The Parent Plan » Harry Styles

Chapter 28

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There is this weird feeling you get when something you've been waiting for is finally within reaching distance. All the anticipation that someone had held is finally pouring into reality and occasionally, there is hesitation because you just can't believe it. What you've been hoping for was happening... wow. All the hope you held is pursued in that moment. Jake felt that way the minute he'd walk down the stairs and saw an unfamiliar man - he had a hunch on who it could be, after all he has been waiting for this day to come.

"Jake, this your Father...," Monica says, her hand rubbing his shoulders as Jake gaped at the man beside Harry. The man who looked back at him with a small smile, eyes wide from this very moment.

He was looking at his son. 

He was looking at his father. 

Harry shuffles aside, feeling a bit intrusive on this meeting despite it being his home. In the short moment Monica had gone to retrieve Jake, Matt told him how nervous and guilty he was for missing out on five years of his child's life. Harry assured him that Jake would greet him with open arms. Harry glances at Monica, watching how she too, looked nervous.

Athena merely watched the scene from upstairs, peeking through the rails with an unreadable emotion swirling in her eyes the minute they land on Matt.

"Hey, kiddo," Matt greets, squatting down when Jake doesn't move. Monica gives Jake an encouraging push, making the five year old take slow steps toward his father. He was in shock, but beneath that was pure excitement. The two stare at each other for what seems like hours before Jake opens his arms, a huge smile spreading across his face - one that Matt returns eagerly before engulfing his flesh and blood into a hug. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, Daddy," Jake mumbles against his father's shoulder. Griping Matt's v-neck so tight like he thought he'd vanish in an instant. That's when Matt's eyes well with tears for the second time today, feeling regret and pure joy all at the same time.

In that moment, Harry walks to stand beside Monica, throwing an arm around her shoulders as she stares at the father-son reunion. He places a kiss onto her temple and mumbles, "You raised a wonderful little boy."

.

Matt requests the rest of the day to bond with Jake, to which Monica hesitates because she's hardly seen her growing boy today but finally agrees when Jake starts to beg. So until six, the time Matt said he'd be back, Monica stayed at Harry's. The two talked and watched some films before Harry suggested playing Scrabble, calling his daughter to come join in on the game.

However, his pride and joy didn't seem so joyous at that very moment. Harry frowns when noticing the one on her face, her arms folded across her chest in the way she would when some thing is bothering her.

"What's wrong, Cupcake?" He questions crouching down to her height so he could meet the eyes similar to his own.  

"Tell me about Mummy," she says rather than what was truly bothering her. The fact that her best friend, her partner in getting their parents together, is loosing focus on said plan because of his real father's appearance. But she wasn't lying, along with her worry of Jake's focus she thought about actually asking her father about her mother. She was so determined to ask him on Monday after his date with Monica but on the ride to drop them off, she had fallen asleep. The days following Monday, she had been too distracted by Jake talking about how Monica is going to meet up with his dad and how excited he was.

At her statement, Harry's eyes widen. She'd never demanded to know about Katelyn until now. He wondered what brought this up, but didn't voice his question because his eyes had drifted to Monica who stood behind him with an awkward smile.