Anna || HS

Anna 2- CHAPTER 48

***A/N: I've decided that I am messing with ALL THE DATES from real-life Harry. So, just pretend that we are still living in a pandemic-free world and yeah 🤣

~January 2021 (and the months leading up to it)~

Harry- 26
Anna- 26
August- 4
Robin- 3
Florence- 19 Months
Hazel and Milo - 6 Months

This ENTIRE chapter is from Anna's POV (Chapter 49 will be Harry's):

Tour ended three months ago, but then the real work began. The real work of Harry and I trying to figure out a life where we were in the same place, at the same time, trying to move forward as a couple. We've learned to coparent, and co-exist, for the sake of our now five children, but there came a point where we finally had to decide to do the work to fix things for us.

Really, a lot has happened over the last six months. 

>>>>> Anna's flashback to quick overviews of the past six months.

~July~

After the twins were born, Harry and I came home in newborn mode. Having done this before, three times, we easily found our typical roles and found a new rhythm rather quickly. Harry refused to go back on tour for the first two weeks the twins were home, but I really think that was out of hope that I would finally give in and talk about what was happening between the two of us, but I was way too focused on what was happening with the two new humans that I was feeding and changing round the clock, and their siblings.

So, I convinced him to head back a few days after two weeks after their birth. My mom and Viv and Marit were all there, and plenty of extra hands were around to help me, and the more shows he cancelled, the more he would have to reschedule. He missed Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta and Raleigh. He was able to easily reschedule Atlanta and Raleigh, but the Chicago and Nashville shows were going to have to be tagged onto the end. He would never cancel a show and not make it up to his fans, and I would never ask him to, but that just meant he would be gone for even longer if he didn't leave.

To be honest, I needed the time away from him. I didn't have the capacity to be a mother, going through the first few weeks postpartum twins, while trying to work through issues with my husband. I remember the night I told him that I couldn't deal with 'fixing' us right now. How unwilling he was to leave the house with things unresolved, but that was our reality at the time. I was literally surviving each day, putting on a smile for Auggie, Robin and Flo and trying to bond with Milo and Hazel.

~August~

Harry came home between San Antonio and Dallas, because it was August 12th. He flew into Manchester and I met him at his mums house, since my mom had flown back to New York the  day before. He immediately went into dad mode, respecting my need for space when it came to intimacy between us. Even though he was respectful, the next twenty-four hours with him home were anything but easy.

That night, Anne and Gemma, along with Marit and Viv, talked us into having dinner in town and spending the evening away from the kids. I sat down in the passenger seat in Harry's car for the first time since the twins were born, almost a month ago, and I let out an exaggerated sigh. I watched his hand move to take mine and hover, but then retract, and his face fell from concerned to just plain sadness. Neither of us wanted to go to dinner and sit at a table, pretending everything was fine. "I have a proposal," I said into the very thick air.

"I'm listening," Harry answered.

"The whole world wants to get pictures of us, either fighting or happy, but they want pictures. Going out tonight is only going to result in giving them what they want and us sitting through an awkward dinner." I told him, getting agitated.