Pleasing (H.S)

seventeen

Iris repeats it and I have no choice but to repeat it too. I look at Emma who is smiling looking at herself and then at Iris who is smiling looking at Emma. She is such a great mother.

"I am strong." "I am strong." "I am strong."

"I matter." "I matter." "I matter."

"I am smart." "I am smart." "I am smart."

"Mummy, I forgot the last one." Emma tells us.

"Do you want Harry to tell us something else?" Iris suggests and Emma nods.

"I will be kind." I tell them and Iris is smiling at me as she takes my hand to hers.

"I will be kind." Iris is the first one to repeat after me.

"I will be kind." Emma tells a little more excited than the other ones and then hopes off the chair making Iris stress. "Now, I want waffles." She demands and takes both of our hands and guides us to the kitchen.

I was never a man who believed that affirmations will make you feel better but here we are standing in a kitchen and I feel happier, I feel like I'm more hopeful than today. Iris is such a great mother if she has taught her kids those things. They are great values to have and to learn in a young age.

We eat breakfast but then our paths separate. Emma goes to school, Iris on work and I on the studio. I think that today I'm going to write something that I will be proud. But then I have a dinner.

Yesterday Iris told me that Love of my life is like a closure so I decided to text Camille last night before bed. I knew that she is in LA and I wanted to give this closure to the thing we had. It will be great for my mental health.

"Hello, Mitchel, hello Tom." I say to the two of my friends who are today with me at the studio.

"Hello, lover boy. How are you?" Mitch asks me and he laughs at the name he gave me.

"Very funny, Mitchel. I'm fine though, how are you?"

"I'm fine. Tom and I were discussing about your girlfriend that has you whipped."

I shake my head. "I'm not whipped." I disagree but neither of them believe me.

Tom speaks this time. "I heard she has a child."

My whole face lights up when he refers to my best friend. "She does. She's named Emma and she is the best child you will ever meet."

They look at each other and smile. "So you are full on on daddy mode." Tom tells me his opinion.

"I'm just friends with the child."

"But do you wanna be her dad one day?" He asks me the question I've been asking myself this while time.

I have thought so many times about it. I want to be a part of her life and if one day she's feeling comfortable with me and she wants to call me Dad I'm more than willing to take that role. I haven't discussed it with Iris yet, it's too early but my mind is running miles.

"Yes, I do. But don't say a word to Iris when you see her and scare her off."

"You really love that girl." Mitch exclaims and I smile.

"I do, I think that she is the one. We clicked from the start, she makes me happy, she's not afraid of the hate and she cares about my feelings like I care about hers. Everything about her screams love."

They look at each other again and nod like telling a secret only the two of them know.

"What have you written?" Tom asks and I open my notebook. I turn page after page and song after song so I can find the song I have written recently.