Songbird [H.S]

FORTY-SEVEN

The meadows reminded Marley of her childhood, the days when she could run freely through the tall grass, letting the flowers grace her clothes with their pretty scent. The sun would warm her face, soaking into her skin and filling her with complete happiness.

She felt most like herself in those fields of wildflowers.

That was why Harry had taken her for a walk along the fields that afternoon.

All the stress of the past month had completely stripped Marley of her happiness. It was the summer, a time when the teenager should be thriving among the blossoming flowers and dancing with a huge smile among the nature that healed her sorrows. Instead, she was shut up inside, refusing to leave her daughter's side as anxiety sucked all the joy out of her. In a desperate attempt to see any signs of Marley's golden smile, Harry took matters into his own hands and arranged for Niall to look after Josie for the day while he dragged his girlfriend outside to spend some time in her happy place.

Niall was one of the only people apart from Johannah that the girl trusted to look after Josie, his knowledge of first aid allowing him to be well informed on what to do if the baby had a seizure under his watch. As much as Marley refused, Harry was able to eventually coax her out of bed and to get dressed, reassuring her that Josie was in safe hands.

Now the two teenagers were walking barefoot through the long grass of the meadows, running their fingers through the flowers as they felt their chests lightening with each step.

"I can't believe your Dad isn't mad at us." Harry spoke up softly, catching Marley's attention from previously admiring the flowers brushing her fingertips. Her sapphire eyes met his emerald, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she recalled the conversation with her parents the night before. Their reactions to Marley's secret confused both of the teenagers.

At first, they had both initially been scared of what to do or say, having been sat down at the kitchen table with their parents waiting for some kind of explanation. They'd felt like naughty school children being told to confess to something that would get them expelled. However, this wasn't quite the case.

When Harry had overheard Johannah and Mark whispering in the kitchen, his mind instantly thought of the worst possible outcome. There would be yelling, disappointment and tears for sure. Instead, and most surprisingly, Mark was gentle and calm in approaching the subject - making them feel comfortable enough to explain everything.

Apparently, when Harry had gone to take a nap with Marley, the doctors had called the house to confirm Josie's next appointment and Jay had answered. Due to patient confidentiality, nothing was shared but the receptionist had asked Jay to remind the teenagers that Josie's father needed to be present at the appointment. If Jay didn't have a medical background, their secret would've been safe. However, the request had confused her as she knew it would mean Josie would have inherited epilepsy from her father and Harry was not epileptic.

Both parents listened quietly as Marley told them about Matty and how Harry had kindly stepped into the role of Josie's father. No one judged the teenagers, nobody smothered the girl in disappointment - they simply accepted what happened.

Matty wasn't mentioned at all. As far as everyone was concerned, Harry was and will continue to be Josie's Dad.

The boy was so stunned by how well Mark was reacting to the news he begged Marley to slap him round the face to stop himself from dreaming. A red cheek and few curse words later, he found he was in fact fully awake and just as confused as before.

"I think he's finally started to like you." Marley stated quietly, her words making the boy smile softly to himself. Even he had noticed the way Mark had warmed up to him at breakfast that morning, engaging him in conversation as his eyes skimmed over the newspaper. It was strange but definitely a breath of fresh air.