Falling Stars [h.s]

Chapter 48

Harry

I can't be there right now. Please let her know that I am sorry and I love her. I will make it up to her.

A: It's okay.

I turned around going back inside the house once I was sure Aurora received my message. I went into the dinning room, Priscilla was too occupied trying to get Oliver clean to notice me. I walked over to Harper, taking a seat next to her.

"I'm all done daddy!"

"Go get cleaned up baby." Priscilla turned around at the sound of my voice. She stared me down before turning back around. I helped Harper off the stool, getting her cleaned up as well.

"Why don't you go get ready for bed Harp. I'll be there in a bit to tuck you in okay?"

"Okay" I watched as she ran off to her bedroom. I turned my attention back to Priscilla who was finishing up changing Oliver. I took a step towards her and took him from her.

"I'll put them to bed. You should eat. I'll be back so we can talk." She gave me a slight nod all the while avoiding eye contact with me. I took Oliver to the bedroom where Harper was already under her blanket. I cradled Oliver to sleep, which surprisingly didn't take up much time. I gently laid him in his crib before walking over to Harpers bunk.

"Daddy, can you read me a story?"

"Of course baby, what would you like to read tonight?"

"Mmm.. The Ugly Duckling!"

I smiled as I went to search for the book on her bookshelf. The Ugly Duckling has always been her favorite for as long as I can remember. It had to be read every night. Once I found the book, I laid down next to her on the bed and opened to the first page.

"On a farm long ago, a Mama Duck sat on her nest. "How long must I wait for my babies to hatch?" she said. "I have to sit here all alone! And no one comes to visit me." But what could she do? A Mama duck must keep her eggs warm till they hatch..."

By the end of the story Harper was fast asleep. I quietly got off the bed, laying the blanket ontop of her and placing the book back on the shelf before shutting off the lights and leaving the room to meet up with Priscilla.

She sat with hergh,rpthg, legs crossed and her back against the frame of the bed "They went out quickly tonight."

She ignored my comment, getting straight to the point instead, "I need you to be honest with me Harry." I got on the bed and sat across from her.

"Okay."

"How long have you been in touch with Aurora since we left Cambridge?"

I gave the question some thought. I didn't want to say the wrong thing, but there was only one truth. Even with all the letters Aurora sent me over the course of a year, I've never actually written her back. "I've never been in touch with her until recently."

"When did you find out about the baby?"

"Not long ago."

She let out a sarcastic laugh followed by a scuff, "Stop lying to me Harry!"

"I'm not lying Priscilla."

"Then what the hell is this huh?" She grabbed a box from under the bed, spilling its contents onto the floor. Pictures, and letters among other things scattered everywhere.

"These are millions of pictures of that baby Harry, at the age of one years old to recently. That women wrote you letters everyday since we left that place Harry. Every single day. Telling you how she misses you, how she wished she had told you sooner about how much she loved you. About your daughter. You knew and you hid it all from me."

"I'm sorry P. There is honestly nothing more I can say about this."

She scuffed once more, staring at me in disappointment and shook her head, "Is that why you suddenly moved us from Raleigh?"

"Priscilla-"

"Answer the question please. Is that why we left North Carolina? You moved us to California because you knew she lived here. You wanted to be close to her, isn't that right?"

"That's not it at all. I did it so I can be closer to my daughter"

"And what difference does that make huh? Please enlighten me!"

"I needed to see her Priscilla. You have to understand. She's my daughter and I had never laid eyes on her since she was born. I held off from contacting Aurora for as long as I could for you, but I couldn't anymore. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but Layla Alaska is my daughter and I need to be in her life."

"So you're saying now that it's my fault you didn't get see her?"

"No, of course I am not saying that P."

"How did you get these pictures Harry? If you had only came in contact with your daughter just recently how did you get all these pictures of her from when she was younger?"

I averted my attention to the photos thrown on the floor. They were all images of Alaska throughout the years. For years all I did and all I could do was watch her. I watched as she grew. As she took her first steps even her first day of school. It was a secret I kept to myself for as long as I could. "When we moved here about five years ago, I hired a private investigator. I needed to see her. To see for myself who she was and what she was like."

"So not only did you lie to me about where you were everyday for five years but you did the illegal and stalked this little girl instead of just talking to her mother about seeing her."

"It wasn't like that"

"It is exactly like that."

"I'm sorry for everything Priscilla. For lying to you, for going behind your back and for being in touch with Aurora even after I told you she was in the past. I should have told you about the letters and the real reason why we moved. I'm sorry."

"Listen H, I love you. So much that it physically hurts me. Loving you shouldn't be this hard nor painful. Eleven years ago I told you I will love you until my last breath and I meant it. I still stand by it. No matter what happens. You are the only person I have ever loved and I know once upon a time you truly loved me as well, but I believe it's time for you to make a decision. This has gone on for too long, I need you to move forward with the divorce. No matter what you chose to do I want you to know that I will never stop loving you. But for my sake, please please I beg you to ease my pain. I can't watch you fall in love with that women anymore. I don't know if the reason you have yet to sign the divorce papers is because you still want to be with me or not, but please take a moment to think about what you're doing. I believe we can make this work again, so please for me, take a step back and think on it alittle more. If in the end you come to the conclusion that she is the one you want to be with then I'll respect your decision."

"I never meant to hurt you Priscilla, you know that don't you?" She looked at me and smiled even with the tears in her eyes.

"I know. Sometimes things just happen for reasons we don't understand. Like how I find myself missing you more and more as the days pass on. I miss what we used to be. Everyday these things keep happening and the only person I want to tell them about is never around anymore. You said you would always be there for me but these past few days you've been there less and less. But you know what, it's my fault. It is my fault that you fell in love with someone else. I realize I haven't been myself these past years, I hurt you in ways I didn't realize and I'm sorry for that. I failed to give you the love and attention you deserved and now you are searching for it elsewhere. There is no one else to blame for that except me. I'm sorry."

"You aren't at all to blame."

"I want you to be happy Harry. Even if it's not with me. I don't want you to pretend anymore, you've been doing it for so long that I can't imagine how hard it must've been for you. I don't want to be the reason you feel alone even when you're not. Not anymore. You should be with someone who brings life and light to your darkest day."

I placed my hands on her cheeks, gently wiping away her tears then lowered her head and placed a kiss on her forehead, "I love you P."

"I love you too."

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