Growth | z.m.

Chapter 22

A/N: Hope you all had a happy holiday season and have a happy new year! I love you ALL and I wish you all the best in everything you want to achieve.

Sorry I've been slightly AWOL lately with kik and stuff. If you want to contact me and get a reply, the best way (at the moment) is to direct message me on Wattpad. Thanks!

Eve's POV

There were a few things that happened over the next week that made me think Zayn and I needed a bit of space from each other. For one thing, I seemed to be irritating him constantly. Another thing was that I couldn't remember the last time we spent time apart besides when Zayn had to go to work without Aiden and I.

I guess enough is enough sometimes.

"So when are we going to invite Jane and Harry over?" I asked Zayn as he drummed his fingers softly on the steering wheel while we were stopped at a red light. I had asked him this question repeatedly for the past week, ever since I heard that Harry finally had a new girlfriend. Since Zayn and I had a family and a house to hold down, we didn't socialize nearly as much as we used to.

"I told you I'd call Harry and ask." Zayn reminded me with a sigh.

"While you're at it, could you ask if she has any allergies? I'd like to make some food but that last thing I need is for her to have some sort of allergic reaction and-"

"Okay!" Zayn nearly barked. I could tell he was getting quite agitated with me. All I seemed to be doing was asking him annoying questions and bothering him with my chattiness.

"Aiden, honey," I turned around to look at my son in his car seat, changing the subject completely, "Did you finish your juice?"

"Yes." He answered, showing me his presumably empty juice box and waving it around for emphasis.

"Okay." I said simply. For the rest of the car ride, I thought to myself. Why am I irritating everybody I speak to? Why can't I shut up? Why do I feel like Zayn can't stand me at the moment?

Is it all in my head? Or are my bloody hormones to blame?

We approached the park where we liked to go to feed the ducks within a few minutes. Zayn kept his mouth sealed shut as he got out and helped Aiden unbuckle. For some reason all I could allow myself to do was stare blankly in front of me without making a single movement.

"Mummy, are you coming?" Aiden asked after opening up my car door. My seatbelt wasn't even unfastened.

"Just a minute." I snapped out of it and gave Aiden a warm smile. I carefully undid my seatbelt and rotated my body so my legs were out of the car. I lifted myself up and shut the door behind me, following my two boys.

There was this weird tension between Zayn and I that didn't have anything to do with Aiden at all. Zayn gave Aiden a loaf of bread to hold while the three of us walked together to the small pond. Over the years, the old bench that used to sit a few feet away from the pond seemed to deteriorate because of all of the rain. This time, a more modern one made out of metal stood as a replacement.

Zayn and I made eye contact when we sat down, Aiden sitting in between us.

"Aiden, why don't you go start without us?" I suggested.

Without hesitation, he hopped off of the bench and walked on his own to get closer to the pond so he could feed the ducks.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked Zayn softly.

He frowned. "Nothing's gotten into me, what's gotten into you? That's the real question."

"What do you mean?"