Getting to talk to Embry, even if it was about nothing important, always served to calm some of her more intense emotions. There was simply something deeply comforting about her presence, and even though she may not be physically beside Daiane, her presence on the other end of the phone had almost (but not quite) the same effect. “Good,” Dai murmured, a soft smile on her face. “'Cause I’m really looking forward to spending it all with you.” Daiane twisted onto her stomach, a cheesy grin breaking across her lips.
“Yeah, I remember them,” she replied to Embry’s initial question, getting comfortable as Embry began recounting the gossip she heard from Demi. “Ooh, this a love story? Gosh I love a love story.” Her feet kicked slowly in the air as she listened to her girlfriend, slowing to a stop as the story got more interesting. “Hey I didn’t know Demi was such a Cupid, like look how she got her two friends together! That’s sooo cute, I hope their date is fantastic.” Daiane let out a light sigh, a gentle smile at the thought of the potential romance curving her lips. “Ahh I want to know how it went so badly—Bry, I’m sorry, you’re going to have to keep me updated too. Ooh, Bee, I should just come over to yours—or whatever,” she was quick to add, remembering suddenly her current (not great) position with Embry’s parents, “once you’re back of course—and join you and Demi in a gossip sesh! I really want to become a front-row viewer to these tenth graders’ lives, Bry.” She grinned, the smile quickly breaking into a light laugh.
Daiane laughed at Embry’s response, a slight warmth coming to her cheeks. “Yes, hot accents—I was definitely talking entirely about yours, Bee. One of my manyyy favourite things about you,” she told her with a smile. “I’d love for you to take me there! Not only your favourite places, but your childhood home, your elementary school—or primary school or however you say it in British… anyway, I want to see London as your home. You know?” She paused, flipping over onto her back. “One day,” she mused.
As Daiane spoke the words that articulated her suspicion, her heartbeat only increased, afraid to hear Embry confirm her location in London when Dai had already gone and gotten her hopes up. Was that smart? No, but here we were. Embry’s response? Simply: “Why don’t you come outside and find out?” Time slowed. No way, was what she was thinking, the words getting more insistent even as she got up, left her room. Daiane’s feet deftly sped down the stairs, her quick pace drawing her mother’s attention from where she lay on the couch, a book open on her lap. “Mija?” she asked, evidently confused, but Daiane barely registered her inquiry, waving her off a beat late as she entered the front foyer. Marcia’s questions persisted, but Daiane wasn’t listening—her hand closed around the doorknob and she pulled it open to see Embry standing right there, smiling widely back at her.
She didn’t waste a second before she was sweeping Embry into her arms, holding her tight and close for the first time in what felt like forever. “Embry, oh my god,” she said, pulling back only slightly, her arms still wrapped around Embry, so she could see her face, see that it really was Embry looking back at her. (And it was! Not dreaming!) Daiane laughed, shaking her head, leaning back in for the hug. When she leaned away for the second time, it was only so she could lean in for a kiss, making up for all the days that had passed in which she couldn’t.
Daiane’s hand reached behind her to shut the door she’d come through, then returned to rest with the other in the gentle divots of Embry’s waist. As she pulled back from Bry’s lips, she kept her hands where they were, wanting to stay close to her. “Bee, what- when’d you get back?? Have you been standing here since you called me? Just- what- oh my god!” For once, she was almost speechless, still reeling from the total surprise of Embry just standing right outside her house. “I missed you! Like I almost don’t want you to ever leave again—or at least take me with you next time. I can fit in a suitcase, it’d just have to be a big one and maybe have to break a couple of bones but I’d fit! So, you know, you can keep that in mind,” she said with a laugh, still buzzing off the happy high. “How long do I have with you—do you wanna grab a coffee or hot chocolate or something?”
@Caticorn a thank you a thank you 
