Loving You
Don’t You Worry About Us
(two days later)
I rang the doorbell, taking in the scenery. I was in an old neighborhood just outside of London. Most of the houses on the street were dilapidated and barely decent enough to be lived in. This one was no exception. The roof seemed to be caving in and paint was peeling off of the house. The grass came up to my knees.
I'd tried to call Caroline, but no one ever answered. So I had someone trace the number to an address, and there I was, standing on the front porch, waiting to meet the woman who'd given my husband a daughter. Shit. This was about to be much harder than I'd intended.
After a few knocks, the front door finally opened. A small, grey headed lady stood in front of me. She appeared to be in her seventies. I knew Harry had a thing for older women, but damn. This has to be a joke. She looked tired, and worried.
“Hi, I’m looking for a Caroline.” I spoke first.
“Aren’t we all, honey? Let me guess? She owes you money?” She looked over the rim of her glasses.
“Um, no. This is much different. Um, she supposedly had my husband’s child and I just wanted to get her side of the story.” I looked down, fidgeting with my hands, suddenly embarrassed.
“Oh, child.” The woman’s expression changed. “Come in.” She waved me in and led me into a small living room. “Sit. Can I get you some tea or anything?”
“No thank you.” I smiled as I took a seat on the couch. “I’m Leah, by the way.” I extended my hand.
She shook my hand. “I’m Louise. Caroline is my granddaughter.” The old woman began as she found her place in a chair next to me. “I haven’t seen her in three years, after raising her and letting her live with me all her life.” Tears welled up in her eyes and I watched her fight the urge to cry. “She was always a bright child – beautiful, too. She always wanted to model. Four years ago, after Raya was born, Caroline got her first job with the modeling agency. She thrived – moved up in the business. Then she got in with the top crowd of the company. She’d come home every night and tell me how lovely they were. But they were all on drugs – bad. Caroline promised she’d never get into any of that. Raya kept her out of it – Caroline was a fantastic mother. She loved that little baby girl. But one night she came home high as a kite. She was delusional – seeing things and yelling. I put her to bed. Raya cried seeing her mum like that. I cried, too. It was the scariest thing of my life. Two months later, Caroline left with all of my jewelry, my tv, and my great-grandmother’s chandelier. She’s called a few times for money, but I’ve never seen her. She’s still on the drugs and willing to do anything to get her hands on more.” By now the lady was crying. She pulled some tissue out of her shirt and dabbed her eyes.
My stomach sank and I wanted to hug the little old lady. She’d been through a lot. “What about the child -?”
“Nonnie?” A small voice interrupted me. I turned to look at the doorway. Every doubt I had about Harry having a child by someone else went out the window. That little girl looked just like him. She stared back at me with his gorgeous green eyes. Her brown, tangled hair fell in waves around her shoulders as she climbed into her great-grandmother’s lap. “Will you help me change my dollie?” She smiled and the dimples in her cheeks were identical to Harry’s. My heart beat accelerated and my palms were sweaty. I could only stare at the little girl. She was beautiful. I watched her eyes light up as her great-grandmother helped her with her doll. Her movements mimicked Harry’s. They were so much alike and they’d never even seen one another. She probably didn’t even know he existed.
“Raya, this is Leah. Can you say hello?” Louise looked at the child.
“Hiiii Leah.” She sang .My heart flipped as I waved back at her.
“Hello, Raya. It’s nice to meet you.” I smiled.
“Thanks. You’re pretty.” She grinned.
“Thank you. So are you!” I beamed. Something about her made me love her right off. I was the same way with Harry. It was just something about the personality – you knew that person was good as gold and you just wanted to know them. She quickly slid out of her grandmother’s lap and ran out of the room, her dollie in tow.
“I heard about your story on the news. I’m sorry Caroline has hurt you. She’s more than likely out of drug money and just needs it. I guess your husband was her final straw. She’s taken all I have, and since he’s well known and wealthy she probably figured he’d be an easy target. It’s not who she is though. She used to think the world of you and him both." Louise continued.
“You know about Harry and I?” My jaw dropped.
“Sweetheart, Caroline and I were really close for most of her life. She came home from Italy and told me all about your Harry and how in love he was with you. She admired you as a person. She always said that if you could mesmerize Harry in the way that you had, you must’ve been quite a woman. She’d hoped to find a love like the kind that she saw you and Harry had. She didn't want to tell him she was pregnant because she was afraid he'd never get you back and she didn't want to sabotage that kind of love. She kept up with you in the news for as long as she lived here. Knowing her, she probably still does. But the real Caroline would have never hurt you or Harry on purpose. That’s how I know she’s still on those drugs.” She patted my knee. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Well, Raya. I mean – she’s Harry’s. I know she is. She looks just like him.” I couldn’t find the right words.
“I know, honey. But what do you suppose we do about it? Caroline would have to be involved in such a situation and she’ll never come back. She won’t show up to court. She’ll be too strung out on a drug high. The charges will be dropped, the world will know she’s a fake and your lives can continue on as normal. You can pretend we never met.” She smiled, thinking she was making me feel better. But that little girl had pulled on my heart strings.
“But, what’s going to happen to Raya?” I stood as Louise began to show me the door.
“We’ll manage like we always have, Leah. Don’t you worry about us.” The old woman opened the door, ushering me out.
“I want to help. She’s Harry’s child.” I protested.
“Don’t worry about us. Just get on with your life. You’ve got too much going on, anyways. We don’t want to be a bother. Take care, now.” She smiled and closed the door. I stood there, feeling hopeless. If I were smart, I would have left and never turned back. I would have done as the old woman instructed and pretended as if none of it had ever happened. But I was stubborn.
I rang the doorbell, taking in the scenery. I was in an old neighborhood just outside of London. Most of the houses on the street were dilapidated and barely decent enough to be lived in. This one was no exception. The roof seemed to be caving in and paint was peeling off of the house. The grass came up to my knees.
I'd tried to call Caroline, but no one ever answered. So I had someone trace the number to an address, and there I was, standing on the front porch, waiting to meet the woman who'd given my husband a daughter. Shit. This was about to be much harder than I'd intended.
After a few knocks, the front door finally opened. A small, grey headed lady stood in front of me. She appeared to be in her seventies. I knew Harry had a thing for older women, but damn. This has to be a joke. She looked tired, and worried.
“Hi, I’m looking for a Caroline.” I spoke first.
“Aren’t we all, honey? Let me guess? She owes you money?” She looked over the rim of her glasses.
“Um, no. This is much different. Um, she supposedly had my husband’s child and I just wanted to get her side of the story.” I looked down, fidgeting with my hands, suddenly embarrassed.
“Oh, child.” The woman’s expression changed. “Come in.” She waved me in and led me into a small living room. “Sit. Can I get you some tea or anything?”
“No thank you.” I smiled as I took a seat on the couch. “I’m Leah, by the way.” I extended my hand.
She shook my hand. “I’m Louise. Caroline is my granddaughter.” The old woman began as she found her place in a chair next to me. “I haven’t seen her in three years, after raising her and letting her live with me all her life.” Tears welled up in her eyes and I watched her fight the urge to cry. “She was always a bright child – beautiful, too. She always wanted to model. Four years ago, after Raya was born, Caroline got her first job with the modeling agency. She thrived – moved up in the business. Then she got in with the top crowd of the company. She’d come home every night and tell me how lovely they were. But they were all on drugs – bad. Caroline promised she’d never get into any of that. Raya kept her out of it – Caroline was a fantastic mother. She loved that little baby girl. But one night she came home high as a kite. She was delusional – seeing things and yelling. I put her to bed. Raya cried seeing her mum like that. I cried, too. It was the scariest thing of my life. Two months later, Caroline left with all of my jewelry, my tv, and my great-grandmother’s chandelier. She’s called a few times for money, but I’ve never seen her. She’s still on the drugs and willing to do anything to get her hands on more.” By now the lady was crying. She pulled some tissue out of her shirt and dabbed her eyes.
My stomach sank and I wanted to hug the little old lady. She’d been through a lot. “What about the child -?”
“Nonnie?” A small voice interrupted me. I turned to look at the doorway. Every doubt I had about Harry having a child by someone else went out the window. That little girl looked just like him. She stared back at me with his gorgeous green eyes. Her brown, tangled hair fell in waves around her shoulders as she climbed into her great-grandmother’s lap. “Will you help me change my dollie?” She smiled and the dimples in her cheeks were identical to Harry’s. My heart beat accelerated and my palms were sweaty. I could only stare at the little girl. She was beautiful. I watched her eyes light up as her great-grandmother helped her with her doll. Her movements mimicked Harry’s. They were so much alike and they’d never even seen one another. She probably didn’t even know he existed.
“Raya, this is Leah. Can you say hello?” Louise looked at the child.
“Hiiii Leah.” She sang .My heart flipped as I waved back at her.
“Hello, Raya. It’s nice to meet you.” I smiled.
“Thanks. You’re pretty.” She grinned.
“Thank you. So are you!” I beamed. Something about her made me love her right off. I was the same way with Harry. It was just something about the personality – you knew that person was good as gold and you just wanted to know them. She quickly slid out of her grandmother’s lap and ran out of the room, her dollie in tow.
“I heard about your story on the news. I’m sorry Caroline has hurt you. She’s more than likely out of drug money and just needs it. I guess your husband was her final straw. She’s taken all I have, and since he’s well known and wealthy she probably figured he’d be an easy target. It’s not who she is though. She used to think the world of you and him both." Louise continued.
“You know about Harry and I?” My jaw dropped.
“Sweetheart, Caroline and I were really close for most of her life. She came home from Italy and told me all about your Harry and how in love he was with you. She admired you as a person. She always said that if you could mesmerize Harry in the way that you had, you must’ve been quite a woman. She’d hoped to find a love like the kind that she saw you and Harry had. She didn't want to tell him she was pregnant because she was afraid he'd never get you back and she didn't want to sabotage that kind of love. She kept up with you in the news for as long as she lived here. Knowing her, she probably still does. But the real Caroline would have never hurt you or Harry on purpose. That’s how I know she’s still on those drugs.” She patted my knee. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Well, Raya. I mean – she’s Harry’s. I know she is. She looks just like him.” I couldn’t find the right words.
“I know, honey. But what do you suppose we do about it? Caroline would have to be involved in such a situation and she’ll never come back. She won’t show up to court. She’ll be too strung out on a drug high. The charges will be dropped, the world will know she’s a fake and your lives can continue on as normal. You can pretend we never met.” She smiled, thinking she was making me feel better. But that little girl had pulled on my heart strings.
“But, what’s going to happen to Raya?” I stood as Louise began to show me the door.
“We’ll manage like we always have, Leah. Don’t you worry about us.” The old woman opened the door, ushering me out.
“I want to help. She’s Harry’s child.” I protested.
“Don’t worry about us. Just get on with your life. You’ve got too much going on, anyways. We don’t want to be a bother. Take care, now.” She smiled and closed the door. I stood there, feeling hopeless. If I were smart, I would have left and never turned back. I would have done as the old woman instructed and pretended as if none of it had ever happened. But I was stubborn.
Notes
Tell me what you think!!!!! I’m so freaking excited about this! Ahhhh! Love you, thanks for reading! Oh, here’s what little Raya looks like. I didn't want to put her on the character list to spoil the surprise! xxxxxxx
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