The Parent Plan » Harry Styles

Chapter 23

— Jake & Monica —

Stalling is used for a multitude of reasons and the reasons could be that you didn't do last night's homework assignment, or your putting off breaking up with someone to spare them the hurt, or maybe you're trying to dodge giving someone bad news. Which, in some way, Monica was doing.

She had yet to inform Tim and Mara that the studio was closing down, always failing to tell them during their lessons. It wasn't until last night's talk with Jeff - he called to ask how the little man was doing and how his oh-so-lovely sister was as well (he was in a good mood because he had a date with this girl he'd been chasing after) - did she know that it was time. After Monica had filled him in on her date with Harry, one that she couldn't stop talking about until he interrupted her, she told him about the studio. He apologized for not having the money to help, even though Monica insisted that she didn't want any help, before asking if she's told her dancers of the dreadful news. The answer had been: no, she had not.

It was promised that she'd do it today, after lessons.

"To those people that say dancing isn't a real sport, are a bunch of liars," Mara says while wiping her forehead with arm. What they had been doing wasn't anything extreme, it's just that the air conditioning has already stopped supplying the small studio. Tim nods in agreement - as if he too had done extreme work out.

"Can't say that I don't agree," Monica says whilst glancing at the clock. They've gone over their usual lesson by twenty minutes, meaning the kids were out of school. Harry had told her that he'd pick the two rambunctious five year olds up from school, he'd always call her in the morning and ask how she is (even if they just saw each other yesterday), as long as she tells the couple that the studio would be no more.

"Are you okay, Monica? You've looked a bit off this entire time," Mara observes with a small frown. She turns to Tim, "Don't you think, babe?"

"I do," he agrees before trailing his eyes back to Monica.

She shifts uneasily under their prodding gazes, hesitant to say the awful news. She knew that the two would be upset, because it was clear that they enjoyed Monica and that they enjoyed everything this self-made studio had to offer. That's what had drawn Tim and Mara in in the first place, how quaint and modest it looked. They couldn't have asked for a better place to try out their new couple adventure.

"The studio's on foreclosure," Monica rushes out, knowing it's better to rip off the band-aid rather than peel it off. (Knowing this from many scrapes Jake had gotten every time he'd ride his bicycle without his mother's approval.)

Mara blinked in surprise and fiddled with the water bottle in her hands. Tim's eyes fell to the wood floors. It was silent for three minutes before Monica had enough of the saddened silence. She wasn't much of a fan of that, since she had witnessed them too many times before.

"I went on a date with Harry." Is her attempt to change the topic. And when Mara just about yelps in happiness, Monica new she succeeded in doing so. It was better to put off the talk until reality sunk in for them.

So, rather than the heavy topic of the studio, the two girls talked about the date while Tim shifts awkwardly at the boyband member he was a tad jealous of - on the fact that his fiancée is fawning over another man. After the date talk, things shifted to wedding talk, something Tim was happy to intervene in, which would be occurring in exactly twelve months since it was now December. Just as Mara insisted a last lesson - one that would be choreographed to be their first dance as Bride and Groom for the wedding - Jake ran in with a huge smile.

"Mummy! I lost a tooth today!" He shouts before stopping in front of her, grinning wide so she could see the gap. Monica's lips parted to speak, but was cut off.