We continue playing around in the pool for another twenty minutes before I get the boys to come up and rest. Their bodies are so tiny and children have this habit of not allowing themselves to rest when their bodies tell them to.
I'm not trying to have any of them drown which is why I made sure that they got swimming lessons and we revisit that with their teacher every other week.
"I HAVE FISH AND CHIPS!" Harry announces as he starts walking over to us with a big tray in hand so I quickly clear the table. He sets the tray down to reveal two separate plates for us and the large trays for the boys to feast on.
"YAY!" Oliver cheers as he grabs one chip from the tray. "FAT CHIPS!"
"We love fat chips." Alexander proclaims and I let out a loud laugh as he takes a dramatic bite out of it. "Did you go to London to get this?"
"I made them in our kitchen." Harry chuckles while squeezing two dollops of ketchup onto the tray. "The cod and haddock were flown here because you can't beat the ones that we have back home."
"Yummy." Oliver smiles sweetly as he takes a bite of his chip and I snap a photo of my family while smiling at the moment. Once my boys have gotten settled and have begun eating, I reach for my own plate so I can start eating.
"Job well done, dad." I say while kissing Harry's cheek. "Real nice."
"Not as good as the lunch you make but a British staple." Harry pecks my lips. "I wanted to make some mushy peas but we didn't have any in the cupboards so beans it was."
"I'm surprised that we had baked beans considering that we don't cook with it often."
"We do need to stock up our pantry though." He tells me and I nod my head. "We need more British snacks in there because the American stuff ain't cutting it."
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VeronicaStyles: Boss Mum.
4,000,000 likes ~ 11,000 comments
Things between Harry and I are starting to look up but I understand that we still have a lot of work to do in our marriage. Sleeping in separate rooms has worked out like a treat for us and it has become somewhat romantic as Harry will slide love letters under my door.
Every morning I get to wake up to a cute little poem or a reason why Harry loves me which is really nice. Our marriage lost the romance a long time ago so I like that he is making an effort to bring that back because it's a big part in why we made it this far.
"We look like we should have swapped suits." Harry jokes before chuckling at my reaction. "You look beautiful, babe."
"I know." I wink at him as he slips his arm around my waist and we share a brief kiss for the cameras. "Are you wearing my chapstick?"
Harry laughs, "I didn't know if you would kiss me again so I needed a little V on my lips."
We have both been nominated for a GQ award so it only seemed right that we attend the event and show our support. Now that I am older and have different priorities in life, winning awards is something that I don't really care for.
It means a lot to be recognised for my work but I am not working for the purpose of being given an award.
"Look this way."
I slip my hand into my pocket as I stare the cameras down and I feel Harry glance over at me a few times but I pay him no mind. We do share a few funny moments on the carpet before going our separate ways as I relax into my boss mom mode.
"The most beautiful woman alive." I look up at the sound of Liam's voice and I'm surprised to see that he has a woman on his arm.
"Mr Payne." I fake a smile as we exchange greetings. "Olivia Culpo."
Olivia's eyes widen in surprise, "You know my name?"
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Harry chuckles at this, "We are fans of your work and have considered watching you play the cello live but you only play at home."
"I'll play at your show." She bounces back and I smile widely.
"Now that's the spirit." I glance over at Liam and he gives me a small nod letting me know that this is the new love interest. I can only hope that he treats her right since he doesn't have a good track record when it comes down to his dating life.
The paparazzi start calling out to us so we position ourselves on the carpet with Harry to my right and Liam to my left. Olivia stands to the side so that we can have our moment before Liam beckons her over for the next shots.
"How are the kids doing?" Liam asks as we make our way inside the venue.
"They're doing well." I rub my lips together. "Just trying to make the most of the time we have together now that I'm back to working full time."
"How do you balance it?" His question takes me by surprise. "You make parenthood look so easy while I'm failing at being a dad to my only child."
"The first thing you have to do is be present." I tell him straight. "I'm not going to read you the riot act but you spend all your time in America while your son lives in the UK. You can do all the facetimes in the world but that means nothing if you're not there in person."
Liam sighs deeply, "I'm not cut for this."
"Cut out for what?" Harry asks as he catches up to us. "Olivia has gone to the bathroom."
"Fatherhood."
Harry pulls a face, "One of the toughest jobs in the world especially when we live the lives that we do but being present for your kid is key."
"Exactly what I said." I clear my throat. "Being present is key but the real key to being a good parent is to get yourself straight. You need to be in a good state of mind otherwise you will never truly be present for that child and time is not our bestfriend now as it keeps slipping by."
