Delicate

Chapter 65

HARRY STYLES

I've always been relatively good in a crisis. I'm the one my friends or family can usually look to when something's gone wrong because I'm great at keeping a level head. But as Haven and I are watching the news and she's silently crying while still trying to keep Jack happy on the floor in front of her, I'm not sure what the hell to do.

As of today, the entire state of California has been issued a Stay-at-Home Order as COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic. We're not allowed to see anyone else and we're not allowed to go anywhere unless we're out of essentials and need to go to the store. Even then, we risk coming in contact with the virus and bringing it into our home with our babies.

A hundred people in the States have already died from the sickness, which I think is the reason behind Haven's tears. Even I'm feeling emotional as I look down at Lily in my arms, so unaware of everything as she sleeps with her cheek resting against my T-shirt. She has no choice but to trust that I'm making all the right decisions to keep her alive, and the idea that I could fuck that up is paralyzing.

I only break my trance from her little face when Haven's phone starts vibrating on the coffee table. She sniffles quietly and answers it, leaving Jack on the floor in my sight with the stuffed animal he's playing with. I watch her hold her hand to her mouth as she heads to our bedroom down the hall, gently closing the door behind her. I don't think she wants the babies to hear her crying.

"Again, California residents are required to stay indoors and–"

I use the remote to shut the TV off before we can hear any more statistics about what our chances of living are or anything else that might cause Haven to panic more. Jack is babbling on the floor with the ear of his teddy bear in his mouth, kicking his legs and rolling over from side to side, and I start to zone out as I hear Haven's muffled voice down the hall. She's still crying.

I'm trying to hear what she's saying when my own phone starts going off on the couch. I frown in confusion to see her dad's name lighting up the screen, so I guess she's probably talking to her mum and he wants to know how we're doing.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Harry," he sounds a bit stressed, but I think that's how he always sounds. "How's it going over there?"

"Oh, um," I clear my throat as I hear Haven raise her voice in the other room. "The babies are okay. Lily's sleeping in my arms and I'm watching Jack on the floor, but I think Haven is freaking out. Well, I don't think. I can hear her freaking out in our room but I haven't really had a chance to talk to her yet with the twins being awake. I don't think either of us wants to panic in front of them."

"Are you panicking?"

The question feels like it belongs on a written test just like all of his other questions for me do. "No, I'm okay. We have enough food in the house to last us at least two or three weeks, but we'll be out of diapers by the end of next week. That's a scary thought."

Although I wasn't trying to be funny, he still coughs out a laugh anyway. "Yeah, running out of diapers seems like an emergency in itself. It's an essential need, though, so it's not like you're not justified to go out and get them."

"Yeah, I think that's what Haven's worried about, though. Now that there's a death toll, she's scared for us to leave the house and potentially get sick. I'm scared of that too, to be honest."

"Everyone is," he agrees. "I was just calling because I can hear Margaret trying to calm Haven down in the other room so I wanted to make sure you were all okay."