pretty baby // h.s

09 | a day out.

a.

i couldn't stop smiling.

i thought about the dinner i had last night with harry. he was such a gentleman to me, always asking if everything was alright and if i was feeling okay. i absolutely loved talking to him, he was so soft spoken and kind.

we talked about all sorts of things during dinner. he told me he was born in birmingham but grew up in cheshire. his mother died when he was young and his father remarried his stepmom and had his younger sister. he also told me that he went to a boarding school in manchester before attending oxford university. and from there on the went all over, to saigon, paris, rome and new york.

i told him whatever he wanted to hear. my home life, growing up and school.

after the dinner he took me home as he said he would. we only talked in the car, though he did have his hand on my thigh but i didn't mind that, it felt kind of nice.

and before i left the car to go inside, he gave me a small kiss on the cheek. a kiss! i was blushing the whole night.

i couldn't believe that he kissed my cheek. that was my first kiss by someone other than my family. i've alway kissed momma and joey and collins and papa, but not any other man before. if i'm completely honest i'm glad that harry was my first kiss. the boys at my school are very immature. they're loud, cocky and, to be frank, quite annoying. they always tease the girls when they're with their friends but act like gentlemen in front of the teachers. just thinking about them makes me wanna roll my eyes.

right now i was waiting in the living room as papa was still getting ready for church. he was a bit hungover from the night before but momma said that i absolutely had to go to church on sunday, especially with papa since she thinks that he's been skipping.

i looked at the clock.

"papa, it's already nine-fourty. we're gonna be late," i called out.

after a few moments he came walking out of his room with his church clothes on and hat in hand.

"hold your horses, we're gonna be fine. now let's go, it's not too far from here," papa said as he put his hat on.

i got up and followed him to the door. he opened it for me and i walked out, mumbling a small thanks. the sun was up and the weather was warm. i had on my own hat and church dress so thankfully it wouldn't be too hot out.

papa walked down the steps and onto the sidewalk. i quietly followed behind him.

"is it far?" i asked.

"not too far, just a nice walk away." he answered.

i nodded my head even though i knew he couldn't see me.

"is it a big chuch?"

"not quite, bigger than the one you and your momma go to, but nothing big and fancy."

"can we get something to eat on the way? i'm starving," i asked, looking at the ground and skipping the cracks on the ground.

"you haven't eaten yet? not even toast or anything?"

"no," i hummed out.

"erm.. sure, i don't see whynot. geez, i forgot my wallet. uh, stay here.. don't go anywhere, don't go with anyone," papa said.

i rolled my eyes, "yes papa, i'm not a little kid anymore."

he gave me half a smile and began to walk back towards his house. i moved off to the side, in front of a building with ivy on its walls and benches homemade furniture, so that i wasn't in the way of other people. i saw families and couples walk by, probably all on their way to church as well.

a couple cars pass by too, though none were the one i wanted to see. i thought he would drop by, he always seemed to be following me like a shadow. but no cars that looked like his came down this quiet road.

soon enough papa came back and we resumed our walk to the church. i didn't see sightings of him that morning.

—

"what do you want to eat, honey?" papa asked me.

it was a quarter past eleven and we had just left the church. i was starving. i kept whispering to papa all through mass that i was hungry, though he kept hushing me.

"mmmm, pancakes? waffles? french toast?" i grinned up at him.

"sounds good to me. there's this diner down by main street we can go to," he smiled back.

i held onto his arm as we walked together.

"how's your momma?"

"she's good, works as hard as ever," i say.

"and your brothers? how's joey?" he asked.

"they're good too. joey works just as hard as momma, if not harder. and collins is, well.. you know how he is," i shrug.

"is he treating you well?"

"yes papa."

collins and papa's relationship was always strained. i know papa loves collins but they can't get through their differences. collins was always a tough person, but there's good in him, i know it. he's not always the cold man he plays to be. inside he can be a sweetheart, he's just gotta learn to open up his heart more.

after our small chat papa nodded towards this building across the street. we quickly crossed the not so busy street and into the breakfast and lunch diner that was, thankfully, opened on a sunday.

we got a booth and i sat opposite of papa. i looked through the menu and my mouth instantly watered. sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, waffles and pancakes. eggs made in differents ways with a large variety of smoothies, milks and coffees.

"you know this is a special treat, right auriella?" papa said lowly.

i quickly glanced up at him from the menu.

"of course papa. thank you."

times were tough, everything was getting more and more expensive with each passing day. people were losing jobs, their homes and their families. food prices kept rising and people were desparate. i was very thankful that papa could afford just enough to take me on a special father-daughter brunch.

"so what are you gonna get, ella?"

we both have a grin on our faces.

"waffles!" we say at the same time.

—

papa and i take our time walking back home. i never really get the time to do this sort of thing when i come visit him, so it's nice to spend some time with him. he's showing me all the diffrent department stores we can go to, restaurants he took momma to when they were younger and just overall enjoying a day in the city together.

in the corner of my eye i see a black car drive away down a street, just barely visible the dark silouhette of a passenger in the back.

i smile to myself.

-

hey i hope you enjoyed it

sorry for the late ass update, idk i forgot wattpad existed ?? anyways this is a filler, the next chapter will be better, as always.

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next time!!