Delicate

Chapter 71

HAVEN MCQUEEN
June 2021

"Daddy! No!" Lily squeals in the other room, followed by the most infectious giggles I've ever heard in my life. I hear Harry's loud laugh go silent and Jack is yelling absolute nonsense. My face hurts from smiling so much as I messily dust blush across my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose.

I drop all my makeup back in my cosmetic bag and shut the light off in the ensuite to head into the living room, finding Harry on the floor and Lily standing on his stomach. He's helping her balance by holding her hands and they're both laughing for no reason.

"What in the world is going on out here?" I place my hands on my hips. "Who made this mess?"

"Mum-Mum-Mum!" Jack comes running to me and throws himself against my legs with his arms around them.

"What are you doing, baby?" I bend over to pick him up. "Did Daddy feed you?"

He nods twice.

"Was it yummy?"

"Yummy," he repeats after me as I look over to see Lily now trying to step on Harry's face.

"Are you almost ready to go, H?" I set Jack back down to clean up the toys I already cleaned up once this morning.

"I'm ready, yeah," his voice is strained as he sits up with Lily in his arms. "Are you ready, Lil?"

"Ready, Daddy," she hugs his neck, making it a bit more difficult for him to stand while holding her.

"Did you make their lunch?"

He opens his mouth to speak, then closes it and scrunches his nose. That means no. "I'm sorry, they were out of control. You heard them screaming, didn't you?"

All I can do is laugh as Lily tries climbing further up his body, giggling like a maniac. "Alright, well I can make them a couple of PB&Js really quick if you wanna get them in the car."

"Alright, let's go, let's go, let's go," he holds Lily and comes to take Jack from me, taking quick steps to the front door to stuff his feet halfway into his Vans.

"Let's go!" Lily slurs as she clings to him on their way out through the back door while I quickly slather some raspberry jam and almond butter on bread for them. I pack a few more snacks and follow them out to lock up the house and help Harry in the car.

"Where are we going?" He asks Lily. "Do you know?"

She shakes her head.

"You and Jack-Jack are coming with Mum to watch me practice for tour," he explains as he secures her in the carseat while I do the same with Jack. "It's gonna be a lot of fun. Can you say 'fun'?"

"Fun!" She kicks her legs.

"Say 'fun', baby," I kiss Jack's forehead as he smiles with tiny teeth.

"Fun," he echoes before I shut the door to get in the passenger seat of my Mercedes so Harry can drive us to the rehearsal space.

The last five months have been a whirlwind of change and growth in just about every aspect of our lives, but especially with the twins. They're now 21 months old as of three days ago, which means they're officially only three months away from turning two. It feels like just yesterday they were saying their first words and taking their first steps, and now they're running around like psychos and trying desperately to say everything we ask them to say. Their development is progressing quickly, or so their pediatrician says.

As for the state of the world, we're still wearing masks and avoiding large gatherings in small spaces, but I don't feel so petrified every time we step outside of the house now. Maybe that's because we've been vaccinated since December or maybe it's because I know Harry's tour is coming up and that wouldn't be happening if the world was still shut down. Slowly but surely, we're getting our lives back.