The Parent Plan » Harry Styles

Prologue

– Athena & Harry –  

Life is such a funny thing, really, because just when things start going right it takes a toll for the worst. It's like a prank, you think you are going to have a great day and next thing you know someone puts a bucket filled with water on top of your door and it spills on you – like the world seems to be in that very moment life decides to throw you a curve ball. Love is a funny thing too, because it's said to be this 'magnificent' thing that everyone wants to experience but what people didn't say was how much you go through when you love someone. Even though you have great moments you also have arguments, jealousy, disagreements, and heartbreak. There are so many more things to add to that list.

Harry Styles experienced both.

He fell in love with a small town girl from the states (he had met her whilst he was touring), her name was Katelyn Foster. The two seemed like a match made in Heaven but even if the public eye thought they were absolutely perfect, they weren't. There were constant fights, yells, hate and jealousy... but with it came love, care, hugs, kisses, cuddles – the list goes on and on.

The two dated for three years before he sealed the knot – one year after One Direction decided to stop making music – and married the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. A year after that, they decided to have a child and nine months later, Athena Styles was born.

She looked exactly like Katelyn; small button nose, delicate freckles on her cheeks and nose, dirty blonde hair but she had Harry's electric green eyes.

Now this is where that whole thing about life and love from the beginning of this comes into play.

Athena was two years old, a small child with no care in the world. She was at home with her father, Harry, when it took a toll for the worse. Katelyn had gotten stuck with a late shift at the station (it was her dream to be an officer) and was now coming back home to her husband and daughter at the late hour of two a.m.

Harry had already put Athena to rest long ago, and though his eyes begged for some rest he couldn't sleep without Katelyn by his side. So he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The phone rang, and the words he never thought he would hear came through the speaker. "This is Officer Dan, Harry. I called to inform that your wife, Katelyn had gotten into a terrible accident with a drunk driver and it might be fatal. Please come to the hospital as soon as you can."

At four fifteen a.m. Katelyn Styles was announced dead. She had died with final words of, "I want you to find happiness, Harry." She didn't have time to explain it to Harry before the heart monitor fell into a long beep.

Harry Styles cried for two weeks straight. Athena had no idea what had happened, for her mind was too young to comprehend death so she did what any other child would do – she just stared.

.

Three years later, present time, Athena understands the meaning of death. She knows that her mother was killed by a collision with a drunk driver and she also knows that her dad has been feeling down – no matter how many times he fakes a smile. She could read him like an open book, just like her mother could.

The two stood side by side, Harry's eyes trained on the stone ahead of them as Athena's gaze was set on her father waiting for the time he'll hold back the tears and put on a happy face for her sake. He wanted her to think that this was okay, that he was okay – that this was the way of life and sometimes things like this happen and you just have to accept it. She knew better than to listen to the man who got his advice from fortune cookies.

"I bet your mum is grinning at us right now," Harry murmured, his voice wavered but he covered up with a cough. He squeezed his daughters hand before looking down at her to meet her gaze. "Did I ever tell you how much you look like your mum?"

"All the time," she responded with the truth, her gaze falling down to her mother's grave. She didn't remember anything of Katelyn Styles but Harry always told her stories about her personality and things like that.

He never mentioned their love for each other, or what they did as crazy young adults or things of that nature to Athena. She felt that he just wasn't ready to tell her yet, or maybe she was just too young to understand. Either way, those subjects were left untouched.

"You know we both love you so much, right, Athena?" Harry asked, still peering down at the daughter he created with his departed wife.

Athena noticed all the time how he always used the term 'we' rather than 'I' as if he believes Katelyn was just at the supermarket getting groceries. He still doesn't have closure, she could tell. She wondered if he would ever get out of this stage of acting like he was alright when he was sending signals that clearly stated that he wasn't.

"I love you both too," she already knew that she'd get a lecture if she didn't say 'both' rather than just 'you'.

Releasing her grip on her father's hand she approached the stone and placed the bundles of flowers on top, carnations, her favourite. She could hear Harry's sigh from behind her, but she pretended not to notice for his sake.

"Happy Birthday, Mum," she whispered before walking back to her father's side. She heard him whisper, 'Happy Birthday, Katelyn. I love you so much.'

Present tense.

- - -

(A/N): okay, I'm seriously so excited to be writing this story because it's so different from all the other fan fictions I've seen before and I'm so happy that I thought of it. And I can't wait for Athena's and Jake's plan to be put into action! I hope you all are excited too! Anybody in love with wise Athena? Get it? Because Athena is a Greek goddess and she's the goddess of wisdom? Alright, I'm not really clever but whatever (hehe, that rhymed). Anyways, I know that this sounds pretty sad right now but it'll get better and I'll try to add humor to it (did you see the 'fortune cookie' humor I added in? was that even funny?).

Importance of Chapter: Harry and Katelyn's back story and the brewing of Athena's idea to help him get through this.

SONG FOR CHAPTER: THE SCIENTIST - COLDPLAY

Importance of Song: This song is really to establish how hard it is – and how Katelyn and Harry are apart now. It shows how he misses her but is ready to start again (with someone new?) and it's also going to set up that everything between Harry and Monica won't be smooth. Yeah.

Okay, ta ta for now x (p.s. awww look at that gif!)

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