Seasons [h.s]

Spring - Part 5

His light eyes were flushed with a deep, menacing blue.

"Why do you keep running?" Jared chided behind gritted teeth. He was only inches away from me - his hot breath beating against my face. "Don't I always find you?"

I tried to free my wrists from his tight grip, but his strength overpowered mine. "You'll never find her, I'll die before you'll ever find Mia!"

This didn't seem to phase him. "That can be arranged," he grinned before taking his hand and tightening it around my neck.

"Grace! Grace!" Harry's voice was deadened in the distance. I wanted so badly to scream for him, but my throat only allowed a croak.

"Say goodbye to Mia, she's mine now."

"No, no, no!" I yelped.

I felt an abrupt shove against my shoulders. My eyes broke open to Harry, whose facial features were faint in the darkness.

"It's just me, I'm not gonna hurt you..." He consoled while wiping sweat from my brow. "Talk to me, Grace."

"J-Jared..." was the only word I could mutter.

Harry sighed, "that's the third time this week, Grace." He lifted me into his lap and began to rock me back and forth.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I whimpered into his chest. My tears flowed in an unbroken stream.

"Don't apologize, baby. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere."

"M-mama?" I heard a tiny voice whisper in the darkness.

My motherly instincts hushed my sobbing spirit and allowed me to speak in a more even tone. "Mia? Come here, lovey." I heard her little feet pad against the wooden floor until she made it to our bed. I took her into my arms and squeezed her tightly. "Mommy loves you so much, my angel."

"I love you, Mommy! I love you, H-Harry." She crawled out of my arms and into his. "Why was Mommy screaming?" Her voice was laced with concern.

"Well," Harry huffed before sliding her bangs out of her eyes, "Mommy had a bad dream, but she's feeling better now."

"Maybe you should help Mama the way you help me when I have a bad d-dream."

"How is that munchkin?" I asked.

"He sings me a song." Mia wiped the remaining tears from my cheeks.

I squeezed Harry's knee in the darkness, "that would be lovely."

Harry let out a nervous chuckle and laid Mia down in-between the two of us. "I'll only do it if Mia sings along." He negotiated before blowing a bubble against her cheek.

Mia cackled, "okay!"

And then, in this stillness of the night, I heard my two favorite voices begin to sing me back to sleep.

"Just stop your crying, have the time of your life

Breaking through the atmosphere

And things are pretty good from here

Remember everything will be alright

We can meet again somewhere

Somewhere far away from here."

**

"I'm worried about you, Grace." Harry sighed on the way to work the next morning. "Ever since you saw Jared last month, you've been dealing with so much anxiety. You're not getting any sleep; hell, you throw up at just the sound of his name."