Poppy/H.S

Chapter 43

"No, daddy, I don't wanna go inside," the little girl cries in the backseat of Harry's Range Rover, and I can't help but notice the hopeless look on his face.

"Flower, we've talked about this," he sighs, running fingers through his hair frustratingly as he tries to fully concentrate on parking in front of the kindergarten, "It's only gonna be five minutes, I swear."

"I don't wanna," she repeats her previous words stubbornly, shaking her head in disagreement.

"You don't have to talk to anyone except me and Valentine," he tries to talk her into going inside with us, "I can't let you stay in the car by yourself."

"Valentine, daddy's not listening to me," she complains to me, not really understanding the purpose of what Harry was trying to explain to her.

Telling her she needs to listen to Harry and go inside is what physically hurts me, hating the sight of her crying.

"Pops, everything's going to be alright, I promise," I assure her, smiling as I look over my shoulder to make eye contact with the little girl sat in the backseat, "Daddy just needs to hand in your withdrawal notice and you don't have to go to that kindy ever again."

"But why I do need to go there now?" She huffs, not willing to step out of the car.

"So you don't want to take your slippers or your drawing kit back?" Harry asks her, knowing very well how much she treasures her favourite pencils.

"I do, I want them back, daddy," she finally begins to understand the main reason why Harry wants her to come inside.

"Well, then you should definitely come inside with me and Valentine, because none of us know where your stuff is, bug," he explains it to her gently, not wanting her to throw a tantrum.

"O-okay," his daughter replies, her voice a little shaky, which concerns both me and Harry, sharing a questionable look.

"Ready to go?" He asks her now that he's parked the car, already pulling the keys out of the ignition.

"No," a little voice says, "I'm scared, daddy."

"I need to talk to your teacher when we get there, but Valentine will be with you the whole time, so you don't have to talk to the other kids alone," he smiles at her, trying to boost up her confidence, "That's why she's here with us."

I was surprised when Harry asked me to join them today, but when he explained how anxious he was about going back, I agreed almost immediately and the two of them picked me up from a meeting I had earlier this morning, which happened to be in the city centre of London.

"Can I hold your hand the whole time, Valentine?" She asks me shyly, and my heart breaks into millions of pieces when I realise how scared she truly is.

"Of course, Pops," I smile at her reassuringly, "My hand will be yours to hold."

"Okay, we can go now, daddy," she informs us, and Harry nods his head immediately, circling the car so that he could help his daughter get out of her car seat.

I climb out of the car, closing the car door before I join the little girl and her father on the other side of the car, her hand already reaching for mine.

Harry's smile widens at the sight of me holding his daughter's hand, his lips curving as they silently whisper, I love you.

He gave me a call yesterday, asking if I was free today, so that I could join him and Poppy today, since he was really concerned about the act of returning to the kindergarten, even for a few minutes, being too stressful for her. I fully understand his worries, remembering how anxious she was that day I picked her up from here, only to notice a bloody scratch on her arm, which was Vanessa's doing.