Ahhh, Blessed Sunday morning. We were informed that the day would be relaxing, casual, and if we chose to hang out by the pool, that's where Harry would be spending the majority of his day. It was a welcome break since we had been zooming from one activity to the next for so long; it felt heavenly to stay parked in one place for more than 24 hours. 

I joined in the fun for most of the day. Harry and I exchanged secret glances and smiles throughout the afternoon, but eventually, I thought it best to let him have time with other three who remained, otherwise I might give myself away. That, and I was exhausted from spending almost the whole night with him. 

There was good news and bad news when we awoke the next morning. The first bit of news, which we couldn't decide whether it was good or bad, was that we were traveling again. The good part? We were heading to England! It was finally time to meet Harry's family and let them have a say on the final four women he was considering to be his wife. The bad news? A ten-hour flight and jet lag. When we landed in London, we would be taking a leap of eight hours ahead, which would obviously make our adjustment to England that much more difficult. On the other hand, Harry probably had lots of tricks up his sleeve to help us to deal with the lag.  

It wasn't clear whether the remaining time would be spent in England, or if we would actually head back to the mansion at the very end. I guess they still enjoyed keeping us in the dark just a little. We were instructed to take all of our things with us, but that's what we did with Mackinac, New York, and Hawaii as well.

Once again, our private jet (I couldn't believe I was getting used to saying that!) was in the air, headed to London, where I'd never been. Ariana had been to England a number of times, but Victoria, Lucy and I were complete foreigners.

Harry spent some of the trip explaining some of the differences in England so we might be even the slightest bit prepared. Even though they spoke the same language, I suspected many accents would be thicker than Harry's, and of course, I knew there were different terms for some things, like flat instead of apartment or loo instead of bathroom. But it was certainly helpful to have him give us some pointers, too.

We settled in and Harry informed us of the itinerary for the next few days. Obviously, we were heading to London first, although his family lived quite far from there. "I have a house in London, and of course, I'd love to show you all. Unfortunately, it's against the show's policies to let all of you stay at mine." He gave us an endearing smirk, as if it were a mystery.

Ten hours in the air literally flew by with us napping, chatting and laughing. 

Ten hours in California would have brought us to dinner time. Ten hours across the world brought us to the wee hours of the following morning in London, where it was still dark. It was quite disorienting. Luckily it was early enough that no fans were out trying to spot Harry and we were able to hop into the standard black SUV and arrive in no time at a fabulously inviting hotel. 

It was around 4 AM once we settled into our beds, which felt like bedtime since it was still dark outside. Harry gave us "permission" to sleep until about 10 AM and he promised that yes, we would feel the time difference, but we also would get used to it more quickly if we woke around a decent time. That meant no naps later, and the following days would most likely be early wake ups. He also warned us that we might feel it the most after two or three days. I didn't care at the moment; I fell asleep without a second thought.

When the alarm rang, I felt like I'd slept forever, but I guessed it was adrenaline. We were in London! Sure, Hawaii was phenomenal, but London was magical; I could feel it already. This was Harry's home, and we would be meeting his family within the next few days. I was thankful I already knew Gemma, that would ease my nerves a bit. But knowing the fantastic man Harry turned out to be, I knew his family had to be pretty amazing as well.

We all got ready eagerly and met Harry in the lobby. He stood there, looking unbelievably hot in his consistently tight jeans and a bright floral short with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the buttons undone giving us a delicious view of his butterfly. Today, he was wearing sunglasses and his pulled back in a ponytail as we prepared to see the sights of London. No wonder women swooned around him. Between his good looks, his shockingly wonderful personality, and his musical talent, he was literally irresistible.

"Good morning, ladies," he smiled. 

Did his accent become stronger?

"Are you ready for a tour of London?" 

Yes, most certainly, his accent was stronger.

Before we stepped outside, a big, cherry red double-decker bus pulled up in front of the hotel. Trying to keep our excitement from spilling over too much - in other words, trying not to look like the tourists we most certainly were - we listened to Harry's excited babbling as we climbed the steps to the top of the bus. 

Harry's face was frozen into a smile; it was easy to see that he was happy to be home. It was the first time on our journey that he knew exactly where we were going and what we were doing. The only problem was that in London, and being in this stage of the competition, we had to be very careful not to be seen. To me, that seemed like it would take a miracle - Super Hot Harry Styles cruising London with his final four contestants. I had no idea how they planned to pull it off, but I didn't care. The four of us looked forward to lots of time with Harry - well, Harry and security, cameramen and producers, but it was only the four of us and Harry who mattered.

The tour wasn't in an open top bus, which would have been fun but we knew we were covered for obvious reasons. Still, we got to see all the famous landmarks - Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey. 

Harry told us that when the London Eye was first built in 2000, his family had gone to London to see it, and ride it, of course. "At first I was terrified," he told us. "I thought we'd just be sitting in regular Ferris Wheel seats and it was so high up. I begged my mum and dad not to make me go on it. Gemma made fun of me." We laughed and he gave us a fake pout. "I was so relieved to find out the capsules were enclosed. Still, I held my mum's hand all the way." 

"Aww, that's so sweet," Victoria said. 

"After that," Harry said, "We went to the Sea Life Aquarium. I was only six and I found it very interesting, but there was also a small part of me that felt sad for the animals, that they couldn't swim freely in the sea, and that they had to stay in such small tanks."

This time, we all made a collective, "Awwww." What a tender-hearted boy he had been. And still was.

Finally, Harry told us, "I was very much unnerved by the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. The characters looked so real, but it was creepy because they weren't living. "I was scared out of my wits because I thought the queen looked so real that she might just step out and reprimand me if I got out of line." 

Harry was a character, for sure. I loved hearing bits of his childhood like this. Suddenly, I saw him differently, not just as the sexy and beautiful man I had come to know and love, but I saw his child-like side, and an innocence that still remained despite all he had been through. It was a precious glimpse at the real Harry Styles, not the member of One Direction, not the World's Most Eligible Bachelor. Just Harry.

The bus had made it around to several parts of London, and of course, it wouldn't have been complete without plenty of food and drink, so there was no need to stop for lunch. But we did stop next to the London Eye and Harry informed us we'd be taking a ride. The producers and security had arranged a wide swath of open space for us to proceed, and although the barriers were lined with fans cheering and screaming, it didn't seem that anyone was taking photographs, which was a very good thing. They must have gotten quite the stern warning before the event. Still, the four of us huddled in a group, completely surrounded by security, and we were told not to look up, wave or make any kind of eye contact.

We climbed aboard one of the capsules and when it started to move, I was breathless. London was beautiful, even at ground level, but as we rose into the sky, it was awe-inspiring. How could a mere city be so captivating? Harry was pointing out places of interest, but I was only half-listening, just letting the magnificence of the city soak into my soul.

Harry told us that his favorite memory of visiting London when he was younger was when his mum allowed him and Gemma to take a speedboat tour of the Thames called "The James Bond Experience." He told us, "I used to fantasize about being the next James Bond."

"You never know, Harry," I said. "You're famous enough now. And you've got that sophisticated, smart, and sexy thing down to a science." I blushed just a little, admitting that in front of the others. Not like they didn't already know. "You should go for it." Harry laughed joyfully, happy that I supported his childhood dream. 

After riding the space age Ferris Wheel, Harry took us to Madame Tussauds, saying we had to meet someone special. The place was vacant, except for us, staff members, and of course our entire rag-tag team of photographers and filmographers and choreographers who had all been orchestrating our life for the past several weeks. 

We walked along, finding it just the way Harry had described - realistic, but creepy. However, when we were just about to come around a curve, Harry stopped us and said, "This is the best I can do to introduce you to my younger self." 

And in a few steps, we saw One Direction, carved in wax and looking eerily similar to all the 1D boys. I stared at the wax figure of Harry for a long while, thinking of all the details the sculptor had added, like the little lines beneath his eyes when he smiled, and his dimple. It was crazy that he was portrayed so accurately, yet he was lifeless. The Harry I knew made that same expression, yet he was alive and changing and moving every second. And of course, he'd grown up a bit - his face had grown a bit longer, along with his hair. 

Harry came up behind me and whispered in my ear. "What do you think?" 

I turned so my lips brushed his cheek, making sure the other girls weren't looking, and I said, "I like the real version better." 

His grin cracked open and brought out that real-life dimple that I loved so much. So I leaned in closer and whispered in his ear, "I love you." His smile grew even wider, if that was possible, but I knew he couldn't say it back and that was okay. 

After Madame Tussauds, we went back to the hotel to change for dinner and a surprise. Always with the surprises. Since we were in London, I was open to anything. 

We dressed formally for the evening, as requested, and met the most stunning man in the world in the lobby. 

He made my heart flutter a little more every time I laid eyes on him, even in the same day. He hugged us all - again - even though we had seen him less than two hours earlier. I loved that he was so physically affectionate. Plus it gave me an opportunity to tell him, "You get hotter every time I see you." I was very quiet about it, obviously, but I felt his chuckle vibrate against my chest. Just before moving on, he whispered, "And you are absolutely perfect."

We were soon entering a swanky restaurant, dressed in our finery. It was starting to feel like a regular thing. If I didn't end up with Harry, I was going to have a hard time going back to normal life after this. 

Shortly after we were seated, Harry told us, "Tonight is the night you get to meet my mum and stepdad. And of course, Gemma will be here, too. So order your drinks - they should be here any minute." 

I was a bit surprised. I assumed we'd meet the parents when we went to his hometown. But this was nice because I didn't have time for my nerves to get to me. 

I was halfway through my glass of Merlot, Harry got up and greeted a beautiful brunette woman who couldn't possibly be his mum, but Harry was always full of surprises. After he greeted the gentleman with her, he hugged Gemma, who appreciated our cheers and hellos as we caught sight of her. 

Then Harry turned to us and proudly announced, "This is my mum, Anne, and my step-dad, Robin. And of course, you all know Gemma." She was already making her way around, hugging us and trying to contain her excited squeals. We had just seen her a few weeks ago, but things had changed drastically and we were on her home turf now. 

Harry brought Anne and Robin around to each of us, taking time to introduce us and tell them a little about each one of us. 

When he reached me, I still couldn't believe how youthful Anne looked, and it occurred to me, there must have been much joy in Harry's home when he was growing up. Anne looked like she invented the idea, Gemma had a deep and quiet peace about her, and Harry was the epitome of joy. I didn't gather much from Robin; I assumed he was giving Harry and Anne space to reconnect and to connect with me. 

"Mum, Robin, this is Harper. Harper, meet my mum and step-dad." 

They made me feel so loved and welcome, immediately. Anne hugged me and said, "It's wonderful to meet you, Harper," and I fell in love with her accent and everything about her instantly. We talked a bit about how things had been going. I learned that Harry had been able to communicate with his family now and again, which was obviously important while he was in the process of making some hard decisions. 

"Mum, Harper is the one I told you about. Her best friend had to force her to come on the show. In fact, I don't think she likes me much. She's got one foot out the door." 

I rolled my eyes at him, shaking my head. "Yes, I was somewhat coerced to apply for the show, but once I met Harry, I was in it for keeps. So, I guess we'll see soon, won't we?"

Anne and Robin laughed, and Anne asked, "What do you do for a living, Harper?" Seriously, if I could just live in England and hear this delightful accent all the time, I'd be in heaven. 

"I'm an advertising rep with a big agency based in Sacramento," I replied.

"She landed a pretty big account with Sony just before coming on the show," Harry said, bragging a bit for me. 

"Of course, at this point, I have no idea how my assistant is handling the work load. Hopefully we're still in good standing with them." I laughed to show that I was joking. Mostly. But it hadn't really occurred to me at all as to how things were going at work. It was too early to see any advertisements out to the public yet, so I hadn't missed anything. But I honestly wondered if it would be a mess when I got back.

"I'm sure things will be fine," Anne said. How did she get in my mind?

Harry smiled down at me affectionately before heading over to meet Ariana. 

Dinner was delightful, and despite the fact that there were eight of us at the table, the conversation went smoothly. We took turns telling Anne and Robin of our adventures in New York and Hawaii, and the interesting things we'd been able to share with Harry.

"Phooey," Gemma pouted. "How come I didn't get to go to Hawaii with you, Harry?" 

"You chose the dates that would work for you, remember?" Harry bantered.

"Still," she said, arms across her chest. "You know I'd love to go there." 

"Fine, when all is said and done, I'll take you there as my date," Harry teased and Gemma turned red, trying to act angry while laughter bubbled through. "Ew, never. I don't care how famous you are, Harry, I would never date you."

"This is a very good thing all the way around," I said in a very serious voice, which earned another round of laughter. It was enjoyable to see the banter between Gemma and Harry. We hadn't seen much of it when she was first with us because she was in the house with us girls while Harry was out dating others. We rarely had a chance to see them together, but this was nice. 

Victoria and Ariana looked quite relaxed with Harry's family, but Lucy seemed distant. Honestly it felt like she had changed since Hawaii. I don't know why it bothered me so much, because I knew Harry well enough to know he would catch on if she just wasn't feeling it with her anymore, or if he picked up on her weird behavior. I was just curious to know what had changed. And a small part of me just felt protective over him, although I wasn't quite sure why. I mean, other than the fact that I loved him.

After dinner, we continued to enjoy Harry's parents as music played and we shared stories and cocktails. Lucy quite conspicuously avoided me; I mean it was pretty obvious when there were only eight of us, total, and she got up and left every time I even neared her or a group she was in. All I could think of was the last conversation we had when I asked her about Hawaii. I didn't dwell on it, but it bothered me because I was thinking that we were becoming good friends.

Anne made her way over to me at one point during the evening and sat down "just to chat," she said. I wondered if this was overwhelming to her at all. Harry was her baby and it was obvious they had a close relationship. I'm sure she wanted to have some input into his decision process, but she didn't seem the type to meddle. 

"So, what do you think of Harry?" She asked. Well, there's nothing like getting right to the point, I guess. 

"Well," I said, and took a sip of wine to calm my nerves. "I didn't really know much about him before this all started. I wasn't really a fan of One Direction." I put my hands together like I was praying and mouthed out "Forgive me," and she had a pretty good laugh. "I did have some ideas about celebrities being shallow and self-centered, but honestly Harry shattered that image as soon as I met him. And because we met in a private setting, I got to know him as a person well before I got to know him as Harry the superstar."

"And...?" She could sense I wasn't saying everything. I assumed that she and Gemma had had some chats about me as well. I wished I could ask what Harry had been feeling and saying about me. 

"And I'm in love with him," I said, point-blank. Unexpectedly, I choked up a little, admitting that out loud to anyone other than him. "And this is hard. I know he's got a heart of gold and I just want him to be happy, you know?" I paused to wipe the moisture from my eyes before it fell. "Sorry about that. I didn't expect to get emotional."

Gemma joined us in our little cluster, whispering, "Mum, I want her to be my sister-in-law." That turned my emotions in the absolute opposite direction and I hugged Gemma as I laughed with her. "I missed you, Gem."  

"Does Harry know how you feel, love?" Anne asked me. 

"He does now. I wasn't sure how or when to tell him, but I finally gathered the courage after this last candle ceremony, when there were just four of us left. I wanted him to know, but it's hard to say it when he can't exactly say it back. Leaves me feeling kind of vulnerable, you know."

"Of course it does," Anne replied while Gemma patted my hand. 

"Well, don't worry about me. I'll be all right," I said, wanting to change the subject.

"And how about your family?" Anne asked. "Are you all very close?" 

I closed my eyes. I had already cried once in front of Anne and I didn't want her to think I was the crying type because I normally wasn't. I took a deep breath and said, "It's just my dad and me. He raised me on his own since I was ten, and I can't thank him enough for the father he's been." 

"And your mother?" 

The words were barely out of her mouth when I answered abruptly. "My mum left us. When I was ten." I pressed my lips together tightly, maintaining emotional control. But I had to laugh at myself a little for saying "mum" just because I was in the presence of such a lovely accent.

"Oh, sweetheart, how awful. Did she and your father divorce or...?" 

"No," I answered, shaking my head. "She simply left one day and never came back." I shrugged, again, not wanting to look like a sad sap at this rather happy event. 

It was sweet to receive a motherly hug from Anne, though. "Darling, that's terrible. I can't imagine any mother leaving her child. You seem to have done very well, and I commend your father for his commitment to you."

"He's the best," I smiled graciously. 

_____

Whooo! Getting down to the wire now, isn't it? I still don't know who he's going to choose!!! (haha, of course I do) Trying to capture everyone's emotions is HARD, though! Wish I could promise another chapter this weekend, but it's unlikely. I'll have to see what tomorrow holds.

And THANK YOU! WMEB is ranked at #96 today - we broke into the top 100! Yes - thanks everyone for reading, voting and commenting. 

OH, and just so you know, if you've never watched the clip of One Direction surprising fans at Madame Tussaud's wax museum, you HAVE to watch it - so adorable! I'll put it in the external link, or you can just search on YouTube for "One Direction Give Fans a Surprise." The clip was from 2012. And here's a little collage I made of Harry getting sculpted into wax, just for fun: