Given A Chance (1D Version)

14.

It felt strange to be back home after being on vacation for three entire weeks and spending every second with company. Thankfully, he had the day off at the restaurant and only had somewhere to be later in the day. A slow start to get back into the rhythm of reality was exactly what he needed. So, right now he was driving his two daughters over to his mother's house. She was dying to see them.

Coming inside for a quick chat, Louis followed his mother into the kitchen while Maeva and Evelina ran upstairs to greet Zoey. "The three of you look good. Tan and rested and happy".

"We are. This vacation was badly needed. We had such a great time. It feels weird to be back" Louis leaned against the counter.

"I bet. It's always such an odd feeling to come back home and get back to work. Almost like the vacation was only a dream" Jasmine could relate to his feelings.

"But it wasn't. Zayn's sunburn proves that" Louis chuckled freely.

"Aye, will he ever learn to use sun creme?" Jasmine chortled.

"I don't think so".

"You have to tell me everything".

So, he told her about the ocean and the cities and villages they had visited. He told her about all the sights they have seen and all the different kinds of food they had tried out. He told her about the birthday dinner and Rose and Dominik. He told her about all the shared laughter and showed her dozens of pictures and videos.

"Wow look at them. They're so grown up" Jasmine marvelled at a picture of Maeva and Evelina in Hamburg.

"And evil. They are demons" Louis added fondly, thinking back about the dinner. "It's like I blinked and they're almost teenagers".

"It always feels like time is slipping through your fingers like sand and there is nothing you can do about it. You can only enjoy every moment for as long as possible and make memories" Jasmine stroked her hands through his hair affectionately.

"Yeah, time and memories are priceless" Louis enjoyed her touch.

"Wise words" Jasmine smiled at him. "So, how's everyone else?".

"Good. Àmbar texted me earlier that Aria and she arrived safely in Greece and Sean and Niall are in Spain for a week".

"Now I wanna fly away too. Wanderlust is kicking in" Jasmine noted longingly. "With Sean in Spain, does that mean Harry is running the doctor's office alone? Oris it closed?".

"I don't know, to be honest" Louis bit the inside of his cheek.

"Oh, have you not talked to him yet?" Jasmine sounded genuinely surprised and Louis didn't know how to escape this.

"We talked two days ago on the phone. His sister is pregnant" Louis let her know tensely.

"That's amazing" Jasmine's face lit up in excitement. "He must be so excited and happy for her".

"I guess".

"What do you mean you guess? Didn't you say you talked about this? What's the matter, Honey?" Jasmine lifted his chin up.

"I ... it's ... Apparently, he is still with Josh after he caught him with someone else and I don't understand why but I fear Josh tricked his way back into his life. He's pretty good at gaslighting people and making them feel like they are the problem" Louis opened up to her because he needed to get this off his chest.

"He caught him with someone else? What happened?" Jasmine frowned concernedly.

"Josh came into the restaurant before we went on vacation and he was with another guy. It was pretty obvious that it was a date but he claimed it wasn't. I texted Harry that day and asked him to come over to see for himself and he did. It ended kinda messy and Josh got kicked out and didn't even pay and I ... Harry was really down and I thought they had broken up but on the phone, he told me they were in London together for a weekend trip, so ...".