𝐿𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒

Chapter 20: Baby Fever & Impulsive Haircuts

Dear Alice,

I had my baby boy three days ago on October third and I've been ecstatic ever since. Terry and I finally decided on the name Arlo, as it seemed to fit his personality.

Arlo is a very quiet baby, Mum uses the term "easy" baby, yet there's nothing very easy about raising a child.

I hope your first term at Hogwarts has finally started to go well and I can't tell you how scared I was when Mum told me about you being taken hostage. Please write more often!

Make sure to meet your nephew when you come home next! I think that's your Christmas holiday actually.

I have a wedding to plan and a baby to feed, so I'll write more in my next letter!

XOXO

Michelle

P.S. I've enclosed a picture of him yawning! Isn't he just the cutest thing?

Michelle was right, Arlo was an extremely cute baby as his little tufts of brown hair sat lazily on his head and the picture made his dark brown eyes look golden. His yawn sent Alice into baby fever along with Marlene and Mary.

"You're going to look at this picture, Lily, and tell me you don't get baby fever?" Alice said forcing the picture directly under Lily's nose.

"He's cute and all, but just think of all the stuff your sister has to do and he's chubby! Giving birth to him was not easy!" Lily said taking the picture and looking at it closer.

The letter had arrived at dinner, which is unusual because not much mail is delivered at that time, yet the owl flew in, dropped the letter, and left the great hall afterward.

"We have to go hold a prefect meeting, Lily," James said in her ear as he was sitting right next to her.

"But look as his tiny fingers! I'd say that is worth the whole childbirth thing!" Marlene spoke up this time.

"You would go through twelve plus hours of childbirth just for those tiny fingers? You're insane!" Lily said almost hysterically trying to get her point across.

"Lily, we have to go run a prefect meeting," James said louder this time.

"Look at him yawning though! He's just adorable!" Mary said with a huge grin.

James saw that he was just being spoken over, so he did what any sane person would do to get their point across, pick up the person you're trying to speak to, throw them over your shoulder, and run with them.

"James Potter!" Lily shrieked.

"Lily Evans!" James said through his laugh.

"Well, I guess that means we should probably also go to the prefect meeting as well," Mary said as Remus got up off the bench.

"After you," Remus smiled.

Marlene noticed that Alice was staring at the wall in front of her and being the good friend she was, threw a leftover roll at her face.

"What'cha thinking 'bout Fortescue?" Marlene said with a small smirk.

Alice was yearning for a change. For far too long, she had been the quiet, giggly, always happy and predictable girl that had had the perfect relationship, and maybe she didn't want to change any of that except the fact that she was predictable.

"Do you know anyone that can cut hair?" Alice asked playing with her fork.

"Actually, I do."

...