More Than This

The Inevitable

My phone buzzes. It's the fucking inevitable.

"Mommy! It's Daddy!" Zoe screams as she hands me my phone. I put my finger on my lips to shush them.

"Hey," I greeted Harry in a gruffy voice.

"Did I wake you up?" He replies.

"Uhm, no," I chuckle. "Zoe and Xander's jumping on the bed woke me up." The twins giggle.

Harry laughs. Why do I feel that I suddenly missed that.

"Do you want to talk to them?" I ask. Harry never calls me, except when he wants to talk to the twins.

"Uhm, no. I, uh, I have a favor to ask you." He explains.

That's weird. "Ok?" I say.

"I am suppose to be there today. I'm now here at the airport. But my ride got mixed up. I called your Dad but he told me that he and Helen are out of the country. Is it possible for you to pick me up at the airport? Please." Harry pleads.

I let out a loud sigh.

"It's ok if you can't, I..." he says.

"No, it's ok," I curtly reply. "But I have to bring the kids. Is your exit secured? I don't want paps to see them."

"Mommy, what are paps?" Xander asks. I look at him and signaled for him to keep quiet.

Harry chuckles. He may have heard Xander. "Yes. That has been arranged. Meet me at the usual exit gate. Message me when you get there. Thanks, love." I can see him smile in my head.

"Alright. I'll just prep the kids. See you later." I end the call.

That's a record. That has probably been the longest time we have talked since our breakup.

——————

I parked at the agreed exit and I message Harry. "Kids, you need to be quiet, ok? No wiggling out of your seats and no shouting. Ok?" I remind the twins.

A chorus of yeses answers me. "Mommy, why do we always have to be quiet when we go out with Daddy? Nan and Grandma always says the same thing." Zoe, the talkative one asks.

I turn to them, "because Daddy needs some quiet. He's tired from work." Lame excuse. But how do you actually explain it to kids?

"Oh. Just like you Mommy." Xander says. Ouch. This boy sees right through me like his Dad.

Harry's message appears on my phone.

Now going out. x

I roll my eyes at that "x". He's trying to be cute.

I spot Harry from the rear-view mirror. He's wearing a track suit and a baseball cap. He carries two bags, walking quickly with his head bowed down.

My heart lurches. I shake off the feeling. It might just be the anticipation.

He opens the backdoor and throws his bags there. The kids remain silent but I can see them all giddy. Harry opens the passenger seat and hops on.

"Daddy!" Both the kids say loudly. I wanted to shush them but Harry crawls towards the back seat and gives them each long sloppy kisses. More giggling.

"Daddy missed you both." He says as he goes back in his seat.

"We missed you, too!" Screams both.

"I love you, Daddy" says Zoe.

"I love you more!" The other one says. It's always a contest for this two.

"Daddy loves you both, so much!" Harry faces them and gives them a flying kiss.

"And you, I missed you," he turns back and looks at me. Disarming me with his bedimpled smile, which I see from my peripheral. I smiled back without looking at him.

I started driving without saying any word or dare look at him.

"Who wants a surprise?" Harry says breaking the awkward silence. He takes out two lollipops from his pocket and hands it to them.

My eyes widen. "What did we agree about candies?" I remind Harry.

"Awwww. Mommy's mad." He looks at the twins making funny faces, Im sure because the twins are laughing hard. "Brush your teeth later, ok?"

"Yes!" The kids and Harry says in a chorus.

Harry looks at me. But I try my best not to look back. I'm driving so I have an excuse. "How are you, love? It has been a long time since." He says in a low voice.

"Yeah," is all I could muster to say. Why am I lost for words?

"I hope I did not bother you. I thought Caleb and Helen are at home. I didn't know you'd be there." He says.

"I didn't also know they were leaving, till two days ago, so..." I trail off.

"So it's just you and me, and the kids?" He says.

"Looks like it." I reply and I look at him and he is already looking at me, smiling.

I could feel my heart racing and my thoughts clouded. Without a doubt, even with no contact for more than a year, Harry apparently still has that effect on me. I'm transported back to the Alex, the girl he bumped at the airport, once again.