Harry: 35
Camryn: 35
Darcy: 18, 19 weeks pregnant
Lennon: 15
Auggie: 14
Bowie: 13
Calum: 11
Bindi: 9
TRIGGER WARNING: very very brief mention of r*pe so please read with caution <3
6:47 am
She wakes up to a little rumbling in her stomach, something she's gotten very accustomed to over the past few weeks as she takes a few seconds to herself before opening her eyes. Her big blue eyes blink open softly, a little grin appearing on her face as the first thing she sees is Bindi's face, her mouth wide open and her chin tipped upwards with her eyes closed, slow and even breaths falling from her lips. Their noses are just centimeters from each other as they share the same pillow, although they didn't start out that way. When they went to bed Bindi had the whole left side of the bed to herself as well as her own pillow, but she quickly moved to impose on Darcy's side and is now imposing on Darcy's pillow.
Out of the seven days in the week, Darcy would guess that Bindi and her have "sleepovers" at least three of those days. It started when Bindi first moved into her own bed when she was about two and a half and Darcy, who has always been completely obsessed with her little sister, thought it would be the funnest thing ever to have her little sister have a sleepover in her bed over the weekends, but those weekends quickly turned into weekdays which led to Bindi being nine and still preferring to sleep with Darcy most nights, which Darcy doesn't mind at all.
Darcy raises her fingers up to comb through the hazel hair sleep messed above Bindi's ear, realizing that there's a little hand pressed against her bump that's peeking out from her tank top that's been twisted in her sleep. She grins and travels her hands down to rest against Bindi's little palm that's resting on her stomach, feeling little flutters from the inside, but sadly they're still not big enough to feel on the outside.
She nuzzles a little kiss to Bindi's jaw, giggling as Bindi sighs in her sleep before tipping her head back down, her little leg in between Darcy's as she tries to cuddle closer to her big sister in her sleep.
"Hi baby,"Darcy murmurs with a little giggle as Bindi's cheek collapses onto Darcy's chest, her arms wrapping tighter around Darcy.
"I love you,"Darcy whispers, bringing her hand up to cup the side of Bindi's face as she presses a few kisses to the top of Bindi's head, combing her fingers through Bindi's hair before closing her eyes and pressing her cheek to the top of Bindi's head, hoping that she'll be able to fall asleep to catch a few more minutes of peace and quiet, especially since her alarm hasn't gone off yet.
"Mmm, careful with the bump, careful,"Darcy quietly cautions as she feels Bindi's little knee shoot up dangerously close to hitting against her growing bump, immediately putting her hand on top of Bindi's octopus legs to push them back down.
"You're such a heavy sleeper, babydoll,"Darcy grins, brushing the hazel hair back from Bindi's face as she nuzzles her face deeper into her older sister's chest, still completely asleep. She taps her finger against the freckle on Bindi's cheek before pressing another kiss to the top of Bindi's head. "I love you."
She looks behind her shoulder at the alarm clock on her nightstand, reading the numbers 6:55 and wanting to groan at them. Five minutes before the alarm goes off. Five minutes until another day at school which she's learned to dread ever since she got pregnant.
She always loved school, she was a great student and had a great group of friends. She was well-liked by all of her peers and overall had a great time everyday, but that all began to change once she got pregnant.
Her grades have remained pretty much the same, although they did slip slightly during her intense bouts with morning sickness, but her teachers were all very understanding about her circumstances and offered her extensions and a bit of grace. The spot she was not offered grace in, however, was with her peers at school. Kids who were always nice to her seemed to find her as the butt of their jokes now and their cold shoulders. Snickers and hushed comments now follow her all down the hall as she sports her bump that catches the eye of every kid she walks past in the hall. She knows it will just get worse as her bump grows bigger and even more noticeable, although she already has a fairly large bump, especially for only being nineteen weeks, so she tries to remember that she only has three months left. Three months. She can handle three months.
"Sweet girl,"Darcy whispers, rubbing her thumb against Bindi's cheek as she squeezing Bindi tighter to try and gently rouse her awake, "Bindi Belle, it's time to wake up, baby."
She doesn't get a response from Bindi who inherited Harry's genes of being a notoriously heavy sleeper that Darcy also had until she got pregnant. It was almost like a flip switched and now she finds it hard to stay asleep during even the slightest of noises.
"Baby,"Darcy hushes, traveling her fingers under Bindi's chin to tip it upwards slightly so that she can look at her face, her eyelashes still fluttering in her sleep. "Bindi it's time to wake up, my love."
She gets a groan and a whimper in response as Bindi's face crumples up, her head immediately dropping to try and burry it against Darcy's chest again. "Oh I know, I know you don't want to get up, me neither."
"Don't wanna go to school,"Bindi whimpers, her voice muffled against Darcy's chest a Darcy giggles softly, her chest vibrating.
"I know, baby, me neither,"Darcy agrees, pressing another kiss to the top of Bindi's head. "But at least we get to party tonight."
Bindi's head snaps up at that sentence, her dark brown eyes growing wide as she looks right at Darcy with a little grin appearing on her face, realization coating her features. "Happy birthday, DD!"
"Thank you, baby,"Darcy giggles softly, dropping her forehead to Bindi's as she receives a soft cheek kiss from her. "Were you rubbing my bump when we were sleeping? I woke up and your hand was on my belly."
"I like to feel it,"Bindi giggles sweetly, dropping her hand back to Darcy's bare belly, rubbing it softly. "Why can't I feel them yet?"
"Mm, cuz they're still a bit too small,"Darcy hums in response, tucking a strand of Bindi's hazel hair behind her ear as their eyes continues to stare into each other. "But I'm sure we'll be feeling them soon, they're getting so big and so is my belly."
"You're belly is getting really big,"Bindi agrees with wide eyes and a nod. She's old enough to understand common decency and social cues, but Bindi being Bindi has never really caught onto them. She's hopelessly blunt which Darcy normally loves, but she will admit that sometimes it's reduced her into tears, especially with how hormonal she is with this pregnancy. "And your bum. Your bum's getting huge."
"Oh Belle Belle, you're such a sweet talker, what would I do without you,"Darcy sarcastically responds with a little laugh, trying not to take her little sister's comments to heart as she squeezes Bindi. "Can you make me a promise?"
"Yeah,"Bindi agrees with a little nod, continuing to look up at her older sister.
"When I'm super pregnant and super big please don't comment on how I look, kapeesh? I dunno if my confidence can take a hit like that at that point,"Darcy smirks, watching as Bindi giggles softly and nods in agreement.
"Your cheeks are getting kinda big too, D,"Bindi points out with pursed lips, tapping the tips of her fingers against Darcy's cheekbones and squishy cheeks that definitely have grown with a bit of pregnancy weight.
"Hey Belle is there anything that's getting small about me?"Darcy asks, squinting her eyes as Bindi hums in consideration which makes Darcy a little nervous for the answer since she was semi meaning for that to be a rhetorical question. She doesn't know if her already wavering confidence can take another hit.
"Mmm, not really,"Bindi decides, shrugging her shoulders honestly as Darcy bursts into a little giggle again, shaking her head.
"Wow, you're just really buttering me up for my birthday, huh? This is why I love you,"Darcy grins, puckering her lips and kissing the tip of Bindi's nose as she hears a little tap at her door.
"Come in!"Darcy calls, looking towards the door as Lennon and Harry barge into the bedroom, their faces still puffy from sleep but big smiles crossing their faces as Camryn, Auggie, Bowie and Calum all trickling in behind them.
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Darcy! Happy birthday to you!
"Happy birthday, DD..."Lennon dramatically sings, climbing onto Darcy's bed and laying completely on top of her, hugging his arms around her as she squeaks and giggles, jokingly trying to push her younger brother, who's much bigger than her, off of her body.
"Careful of the bump, careful,"Darcy cautions Lennon, trying to kick his legs off of her, "you're so heavy, you need to stop lifting so much."
"My big sister's eighteen,"Lennon exaggerates, pressing a loud kiss to Darcy's cheek as she groans and raises her hand to jokingly wipe it off. "My baby is all grown up! And she's having a baby!"
"Okay move your butt, I need a hug too,"Harry laughs, trying to pull his son off of his daughter so he can get a hug for her.
"There's my girl,"Harry drawls with a dramatic pout, leaning over Darcy and wrapping his arms around her upper shoulders. "My baby girl who's eighteen."
"I am eighteen, how does that make you feel pops,"Darcy giggles, laying on her back as Harry slightly pulls away from her to allow her to cup his cheek as she looks into his teary green eyes. "Hey! Don't cry! You're such a softie, it's just a birthday!"
"But it's your eighteenth birthday,"Camryn whimpers, kneeling beside Darcy's bend as she presses a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "You're not our little baby anymore!"
"I know, and guess what, on my next birthday I'll have this little baby to celebrate with,"Darcy squeaks excitedly, pulling the covers down to her waist to reveal her bare belly, placing her hands on either side of her swell. "Look at how much they've grown! And we get to find out what they are today!"
"DD can I have a feel?"Calum requests, walking closer to the side of Darcy's bed who immediately nods and reaches her hand out towards Calum's hand.
"Alright, they're resting right here, I don't think you can feel any of their movements yet, but they're really really active, I can feel it all,"Darcy explains, resting her little brother's hand on the middle of her bare bump, right over her belly button that hasn't quite popped out yet.
"How're you feeling today, babe? Are you feeling sick at all?"Camryn asks concernedly, knowing first hand how terrible morning sickness can be, especially since Darcy's morning sickness with this pregnancy has been very similar to the intense morning sickness she had while pregnant with Darcy that was almost debilitating.
"No, I actually feel really good, just a bit tired but not sick at all,"Darcy responds, turning her head against the pillow to look at her mum with a soft smile. "I don't think I'm gonna be puking all over you today, sadly. Although I know you've loved me doing that."
"Mmm I did love getting covered in Darcy puke, it was just like when you were younger and would get the stomach flu,"Camryn giggles, brushing back some of the hair off of Darcy's forehead.
"Are you excited to figure out what they are, D?"Harry asks, standing beside Darcy's bed with his arms crossed over his chest, looking down at his baby girl who looks so big now which makes his daddy heart absolutely crumble.
"I'm so excited, I dunno if I'll be able to wait until my party tonight,"Darcy grins, rubbing her hand up and down her bump.
"I-It's a g-g-girl,"Auggie calls from a few feet away from Darcy's bed with his arms crossed against his chest and his foggy glasses sitting on the ridge of his nose, his shaggy blonde hair falling over them slightly.
"No it's a boy,"Calum excitedly refutes, shaking his head as he continues to kneel on the mattress by Darcy, his hand never leaving her bump.
"I know you do,"Darcy giggles, patting her bump lovingly as Bindi's little hand travels to rest on top of it as well. "We'll find out today, buddy. I don't care what they are, I just wanna meet them."
***
"Alright, alright, move your big butts, we gotta get to school,"Darcy calls, walking into the kitchen and motioning for Lennon and Auggie to stand up from the kitchen table.
"Here sweetie, take these in case you need a snack,"Camryn offers, handing Darcy a plastic bag that's filled with little snacks to keep Darcy fueled throughout her day since one of her main pregnancy symptoms, other than feeling like sh*t, is constantly being hungry.
"Thanks mum,"Darcy grins, taking the bag out of Camryn's hand and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Remember to call me out at eleven for my ultrasound."
"I will, I will, don't worry,"Camryn assures Darcy, pressing a kiss to Darcy's cheek before she reaches up to tuck a strand of Darcy's freshly curled hair behind her ear. "You look so pretty."
"Thanks mumma,"Darcy grins, pressing a kiss to Camryn's cheek, "I'll see you at eleven. Augs, Len, c'mon guys let's get to school before I have to pee again."
"Can't wait till she's not pregnant anymore so that she doesn't have an excuse to be grouchy,"Lennon mumbles under his breath just loud enough for Harry and his siblings at the table to hear as they all sniffle their laughter, even Harry despite the fact that he knows he should chastise him.
"What was that?"Darcy asks, raising an eyebrow at Lennon with a pointed gaze, one of her arms resting on top of her bump. "You wanna repeat it and walk to school? Or do you wanna tell me how much you love me and maybe get a ride in the trunk?"
"I love you, DD,"Lennon exaggerates with a big cheesy smile that makes Darcy roll her eyes as he leaves his plate in the sink, Auggie following right behind him as they both press a kiss to Camryn's cheek.
"DD, tell the baby I say bye!"Bindi calls as Darcy begins to walk out of the kitchen, a mini waddle now that her bump is growing.
"The baby says 'bye Beenie, have a good day at school!'"Darcy giggles, rubbing her hand against her bump and waving towards Bindi before walking down the hall, twirling her keys in her hand as Auggie and Lennon stumble behind her, trying to get their backpacks on as they walk.
*
"You okay?"Lennon asks, looking over at Darcy as they sit in the student parking lot, neither of them wanting to go into school yet whereas Auggie has already run inside to go to his first period.
"Yeah,"Darcy lies with a little sigh, looking out the window with her hand subconsciously placed on top of her bump, her fingers tapping against it.
"You're a great liar, D,"Lennon sarcastically responds with a little snort as he rests his head back on the headrest of the car seat. "C'mon, rant to me."
"I just,"Darcy sighs, hauling in a deep breath afterwards as she rolls her head away from the window to look over at her little brother. "I just don't like going to school anymore. I've always loved school but now it's just...different, I dunno."
"Because you're pregnant?"Lennon inquires, his green eyes staring into Darcy's blue eyes as he tries to break her so that her walls will come down.
"Woah Sherlock, you really are something,"Darcy teases, widening her eyes and rolling them as Lennon chuckles and rolls his eyes back at Darcy.
"No one minds, D,"Lennon responds, knowing it's a lie. He's walked the halls with his big sister before, he's seen first hand the mean stars and wide eyes she gets. He hears the hushed slurs that get thrown around as she minds her own business, just trying to get to class.
"Yeah, sure,"Darcy sighs, raising an eyebrow at Lennon as she pats her hand against her swell of a bump. "It's fine, it's just three months, I can last."
Lennon nods quietly and looks down at Darcy's bump before looking back at his older sister. "I think it's a boy."
"You and everyone else in the family,"Darcy snorts with a little giggle before sighing and closing her eyes. "We should go in, we're gonna be late to class."
Lennon nods in agreement and opens up the car door, walking around the car as Darcy opens her door as well, going to the backseat to fish out her backpack.
"Mum and dad offered to let you homeschool, D,"Lennon responds, walking beside Darcy with his backpack hanging off of one shoulder. He likes to pretend like he's cold and tough, but anyone who knows him well enough knows that's about the furthest thing from the truth, especially when it comes to his big sister. They've been tied at the hip since he was born, and there's no denying that he has a major soft spot for her and feels that it's his duty to look out for her and protect her. And there's no denying that he feels like he failed at doing just that.
"No,"Darcy shakes her head quickly, immediately shutting down Lennon as she pulls at her oversized sweater, trying to puff it out to make her bump less noticeable, but it's no use. It's way too big for her to be able to easily hide it anymore.
"Why not,"Lennon asks out of pure curiosity, looking over at his big sister who's much tinier than he is, but so much stronger mentally than he could ever hope to be.
"Because then they win,"Darcy whispers, looking around at her classmates, catching a group of girls sitting on the outside steps of the school who begin to snicker almost immediately when they catch sight of her, but she pretends to not notice. She glances down towards her bump, resting her hand upon it since she's given up on hiding it, "because then he wins."
*
"You don't need to walk me to class, Len,"Darcy grins, looking over at her little brother who has passed his class and is instead following Darcy up the stairs towards hers, just as he does every morning. The thought of her walking the halls alone with the chance of running into Michael makes him want to vomit just as much as it does her, but he knows she's too prideful to ever admit that the thought scares him. And he knows that no matter how much of a fight she puts up about him walking her to class, she appreciates it more than she could ever describe.
"I know, but I'll take any excuse I can get to not go to class,"Lennon grins with his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he watches Darcy put her hands on her bump to protect it from the group of people they're about to approach and shoulder by to make sure no accidental nudges happen.
"F*ck,"Darcy whispers under her breath, her arm brushing against Lennon's as he tries to look around and find the source of Darcy's swear, not taking long before he catches a look at the source. He's not hard to miss, muscly and well over six foot, loudly and obnoxiously laughing with a group of his friends, the alcohol on his breath practically able to be smelled from ten feet away.
She keeps her head down, her eyes casted towards her feet that are covered by a pair of black high top converse, her long flowery dress reaching her ankles as she tightens her grip on her bump, knowing that Lennon is doing anything but looking away from Micheal, almost in an alpha competition.
The blood that runs through his veins every time he sees his sister's ex is almost inconceivable unless you love someone so much, just as he does with his sister, and watch them get hurt as badly as he's watched Darcy get hurt over and over and over again.
He'd be lying if he said that he didn't want to pummel Micheal every time he sees him, but he knows that that would just make Darcy even more distressed than she is. She "doesn't want any drama" something she's constantly told Lennon, Camryn, and Harry who were all very convinced that they needed to go over to Michaels house and have a talk with him and his parents after they found out she was expecting.
"Happy birthday, slut." His voice is the exact same as it's always been and it makes her heart sink whereas it used to make it soar. She didn't know it was possible to have so much hatred towards a person that you used to love so much, but he was always good at proving her wrong. Always. "Give the world a present and keep your legs shut today."
"Don't,"Darcy warns Lennon, grabbing his bicep and shaking her head as she continues to walk down the hall, pretending like she didn't hear Micheal so she doesn't give him any form of satisfaction. She could feel her little brother tighten beside her at Michael's comment, and she knows Lennon well enough to know that he will do anything to protect her, even if that means breaking out into a full force fist fight in the middle of the hallway. "Ignore him, Len."
Lennon concedes, not wanting to cause anymore stress on Darcy, especially on her birthday as he wraps his arm around her shoulder, trying to physically hide her as he squeezes her tightly, helping her walk straight down the hall, laughs from Michael's friends following them down the hall.
"I love you, thank you,"Darcy quickly rushes out as they appear at her classroom door, immediately breaking free of her younger brother's grasp, reaching her hand up to swipe at her cheeks as she pulls the door open, not bothering to look back at Lennon.
"Darcy!"Lennon calls, but it's already too late. The door is closed and the bell is ringing and his sister is in the classroom crying without him being able to help.
And he's never wished that he didn't listen to her more because the only thing that would make him feel semi better in this situation is if Michael had a big black eye.
*
"Happy birthday!"Hayley squeals as Darcy sits in the seat beside her, keeping her head down with her hair in her face as she quickly sets her backpack down.
"Thanks,"Darcy whispers, trying to keep her voice even to not alert Hayley as she leans down to pull out her biology notebook, praying that Harley didn't catch onto her demeanor. But of course she has. A stranger could, and Hayley is no stranger. You learn a lot about a person when you've been their best friend since they were five.
"Your present is in my car, it was too big for me to lug around so we can get it at nutrition,"Hayley bubbles, reaching over to wrap her arm around Darcy's shoulders, squeezing her tightly as Darcy sniffles and nods, managing out a little "thank you".
"Hey, look at me,"Hayley whispers, catching the tears in Darcy's voice as she reaches to cup Darcy's chin, tipping it upwards as she watches a few tears roll down Darcy's cheeks, her lips immediately beginning to wobble at the sight of her best friend's loving gaze. "Honey..."
"It's okay, I'm okay,"Darcy assures Hayley, shaking her head to try and tell Hayley to drop it as the teacher begins calling out attendance to get the class to quiet down as Hayley unwraps her arm from around Darcy's shoulder, instead reaching under the desk to interlock her fingers through Darcy's.
"I love you,"Hayley whispers, leaning down to rest her cheek on top of Darcy's head. "You can talk to me whenever."
*
"Alright, so read pages 234-254 and take some notes on that, you'll turn your notes in for points in our end of the term packet,"Miss Freed, Darcy's biology teacher spouts off information, motioning her hand towards the projector that's showing the kids what they should do, but Darcy's not listening in the slightest.
Happy birthday, slut.
She rests her hand on top of her bump, sniffling softly as she keeps her eyes focused on the textbook open in front of her. She knows Hayley's no longer looking at her, she can feel her gaze looking towards the projector which she's grateful for. She hates feeling like people are studying her, especially when all she wants to do is curl up in a little ball.
She feels a little tap against her palm from her stomach which makes her eyes water even more, all of her emotions coming in full force, some of the same one's she's felt from the very day she found out she was pregnant.
Her precious little baby that's currently tapping against her hand won't have a father. They'll grow up without a father and they were conceived—
It's a spiral. She's spiraled many times during her pregnancy, all resulting in panic attacks, but thankfully she's always been near her mum or her dad during those times, and they've been very good at being able to calm her down. She feels her chest beginning to constrict as she pushes her seat out, standing on shaky legs and running straight out of the classroom, not even bothering to explain to her teacher where she's going as all of the student's curiously gaze at her, although it's not uncommon that Darcy had to run out of classes for morning sickness, so they all just assume it's that.
She's leans over the trashcan outside of the classroom, keeping one hand pressed against her chest as she continues to heave in panted and tight breaths, her eyes beginning to clog as she feels her body break out into an uncomfortable sweat.
She doesn't even the door opening or the sound of skidded foot steps down the floor, but she does process a hand resting against her back and one against her bicep and she does know that perfume as she feels someone bend down right next to her.
"Hey you're okay, I'm here, you're okay,"Hayley whispers, rubbing her hand up and down Darcy's back who is still leaning over, her hair falling into her face as she continues to pant into the trashcan. Hayley turns her head quickly to look in the trashcan that's filled with a few papers and a discarded apple core, but no puke. "Do you feel sick, D?"
Darcy manages to shake her head, her breath quick and short as she reaches out to hold onto Hayley's hand, squeezing it tightly as she pats her hand against her chest, trying to signal for Hayley.
"Your chest? Oh sweetie, c'mere, you're okay,"Hayley whispers, realizing exactly what's going on as she wraps her best friend up in her arms, feeling Darcy's cheek rest against her shoulder, burying her face into Hayley's neck. "I've got you, D. I've got you."
She continues to rub her palm up and down Darcy's back, feeling her bump brush against her own stomach as she rests her cheek down on top of Darcy's head. "I love you, D. You're okay. I'm right here with you."
"Just tell me whatever you need, okay?"Hayley whispers, turning her head to press a kiss to the top of Darcy's head. "Do you want me to text your mum? She can come and pick you up, I don't want you driving home like this. Or I can take you home? We can go get shakes and talk or something."
"Len,"Darcy whimpers, her voice barely auditable as she continue to grip onto the back of Hayley's shirt.
"Lennon? Yeah, I can text Lennon, babe,"Hayley agrees with a small grin, combing her fingers through the hair that's sticking to Darcy's wet cheeks. "No problem."
*
Another set of skidded footsteps make her tear her face away from Hayley's neck where she was sitting right next to her on the floor with their backs against the wall, their knees bent and hands interlocked with Hayley's cheek resting on top of Darcy's head.
"Hey, there you are,"Lennon sighs in relief, dropping to his knees in front of his older sister who immediately pulls away from Hayley to wrap her arms around her little brother, feeling his strong arms wrap around her, squeezing her tightly as one of his big hands cradles the back of her head, letting his eyes fall closed in relief now that he knows that Darcy is at least semi okay.
"You're okay, D, you're okay,"Lennon whispers, rocking their bodies side to side slightly, knowing exactly what this is all about. "I've got you. It's okay."
She continues to grip onto her little brother, fisting the back of his shirt in her hands as she breathes heavily with her face buried in his neck.
"Let's go home, yeah? We can get some food and then go home and wait for your ultrasound,"Lennon suggests softly, continuing to rub his palm up and down her back. "Let's just go see the baby. That will probably make you feel loads better. You love getting to see them."
***
"You okay, sweetheart? You seem kinda quiet,"Harry observes, wrapping his arm around Darcy's shoulders as they walk through the parking lot towards Darcy's midwifery clinic. "I thought you'd be excited to see them."
"I am, I am, I'm just tired,"Darcy lies, mustering up her best fake smile as she tips her chin up to look at her dad who's looking down at her with molten soft green eyes before he presses a kiss to the top of her head.
"I'm so excited,"Camryn bubbles, walking beside Harry, Lennon on her other side as she squeezes her hand that's interlocked with Harry. "I forgot how exciting it is to find out what the gender is."
"I'm really excited too,"Darcy grins, continuing to rest her cheek against Harry's chest as he keeps his arm tightly around her shoulders as she crosses her arms against her chest right above her bump.
She feels Lennon looking over at her, the only one in the family who knows about her panic attack at school or that Michael still contacts her. She knows Harry and Camryn are extremely protective over her, especially because of the situation she's currently in, and if they found out about how Michael treated her and still treats her, they'd freak out and probably do something irrational which is the last thing she needs. She's already stressed enough about the card she's been handed, she doesn't need to add to her deck.
"Do you want me to walk up to the desk with you, Squish?"Harry asks, giving Darcy a little squeeze as they walk into the midwifery clinic.
"Nah, I got it,"Darcy shakes her head, keeping her arms crossed over her chest as she breaks away from Harry, walking up to the front desk and trying to put on the happiest expression she can as the receptionist smiles warmly at her. "Hi, I'm Darcy Styles. I have an appointment with Amanda at 11:30."
"Darcy Styles..."the receptionist hums under her breath as she scrolls through the computer before her face lights up with recognition, nodding her head. "Aha! Darcy Styles, right here. Beautiful, my love, all of your information is the same? Insurance, home address and everything?"
"Yep, all the same,"Darcy confirms with a little nod and soft grin.
"Perfect, you can go sit down, darling, Amanda will be right out,"the receptionist, smiles, her eyes scrunching at Darcy who turns around and walks towards her family who are all sitting on the waiting room chairs, a spot in between Camryn and Lennon saved for Darcy.
She walks quietly over to sit in her assigned chair, immediately leaning over to rest her head on her mum's shoulder who immediately coos at Darcy and wraps her arms around her, squeezing her little girl tight and pressing a kiss to the top of Darcy's head. Her innate mumma instincts are telling her that Darcy needs all of the love and cuddles she can get right now but she also doesn't need to talk about anything yet, which she's completely fine with.
Lennon reaches his hand over to squeeze Darcy's knee in an act of "I see you, I've got you" as Darcy continues to cuddle into Camryn who's sharing a slightly concerned gaze with Harry as they both silently wonder what's going on with their little girl.
"Darcy,"Amanda, Darcy's midwife grins, opening up the door and motioning for her to follow her to the ultrasound room. "C'mere babe! Happy birthday!"
"Thank you,"Darcy smiles truthfully as she stands up and walks towards Amanda with her family following behind her.
"How does it feel to be eighteen, huh?"Amanda grins, holding her arms out to give Darcy a quick hug, who she's been mentoring in midwifery since she was thirteen years old, "gosh you're so big, you're not my little thirteen year old anymore. I bet you're loving that mum and dad."
"Oh it's our favorite,"Camryn jokes, rolling her eyes dramatically as she keeps her hand interlocked with Harry's. "I try not to think too hard about it."
"Alright babe, just sit up on the table, you know the drill,"Amanda hums with a little grin, sitting down on the stool as she begins to type in her computer while Lennon and Camryn sit on the two chairs against the wall of the room by Darcy's feet while Harry sits on the stool by the examination table. "How've you been feeling, D?"
"I've been really good, I haven't puked in..."Darcy thinks hard as she lays back against the examination table, reaching for her sweater to pull it up and reveal her perfectly round bump as she puckers her lips, "four days now? Sunday so...yeah four days."
"Oh that's what I like to hear,"Amanda grins, scooting closer to Darcy as she holds the doppler in her hands. "Have you been feeling lots of movement?"
"Oh so much yeah,"Darcy confirms with a nod, reaching her hand out to hold onto Harry's as he grins and squeezes her hand, watching his daughter with the most proud eyes as she continues to gush about her little baby, her free hand resting against her bare stomach. "They move all the time, we still haven't been able to feel them on the outside, they're a bit too little, I think."
"Okay, that's awesome, that's just what I like to hear,"Amanda bubbles, "have you still been monitoring their heartbeat often?"
"Every night,"Darcy confirms with a little giggle, taking her hand away from her bump so that Amanda can have full access to it. "Bindi helps me listen sometimes, it's always sounded perfect."
"And I love to hear that too,"Amanda giggles, standing up from her stool to begin putting her hands on Darcy's bare bump, squishing her palm down on it. "Alright...uterus is measuring at 21 weeks, so just a bit ahead which is perfect...and baby's positioning feels good, they're feeling like they're gonna be head down just like we want."
"Yay,"Darcy gushes, looking over at her dad with a big smile as she squeezes his hand, watching as he smiles at her as well, reaching his free hand out to rub back her hair from her forehead.
"And we're still planning on an all natural home birth?"Amanda asks, sitting back down on her stool as she begins to jot down a few notes. "No meds unless absolutely necessary?"
"Yeah, that's the plan,"Darcy confirms, feeling Harry's thumb rub over her knuckles, "and I still want to be the one to catch them in whatever position I end up in."
"Beautiful, that will be so amazing,"Amanda gushes, looking up at Darcy with a sweet smile, still amazed that she's going to get to watch her little student go through labor. "I'm all for that. Have you given any more thought to having a doula? I know you were considering it last I talked to you."
"Yeah, I decided not to have one,"Darcy responds, looking over at her mum who's happily sitting next to Lennon and sharing a grin with her. "I think my mum's just as good as a doula, she's been through labor every which way."
"Oh I bet, going through labor six times will do that to ya,"Amanda giggles, looking over at Camryn and winking at her before looking over at Harry, "are you gonna be there too, Harry?"
"For as long as she wants me,"Harry replies with a sweet smile and a nod, looking lovingly over at his little girl who's not so little anymore.
"He'll be there the whole time,"Darcy responds, squeezing her dad's hand and looking over at Amanda, "I already know I'm gonna want him."
"What about you, Lennon, are you gonna be there,"Amanda asks, looking over at Darcy's little brother who has been the absolute sweetest person during her entire pregnancy thus far, coming to every appointment with her and holding her hand through most of them.
"Mmmm, I'm not sure,"Lennon shyly responds, getting a bit red as he nervously rubs his sweaty palms up and down his thighs. "If D wants me there then I can be there, I'm just not sure how I'd do with all of that..."
"He's not the biggest fan of medical stuff and blood and guts,"Darcy explains for her little brother, looking over at him with the sweetest smile, "I also don't think he'd do the best with seeing me in pain, so I don't think I'll put him through that, he's already done enough by sticking with me while I puked out my guts, he hates puke." She switches her gaze over to her little brother who's laughing along with everyone else in the room. "But he'll come in right after to meet them."
"Alright, perfect, well we can talk more about the birth once we get closer to that date,"Amanda grins, pulling out the blue ultrasound gel. "Should we check on this little babe? And see the gender?"
"Yeah, we're still doing the whole put it in an envelope thing,"Darcy warns Amanda as she squeezes her dad's hand tighter with excitement, turning her head against the table to look at the computer screen as Amanda puts the doppler on her stomach.
"Oh there they are, do you see their hand, dad,"Darcy coos, pointing excitedly towards her little baby on the screen as they entire family awes at the baby.
"Oh they're moving so much,"Lennon giggles, watching his little nephew or niece on the screen as they move around, a mighty pair of cheeks already forming on their face.
"Oh look at them,"Harry chuckles tearfully, swallowing the lump in his throat as he looks at his little grandchild, "DD, look at their cheeks."
"Oh my gosh they're so precious,"Darcy whispers, covering her mouth that's wide open with her hand as she continues to look at her little baby. "And that's a heartbeat I like to see."
"Yeah, that's a great heartbeat,"Amanda agrees, reading the numbers on the ultrasound screen and nodding, "alright should I investigate what this little baby is? Close your eyes D, you'll be able to tell too."
"Yep,"Darcy agrees, covering her eyes with her palm to make sure she doesn't give in and sneak a peek.
"Alright...yep got it, I'm excited,"Amanda squeals, writing down the gender on an envelope and sealing it tightly before handing it to Darcy. "That's gonna really make this the best birthday ever, babe."
***
6:30 pm
"I'm gonna get the biggest piece of cake,"Bindi grins, sitting on the edge of the countertop with Darcy standing in between her legs, her little hands wrapped around her big sister's shoulders and lazily playing with her long brown curled hair.
"Excuse me, no,"Darcy teases, nuzzling her nose against her baby sister's as her bump brushes against the edge of the countertop, her hands resting on Bindi's waist as she scrunches her nose up. "I get the biggest piece of cake since it's my birthday. Plus the baby really likes cake."
"They do?"Bindi giggles, continuing to play with Darcy's hair between her fingers.
"They do, they're talking to me right now and going 'mumma, mumma! Feed me some cake!'"Darcy bubbles, putting on a little high pitched voice to mock the baby's voice. "C'mere, your hair is falling out."
Darcy reaches up to re-pin the right side of Bindi's hair back with her bobby pin before leaning in to press a little kiss to Bindi's lips. "Mwah, I love you. You can have the biggest piece of cake since I love you so much."
"Happy birthday!"Liam's voice booms as he walks through the Styles' front door with two year old Maggie on his hip, walking behind Darcy and wrapping his free arm around Darcy's waist from behind, squeezing her softly. "My 18 year old! How's that allowed?!"
"It shouldn't be,"Camryn calls with a smirk from the counter by the oven top where she's mixing up a fruit salad.
"Hey, thanks for coming,"Darcy gushes, turning around to hug her arms around Liam's middle, feeling him drop a kiss to the top of her head, giving her another squeeze. She pulls away slightly from Liam and reaches out to gently squeeze Maggie's little bicep. "Hi pretty girl! Look at your hair! Did you get a haircut?"
"Say, yeah cousin D I did!"Liam bubbles, bouncing Maggie on his hip as she giggles shyly, tucking her little chin to her chest with her brown hair cut into a little bob with her bangs hanging over her forehead, a little ribbon tied to the top of her head. "Mummy took you to get your hair done today, huh?"
"C'mere, can I have loves? I haven't seen you in so long!"Darcy coos, taking Maggie out of Liam's arms and settling her on top of her bump, Maggie's little legs straddling it as she hugs her arms around Darcy's neck, resting her forehead against Darcy's.
"Hi sweetheart,"Darcy whispers, nudging her face forward to press a little kiss to the corner of Maggie's lips. They've always had a strong connection considering Darcy was the one who delivered her in a spur of the moment emergency birth, and Maggie's middle name is Darcy in honor of the vital part she played in Gemma's labor and delivery. "Did you come to eat some cake?"
"I did!"seven year old Brooks calls with a giggle as he walks into the kitchen a few feet in front of Gemma who's holding onto four year old Roman's hand.
"Oh good, cuz Uncle Harry is picking us up a big cake,"Darcy laughs, scrunching her fingers at roman who giggles and nuzzles his face closer to Gemma's thigh.
"Lennon!"Roman exclaims, catching sight of his older cousin who he thinks puts the sun in the sky as he breaks free of Gemma's hand and runs towards Lennon with his arms open wide.
"Hey Ro!"Lennon chuckles, picking his four year old cousin up, throwing him up in the air slightly before catching him and settling him on his hip. "Hey bud how are you? That's a cool shirt you've got on!"
"Issa t rex!"Roman exclaims, holding one hand up as he looks proudly at Lennon who's dropping his jaw dramatically.
"It is a t rex!"Lennon agrees with a little chuckle. "Brooks, you wanna come play footie outside? Auggie and Bowie are already outside."
"Yeah,"Brooks smiles widely, running towards his big cousin as they venture outside with Roman still on Lennon's hip.
"How're you feeling babe?"Liam asks as Darcy continues to sway Maggie soothingly, rubbing her palm up and down her back as Maggie cuddles her little face into Darcy's neck, a total snuggler just as all of Harry and Camryn's kids are.
"I'm good, I'm good, I'm so excited to find out what they are,"Darcy giggles, pressing a kiss to Maggie's cheek as she giggles softly and buries her face tighter against her older cousin's neck, playing with the thin golden chain around Darcy's neck.
"It's a girl! I'm sticking to that even if the cake's blue,"Gemma bubbles, hugging Darcy softly before walking over to Camryn to get a hug from her. "If the cake's blue your midwife was wrong and when they're born you'll find out it's a girl."
"You and my dad both think that,"Darcy grins, resting her cheek on top of Maggie's head as the front door opens and closes again.
"What do I think?"Harry's voice booms as he holds the cardboard boxes of pizza in his hands, stepping on the heels of his shoes to take them off.
"That your grandchild is a girl, gramps!"Liam calls back as Calum walks into the kitchen, carrying a box that holds Darcy's cake in his hands.
"I got the cake, mumma!"Calum announces, walking towards Camryn who smiles towards him and rushes to take it out of his hands.
"Oh thank you, lovey! How was going with dad? Did he find the bakery pretty easily?"Camryn asks as she sets the box down on the counter.
"No, he got lost,"Calum giggles, giving Gemma a tight hug as she combs her fingers through Calum's curls.
"Did not! Your son's a liar, bug,"Harry teases, setting the three boxes of pizza down on the counter.
"Holy crap Haz, you think you got enough pizza?"Gemma laughs, watching her baby brother stretch out his back as if the pizzas weighed thirty pounds each.
"No, I think we'll still go hungry,"Harry teases before turning his attention to Darcy for the first time, his eyes immediately falling to the little girl attached to her front.
"Magnolia Darcy! My baby girl!"Harry exclaims, making grabby hands towards Maggie as she giggles and reaches towards Harry as he nuzzles kisses all against Maggie's chubby cheeks and neck. "Hi sweet girl! Look at how pretty you look! I love your dress!"
*
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Darcy, happy birthday to you!
"Thank you everyone!"Darcy giggles, inhaling deeply before blowing out the eighteen flickering candles that are placed on top of the cake. "Okay are we ready to figure out what this baby is?"
"It's a-a b-boy,"Auggie calls out with a confident grin, resting his arm on the back of Brooks' chair.
"Girl!"Bindi practically squeals, bouncing up and down in her seat next to Darcy's as she watches her older sister pick up a knife and inhale deeply before cutting into the cake.
"Alright...grandbaby Styles is..."Darcy drawls, pulling out the slice of cake as her heart stops. Oh yes. Yes yes yes. She could never admit it because she felt pressured to say she didn't care what the baby was, and of course she would've been happy with either gender, but it would be a lie to say she didn't have a preference. She had a big preference. "A GIRL!"
"YES!"Camryn yells, lunging over to hug Harry happily as he holds his fist victoriously up in the air as they both tearfully look at their daughter holding up the pink piece of cake.
"IT'S A GIRL! A GIRL! I WANTED A GIRL!"Bindi screams, standing up on the kitchen chair and practically tackling Darcy who's luckily set down the knife and the piece of cake as the sisters tightly embrace, rocking their bodies side to side as blissful squeals and squeaks leave their mouths.
"It's a girl! I'm having a girl, Beenie!"Darcy exclaims in amazement, pressing a few kisses to Bindi's soft cheek as a few tears roll down her cheek. She's going to have a daughter. A daughter.
She feels an arm wrap around her shoulder as she tears her face away from Bindi to look over at Lennon who has teary and red rimmed eyes, a wobbly smile plastered onto his face as Darcy breaks away from Bindi and hugs her arm around Lennon's middle tightly as he wraps his arms around her shoulders.
"Congrats, D,"Lennon sniffles, pressing a kiss to the top of his big sister's head as their bodies rock side to side.
"Thanks bubba,"Darcy giggles, squeezing her little brother tighter, "you're gonna have a niece!"
"I know,"Lennon chuckles thickly, pulling away softly from Darcy, keeping his hands on her back as she reaches up to cup his cheeks, cooing as soon as she sees the tears rolling down her brother's cheeks. "You're gonna be the best mum, D."
"She's gonna be your little buddy,"Darcy giggles, swiping her fingertips at Lennon's tears before squeezing his cheeks gently, feeling another set of arms hugged around her waist.
"It's a girl, D!"Calum happily grins, looking up at his big sister who giggles and nods tearfully, cupping his little squishy cheeks that have remained squishy despite him getting older.
"I know! I'm sorry, bud, I know you wanted a boy,"Darcy scrunches up her nose as Calum giggles, shaking his head.
"It's okay, a girl will be fun too,"Calum decides, giving Darcy one last hug before he's taken over by Harry who hugs Darcy tightly, breaking down even more at the feeling of his little girl in his arms.
"You're going to be the best girl mum, squish,"Harry whispers, cradling the back of her head with his hand as he sniffles. "I'm so excited to meet her. I love you so much."
"I love you too, dad,"Darcy sniffles with a wobbly grin, pulling away from her dad to hug her mum who squeezes her just as tight as her dad did.
"This baby girl is the luckiest baby girl,"Camryn whispers, pressing a kiss to her little girl's teary cheek. "You're gonna be the best mumma, D, you already are."
*
"Alright, alright, just one more,"Harry grins, pulling out a little square wrapped present and handing it over to Darcy who's sitting in a pile of freshly opened presents with wrapping paper all over the floor.
"Dad you already got me loads,"Darcy humbly responds with a little giggle, taking the present from Harry as she sets it on her lap. "You didn't have to get me this much."
"I know, I know, but that one's technically not for you..."Harry grins, settling back against the couch with his arm around Camryn's shoulders. "Just open it, you'll see."
Darcy grins and nods, beginning to tear at the wrapping paper as she uncovers a little shoe box with the word Gucci written on top. "Dad..."
"Open it, open it,"Harry persuades Darcy with a little anxious giggle, motioning his hand for Darcy to move faster.
Darcy opens up the box to reveal the cutest pair of little baby flats she's ever seen as an immediate "oh!" escapes her mouth as she pouts happily, holding up the little shoes for the whole family to see.
"Look at how cute those are!"Darcy laughs as the whole family awes at how tiny they are. "Those are so sweet! Thank you, dad!" She holds her arm out for Harry who stands up from the couch to walk closer to Darcy, hugging her tightly.
"Happy birthday, baby girl,"Harry grins, pressing a kiss to Darcy's cheek as he leans over her figure that's still sat on the couch.
"Thank you, dad, she's gonna look so cute in those,"Darcy gushes, giggling as she holds up the little shoes for Gemma to see closer who was trying to get a better look at them. "Now I just gotta decide on a name."
*
"Who's in there, Mags?"Liam asks, kneeling down in front of the couch as Darcy sits on it with her sweater pulled up to reveal her entire bump as Maggie kneels on the couch next to Darcy with her finger in her mouth, curiously looking at her older cousin's belly.
"Belly,"Maggie lisps, pointing her slobbery pointer finger at Darcy's bare skin as Darcy nods and taps her finger against her stomach.
"That is DD's belly,"Liam confirms with a little chuckle, pressing a kiss to Maggie's cheek. "Who's in DD's belly? Is there a baby in there?"
"Maggie can you say hi to the baby?"Darcy asks, waving her hand down at her bump as she smiles at her little cousin. "Say 'hi baby! Hi!'"
"Bawe,"Maggie lisps, doing her own little version of a wave which means her palm is turned to face herself as she scrunches her fingers towards herself.
"Oh the baby loves you already, Mags, do you want to touch her?"Darcy asks, reaching out to take Maggie's hand that's still faintly slobbery as she presses it against her bare bump. "That's the baby! It's still too small for you to feel them kick, but they're in there!"
"The baby's in DD's belly just like you were in mummy's belly,"Liam explains, keeping his chin resting on Maggie's shoulder as she continues to press her palm against Darcy's belly, patting it softly. "Can I have a feel, D?"
"Go for it,"Darcy allows with a little giggle as she nods her head, watching her uncle, who's also one of her best friends, rest his big palm on her stomach. "Maggie girl, did you know that I helped you come out of your mummy's tummy? When your mummy was having you I helped you come out! Just like how my baby girl in my tummy is going to come out!"
"Th-this is the o-o-one, right D-D?"Auggie asks, holding up the doppler in his hand as he walks down the stairs while Darcy looks over at her little brother and nods.
"Yeah it is, thanks bubs,"Darcy confirms, holding her hand out for Auggie to pass the doppler to her. "Mags, should we listen to the baby's heartbeat? Do you want to hear it? It kinda sounds like a Choo Choo train."
"C-Can I d-d-do it?"Auggie asks, watching as Darcy flips the doppler on while he kneels down in front of her next to Liam. All of the Styles kids enjoy getting to join Darcy for her nightly little listen to the baby's heartbeat, and they all take turns being the one to hold the doppler and find the baby's heartbeat.
"Yeah of course,"Darcy nods, handing the doppler to Auggie as she watches Liam take Maggie's hand away from the bump to give Auggie full access while Gemma walks closer to listen as well, the rest of the family outside enjoying watching the little kids play on the jungle gym.
Auggie holds the doppler to Darcy's bump, softly gliding it around in search of the baby's heartbeat as Darcy lovingly watches her little brother. "You can press it in a bit harder Augs, it won't hurt me I promise...yeah just like that, perfect, go a bit lower...yeah she should be somewhere around there."
Auggie continues to move the doppler around before the perfect sound fills the air, making a smile appear on everyone's face.
Woosh...woosh...woosh...woosh
"Choo Choo!"Maggie exclaims with both of her hands held above her head as everyone laughs.
"That's right, Mags, it sounds like a Choo Choo train,"Liam chuckles, pressing a kiss to his little girl's cheek. "Is the baby in DD's belly a Choo Choo train? That's so silly!"
***
11:00 pm
"Hey baby, I just wanted to say happy birthday one last time,"Harry grins, opening up Darcy's bedroom door slightly, peeking his head through to look at Darcy who is sitting on her bed with her legs folded into a pretzel, her hands rubbing over her bare bump as she smothers lotion over it.
"Hey, thanks,"Darcy grins halfheartedly and Harry can see right through it no matter how much she desperately wishes he couldn't. He knows more about her than she knows about herself most of the time, and this is definitely one of those times. "Why're you still up? It's late, mum went to bed like an hour ago, she stopped in to say goodnight."
"I was just finishing up my show,"Harry explains, motioning his hand behind him towards the downstairs living room where he was watching one of his recorded sitcoms. "You doin' okay? You've seemed kinda off this whole day."
"Yeah, I'm okay, I've just been overthinking a lot, you know how I get,"Darcy sighs, motioning her hands towards her head with an eye roll.
"I do cuz I have to deal with you mum everyday who does the same thing,"Harry teases, daring to venture further into Darcy's room. "Can I sit?"
"Yeah, go ahead,"Darcy nods, leaning forward to take the lotion bottle off of her disgruntled sheets, setting it on her nightstand as her dad sits on the bed, one leg bent and resting against the mattress with the other hanging off the side of the bed, sitting opposite of Darcy. "Are you excited to have a granddaughter?"
"I'm so excited,"Harry gushes, watching as Darcy lights up before he looks towards her bare bump, finding it hard to believe that his little granddaughter's in there. Half of his baby girl has been combined to be a different baby girl. His heart could seriously just burst. "Are you excited?"
"I'm really excited,"Darcy confirms, leaning back against the backboard of the bed as she cups the bottom of her bump in her hand. "I felt like I couldn't admit it because then it would look bad if it was a little boy, but I really wanted a little girl."
"I know you did, I could tell,"Harry chuckles, nodding his head in agreement, his grin permanent on his face. He couldn't imagine ever not smiling at the thought of getting a granddaughter. "Do you have any ideas for names?"
"Yeah, I dunno I've thought of a few,"Darcy confirms, bending her legs and placing the sole of her feet on her mattress as she holds her bump and puckers her lips. "I really like how Mila sounds...I also really like Sophie, and I've been thinking about Penelope as well, I think that's really cute."
"Those are all adorable,"Harry agrees with a big smile, reaching his hand out to pat against Darcy's foot before squeezing it. "Whatever you choose will fit her, it always seems to work out that way."
"Dad can I ask you something?"Darcy asks, daring to peek up at her dad whose expression immediately goes molten as he nods his head rapidly.
"Of course you can, anything,"Harry allows, scooting closer to Darcy as she takes a few breaths, looking down at her bump before looking back up at him with eyes that are on the verge of becoming teary.
"Were you scared to have a little girl? When you had me? I just...I dunno, it scares me a bit,"Darcy whispers, resting her hands against her bump, "like...I dunno, I know I'd be nervous to have a little boy too, it's just...I feel like I'm more nervous to have a little girl because of the things I've gone through in my life...I feel like I can relate to her a bit more and I don't want those things to happen to her, and I just want to protect her...and it's just overwhelming and I dunno what to do, dad!"
"Darcy,"Harry whispers, immediately crawling towards his daughter and setting himself next to her with his arms wrapped around her shoulders, squeezing her tightly to his chest as she continues to cry into his chest, her breaths panicked and short. "I've got you, I've got you, it's okay, baby."
"I'm just scared,"Darcy shakily explains with tears coating her voice as her chest hiccups. "I don't want her to go through what I've gone through."
She knows he knows about some of the things she's talking about, her anxiety, her self worth issues, her eating disorder she's struggled with for years, teen pregnancy...but he also doesn't know everything that he's worried about. He doesn't know about the scar on her bicep or the bruises that she's obtained throughout the past year of her and Michael's relationship. He doesn't know about the screaming fights and her sneaking out because she was too scared not to.
He doesn't know about how this little girl was conceived in the back seat of a car. He doesn't know about how she was only conceived because Darcy was too scared to not give him what he wanted.
He doesn't know about how she passed out half way through her little girl's creation. And how that little girl was still created.
He doesn't know about any of that and she doesn't want him to know about that yet. She's not ready, and she doesn't know if she'll ever be ready to tell him. She doesn't think she will ever be able to stomach the look on her mum and dad's faces when she eventually tells them. That would be too much for her and she knows it.
It was already hard enough to tell Lennon, the only person besides Darcy and Michael who know what happened on that fateful night. She'll never forget the look on her baby brother's face...and how he's never looked at her the same again. She'll never forget about the way he held her and cried silently into the top of her hair, cradling the back of her head as if he needed to protect her. He had always been her protector and he took that job very seriously, but he had failed. He failed and it made him want to puke.
He got into a fist fight with Michael at school the morning after Darcy told him, but Darcy and him lied to their parents and said it was just because he was mad about Michael not wanting to be in the baby's life and they believed him. And they didn't punish him, they did the furthest thing from that actually. They wanted to pummel Michael just as bad, but they had a lesser reason than Lennon.
"It's terrifying, squish, I know it is,"Harry sympathizes, resting his cheek on top of Darcy's head, holding her as tightly as possible. She used to be able to fit on his chest, her entire little body curled up, but now just her head does as her body becomes a home for a new little girl that will fit on his chest. "I was terrified to have you, D. So terrified. Having a little girl? It's petrifying just like having a little boy is. Having a baby in general is terrifying D. But you know what? It's good that it's terrifying because that means you care, and that's a great start to becoming a good parent."
"I just love her so much,"Darcy bawls, resting her hand on her stomach as her chest rumbles with sobs. "And I just want to protect her, and I know I won't always be able to."
"You wanna know the scariest day of my life, D?"Harry asks, trickling his fingers up and down Darcy's arm soothingly. "Your first day of school because I knew that meant this control and protection I had over you had just decreased by half. You were away from me and mum for seven hours a day now and I couldn't control what happened in those seven hours and it was terrifying. But I looked at you through the classroom window after mum and I had dropped you off and I saw you sitting next to a little girl who was still crying from being dropped off and you just reached out and put your hand against her back softly." He begins to get a little emotional as he recalls the story, resting his chin on top of Darcy's head as he rolls his eyes up to the ceiling to try and rid them of tears. "And then I realized that it would all be okay because you have a heart of absolute gold, Darcy Anne. And your little girl will have the same heart because you're her mum."
"Good hearts don't make everything better, though,"Darcy sniffles, keeping her cheek smushed against her dad's chest, "they don't protect people from everything." She knows that, she knows that all too well.
"You're right,"Harry concedes, pressing a kiss down to the top of Darcy's head, "but they do make the sucky things a lot easier. And they do help you gain more people to be on your side to protect you." He reaches his hand down from Darcy's arm to rest against her stomach, rubbing his thumb against her swell. "And this little girl already has so many people who love her and want to protect her."
"She does,"Darcy agrees with a little teary smile, looking down at her bump as she puts her hand on top of her dad's that's still pressed against her bump.
"Honey, I don't want to pressure you to tell me anything, but...I dunno, I could be wrong...it just seems that there's something else going on between you and Michael,"Harry finally ventures into a topic that's been on his and Camryn's minds for weeks now, really ever since the fight between Michael and Lennon, but they've both been too scared to approach it with Darcy. Neither of them knew how to even begin to ask Darcy without her getting defensive or feeling attacked. "More than just 'I don't like him because he's my ex'...it seems a bit more."
He doesn't miss how Darcy tightens in his arms and he certainly doesn't miss how her breathing stops in her throat for a second as she pulls away from Harry slightly, taking her cheek off of his chest and looking up at him.
"I—"Darcy begins, trying to think of a way to approach this topic that she's not ready to talk about at all, "dad I promise I'll tell you everything at some point, but I'm just not ready yet. I'm really not ready, I can't—"
"Okay,"Harry soothes, cutting Darcy off and cupping her cheek since he could tell how panicked she was beginning to become. He nods his head comfortingly at her and leans in to press a kiss to her forehead, wanting to assure her that he won't make her speak if she's not ready to yet. He pulls away from her and looks at her seriously, "are you safe? You're okay now? I just need to know that. You don't need to tell me anything else if you're not ready, but I need to know you're safe."
"Yeah, I'm safe,"Darcy sniffles, looking seriously at her dad so that he can feel reassurance. "I promise."
"Okay,"Harry exhales in relief, nodding his head and leaning in to press another kiss to Darcy's forehead before cradling the back of her head and dragging it towards his chest again as she snuggles into him, "that's all I need to know, that you're safe. And if you're ever not I want you to tell me, okay? Because before you were this little girl's mumma you were my baby, and I want you to always remember that. That love you feel for her is the exact same love I feel for you."
"I love you, dad,"Darcy sniffles, squeezing her arms around Harry's middle tighter as he presses the most loving kiss to the top of her head.
"I love you more, Darcy, always,"Harry whispers, nuzzling his nose against her hair. "Happy birthday, sweet girl."
~~~~~
AHHHHH our little abby D isn't a baby anymore 😭🥺 Also pregnant D with Penny is like one of my FAVORITE things to write, so I hope you enjoyed that!!!
It was Darcy's birthday yesterday!!! She'd be 11 in real life🥺
FREAKIN COACHELLA?!?! I'M GONE I CANNOT HANDLE THIS "BOYFRIEND" IS EVERYTHING TO ME AND HIM SINGING WITH SHANIA LIKE LITERALLY WHAT IS LIFE AND HE LOOKED SOOOO GOOD AND SOUNDED SO GOOD AND AHHHHHH
Also okay, so as I was waiting for Harry's Coachella set I was like thinking of all of the grandkid's storylines and stuff and I know there's no way I'll ever be able to write all of their books because there ends up being over 20 of them 😂😂 BUTTTT
Would you guys be interested in maybe reading about one or two of them?! I already know I'm gonna write Hugh's story because it's...um it's...something...and um...yeah bring tissues BUTTTT I was thinking maybe at the beginning of the summer I can do a little poll and you guys can choose the other grandchild's story you want me to dive deeper into? I have Penny, Via, Delilah, Hugh, and a grandchild you haven't met yet's books planned, so if you would be interested in seeing any of those I think they would be really fun to write!!!
I will see you on Wednesday for a new Bindi chapter!!! Get ready guys, her story is about to get CRAZYYYYYY
I love you all so much!!
MWAH
-Mel💛
~~~~~
FOR DARCY'S INSTAGRAM POST THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS CHAPTER HEAD OVER TO MY OTHER STORY "Family Forever Instagram" AND READ "April 16 2029 (Goes with Pregnant on her 18th Birthday)".
For more of the Styles kids in their future lives (including Styles grandkids), check out their spin off books! There's a chapter in this book titled "Masterlist (how to read the kid's novellas) that will give you a list of the order you should read the chapters in!
If you guys have any requests for chapters you'd like to see PLEASE message me! I'd love to write whatever you guys want!
Also, I have a lot of requests right now from people so I'm sorry if I don't get to yours right away, I promise I haven't forgotten about you! I will get to all of them! 💕