Til Kingdom Come [Harry Styles- Bk 4]

ch.50 I'm glad I didn't tell him

Harry held Lux's gaze for a moment, watching her eyes as though he could sense his blood in her that way.

"...Dad?" her voice cracked.

Harry rushed to Lux's side and kissed her cheeks and hands. There were tears burning Lux's cloudy blue eyes.

"Daddy," she gasped.

Harry laughed lightly and wiped away her stray tear.

"Luxie, I'm so sorry, I didn't tell you," Sam knelt down.

Lux swallowed hard. Harry squeezed her hand even tighter. 

"Better late than never," Lux smiled weakly. Harry kissed her forehead. Lux looked at the clock as she said "never."

Sam leaned closer to Lux's bed. I held my breath. They looked like a family out of a 50s magazine. 

Harry jolted up.

"Wow. Looks like Harry has some explaining to do," Gabby smirked. She looked between Harry and Sam and swallowed hard. She actually seemed just as nervous and confused as I was. She genuinely wasn't expecting to learn all of this. And neither was I. 

"I guess we'll be going, then," Tony spoke up. Zayn smile politely. Niall cleared his throat and followed Tony and Zayn. But Gabby and Gemma stayed.

I looked up at Lux, then at Sam and finally at Harry. They all matched in a nice, good-old American way, like a family from a magazine. Except I didn't know about this family.

Harry squeezed Lux's hand and turned to Sam.

"Samantha, I don't-- How could--" he mumbled. He glanced at Lux again and realized how similar her features were to Sam's: same vibrant blue eyes, lustrous blonde hair, the whole nine yards. 

"You were much more articulate in high school," Sam smirked.

Harry laughed nervously. High school...

"But Lux," he mumbled, motioning toward his-his first official daughter, his love child.

"Harry , I didn't tell you because you were so young and I was leaving for college, anyway. I didn't want to crew up your remaining years," Sam admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

"Samantha," Harry whispered. "I just. I don't know what to say."

Sam shook her head casually. She wasn't angry at Harry for not taking care of his own child; she hadn't even told him she was pregnant with Lux in the first place.

"I would have stayed with you," Harry declared. "I would have taken care of Luxie until the day I died."

Sam knotted her fingers together.

"If you had stayed, your life would have been completely different," she nodded at me.

I swallowed hard. Harry and I exchanged glances.  What if Sam had told Harry she was pregnant and he dropped out of school to get a job and make money to buy Lux diapers and baby food? He would have been overwhelmed beyond belief. He would have never approached me, so who would I have ended up with? I placed my hand over my heart. Liam?

"Sam, I would like you to meet my wife, Angela," Harry smiled as he motioned proudly at me. I nodded weakly. I felt more out of place than a ring bearer at a funeral.

Sam smiled shyly. "Exotic," she winked.

I laughed lightly.

"Harry always knew how to steal a woman's heart," she nodded. "And he was always so innocent about it, too," she joked casually. She was trying her best to lighten the extremely awkward and tense mood, but it wasn't working all that well.