The Bank of Second Chances | Zarry

Chapter 27: Secrets and Surprises

Arlo was a little bundle of energy and mischief, the embodiment of a young Harry Styles. He was always eager to explore and learn new things. Today, he was particularly secretive, sneaking around the house with a determined look on his face. He wanted to surprise his daddy, and he had a very specific plan in mind. He had seen Harry painting his nails many times, and he loved how cool they looked. So, Arlo decided that he wanted his nails to look just like his dad's.

Harry was taking a nap like a bear, which gave Arlo the perfect opportunity to execute his plan. He knew exactly where Harry kept his nail polish—in the closet inside their bedroom. With his heart pounding in his little chest, Arlo tiptoed into the bedroom, glancing back to make sure his baba wasn't around watching. He carefully opened the closet door and saw the rows of colorful nail polish bottles. His eyes lit up with excitement as he selected a bright red bottle, one of Harry's favorites.

Clutching the bottle, Arlo scurried back to his room, closing the door behind him. He sat down on the floor and started to twist the cap off the bottle, his tiny hands struggling a bit with the task. Finally, with a little grunt, he managed to open it. The smell of the nail polish was strong, but Arlo was too focused on his mission to care.

He dipped the brush into the bottle and began to paint his nails, but it didn't go as smoothly as he had imagined. Nail polish ended up on his nails, his skin, on the carpet, and on his clothes. Despite his best efforts, the polish was everywhere in a very messy manner. Frustration started to build, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Realizing he was in over his head, Arlo knew he needed help. There was only one person he trusted to help him without getting too mad—his baba. Wiping his tears with the back of his hand, he quietly opened his bedroom door and peeked out. The coast was clear. He tiptoed down the hall to the living room, where Zayn was reading a book.

"Baba," Arlo whispered, tugging on Zayn's sleeve with a remanence of tears in his eyes.

Zayn looked down and saw Arlo standing there, looking a bit nervous. He immediately noticed the red streaks on Arlo's fingers and the telltale smell of nail polish. "Arlo, what did you get into?" he asked, setting his book aside and giving Arlo his full attention.

Arlo shifted from foot to foot, his eyes pleading silently for help. "I want paint like Daddy," he confessed in a small voice, showing off his tiny fingers.

Zayn's heart melted at the sight of his little boy trying so hard to be like Harry. He gently took Arlo's hand and saw the mess. "Oh, buddy," he said softly, nervously laughing to himself. "Bloody hell son, at least you tried your best."

Arlo nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek. "I make mess, Baba. Help?"

Zayn couldn't help but smile. He scooped Arlo up into his arms and kissed his cheek. "Of course, I'll help you. But first, we need to clean you up, okay? And remember, it's not nice to get into other people's things without asking. It's also important to ask for help before getting into things like this, it could have been a lot worse."

Arlo sniffled and nodded. "Okay, Baba."

Zayn carried Arlo back to his bedroom and took a look at the damage. It was worse than he thought. The carpet was a disaster, and most definitely would need to be replaced. Half of the bottle of nail polish had spilled, and that particular bottle was quite pricey. Zayn sighed but kept his frustration in check.  Instead, he focused on cleaning up the mess.

"Oh, Arlo," Zayn said softly. He hated disciplining Arlo, preferring to leave that to Harry, but he knew he had to. "You shouldn't have done this without asking, buddy. Nail polish is messy and hard to clean up."

Arlo's lip quivered, and Zayn's heart ached. "I want like Daddy," Arlo whispered.

Zayn hugged him tighter. "I know, sweetheart. And you can be like Daddy, but you need to ask for help next time, okay?