LANA MASON
"I really didn't think this through," Harry mumbles, sitting on the couch right beside me and Mason. "How the hell am I supposed to have a friends and family night at the restaurant without you and Mason? And why didn't I think about the fact that he would only be a couple of weeks old when it was time for the restaurant to open?"
"I know, babe," I extend the arm that isn't cradling Mason to scratch my fingers through his hair. "I'm so sorry and I wish I could be there, but I just don't think it's a good idea to take him out in the cold and to a crowded restaurant so soon, y'know?"
"Yeah, I understand," he brushes his thumb over Mason's cheek. "Should I change the date?"
"Absolutely not," I turn to see his face. "You have been working your ass off and the night is finally here."
"But what is it supposed to mean if you're not there?"
"Sorry, I don't mean to eavesdrop," Anne quietly interrupts. "I just really think I should stay here so you can go-"
"No, no, no, no way," I shut that idea down instantly. "You're here all the way from England, you never get to be here, you never get to see Harry doing what he loves, and this night is so special. There is absolutely no way. I'm sorry, but no."
"Well, you can't miss it either," she frowns.
I open my mouth to respond when we hear a knock on the door. Harry is about to get up and answer it but Anne beats him to it, and then my mother's loud voice in comparison to Anne's quiet one fills the entryway. They hug, which is still incredibly strange and simultaneously endearing to witness, and then I see my dad come into view.
"I thought you guys were going straight to the restaurant?" I ask.
"Nope," my mom closes the door and removes her coat. "We're here to babysit so you can go to the restaurant. However, we are very much expecting an incredible takeout sample of everything."
"What?" I whine. "Not you guys too."
"As much as we want to go and support Harry tonight, we both agreed that we wouldn't be able to eat if we knew you were here and not there," my mom argues. "Besides, we miss Mason."
I pout in protest, though I know who I'm dealing with. Who else could I have gotten my stubbornness from if not these two? "Are you guys sure?"
"Completely," my dad sits on the other side of me, taking Mason out of my arms.
"Well, I can't stay the whole night," I smile as Mason looks up at his grandpa with curious bluish-green eyes. "I'll need to come home to feed him."
"That's fine," my mom shrugs. "You can go and eat dinner, enjoy your night a little, and come back."
I look at Harry, who's already looking back at me with a hopeful smile to melt my heart. Truth be told, I would have been absolutely heartbroken if I wouldn't have been able to come tonight, especially when I know how important it is for him.
"Okay, let me go get dressed," I lean over to kiss Mason's forehead before standing from the couch to head upstairs.
I know it's only been two weeks since I've given birth and it would be virtually impossible for me to have my pre-pregnant body back in that amount of time, but I'll admit I feel obnoxiously insecure as I sort through my closet and try to find something to wear. The nice thing about winter is that I have the opportunity to layer up, which is exactly what I do with a long-sleeved shirt under an oversized knit grey sweater. I pair that with elastic pinstripe straight-leg pants I wore a lot during the first few months of my pregnancy because they were more comfortable than jeans. At least my hair is already blown out and my makeup is done. That's how I've been making myself feel pretty these days until I can feel like myself in my own skin again.
