((Darcy playing with flowers on the side >>>>> ))
"Be careful!" I walked slowly down the path that trailed through the park, D chasing after the birds that were scattered across the grass. Her light pink dress flying out around her, making her run faster in delight. My hands were tucked in my coat pockets, boots clacking against the cobblestone. We had the beautiful park to ourselves, only a few people walking their dogs were out. The trees were just growing back their leaves, beginning to cover the bare branches that still rattled every once in a while overhead. It was peaceful and pretty, I loved spring in London. I stopped at a bench and sat down, watching my young daughter race towards me.
"Ducks mummy, ducks!" She had the brightest smile and it melted my heart.
"Yes baby, ducks." I smiled back at her before she found a new interest in the flowers growing beside the path.
I watched her picking the small spring flowers for few moments before I noticed a figure with a baby carriage making its way down the path towards us, familiar blond locks peeking out from the woman's hat. Just a glance and I knew who it was, it made me leap off the bench and block my daughter from her view. "I already saw her Danni, sit down." The motherly tone she used pierced my heart, oh how I had missed that calming tone.
"Lou, how did you know I..... we were here?" After a few seconds hesitation I sat back down, Lou joining me, her daughter Lux running over to join D by the side of the path. I happened to peer into the carriage at the round face baby sleeping, wrapped in a pale blue blanket. I'd heard she had another baby, a little boy. I smiled but focused back on Lou.
"I saw you leave your apartment with that little one," She smiled at my little girl as she handed a bundle of flowers to Lux. "I guessed she was yours. She looks like you."
Tears threatened to escape but I held them back, unwilling to show how much I needed to let out. "I've missed you Lou, you and the boys." I spoke quietly, afraid if I spoke louder my voice would crack with unshorn emotion.
"We've all missed you; a few of the boys especially so." She gave me a hard look, I could feel her gaze burning into the side of my face. "Who's her father?" The question hung in the air, tension joining it. That was the one questioned I'd been hoping she wouldn't ask. The simple question made my heart leap with the fear that had grown in me since I found out I was Pregnant.
"I'm not sure, she may be Harry's, or Louis', or Niall's." I'd been dating Harry, so it just made since she should be his, but it wasn't that simple. I had been with each of them before finding out, each was a relationship that could have brought D into the world. Only Lou knew what I'd done with Louis as well as what had happened with Niall, mistakes, big ones.
"Do they know?" She asked, turning to watch the girls interacting with one another. Her warm gaze knowing the answer already.
"No, they never even knew I was..." I cleared my throat, shifting my gaze to my hands folded in my lap. "They don't know."
"Are you going to tell them?" D came up to me, Lux following after. Lux hugged my legs and smiled up at me, she'd grown so much since I'd last seen her, a full two years older then my daughter.
"Auntie Danni, are you going to come on tour with us again?" Her green eyes wide with hope. I could remember the day Lou made me Lux's godmother, Harry being made her godfather, she had stared at me with those same big green eyes. I honestly could have cried at that moment.
"Lux darling, go play. Auntie and I are talking." Lux frowned at her mother but ran away, back over to the small flower bed, D following after.
I stared after them for a few minutes, the flickering of the flowers in the breeze quickly stealing my attention as I thought about what Lou asked me. "I don't want her life to change." Was all I was able to choke out, unable to meet my old friends searching gaze.
"I understand." Lou reached over and pulled me into a tight hug, glancing up at the darkening sky. "We'd better go, it's getting dark and it's suppose to rain." She pulled away and stood, calling to Lux. "We'll come over sometime next week. They can have a play date." Lux turned back and waved as they walked away, D waving back at her.
"Come on D, lets go back home." Let's see if we can sneak past without the boys catching us from their windows. I silently added the later as we made our way home, drops of rain already splashing down on us. "Oh great."
~~~~~~
I raced up the walk, my daughter clutched tightly to my chest while the rain poured down on us. We were drenched as I fumbled with my keys, the drops falling into my eyelashes and blurring my vision."Shit." I mumbled as my keys clattered onto the front step, scooped them up quickly and finally found the right key. The door slammed closed behind me, pealing D's soaked coat off of her, plopping her shoes down in the try. "Go to your room, I'll be there in a second." D raced away down the hall while I hung up her coat and wrung it out a bit.
"Mummy! Some people here." My daughters curious voice trailed down the hall to my trained ear, confusion soon replaced with fear raced up my chilled spine. I quickly followed her, my racing heart made me forget about my dripping clothes and squeaking boots. D came and clung to my legs, her shyness shining bright. Harry, Niall, Louis, Liam, and Zayn were staring at me and my daughter with wide questioning eyes.
"Their my friends baby." I looked over each face, shook and curiousity blazing. "Boys, this is my daughter." I watched their faces hoping for a good reaction.
"What's her name?" Louis smiled at the little girl trying to hide behind me.
"Her name is Darcy."
