Adulation / h.s

79

- Two Years Later -

"Mummy, that." Elijah pointed at a chocolate cereal that seemed to have a superhero on the front of it. Elijah was very much into superheroes at the moment.

"No, not chocolate cereal baby," She smiled down at him. "Chocolate isn't for breakfast,"

She picked up some granola, one Harry liked and checked out a new flavour they had brought out recently.

"Rosie?"

She turned to the direction of her name being called and was slightly taken aback. "Zayn.. hi,"

He smiles. "Hi, very long time no see."

Four years perhaps? Rosie thought.

She nods. "Very long time, whose this?" She smiles at the little girl sat on his hip, she grinned before turning away shy from the attention.

"This is Valentina, say hi V." He smiles down at her.

"Yours?" She asks.

He nods. "My wife is looking at feminine stuff so I've come to collect the weetabix,"

"Mummy, this!" Elijah shouts from behind her.

She smiles taking the other superhero box out of his hands and placing it back. "This is my son Elijah," She introduces.

"And how old are you?" Zayn asks.

"I'm two," Elijah accidentally holds up four fingers.

"Wow, big boy then."

Elijah smiles proudly.

"He certainly is," Rosie laughs.

"He has your eyes," He comments.

"Yeah, he's got a lot from me, poor sod." She jokes.

Zayn smiles at her but doesn't say anything.

"When's the next one due?" He asks, eyes on her evergrowing bump.

"She's due in five weeks, but I had him early so I'll perhaps have her early too."

"I read girls are later, Valentina was eight days late."

"Great," Rosie deadpanned making him laugh.

"Congrats Rose, I'm happy for you."

"Thank you, and you too."

"I best get back but take care, yeah?"

Rosie for some strange reason felt a lump rise in her throat, she wasn't sure if it was just the raging hormones swimming all over her body or how happy he was now. She was happy he was happy.

"You too, Zayn" She smiles watching him walk down the aisle.

"This one mummy?"

Rosie smiled down at Elijah as he brought her back to earth. "No, I think i'll get this one for daddy," She smiles holding up the new granola.

"I saw Zayn today," Rosie announces over dinner.

Elijah was brilliant at dinner time, he ate everything on his plate and rarely left anything. The only thing he wasn't sure about still was lettuce and cucumber, but Rosie put that down to them not really being exciting foods.

"Oh, yeah?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah when I was food shopping. He's had a little girl, and he got married."

"Wow,"

"Yeah, time is a funny thing." She smiles over at him.

"It sure is," He smiled at Elijah who completely missed his mouth and dropped his pasta onto his plate.

"How was work?" I ask getting myself some more pasta.

"It was okay, settled a lot of deals today so I feel a weight off my shoulders,"

"That's good, I know you've been stressed lately,"

Harry frowns. "I tried to hide that from you, what with her birth date so close." He points to Rosie's stomach.

"She's fine," Rosie places her hand on her stomach. "And I always know when there's something wrong, there's no point hiding it from me,"

"I'm taking the day off tomorrow," He informs her. "I'm going to take Eli swimming then go to Gemma's. You can have some mummy time,"

Rosie smiles. "I'm going to bathe and sleep, that's all the time I need." She laughs.