Precious (Harry Styles)

SIXTY

Ari looked sadly at Harry. He didn't know who she was. She left the family when he was only 5 years old.

"I'm your Mum, Harry." She smiled.

Harry looked confused.
"I don't have a Mummy."  He looked up at Louis. "Who is she?" He asked him.

"She's your Mum, love. Honest."

Harry looked at Ari again. "Daddy has a picture of my Mummy. You don't look like her.  She's got dark hair. And she's younger than you." She said, studying her features.

Louis fetched the photo in question and handed it to Harry. He looked at it carefully, then looked at Ari.

"That photo was taken a while ago Harry.  I'm a bit older, and I changed my hair, but it's definitely me."

"But...you speak funny too."

"I live in America now, that's how people speak there."

Harry was fascinated by her weird accent. It wasn't very strong but was  definitely different to how the rest of his family spoke.

He sat up properly, and moved closer to her, staring at her. Ari smiled.

"Mummies shouldn't leave their babies." He said, suddenly.

Ari and Louis looked at each other.

"I know. And I'm sorry that I did. But I have a new life now."

"So, you're gonna go away again?"

Ari was trying not to cry. "Yes. I'm sorry, but I live somewhere else now. I have another family."

"B-but we're your family." A tear rolled down his cheek. Louis sat beside him on the sofa.

"You'll always be my babies, I'll always be your Mum."

He was crying harder now, it was getting too much for him.

"Maybe you should go Ari. He's getting upset." Louis said quietly.

"Can I call you later, to discuss things?"

Louis nodded. "Give me your number. I'll text you once Harry goes to bed tonight."

She wrote her number on a bit of paper that Louis handed her, and put it on the coffee table.

"I'll see you soon Harry. I love you lots." She bent over and kissed his cheek, then stood up. Louis made no effort to get up. "I'll see myself out." She said, and left the house.

Harry was crying in Louis' chest, as he rubbed his arms  trying to comfort him. This had all been such a big shock.

"Was that my Mummy?" He said, voice shaky.

"Yes love. That was her."

"Why she c-come here?" He sniffed.

Louis sighed. "She wants to help you. She wants to pay for your physio and other things." He wasn't going to mention the divorce.

"I forgot wh-what she looked l-like."

"Its been a long time."

Harry nodded, though he had no idea exactly how long it had been since she went away.

"How about I make your favourite dinner tonight?"

Harry smiled and wiped some tears away. "Yes please Daddy."

*****

"You're not serious?" Gemma asked.

Louis had called her as soon as he got Harry into watching his cartoons.

"Yes. She rolled up in a bloody red convertible. Can you believe that?"

"So she only came back because she wants a divorce? Wasn't interested in seeing us?"

"That's right. Honestly Gem, if Harry hadn't been here I would've lost my temper. Now she's being all "I love you Harry,  let me pay for everything!" Fucking hell! She's not been bothered about any of you for 11 years, now she wants us to say oh thank you Ari, you're the best. I'm so disgusted!" Louis' fists were clenched and he felt his pulse rise.

"Try to calm down Dad. Harry's gonna sense your anger. You don't want him to start showing his anger."

"You're right. Sorry Gem. I'm just so shocked about the whole thing. Harry had no idea who she was."

"Not surprising is it? He was only 5 when she left. So what's gonna happen now?"

"Shes phoning later to go over things. I don't want to take her money, but we've had to struggle without her, and if I'd known where she was all this time, I would've had maintenance money from her. She owes us, so I'm taking it. Apparently,  she's a tv host over there, so she must be loaded."

"Go for it. Harry deserves the best, if it means taking her money for it, then do it."

Louis agreed. She owed them for 11 years of not knowing where she was.

They ended the call, and Louis went to check on Harry.

He found him sat on the floor in front of a cabinet, the door was open and photo albums were on the floor around him.

He was flicking through the pages, looking at old photos of his family.

"Hey love. What you looking for?"

"Just want to see pics Daddy. Is this Mummy?" He asked pointing to a photo of Ari posing on a beach on her own. It was taken before they had any children.

Louis looked and nodded. "Yes that's her."

"She was pretty wasn't she?"

"She was. That's why I married her."

"Don't you love her now?"

Louis looked at the photo again. "No. I'm sorry love, but she did a bad thing leaving us."

"Ok. I don't love her either."

Louis was shocked to hear Harry say that.

He didn't know how to respond.

"How about we take these albums to the sofa and go through them together?" He said. Harry nodded.

Louis picked him up, sat him on the sofa, then picked up the albums taking them to the coffee table.

They spent the next couple of hours going through the albums.

Go on then....tell me your thoughts on this chapter.

Hope you're all well and safe.

All the love. 💖💖💖