Maybe we can (L.S.)

20

After he calmed down from the scare, Niall had stayed for the rest of the day, only going home after the kids were in bed and Harry had assured him that he would be fine on his own.

Just after lunch he had received a call from the orthopedist saying that they had been able to fix his broken prosthesis and that, if he could stop by early in the morning, he could have it for the next day. He had been wary to get on the phone, scared that it was something to do with Sam, but he couldn't help but cheer when the man told him that the prosthesis had snapped due to a factory defect and that he wouldn't have to pay for the replacement. Besides, he would have it much earlier than he anticipated and that made him sigh in relief because, even if he didn't like to admit it, the thing made his life much easier, giving him full independence. It had been difficult after the accident to learn how to move freely again and this few days without his leg were a big struggle with two kids.

Anyway, it was now Saturday and Harry was still pretty restless thinking about Sam's appointment on Monday.

When the bell rang around midday he rushed to the door, nearly tripping over some of Emma's toy cars, and opened it with a grin. However, his smile changed to a face of disappointment and again to surprise as he didnt't expect to find a smiling Liam with a happy Mikey on his hip.

Niall had called to tell him that he had already gone to retrieve his prosthesis and that he would stop by as soon as he could so he expected him at the door.

Once he realised he had been staring for a while he opened the door wider to let them in.

"Hi Liam. Hi Mikey. I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you. Come in." He said as he waved at Mikey.

"Hi, Harry. We actually stopped by to invite you to lunch. If you hadn't anything planned that is" Liam said smiling wider.

"Um... Yes, sure. When?"

"Now? I set a new plastic pool in the garden for the kids to play. It's quite hot today" Liam said scratching the back of his head.

"That's great. Emma was starting to get bored of the cars. Let me grab some things for the kids and we'll be there" Harry answered. It really was hot, even if was September already.

"Okay, then. See you!" Liam said as he waved, walking back to his house.

Half an hour later they were all in Liam's backyard.

Emma was inside the pool happily splashing water everywhere, wearing some blue polka dotted panties that Harry thought could pass as a swimsuit. He was holding Sam above the surface, watching him in amazement as the little boy's muscles relaxed.

He now realised that he had never taken them to the swimming pool or to the sea, and it was a shame because the kids seemed to love watter. Now that he thought about it, they hadn't done much outside. He hadn't really been physically nor mentally fit to do so and, much less, alone.

"Hey Mikey, don't you want play in the pool with them?" Liam asked the boy, who was sat on the grass nearby, his legs spread wide.

Mikey look towards the kids in the pool with a curious face but turned away as Emma splashed again.

"Come on. It's fun! Emma won't splash anymore. Will you?" Harry said looking at Emma who shook her head and stopped splashing and walked outside the pool to Mikey.

"You come pway" She said holding hand in front of his face.

Mikey giggled as some watter drops fell in front of him and looked tentatively back and forth between the girl, the pool and his dad.

"Go on, big guy!" Liam encouraged, looking at him with a smile.

After a few attempts to get up, Mikey wobbled to the pool, Emma on his side. Once they arrived Emma climbed inside and he looked at his dad askin for help to do so.

"There you go" Liam said as he picked him up and placed him in the water.

For a few seconds it seemed like he was going to cry but then Emma started playing with a watering can and the boy started to giggle instead.

Harry took Sam out of the watter, as he didn't want him to get cold, and sat beside Liam on the grass with the baby cuddled in a fluffy towel.

"That's the most he has ever walked on his own. And he always cried when I tried to get him inside the watter" Liam said in a low but proud voice.

When Harry looked at him, tears running down the man's face and he gave him a one armed hug, not knowing what to say.

"He is supposed to start school this year, you know?"

"Oh! That's great. He'll make new friends there" Harry said trying to confort the man.

"Yeah. But he's so small... And everything is so difficult for him... What if they make fun of him?" He asked, almost in a whishper.

Harry looked at him not knowing what to say.

"I wanted to wait for another year but- but now I see him with Emma... and he is having fun... and he is pushing himself out of his comfort zone" Liam continued, wiping his tears and smiling at his son who was now happily babbling with Emma.

"I don't think kids his age really realise he is any different, Liam. He'll just need some extra help" Harry said.

"I guess you are right" Liam sighed.

"I've got three legs! Anyone wants an extra one?!"