Poppy/H.S

Chapter 15

Harry's pov

After dedicating the 10 mins I would have rather spent in Poppy and Valentine's presence to showering, I reach for the towel to dry my hair. Once the shower is turned off, I smile at the laughter echoing through the house from my kitchen, indicating that Poppy is having a good time with Valentine, a shy polite girl who has become a part of our lives within one week after meeting her.

I honestly have no idea how I would have dealt with the whole babysitting situation if she hadn't offered. I didn't except my mum to cancel on me, but that I had to understand since her friend's husband, Robert, was in the hospital. Valentine's selfless act meant more than the world to me, encouraging me not to stop hoping that nice people still exist, one of them cooking dinner for Poppy in my kitchen as we speak, even though I know she needs to study for work. I couldn't help but look forward to her text messages she sent me during the weekend, updating me on what the two of them were doing. I think she could sense how much I missed my little girl, since she would send me her pictures regularly. I also liked the smalltalk we would have, asking each other the little things. I texted her my opinions on the book she gave me as I read the book. I'm so excited to have a chat with her in person about the book, there are some passages I want to discuss. Based on the book she gave me, I can tell her taste in books is amazing, different yet similar to mine. I hope we can exchange more books in the future and have our own little  private book club. I've always wanted to join one, but I've never found anyone with a similar taste in books. And I'm not interested in reading books with the prude and snobby ladies who have nothing better to do than talk behind one another's backs.

The fact she's a lawyer was surprising to me first, admiring her for breaking the industry at such young age. It must be hard to gain the trust of your clients, especially if you're a foreigner like her. However, the girl with the apple-red cheeks is proud of her identity. She is proud to be Slovak, loving her mother country endlessly. I wonder if she plans on moving back there in the future, the thought making my stomach turn. Although we don't know each other very well yet, I like to think of her as a friend. She's that kind of person you mean once in a lifetime, the person that influences your way of thinking by simply existing.

I mentally thank her parents for raising such a modest, well-mannered and independent woman who's become a female role model for my kid. After meeting her last Friday, Poppy and I couldn't have one conversation without Poppy mentioning her at least once. No matter what we were talking about, she managed to squeeze her name into the conversation, asking me what I thought Valentine would do, what I thought she liked or didn't like. There was something special about her personality, and I couldn't put my finger on it. Whenever she entered the room, my eyes felt drawn to her like a magnet.

Her appearance, so unique and yet somewhat familiar, makes her stand out everywhere she goes. Her long light brown hair, reaching below her waist, makes you think the only thing thing missing is a crown on her head. Her short height, the reason why I continuously need to look down to fill the urge of locking out eyes, differences her from all the women I know. Since she's a lawyer, I assume her usual working attire is elegant, and yet she stands in my kitchen wearing her denim jeans and an adorable dotted shirt.

When you're in a room with the humble girl from central Europe, her aura flies around the room like a bee, landing on the most beautiful flowers and pollinating them as she speaks. She has influenced Poppy's way of thinking in the best way possible, explaining the difference between giving up and standing up to her fears with ease. Even though she says she doesn't have any children, she was born to be a mother.

I can't help but wonder if she wants to be a mother in the future, since she's great with my little girl. I can already picture her looking after a mini version of herself and someone she loves. Of course, she shouldn't feel any pressure from the society to have kids in the future. The decision is totally up to her, but I can tell her kids, if she decides the have then, are gonna be the luckiest kids in the world. She treats Poppy so well and always chooses the right words to say while talking to her. She doesn't treat her like a child, she treats her like an equal individual human being, sparking her intelligence.