𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝙼𝚎 (𝙽𝚘𝚝) - 𝚉𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢

chapter vi.

Harry wakes up with a throbbing headache. It's possible his rather late night was what caused it, as he was on his laptop until 3 AM, dissecting his life. Some memories came back, some photos and videos remain foreign to him still. After he takes his pills with breakfast, it starts to get better.

"I'm starting to remember more," Harry tells his mum after breakfast, their empty plates and half-full mugs still on the table. "The photos help a lot. It's still just bits and pieces, nothing concise or cohesive."

"That's great, love," Anne smiles. "You're meeting up with Zayn today, aren't you? Are you going to see the kids too?"

Harry shrugs. "I've no idea. But I don't think so. He wanted to meet up while they are at camp. And I understand. They'd expect me to just... be as I was and I'm not." Silence takes over the room. Harry chews on his bottom lip. "Mum?"

"Yes?"

Harry clears his throat, looking down at the plate with crumbs. "Can you-" he looks up with a frustrated sigh. "Could you tell me what kind of a couple Zayn and I are? Like, how did you perceive us? What I've remembered so far it just, it doesn't help much. I've got the full picture of how we started... dating. But from right now, who we are as husbands and parents, I don't know much. I get the idea but social media doesn't really show you the fights and the problems."

"You two have a pretty ideal relationship," Anne says with a chuckle. "When you decided to get married before either of you has even finished your masters, I didn't think it would last, to be honest. I fought with you about it, tried to convince you to wait at least until you're both done with school but you wouldn't listen. Then you started talking about children and for a moment, I thought you'd gone mad. But then there was Sadie and you two were as happy as ever.

"Honestly, you call me nearly every day and talk about... everything and as far as I know, because I know only what you've told me and what I've seen myself, you and Zayn barely fight. If you do, it's usually only about something relating to the kids. Like, you wanted Sadie and Noah to go to summer camp but Zayn wanted them to just have a normal summer and only sign them up for swimming lessons. Things like that. When Sadie and Noah aren't around you, it's easy to forget that you two aren't just in the very beginnings of dating when you're just falling in love and can't get enough of each other. But then, without them, it wouldn't be you because you both adore them so much and your whole lives revolve around them. Still, you do bring them over for a night here and there when you want to go out for a date or out with your friends."

"Really?" Harry asks, a slight dumbfounded smile on his lips. "I'm actually in a happy and healthy marriage?"

Anne laughs. "Yes, you are. You and Zayn are obsessed with each other. I feared you'd be divorced by now but everything seems fine with you two."

"Do you think we could get there again?" Harry wonders, the mood shifting. "Even if I don't remember things?"

Anne cocks her head, a wistful smile on her lips. "I think that's a question for someone else."

"Right," Harry nods, his palms flat on a table. "I should start getting ready," he sighs. "I'm really nervous, mum. I don't know how to act."

"Just be yourself," Anne puts her hand on top of his. "He already loves you. You do too, even if you don't quite remember it."

"Thanks, mum," Harry smiles. He stands up and dusts off his pants. "Right. I'm going upstairs to see what I should wear. It seems like my entire wardrobe's changed. That'll be fun. Not really."

"I'm here if you need anything."

The next two hours, Harry paces around his old bedroom, trying to figure out what to wear and literally how to survive a coffee date with his own husband without dying of embarrassment. It's strange, it's very, very strange because naturally, his brain wants to go to years ago when they were just starting out and not to a week ago, when they were celebrating their 7th anniversary. It could be a first date for all his mind cares. Only it isn't.