Strong [h.s]

Kids Are Snitches

     H a r r y

    All your life, people will pound into your head that loving someone means giving up everything for them. Movies tell you that it's performing a big romantic gesture that leaves the other person running to you with open arms, but anyone who has ever truly been in love will tell you that it's all of those things and more. Love is admiring everything about the other person: the way they walk, the way they smile, the things they get excited about, and even something as simple as a sneeze can melt your heart. Love is experiencing life together; the ups, the downs, and everything in-between. Love is sneaking out of bed in the morning so the other person can stay asleep. Love is playing Barbies with a toddler so they aren't loud enough to wake the other person.

     Love is sitting on an over-packed suitcase so the other person can zip it and take their entire closet to Florida with them.

      "Harry, I know your butt is big enough to hold this suitcase down."

     I throw my hands up defensively. "I'm doing exactly what you told me to, I don't know what the problem is." The problem is that the suitcase is way too full.

     "Just. . . Just shuffle a bit."

     I do as Isis says, and hear her laughing from behind me.

     "Okay, I've almost got it," she announces. I hear the sharp sound of the zipper giving in and take that as my cue to stand up.

     I turn around and see Isis smirking proudly down at the suitcase, hands on her hips. "One suitcase down, two to go."

     Isis nods. "I'll take care of Randie's when I get home from work." She pulls her phone from the pocket of her black jeans and frowns. "Speaking of, I have to get going." She walks over to the mirror and leans closer to it, brushing the flyaways back into place.

     "You look beautiful," I tell her, running my hands down her bare arms. She smiles appreciatively and brushes off her soft cream-colored T-shirt.

     Standing up straighter, she turns in my arms to face me. "You're all set here? You're staying with Randie until Liam gets here, right?"

     I chuckle. "No, I'm not going to leave a three year-old home alone. I'm here until Liam is, Love."

     "Okay, yeah. Good." She furrows her eyebrows and looks to the left. "Sorry, I don't know why I asked that. I guess I'm just a bit frenzied from planning our trip." Her eyes are brought back up to mine, "I do trust you. . . I hope you know that."

     I lean down and press my lips to her forehead. "I know."

     It's at this moment that Randie decides to barge into the room, hands raised high above her head and papers flying through the air. "Mommy! Daddy! I made you these!" She jumps onto our bed and pushes the papers down onto the mattress.

     "What are they?" Isis asks, moving towards the bed to see Randie's handiwork.

      Randie jumps into the air, extending her arms and exposing her stomach. "Pictures that I drawed!" She grins proudly, "I worked very good on them just for you." Isis picks one up and Randie runs over and snatches it from her hand. "That one is for Daddy," She explains.

       "I don't get the Rapunzel one?" Isis asks.

      Randie shakes her head. "Rapunzel is for Daddy because Daddy has long, beautiful hair!"

      Isis is either an incredible actress or she is genuinely offended. Randie doesn't notice, of course, and trots over to me happily, paper in-hand.