GOTTA BE YOU (HARRY STYLES)

8

"You could pass as his mother," Louis said as they all watched the baby sleeping on the bed.

"There are similarities," Harry added, "the dark hair, bone structure. Even his nose is the same."

EJ sighed, although she wanted to do it, she was beginning to doubt whether she was capable to be Daniel's mother. And what about when he grew up? Would he ask her about his real mother? Would he wonder why he didn't have a dad, if EJ didn't marry?

"My parents would probably tell me that I'm not ready," she said, resting her chin on the bed. "That I should finish school and work for a few years first."

"Is that what you want?" Harry asked softly.

"No," EJ admitted, astonished herself. "That's not what I want. If you'd asked me that last year I would have not known what to answer."

"What is it you want then?"

EJ looked at Harry, Louis, then at Daniel. What did she want?

"I'm not sure," she replied after a while. "I may not be completely ready to be a mother, but.....You know what? Picking up Daniel an hour ago, holding him the way I did. It felt natural, like I'd done it a million times. And....I named him Daniel. I'm already attached to him."

"I think you could doi it," Louis said, getting on his knees on the opposite side of the bed. "Anf you would have Harry's help...."

"I don't want to obligate Harry to o anything he doesn't want to."

"But I do want to," Harry said in a low voice. "I want to help."

"R-really?" EJ asked, looking at Harry. "You...you want to help to raise a baby that isn't either of ours?"

"Yeah," he replied with a smile that lit up his face.

She smiled shyly. "Are you sure? Because if you suddenly back out later, I'm not going to sit around hoping that you come back."

"I don't plan to walk out."

Harry spoke with such sincerity that EJ ran and embraced him. She knew that she was definitely in love with him, and he was certainly in love with her.

"Erm," Louis said, making them turn their attention to him. "He's waking up."

Baby Daniel stirred and was making small, whispy cries. EJ went to him and slowly picked him up.

"Hey sleep-head," she crooned, bouncing him softly.

"May I?" Harry asked, coming closer to her with his hands out.

EJ nodded and carefully placed Daniel into Harry's arms.

"He's got the dimples!" Louis grinned as he stood.

"Don't," Harry said in a low, firm voice. "You're not going to get into the habit of poking the baby's dimples, like you do to mine."

"Hey," EJ said, smiling as she examined the baby's face. "He does have dimples. Harry, you could fool anyone into thinking that he was your son."

Harry smiled as he kissed Daniels forehead gentily. EJ was so touched by the moment that she took out her phone to capture it. Harry's smile broadened as he caught her glance. Louis was obviously bored because he jumped up an landed on on the bed, with a smack on his front.

"Louis," Harry said, sitting on the bed. "Your turn to hold him."

Louis sat up instantly and carefully took Daniel. At the moment, the baby spit up, squirting Louis in the face. EJ and Harry started laughing, Daniel began to fuss.

"Aww," EJ said, taking him from Louis. "Did you spit up all over Uncle Louis?"

"Not a word to the others," Louis was saying to Harry as he touched his face with disgust.

"Why?" Harry asked, pulling out his phone. "This is priceless!"

Louis made a disgusted noise and went to go clean his face. Daniel was fussing a bit more now.

"I think he's hungry," EJ said as she clean his mouth. "But we don't have any baby milk. And he's too young for real food."

"Let's go to the kitchen and see what we can find," Harry said, standing to leave. "Maybe we can find something for him."

"Grab my iPad on the dresser, please?"

He got the iPad and they went downstairs to the kitechen. Harry looked in the refridgerator.

"There's cooked sweet peas," he said, taking out the tupper-ware. "and some soft carrots....mashed sweet potatoes.....I've got it!"

He starte taking out the food processor and some seasonings from the cupboards.

"What's going on?" Louis aske as he entered the kitchen. "Oh, nevermind. Harry is in the kitchen."

"I going to attempt to make baby food," Harry explained as he poured the peas, carrots and potatoes into the processor. "And you, Tommo, are going to be my test-taster when I'm finished."

"Do you know what you're doing?" EJ asked, letting Daniel suck on her finger.

"Harry can cook better than I can," Louis replied. "Is that the time?"

He pointed to the clock that hung above the sink. It was seven in the evening.

"I can make dinner," Harry offered, turning on the processor. "There's some pastas and Italian sauce."

He turned off the machine and got out a bowl and spoon.

"Not too much at a time," EJ said, holding Daniel up.

"That tastes," Louis began slowly as he dipped his finger into the mush. "That's delicious! I just might have a bowl of that myself."

Harry took a small spoonful an slowly gave it to the baby. It was all over his little face, but he was eating it. Louis took a few pictures with EJ's iPad.

"When the snow stops," EJ said, using a napkin to clean Daniel's chin. "I think we should go get some baby stuff."

"We'll go too," Harry said, giving Daniel another spoonfull.

"What about Mrs. Clark?" Louis asked as he looked in the ice box. "What will she say when she sees her house full of baby things that weren't here before?"

The phone rang that moment, Louis rushed to get it.

"She's right here," he said, holding the phone out to EJ.

EJ handed Daniel to Harry and took it.

"Hello," she said, going to the window.

"Just checking in to see how things are," said Miranda in a not-so-cheery voice.

"Things are doing OK," EJ said, "besides the snow storm....Um, Miranda, can I speak to you mum, please?"

"Sure."

"Hello!" said Mrs. Clark.

EJ took a deep breath and began to explain the situation.