The Weeks Between • HS

Week 24 • Nola

We descend the stairs of the jet onto the tarmac, both clothed in sunglasses and scarves, hiding anything that would give away our identities. It doesn't stop paps from taking photos, but they get nothing worth posting. The drive takes far too long to from the moment the door closes in the car to when it opens again parked in front of Harry's garage door. "Leave it all. Let's go see the girls," he says, knowing that I'm dying right now, having not been around them for the last five days.

"We're home!" Harry yells as he opens the door and I hear two little girls screaming and running from the playroom. Harry's house is more comfortable to Gemma and Anne, so I assumed that they would stick to his side more than to mine. At this point, his side lacks for nothing, where the girls are concerned. His spare dining room became the girls playroom a couple months back. It started because the little things left there by the girls started to pile up all over with no place to go, which Harry doesn't do well with. So, one weekend he and Mitch moved the table and chairs to his attic. He ordered some storage furniture, a small table and chairs, two easels and we moved the second Barbie house to the last open wall, and now the girls have their own space to play at his house, as well.

"Mama!! MAMA!!!" Lottie is the first to make it to us, but I suspect that is because Mia knows that if she is the second one to reach us, she will get to hug Harry first.

"Oh, my Lottie bug! I missed you so much," I say as I inhale her sweet scent. She smells like whatever scent is filling Harry's lower level; some kind of sugar baked treat, or treats, I would guess. I wish Anne would have baked on my side because this is heavenly.

"Momma, we made cakies." Lottie has always called cupcakes cakies. I hope nobody ever fixes that. Cakies also refers to anything made in a small pan; cupcakes, muffins, oven donuts- you name it.

"Really? I'm so excited to taste them, bug. What flavors did you make?" She looks to Anne behind them, not remembering.

"We made lemon and lemon-blueberry with a very messy glaze." I hear Anne, but then I zone out for a second when I hear part of Mia's conversation with Harry as I am hugging Charlotte.

"So, two different shapes of cookies? A lion and a dinosaur?" he asks. I can't imagine who those cookies were made after- seeing as their favorite stuffies are a lion and a dinosaur. Mia is sitting on his thigh, with an arm draped around his neck, looking up at him and talking to him like she has been storing up all she has to say for days. "What else did you do?" he sweetly asks her, giving her his full attention.

"Annie (thats the adorable name that she gave his mom) and Gemma brang us to the park...and mermaids in the bath."

"You brought the mermaid village inside?" he asks, and looks back at his mom questioning her, probably because those toys were meant to stay out at the pool.

"Yes," Anne says, looking like she has been caught messing up her sons perfectly organized house, which I love. "They may or may not have taken over your second guest bathroom."

"Well, darling, that's fine. They were probably lonely out in the pool house." Mia nods at his answer and I release Lottie from the hug and gesture to switch girls with Harry. "Now Lottie, did you enjoy the mermaids in the bathtub?"

"We didn't play king cause yous are the king," she says as Mia jumps into my arms, requesting all of my attention.

"Mama, did you marry Harry?" she asks and the whole room goes silent. Everyones eyes dart to Anne who raises her hands in defense. That does sound like an idea that she would put into their heads.

"Might want to ask your sister about that one," is all she says and Harry rolls his eyes then answers the question for me.

"No, Mia, we didn't get married. We would never do that without you, and Lottie, and Hattie there, or my mum and sister. Plus, I haven't asked your mama to marry me." He gives me a little smile with that comment. "Did you know that people wear a ring on this finger if they are married, or getting married?" he asks and points to the left ring finger on Lottie's hand. Mia turns my hand over to look at the bare finger before looking at her own. "Maybe one day we will, but for now, I love your mama and she loves me." He finishes saying it and his mom catches the shift in our relationship, giving us both big dimpled smiles at the words that were exchanged between us. I know they talk and I know she is aware that we hadn't said that to one another before this trip.