The Parent Plan » Harry Styles

Chapter 10

   She got her answer an hour later when she got a knock on her door. Jeff stood in the doorway with open arms, heavy breathing and sweat on his forehead. (He had beaten the living crap out of Jake's father.) She didn't question him; she just accepted his hug and cried into his shoulder. He then gave her the pep talk she had needed – one that should've came from a supportive mother and father.

   Of course, Monica is now on okay terms with her parents but Jake doesn't see them often. She used to tell her parents everything, but Jeff had officially taken their spot.

   "Honestly, you dress Jake up just like that son of a bi – " Jeff stopped his sentence short, removing his gaze from the rearview mirror where Jake shifted in his car seat and turning to glance at Monica who was already scowling at him. "I mean, why do dress him like that?"

   "Well, first, I let him choose what he likes," Monica stated, turning around a bit in her seat to look at her son. She sat forward again. "I guess he gets his style from him."

   "Who, Mummy?" Jake inquired, kicking his feet against the back of Jeff's chair to make his shoes light up.

   "Santa Claus," Jeff cut in, reaching behind his seat to push Jake's feet away. He simply giggled and kept doing it.

   "I don't dress like Santa," Jake spoke up while poking his belly. "Santa's fat."

   Jeff chuckled and patted his sister's knee. "You did a great job with him, sis."

.

   She fancies this lad, Jeff thought as he stood beside his sister who was emerged in a deep conversation with Harry Styles. (Jeff honestly couldn't believe that the boy she was once obsessed with was now her friend – a bit freaky.) It was obvious, there was this natural flush in her cheeks that he'd only seen once (dreadfully it was with Jake's father) and then the way she laughed at his unfunny jokes was a dead giveaway. However, he couldn't decipher if Harry fancied her as well, that was until he spotted the ring on his left hand. He was married.

   "You know, Jeff, I hear that you're grounded," Harry commented with a smirk, now including him into the conversation.

   He rolled his eyes. "Please, I'm older than her so only I can have the power to ground her."

   "In your dreams, Jeffrey." Monica folded her arms before looking down at Jake who was emerged in a conversation with Athena, his eyes wide and mischievous.

   "There too," he said with a smirk. Monica punched him the arm as Harry chuckled at the sibling bonding.

   "Seeing you two makes me want to call up Gemma," Harry thought out loud making Monica turn to him with a smile. She likes when he shares his thoughts. "Would you like to meet her, Mon?"

   There was that nickname again. Monica's smile faded in the slightest but she quickly fixed it before Harry could notice, Jeff noticed however. "Yeah, of course. I'm sure Jeff would want to as well, he had a crush on her ever since I showed him the picture of you two at her graduation – and wow, do I sound like a stalker."

   "Because you are," Jeff commented but was ignored.

   "Sorry, bro, but she's happily married," Harry said to Jeff with a shrug. He then turned to Monica, giving her a half smile. "Why don't we call it dedication?"

   "That's exactly what I told Jeff when he called me 'obsessed'." Monica folded her arms and then watched as Mrs. Roberts told the other parents to start giving goodbyes. She squatted down to Jake and gave him a hug, he responded with a kiss on the cheek before running to Jeff and giving him a kiss on the cheek (though had to wait for Jeff to squat down) and then turned to Harry, raising a small fist and waiting for his large fist to tap his own. Athena gave everyone a hug.