A/N: Again, there are a couple of small shifts to the timeline... Sorry I didn't manage to finish this yesterday, but I ended up adding a whole extra section this morning, so hopefully you'll find it worth the wait?! It's a long one, so hope you're sitting comfortably..! Xx
10th June 2020
It took Harry and Eloise a while to get their heads around the incredible - if slightly terrifying - news from the ultrasound.
Giving themselves time for it to sink in, they agreed to keep it quiet for a little while longer; deciding to hold out on telling their families and closest friends until her birthday.
If he'd been off on tour, and her top-secret project would be going ahead as planned, the timing would have been terrible, but, as it happens, with a global pandemic shutting down the entertainment industries, they both have oodles of time on their hands for once.
In their little bubble of happiness - just them and their huge secret - and with nowhere else they need to be, they indulge in a fair bit of time in bed, delighting in just being back together.
In the heat of the moment, after some frantic Googling for reassurance, they'd finally reconnected intimately too. And then some... All in the name of research, of course; checking out recommended positions, and making the most of some trusty favourites too, before she's unable to lie on her back.
Naturally, it's all a little softer, slower and gentler - for the most part - but, God, it feels good.
>
As he lies sprawled across their bed - still panting and unashamedly naked, with the sheets strewn half on the floor - a smug grin stretches across his face as he lolls his head on his pillow, avidly following her progress around the bed and towards the ensuite.
Spinning suddenly back to face him, she's caught in a sunbeam from the parted gauzy curtain. It silhouettes her naked body perfectly.
Entirely distracted from what she's saying - something about lockdown measures again - his legs tangle in the sheets in his haste.
But after skidding on to his knees in front of her, he plants his hands on her hips to shift her back and forth, before spinning her around to the full-length mirror behind them.
Angling her side-on, with him still on his knees beside her, he grins up at her puzzled frown before delicately traces his index finger down the centre line of her abdomen, nodding his head towards the mirror to encourage her to look at her silhouette.
As her brow unfurrows, quizzically cocked head straightens up, and her mouth drops open, his splits into a beaming smile as he sees her moment of realisation.
With a matching smile stretching across her face too, she lifts a hand to trace it for herself, whispering, "Whoa".
As if her body realised there was no longer a need for secrecy, just a few days after their first appointment, her bump has popped - absolutely tiny as convex lines go, but definitely there.
He's immediately enraptured, and, God, makes it feeling all the more real. Jumping up, he pulls her into his arms for a kiss and tight hug, before scooping her up and depositing her back in bed. Promptly sliding in beside her, he scoots down and lies on his side alongside her stomach. His long fingers stroke, soothe, and dance playfully over her smooth skin all the while, as he drops reverent kisses and whispers in awe.
Combing a hand through his hair, she looks down at him, melting with affection and the depth of her love for him. He really is going to be the most incredible father.
Lolling his head back up, he arches into her palm. "Can we do weekly photos?", he asks excitedly.
"Do you want to do weekly photos?", she smiles indulgently.
He can only nod, wide-eyed, pinching his lips between his teeth to contain his grin.
"Then I'll happily hand over all creative control to you, and be your willing model... But maybe just not totally naked, or saved to iCloud... You know, just in case!".
>
>
18th June 2020
A week later, the UK lockdown restrictions were eased a little more, with socially-distanced outdoor gatherings permissible once again.
Just in time for her and Ollie's twenty-seventh birthday, Eloise and Harry invited their immediate families and a few of their closest friends over for a casual barbeque party.
Ostensibly just to be as responsible as possible, and of course to protect little Grace, they'd asked that everyone coming take a Covid test.
They all jump at the invitation; eager for a chance to see each other for the first time in months, make the most of their relative new-found freedom, and get to enjoy the new garden - whilst it still looks at its best, before the grass inevitably succumbs to the summer sun.
Anne, Gemma and Michal; Crispin and Elin; Ben, Mer and the girls; Lucas and Ollie, both stir crazy with all professional rugby games cancelled; Niall and Malin; and Sarah and Mitch.
Harry's Dad couldn't make it, unfortunately; but to manage to have almost all their favourites? Not bad at all, considering.
It feels amazing to finally be properly reunited with so many friendly faces.
Emotionally weeping tears of joy as she greets each of them - even from a distance - it hits Eloise just quite how lonely and isolated she'd been feeling.
It's amazing quite how much has changed in just a couple of weeks.
>
A warm and sunny Thursday afternoon, they're able to enjoy the perks of most of them being free agents.
Crispin runs his own finance company, so pointedly told his team not to bother him and switched his phone to silent. Malin has a few days off, and Michal just intermittently sidles off to take a couple of work calls and answer a few emails. None of the rest of them work anything close to a regular nine-to-five.
Most haven't seen the house yet, and Harry quickly succumbs to their pleas and ushers a few small groups around on whistle-stop tours. He's mightily proud of it, and deservedly so.
Having seen it already, Anne holds back to lend Eloise a hand in the kitchen. She could almost weep herself, just watching her potter around one-handed, still not quite ready to hand baby Grace over just yet.
Double-checking they're alone, Anne steps closer and keeps her voice low and soft. "You're such a natural... And you're looking so much better, darling, positively glowing! Now, tell me, I'm dying to hear more about the scan...", she begs, eager eyes sparkling with excitement.
Eloise feels bad, but manages to fob her off with a few vague, non-committal responses, promising her they'll tell everyone this afternoon.
>
Soon enough, they're all outside in the garden and adhering to the 'at least one metre' rule. Well, ish... But it's really hard! And when they know they've all tested negative, it feels a bit weird to be too stringent about it.
Upon setting eyes on the outdoor pool, it takes Lucas about ten seconds to strip off his t-shirt and leap straight in. Evidently already in his swimming trunks, had he given himself just a few seconds more, he might have remembered the phone in his pocket. Oops.
Many of the others are understandably keen to follow suit, albeit less recklessly.
After some heckling, Eloise succumbs, and casts a surreptitious look at Harry as she turns to head inside to pop a bikini under her loose sundress and grab some trunks for him. She hadn't entirely thought this through.
>
Then, with the others all shouting from the pool for her to hurry up and join them, she checks in with the few still sitting on the patio as she whips her dress off.
"Are you all okay, here? Can I get you anything else? Is this enough shade for Grace-?".
She stops abruptly, flinching away as Elin pokes a bony finger at her tummy. "Lockdown is no excuse to slack off, Eloise", she tuts.
Only a few others heard it - Anne, Gemma, Mer, with Grace asleep in her arms, and Mitch too.
Eloise is rendered speechless, Anne and Gemma both audibly gasp, and Mitch's jaw actually drops. Horrified, but a little more used to Elin's ways, Mer recovers fastest. "I'm sorry, what did you just say-?".
But Harry cuts her off, "No-, no way! You did not just-". Returning back outside in his trunks, he'd evidently just caught it too.
Spinning to face him, wide-eyed, Eloise catches his face like thunder and piercing eyes, directed over her shoulder at her mum. He reflexively steps around and then pointedly in front of her, blocking Elin and anyone else's view of her bikini-clad body.
He's always tried to urge Eloise to be more lenient with her mum, but this is one of the first times he's heard one of her snipes first hand, and, well, he can't help but see red.
Her comment was entirely out of line, and would be in any situation, but it's even more ridiculous given that Eloise still looks incredibly slim. Sure, her stomach is a tiny bit less flat than usual, but only if you know to really look for it.
It would usually be her going off like a rocket at a comment like that, but, this time, Eloise knows she needs to quickly defuse an instantly simmering Harry.
Stepping to pivot neatly around him again, with her back to the others, she lifts her palms to his chest, encouraging him back towards to the patio doors. She speaks quietly, but pointedly. "H-, babe! She doesn't know", she shakes her head emphatically.
He keeps his eyes trained over her shoulder. "That's not the point! That's never fucking okay", he hisses, absolutely livid.
"I know, I know! She just-, I don't know, doesn't know any better?", she placates with a shrug, still pushing him back and shifting into his eye line. "Just ignore it. Don't let it ruin today", she pleads.
>
When they head back outside a few minutes later, it's a little frosty by the fire pit. Gemma and Mitch must have hightailed it to the pool, leaving a non-plussed Anne trying to chat with a visibly tense Mer, both pointedly not engaging with Elin.
"Eloise, I shouldn't-", her mum starts.
"Yeah, you really shouldn't", Eloise pointedly cuts her off. Leaving the tools alongside the barbeque for Harry, she reaches up to drop a kiss to his lips. Whispering, "Just leave it at that, okay? Please", she then spins on her heel and struts off towards the pool.
Passing her Dad on the way, she pointedly ignores his "What did she-?", and keeps walking. "Doesn't matter", she mutters, shaking her head; intent on shaking him off too and leaving it at that, just as she'd asked of Harry.
But then, she thinks twice. "No, actually...", she spins back to face him and steps close. "It does matter! I might not still look like the scrawny ballerina she so obviously wishes I still was, but I am the smallest girl here. And regardless of how her stupid comments always make me feel like shit, how could she have just said that in front of the others? Mer had a baby just six months ago! Why can't she ever just think before she opens her mouth?".
"I'm sorry, darling", he sighs exasperatedly, shaking his head. "I'll speak to her-".
"You shouldn't always have to...". Mirroring the shake of his head, and with a dejected sigh of her own, Eloise finally heads for the pool.
But Harry saw that interaction too, and drops what he's doing to follow her. Clocking his concern, Crispin promptly spins to follow him, keen to figure out what's up.
By the time Harry makes it to the noisy pool deck, and has scooped up a running, giggling Ruby and swooped her up on to Crispin's shoulders, he then looks around for Eloise, and can't help but swear under his breath.
Ollie tugs at one of her arms as Lucas holds her around the shoulders, pinned against his side, both ignoring her weak protests at their rough-housing. It's par for the course for the siblings, so no one else bats an eyelid.
Taking another step, he jumps neatly into the pool to intervene. With a shove to Lucas' chest and a swat at Ollie's arm, he hooks his arm low around Eloise's back and wades her shallower, before lifting her up to sit on the side.
"Hey, we were just playing! What's got you all pissy today?", Lucas sasses.
As some of the others join in heckling and booing at his expense, Harry heaves himself out the pool and spins around, looking back down at him and Ollie, as he offers a hand to Eloise to help her up. "Because she was saying 'no' and you weren't listening! And what happened to social distancing anyway?". His tone isn't exactly jovial, so all eyes around the pool are on him.
Given the vibes, and Harry being decidedly on edge, Crispin is quick to step in, still with Ruby on his shoulders. "Just cool it, you two", he calls down to Lucas and Ollie in the pool, before addressing Harry and Eloise. "Now, what can we do to be more helpful? The food won't be long, right? Shall I grab some towels so everyone can start drying off?".
Grateful for the intervention, Eloise leads a surly Harry back up and into the house.
>
Convinced something's up, Crispin resolves to keep an eye out. He really hopes they're not struggling, after being apart for so long.
Soon returning to the patio himself, he notices Anne whispering to Harry at the barbeque, whilst Eloise ferries various salads and sides out to the big table under the trellis, which Elin is setting. He can't help but wince at their stony silence. Still pinned on the sofa by Grace, he catches Mer's watchful eye too, and they trade suspicious, curious looks.
When Eloise emerges back out from the kitchen a final time, she's surprised that the smell of barbequing meat wafting in the air still proves just as irresistible. She has a nose like a bloodhound these days, so thought it might prove a bit overwhelming, but maybe she's just really that hungry.
Passing the kitchen timer to Harry as he closes the lid a final time, she's surprised to find everyone else gathered on the sofas around the fire pit, ready and waiting, if a little soggy from the pool.
"There she is! There's just time for presents and a toast, my darling", Crispin ushers her over.
As always, he insists that Ollie and Eloise each alternate opening gifts, one at a time. They both roll their eyes exasperatedly, but secretly love the long-standing tradition.
They both have everything they could ever need, so, as always, they're mostly just sweet little token gifts or silly, jokey presents. But then there's just one present left on the table, and it's Eloise's turn.
Harry grins sheepishly. "After me sweating bullets all morning, it finally arrived at lunchtime, so sorry for the hasty wrapping job!".
Once she's unwrapped the silver paper, she gasps and cranes her head up, eyes narrowing accusingly. When will he ever listen?
She can spot Cartier red from a mile off by now.
"Ooh, twins get matching presents, right?", Ollie jokes, peering over her shoulder. "Where are you hiding mine?!".
"Sorry!", Harry laughs. "But this one's for 'Styles' only!".
"Well, yippee for me then!", Gemma pretends to elbow Ollie out the way, rubbing her hands with glee.
"Oh, leave off!", Harry rolls his eyes and focuses back on Eloise as she does battle with the fiddly little latch on the jewellery box.
Leaning down from the arm of her chair he's perched on, he lends a hand, revealing the necklace with a flourish and making her gasp again.
It matches the Cartier trinity ring he'd bought her for their second Christmas together - and currently sitting on her right index finger. Three interwoven small bands, in gold, platinum and rose gold, attached to a gold chain via a smaller diamond-studded band. The styling is elegantly simple and so her, but it's even more meaningful now.
Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he whispers lowly in her ear as she smiles moonily at it, shining and sparkling in the sun. "My whole world, right in my arms".
As the others clamour to look at the necklace, she twists in his arms and kneels on the sofa to pull him into a tight hug. Overcome and feeling emotional, she can't withhold a little sob.
They only break apart as Mer nudges Eloise's shoulder, so she can put it on for her.
Harry leans back, grinning as he whispers. "Perfect! My everything, right there by your heart".
"I love it, thank you! God, I love you, so much". She stretches up again for a sweet kiss.
"So you really didn't get me one? I'm wounded, man", Ollie jests again, breaking them up.
"Hush you!", Crispin nudges him, stepping to sling an arm around his and Eloise's shoulders, jostling them affectionately. "Now, how about a toast?".
>
As Eloise hands out champagne flutes and Harry follows after her to top them up, she realises there's something else she didn't quite think through.
"You'll need one more glass, Lol", Ben notices. "Where are they? I'll grab it".
"Oh, don't worry, I can just share this one with H", she tries to fob him off.
"Nonsense! It's your bloody birthday and neither of you are driving".
>
All standing in a loose circle, not quite socially distanced, Harry has an arm around Eloise again.
Proud to see her defiantly still in just her bikini, he can't seem to control his dancing fingers, but does make an effort to keep them down at her hip.
They hadn't decided how or when they'd announce their news, but agreed they'd know when an opportune moment arose.
Crispin tips his glass to her, and then to Ollie, standing on her other side.
"Happy birthday, you two! I'm so glad we've all managed to get together... Thanks, again, to you two, for making it happen", he gestures to her and Harry before twisting away. "And I should say skål to Elin, too... Gosh, just think, almost exactly twenty-seven years ago, you were still grunting and cursing like a sailor at the tail-end of possibly the longest and hardest labour ever!".
There are three immediate howls of protest.
"Crispin!", Elin scolds him.
"Urgh, Dad, really?", Ollie grimaces.
"What?! God, stop, please", Eloise swallows thickly.
Harry just catches her horrified grimace out the corner of his eye, and is fairly certain she actually blanched a little too.
Reining in his distinctive laugh at their predictable protests, Crispin cuts back in over the chatter. "I was just trying to say that it was all definitely worth it in the end!". Raising his glass in a toast, "To Ollie and Lolly... Happy birthday!", he keeps his eye on her.
Grinning distractedly, and saying "Thank you" to everyone, her fingers toy nervously with the trinity pendant on her new necklace, but she doesn't drink.
He's not the only one to notice.
But before he or Mer can acknowledge it, Gemma gets in there first, blurting out, "Oh, my God, are you pregnant too?".
"...Too?!", Harry whips his head around.
There's a reason she noticed that Eloise didn't drink either.
After a few gasps, there's a hushed silence for a beat before they both squeal, "No way!".
Looking between Harry and Eloise, Gemma nods with a huge, dimpled grin. "Seven weeks!".
"Oh, wow!", Eloise beams back at her.
"And you?", Gemma prompts, stepping forward to reach for a hug.
"Umm, sixteen", she squirms. Casting her eyes around the evidently shocked circle, Eloise clocks thirteen pairs of wide eyes drop in unison, none too surreptitiously, towards her bared midriff.
"What?!", Gemma can only laugh in disbelief as she wraps her arms around her.
"I had to wait for H to get home!", she cuddles into his side. "I couldn't tell anyone until he was back... And, umm, we've been getting our heads around it", she beams up at him as he slings his arm back around her, smiling moonily.
"This is so wonderful!", a teary Crispin cheers. "But getting your heads around what? You've wanted this. You'll be amazing at this!", he asks gently.
Casting her eyes back up to Harry, Eloise grins before smirking playfully at her dad. "Oh, don't tell me you just took twins in your stride?", she sasses jokily.
"WHAT?!", Anne shrieks, spilling her drink in surprise.
After their neat circle melts into a blur of definitely not socially distanced hugs and kisses and congratulations and surprised laughter, Ben hollers, "Two birthdays and three babies?! We're going to need more champagne!", before promptly jogging back inside. They're due to head back to LA soon, so they need to make the most of the opportunity.
>
When they've finally both done the rounds, receiving effusive congratulations - even from Elin, doubly apologetic - Harry finds Eloise again and delights in proudly stroking his hand over her tiny bump. He's been itching to all afternoon.
Clocking them and their moony expressions, Niall cocks his head and sweeps his arm at Harry, shooting him a smirk. "Oh, so all this has been 'Daddy Harry' then?! Christ, good luck to you, El!", he throws his head back laughing, setting off the others.
He's unapologetically protective, and absolutely proud as punch, but Harry can't help but blush a little at being called out on it.
Although that could be down to what Eloise whispers in his ear after dropping a kiss to his cheek. Protective, Daddy Harry is hot as fuck.
>
>
6th July 2020
Now almost approaching the mid-way mark, in the last couple of weeks, Eloise's bump has really popped.
And Harry just cannot seem to stop touching her.
Neat, but now undeniable, it's getting harder to hide as the weather hots up.
When she does venture out, she relies on floaty tops, or forgiving loose dresses. And, failing that, lots of black or a well-placed tote bag.
However, a lucky paparazzo snapped them walking arm-in-arm, sipping green juices, ambling around Hampstead's food market on Saturday morning.
She'd been confident her loose smock sundress obscured it entirely, but Harry's hand, slung around her hip and caressing the side of her abdomen, had her ending up on an 'Is she?/Isn't she?' bump watchlist. Oops.
With events cancelled and most celebrities essentially having gone to ground, the press and media outlets are getting increasingly desperate for content. The story's pretty flimsy, but it got the fans suitably frenzied.
The rumour mill immediately went into overdrive. About her not having been seen in public since her Killing Eve promo in April; and how that was all via Zoom and shot from above the waist... Is she pregnant? Could she have already had a baby? Is that why they got married so quickly? It's rabid.
So, having spotted paparazzi then hanging out at the end of their road again, Harry and Eloise decided to go to ground themselves too.
>
They spent the rest of the weekend and the next few days largely in the garden, making the most of the glorious English summer sunshine. It's unfairly much maligned; sure, it can be a little temperamental, but when the sun has its hat on and comes out to play, there's just nowhere else quite like it.
Without the need to worry about prying eyes, and with far fewer visitors than normal, Harry loves that she parades around in bikinis or just little co-ordinating yoga bra and shorts sets, proudly showing off her growing bump.
Their indoor and outdoor pools and fully fitted gym keep them from going too stir crazy. And he shamelessly hangs around for her private prenatal yoga classes with Maya via Zoom. Sometimes he joins in, but other times he just sits back, watching unabashedly - ostensibly to ensure she's not pushing herself too hard, but mostly just enjoying the view.
He's unashamedly obsessed with her and her bump.
>
It's no coincidence that they spend a fair amount of time in bed too.
Her sex drive is definitely back up - which is lucky, as Harry isn't sure he's ever found her sexier.
It's not some weird kink, he doesn't think, but the knowledge of what their bodies have accomplished together, and how it cements their future with a whole extra layer of permanence... Beyond just the physical aspect of it all, it's the meaning and symbolism of it that's really getting to him.
He has to be mindful to keep her off her back, and to keep his weight off her, and to remember not to go too deep, to avoid nudging her cervix. The latter is proving most challenging of all. She's somehow never felt so warm and welcoming and deliciously full, and in the heat of the moment, he has to actively fight the urge to sink fully into her.
They get creative; with her either on top, or him taking her from behind, standing, kneeling, or seated, or else on their sides, with him spooning her from in front or behind.
She's sensitive - especially her boobs and nipples - and needs gentle foreplay, but once she's worked up and raring to go, she's really up for it, and proving borderline insatiable.
With surging hormones, and increased blood flow, and more sensitised nerve endings, she's certainly not complaining.
And neither is he; resolutely not. Fully expecting her sex drive to wane again, he resolves to make the most of it, for both of them, for as long as she's into it.
>
"H!", Eloise sing-songs up the stairs.
He just hears her from where he's doing battle in the nursery, assembling a flatpack changing table.
"Babe!", she calls louder.
"Not again, surely?", he whispers to himself in disbelief. She's had him twice this morning already and it's only just gone 10am.
"Harry!", she shouts out, making him drop his tools in a panic.
Thundering downstairs, he calls out frantically. "What? God, what is it? What's wrong?".
Finding her in the kitchen, he skids to a halt, half crashing into the marble island. She's sitting on the floor, re-arranging drawers of utensils and pots and pans. Don't ask.
Smiling sweetly to allay his panic, she shushes him and tugs at his hand to pull him down alongside her.
"El, what-?", he frowns.
Wordlessly, she presses his fingers flat, across the top of her neat bump. Grinning up at him, she whispers, "Can you feel that?". Pressing again, she nudges either side of her belly to encourage the babies to move again.
Seeing the hopeful smile across her face, he can hardly bear to let her down. "No, I don't think so", he says softly, shaking his head. "Not yet...".
"Oh, really?", she pouts. "How about now?", she presses again, harder this time. "Ooh, there, right there?".
"Baby, no, I'm sorry... But what does it feel like?", he sits down with his back against the island and pulls her on to his lap. "Describe it for me? I can't wait to feel them...".
>
>
8th July 2020
Just a few days later, Harry actually has a now-rare day of work scheduled - an incredibly exciting and top-secret project, to boot.
Still in awe at the flutters of movement and feeling really good for the first time in forever, Eloise point blank refused to miss it, however discrete they've been trying to be.
Meanwhile, poor Gemma has started feeling really peaky in the last couple of days, and is somewhat regretting having agreed to it. She certainly didn't enjoy their 7am departure to arrive in East Sussex for 9am.
Unable to hide her bump now, Eloise waits in the car, whilst Emma, Harry's assistant, has the Vogue journalist, Hamish, and the photographer, Tyler, and his team sign NDAs.
Meanwhile, Harry Lambert can barely contain his excitement and practically drags her from the car as soon as Harry gives him the nod. It's the first time he's seen them since hearing the news, and he'd insisted he wouldn't believe it until he saw her in person.
>
The shoot is fun and goes really well, with the photos looking incredible. And, luckily, Gemma feels well enough to get in front of the camera for a bit too, as planned.
Vogue had initially wanted Harry and Eloise to appear on the cover together, but they'd both been hesitant about inviting that scale of attention into their relationship.
Ultimately, Eloise insisted that the focus should be on him and his music after such an incredible nine months. And with her competitive streak and sky-high pride for him, she's also keen that he gets the kudos for being the first solo male to score a US Vogue cover. She can only hope her agents never find out that she turned it down.
Sitting and chatting with Hamish as they watch the photoshoot unfold, Eloise takes every opportunity to big up Harry.
He asks about her due date and floats the suggestion of holding back the article to the December issue, so they can add a reference to the birth as an addendum in the online article. Harry the husband, and family man, would certainly add even more interesting angles to the enigmatic portrait already taking shape in his mind. The cover and article are going to be momentous, he has no doubt.
>
>
15th August 2020
At Eloise's twenty-week scan, they decided not to find out the babies' sexes. Instead, they're keen to experience the ultimate surprise on the day of their birth.
But with Harry then having to drive to Italy for a couple of weeks - for a Gucci project that had already been postponed twice, and to film the Golden music video, back in Maiori, where they married - Eloise was left to face the brunt of complaints from their nearest and dearest, all evidently more desperate than them to find out what they're expecting.
>
Harry was away for One Direction's tenth anniversary on the 23rd of July too.
He'd already been feeling nostalgic about it all, and with Liam having been drumming up the fans' hopes - hinting about how good their impromptu sing-a-longs felt at their wedding, and how fun it was to all hang out together again - it was impossible not to stumble across countless posts and mentions and articles and videos. Their incredible success meant there was an awful lot to celebrate, and he's so, so proud of it all.
Like the rest of the boys, he's entirely confident that they absolutely will get back together, in some way, shape or form, at some point down the line. It would be simply mad not to. But with all the uncertainty this year, and with their final existing contract soon set to expire, they're just not in a position to be able to say anything concrete or commit to anything just yet. None of them is willing to break another promise to their incredibly loyal fans, but they'll make it up to them... One day.
However, wanting to give them at least something, he'd spent ages crafting a heartfelt Instagram post. He and the boys had been messaging back and forth too, delighting in reminiscing about wild and hazy memories, indulging in the opportunity to live in the past a bit. He forwarded a fair bit of it to Eloise too, but she's positive there would have been plenty of juicy stuff she'd never catch even a whiff of. And fair enough... That's a whole lotta history, after all.
>
After a successful trip, Harry finally returned from Italy last week, well in time for her twenty-four-week scan a few days ago.
Despite FaceTiming multiple times a day for the two weeks he was away, upon returning home and finally getting his eyes and hands back on her, he can't believe how much she's popped - unmistakably very pregnant now.
But, with it, Harry's sad to notice her confidence in her ever-changing body waning.
It's disconcerting, feeling at odds in your own skin. But she really does... Her body now feels practically unrecognisable as her own, and it seems to change more every single day.
She can only liken it, bizarrely, to feeling like going through puberty again; rapid, confusing physical changes against a backdrop of surging hormones and chaotically swirling emotions - but at a phenomenally sped-up rate.
Her big bump, now already D-cup boobs, widening hips, and achy joints are all new.
The flutters and kicks from within, twanging ligaments, random cramps, killer heartburn, and weird gurgles and sloshy sensations all only add to the fun.
But it's the two unrelenting modifications that have been the toughest to adjust to.
As her bump grows bigger, her lung capacity is getting increasingly reduced. She's now noticeably puffed after climbing the stairs, and has to gasp for breath after laughing.
And she's, oh, so over the summer heat by now. She's so warm; all the damn time. Regardless of what she wears or how close she sits to her beloved oscillating fan, she can't seem to ever quite cool down. Akin to a furnace, lit from within, it's just the increased blood volume, apparently. But, at this point, she can barely recall life as the girl who used to wind Harry up, twining her ever-cold feet around his calves in bed, trying leech a little warmth, or burrow her icy fingers under his clothes to thaw out against his warm torso.
Physiologically, she's doing well - gaining the expected amount of weight, keeping mobile with gentle exercise, eating healthily, and managing her iron levels. But she doesn't feel well; and, having almost always felt fit and healthy before, that's disconcerting.
Her biggest struggle of all, is that all these physical symptoms and sensations don't come with a night-mode switch. They can strike any time, but, God, they're always so much more evident at night.
Her old, shitty friend insomnia is back with a vengeance... And this time she's a real bitch.
And, evidently, when tired and feeling out of sorts, Eloise can be too.
But don't feel too bad for Harry. He's sleeping peacefully every night - as Eloise can attest.
Champion napper that she is, she's still able to snatch some sleep during the day, but she's really, really struggling at night.
>
Baulking at Eloise's flippant suggestion that maybe their eye-wateringly expensive new mattress might be to blame, Harry decides it's time for an intervention.
With her emotions only exacerbated by her fatigue and long sleepless nights, they head up to stay with Anne in Holmes Chapel for a change of scenery. She had always commented on how comfy his bed is up there, too, so it's worth a shot.
Now feeling huge and keener than ever to avoid being seen, they keep things low-key. Well, for the most part.
>
"I look like a bloody toffee apple!", he hears her wail from the depths of the family bathroom, where she's been trying on outfits for his cousin's scaled-down wedding. With increasing desperation, apparently.
Popping her head out of her bedroom, Anne grimaces and mouths "Good luck" to Harry as he passes, dutifully blowing out a deep breath before rounding the corner to venture bravely into the bathroom.
"I obviously disagree, babe... But if you happen to be feeling like a toffee apple, then you're definitely the tastiest one I've ever encountered".
Already peeling the dress over her head, she scoffs at his cute flattery before flinging it on to the 'no' pile in disgust.
Turning from the mirror in just plain, comfy underwear, she throws her hands up in dismay. "I am, look!", she turns sideways as he steps up behind her.
The edge of her bump now drops almost straight down from her fuller boobs, and she feels uncertain as to where the sides of her pregnant belly seem to meet her back and hips and bum. She feels wide and round, as if she has a baby wrapped above each hip.
She's lucid enough to know she doesn't necessarily look like that, but it's how she feels. And that discrepancy only adds fuel to the fire.
"I feel like a fucking Oompah Loompah, Harry!", she wails, dramatically.
Throwing his head back, he has no chance of holding back his bark of laughter at her comedic delivery.
Laughing dejectedly with him and the ridiculousness of it all, she soon gets out of breath. "Ooh, please, don't make me laugh", she whines pitifully.
"You are beautiful, any which way". Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he nudges gently at her hips to turn her to face the mirror front on, peppering kisses to her head all the while.
Lifting his hands to caress her bump soothingly, he coos in her ear whilst willing her to open her stubbornly closed eyes. "Look how beautiful... You're growing two babies, and it's August! Cut yourself some slack... This incredible body is doing amazing things. Please be kind to it".
With a sigh, she peeks one eye open, then the other. He's fairly sure she focuses more on his reflection than hers, but he'll take it as progress.
"Everyone will think you're the most beautiful woman there, whatever you wear, El".
She freezes rigidly in his arms before throwing her head back against his shoulder. "Oh, God, gawking strangers too! I can't-, I'm not-... Please don't make me go", she whimpers, pouting as her eyes pool with unshed tears.
He shakes his head, pointedly. "I'd never want to make you do anything... It's your choice entirely".
With a quiet "Okay", she grabs the last towel off the rail, only to burst into tears as soon as she realises it's too small to wrap around herself. Holding it to her front instead, she stalks out the doorway and sulks back to his bedroom.
He can only wince, and pauses to take a deep, rallying breath before scooping up her discarded clothes and heading back to his room to try to talk her down. "El, babe? I think that's just a little hand towel... Please, don't cry".
>
Just under an hour later, they're ready to go.
Eloise had called down from upstairs. "I just need two minutes".
Down in the hall, Harry, Anne, and Gemma traded matching, knowing smirks, as he pulled on his suit jacket with a grimace.
Trying to escape the heat, they're sitting waiting in his Tesla Model X, with the air conditioning already on high when she slides into the front seat and passes the front door key back to Anne.
"Umm, I'm sorry for that little tantrum", she cringes, chuckling awkwardly. "I swear I can literally feel my hormones zipping around my body in this heat... I might feel stir crazy, but I'd never not show up to a family wedding".
Leaning over the centre console, Harry drops a kiss to her temple. "You look beautiful, babe. Positively glowing - in a good way!".
As Anne leans forward to hand her a fan to slip into her clutch, Gemma reaches around the back of her seat to squeeze her shoulder. She's fifteen weeks now, and finally starting to feel a bit better herself. Nine weeks ahead, and with two onboard? She doesn't envy Eloise one bit, but can certainly sympathise.
Mumbling bashful "Thank yous", Eloise shifts in her seat, awkwardly smoothing the fabric of her loose chiffon-lined, pale gold, sequin shift mini dress between her thighs and the warm leather.
Dropping down loosely from her boobs, it's relatively light and billowy. Unless it's pulled taut, it's not immediately obvious that she's definitely pregnant. And the light refracts enough from the mattified sequins to help distract the eye from the lines of her shape underneath. She's paired it with some block heeled sandals, but has some flats in her bag too, just in case.
Pulling out the gates, Harry winces when Gemma suggests they could ask their cousin to say something, to help protect their privacy. He cuts wide eyes to her in the rearview mirror.
Eloise just shrugs. "That would probably only draw more attention, no? I was actually thinking that maybe it might not necessarily be a bad thing...".
"How so?", Harry cranes briefly to look at her, taken by surprise.
"Well, the news will break eventually... And if we randomly crop up one day with two babies, some of your most ardent fans would no doubt claim it's 'Baby-Gate' Take Two. They're almost certainly still protesting that us getting married was just some elaborate hoax to cover for you and Louis...". She can only laugh, genuinely baffled. "Maybe being photographed pregnant - ideally sooner rather than later, before I'm the size of an actual house - might help, in the long run?", she shrugs again.
After all these years, she still has the ability to leave him speechless with her logic and forward-thinking. Lifting her hand from her lap, he presses it to his lips, sponging grateful kisses as he drives.
>
It's their first stripped-back Covid wedding, and they're both taken aback and feeling bad for his cousin - especially after the comparatively ludicrous extravagance of theirs last September. With so much planning ultimately going to waste, it's just such bad luck.
But, on the plus side - for Harry and Eloise, at least - the drastically reduced guest list is comprised of mostly just family and a few very close friends. They don't know any of the groom's guests, but their side of the family is certainly a great gang, and it makes for a pretty small affair; relaxed and intimate.
Settled at the far side of a pew on the left-hand side of the stuffy church, Harry subtly fans Eloise with his order of service.
Hemmed in as they are, he can't help but panic when she suddenly lets out a little gasp and curls forward around her bump, letting out a slow, shaky breath.
"El? What-?", he whispers urgently, leaning close.
Shushing him gently as she grapples for his hand to interlace her fingers over his, she then drops their joined hands low, around her bump, to the left-hand side. Cutting her wide eyes up at his, she waits to see the moment of realisation cross his stunningly handsome features.
Did she mention he's wearing the suit from his London Dunkirk premiere? Knowing the effect it had on her at the time, she can't help but wonder if he chose to wear it today, deliberately for her benefit? Either way, she is not complaining... But he has her at risk of swooning from more than just the heat, that's for sure.
The babies have been shifting more and more - often in response to Harry's voice, whether singing or talking or laughing - and she's absolutely certain he would have been able to feel that. Definitely their biggest movement yet so far, it's all she can do to keep from yelping; it feels more like a repeated drop-kick to her spleen for her.
His eyebrows shooting up above wide green eyes, and a beautiful, beaming smile breaking across his face, are all the confirmation she needs.
Entirely captivated, he scoots even closer - suffice to say, he's now giving zero heed to his cousin's nuptials - and experimentally shifts his fingers around. Tapping and pressing gently, he then surreptitiously caresses in awe, as his babies rain resounding little kicks to say hello for the first time.
It's nothing short of magical, for them all.
>
>
20th August 2020
The following week, it transpired that someone at the wedding must have succumbed to temptation after all.
Honestly, Eloise had envisaged only his most eagle-eyed fans possibly stumbling across some social media photos - not someone selling photos, directly to the press.
But they get it, and imagine it would have been quite the payday for whomever it was.
However, as a result, they've faced countless articles and wild speculation in the week since.
The angle of the photos and the clever lines of that dress aren't entirely irrefutable, but in the original exclusive article, the unnamed source mentioned Harry had been proud as a peacock and fussing attentively over her all day, unable to keep his gentle hands off her. They must have been watching closely, because they also noted that she definitely hadn't drunk at all and drove them home later that night.
Where the articles speculated over dates - given his time in LA, and her size, and assuming it's a single baby - Eloise can't help but panic a bit, when it dawns on her just how early the twins could potentially arrive. There's something about seeing it laid out in stark newspaper print that makes it hit home.
>
As a result, she goes into full-on nesting mode.
The hospital and baby bags are packed and stashed at the ready by the front door.
And there's a frantic push to finish the last of the renovations and decoration that had been delayed due to the stricter earlier lockdowns. The priority being the new double nursery, just across from their master bedroom.
Harry assumes she's probably hiding out from the paparazzi and fans a bit too, but he gets it.
Cooped up in the warm house, he tries to keep her off her feet as much as possible. He shops, cooks, cleans and launders like a champ.
Almost wasted as a bonafide global superstar, he'd have made a wonderfully attentive 1950s housewife, back in the day.
He even goes down a rabbit hole on YouTube, researching the basics of prenatal yoga, pregnancy massage, and pressure points.
However, the latter endeavour was quickly abandoned after Eloise almost accidentally kicked his teeth in when he surprised her, innocently attempting some of his fledgeling reflexology. Her feet have never been more ticklish, and that's saying something.
But his most favourite new hobby has to be experimental gastronomy - all in the name of mollycoddling her with an iron-rich diet. He must have been paying extra attention when they were warned about the need to actively manage her anaemia to try to avoid the risk of pre-term labour and low birth weights.
She hangs her head at the kitchen table with a sigh. "H, I adore you, and appreciate all this so much... But if I see another sodding spinach leaf, I will scream... Please, I cannot eat it three times a day!".
"Oh, that's alright! Pass it here, I'll eat it... Maybe that could help counter the risks?", he asks snippily, with his eager, angelic expression disconcertingly at odds with a haughtily piqued eyebrow.
Gaping in disbelief at his tactics, she snips back a "Fuck you", but then proceeds to stab at the spinach with her fork. She eats it all, gagging for good measure, but then stubbornly refuses to speak to him for a couple of hours.
However, after a head, neck and shoulder massage, she's putty in his magical hands once again.
>
They also manage to completely freak themselves out watching online birthing and ante-natal videos.
Holy shit, neither was ready for that.
And without the pretence of needing to behave and pretend to be mature in an in-person class or appointment, they defaulted to bawdy humour, egging each other on until they were falling about laughing.
Harry only called time on it when he genuinely panicked, mistaking Eloise's desperate panting for breath, after laughing so much, for actual labour pains.
Much like the dates in newsprint had been for her, that flash of panic served as quite the catalyst for him too; stressing the importance of buckling down and getting organised.
>
In amongst everything else, they play the name game too. Obviously.
With both of them throwing out random suggestions as and when they think of them, any contenders are scribbled on a Post-It note, and then shuffled around the dining room table, in varying clusters, as their preferences wax and wane.
It only complicates matters that they're still unsure whether they'll have one of each, or two of either. Especially with twins, where you need to consider how names work both individually and as a pair.
They both frequently change their guess, but there are currently more girls names being thrown around than boys.
Another point of contention is the sheer number of friends and acquaintances to contend with - either their own names or their children's. They don't want to step on any toes.
It's a lot to think about, and a huge decision.
They often find the other, staring down at the table, deep in thought, moving the options around a bit.
>
It's exactly where Harry finds Eloise, early on Thursday morning.
Wandering sleepily in, wearing just his boxers and a wild mane of tousled bedhead, he lets out a big cat worthy stretch and yawn before pulling out a chair alongside her, twisting to drop a kiss to her temple.
She can only coo when he then bends to drop a kiss first to one side of her bump, and then to the other, too.
Straightening up with a soft smile, he casts his eyes over the table, and, from the pile of crumpled up and scribbled out Post-Its, hazards a guess that she must have been down here for a while. Insomnia is still proving a nasty bitch.
"Is this just some big ruse to throw out Harriet again? Do I need to check these?", he jokes, poking through the mess.
She snorts a laugh, still chewing on the end of her pen. "Don't start that again! Harriet and Harrison and Ellie and Ellis were firmly vetoed months ago, for good reason, and you know it, you big goof".
There are seven piles.
Names of people they'd love to honour.
Simple, cool, and relatively androgynous names.
Some with a Scandi origin.
Others with a musical connection.
One pile that they can only categorise as 'Pretty names'.
And one for any new suggestions.
Plus a pile of great names, but relegated for future pets.
They'd given up on keeping a discarded names pile. Harry couldn't resist dipping back in and rehashing closed discussions. Like why Myles can't even go on the pets pile; or why, despite how much she loves them both dearly, she couldn't, in good conscience, name a baby boy (if they have one) either Mitchell or Jeffrey. With all due respect, but no; not in 2020.
"So, any new suggestions this morning?", he asks, morning voice extra deep and gravelly.
"None that I haven't already since talked myself out of", she snickers, knowing she's being picky. But fairly so!
They've agreed not to make any final decisions until they can hold the babies in their arms and decide what suits them best. And also not to reveal the options to anyone else until - it's hard enough just juggling their own opinions and preferences as it is.
Harry tugs at his lips, deep in thought, eyes flitting over the piles again. "This feels like a good final shortlist to me", he nods decisively. "Ooh, but we should probably lose Lyra, now", he taps it. "Remember, I said Ed sent me a text the other day, saying that's what they've finally decided on for their little girl?".
"Oh, bummer! That was one of your favourites at one point, wasn't it?".
"You know what? We still haven't talked about godparents yet... Not properly".
"Here", she slides him a fresh Post-It and a pen. "Let's write them down at the same time, then compare".
As it happens, they have exactly the same names. Four girls, three guys; two of whom happen to be couples.
"Well that has to be a good sign!", Eloise laughs.
"How does it work for twins? You and Ollie have different sets of godparents, right?".
"Yep. But I don't think there are any hard and fast rules? We could mix up genders and pairings, or even think about having more than two for each, if we want...".
She taps the end of her pen on one of the names. "I love him to bits, but he's only making it on the final shortlist on one condition...", she smirks at Harry. "That you first teach him how to hold a baby properly! I am not kidding, some of the photos I've seen are genuinely concerning".
Harry can only chuckle. He's in total agreement, as ever.
>
>
10th Sept 2020
Eloise can only laugh that she thought she felt huge and warm before.
Another four weeks on, and now in her third trimester, she's now really feeling enormous, and suffering from hot flushes in a full-on heatwave.
She's starting to get really uncomfortable, and feeling more than a little stir crazy and cooped up in the house, now that they've blitzed everything in the nursery, and the last of the other decorating work has finally all been finished.
Yesterday, her twenty-eight-week scan revealed some concern on Twin B's growth rate, which has started tailing off somewhat. There's currently a ten percent difference in size, but they start really worrying at twenty-five percent. But she'll now have to return for weekly scans for the the rest of her pregnancy, for them to continue monitoring their progress closely.
Struggling to sleep in the heat himself, Harry wakes up and panics when Eloise isn't in bed or in the ensuite bathroom.
On instinct, he pops his head into the nursery on his way downstairs, and breathes a sigh of relief to find her in the corner by the window. He should have known.
The final piece of furniture to arrive for the nursery was a rocking love seat. A sunny pale yellow, it's squishy but supportive, and she's delighted with it.
He'd already caught her a few times, rocking gently, running her hands over her bump, singing softly to the babies as she gazes around their nursery.
Scandi chic, it's cool, but cosy; all soft and snuggly textures, in a neutral palette with some pastel touches. The shelves are filled with cute teddies, wooden toys and lovely books, and the drawers and wardrobes are full of clothes. They're ready.
Or so he thought.
As he pads over the plush new carpet, barefoot and just in his boxers, his face falls when she lifts her head up, clocking her tears in the moonlight.
As she nuzzles into his warm palm, he wastes no time lifting the light baby blanket from her lap to slide in alongside her. It's a tight fit for two adults, and he can't resist pulling her on to his lap, wanting the closeness to help lend some comfort.
"What's wrong, my love? Is everything okay?", he asks gently. Lightly squeezing the hand resting on top of her bump, he then runs his down over her tank-top clad belly and cotton sleep shorts, then soothingly up and down her bare thigh.
"Just ignore me...", she sighs.
"Never".
Drawing her legs up, she shifts on his lap to be able to look up at him. "I'm sorry if I'm being impossible and a total bitch at the moment. I really am so grateful for you and everything you're doing, baby. You don't have to be so nice to me all the time-".
"Hey, hey... Of course I do! It looks tough enough, but I can't begin to imagine how difficult all these changes really are for you, physically and emotionally... Talk to me. Whatever it is, that always helps, right?", he pleads.
"I'm just so tired, but I can't bloody sleep, not properly, and it's making me daft...", she rolls her eyes at herself and huffs out another long breath.
"I don't think so... What else is going on in there, hmm?", he taps her temple. "I can practically hear the cogs turning, and you have your thinking face on".
"I, just... I can't help but wonder if I've done something wrong? That B's so little?". Fresh tears spill over in worry.
"Oh, El... You're doing amazingly. You're cooking two little people! Dr. Jenkins said differing birth weights are really common, and said she wasn't worried yet. So please try not to stress unnecessarily... You've got enough going on in here, and in here, already", he taps her bump, then cups his palm at the crown of her head.
Sniffing, her chin wobbles tellingly as her fingers worry the tassels at the edge of the blanket, plaiting and unwinding repeatedly.
With her eyes still cast down, she admits lowly. "What if I'm not cut out to be a mum, H?". Braving a look up at his ragged intake of breath, pooled tears spill over the lash line of her watery wide blue eyes. "Mine certainly set a shoddy enough example at times", she can't help but frown.
He can only shake his head, crushed that she's even questioning that. Knowing how heaping praise on her just makes her squirm before it washes straight off anyway, he pauses for a beat to settle on another approach. He has to get through to her; he can't bear the thought of her beating herself up over this.
"Okay, tell me this...", he pulls her wavy blonde hair out of its loose messy bun. Then, raking his fingertips over her scalp, he lifts his other hand to massage the nape of her neck, making her arch her back from her perch on his lap. "What makes you think my mum's great?".
With her eyes closed in bliss at his magical fingers, a soft grin stretches unbidden across her face and she lets out a serene sigh before answering easily. "She's the best! Loving, kind, warm, caring, encouraging, approachable, honest, open, fun-".
"See!", he cuts her off. "You instinctively know what makes a great mum. And you are all those things and more... Maybe knowing what you wanted from your mum will only make you all the more aware of it? Just shower them in love and kindness and support and fun, and I promise you, you won't go wrong", he grins encouragingly. "And this is about parenting - you have an incredible bond with your dad. Follow his lead and our babies will be so bloody lucky... No one expects new parents to instantly know what the hell they're doing! It's intuition, and trial and error and learning as you go, right? But we'll be in it together, every single step of the way... We'll figure it all out together, okay? We'll be alright, I promise".
"Together... Okay", She sighs again, this time contentedly, as she drops her forehead to his.
As she shifts to nuzzle against his chest, she whispers up at him, fingers toying with his on top of her bump again. "Do you, umm, think your mum would be willing to come and stay, after they're born? To show me-, us, the ropes?".
He tilts her head back up to ensure she sees his smile and watery eyes before he whispers back. "I think you asking would mean the absolute world to her", he cranes forward to be able to drop a sweet kiss to her lips. "Come on, you can barely keep your eyes open... Let's get you back to bed".
>
>
30th Sept 2020
Late in her thirty-first week, Eloise is feeling fit to bursting, and genuinely worried she'll be at risk of exploding if she goes to thirty-seven, which is considered full term for twins.
She's still feeling tired and definitely uncomfortable. Just about every joint hurts, and her organs feel crushed; contending with limited lung capacity, killer heartburn, and uncomfortable digestion, and don't even get her started on her poor bladder.
So she's in a mood, but trying desperately to keep a lid on it - especially when Harry's been trying so hard, and going out of his way to be so attentive and sweet. He spoilt her rotten for their first wedding anniversary last week, too.
>
Bright and early this morning, Ollie surprised them with an unannounced visit.
With the sting of not playing still all too fresh, he's finding himself at a loose end these days. Literally just as the rugby clubs were finally able to re-open, he managed to break his foot again.
With him hobbling around in his clunky air cast, and Eloise waddling around with her hips, pelvis and back giving her no end of grief, the big twins are definitely a little short-tempered and getting on each other's nerves.
She swats at him in the kitchen as he hovers around her. "I'm not an invalid, I can make a cup of tea! Fuck off". She's been trying to keep a lid on her mood for Harry; but she makes no such promises for annoying brothers.
But, yikes. Harry's not sure he can deal with two cranky Cadogans so early in the day. Clearing his throat, he braves it. "I, umm, think I might head out for a run, actually".
"Oh, it's alright for some!".
"Don't rub it in!".
To their immediate resounding grumbles of complaint, he holds his hands up in surrender as he jokingly steps backward out of the kitchen. They shouldn't be too surprised; he's already in his running gear.
Thinking twice, he steps forward again to drop a kiss to Eloise's temple. "Play nice, he's injured", he whispers. Jokingly, he then smacks a kiss to Ollie's forehead as he passes him too, perched on a barstool. "Don't rise to it, please", he begs in an ever lower whisper.
Stepping out the front door, he breathes a sigh of relief as he sorts his AirPods.
It's shaping up to be one of those picture-perfect Autumn days. With a bright blue sky, the sunlight catches the golds and reds of the turning leaves, still clinging to the trees. It's still mild enough in the sun, but there's a refreshing little bite to the early morning air.
>
Enjoying his peaceful run, and a fascinating hypo-birthing podcast, Harry decides to double back towards Highgate, for a quick errand.
Meanwhile, leaning against the kitchen sink, Eloise hisses, rubbing heavily at one side of her bump, through the thin ribbed cotton of her midi tank dress.
"Whoa, whoa! Careful...", Ollie hobbles over and drops a hand to her back as she blows out a slow breath.
"Come on...", she whines under her breath.
"What? What is it?", he frets. "Come and sit down".
"No, it hurts less standing", she holds firm, shaking off his hand.
"What does?".
"Pretty much everything, right now", she huffs.
"Well, what can I do? Please, Lol...".
She winces again. "One's kicking the shit out of me, but the other hasn't moved all morning". She gestures first to the lower left of her bump, then rests her tapping fingers higher up on the right-hand side.
"Does it normally?".
"Yeah", she hisses again. "Not quite like the fly-half over here on this side, but still... Shit, what if something's wrong, Ol?", she looks up into his matching blue eyes.
"When did you say your appointment is later?", he frowns.
"Not till 4pm".
"Could you call them, and try to move it earlier?".
"I'm probably just worrying over nothing. There can't be much room left for them to manoeuvre in here".
"It wouldn't hurt to try would it? Don't be a martyr... What's your gut saying?".
She barks a laugh at the irony. "You don't want to know, trust me!". Nudging her right side again, she whispers more gently, pleading. "God, I'd do anything to feel a little rain of kicks right now...
"Give the hospital a call... It's worth a shot".
>
A while later, Harry bundles back through the front door, juggling a huge bunch of sunflowers.
"Oh, finally!", Ollie makes him jump, pouncing on him in the hall. "Fucking hell, this is stressful", he's flustered and panicky.
"What-?".
"Everything!".
"Ollie, what's wrong?", Harry asks in a no-nonsense tone.
"She's worried-", he frowns.
"El, babe?", Harry cuts him off, calling out for her as he brushes past him to rush into the kitchen. Dumping the flowers on the marble island as he passes, he heads straight for her.
"Oh, you're back?", she asks distractedly, frustratedly trying to slip her Birkenstocks on blindly, not able to see her feet. He squats down to give her a hand. "The hospital can see me sooner... Can we go?".
"How come? What's wrong?", he pops back up, unconsciously cradling her and her bump simultaneously.
"I don't know", she frowns, biting her lip. "One of them's not moving much today... I've just got a funny feeling".
"A physical funny feeling or a gut feeling?", he checks. This isn't their first rodeo on funny feelings.
"It's all in my guts!", she chuckles at the memory too. "I'm not sure, I just-".
"Okay", he cuts her off with a nod and a reassuring peck to her lips. "That's more than enough for me... Do you want to go now-now, or can I grab five minutes for a quick shower first?".
"Of course, I'll wait for you", she squeezes his hand as he's already spinning away from her to dash upstairs. "Please can you bring my denim jacket down with you? The Paige one?", she calls out after him. "And thank you for these flowers, they're beautiful!".
>
True to his word, Harry's ready in under five minutes.
Ollie drops a kiss to Eloise's cheek and squeezes her hand on their way out, calling after them as Harry helps her into the car. "I'll post the keys through the letterbox when I lock up. Let me know how you get on, yeah?".
With the Wednesday mid-morning traffic behaving itself, they arrive at The Portland hospital within fifteen minutes.
>
"Well, you definitely made the right call to come in", Dr. Jenkins finally speaks after eyeballing the ultrasound monitor and printed readings, and listening intently to the foetal Doppler.
Twin B is starting to show signs of struggling a bit. Now just over fifteen percent smaller, its heartbeat also sounds a little weaker than Twin A's, and a bit faster too.
She makes the call to admit Eloise straight away, for continued monitoring and observation.
The bed rest can only do her good, and she warns them that there's a chance Eloise might need to be in the hospital for a while, so they can keep a close eye on both her and the babies.
>
Once they're led to a private room and the nurse promises to return with a gown for her, Eloise wastes no time in folding - slightly sideways now, by necessity - into Harry's arms, struggling to allay her panic.
"Shit, I'm so not ready for this... And there's still so much to do!".
"It's okay, baby. You'll be alright; you all will". He hopes he sounds more reassuring than he feels.
As the nurse bustles back in, Harry spots the narrow day bed on the other side of the large room. "Will I be able to sleep there?", he gestures with his chin, still holding Eloise tight.
"During and immediately after labour? Sure. But not yet... Sorry, hospital policy", she frowns at their disappointed sighs. "I'll leave the gown here and give you a minute. I'll be outside, just let me know when you're ready and we'll get you hooked up", she squeezes Eloise's arm kindly.
"I'm not ready to be apart from you again... I can't do this alone", she admits quietly once the door shuts.
"I don't want to sleep away from you three either". God, he gets it. Dropping a kiss to the crown of her head, he takes a beat, breathing in the ever-illusive scent of her shampoo. "But you're not alone in any of this, El, and you never will be".
It hits them; they'll soon be a family of four. Wow.
After helping her undress and don the hospital gown - with a playful grope of her bare bum through the split at the back, to lend some levity - he pulls her close again. Dragging his hands from her shoulders to either side of her jaw to thumb gentle strokes along her cheekbones, he gazes down at her, reverently.
"It will all be alright, El, I promise", he leans in to seal it with a kiss, whispering against her lips. "You're making all my dreams come true, you know that?".
He pulls back and offers her a soft smile, "My brave girl! Just a few more weeks of this, love... It will all be so, so worth it in the end".
💫 Please kindly vote and comment - any feedback and encouragement always appreciated!
A/N 2: Excited to hear your thoughts...! And any guesses or predictions?! Genders, names, godparents?! There may be some clues copied below... ;)
Again, I've done a lot of research, but haven't experienced this myself... So if you have and spot any glaring errors, please send me a message and enlighten me! I also tried to reflect Covid complications accurately, but will almost certainly have taken a few liberties for either a little storytelling license or just woeful ignorance... I have nothing but the utmost respect for the incredible work of all medical professionals, and for any new mums, who have had it tougher than ever this year... But in case there's anything concerning anyone, please just message me!
Final update due tonight or else by tomorrow! It's the very end... Sob! Xx