on, the content smile remained on her face, even though every now and then she found herself zoning out. She was in the middle of one of those moments, staring at the bottle in her hand as the conversation filled the air around her, when someone sat on the arm of her chair.

"You okay? You're quiet today" Harry whispered down to her and though the sun was blocking his face fully from her sight, she knew his eyebrows were pinched together in concern.

"I'm fine, just tired from this weekend, that's all" she replied, pushing her hair out of her face.

He nodded down at her, taking a sip of his beer. She assumed the conversation was over, until he tapped on her knee.

"Follow me" he said, standing up and heading back into the house.

Wednesday squinted at him, wondering what he was doing, but as he insistently waved for her to follow, she stood up and traipsed in behind him, passing their mums as they headed down the corridor.

He started up the stairs, Wednesday watching suspiciously.

"Harry, what are you..." she began.

"Stop talking and just come with me" he insisted, shaking his head at her stubbornness.

Following him up, she walked behind him, seeing him open the familiar door to his old bedroom. They stepped in one after another, the old magnolia walls still plastered with posters of rock bands, singers and the occasional footballer. She'd spent so much of her childhood in this room that entering it felt like she'd stepped back in time, a simpler time for both of them.

He sat on his squeaky old single bed, pulling out the box from underneath as he grinned up at her.

A few seconds of rooting later, he pulled out a black book that Wednesday instantly recognised.

"Remember this?" he asked, smiling up to her with a glint in his eye and she nodded in response, sitting down next to him as he opened it up.

Photos lined the pages of the photo album, all of which were from their childhood and time at school. She'd made it and given it to him a short time after they left school, a few weeks before his x-Factor audition. She couldn't remember the reasons she'd made it now, almost ten years later, but she could remember his reaction when she'd given it to him; he'd smiled down at the pages gratefully, the dimples in his cheeks deep as he thanked her for it.

"Feels like a lifetime ago" she mumbled, smiling as he flipped through the pages.

They laughed at the array of pictures, some showing them in ridiculous poses, some in the school field with their friends. There were a scattering of Harry with his old high school band, as well as pictures of them in her garage, jamming out to whatever song they liked that week.

"Oh god, turn over to the next page" Wednesday groaned, seeing their prom photos come up.

Harry laughed, inspecting the images closer. "I don't know why our parents lied to us and told us we looked good."