Zoey sighed as she led Harriet into her room, locking the door behind them. She ran a hand through her hair, then removed her coat, hanging it on a wooden rack. She turned to face Harriet.
"Sorry about that," Zoey murmured, chuckling as she shrugged. "I forgot to mention to her that I had a visitor."
Harriet gave a small nod, leaning her elbows on her knees as Zoey sat beside her on the bed, propping herself up near the headboard with a pillow on her lap. She watched Harriet quietly, allowing the silence to settle.
"So, fine, let's talk," Zoey finally said, giving Harriet a chance to explain. After all, Harriet had made the effort to come to Zurich despite her busy schedule.
Harriet glanced up, clearing her throat. "What do you want to know?" she asked, fidgeting with her fingers.
Zoey looked at her, studying the exhaustion in her face. "What do you want to explain?"
"Right," Harriet let out a soft, nervous laugh, rubbing her neck. She sat up, meeting Zoey's gaze. "Remember when I gave you the tulips?" she began.
Zoey raised an eyebrow and nodded. Harriet sighed. "That was the moment I found out that Sophie was your donor."
Zoey let out a dry chuckle. "So the tulips were like...a bribe?"
Harriet scoffed, shaking her head. "No, sweetheart, not at all," she murmured. "That day, I went to visit Sophie's grave. I was ready to let her go, to say goodbye." Harriet clasped her hands, her voice growing quieter. "I told her I was doing better, that I'd found someone new, and that one day, I wanted to introduce you to her."
She paused, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips. "Just as I was leaving, I ran into Aunt Vivian, Sophie's mother. We talked, and she mentioned that Sophie had been brain-dead when she arrived at the hospitalâthat's why they chose to donate her organs, so a part of her would live on. She told me about a girl who'd needed a heart transplant after losing her parents in the same accident..."
Zoey's heart clenched as she listened, already sensing where this was going.
"I realized it had to be you," Harriet continued, her voice faltering slightly. "Aunt Vivian eventually confirmed it. I thanked her, Zoey. I thanked her for choosing to donate Sophie's heart to you. I told her that you were my girlfriend, that Sophie's heart was safe with you."
Zoey gripped the pillow on her lap, steadying herself. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she asked softly.
Harriet tilted her head back, closing her eyes. "I don't know. Maybe I was overwhelmed, maybe I just...forgot in the moment," she admitted, voice barely a whisper. "I was just so grateful for their choice, because it meant I could meet you, that you and I could even exist in the same world." She swallowed, biting her lip. "I'm grateful to Sophie. She saved both of us. If they hadn't made that decision, I don't know if I would've ever known you."
Zoey exhaled, her gaze softening as she absorbed Harriet's words. Harriet continued, her voice raw with emotion. "Zoey, I love you for who you are. It's you that I loveâZoey Foster, not because of Sophie's heart, but because of you. And I'm sorry if I made you doubt that, if I ever made you feel like I only loved you because of her."
Harriet's voice broke as she wiped away a tear. "I know it took me a long time to let go, but I'm ready now. I want to be better, for myself and for you."
She stood up, then knelt down in front of Zoey, eyes filled with sincerity. "Zoey Foster, I love you. It's you, the real you, that I want. I don't care whose heart beats inside you. I just want you."
Zoey's eyes widened, taking in Harriet kneeling there, baring her soul. "What the hell, Harriet..." she whispered, stunned by the vulnerability in front of her.
Zoey gulped, feeling a surge of panic as tears spilled down Harriet's cheeks. She tossed the pillow aside and cupped Harriet's face, her thumbs gently brushing away the tears. Harriet looked up at her, eyes raw and pleading with an intensity that always left Zoey breathless.
"Zoey," Harriet's voice cracked, her words barely a whisper. "Please...come back to me. Please." She trembled as Zoey continued wiping away her tears, hands tender.
Zoey bit her lip, her own vision blurring. Harriet sniffed, still kneeling on the floor, a picture of heartbreak and desperation. "Please come back home," she whispered. "Come back to my placeâit doesn't feel like home without you there."
"Harriet..." Zoey whispered, her hands trembling as she cradled Harriet's face, wiping tear after tear. Seeing Harriet like this, so vulnerable, broke something in her.
"Please," Harriet whispered, her breath shaky. "You took your clothes, but you left me there. Alone. Please...come back already." She held Zoey's hands tightly, as though letting go would shatter her.
Zoey took a deep breath, nodding. "I'll come back," she murmured. "I'll come back. Just, please, stop crying." She pressed her forehead to Harriet's, her own hands trembling. "Please don't cry like this."
Harriet nodded slightly, wrapping her arms around Zoey and burying her face in Zoey's chest, holding on as though her life depended on it. "Don't leave me like that again," she mumbled, her voice thick with tears.
Zoey closed her eyes, resting her chin on Harriet's head as she held her tightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her fingers rubbing gentle circles on Harriet's back. "I'm so sorry for leaving like that... I love you, Harriet. I love you. Please, just calm down now." She sank down onto the floor, still holding Harriet close, her hands gliding soothingly over Harriet's back as the sobs gradually faded.
Harriet kept her face pressed to Zoey's chest, her grip tight as if loosening it would mean losing her all over again. Zoey continued stroking her back gently, each touch soothing, grounding.
"I love you," Harriet whispered, her voice muffled against Zoey. "I love you so much," she added, her hands clinging to Zoey's clothes with a desperation that softened Zoey's heart even further.
Zoey sniffled, brushing her fingers through Harriet's hair. "God, I missed being this close to you," she murmured, letting out a soft laugh as she continued to stroke Harriet's hair with gentle fingers.
Harriet nodded slightly, tugging on Zoey's shirt. "Just come back to me, okay?" she mumbled, sounding almost like a child.
Zoey clicked her tongue, her voice tender. "I already told you I'd come back, didn't I? I just needed some time to think. I never said we were breaking up," she said with a smile, letting out a long sigh.
"Thank you for respecting my space," Zoey whispered, her voice filled with gratitude. She knew Harriet had been close by, quietly watching over her without pushing her boundariesâeven if she'd guessed Harriet had been keeping tabs from a distance, she'd never contacted her or showed up at her office. This, however, Harriet coming all the way to Zurich, was different, and Zoey felt the weight of it.
"I love you, Harriet Pierce," she murmured, the words carrying a promise, both of forgiveness and a future.