"Don't rely on someone loving you to make you feel whole."
"'Our names are Sarah and Kyle Thomas. We were both born and raised in the Boston area, and for many years we've discussed the idea of surrogacy and what it would mean for our family.'" Harry Styles reads aloud the latest autobiography he was sent by the agency. The couple sounds sweet and excited for the opportunity becoming a surrogate could bring them. To Harry, nothing special stands out, except that the Thomas' live near him and Louis. Harry makes a mental note to show this couple to Louis later. Perhaps over lunch.
He's discussed the possibility of having children with Louis before. The first option had been adoption. They had talked with the agency for a month or two, when things began looking dim. The agency seemed very intrigued in Harry and Louis' marital status, and when Louis was quick to tell them about the civil union and no plans for a proper marriage, the agency lost interest. The problem, however, laid not in the agency, but in what Louis had said.
Louis knew Harry wanted children. After four years together, how could he not know? All of the baby magazines, the websites, the side comments- Harry was nothing if not painfully obvious.
He clicks on the pictures Sarah and Kyle added to their bio. They look happy, with two children of their own and a ditzy dog. He's about to click on the next image when there's a knock at his door. Harry sets his laptop on the coffee table, and gets up to answer it. He's no longer in the pajamas he was in an hour ago, now dressed in proper clothing for work. Opening the door, Harry smiles widely at his best friend.
"Guess what! Guess what! Guess what!" Zayn bounds into Harry and Louis' house, grinning from ear to ear.
"Did Freesia's soccer team win their game?" He asks.
"They're bumblebee soccer, everybody wins. But no, that isn't it. Guess who Juelle saw coming out of the jewelers across from her gallery." Zayn helps himself to orange juice in the fridge, and Harry sits down at the breakfast bar.
"Who?"
"Louis."
Harry's eyes about pop out of his head, and his heart begins to beat faster than ever before. "What?"
"Do you know what this means?"
"I..."
Zayn takes a drink of his juice, and grabs Harry's hands from across the counter. "There's only one reason people go into a jeweler and come out with a small bag."
Harry tries his hardest not to squeal like a small child when he opens his mouth. "I'm getting in engaged. I am getting engaged."
"You're going to have a better engagement ring than the one I gave Juelle, you spoiled thing." Zayn fakes annoyance, but Harry sees right through the facade.
"Do you know what this means, Zayn?"
"My best friend better ask me to be his best man. That's what this means."
"We can have kids. If we get married. We can, we can adopt or surrogacy- I just read a new bio we were sent." Harry points behind him toward his laptop. "Want to read it?"
"Sure, man." Zayn nods. Harry has a bounce in his step as he grabs his laptop and unplugs the charge to bring it over to the breakfast bar.
"They're from Boston." He explains.
"Oh, bro. That's half an hour away. That's perfect!" Zayn is one hundred percent supportive of Harry's endeavors to have his own children. When Harry talked to him about it three years ago, Zayn had been the one to suggest the surrogacy route. The biological connection to the child is something science and doctors have the ability to do now, he had said. If you want a baby, why not have it be yours emotionally and biologically?
"Their dog looks really dumb, hold up." Harry scrolls down to find the photo and click on it. "Look at him. He's an idiot."
"Aw, no." Zayn points at the dog looking off to the left with its tongue hanging out. "He's just so happy with himself and his family. Look at that huge smile."
"I want a dog."
Zayn laughs at that. "Child first, remember? Prioritize."
"Right, right." Harry nods, reading snippets of the biography again. They really do seem like nice, trustworthy people that wouldn't back out on them. Harry glances at the time, and jumps up. "Shit! I have a meeting at eleven."
"What for?" Zayn is generally always very interested in what Harry does for work. This is probably because Zayn works a dry (in Harry's opinion) desk job, and he gets to plan major events for people.
"The aquarium is hosting a fundraising dinner in August." Harry explains, and Zayn nods.
"That should be really neat. You helped them with something last year, didn't you?"
"Yeah, there was a membership something or other. They loved how it turned out, so they asked me back. But I really have to go right now if I'm going to make it down to the pier in time. Come over for dinner next Friday with Juelle and Freesia, okay?"
"I'm free, but I'll have to ask Juelle about her hours." Zayn grabs the jacket he had laid on the counter and slips it on. "I just wanted to tell you in person about the Louis thing. I'm so happy for you, Harry. It's about time."
"He's taking me out to dinner tonight, before his plane to Dublin leaves. I hope he proposes then." Harry checks his pocket for his phone and picks the car keys up off their hook. "Did you get a cab here or have you gotten your car fixed?"
"Car was fixed. Got it back yesterday morning." Zayn explains as Harry opens the door for both of them. "The damages weren't as bad as Juelle and I had thought. Granted, neither of us know anything about cars, so we were completely panicked."
"No, understandable." Harry states. "Like, who in their right mind backs too far into a parking space? Pay attention, you know?"
"Right?" Zayn opens his car door. "I'll talk to you soon."
"Don't forget to ask about Friday!" Harry calls to him, and Zayn gives him a thumbs up from inside his car. Harry gets into his own, starting it and heading toward the expressway. From his and Louis' house it takes about half an hour to get to Boston. The aquarium is on the opposite end of the city, so that takes him longer. Once there, parking is less of a battle than he had feared. Then again, ten thirty on a Wednesday morning isn't what Harry would call prime-time for the aquarium.
The meeting doesn't last very long, mostly filling up time discussing an overall idea of what the board members want their fundraiser to look like. Harry throws in his input every so often, and the board is pleased with most suggestions. He takes a lot of notes, and by the time the meeting is over, Harry has a pretty solid idea of what he wants done exactly, and he's certain the aquarium's board members will be thrilled with the result.
After the meeting, Harry gets a text from Louis. He got stuck at the hospital for a surgery, so he's going to be late for lunch. Harry understands. Saving lives sometimes requires a change in the schedule. It does him no good to worry. Instead, he decides that the Barnes & Noble connected to Boston University is as good a place as any to waste time before meeting with Louis.
The kids section of this particular Barnes & Noble always struck a chord in Harry. The white pillars and architectural design of the second floor made him feel right at home, pretending to be looking at the books for children of his own. One day, he will. In the mean time, reading A Very Hungry Caterpillar to himself will have to do.
After about twenty minutes of book surfing, his phone buzzes with another text message. Louis is finally out of surgery, showering and changing his clothes. He will be on his way in half an hour. Harry takes the text as his cue to put back his small stack of picture books and head to his and Louis' usual lunch spot- a small cafe on the west side of Boston Common. When Louis arrives, he kisses Harry lightly on the cheek and smiles widely as he sits down across from him.
"How was surgery?" Harry asks.
"Exciting, dangerous, could have killed a man." Louis scoots in his chair, setting his phone on the table next to his arm.
Harry grins. "Sounds absolutely-"
"Amazing, as usual. I love my job." Louis cuts him off with a laugh, and Harry joins in. "How was your meeting with the aquarium board?"
"Interesting, creative, could have gotten it all done in the one hour."
Louis grins. "Sounds productive."
"It was very productive. Now I have about fifteen people I have to call, four of which are possible caterers."
"Does Theresa owe you that favor?"
"Yeah, but I don't want to waste that on the aquarium." Harry sips the coffee he ordered ten minutes prior. "That's something I want to save... For you know, a more special occasion." He doesn't want to be too painfully obvious, as Louis wants the proposal to be a complete surprise, but Harry can't help hinting a bit.
"Oh, I see." Louis nods and his phone buzzes. He picks it up off the table to check it. "What else have you got planned today?"
"Well, this morning I was sent another bio." Harry starts slowly. "This family is from Boston."
"So, you know that apartment I was showing you a few weeks ago?" Louis ignores Harry's statement, glancing up from his phone. "They have an opening."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It would be perfect for us. It's inner city, right by all your clients and closer to the hospital. Spacious. Gorgeous view."
"The private school just a few blocks away."
Louis nods. "I'm going to apply for it, and maybe we'll be selected. Who knows."
"They're from Boston."
"What?"
"The couple's bio that I was sent this morning." Harry explains. "They're from here. I think they live in one of the brownstones by-"
Louis' phone goes off again, and he looks apologetic, but answers it. Harry understands. Louis is on call 24/7. Buzzing phones are something he's used to. "I'm sorry, Harry. There's an ER patient, and Melody is on maternity leave right now. I'm the only neurosurgeon available today. I have to go." Louis' words are a rush. "I'm so sorry. I love you. I'll see you tonight. I swear I will remind them I have tonight off. I swear. I love you, Harry. I'm so sorry. I'll see you in a couple hours, okay?"
Harry smiles at him. "Okay. See you."