SOFT SPOT// h.s

4.0 ~ i missed you

My mind was a whirlwind of crazy thoughts, assumptions and conspiracies as Harry pulled the truck into the hospital car park.

I felt like I was going to throw up.

We drove around, looking for an empty space when Harry suddenly jumped up in that seat. "Hey! Is that Gemma's car?" He exclaimed in disbelief. That caught my attention.

I rose up from my seat after ripping my seatbelt off. "Ellie," I mumbled, before flinging the rusty old door off so violently, I'm surprised the ancient piece of junk didn't fall right off the creaky hinges.

I bolted across the parking lot where the blue Mercedes hatchback was parked, running across the lanes carelessly, barely bothering to check for moving cars.

I did a double take as I caught a glimpse of long, flowing, chestnut hair reaching a pair of swaying hips walking towards the entrance. I craned my neck so that I could see a smaller person with the same hair colour, holding her hand. That was them. That was freaking them!!

"Gemma!" I called loudly across the parking lot. "Ellie! Gemma!"

I watched as Gemma turned around in confusion, her eyes following the sound of my voice. She couldn't see me past the endless rows of cars because of my stupid, small body as I raced towards them, desperate not to lose their attention.

"Gemma Styles! Gemma!" I kept yelling as I smiled amusedly at her bewilderment.

I could feel a killer stitch piercing my side, but I kept running, dashing hurriedly up the stone steps and down the grey path. They could see me now, Gemma's face a picture of shock.

"Gemma! Gemma! Ellie!" I cried as I bolted towards them.

I was running so fast, I almost forgot to stop as I skidded to a halt right in front of them, barely able to catch my own breath.

"Clary?! Clary! Oh my god! Oh my god Clary! What- what are you- How?" She couldn't even form a sentence, she was so surprised to see me, but she engulfed me in a bear hug anyway, something I wouldn't have thought Gemma would do.

"Ellie! Oh my goodness baby," I sobbed, wrapping my arms around my startled daughter. "I love you so much."

Ellie seemed just as confused as Gemma, but she hugged me back fiercely (for a two year old.)

"Where were you mommy?" She asked me. I studied her face, her wide, jade green eyes. I stroked her curls with my fingers as I looked up at Gemma, whose face seemed to be asking me the same question.

"Harry and I- wait, where is Harry?" I said, looking around for him.

"Clary, what the hell happened?" Gemma demanded, but in a relieved way, as if she had been worrying.

I didn't reply, but kept scanning the parking lot for Harry, until I heard his familiar voice behind me. "Clary, I- Gemma! Ellie! Oh my god," he exclaimed, a look of pure shock on his face as he ran towards us and pulled us all into his arms.

"Ok you guys, would you mind explaining what the hell happened out there?" Gemma said impatiently, but a huge smile was etched on her face, her eyes lit up, and Ellie was the same, scooped up in my arms as I kissed her nose.

Harry and I exchanged a cheeky grin as we began explaining how the storm caused the store to go into automatic shut down and how we were stuck there until morning. We told her how we hired another rental car and drove the rest of the journey here.

"And then we-" I began, so caught up in the moment that I had to stop myself from blurting out about our activities the previous night.

Gemma raised her eyes skeptically as I cut myself off and Harry just stared at me dumbly.

"And then you what?" Gemma asked me suspiciously.

"Nothing!" I squeaked, attempting to laugh it off half heartedly.

"Mommy, what's that on your neck?" Ellie asked me innocently, poking one of the love bites Harry had left on me.

Oh shit.

"Nothing baby, shh," I hushed her, glancing over at Gemma worriedly, whose expression was highly amused.

"Wow, ok," she muttered with a light laugh.

"Soo," Harry said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Will we go see mum?"

He hadn't brought up the whole 'I'm Ellie's dad' thing yet, and I didn't know how I was supposed to tell Ellie.

We all proceeded into the hospital. I never liked these places, they were so germ infested and depressing.

Harry fell back to walk beside me as we trudged to the front desk. "You ok?" He asked me. "You scared me when you took off like that."

"Sorry," I mumbled in reply, shooting him an apologetic smile.

We were directed to a ward on the 3rd floor and down to a corridor on the left and then a door on the right.

"Are you all family?" The doctor asked.

I shook my head no truthfully. I could have lied of course, but a part of me really didn't want to see Harry's mother connected up to tubes and machines that kept her living.

"Well I'm sorry but it's family only miss. So you and your little sister can go and sit over in the waiting area," she said, and I had to admit I was slightly offended at being assumed at being Ellie's sister. But I looked at Harry understandingly and squeezed his arm reassuringly.

"It's okay. Take your time," I told him quietly before he nodded and pushed open the door to the ward that led to his mother, with Gemma on his heels.

I retreated to the waiting room with Ellie, where the nurse had directed us and sat down, unsure of what to do. I held Ellie in my arms, running my fingers through her soft curls as she cuddled me, her face resting against my chest.

"I missed you," she told me, her voice muffled against my shirt.

"I missed you too baby," I replied soothingly, pressing my lips to the top of her head.

"I missed Harry too," she said again and my breath hitched in my throat with surprise. I hadn't expected that. They must have really bonded over the week.

"Mommy," she began, and I knew she was going to ask a question. "Is Harry my daddy?"

I didn't know what to say, it was as if I had been thrown into a pool of sharks with only a wooden stick to defend myself with.

I could chose between two options: lie to my daughter, or tell the truth.

"Yes Ellie. Harry is your daddy."

**************

The truth is OUT ok

I literally just finished drafting the entire story!!! I can't believe this! It's insane that I've actually finished a book haha! All's left now is for you guys to read it! (And hopefully love it.)

Expect some drama soonish ily

And I also want to pay my respects to one of my best readers KimberlyOrtiz6 who's uncle sadly passed away a few days ago.

All the love. N xx