Loving You
Group Hug
After dinner, we gathered in the living room so that we could let the kids play and get to know Raya a little more. Raya fell in love with Devon and thought of him as her own, real live baby doll. She wanted to feed him, change him and hold him - even though he was almost as big as she was. They were a mess and as we adults talked, they began to develop a sort of bond that I hoped would turn out to be as strong as any other brother-sister relationship.
Harry decided to crawl in the floor and try to get Raya to open up to him. She was pretending to be a waitress and take everyone’s order before cooking in the play kitchen set that we had set up for Devon. She left him for last and seemed a bit nervous as she slowly walked to him to take his order. “Hi!” Harry smiled at her, encouraging her.
“Hi.” She didn’t smile. “I know I’m taking everyone’s orders, but you look like me. And my grandmother wouldn’t answer me at dinner, so I still don’t know the answer to my question.” Raya fidgeted with the pen and note pad in her hand. “Are you my daddy?”
My jaw hit the floor, and so did Louise’s. Harry smiled at the little girl. “Do you want me to be your daddy?”
“Well, I hope you are. But I was starting to think I didn’t have one. So if you’re not, it’s okay.” Her little voice broke my heart into a billion pieces. Tears filled my eyes as Louise, Kirsten and I silently watched the reaction between the two.
“Raya, I am your daddy. I’m sorry for not being there for you, but you have me for forever, now. I’m not leaving you, ever.” Harry looked at the little girl and I knew his heart was beating rapidly.
“Forever? Do you promise?” Her voice began to sound excited.
“I’ll do more than promise! I’ll pinky promise!” Harry held up his pinky. Raya didn’t even take his pinky; instead she threw her arms around his shoulders and squealed.
“I’ve found my daddy and now he’s mine forever!” She didn’t let go of his neck and he didn’t let go of her either. I was completely sobbing. I looked over to see Louise and Kirsten doing the same. Devon, who had climbed into my lap, tapped my shoulder. “Mama, why are you crying?”
I kissed his nose and stood. Harry was standing with Raya in his arms and motioned for me to come over.
“Wait a minute.” Raya’s face grew serious. “You’re married to Leah, right?” Harry nodded.
“So if you’re my daddy, does that make LEAH MY NEW MUM?” Raya squealed.
“It does!” I giggled, moving in to have a group hug with my new little family.
“Holy moly!” Raya hugged me tight. “AND DEVON IS MY LITTLE BROTHER! Grandma, do you see this?” Raya threw her hands up as if this was all too much. Harry, Louise, Kirsten and I all laughed at how dramatic she was being. I motioned for Louise and Kirsten to join the group hug. We all stood there for a while, hugging and laughing – and I was crying. My family was whole and so was my heart.
++
Harry and I lay in bed that night with smiles plastered on our faces. “I don’t think that could have gone any better.” I whispered through the darkness.
“Neither do I. I’m absolutely thrilled, baby.” His thick accent sounded through his whisper, sending chills down my body. I snuggled closer into his chest and he wrapped his arms tighter around me. “So you’re okay with all of this?”
I pulled my head back to look at him. “Are you serious? I don’t think I’ve ever been happier! This is all working out perfectly!”
“I just wanted to be sure.” He smiled at me and kissed my nose. “That little girl adores you.”
“Me? Have you seen the way she looks at her daddy?” I poked his chest. His grin was so huge that I thought he might be pulling a facial muscle.
He began to place slow, long kisses down my neck, and pretty soon I was sound asleep.
Harry decided to crawl in the floor and try to get Raya to open up to him. She was pretending to be a waitress and take everyone’s order before cooking in the play kitchen set that we had set up for Devon. She left him for last and seemed a bit nervous as she slowly walked to him to take his order. “Hi!” Harry smiled at her, encouraging her.
“Hi.” She didn’t smile. “I know I’m taking everyone’s orders, but you look like me. And my grandmother wouldn’t answer me at dinner, so I still don’t know the answer to my question.” Raya fidgeted with the pen and note pad in her hand. “Are you my daddy?”
My jaw hit the floor, and so did Louise’s. Harry smiled at the little girl. “Do you want me to be your daddy?”
“Well, I hope you are. But I was starting to think I didn’t have one. So if you’re not, it’s okay.” Her little voice broke my heart into a billion pieces. Tears filled my eyes as Louise, Kirsten and I silently watched the reaction between the two.
“Raya, I am your daddy. I’m sorry for not being there for you, but you have me for forever, now. I’m not leaving you, ever.” Harry looked at the little girl and I knew his heart was beating rapidly.
“Forever? Do you promise?” Her voice began to sound excited.
“I’ll do more than promise! I’ll pinky promise!” Harry held up his pinky. Raya didn’t even take his pinky; instead she threw her arms around his shoulders and squealed.
“I’ve found my daddy and now he’s mine forever!” She didn’t let go of his neck and he didn’t let go of her either. I was completely sobbing. I looked over to see Louise and Kirsten doing the same. Devon, who had climbed into my lap, tapped my shoulder. “Mama, why are you crying?”
I kissed his nose and stood. Harry was standing with Raya in his arms and motioned for me to come over.
“Wait a minute.” Raya’s face grew serious. “You’re married to Leah, right?” Harry nodded.
“So if you’re my daddy, does that make LEAH MY NEW MUM?” Raya squealed.
“It does!” I giggled, moving in to have a group hug with my new little family.
“Holy moly!” Raya hugged me tight. “AND DEVON IS MY LITTLE BROTHER! Grandma, do you see this?” Raya threw her hands up as if this was all too much. Harry, Louise, Kirsten and I all laughed at how dramatic she was being. I motioned for Louise and Kirsten to join the group hug. We all stood there for a while, hugging and laughing – and I was crying. My family was whole and so was my heart.
++
Harry and I lay in bed that night with smiles plastered on our faces. “I don’t think that could have gone any better.” I whispered through the darkness.
“Neither do I. I’m absolutely thrilled, baby.” His thick accent sounded through his whisper, sending chills down my body. I snuggled closer into his chest and he wrapped his arms tighter around me. “So you’re okay with all of this?”
I pulled my head back to look at him. “Are you serious? I don’t think I’ve ever been happier! This is all working out perfectly!”
“I just wanted to be sure.” He smiled at me and kissed my nose. “That little girl adores you.”
“Me? Have you seen the way she looks at her daddy?” I poked his chest. His grin was so huge that I thought he might be pulling a facial muscle.
He began to place slow, long kisses down my neck, and pretty soon I was sound asleep.
This made me happy, then sad, then happy all over again!!! I was devastated with Leah when she learned about him having another child, especially when it was a girl. Then I was absolutely ecstatic when Raya became apart of their family!! Although, my favorite One Direction child has to be Sophia!! She has just as much sass as Louis and it made me smile like an idiot!! Although I know the odds are against it, I'm still holding out for the third story!!!
2/10/15