Seasons [h.s]

Summer - Part 3

Grace's POV

I was almost four months pregnant.

By this time, I had begun to accept the fact that Harry was nowhere to be found and that he had no intention of making his whereabouts known. Sadly, I would be parenting this child alone again.

Since my morning sickness had subsided, I had been taking on more shifts at the gallery. Once Annaliese found out about my pregnancy, she insisted on giving me a pay raise. Usually, I might've refused, but we needed the money. Gemma had taken over Harry's expenses and told me not to worry, but I still felt like I needed to be bringing money in as well. After all, I was going to have a newborn, and it seemed like their cost of living had risen since I had given birth to Mia.

"Where's my Mia?" I called from the bottom of the stairs one early morning. Gemma would be here any minute to pick her up, and Mia hadn't even finished getting dressed.

"I can't find my shirt!" She whined once she finally emerged from her room - bare-chested if I might add.

"Baby, what shirt?" I suppressed a giggle.

"My red shirt with the piano made of flowers!" She stomped her foot for effect.

"Mia, you have so many shirts. Why don't you pick another on-"

"NO! I don't want another one! I have piano lessons today and I w-want to wear my piano shirt! H-Harry got it for me, and it's good luck."

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. It had been a moment since I heard his name and hearing it again sent pain rushing through my body. My hands instinctually fell on my stomach, hoping to protect the baby from any bad energy.

"Mommy?" Mia was down the stairs now, her voice filled with concern. "Did I hurt the baby?" Her small fingers rubbed against my stomach.

"No, Lovey." I cried. "Mommy needs a moment, alright? Do you think you could find another shirt, please?"

Mia nodded. "I'm s-sorry."

With tear-filled eyes, I watched her run back up the stairs. I took another deep breath, hoping to release whatever negative energy had just entered my body. I sat on the steps, allowing the tears to stream down my face. I heard Gemma come through the door moments later, but I didn't move my position.

"Hello? Where's Mi-" She stopped when she found me. "Oh, Grace!" Immediately, she had me in her arms.

"It's hurting her, Gemma. He's hurting her! Every day, she wakes up in hopes that it will be the day that Harry comes back. Every day she's left disappointed. This is all my fault!"

Gemma sat me upright so I could look at her. "Grace! Don't ever say that!"

"It is! I should've stayed on the street! At least I wouldn't have introduced Mia to someone who would run away the second he found the opportunity. And I wouldn't be pregnant!"

"Everything's going to work out, Grace. Please, this stress isn't good for the baby."

"My life isn't good for this baby. Don't you see? This little human deserves a father figure and a mother whose life isn't out of control.  Maybe, I should start considering my other options."

Gemma shook her head in disbelief. "You mean-"

"Maybe I should consider adoption."

**

Ever since I had moved in with Harry, I had been accustomed to taking a car service to work. After Harry left, however, it became harder and harder for me to continue to use Harry's driver every day. It made me feel like I still needed his help even after he had abandoned me. So, I started retaking the subway. It was one of the few things I could do on my own - without Harry's help. Most days on the train had been delightful, giving me a sense of nostalgia. This day, in particular, catapulted me back to my teen years.