Graceful Departure// Harry Styles Fan Fiction

Chapter Three

“Hey.” I heard a timid but familiar voice say from the door way behind me. I turned my head to see Jennifer taking a step towards me. We didn’t smile at each other or try to make conversation. We barely even make eye contact.

“She’s beautiful.” Jennifer whispered as she let her hand slip inside the cot to brush the side of Grace’s cheek. She pulled up a chair and took a seat close to me. We sat in silence for a while, sometimes holding each others hand when one cried or getting a drink every so often, never leaving Grace alone. Before we knew it, the sun had gone down and Jennifer was falling asleep on the plastic chair. I pulled her closer to me and let her head rest on my chest. She looked up at me, too tired to protest and fell asleep in my arms.

“You’ll be here in the morning?” I whispered when I thought she had fallen asleep.

“Yeah, I’m not leaving Grace.” She replied quietly as she fell asleep in my arms almost though she’d never left them.

I looked down the hall to see where her giggles where coming from. “Oh, God stop!” Jennifer giggled when she had breath from her non-stop laughing. “Shhhh, Niall, I don’t want to wake him! I left him there in bed!” She said quietly before she erupted into a fit of giggles again. But suddenly it went quiet.

I walked down the hall and opened Niall’s door to see Jennifer on top of Niall, kissing him passionately. I stood there for a few moments unable to speak or do anything but watch them until my phone vibrated in my pocket.

Second baby scan was fine. Squid is growing normally and is pretty big now! Will be home in 20, popping into shops, do you need anything? -Louis

I looked up from the phone screen to see Jennifer and Niall now separated and looking guiltily up at me. Without saying a word, I turned on my heels and walked down stairs, out of the door and into the house next door.

“She was all over him!” I sobbed to Louis on the phone. 

“OK, mate, I’ll be home in 5.” He replied before hanging up. There was a knock at the door. Knowing it would be her I got up and unlocked the door opening it to look at her but instead of Jennifer standing at the doorway to plead her case it was Niall. 

“Hey..” He said awkwardly. I looked at him and clenched my fists eyeing up his jaw. “Look, it just happened..” He began. 

“How long?” I asked him, not sure why I was asking because I certainly didn't want to know, but it seemed appropriate. 

“For a month or two. I’ve been your flat mate for so long, I’ve seen her daily and when you two had a fight she’d come to me for comfort when you went to Louis. It happened after you had a fight a month or two ago and I think I just fell in love with her.” I didn’t say anything in reply only watched Niall as he scanned my face for a response. When I looked away from him, he took a few steps back walked away as I slammed the door behind me.

A few minutes later Louis and a five months pregnant Samantha walked through the door. “I’m so sorry buddy!” Louis said pulling me into a welcomed hug. I looked at Sam and smiled weakly. 

“I’m going to go and see what she was thinking.” Sam said, smiling sympathetically back at me.

“Watch out Jennifer!” Louis joked, “She’s angry and hormonal!” Louis added, raising his eyebrows at me. I laughed a little but broke down the minute the door was closed.

“Good morning Mr Styles, Miss Lawson. My name is Mr Davis and I’m the Tomlinson’s lawyer.” He took a seat in the waiting room of the hospital. It had taken a while but they’d managed to get Jennifer and I away from Grace so they could reveal Louis and Samantha’s will. The house had been left to Jennifer who also inherited Samantha’s large jewellery collection. Louis had left me numerous things but I hadn’t really been listening to what I’d gained, I kept focusing on the friends I’d lost.

“And finally, custody of baby Grace..” My ears pricked up at Grace’s name, “as you probably know is with you two, Mr Harry Styles and Miss Jennifer Lawson.” I looked at the piece of paper that was in front of me, my mouth hung open and I took a long deep sigh of relief. Jennifer’s hand found it’s way around mine and clung onto it tightly. “Did they not talk to you about this?" He asked us looking a little worried. "Well, they insisted that you two would be the best people for Grace to grow up with.” He said gently getting up and shaking my hand before anything had properly registered. I looked at Jennifer who was smiling through her tears as we made our way back to Grace’s cot to see that everything of hers had been packed up.

“Make sure you come by and feel free to call any one of us if you ever need anything!” The nurse said cheerfully. She’d been with us from the start and knew that I was nervous about holding Grace. “You’ll make a wonderful dad!” She said quietly as I took the bags out to the car allowing Jennifer to take the baby. “You already love her and that’s the best she could ask for.” I watched Jennifer as she played with Grace. She was so natural with her that it made me wonder if I would be half of the great father I knew Louis would have made.