the coffee girl

Chapter 23

Kat's POV
After the party, Niall took Belle and me home. We were quiet in the car as Belle had fallen asleep pretty quickly.
"Thank you." I mumbled.
"For what exactly?" Niall responded.
"For everything, Niall."
"You're welcome, love." His hand fell on my thigh. I yawned and he chuckled, "Let's get you home. You've had quite the day."

*a week later*
I rolled onto my side and my forehead collided with a hard surface. "Fuck!"
"Shit!"
I sat up and Niall was holding his head.
"Sorry, Niall babe."
"It's okay. Are you okay?"
I nodded, "Yeah. I'm okay." I glanced over at the calendar on the wall. "Actually, no. I'm not okay." I climbed off the bed and walked into the bathroom. Niall followed me but I closed and locked the door in his face.
As I sat on the toilet he started to plead with me through the door. "C'mon Kat! Baby! You know I don't like leaving you. Please don't do this again. I'm sorry."
I sighed. This was the fourth day in a row we've done this. "It's not really your fault Niall. I know it's just for your job."
"I'm sorry, love. What can I do to make this better?"
"There's nothing you can do Niall." I finished up and opened the door. "Just come home safe to us."
He smiled, "I can do that." He leaned forward and kissed the edge of my mouth. "How about we get ready and go wake up Belle and then go to the courthouse this morning?"
I smiled, "Really? We're actually going to make it there today?"
"Baby" he said, pulling me in as close as he can, "I will get us to that courthouse even if it means I will miss my flight."
"I can't wait to see that happen, because this will be the fifth time in a week we've tried." I said with a smirk on my face.
Niall rolled his eyes, "Let's just get ready."
I kissed his cheek and walked off laughing. We really have tried four times since the party, but it seems that there's always something stopping us.

Twenty minutes later, I was carrying a sleepy Belle and pulling a frazzled Niall out the door.
"C'mon Horan, this is what you wanted to do this morning. It's not my fault you didn't pack last night."
"It's also not my fault that your hormones make you very cuddly and you wouldn't let me pack."
I swatted his arm, "You didn't have to fall asleep. C'mon." I handed him the keys. "Let's go."
I put Belle in the car and hopped into the passenger seat. I pulled the seat belt around my stomach. Then, like always, Niall doubled checked that it was tight enough.
"You don't have to do that." I said quietly as he put the car into drive.
"Yes I do. I have to protect my girl. And my baby."
I smiled. "Just drive."
"I love you."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know."
I flipped on the radio. Belle suddenly began 'singing along'.
Niall chuckled as I began singing too.
"Oh c'mon Nialler. You sing too."
We sang along to everything from Skillet to Taylor Swift to Linkin Park to One Direction.
We snuck glances at each other but we held hands the whole time. I don't want him to leave.

Niall's POV
When we stepped into the judge's chambers my heart was suddenly beating fast. I held Belle a little tighter and she squealed.
"Sorry, Belley."
Kat put a hand on my arm, "You okay?"
My eyes met hers. "Yes. Beyond."
"Niall!" Judge Conners boomed.
"Hello, sir. How are you?"
"Good! Its good to finally see you! I've been wondering when you'd finally show up."
I chuckled. "We've had some difficulty this week."
"Well I take it today is the day then?"
"Yes. Today is the day."
I looked to Kat and her face lit up.
Judge Conners drew up the papers. It was short. It was sweet. But in the end, my girl had my name and that's what matters.

Kat's POV
I wasn't ready for him to leave. My baby flipped and flipped the whole way home from the courthouse. I felt sick to my stomach as we pulled up to the house. I climbed out right away, leaving Belle in Niall's care for the last time for four months.
I ran into the house and found myself hanging over the toilet.
"Kat?! Kat!"
Niall finally found me in the back bathroom. "Kat?"
I shook my head, "Please just put Belle in her bed and go Niall."
"I'm not going to just leave you here."
I choked as I hurled again, "Niall please. You'll miss your flight. I love you but please just go."
I felt a kiss on my head and then the door slammed shut. I jumped a tad as I heard Niall's voice. "Damn it!"
I listened as he said goodbye to Belle, while probably putting her down for her nap. "I love you Belley baby. I'll see you in a few months."
I didn't want to leave us this way. I got up and quickly used a bit of toothpaste to get the nasty taste out of my mouth. I ran out of the bathroom as quickly as I could. I bounded out the front door, Niall's car was pulling out of his spot.
"Niall!" I screamed.
The car came to a stop and he climbed out.
"I'm sorry."
He ran over to me and embraced me. His lips found mine.
"No baby. It's okay. I love you. Don't apologize. Please."
"Have a good flight, okay? Call me when you can."
"Okay. Bye love."
"Bye Nialler."
He went back to his car and got in, quickly driving away. He'd be late if he drove slowly.
I went back into the house, but only to hear my phone ringing. I pulled it from my bag.
"Hello?"
"Hey Mrs. Horan! It's Sydney."
I chuckled, "Hey, what's up?"
"Well, your boy just called and said you were a little torn up. I get you. So, I'm gonna come stay with you, okay?"
"You don't have to do that."
She chuckled, "Yes I do, Kat. So, when I get back next week from visiting my parents I'll move in, okay?"
"Thank you, Syd."
"You're welcome. Have a good couple of days okay?"
"Okay. Bye."
"Bye."
I hung up and then heard Belle. I checked the time and sighed. It was way too late for Belle to be napping anyway. I walked to her room and opened the door slightly to peek in.
"Belle?"
She was standing in her crib, "Mama! Out!"
I went all the way in and picked her up. I set her on the floor and she went straight for her banana from Harry. "Telly Mama!"
I smiled. "Sounds like a solid plan, Belley."
She padded across the floor, occasionally catching herself from falling until she made it to the living room. She sat down in the new princess chair Niall bought her last week.
I flipped the tv on to the disney channel. Some weird show with a talking dog was on but Belle didn't seem to mind. I went to the kitchen to decide on dinner. I opened the pantry.
"God damn it, Niall." I mumbled. He has Mark get healthy food only and it pisses me off. I went to the other pantry and pulled out a box of macaroni.
"Butter noodles it is."
I put a pot of water on the stove and then opened the freezer. Vegetables, vegetables, and more vegetables. But behind a bag of peas was the last bag if chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs. I smiled, thinking to a date Niall and I had one night when Anya had Belle. Chicken nuggets and tator tots. I pulled them out and preheated the oven.
I heard Belle giggle and I peeked in the room to make sure she was okay. She was so I went back to the stove to finish dinner.

"Belle! Dinner!"
"Ok, mama!"
Seconds later she padded in and stood next to her chair. I picked her up and slid her into the seat.
"What this?"
"This my dear Belle is butter noodles."
"Daddy says no."
"Is Daddy here?"
She shook her head, "No."
"Then we're gonna eat bad food!"
"Yeah?"
I nodded, "Yeah!" and she smiled.
She dug in. A minute later I put a plate of chicken nuggets in front of her.
"Yay!" She cheered.
I smiled, "We're gonna eat whatever we want, okay babygirl?"
"Okay, Mama! I wuv you."
"Love you too princess."
I stole bites from her bowl and her plate. I even let her have ice cream with chocolate syrup and strawberries. She was thrilled and so was I! Sorry Niall, but I'm going to bond with your kid while you're gone. We took an ice cream selfie and I saved it to my phone to print out later. Then, we decided to put in a movie. I knew she'd fall asleep so we went back to her room and put her in a new nightgown she got from Lux.
"Belle?" I'd put her dirty clothes in the dirty clothes hamper and turned around to find her not where I left her.
"Mama! Here!"
I followed her voice to the bathroom. She was trying to reach her toothbrush.  "Belle, you're so smart!"
"Help!" She cried.
"Alright, alright." I picked her up and set her on the counter. She grabbed her toothbrush and my toothpaste.
"Just like you?"
"Of course." I said smiling. I put the paste on the brush. "Ok, open up."
She opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out. She giggled.
"Put your tongue back, silly girl."
She did and I carefully brushed her teeth. She spit a couple of times.
"Okay, now your tongue."
"Ahhh!" She yelled as she stuck out her tongue again. I brushed it and she spit one more time. "All done?"
I nodded, "Yes. All done."
I put Belle back on the floor and she walked out to the living room. She climbed up on the smaller of the two couches with her blue monkey.
I shook my head and picked her up again, putting her on the big couch with me.
I pushed play on the princess movie still in from last week. Belle laid her head on my lap and spread out. I put the blanket around her and I knew she'd fall asleep soon.
"Mama?" Belle mumbled.
"Belle?"
"Daddy gone?"
I sighed, "Yes baby. But he'll be back."
"Miss daddy?"
"All the time, but I got you!"
"I wuv you."
"I love you too princess Belle."
Belle fell asleep shortly there after and I picked her up and walked her to her crib. She stayed asleep which made it easier to leave the room.
I locked the doors and windows and headed back to the bedroom. Last time Niall left for a weekend I slept on the couch to be closer to Belle, but I knew I'd have to sleep in the bed as I got bigger.
I checked my phone but there were no texts or missed calls.
I sighed and closed my eyes.
Night one without Niall: here we go.