This House (l.s.)

7

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."- Jessica, age 8

"What is this?" Louis asks, flicking his fringe out of his face and walks into the kitchen. There's a bouquet of impatiens on the counter with a box and a card.

"Open the card and find out," Harry says, flipping the pancakes on the stove. It's been two weeks since the incident, and it's not good, but it's getting better.

"Kids still asleep?" Louis asks, grabbing the card.

"Yeah, Josh cried a bit but once I fed him he fell asleep again. Figured I'd let the rest of you sleep," Harry says.

"Thank you," Louis says, opening up the envelope. The card is something cheesy about 'I love you and your cute butt'. When he opens it up, Harry's neat handwriting is filling it.

Dear Louis,

Twenty years ago today, we met in that god awful bar I used to work at. I thought you were the prettiest, most handsome person I've ever seen and I still feel that way. I want to stare into those blue eyes all day and wish I could forever. I can't believe it's been this long and we've had a great run. I know I messed up but I am going to try so hard to prove how much I love you and always will. I just thought today was a good reminder.

You'll always be my baby.

Love forever, Harry

Louis feels tears in his eyes but blinks them away, opening up the box. There's a brand new silver watch. Louis looks up at Harry in disbelief.

"Did you think buying me expensive gifts would make this better?"

"I never said that," Harry says, his face falling. "But this is a special day, I thought you deserved something."

"All I needed was a dinner and maybe a card and flowers, but don't try to buy my love," Louis says, putting the gift down and crossing his arms.

"I'm not, Louis. But Jake flushed your watch down the toilet a while ago and I never got you a new one," Harry says quietly.

"Oh," Louis whispers. "I forgot about that."

"He said the poop monsters wouldn't come get him if he gave them a nice gift," Harry grins.

"Oh yeah, he did say that. Quite an imagination."

"Think he gets it from you. You had some crazy fantasies, as I remember," Harry lifts an eyebrow with a grin.

"Harry," Louis scolds, his cheeks hot. "Stop it."

"Sorry," Harry muses, turning his attention back to the pancakes.

"Um, thanks, though. The watch is beautiful. Just...don't go crazy with gifts, yeah? You making this work will be enough."

"You deserve to be spoiled, Lou. I haven't had much chance to spoil you lately, and I want to. You and the kids," Harry says. "Just let me, please."

"Fine," Louis sighs. "Why impatiens?"

"Do you remember when you thought they were called impatients? And I laughed because I said you're the most impatient person I knew. Then I bought you a few just to get a laugh out of it, and you loved them. Even when you first got pregnant you were like 'okay I'm ready to give birth now', just wanting him to get here. You remember that?"

"Yeah," Louis smiles softly.

************************************

"God, professors can be so rude. I mean, you obviously had to pick this career, right? How can you hate students so much, then? I know my paper deserved at least a B. I worked my ass off to get that thing done and-" Harry complains, dropping his backpack on the floor.