🌟 Friday, June 2nd 🌟
"And which one is this one?"
"That's blue, Grandma!" Darla shouted happily.
"Correct. I'm so proud of you. Your fathers have a very smart girl."
There was a knock at the door that grabbed their attention.
"Hmm. Someone is at the door. You stay here and I'll check it out."
She got up and went to the door and peeked out of the window. When she saw it was her son, she opened it to him.
"What are you doing here?"
He smiled.
"I'm here for my daughter. Did you forget to unlock the door?"
"No. I didn't. Harry didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
She opened the door.
"Get inside before it pours down on you."
Zayn stepped inside.
"What didn't Harry tell me?"
"Darla is staying here tonight."
Zayn paused.
"Why?"
"He dropped her off with an overnight bag this morning and said that you two need to have a nice dinner and talk things out."
"He did?"
"Yes. And if you had seen his face... I could tell that he is concerned about your relationship. What's really going on?"
"Nothing."
"I know that's not true. And if you're lying to me, you're lying to yourself. So be honest with your mother. What's going on?"
Zayn's eyes slowly began to water. Then he looked up at the ceiling.
"There's so much."
"You want to talk about it?"
He sniffled.
"I'm not attractive anymore."
"What?"
"To Harry. I'm not."
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't think. I know."
He wiped his eyes.
"Darling, that man loves you so much."
"But he hates my body. And he hates what Darla did to it."
"That's not true. I know that. You are Harry's light. Just like he's yours."
"Well that doesn't matter because there has been a lot of darkness lately. Between us. Constant arguing, fussing, fighting... other things."
"But not hitting right?"
"No. Never. Just a lot of verbal disagreeing that ends in half-eaten dinners, early bedtimes and time apart."
"Most of what Darla has experienced for herself, isn't it?"
He nodded.
"Yes."
"I knew that. Sometime back she told me you were fighting. I didn't say anything because it wasn't my business. But after this morning I did start to become concerned, especially about her wellbeing. All this arguing and bickering is a terrible example for her."
"I know, I know."
She leaned forward and pulled him in for a hug.
"You need to go home and talk to your husband. He obviously wants to make up and end this constant battle you two are in. So see what he has to say."
Zayn backed up.
"I know what he has to say. It's about baby number two."
"Did he change his mind about wanting it?"
"No. He says he really wants it."
"Okay. And you?"
"Me too. I'm just worried about what it's going to do to my body even more. If he hates it now..."
"Stop it. He doesn't hate it. I don't know where you're getting that from but you're wrong. And you know what? You need to go home and let Harry prove it."
"Mom..."
"No. You need to do it because mama said so. Go on."
His daughter's voice distracted them.
"Grandma. Daddy picked me up?"
Zayn turned away to wipe his eyes.
"No. He just dropped by for a few minutes. Remember I told you your parents are going to have a special night tonight. And we are too. Here."
"Mr. Brine and the flowers?"
"No, dear. That isn't until next Friday. But I don't think you'll be here. Your Papa said since he'll be at home that day, he won't bring you by until that night."
"Mr. Brine? As in your neighbor?" Zayn inquired.
"Yes. He's coming over to show me how to plant zinnia."
"Hmm. Special friend, I'm assuming? Mama's got a love life?"
"Whether I do or don't, you worry about your own love life."
"You're worried about mine."
"You're my son. I have to. Isn't that right, Darla?"
She giggled.
"Now, you go on home to your husband. My granddaughter and I are going to watch two movies and eat a giant bowl of popcorn."
"Yay!"
When she went running back into the living room, Zayn's mother smiled.
"As you can see, she's well taken care of over here."
"I do see. Can't believe she didn't even try to hug me goodbye."
"Now it's your time to take care of your marriage. Listen to what he has to say. Okay?"
He nodded.
"Okay, mom."
And what was different this time was that he wasn't just saying that. He meant it. He wanted to listen to everything Harry wanted to tell him.
⭐⭐⭐
Ten minutes later, Zayn arrived home. Harry's car was there. So he got out and came in through the kitchen. The aroma of food was filling the house.
"Hey, baby. So glad you're home. How was overtime?"
"Boring. I can't stand when my boss does that. It's customer service. It's never that serious."
"Sorry."
"I stopped by mom's first. I didn't know you were letting Darla spend the night."
"Yeah, sorry for that too. I made that decision this morning after you left. I wanted us to have a night together. Just me and you."
"Is that why you're home earlier?"
"Actually, I stayed home all day. I dropped her off and I came right back here to plan."
"Plan what?"
"A good meal for me and you. Which is almost ready by the way."
"And to talk?"
He nodded.
"Yeah but Zayn-"
"And I'll listen."
"You will?"
"Yes."
"...Okay then."
Zayn smiled and headed to the back of the house. Harry was surprised. His plan to not tell Zayn about Darla so that he would go by there and let his mother convince him to listen actually worked. Maybe he should have gotten his mother involved a long time ago. Regardless, he was thankful she agreed this time. Even if she didn't actually know why he asked her to do it.
When dinner was ready, Harry fixed their plates and they sat down to eat.
"I'm really glad you didn't get mad at me for making plans for Darla to stay with someone else without telling you."
"It's mom. It's fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm good."
"Okay."
"So all this is because you wanted to talk. Right?"
"Yes. But not just because I want to. I did this because we need to. So much has been going on. And all because of sex and a baby that doesn't even exist yet. We're both arguing about it constantly. And we're both blaming each other too. But the truth is we are both wrong. We're both treating each other like shit and neither of us are really listening to how to end it. Until now."
Zayn pushed his food around.
"So what do you propose is the solution?"
"I don't want to make you upset."
"I won't get upset. So just say what you want you say. What is it about?"
Harry put his hands in his lap.
"I really want to grow our family. So bad. And I want to do it by having another baby with you. Zayn, you mean so much to me. I swear. I know I haven't been making the best decisions as of late. I'm the first to admit it. But I'm so lucky to have you. I know that. That's why I want to keep building on what we have. But after the things you've said lately, I wonder if you feel the same way. Do you even still want a second child with me?"
Before Zayn knew it, he was crying again.
"You okay?" Harry asked.
"I do want a child with you. More than you even know. It's something we've talked about for so long."
"Yes."
"But..."
"But?"
"I'm scared."
"To have another baby?"
"No. I'm not afraid of having a baby. I'm afraid of what having a baby will do to us."
"Do you think it could do any worse than what we're going through now?"
"Oh yeah."
"Why do you say that?"
Zayn wiped his face.
"Because... our sex life is nonexistent now as it is with one child. We haven't had sex since Darla turned three in January. And before then, the passion we once had was missing."
Harry swallowed thickly. He may not have had sex with his husband. But he did have sex with somebody.
"Okay. I get where you're coming from with that. But it's not because of Darla. It's because we've been unhappy with each other lately. Once we make a real plan soon, we'll be able to put all of that behind us and go back to what we used to do. But it starts somewhere."
Zayn hugged himself.
"And you're saying it starts with actually making a baby together."
"Yes. As soon as possible. Go headfirst and don't look back. So this is the plan. You just... you stop taking your birth control pills. Starting tonight. And next Saturday, a week from now, we'll make it a special day from morning till night, including making passionate love you'll never forget. And after that, we won't stop making love like that as long as we live. I promise."
"And after that?"
"After what?"
"Making the baby is one thing. But we have to actually be there more. We're going to have to work together. Which means going in to work at night can't happen. And traveling out of town will need to be cut down drastically or all together."
He reached across the table and gestured for Zayn to give him his hand. He did.
"I've already thought about all that. There will be no more traveling for a while. And I'm going to be home sooner on weekdays whenever I do go to work. Basically I'm going to do everything I can to put you and our children first. Starting right this moment. We just have to make it through to Saturday. Okay?"
"And you promise that too?"
"I promise, baby. I'm not even kidding when say that. I mean it so fucking much. I told you things would get better. This is how. You have my word."
"Okay."
Harry gradually smiled.
"Come here."
"What?"
"Come here."
Zayn reluctantly stood up and came around to him. Harry pulled him into his lap.
"When was the last time I had you like this?"
"It's been a while."
"Too long."
Harry put his hand on Zayn's chin and made him face him. Then he kissed him. Zayn didn't even pull away. He kissed him until it was over.
"Well, I hate to leave the dinner table. Especially after you cooked this really good meal. But I'm not really hungry and I want to shower and go to bed early."
"Yeah. Okay. I understand. Don't worry about your plate. I'll get it."
"Thanks."
Zayn got up and went to their bathroom to start the shower. Then he came back to the bedroom to get his pajamas. As he was taking them from the drawer, he got distracted by the blister pack of birth control pills on his nightstand. He picked them up and looked at them for a moment, then put them back down. No need to take one tonight or anytime in the near future.
He was excited about having a second child. And tonight, for the first time in a while, he started to feel a different way about the way Harry felt too. He loved Harry very much. And he was willing to do it for him. All they needed was a week. And baby number two would finally be on the way.