offshore | h.s

14

GENEVIEVE CLARK

11:21 AM

"Mumma, can we see Auntie Gemma today?" Avery asks, her voice filled with excitement.

As I buckle Avery into her car seat, I can feel my nerves getting the better of me. The hospital always makes me uneasy, and the thought of being there with my two-year-old only adds to my anxiety.

Gem has been in the hospital for two days now, and while it's likely she'll be released tomorrow, we still wanted to pay her a visit.

I take a deep breath and smile at her. "Yes, babe. But you have to promise me something."

"What?" she asks, tilting her head to the side.

"You have to make sure to keep all the germs away. Auntie Gemma is not feeling well, and it's very bad if she gets sick," I explain gently.

Avery nods solemnly as if she understands the gravity of the situation. "I promise."

As we approach the entrance of the hospital, I glance in the rearview mirror to see Avery looking out the window, her tiny hand resting on her cheek as she takes in the scenery. I can tell that she's a little nervous about visiting Auntie Gemma and being in the hospital, but I reassure her that everything will be okay.

Once we enter the waiting room, I see Harry standing off to the side, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. I can feel my heart start to race as I make my way over to him, Avery's hand clasped tightly in mine.

"Hey," I say softly as I reach him, feeling his arms wrap around me in a tight embrace. "How is she?"

I breathe in his familiar scent and feel myself relax in his arms. It's been a while since we've had a moment like this, and I realize just how much I've missed him.

"She's looking better," he replies, pulling back to look at me. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course," I say, pressing a kiss to his lips. Avery wrinkles her nose and makes a face, prompting Harry to pull back and kiss me again, much to Avery's dismay.

"Yucky!" she exclaims, giggling as Harry grins down at her.

"Come here, Ave," he says, and Avery holds her arms out for Harry to pick her up. He spins her around, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.

Butterflies form in my stomach as I watch the two of them interact. Harry is so good with Avery, and seeing them together fills me with a sense of warmth and joy.

"I missed you," Harry whispers into her ear, and she snuggles her head into his chest.

We make our way to Gemma's room, Avery on Harry's hip, giggling the whole way there.

"We have to make sure we sanitize our hands before going in, okay, babe?" I say to Avery, holding out the bottle of hand sanitiser. She nods her head and obediently rubs her little hands together.

As we are walking down the hall, I see a familiar figure coming towards us.

"Anne!" I exclaim, giving her a warm hug. "It's so good to see you."

"Genevieve!" Anne says, her eyes lighting up with happiness. "I've missed you. It's been too long."

Avery squirms in Harry's arms and reaches out towards Anne. "Who's that?" she asks, her little voice filled with curiosity.

"That's Harry and Auntie Gemma's mommy," I answer, kneeling down to Avery's level.

Anne's face lights up as she extends her hand towards Avery. "Hi there, little one. You must be Avery," she says warmly.