Love Slow - h.s.

20. Full Mom Mode

*Not edited*

Harry Styles

The next morning I woke up before either of the kids or Stella Rose did. The sun peeking through the blinds bothered me too much to stay asleep. I crawled out of bed, careful not to disturb either of the kids or Stella, then pulled the curtains to make sure it wasn't too bright for them to sleep.

I tugged a sweatshirt over my head when I realized how chilly it was in the house, before finding an extra blanket to spread across the bed. As I gazed down at the woman I loved and her children who I've begun to love as if they're my own, I could help but crack a smile. My life has gotten exponentially better since I met Stella Rose. Everyone always told me, "You have it all!" "What more could you want?" but I always felt as though something was missing. It wasn't until Stella, Stevie, and Ford came into my life that I knew exactly what it was.

I leaned down to leave a gentle kiss on Stella Rose's forehead then turned to make my way toward the kitchen, only to stop when I heard a soft fuss from the bed.

I looked back at the bed to see Ford's tiny body squirming around, his bright blue eyes staring up at me, widely. As I tip-toed toward the bed again, he began to grin, kicking his legs around as his arms bounced around above his head. His fingers opened and closed, making grabby hands at me.

I couldn't help but grin as I slid my hands under his arms and lifted him off the bed to rest against my chest. I then hurried out of the room, wanting to take him away before he began making noise again so he wouldn't wake the girls up.

The daylight brightened the entire living area and kitchen of the open concept house, a view of the lake just through the wall of many windows. I made sure to turn the heat up on the thermostat to make sure the house was a bit warmer before Stella and Stevie woke up.

A smile crossed my lips when I felt Ford grasping at my cheeks and one of his hands made a swipe at my hair. I chuckled and playfully snapped my teeth at his fingers, making a string of giggles pour from his mouth. I leaned down to pressed an overdramatic kiss to his cheek then turned the television on, setting it to a music station.

I continued to hold Ford on my hip as he babbled incoherently, tugging at my shirt or a shaggy strand of hair every once in a while, while I proceeded to make myself a mug of coffee and feed him some banana before settling on the couch.

I set my mug on the coffee table before laying back against the arm rest of the sofa, letting Ford sit up on my stomach. "Did you sleep good little dude?" I asked, my voice seemingly higher, as most people's do when they speak to babies.

He released a happy sound, his tiny hands holding onto my thumbs, waving my arms around as he continued to bounce his arms, laughing at his own actions. I've observed that Ford is a very restless baby. He likes to be moving and loves to grab at things.

At some point, he ended up laying flat against my chest, his head resting just below my chin, once he'd worn himself out a bit. I changed the television channel to some children's show while we both had a little rest. I could tell he wasn't asleep, he was still bouncing his hand against my stomach.

He seemed to get another burst of energy and eventually was trying to crawl off my lap and couch. I attempted to entertain him by lying on my back and holding him above me, flying him around like an airplane. He began to squeal with laughter and I was so enthralled in his joy that I didn't hear the bedroom door open up.

I felt two little hands grip onto my legs and brought Ford to my chest so I could look down to find Stevie hoisting herself into my lap. I smiled down at her as she crawled up to lay on my chest, resting her chin on her hands as she sleepily glanced up at me, then to the television.