Golden Luckenbooth

Forty-Six

"This wasn't how I wanted to welcome you home," I sniffle, and Harry sighs.

"Anna..." The pause is a long one, "when are you going to realise that I don't need anything but you? You're enough, and I –" He swallows, and I hear the emotion and tears creep into his voice. "-- I was so worried about Piper when I heard. It was all like a horrible nightmare. I got home and pulled into the parking lot to find those fans, and I couldn't bear to look at them after hearing about the rock. I put on a smile anyway and signed some autographs on the condition that they leave the premises. Of course, once word gets out, that will mean more fans, but at least it gives us a temporary reprieve."

Harry shifts around on the couch, adjusting my legs and wrapping his arm more tightly around my back as he traces circles on my knee with his other hand.

I tune in to what he's saying.

"And I ran into your new receptionist. What's her name?"

"Morag."

"Yes. Her. She's very lovely, but I was expecting Cara or Kai. Not some stranger."

"Whoops. I meant to tell you I hired her in one of our phone conversations, but things were happening so fast..."

He nods. "It's okay, babe. Just surprised me."

I can picture his eyes widening (or maybe narrowing) at the sight of her, and perhaps a twinge of confusion on his face before he'd forced it to transform into a smile.

"The waiting room was packed, but all of the people I know averted their eyes. At first, I wondered if they were upset about the interviews and cover songs, but when I looked more closely at – Morag?"

I nod.

"She smiled and welcomed me home. Like she knew me. 'Welcome home, Harry,' she said, and I didn't know how to respond to her, so I just said 'thanks'. Almost instantly, her smile faded, and she glanced at the exam rooms. I have to tell you, Anna, that I became terrified when I saw that expression of trepidation on her face. Like she didn't want to be the bearer of bad news."

Snuggled into his side, my puppy sleeping next to me, I try to picture the scene from his point of view.

"I was sure that I was about to walk in on you and Arran in some compromising position together."

"Harry!" My admonishment is accompanied by a slap on his stomach.

"Not really, babe. My first concern was that something had happened with the baby."

Oh, no. Poor Harry.

"But then Shortbread came over to me, and she sat down, looked up at me, and just whined." He swallows again, and I know he's crying by the shakiness of his voice. "She's not one to do that, you know?" My head, near his armpit, bobs up and down as more tears fill my eyes.

And here I thought I was all cried out.

"That's when I knew it was something bad. Paddy came out of the back and looked at me. He seemed surprised that I was here. Like he'd forgotten who I was. And he tried to put on a brave face. He smiled at me, but then he couldn't hold it for long. 'Better reschedule these people,' he told – Morag. She glanced down at the ground and then at Shortbread before taking a breath and looking at the clients in the waiting room."

My stomach clenches at the thought of the fear that must have swept through him.

"'I'll reschedule you in the order you was supposed to see the doctor,' she told them, and they were all very obedient. No one argued. No one complained. It was eerie."