Life Changes

10. I'm Only A Fool For You And Maybe You're Too Good For Me

"It's been drying for twelve hours."

"It has not been drying long enough if I can smell—"

"Really? Why are you being so critical right now?"

"She can't sleep in the bedroom tonight."

"It's not even wet. I wouldn't bring a baby into a wet room."

"Of course it's not wet, but you think this won't smell for days afterwards?"

"It won't, it's totally aired out. Do you know how much work I put into this?"

"You didn't do any of this." Zayn flicked his hand in the air dramatically, his voice drawn tight. "When have you painted a cloud in your life?"

"I oversaw the work that was being done."

"You oversaw the work?"

"Yeah, I planned it."

"The one thing you said you would do, you oversaw?"

"I got creative with it." Liam flapped his arms in the air almost comically, bellowing his frustrations. "The bloke came in and looked at all of it and I said, "Let's do the clouds!""

"This is ridiculous. She can't sleep in here."

"Of course she can! Move the crib. This is her room. Where else is she—"

Harry shut off the television once more. He was pursuing his lips downwards in that endearing way of his when he tried hard not to laugh. Louis crossed his leg over his lap, his eyes squinting into half-slits.

Louis' voice was amused when it came out to say, "So what you're saying is that it's okay that we're horrible parents...and we want to kill each other half the time."

"Two thirds actually." Harry smiled, the room suddenly feeling a whole lot brighter. He closed his mouth, a solemn expression shadowing his eyes and lips. "I think we just have to stop trying to fit ourselves into their lives."

"I hate this place."

Louis shook his head, his eyes surveying the house as if it was the first time he was actually seeing it. To be fair, it was, considering he never took the time to really take in the atmosphere since every time he tried to do so, all he could hear were Liam's and Zayn's echoing laughs.

"It's like a mausoleum in here. There's pictures of them everywhere." Louis pointed to a cowboy painting hanging up on the wall. "I really hate that cowboy painting."

The cowboy's creepy smile stretched from ear to ear as if he was the Joker himself. His crooked smile sent shivers down Louis' spine.

"It really is creepy, right?"

"Yeah, I want it out."

"If we're gonna live here, we have to stop tiptoeing around like they're coming back soon. They're not coming back."

Harry's mouth tilted downwards in a sad pout. That won't do. Louis looped one arm around Harry's shoulder and pulled him back until Harry was flush against Louis' chest, every part of their bodies touching. Harry rested the back of his head on Louis' shoulder, a small smile slipping onto his lips. Much better.

The next morning, they set out to redecorate the entire house. They started with the pictures framed on the wall, they were so many of them, and it hurt to take down the constant reminder that this house didn't belong to them. That it once used to be a home.

They replaced the disturbing cowboy painting with a photo of the three of them they took at Isabella's first birthday party. It's lovely. Louis wiggled his finger underneath Picture Harry's nose and Harry smacked Louis' shoulder, cackling that hyena laugh of his. That sound is even lovelier.