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When I came home from work the same day, I called Harry. I sat on the sofa with my phone laying beside me on speaker, waiting for him to answer. And after several rings, he did. 

"Hey," he said. 

"Hey. I was just wondering if you'd be able to maybe keep George overnight? A couple of friends invited me to hang out, and I haven't seen them in a while," I said, although I was lying. I just didn't feel like telling Harry I was going out on a date. 

"Um, yeah, sure," he replied. "When should I bring him back tomorrow, then?" 

"Just bring him over whenever," I answered.

"Okay, great. See you tomorrow, bye," 

"Bye," 

After I ended the phone call, I opened the message app and started writing a text to James. I spent about five minutes typing it, only because I always get stressed about forming a text. I'm a person who prefers phone calls instead of texting. 

To James: Hey, it's Rose. I'm free tonight, if you still want to meet :)

I got a reply almost instantly.

James:  Great, I'll pick you up at 8, if that's alright?

To James: That sounds great

I then texted him my address before I headed to the kitchen and made myself something to eat. However, it felt strange making dinner without George sitting in the room too, either drawing or sitting on the counter asking me the most random questions. He was so much like his father, and it always amazed me considering he'd never even met him before, yet acted just like him.

And without George to talk to, I finished eating my dinner faster than usual. It became so quiet in the kitchen that I had to move to the living room to eat, just so I could watch TV and have some sort of noise in the room. That noise was usually George, chatting about whatever popped into his head, such as something he'd seen on TV. 

After I'd eaten, I washed the dishes before heading upstairs to get ready for my date with James. It was already half six, meaning I only had an hour and a half before he was coming to pick me up. 

I started off by taking a fifteen-minute shower, then getting dressed in black jeans and a grey sweater. After I'd gotten dressed, I dried my hair before lastly putting on my makeup. When I was finally ready, it was ten minutes to seven. 

I walked back into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Then, I unlocked my phone and scrolled on social media as I waited for James. At exactly seven o'clock, the doorbell rang. I stood up from the sofa, walked over to the door and opened it to reveal James standing on the other side. 

"Hey," he smiled at me. 

"Hi," I replied before slipping on a pair of shoes. 

"You look beautiful," said James, making me shyly smile at him and say quietly, "Thank you," 

"So, where are we going?" I asked as I stepped outside and closed the door behind me. 

"It's nothing fancy, really. I was just thinking we could go to a bar, get a few pints and really just get to know each other. I don't like there being too much pressure on doing something fancy on first dates, and I think going to a bar will create a more comfortable feeling," he replied. 

"That sounds lovely," I replied as we began walking down the street. We ended up entering a bar that was a fifteen minute walk for my flat, yet I had never been there before, probably because I never really went out after having George, and I wasn't eighteen yet when I got pregnant. 

We found a table inside the bar, and then James headed to order us some pints. It was quite a good-looking bar we went to. There were tables spread across the room, the lights were comfortably dimmed, and there loads of pictures on the walls. There was music as well; not too loud and not too quiet. Just comfortable. 

James returned a couple of minutes later with a pint in each hand. He put one down in front of me before he sat down and took a sip of his own. 

"How did your sister like her present?" I asked, watching as James began to smile. 

"She loved it, and she called me the best brother ever, so I guess you could say I succeeded," he replied. "Anyways, tell me about yourself," 

"Well, I suppose there's something I should tell you," I said. "Most guys sort of run when they hear this, so I've gotten used to it. But, I have a three year old son," 

James's expression was unreadable as I said it, making it hard for me to tell what he thought about this information. It took him a little while before he spoke. "And, um, is the father still in the picture?" 

"That's the thing... As of about a week ago, my son had never even met his father. He left me when I told him I was pregnant and we didn't speak after that. He's in our son's life now, but we're barely on speaking terms," I explained. 

"I see," he said. "But hey, it doesn't matter if you have a son or not. What matters is who you are as a person, Rose. Those guys who've judged you because of your son were obviously looking for something way less than a relationship. What's the boy's name?" 

"George," I replied, giving him a small smile. 

"Lovely name," said James, smiling. "it doesn't change anything that you have a son. I know we only met today, but I can see myself spending more time with you.  If, of course, you want that too," 

"Yeah, I'd like that," 

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hope you like this! :))

- m i a h.

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