Happy holidays everyone <3
Maybe the best chapter so far
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Iris
Yesterday night was perfect. I left Harry's house a little after midnight. He offered me to stay but I couldn't. I don't feel ready to leave my girl alone for the night. I don't know why i don't, honestly. My mother is there for whatever Emma needs and she doesn't need me that much at night anymore. Harry understands that. Our relationship goes so slow, he gives me time and space and never does anything that I don't want to. He's so content with the fact that I have a daughter and I put her first. Every day he reminds me of how good of a mother I am and I'm so thankful that the person I am with is that supportive.
Today is Emma's birthday. My mother and I woke up a little earlier than usual to make pancakes for breakfast. We will treat my birthday girl, she deserves it. Even Tonya and Florence came by to be the first people to wish her Happy Birthday.
Emma woke up this morning so excited and happy. She saw all of her favorite people together in her bedroom, singing for her and holding pancakes with the number 4 on them. We all ate together and then everyone went on with their day.
I had bought cupcakes for Emma's classmates yesterday because she won't have her birthday party today. Saturday afternoon everyone of them will be at Emma's favorite ice cream shop and they will celebrate her. I decided to celebrate her birthday a few days later just because tomorrow is a school day and I don't want to ruin every kids fun by saying that it's past their bedtime.
I drop Emma at school and I give her teacher the cupcakes. Then I go to work. I enter the building and I see that everyone is in a hurry. What is happening today?
"What is happening?" I stop a girl, who is passing by.
"The boss is going to come today to make sure that everything is in order."
"Who? Harry?"
"Yes, nothing is ready yet and he called last minute."
"Okay, thank you." I tell her and she starts running to the other direction. All of them are stressed because Harry is coming to the office. It's not the first time, why are they stressed?
"Good morning Molly, why is everyone acting like Harry is coming here for the first time?"
"Good morning Iris. Happy birthday for your sweet girl. I am looking forward to hug her on Saturday."
"Thank you Molls. Now tell me why they are afraid of Harry." She laughs.
"They are somehow afraid of him. He is a little intimidating when he looks at you while presenting your idea."
"Yes, I can tell. But he's not scary. That one is Jeff."
"I bet they are all afraid of Jeff. He fired an assistant the other time." Molly tells me and I watch her with opened eyes.
"So should I be afraid?"
"As long as H likes you, no. Jeff likes you as well. Something changed." She admits and I can feel my heart start beating faster like it wants to come out of my chest.
"What do you mean?" I ask her like i don't know what changed in him. I know exactly what it is but I don't want to admit it.
"He was very strict at the beginning but now he is laughing at your jokes, like he doesn't want Harry to fire him." We laugh but we stop when we hear the sudden silence from outside the office. Harry and Jeff are here. Lambert couldn't make it for today's meeting as Molly informs me.
"Good morning Molly, good morning Iris." Harry greets us and he gives Molly a hug as I frown hearing my name and not one of the pet names he calls me when we are alone.
"Good morning everyone. How are you?" Jeff asks us immediately after Harry.
"I'm fine, how are you two?" Harry watches me and I feel like something is wrong. He didn't give me a hug and I can't help but wonder why.
"I'm fine. Now give me a hug, Iris." Before I can say anything he hugs me and I put my head on his chest. I can smell his cologne and I smile. "I missed you sweet girl." He whispers to me and I smile. I'm so thankful that Jeff is talking to Molly and he distracts her from understanding that my hug with Harry lasts a little longer than a usual hug.
...
The meeting went well. Nobody got fired, Harry was in a good mood and Jeff was asking useful questions that we couldn't even think about. That's why he is like the CEO of pleasing. Harry was so excited to start posting about the new collection. He teases his fans months now always painting his nails with colors that aren't out yet.
"Thank you everyone. See you at the launching party." Harry announce that the meeting is over and everyone starts to excuse themselves and leave the office. "Now, that nobody is hearing us. What time is Emma off school?"
I look at the clock on the wall and I see that we have to get going if we don't want Emma to wait for us.
"We should go. I am driving though. I have her car seat and it's easier."
"Whatever, sweet girl. Shall we?"
"We shall. Goodbye guys, see you on Saturday." I tell Jeff and Molly.
"Goodbye, have fun." Jeff answers and he smiles at us. I think that he likes the idea of Harry and I and I'm glad he doesn't want to ruin it.
"Where are they going together?" Molly whispers to Jeff as we exit the office making us laugh on the hallway. I look at Harry and I see that he's already looking at me. I think I'm falling in love. And I can't help it. I hope it doesn't ruin me.
"What are thinking, sweet girl?"
"Nothing special, sweet boy. Are you excited to see Emma?" His eyes grow bigger and I see his genuine smile.
"Yes, I missed her. I like her a lot. She is such a sweet and smart girl."
"She's such a talker. This morning she was excited about two things. The first one was the today is her special day and the other one was that she is going to see you."
"She likes me?" He asks me for the millionth time and I can't help it but laugh at his expression.
"She does. You are her best friend Harry."
"She is mine too. I feel better around her than I feel to most of my friends."
"You know that you don't have to stay in touch with people that makes you feel uncomfortable, right?" I talk to him with my mother voice. It's the instinct after all.
"I know. I don't do it as much as I did a few years ago."
"That's growth, H. We are here. Do you want to stay in the car or come with me?"
"I want to come with you if you are comfortable." He answered shyly.
"Of course."
We get out of the car and we walk towards the entrance of the school. Chris and William are already here and are waiting for their kids. Recently I learned that William is a single parent as me. His wife passed a couple of years ago and he decided to move away and live a better life for his son. He tries his hardest and I know how difficult it is to have a child and be heartbroken and he does an excellent job. Chris and Patrick are sure that he likes me somehow but he is too scared to do something. Nobody knows about my relationship with Harry so I leave them believe whatever they want.
Chris is the first one to see us. He opens his mouth at the sight of Harry behind me but he recollects himself before Harry starts feeling uncomfortable. William, on the other hand, looks a little sad. He smiles now but I saw how his smile dropped when he watched Harry and I arrive.
"Hello." I greet my two friends and they greet me back. "This is my friend and coworker Harry. Harry this is Chris and William."
"Hello, nice to meet you." Harry tells them doing a handshake with both of them.
"How are you two?" Chris asks us and Harry waits for me to answer the question for the both of us in fear that he will say something wrong.
"We are fine. We are going to take Emma for ice cream."
"Mills doesn't stop talking about that damn ice cream, Iris." Chris says and I see Harry smiling at him.
"Millie is your daughter? She is such a smart girl." Harry compliments him and I can see Chris' eyes tear up a little. He is so proud of his little girl and he always cries when other people see how well behaved Millie is.
"Thank you, Harry. My husband and I try for the better."
"You did such a great job, I can tell." William stares at me and I start to feel uncomfortable. Harry must have sense it because he looks at me with a question written all over his face.
"Harry." I hear Emma and I watch a few heads turning to us but nobody stared too long. Harry immediately crouches down and opens his hands to let Emma hug him.
"Emma." He tells with the same excitement.
"That's how your kid forgets about you." I whisper to Chris making him laugh.
"If i was Emma, I would too forget about you. I see a baby daddy on the making Iris. You have to tell me everything." He whispers back making me hit him gently on the hand and also telling him to shut up. He just laughs.
"Are you ready to leave?" It's like taking care of two kids when Harry and Emma are together.
"Of course. Give me your hand birthday girl." I watch Emma doing what Harry tells her and they walk in front of me after they said goodbye to everyone. Chris is still giggling and William just can't stop staring.
Harry helps Emma climb to her seat and then proceeds to sit next to me to the passenger sit.
"How was your day?" I ask my daughter while driving to her favorite ice cream shop. I think that it will be a place that we are going to visit exclusively with Harry from now on.
"It was perfect, mumma. Everyone sang to me and I even blew a candle. The teacher let me have an extra candy today because she said that it was my special day. I felt so loved."
"Did you?" I ask her. I feel the pain every time my daughter say to me that someone treated her bad at school or that the other kids don't talk to her. I know that she is a strong character but she is still a little kid, she isn't the one to blame for having only a mother. I don't know how the other parents let their kids be so mean.
"Yes, they all talked to me today. But I don't need them. I have Mills and Ethan." I see Harry smiling at her words and then he places his hand to my thigh. I feel his thumb caressing my thigh and I try to be focused on the road.
"Emma, do you want to listen to a song?" He asks his new best friend.
"Moon." He yells and I can sense her moving in her car seat. Harry laughs and he takes my phone to his hands and opens Spotify. In seconds the car is filled with music and voices. Emma starts singing long before Harry, who was socked that the little girl knows all the words to his song.
"The world's happy waiting
Doors yellow, broken, blue"
I hear my daughter singing with the song. Harry laughs and then starts singing with her as well. She stops for a second because she realised that the voice that she hears all the time in the radio is Harry's. She giggles and then continues to sing with him. Harry has turned to look at her and I watch them both from the mirror. I can get used to that.
"I'll be gone too long from you"
I hear them both scream and I can tell that Harry is enjoying it as much as Emma. Maybe a little more. He is smiling so much and I feel so sad that I can't take a video from this scene exactly. I want to remember it forever.
"And I'm still thinking back to
A time under the canyon moon"
"COME ON MUMMA. SING."
I hear Emma's little voice saying to me. I laugh and I shake my head.
"Come on sweet girl. Don't ruin the fun." Harry tells to me and I laugh at how easy he can convince me to do something.
"I'm going, oh, I'm going home"
We all scream and Harry is looking at me this time. His voice on the radio isn't heard enough anymore. The only thing that is heard is our voices and our giggles as we forget the words. Even Harry doesn't remember them even though he sang this song for months straight while on tour.
"Quick pause in conversation
She plays songs I've never heard"
I hear Harry starts clapping and when Emma sees that she does the same.
The song eventually ends as well as our ride. We all giggle at each other and I couldn't be more happy. I am in love, the man that I'm in love likes my daughter and my daughter likes him back. I couldn't be more lucky in my life.
"Harry, you have a beautiful voice. You have to sing to me everyday." My daughter compliments him while demanding something as well.
"Thank you, my sweet best friend. You have a great voice as well. Are you ready for ice cream?"
"YEAH."
I know that tomorrow she will have a sore throat. Harry too. But it deserved it. I can sing with both of them everyday in my car. Harry helps her and hold her in his arms, not wanting to leave her on the ground. They walk a little and then they realised that I stayed behind. Harry turns to where exactly I am standing. I can cry to the image of him with my child on his arms. I will tell him soon that I'm in love with him. He deserves to know.
"Are you coming, sweet girl?" He asks me and I nod. Yes, this will be my future. I will do anything to make it last.