Delicate

Chapter 89

HAVEN MCQUEEN
November 2022

"Daddy?" Lily puts on her sweet voice, the one she reserves for when she wants something from him, and it works one hundred percent of the time.

Smiling, Harry extends his arm out to her where we're lying on the couch. "Yes, angel?"

"Can you play dress up with me?"

His smile remains, but it softens as he wraps his arm around her tiny little waist to keep her close to the couch. "I don't think I'll fit in your dress up clothes, baby."

"Well, but...but...but you can wear your clothes, Daddy," she reaches out to pat his hair down, and he can't help but laugh as he asks her to climb into the couch with him for a second. Naturally, she obeys and sits cross-legged on his lower stomach.

"Can I tell you something?" He starts. "But it's a secret, okay? So you can't tell anyone."

With a sneaky little grin, she nods and her little chocolate ringlets and waves bounce as she does it. "Okay."

"The secret is...I love you so much, and anytime I'm not with you, I wish that I was," he confesses.

"More than Mummy?"

Harry laughs as I scoff from the other side of the couch. "I miss you, Jack, and Mummy the same way."

And just like that, Lily is no longer interested in the conversation. She just about rolled her eyes at him instead as she tries to get off the couch, but that's before he yanks her back in to start tickling her against his chest.

"Help, Mummy! Help me!"

"Uh-uh, you're on your own, girl," I stay put with my laptop as I check out the possible promotions for Pleasing's Black Friday sale, but I'm smiling as Jack comes running from down the hall to join in on all the commotion.

"Alright, fine," Harry sighs dramatically. "Let's play dress up."

"Yay!" Lily climbs off him, messily fixing her hair to get it out of her face.

As Harry stands, she takes his fingers to pull him toward the stairs so they can all head up to the twins' room. I ask them to come down and show me when they're all dressed up, to which Harry agrees before they all leave me alone. My laptop is still open, but now I'm just staring at the other side of the living room to the glass back wall of the house, listening to their muffled voices.

We've been back in the Hollywood Hills house for just over a month now, and I'll admit that I missed living in California more than I thought I would. I guess for me, I no longer feel that tugging sensation in my chest, knowing that my parents and my best friend are here within driving distance. I never told Harry that some nights I would cry back in London because I missed them so much and not even he was there to comfort me.

Needless to say, I haven't exactly been counting the days until we're meant to go back to London, which I'd say is fair considering we're supposed to stay here for Christmas anyway and it's not even Thanksgiving yet. The only downside is that Harry leaves tomorrow and I'm not ready to say goodbye to him. The kids aren't either, but they don't fully grasp that he's leaving yet.

"Close your eyes, Mummy!" Lily's voice cracks as she yells from the top of the stairs.

I smile just a little, shutting my laptop and closing my eyes. "Okay, they're closed!"

When I hear them coming down the stairs, I laugh prematurely as I consider what Harry might be wearing. God knows he has a million worthy dress up outfits to choose from, but I'm guessing Lily picked his outfit for him and that's why I'm interested to see how it's going to look.