Til Kingdom Come [Harry Styles- Bk 4]

ch.29 Three days gone

I jolted upright. My chest heaved as though I had run a marathon underwater. Maybe I had; I was sweating relentlessly. 

I turned and saw the kids sleeping soundly. They all had the same sweet smile on their faces. I swallowed hard. The window was open. And I was perched close to it.

"Angie?" Harry gasped.

He had knelt beside my bed, holding my hand in his and staring up at me as though he had nearly lost me.

"Angie, you scared me half to death when you tried to jump," Harry panted.

"What?" I tried to jump? Where?

"You tried to jump. You started screaming and-and," his voice cracked.

Harry's hands shook. He looked into my eyes and swallowed hard.

"You scared me."

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

Harry sat closer to me and kissed my hands very delicately, pressing his lips to my wrists and his ring.

"Nonna" I whispered. "Where's Nonna?"

Harry took a deep breath and tightened his grip around my hand.

"Angie, you know what Warner said, she's-she's not here anymore--"

"Yes she is," I nodded quickly. "I saw her last night," I smiled.

Harry swallowed hard. "Angie," he gasped, sitting up closer to me in case I jumped or screamed.

"I saw her, Harry. She's alive," I nodded proudly. Nonna had fooled those doctors. No one can stop Nonna. No one except God Himself.

"Angie," he sighed.

"Harry" I raised my voice. "She's fine. She has wings now. They're beautiful, papery wings," I told him. My eyes widened as the image of Nonna came back to me.

"Angela," Harry begged.

J.D. shifted beside me. 

"Angie, I know it's still difficult to accept, what with the labor and Farah being born and the janding thing" he rambled softly.

"Jaundice" I corrected him.

He nodded.

"Just know that I'm here for you and if you need to hit something, hit my shoulder. If you need to cry, cry on my chest. If you need to be held, I'll hold you" he offered himself.

I stared into his eyes, searching for something I had seen so, so many years ago. I found it again. I burst into tears.

Harry scooped me up and placed me in his lap. I hid my face in his chest and squeezed his shoulder with my frustrated hands, just as he had offered.

He rubbed my back soothingly and I crumbled into an even weaker ball of emotions.

"Nonna" I cried quietly, hoping not to wake the kids, yet desperately in need of screaming.

"I'll take your pain, Angie. Give me your pain" he demanded in a loud whispher.

I cried even harder.

"Momma?" a soft voice called worriedly.

I quickly wiped my tears.

"Y-yes, honey?" I smiled weakly.

J.D.'s lower lip quivered.

"Are you ok, momma?" he whispered so delicately, I was afraid he was about to cry himself.

I nodded too quickly to be able proove I was indeed ok.

"Momma, please don't cry" he begged softly. I nearly cried harder.