Timeless [h.s]

1 year later

"A baby, Charlie? Oh my fucking God I'm going to be an aunt." She jumped up and down in celebration while I tried to keep my hands steady. My fingers were numb and I felt incredibly disconnected from my body. There was happiness but also desperation, mainly because unlike any other time of my life, I'd have no do overs, no chance to move away after a few years and change everything. What if Harry bailed and decided he was not ready for a child? The terrifying sensation of having limited time had never felt realer than in the moment those two faint lines appeared.

"I'm terrified." I admitted, noticing her eyes softening. Sienna took my hand and squeezed, smiling brightly.

"That's just because somehow you believe you don't deserve a normal, happy life, even though it's been a year. This is the greatest Christmas gift ever." She hugged me again and inside that embrace, I felt the tiniest bit safer. Even though I had been alive for longer than anyone, I had forgotten how thrilling and frightening life could be, how things changed in the blink of an eye and we had to adapt ourselves because there was no other choice, no escape.

"What if Harry doesn't want her?" I asked, softly caressing my lower abdomen, still in awe that after all my suffering I became perfectly normal and mundane.

"Her?" Sienna enquired, completely missing the point of my phrase.

"I just know it's a girl, I can't explain it."

"Look, Charlie, I appreciate being the first person to know about your little human, but the second you tell Harry about this, he'll literally pass out from excitement. That man almost died for you a couple times; do you honestly believe he would be anything but ecstatic about creating a family with you? Yeah, maybe you're younger than you would've liked, but we're graduating soon and our family has a lot of human and monetary resources to help you out in times of need. Just please be happy and celebrate this, okay?" Her small speech made me feel a bit dumb about so much fear and anxiety. She was right; Harry had somehow managed to surpass his biggest fears and forgive me for all the lies and ambiguous behaviour, all because of how much he loved me. A baby, the start of a family, those things were scary but also something I knew he wanted to share with me.

"I'm scared of being too happy." I admitted, feeling my eyes welling up.

"There's no such thing as too happy." She dismissed me with a small hand gesture, slowly coming closer until her manicured fingers touched my stomach. Sienna's smile and devoted look made me cry even harder.

"Gaston is gone, your past is gone. Just accept it and find a fucking awesome way to tell Harry." I sighed, running my hands through my hair and looking around the tidy kitchen, wondering how I would do it.

"Oh shit, I really need to go. I promised mum I'd run some errands for her and we were supposed to meet soon." My sister looked at her watch and spared me a sorrowful but still elated look, wrapping her small arms around my body and crushing me in a hug that carried all the love in the world and a bit more.

"Sister bonding time." Harry's joking tone startled us and made me push Sienna away. My sister rolled her eyes at me, playing the part of a much better liar as she walked towards him and hugged his bigger body.

"I was just having pre party jitters and needed some sister advice." Sienna said, sounding so self assured that I almost believed her. Harry smiled, buying the bullshit without a second thought.

"I'm heading out, Charlie. Mum is already calling me nonstop. I'll see you two later." She blew me a kiss and left us alone without another word. Harry came closer and kissed my lips, hands over my hips and stubble grazing my face in a ticklish manner.

"You're up early." He observed, walking away towards the fridge, retrieving a couple eggs.

"I couldn't sleep, so much on my mind." I said, gripping the positive pregnancy test inside my pocket. Harry slowly walked around, making breakfast in his ratty flannel pyjamas and giving me the warm feeling only a nice Christmas could provide.