model call || h.s

83.

"I see." I watch her fold it back together and then she places it on the entryway table. Her eyes—her unhappy eyes—dig into Harry. "Do you feel remorseful?"

"What?" He asks.

"Do..you..feel..remorseful?" She speaks down to him, slowly, as if he's a small child. I can tell he's taken aback by her boldness and I step in front of him, protectively.

"How dare you!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nora, it's alright—" He reaches for me but I shake him off.

"No! No...it's not alright. Their relationship was over seven years ago! This had nothing to do with him—her suicide had nothing to do with him! I'm sorry for your loss, Kimberly, but how dare you come into our home and ask him whether he feels remorse! Evelyn was...clearly, there were some other underlying issues, and if you didn't see that—as her mother—then that's your own problem. I don't know why she left my husband the note, but he certainly didn't go out of his way to hurt her or drive her to this." As tears stream down my cheeks, I take a breath and change my tone, "I...I can't imagine what it must be like...a parent should never have to bury their own child and I pray that I'll never have to know that pain. I do feel for you and I am so sorry. I truly am, but please...do not put this on him." She glares at me now. "I have to protect my family, Kimberly. Surely you understand." She nods.

"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to ask you not to attend the memorial and funeral service. I don't believe it's what my daughter would have wanted." She looks at me as she says this, so I assumed it was only geared towards me, but Harry steps in and answers her.

"We weren't planning on it." He says, rather rudely.

"Mummy?" Rosie comes scurrying down the stairs and she runs to my legs. I put my hand on my daughter's mess of curls.

"Hold on, baby." I say, quietly. "Is there anything else that you need, Kimberly?" She forces a very faux smile.

"No. No, that will be all." Peter comes down next and before he can get too far, Harry lifts him into his arms. Without another word, she turns around and steps out the front door. I bend down and comb Rosie's hair back with my fingertips.

"Why are you crying, mummy?"

"No reason, baby." I say, keeping it brief.

"Who was that lady?" Peter asks both Harry and me.

"She was..." I begin, "She was just...lost. She needed some help."

"Did you help her?" Rosie questions further.

"I don't think so, baby."

Harry.

"You didn't have to do that, Nor. I could have handled myself." I say, softly, to the brave girl beside me. Rosie and Peter have cozied themselves up on the couch and they were watching some Disney film.

"I told you I'd fight for you." I nod, now knowing this to be very true. I admire her face for a moment. She's gazing back at me with such certainty, which leaves me with an absolutely inconceivable presentiment.

"This isn't going to be easy, okay? I think we're both going to need time to heal from this." I let my thumb brush her cheek, tenderly, and she leans into my hand.

"Last night you told me that you'd be here with me...and then this morning—it was like..you were gone again."

"I was drunk last night, Nora. I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Oh." She begins to back away from me "Okay, so you're not going to be here with me then?"

"That's not what I meant—I'm sober and it's hitting me differently this morning, okay? M'not being mean, and m'not telling you that I won't be by your side. I will—I will be." She watches me, carefully.

"I'm not doing this pregnancy alone. Not only do I need you by my side, I want you—more than anything—by my side."

"I'll be at your side, you have my word." She stands on her tiptoes in order to press a warm kiss to my mouth.

"For my own sake, and our kids' sakes, I'm putting Evelyn behind me. I have to."

"I understand that, and I'm glad. It's the last thing that you need to be worrying about, with everything going on."

"Harry, it's the last thing you should be worrying about."

"I'm...I'm going to try my best, okay?" She looks entirely skeptical, but she nods, regardless. I stand there as she turns to the kids, her tone changes from serious, to mum-mode.

"Alright, my little monkeys...time to go and get ready for Aunt Gem and Uncle Michal's house." Peter hops off the couch and Rosie climbs on the back of it, only to pounce into Nora's arms. Her smile and her laugh are both such beautiful things, and she brightens up the room by bearing both. She'd made it clear, last night, that Rose and Pete adored me...but as I watched them look at her like she was everything that mattered in the world, I was reminded that they worshipped her. I mean, they truly idolized her, and I understood why. She was the most wonderful woman that I'd ever known, and to them, she must've been like some sort of divine immortal. I recognized how unbelievably lucky I was, but the sting of the loss of someone I'd once cared about...that was torture, and despite Nora's ceaseless defense, I did feel to blame. So, I made a decision to put on a brave face, despite the sorrow that Evelyn's suicide had, internally, caused me.

===

Okay, so...I've made a decision. I'm absolutely, one-hundred and fifty percent, not ready to end this story. I've done some research and it looks as though...Wattpad doesn't have a story limit? I could be wrong, but I'm just going to go for it. There's so much I still want to do and share with you guys...so yeah. There's your big news. The Styles Family's story will not be over anytime soon. 

Occasionally, I'll work on The Sun and The Moon, but for the most part, my focus will be on this lil' thing!

Love you all, hope you liked this chapter!

Em XO.