Liam's Wife, Harry's Half Sister

Chapter 31

Courtney's POV

"Henry! Look at my room!" Luca said, holding the tablet up so Henry could see every corner.

"Wow, Luca! It's so cool!" Henry replied, his nose pressed close to the screen.

"I checked—no monsters here," Luca said proudly.

"Good job!" Henry said. "I miss you."

"I miss you too! But it's only the weekend," Luca said. "Daddy said I can call you every night."

"That's right," I said, leaning into the frame. "We're having a good time. You'll see him soon, don't worry."

The boys talked for a while, making plans for when Luca got back home. It was clear how much they missed each other, but I knew this weekend would be good for Luca.

Courtney's POV

The weekend had flown by with Luca spending time with Louis, and while I missed him, I could tell he was having a great time. It was good for both of them. Meanwhile, Henry and I had a much-needed break, just the two of us. We spent the time baking cookies, playing games, and snuggling up with books. My parents had kindly helped by taking care of the twins so I could focus all my attention on Henry.

By Sunday, I was ready for Luca to be home. I couldn't wait to see him again, hear about his weekend with Louis, and have the whole family together again.

When Louis's car pulled into the driveway, I felt a rush of anticipation. Luca was out of the car in a flash, running toward me with a wide grin on his face.

"Mommy!" Luca shouted, nearly knocking me over as I bent down to scoop him up in my arms. "I'm home!"

"I missed you so much, Luca!" I said, hugging him tightly. I could feel the happiness radiating from him.

"I missed you too, Mommy!" he replied, his voice full of excitement. "Daddy said I can have ice cream tonight!"

I raised an eyebrow and looked over at Louis, who was unloading the car. "Oh, did he?" I said with a playful smile, crossing my arms. "Well, I hope that's not going to be the new rule every weekend."

Louis shot me a teasing look as he walked up. "What can I say? Ice cream makes everything better," he replied with a shrug, clearly enjoying the light-hearted banter. "Besides, I'm not the one who has to deal with the sugar rush afterward."

"Lucky you," I said, chuckling. "You get all the fun parts and none of the consequences."

Luca giggled at our exchange, clearly enjoying the playful dynamic. I could see the bond between us starting to settle into something familiar, even if we were still figuring it all out.

Henry came running out with a small plate in his hands, his little face beaming with pride.

"Mommy and I made these for you, Daddy!" Henry said, his tiny hands offering the plate of freshly baked cookies to Louis. His voice was full of excitement, and he looked up at Louis with a mixture of anticipation and innocence.

Louis froze for a moment, clearly surprised. His eyes met mine, and I could tell he was processing the fact that Henry had called him "Daddy."

I could see the confusion and wonder in his expression, but he quickly masked it with a smile.

"Thank you, Henry," Louis said, his voice soft, bending down to take the plate from him. "These look amazing."

Henry's face lit up even more. "You're welcome!" he exclaimed.

Louis looked down at the cookies, then back at Henry. "Well, I can't turn down cookies made with so much love," he said softly, taking one and popping it into his mouth. He exaggerated a few bites to make Henry laugh. "Mmm, these are the best cookies I've ever had!" he added, making Henry beam with pride.

"I'm glad you like them!" Henry said, grinning from ear to ear.

Louis chuckled and ruffled Henry's hair. "I think I'll need a few more of these," he said, reaching for another cookie. He played with the boys for a bit, making silly faces and laughing as they ran around with toys.

But as they played, I could see that Henry was still not fully understanding the dynamic between the two of them. He didn't seem to grasp that Louis was Luca's daddy, not his. He just saw that Luca called him "Daddy," so Henry, in his two-year-old mind, wanted to follow suit.

"Daddy Lou!" Henry suddenly shouted, running over to Louis and tugging on his sleeve.

Louis paused mid-laugh, looking down at the boy. "Daddy Lou?" he repeated, his brows raised in surprise, and then he glanced at me.

I smiled softly. "It seems like Henry wants to call you 'Daddy,' too," I said gently, trying not to laugh at the innocence of it all.

Louis hesitated, clearly unsure of how to handle the situation. "But I'm not your daddy, Henry," Louis said softly, kneeling down to the boy's level. "I'm Luca's daddy, remember?"

Henry looked up at him, confused. "But Luca calls you daddy," he said, his tiny voice filled with a mix of curiosity and innocence. "You're my daddy, too?"

Louis exchanged a glance with me. "Well, buddy, you have your own daddy, don't you?" Louis said, his voice gentle but firm. "But you can call me 'Daddy Lou' if you want. That's okay."

Henry's face lit up at the idea. "Daddy Lou!" he exclaimed again, as if he had just discovered a new word. "Daddy Lou!"

Louis looked at me, and for a moment, we both just stared at each other. It wasn't exactly how we had envisioned things going, but we also knew Henry was two. He didn't understand the full dynamics of family yet, and for now, calling Louis "Daddy Lou" seemed like a harmless and sweet gesture.

Louis smiled, a little unsure but willing to play along. "Okay, Henry," he said, his voice soft, "you can call me 'Daddy Lou.'"

I could tell he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it, but he wasn't going to fight it. Neither of us felt it was worth making a big issue out of something so innocent, especially given Henry's age. He was just trying to make sense of the world in his own way.

After a little while longer of playing and joking around, Louis stood up and brushed off his pants. "I should get going," he said, his tone turning a little more serious. "Courtney, can we talk tomorrow? There's something I want to discuss."

I nodded, my heart suddenly beating faster. "Of course, Louis. We'll talk tomorrow."

Louis gave me a warm, yet slightly hesitant smile. "See you tomorrow," he said, before walking over to his car.

As he climbed in and started the engine, he turned and waved at the boys. "See you later, guys," he called out.

"Bye, Daddy!" Luca shouted, waving enthusiastically, while Henry simply said, "Bye, Daddy Lou!"

I stood on the porch, watching Louis drive away, and for a brief moment, I felt a sense of uncertainty. There were a lot of things to talk about, but I was glad we were taking it one step at a time. With Louis, I knew we had to let things unfold naturally.

As I turned to go back inside, Luca and Henry ran toward me, eager to show me the toys they'd been playing with. The warmth of having them both back filled me with comfort. Whatever came next for Louis and me, I knew we were building something special, and for now, I was content to take things slow.

Tomorrow, we would have our conversation. And whatever happened, we would figure it out together—just like we always did.