November 24, 2020.
"Are you excited to meet my mum and Gemma?" Harry hums, wrapping his arm around my waist as we lay in bed.
"I'm kind of nervous." I bite my lip and turn to look at him.
When I was with Ashton, I didn't meet his parents until almost a year into our relationship. They live in another state and never made the effort to come to LA. We always had to go to them.
"Don't be." He smiles, twirling my hair, "Gem is so excited to meet you and my mum can't wait to get her hands on Ivy."
"I hope you know that Gemma is most likely going to steal me away for the day. You probably won't see much of me." I giggle.
Gemma and I talk every now and then. She sends me clothes of hers that she doesn't want anymore and is constantly making sure that her brother is "being good" to me.
She's like the big sister that I don't have.
"I'm gonna have to talk to her about that, because that's unacceptable." He mutters, nuzzling his nose into my neck, "Can't go a day without you, pretty mumma. I have to get my daily kisses."
"Have fun with that." I smirk, smiling widely when Ivy walks through our bedroom door.
"Is that little leaf?!" Harry gasps, moving his face out of my neck. Ivy giggles and jumps onto the bed, landing right between us.
"G'mornin bestest 'arry!" Ivy wraps her arms around Harry's neck, smushing her face against his and grimacing when her cheek comes in contact with his stubble. "Why are you spiky?"
"It's facial hair." He chuckles, "You'll get it someday." Ivy looks over at me shocked before shaking her head and looking at Harry with her brows furrowed.
"I don't wanna be spiky." She crosses her arms over her chest and huffs, turning away from Harry. "Not talkin' to you no more."
I look over at Harry and giggle, throwing a hand over my mouth. Ivy is so much like me sometimes it's scary. She's only three years old and has the attitude and sassiness of a teenager.
"I can't play pretty pretty princess with you if you don't talk to meeee." Harry sings, wiggling his eyebrows when Ivy turns and narrows her eyes at him.
"Apologies to me." Ivy pats her chest and Harry rolls his lips into a fine line to keep himself from laughing.
"I am so sorry, little leaf." He smiles widely, "I won't tell you that you'll get spiky ever again." Ivy looks satisfied with his apology and nods, scooting herself back over into his crossed legs.
"Where's my good morning hug?" I chuckle, Ivy gasps and giggles, whispering oops before leaning over and hugging my head.
I scrunch my face up and laugh. Ivy's hands are pulling my hair and it's painful. "That's my hair Ives."
"Sorry, mommy." Ivy let's go and then kisses my cheek. "All better!"
"I think I need one of Harry's kisses to seal the deal." I smirk. Harry shakes his head and laughs loudly as Ivy begins pulling his face to mine.
"Mama kiss!" Harry leans in and kisses me sweetly before pulling away and tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. We always try our best to keep it PG in front of Ivy.
"Now, I'm all better."
We lay in bed for a while before Ivy informs us that she's hungry. Harry takes her into his arms and they run out of the bedroom to the kitchen.
Ivy giggles loudly and squeals when Harry sits her down on the marble countertop. I lean against the door frame and smile as I watch the two of them sweetly interact.
Watching them interact is one of my favorite things to do.
"I want nana pancakes with bacon, please." Ivy says softly, kicking her feet against the bottom cabinets.
Harry gathers all of the ingredients and lets Ivy help him measure out the flour and crack the eggs. "Ew! It's slimy!" She giggles when a little bit of the egg white gets on her hand.
Harry picks her up and takes her to the sink to wash her hands off, "Is that better?" Ivy nods, thanking him softly before the two of them head back to the stove.
All three of us snap our heads over to the front entrance when someone starts knocking on the front door.
It's eight am on a Monday.
"Are you expecting someone?" I turn to Harry and frown when he shakes his head. "No, Are you?" I shake my head and push myself off of the door frame to go answer the door.
I stand on my tippy toes and look through the peak hole, seeing nothing but the top of someone's head, a brunette head, much like mine.
Is that? Oh god.
"Mom?" I open the door and gulp, "What are you doing here?!"
"Well that's no way to greet your mother." She scoffs, setting her bag down. "I figured I'd surprise you!"
She pushes past me and I shut the door, quickly turning to face her. She doesn't know that Harry practically lives here now.
"I'm definitely surprised!" I let out a breathless chuckle.
"Where is that granddaughter of mine?"
"Oh she's-"
"Babe?" Harry appears in the doorway with Ivy on his hip, shirtless. "Who was at- oh" He looks over at me in shock, clearly not expecting this either.
"Is this the boy you've been telling me about?" My mom looks at Harry and then looks at me. "Where is his shirt?"
"I-um, Miss. Fraser-"
"Gramma Mel!" Ivy squeals, sliding out of Harry's arms and running over to my mom. I nod at Harry to go put a shirt on and run a hand through my hair.
"Mom, that was rude." I sigh, crossing my arms over my chest. She turns and looks at me with her brows furrowed.
"He should not be holding my granddaughter while he's shirtless." My mom shakes her head and turns her attention back to Ivy.
Harry reappears in the entryway, a shirt on this time and comes to stand by my side. The poor guy looks terrified.
"I believe we haven't properly met yet, I'm Harry." Harry stands there awkwardly, waiting for my mother to respond to him.
Usually he greets people with a hug or a kiss to the cheek, but my mom has made it obvious she doesn't want any of that.
My mom glances up at him, "I know who you are." She sets Ivy down who comes barreling herself into Harry and I's legs.
"Pancakes?" Ivy pouts, looking up at Harry. Harry turns to me and I nod, smiling lightly. He takes Ivy's hand and walks her back to the kitchen to finish her breakfast.
"How long has he been staying here?" My mom scowls, looking back at the kitchen. She's not okay with any of this, apparently.
"A few months now." I shrug, "He started staying after Ashton showed up. I feel safer with him here."
"You need to be careful, Rory." She scolds, shaking her head.
"I know you're just trying to protect me mom, but Harry is a good guy." I shift on my feet and smile softly at the sound of Harry and Ivy giggling about something in the kitchen. "I've never seen someone interact with Ivy so well. She loves him."
"He's not her father."
My blood runs cold. My mom always has a tendency to bring up how Ashton is Ivy's father with or without written proof.
"He's the closest thing she has one to one." This is exactly why I didn't want my mom to meet Harry for a few more months. She loves to judge people too quickly.
"Mommy! The nana pancakes are ready!" Ivy calls from the kitchen, I sigh and drop my head.
"Please be nice, and actually introduce yourself." I mutter, pushing past my mother to join Harry and Ivy in the kitchen.
"I'm sorry." Harry whispers, his mouth next to my ear. "If I had known she was coming I would've put a shirt on."
"Don't apologize." I smile lightly, "I didn't know she was coming either." I peck Harry on the cheek and grab four plates instead of the usual three.
"Bestest 'arry I need help." Ivy whines, struggling to spray the whipped cream out of the can.
My mom watches in silence as Harry guides Ivy's hands to the nozzle and helps her push it down, allowing for the whipped cream to come out of the can.
"You did it!" Harry cheers and takes the can out of Ivy's hand, setting it to the side. "You're such a strong little leaf."
"I'm strong!" Ivy giggles, flexing her arms. They wobble for a moment before she lets out a puff of air and drops her arms to her sides.
Harry takes Ivy's plate over to the table and sits it down before coming back over and lightly grazing my waist with his hand as he walks past me to the fridge.
"What do you want to drink Ives?" Ivy sits and thinks for a moment, letting out tiny hmmmm's and tapping her chin with her finger.
"Orange juice!"
"And what would you like, pretty mumma?" I snap my head over to Harry and smile.
"Coffee, please." Harry nods and grabs the cold brew and creamer out of the fridge before turning to my mom, "Can I get you anything Miss-"
"Call me Mel." My mom gives Harry the most polite smile she can muster. He gulps and nods, "Mel, can I get you anything?"
"Just some plain black." My mom sits down at the table on the other side of Ivy, who immediately begins shaking her head.
"That's my bestest 'arry's spot, Gramma Mel."
Harry snaps his head over and smiles, "It's okay Ives, I'll sit next to mumma."
"No! I want you next to me."
I sigh, "Ivy, Gramma Mel hasn't seen you in a while." but Ivy shakes her head and starts pouting.
"I want 'arry!"
I open my mouth to scold Ivy for raising her voice, but my mom answers before I get the chance to. "It's okay, I can move."
"It's fine really, I can sit next to Rory." Harry speaks up, setting our drinks down on the table in front of us.
"Ivy wants you next to her." My mom sends Harry a genuine smile and for a moment I think that maybe her being here won't be as big of a struggle as I originally thought.
Harry nods and sits in his spot next to Ivy, helping her cut up her pancake.
"So mom," I gulp, taking a bite of my pancake, "How long are you in for?"
"Just today." My mom sighs, "I'll leave tomorrow sometime."
"You're more than welcome to stay for Thanksgiving. Harry's mom and sister are coming in from London."
"I actually have plans." I set my fork down and look at my mom with a confused look on my face.
"What?" I frown, "With who?"
"A guy I met at work a few months ago. I'm going to his house to eat dinner and have a few drinks."
"You met a guy?" I look at my mom in shock. She hasn't said anything to me about a guy the few times we've spoken on the phone. "You haven't told me anything about a guy!"
"I don't have to tell you every aspect of my life, Rory Mae." She sighs, pushing the food on her plate around with her fork.
"It would just be nice to know what's going on with you every once in a while." I sigh, pushing my plate away.
My mom has to know everything and anything that's going on in my life, but the second I ask about hers, it's I don't have to tell you every aspect of my life, Rory Mae.
I stand from the table and take Ivy's plate when she hands it to me, "Hey Ives, why don't you go gather all your new toys to show Gramma?"
Harry to the rescue.
"Okay!" Ivy hops off her chair and runs off to her room to gather all of her toys.
"Mel, with all due respect, you question Rory about every aspect of her life. It's only fair she gets to question you about yours." Harry speaks softly, standing from his spot at the table.
"I question her about the stupid decisions she's continuing to make." My mom shakes her head. This is one of the things I hate most about my mother. She judges everything I do, which is one of the big reasons I felt like I always had to prove myself to her in school.
If I didn't get straight A's on report cards, I was stupid and uneducated. If I made anything under a B on tests it always was "you have to do better next time."
"Decisions I make have nothing to do with you, mom!" I exclaim, walking over to the sink and tossing the dishes into it. "You judge me for everything I do, and I'm tired of it."
"I didn't come here to argue with you. I came here to see my granddaughter and spend time with you two."
She doesn't want Harry here. She made that clear the second she saw him when she walked through the front door, but now she's vocalizing it with him in the room.
Harry senses he's not welcome into the conversation anymore and walks out of the kitchen to find Ivy.
"If you're going to continuously bring up how you don't want him here and how you think I'm making a mistake, you can leave." I cross my arms over my chest.
"I just think you need to be more careful, Rory."
"I am being careful! He has set boundaries with Ivy that he does follow. I enjoy him being here, and so does Ivy." I throw my head back and groan as my mom begins giving me her yearly lecture.
I hear it every year. She bites my head off about me introducing Ivy to guys, which I've never done before. Harry is the first. I haven't been in a serious relationship since Ashton, but my mom always brings it up.
"I'm done talking about this." I push past her as she ends her yearly rant and goes to join Ivy and Harry in the living room.
"Mommy! Gramma Mel!" Ivy scoots closer to Harry and pats a spot on the floor. "Come sit."
My mom appears from the kitchen and sits on the floor next to Harry as I sit next to Ivy.
"What are we playing?" My mom asks, taking a doll from Harry as he hands it to her.
"Princesses!"
We play princesses with Ivy for a while before Harry and I put her to bed for a nap. Once we get her laid down, Harry goes to tackle the kitchen and I pick up her toys off the floor.
"Do you need any help with that?" My mom goes up to Harry and he shakes his head.
"No, it's okay. I've got it." He smiles. No matter how cold and rude my mom is towards him, he is nothing but respectful and nice to her.
"Alright well, when you're done I'd like to speak to you privately in another room." My mom smiles. Harry gulps and nods, loading the last of the dishes into the dishwasher.
The two of them head back to the guest room and shut the door. There's no telling what my mom is about to grill Harry about.
While they talk, I anxiously clean the living room. I fix the pillows on the couch, dust off the tables and the ceiling fan and fold all of the blankets.
After what feels like hours, they finally walk back into the living room. My mom doesn't look like she's about to murder someone and Harry doesn't look scared out of his mind.
That must be a good thing right?
I throw a blanket over my legs as Harry plops down beside me, his arm going my shoulders.
"Did it go okay?" I whisper up at him. He smiles down at me and kisses my hair. "Did she yell? I couldn't hear very well."
Harry shakes his head, "Everything is perfect."
Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
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I am so tired.
also don't like this chapter.