SUMMARY:
When I was little, I always imagined this fairy tale life, where I'd meet the man of my dreams before I'd go off to college, marry him by the time I graduated, have a few of his kids before we turned thirty. And I almost had that too, until my world came crashing down around me. My parents had been dead for a few months, and my fiancée the same. My year old son and I were left all alone.
Then I met Harry.
The boy who washed all my troubles away, who made me feel alive again.
*
When I was little, I always imagined this fairy tale life, where I'd meet the man of my dreams before I'd go off to college, marry him by the time I graduated, have a few of his kids before we turned thirty. And I almost had that too, until my world came crashing down around me. My parents had been dead for a few months, and my fiancée the same. My year old son and I were left all alone.
Then I met Harry.
The boy who washed all my troubles away, who made me feel alive again.
~
Mim and Da helped my get everything into their house. Ireland was a different change of pace change from Boston. But it was a welcome change, one that Jesse and I needed. I sat in the kitchen, feeding Jesse lunch as the last of the boxes arrived. Mim stood in the doorway, watching me. It was hard losing my parents; it was even harder losing the father of my child, the man I loved.
She walked over to us and sat next to me, touching my arm lightly. I looked at her, running my fingers through Jesse's hair. "How are you feeling, Charlotte?" She asked softly. I looked at Jesse, closing my eyes for a moment.
"I'm doing better that yesterday." I said softly. Jesse yawned as Mim was about to ask another question. I picked him up and looked at Mim. "I'm gonna put him down and go into the city. Call me if he wakes up, please, Mim." I said, going up stairs and putting him down on my bed. He was fussy and refused to sleep, so I sat next to him and sang him to sleep.
I went out the back door, grabbing my keys on the way out. I got in my car and just drove to the city. I drove to the pub Mom and Dad owned before we moved to America.
We left because Gram and Pap had died and it was hard for Dad to stay in Ireland. I grew up there; it was part of my life. I pulled into the parking lot and stared at the door, waiting before I went in.
I opened the door and walked in slowly, waiting for the reaction I've needing so badly these past few months. Uncle Mickey looked up from the bar, his jaw dropping slightly. I sniffed and walked in the rest of the way, being attacked by family and friends from a life time ago. Uncle Mickey pushed through the crowd and hugged me close, kissing my hair softly.
"I'm so sorry, Charlie." He whispered in my ear. I nodded and buried my face in his chest, fighting back tears. He pulled back and kept his arm around me, looking at everyone. "A moment of silence, please," He shouted, bowing his head and closed his eyes. Everyone else followed suit, murmuring a prayer for my parents.
A moment later, he straightened and opened his eyes. "Alright, go back to what you were doing." He said, leading me over to the bar. He sat me in a bar stool and poured me a beer. "Now, I know you're not the legal age yet, but this is a special occasion dear." Uncle Mickey said, looking at me. "Tell me about before the accident, Charlie. I've missed a lot."
I smiled faintly at my uncle, sipping the beer. "Well, we moved to Boston, Massachusetts. We met a lot of guys who knew you, Uncle Mick. They said you were in the navy together or something. Um, I started high school a week after we arrived. I didn't know a thing that was going on and everyone looked at me funny when I named things differently than what they're used to. It's really annoying." I bit my lip as I took another sip. "I have a son." I said.
Uncle Mickey stared at me, his hands resting on the counter. "You have a son?" He asked slowly. I nodded and downed half the beer, looking at the counter. "How—How old is he? Does the father know?" He asked.
A knot formed in my chest. "He's a year old. His father... His father died with Mom and Dad." I whispered, feeling tears prick at my eyes. Uncle Mickey hopped over the bar and sat next to me, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I leaned into him and cried silently, curling my fingers into his shirt. I cried so hard, it felt good. I pulled back minutes later, wiping my eyes. Uncle Mickey kissed my forehead softly, running his fingers through my hair. I smiled at Uncle Mickey. "I'm fine." I said hoarsely, wiping my cheeks. He smiled faintly and nodded.
"Hey, I know what can cheer you up, Charlie." He said happily. "Come back to the bar. We got a big renovated loft that you and your son can live in and you can help me manage the bar!"
I smiled and nodded. "That'd be great. Can you help me move some stuff over here then?" Uncle Mickey nodded and stood, waving someone over.
"Charlie, I'd like you to meet your roommate." He said to me. I stood and looked at the boy walking over to us. "Harry, this is my niece, Charlotte. Charlie, this is our newest employee, Harry." Uncle Mickey said. Harry gave me a half smile and stuck his hand out to me. I took it and shook it, giving him a small smile back.
"It's great to meet you, Charlotte. Mickey has told me a lot about you." Harry said smoothly. I could tell he wasn't from Ireland originally. Maybe England or America, I'm not sure. "I promise, I won't bother you and if you need anything, just let me know."
I nodded, looking at him. "Could you watch my son, just for a few hours every now and then?" I asked softly. His eyes widened slightly, looking at Uncle Mickey.
"Mick," The boy said, raising an eyebrow. Uncle Mickey threw his hands up in defense.
"I swear Harry, I just heard about this too." Mickey said, looking at me quickly. "I didn't know she ever had a boyfriend."
"Fiancée," I mumbled as I wrapped my arms around myself. I backed away from the two, going back to my beer. I finished that one and ran my hands over my face, closing my eyes for a moment.
God, life sucks.
Heavy footsteps came up behind me, just stopping short of a few feet. I turned around and faced Harry, wrapping my arms around my sides. Harry shoved his hands in his pockets as he gave me a half smile. "I'm sorry about how I reacted back there, how about we start over?" He asked as he offered me his hand.
My heart jumped in my chest; that was the first thing Malcolm said to me when we first met. I nodded and shook his hand, swallowing the onslaught of emotions that attacked me. "Hi," I murmured. "I'm Charlotte, call me Charlie." I said.
Harry grinned at me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Charlie. My name is Harry, you may call me... Harry, I guess, or Haz. It's up to you." He said with a small chuckle. "Your uncle mentioned you have a son, am I correct?" He asked. I nodded slowly as a faint smile spread across my lips.
"Yes, he's a year old." I murmured as I ran a hand through my hair. "Would you mind watching him sometimes?" Harry smiled at me and nodded, touching my hand lightly. I looked down at our hands, swallowing an onslaught of emotions. We both jumped when my cell cut through our silence. I pulled it out of my pocket and listened to my grandmother rant about what a bad mother I was leaving my son with her. I sighed and told her is come at get him soon.
"Was that about the boy?" Harry asked. I nodded as I rubbed my temples. "Want me to drive you back home?" I nodded again, handing him my car keys. "Want me to bring you two back here?" I nodded one last time as he led me to my car. I got in the passenger seat as he hopped in the driver's seat. I directed him to my house, the beer giving me a slight head ache. As he pulled up the drive, I saw Mim standing outside the house with Jesse in her arms and three bags at her feet.
I got out and walked up to her, taking my son as she handed me a bag. "Your uncle called and said you were moving in with him. Above the bar is no place to raise a baby, Charlotte." She said as Harry got both of Jesse's bags. I turned on my heels and strode back to my car, putting Jesse in his seat and waited for Harry to put the bags in the trunk. We slid into the front and drove back to the bar with Jesse's babble as our music.
"He's beautiful, Charlie." Harry told me quietly. I looked at my son and smiled as he started to doze off again.
"Yeah, he is." I said, turning around. "His father and I really were going to get married. We had everything set up for our big day, and everyone believed that we'd be together forever." Harry reached over and took my hand in his.
"But you didn't think that." He stated. I nodded as tears came to my eyes.
"We fought all the time over my son and money; he even threatened to take him away from me. But he always said he loved me and promise everything would get better once I was his." I mumbled as a tear slid down my cheek.
"Well, then he obviously didn't deserve you or your boy." Harry said pointedly. "You deserve someone who will love you for you and be a proper father to your son." He added in a softer voice. I nodded as I looked out the window and watched the rolling hills as we drove by them. The sun had started to set and the sky turned a mixture of pink and purple, making the sky look painted. Harry pulled into the pub parking lot and turned the car off. I got out and pulled my baby out of the back seat while Harry got our things out of the trunk.
"Thank you, Harry." I murmured as I rubbed Jesse's back. He smiled and waved it off, slinging my bag over his shoulder. I walked into the pub as I kissed Jesse's hair, hoping he didn't wake up. I walked past the picture of my parents and tried not to cry, I still couldn't look at them. Harry came up behind me and pressed his hand on the small of my back and pushed me toward the stairs.
"I'll help you set up." He murmured in my ear. I nodded as we bound up the stairs together and into an almost barren room. "Welcome to the living room," Harry said, plopping the bags in the middle of the floor. I nodded as I wandered around the almost empty loft.
"How long have you lived here?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen.
"Um, almost five months, I think. Why do you ask?" Harry asked as he went into the room adjacent to the kitchen.
"Well, there isn't a lot of furniture or food here. Actually, there's only coffee here. Do you not eat?" I asked walking into the room he was in. It looked like a bedroom, since there was a bed and closet in it, and that was it.
"I eat at the pub or at your uncle's house sometimes." He said with a grunt. Harry pulled out a box that said 'air mattress' on it in big block letters. "Don't have a lot of guests either, just my mum or gram sometimes." Harry muttered. I nodded as I laid my baby boy down on his bed.
"Do you mind if he rests here for now?" I asked softly. Harry nodded and walked out of the room. I sat on the edge of my bed as I watched Jesse sleep, stirring only once as he settled himself in the bed. I left the room as he started snoring to help Harry with the bags. He was in the living room, blowing up a mattress to sleep on. I walked over to him and touched his shoulder gently, making him look at me.
"Is Jesse asleep?" He asked. I nodded and moved his hands away from the air pump.
"Harry, you don't need to give up your bed. I'll stay with my uncle for a few days until the guest room gets set up. You're not giving up your bed for us." I said. Harry shook his head as he watched the mattress inflate.
"It's no problem, Charlie. We're flatmates now." Harry mumbled, taking my bags off the floor and bringing them into his room. "What's mine is yours."