Harry followed Niall into the ballroom carrying a huge box of what he didn't even know, but goddamn it was heavy. Niall, on the other hand, was carrying a small athletic bag on his shoulder and some streamers. Harry let the box drop to the ground,
"Jesus Christ!" He yelled.
Gemma looked up from the table she'd been decorating,
"Hey...watch your mouth."
Harry looked around the ballroom to see everyone in the room was of age,
"Why?"
Gemma shrugged,
"Might as well get used to it."
Niall lifted the bag off his shoulder,
"Gem, where you want these?"
Gemma pointed to another table,
"There. Thank you boys...you can finish setting up the chairs."
Harry rubbed at his back as he tried to stretch it out,
"I think I threw my back out."
"Pussy." Niall said without missing a beat.
Harry shook his head,
"Why are you here anyway? Nothing about this has anything to do with you."
"I asked him for help." Gemma interrupted before Niall could toss back a smartass comment, "Now finish putting the chairs up and then get the hell out of here."
"It's my baby's shower!" Harry protested.
Gemma continued to do her decorating,
"Well, if you want to sit around while we discuss dirty diapers, breast pumps and the magic of childbirth, feel free little bro."
Niall turned his nose up,
"What the hell is a breast pump?"
"It's what women use to pump milk out of their breasts, Twat." Harry answered.
Niall kept his nose turned up while he unfolded chairs,
"Sounds...magical."
Harry turned to Gemma,
"I would like to be here." He said, ignoring Niall. He walked towards his sister as she turned away, seemingly ignoring him, "Gem...c'mon...he's my kid."
Gemma turned to look at him,
"Harry, this is so a chick thing. I mean, I know you like to think you're a friend to all women but...even this is a little much."
Harry tried to figure out a way to word what he had to say without sounding like an idiot. He sheepishly looked down at his hands,
"I feel like I'm missing everything. I know that's...m-my fault a little bit...but I just don't wanna miss anything else." He said as he looked back up at his sister.
Gemma studied him closely. A few weeks ago her brother would have been as far away from all of this as possible. It was nice seeing him return to the Harry she knew and loved. Even if she wasn't sure how long it might last.
She sighed,
"Alright. Fine. You can stay." Gemma said as he picked up some decorations, "But if either of you start any shit I swear to God..." She said as she walked away.
Niall looked up from chair duty,
"Either of us? I'm not stayin'."
"Yes you are." Harry ordered.
Niall's head snapped in Harry's direction,
"A minute ago ya didn't want me here at all."
"I changed my mind." Harry retorted as he turned to walk away, "Besides..." He said as he turned back to look at his friend, "Randy's supposed to be here."
Niall's face changed from excitement to confusion,
"Randy? She's comin'? They're friends now?"
-------------------------
For all Gemma's talk about this being a "chick" thing, Harry was really quite enjoying himself. Niall seemed to be as well, though Harry suspected that had something to do with Randy being there. Harry and Niall ended up being the only testosterone in the room but it didn't seem to matter to anyone.
Harry also couldn't help but notice how radiant Elena looked. She was fully pregnant now, waddling everywhere and resting her hands against her very pronounced belly. He didn't know if he'd ever seen her look more beautiful and it was doing a number on the anger he was still unable to let go of.
"So...Prince Charming decided to bite his tongue today I see." Harry heard behind him. He turned to see Andrea behind him, holding a glass of sparkling cider like she was prepared to throw it in his face at any moment.
Harry folded his hands in front of him, hoping it would signal a truce between them,
"If I had a white flag, I'd raise it."
Andrea looked him up and down, the frown on her face relaxing as she turned her head to take a sip of her drink. She looked back at Harry,
"Yeah, fine. Whatever."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Though he and Andrea may be at odds at the moment, he'd always liked her and he knew that she was a big help to Elena.
Harry turned to look at her,
"Thank you." He said, surprising both himself and Andrea based on the look on her face.
She turned to him,
"Why are you thanking me?"
"Because..." He started, realizing then he wasn't sure what the details were for his gratitude. So he shrugged, "You were there."
Andrea sighed, her head shaking a bit. Sure, he'd been a jerk but she knew that Harry didn't come by that easily. She'd known him long enough to know that jackass wasn't his default. She slid her hand onto her hip as she lifted her eyes to his,
"I get why you're angry." Harry raised his eyebrows but didn't speak. Andrea continued, "I can't say that if I was in your shoes I'd have been thrilled with what she did."
Harry relaxed his face while he nodded.
Andrea shrugged,
"But she would never hurt you on purpose." When Harry's eyes met hers she gave him a hard stare, "And I think you know that."
Harry was about to respond when Gemma's voice rang through the ballroom,
"EVERYONE WE'RE GOING TO OPEN PRESENTS NOW!" She looked back at Harry, "You go sit next to Elena." She ordered.
Not in the mood to argue today, Harry did as he was told. He sat next to Elena, facing the guests as if their entire relationship hadn't shattered a few months ago.
Elena sat next to Harry, smiling awkwardly when he smiled at her. A few weeks ago if someone would have told her Harry would have insisted on being at the baby's shower much less sat next to her she wouldn't have believed it.
Gemma lifted up the first present,
"Alright...here we go."
-------------------------
Randy was shocked to find herself not feeling awkward or out of place at Elena's baby shower. The whole place was so beautiful and everyone was so nice she couldn't help but feel a warm welcome as she moved a little further into Harry's life. Not to mention Niall hadn't left her side the entire day, though she suspected that he felt more out of place than she did.
And the food Gemma had brought in was ridiculously good. Niall shoved yet another cocktail shrimp into his mouth. He grunted with a slight shake of his head,
"Unbelievable." He mumbled with his mouth full.
Randy just about spit out her own mouthful of food. She had to hand it to Niall, he was at least fun to be around. She lifted a napkin to his mouth. When he pulled away she shook her head,
"You have sauce all over your mouth."
Niall finally stayed put while she wiped his face. Randy's eyes met his and she slowed while what could only be described as a bolt of lighting ripped through her body down to her toes. She took her hand away, her eyes staying glued to his.
What the hell was that?
Niall cleared his throat,
"Thanks." He said with a quick swallow of his last bite.
"Hey." Randy heard Elena come up behind Niall, reminding both of them that they weren't alone in the room.
Niall turned around, quickly winding his arm around Elena's shoulders,
"Hey." He kissed the side of her head. He turned to hold his arms out at the amount of presents sitting on the table in front of them, "Look at all this sh-stuff."
Elena breathed out a deep sigh,
"I know." She put her hands on her hips while she shook her head almost robotically, "I don't know what to do with all of it."
Randy glanced between Elena and the presents,
"I mean...you put it in the nursery."
Elena nodded,
"Would be nice if I had one of those."
Randy's eyes widened,
"You don't have a nursery set up yet?" Despite her efforts not to sound judgmental, she couldn't hide the shock in her voice.
Elena lifted her hand to her forehead. Randy instantly felt like an ass for making her feel stupid,
"I just...things have been so hectic and I haven't had the time and I..." She stopped, "I need to find my own place." She folded her arms over her stomach, "I had this idea...a soft purple. Wood accents..." Elena sighed, "Guess it'll have to wait."
Niall glanced at Randy. Seemed both she and him were thinking the same thing but neither wanted to speak it out loud.
Niall leaned back to grab a few grapes off of the table behind him,
"Well when ya need help carryin' all this out...lemme know."
Randy nodded,
"Yeah, me too."
Elena smiled,
"Thank you both for coming. Really. And for the gifts."
Randy and Niall watched as she turned to walk away. Niall shook his head,
"No nursery."
Randy felt awkward knowing something that likely Harry didn't know. She looked up at Niall,
"I'm gonna go find the restroom."
-------------------------
Most of the baby shower attendees had left. Only Gemma, Anne, a few of Harry's other relatives, and Andrea were still around. Harry watched as an exhausted Elena plopped down into the couch Gemma had brought in. He took the opportunity to go and sit next to her, it felt like they hadn't had a chance to talk since they found out they were having a boy.
Elena smiled as she saw him approach, though the expression had the slightest touch of apprehension. It felt like a dagger to his heart though he guessed he couldn't blame her. He sat down,
"Hey...how are you feeling?"
Elena exhaled sharply,
"A bit tired." He watched as she cradled her belly, something he never expected to turn him on but it was honestly the most adorable thing he'd ever seen her do, "But I'm alright."
Harry glanced at the table of gifts they'd opened a few feet away from them,
"We have generous friends."
Elena smiled as she looked at the table as well,
"Yeah, it's all such beautiful stuff."
Harry took a breath. Just at that moment he realized how much he'd missed her. How intensely his feelings still were and how big of a mistake he'd made. The realization almost took his breath away.
This moment should have been different. He should've been able to touch her without reservation, the way he used to. He should've felt like he had time, for what he didn't know, but he felt like they'd run out of time.
"We need a name." He said, not sure why that was what he'd chosen to say out loud but he couldn't take it back now.
Elena looked back at him, she felt his hand slide behind her on the couch but she wasn't about to believe that was anything more than a friendly gesture,
"We do."
Harry took another breath,
"Well...have you thought of anything?"
Elena had to admit, she hadn't. With all of their issues and everything she was facing the last thing on her mind had been a name.
She shook her head,
"I haven't."
Harry held her eyes for a moment before he lifted them back towards the presents while he mulled over a few names floating through his head,
"Ashton?"
Elena turned her nose up before she could stop herself. Harry burst out laughing,
"Alright then...that's a definite no."
Elena quickly relaxed her face,
"Sorry about that."
"No worries. The truth is always the best when it comes to naming your kid."
Elena thought for a moment,
"Gregory."
This time it was Harry's turn for a quick "no" reaction. He giggled,
"Doesn't fit. Andrew?"
Elena shook her head.
They spent the next ten minutes throwing names back and forth at each other. Harry was the first to stop,
"Maybe we should wait until we meet him? We might get a better idea then?"
Elena was about to answer when an idea occurred to her,
"My grandfather...when I was little he used to play a lot of sports with Eric and I. I think that he threw just about every ball at me...but I was never really interested in any of them until the soccer ball...obviously."
Harry watched while she spoke. He remembered her talking about her grandfather before. He knew he'd been the one to start Elena along her soccer journey.
Elena finally looked over at Harry,
"Joseph."
Harry was unable to stop the smile from spreading over his cheeks,
"Joseph." He repeated. His smile grew wider, "Robin."
Elena nodded immediately at the mention of Harry's recently passed step father,
"Joseph Robin Styles."
"Joey." Harry finished.
It felt right. It felt natural. She smiled down at her belly.
-------------------------
Since the baby shower, Harry hadn't been able to shake the feeling that he'd made a mistake. Or mistakes as it were. He'd missed being a part of Elena's pregnancy. He'd pretty much proven her original misgivings about him as a father right. The feeling was overwhelming sometimes.
"CUT!!!" The sound of James' voice rang through Harry's ears.
Harry closed his eyes. He knew he'd missed a cue without James even having to say anything. He just needed this movie to end already. When he'd signed up to do it his life had been different. Stable. Now he could barely keep focused in order to remember his lines.
James hopped down off of his perch. He walked towards Harry,
"Hey...everything alright?"
Harry nodded,
"Yeah. Just...wasn't into that one."
James glanced at all the people milling around while the reset the shot. He also glanced at Harry's co-star who seemed utterly confused.
He stepped closer to Harry,
"I thought you figured all of this out."
Harry nodded,
"So did I."
James studied Harry closely. He knew Harry was going through something pretty serious but in spite of that he had turned in some of the most remarkable performances James had ever seen committed to film. But the last week, something had definitely changed. Harry's mind, though James felt it had been elsewhere almost this entire shoot, was definitely not on the movie at all now.
"Can I do anything? Help at all?"
Harry frowned. He did need help. He needed someone to tell him how the hell to navigate out of the hole he'd dug for himself. Or if it was even possible to do so.
"I feel like I'm under a weight I can't lift."
James waited for Harry to continue.
Harry sighed,
"I just...need to..." Harry's eyes finally met James', "Use it." He finally said, "I need to use it."
James raised his eyebrows,
"You sure? We can call a wrap for the day."
Harry shook his head,
"No. Don't. Maybe if I do this...I can figure out how to get out of the hole I'm in."
-------------------------
Elena's due date was fast approaching. Quicker than she expected it to, though she hadn't been sure what to expect the entire time she'd been pregnant. Her mother and Anne had tried their best to keep her informed but it had become increasingly clear that there were some things pregnant women only found out when they were pregnant.
She still hadn't found a place of her own, her realtor had stopped calling after the fourth trip out where Elena had found something wrong with every single place she'd been shown.
And no place of her own meant there was still no nursery. The yet-to-be-put-together crib sitting in her room was like a beacon of failure at this point.
Still, while she sat there staring at the painting in front of her, she found it hard to focus on anything else. Her due date approaching only signaled one thing to Elena, she would soon be experiencing colossal pain followed by ridiculous anxiety when she would be responsible for shaping another human being.
Painting was the only thing keeping her feet on the ground at the moment. It calmed her down and allowed her to think. But one thing she hadn't been able to ignore was the fact that out of all the music she'd listened to while she painted, she had yet to listen to anything of Harry's. There was a reason for that.
Elena was scared of what would come out of her if she did. She knew there were emotions she hadn't touched concerning him. She knew there were things she hadn't faced. She couldn't. Not right now. It was too much while she could feel Joey turning over and over in her belly.
As if he'd heard her, Elena felt Joey kick. And not just any kick, it was a pain so sharp it caused her to drop her paintbrush.
Elena sucked a breath in through her teeth. She blinked through the pain. She felt a moment of panic. There is no way this was labor. She hadn't even started Lamaze classes yet. She and Harry's first class was scheduled in the next couple days.
She looked down at her belly, spreading her palm over it as she gently caressed back and forth,
"Whoa there little man. Calm down."
Another pain shot through Elena down to her toes. One thing was definite, however, this was not Joey kicking any longer.
Harry. Elena thought.
It took her a moment to remember Harry wasn't there. She stood up, suddenly realizing her pants were very wet.
"And-" Elena's call out for Andrea was cut short when another pain rifled through her. And this one sent her to the floor with a scream.
"Andrea!" She finally managed to get out after the pain subsided just a bit.
"Be right there." She heard Andrea call from the kitchen.
"Shit." Elena cussed under her breath, "Shit shit shit..."
Elena tried to sit up when another pain hit her.
Andrea was suddenly in front of her, kneeling on the floor. Elena couldn't hear a single word she was saying. She was too busy trying to breath through the pain and focus on something else. But it was clear by the look on Andrea's face that she was yelling.
Elena felt faint. With each breath in she felt like she was floating further and further away. Until she blacked out.
Andrea watched as Elena's body went limp, her head landing in Andrea's hands as she caught her friend before she hit the ground,
"Ben?" Andrea said as she shook Elena's shoulder, "BEN!?" Andrea screamed when Elena didn't respond.
Andrea pawed her back pocket for her phone
"OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod." Andrea repeated frantically while she tried to dial for emergency services. Her hands were shaking so bad she was barely able to grip her phone, "Yes...yes. I need an ambulance." Andrea spit out her address, "Please hurry. She's pregnant."
Andrea didn't wait for the girl to answer, setting her phone on the floor as she leaned down towards Elena's ear, "Listen to the sound of my voice. I'm here...help is coming."
Andrea felt her eyes fill with tears. Elena was most definitely passed out as well as most definitely in labor. Andrea had never heard of someone passing out during labor, but she didn't need to be a doctor to know it wasn't good.
Andrea blinked her tears away. She stared down at her phone.
Harry. She needed to call him. But she didn't have his number.
Elena's phone was a few feet away on the desk. Andrea reached up to grab it, careful not to jostle Elena's head too much. She tapped Harry's number and put the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Harry," Andrea started, her voice barely a whisper since she was out of breath, "Elena...get to the hospital. She passed out."