"I wish I didn't have to go home tomorrow," Anne says sadly, helping Sophie take a bite of her pasta. The sad look in her eyes makes me want to cry.

"You could just move here," Harry suggests. He smiles wide at his mother and raises his eyebrows, but she just laughs and shakes her head. "I'm just saying, Gem got you for the last five years and now I think it's my turn."

"That's not how it works, darling. You three could move to England, though."

I know she's joking, but something about that is intriguing to me. Maybe eventually we could do that...

"Keep dreaming, Mum."

Anne laughs and Harry winks at me discretely. Sophie seems to be exhausted all week, probably from all the stuff we've been doing with Anne. I think not sleeping in her own bed probably isn't good for her either, because she keeps waking up during the night. We had another close call last night. Harry was in my room with me and we were just kissing, but Sophie came in. Well, she tried to anyway. She tried to open the door a few times before it actually opened, so we had time to make it look like we were just talking or something innocent like that.

After we've all cleaned up together we put in one of Sophie's movies. She's seen Frozen about two hundred times, but that's still the one she wants to watch whenever she's got the choice. Anne sits with her on one couch while Harry and I sit on the other. Anne still doesn't know about us, so we can't actually sit together.

"Soph, do you want some hot chocolate?" I ask her. She nods, her thumb in her mouth. When I get to the kitchen and start filling the kettle two arms slide around my waist, making me jump.

"Did I scare you?" Harry asks in my ear, laughing a little.

"Yes, now cut it out."

He kisses my neck. "Why?"

"Your mother is right over there," I remind him, leaning back into his body. He turns off the tap for me and takes the kettle from my hands to plug it in. Even though I told him to stop, I feel disappointed that he's so far away now.

"I know I shouldn't be excited for her to leave," he whispers, "But I can't wait until we don't have to hide this from her."

"Reminds me of something," I whisper back, taking the mugs out of the cupboard. He laughs a little and nods his head. Keeping our relationship a secret....we don't have any experience with that, do we?

"A week is better than what...eight months?"

"That is true."

He smiles and looks over at the living room. Anne is falling asleep and Sophie is staring at the screen, so he quickly leans down to kiss me. I can't help but giggle at how eager he is all the time.

---

"Have a safe flight," I say to Anne, hugging her tightly. She rubs my back a few times and steps away, wiping tears from under her eyes. Sophie is hugging my leg next to me, still tired from just waking up. Anne bends down to her level and brings her into her arms.

"I love you, pumpkin," she says shakily. Sophie leans her head on Anne's shoulder. "I had fun."

"Me have fun too," Sophie says. Anne kisses her forehead and Sophie raises her hands to me. I can see her bottom lip trembling from threatening tears, so I immediately scoop her up.

"Maybe I will have to move here," Anne jokes weakly. Harry smiles sadly at us and holds open the elevator door, her luggage already in his hands. "Alright. Goodbye, you too. Please come to visit us, alright?"

"We will," I promise. I actually mean it, too.

"Thank you for everything, Savannah. Tell your mother I really appreciate her letting us stay here."

"I will."

"Alright, let's go before I become a blubbering mess," she says, waving to us as she walks into the elevator. We both wave and when the doors close Sophie looks at me.

"When Anne come back?" she asks, placing her hand on my cheek.

"I don't know, princess. Maybe soon."

"I want her play wif me," she says sadly.

"I know."

She leans her forehead on my shoulder again and I make her breakfast before starting to pack all of our things. It's sad to be leaving here; living with all of us in one place has been so easy. I can't help but wonder why we aren't doing this all the time. I know Sophie is going to be devastated when we go back to our previous arrangements, but that's just the way it has to be right now.

She plays happily with her toys while I pack up all of our stuff. Harry's room is tidy enough, but I decide to pack his things anyway so he doesn't have to. By the time he gets back all of our suitcases are by the elevator and I'm sitting on the couch with a magazine watching Sophie play.

"What's all this?" he asks, pointing to the stuff.

"We have to go home today," I remind him.

"Oh yeah." He sits next to me with his arm across the back of the couch. "I almost forgot we don't live here." He takes my magazine and pulls my shoulders so I'm leaning into him.

"I was reading that," I tell him, tilting my face up towards his. He smiles and shrugs.

"Oh well."

"This is still weird," I note, referring to our cuddling. "It feels like it used to, but at the same time it feels unnatural somehow."

"I think it feels pretty natural," he says, laughing a little. He looks at Sophie. "I wish I didn't have to go back to my place."

"Yeah," I breathe. I want him to stay with us, but it's not a good idea. Not yet, anyway. "You can take Soph, though. It's technically your time with her."

"Or, we could just finish out the weekend here together."

"Harry, we can't do that."

"Why not? It's not like your mother would notice, and it would be nice to have a few days before going back to real life, don't you think?"

His offer is beyond tempting and he knows it. Is it smart, though?

"What is she going to think?" I ask, nodding my head towards Sophie.

"That she gets a fun weekend with both her parents."

"Harry, it's not that simple and you know it."

He sighs. "Yeah, I know. I just don't want to go back to what we were doing, you know? It's going to feel like we aren't even together."

"We have to take it slow," I remind him. "If this is going to work we can't just jump back in full force."

He sighs again and his lips move against my forehead when he speaks next. "I'm not sure we know how to do slow. It's not in our nature."

"Then we have to practice."

Sophie stands next to the couch, her hands on Harry's leg. I pull back slightly from him, but his arm stays around my shoulder. Her curious green eyes fall a few times on both of us.

"What's up, Soph?" Harry asks, reaching forward and gently pinching her round little cheek. She smiles and pushes his hand away.

"Park?" she chirps. I look at Harry, who is still smiling at her with more love in his eyes than ever before. I think he loves her more every day, if that's even possible.

"Sure, if mum wants to," he says. Four green eyes pin me and I pretend to sigh like I really don't want to go.

"Alright," I groan. "To the park it is."

---

Harry holds Sophie's hand as we wonder through the park towards the playground. I didn't bother bringing anything since I don't see Sophie lasting that long before she requires a nap, so I didn't think it'd be necessary.

I really enjoy watching them interact. Sophie is a replica of her father, despite the obvious differences. Something about her entire person, the way she carries herself is just Harry. Plus, they simply adore each other. She talks to Harry without pause, babbling about whatever she feels like while he hangs on her every word. I've watched their connection spark from nothing, an instant, a knot that was tied the instant he held her in his arms. From the start he had an easier time than I did. I'm not sure if it was because of my age or simply something encoded into them, a natural tie that was born to exist between them. There's no explanation, but Harry and Sophie have a relationship that I don't think I'll ever have with her. And I don't think I'll ever understand it either. But this new relationship, or test-run I guess, could be a fresh start for all three of us.

When Sophie reaches up for my hand as well I can't help but look at Harry. The pride I feel when Sophie does things like this, the practical explosion of love in my chest is something that Im not sure I could ever explain. It's the most amazing feeling in the entire world. Harry's dimples display towards me and when I look down at Sophie she's struggling to walk a little since both arms are now occupied.

"Ready, Soph?" Harry asks. She nods and immediately starts giggling. "One....two...three!"

On three we swing her up into the air. A squeal leaves Sophie followed by a string of giggles when her feet are back on the ground. I can't help but laugh as well, and we keep doing it until we reach the park, which is crawling with kids. Of course it would be on a Saturday.

"Careful!" I call as Sophie runs towards the slide. I get nervous when there are so many kids, because she could easily get lost or hurt or something. Harry slides an arm around my shoulder.

"She's fine, don't worry so much."

"Maybe I worry the right amount and you don't worry enough."

He laughs. "That's one way to look at it. But I don't think it's the correct way."

"Whatever. All I'm saying is I'm a mother and it's my job to worry."

"Well you worry enough for the both of us."

"Excuse me?"

We both look to my right where a woman who looks to be about thirty is standing. She's got the beginnings of a baby bump.

"Hi," I say slowly. She smiles and puts one hand on her belly.

"Sorry, it's just that I noticed you came with the little blonde girl," she says, pointing to Sophie. We both nod. "She's adorable. She's, what? Three?"

"Almost," Harry says. I look up at him and he shrugs. What does she want?

"I was just wondering- I have a little boy the same age, by the way- have you had her registered for preschool?"

"Preschool?" I laugh a little. "She's only two."

She looks between the two of us, a little confused now as well. "Most toddlers start at age three."

I just look at her. I hadn't even though about preschool, an actual school. Sophie goes to daycare while Harry and I work, but I thought she would just start kindergarten after that. But if every other kid is in school and she's not, I don't want her to be behind. When I look back at this other mother I can see her disdain and negative opinions of us as parents growing in her eyes.

"Most places already have waitlists for next fall," she says rater rudely. "If you want to get in somewhere decent, I suggest you start looking."

"Thank you for your concern," I say sarcastically, "but I don't need you telling me how to raise my child. Have a nice day."

I flash a fake smile and she gives me a shocked, still slightly disgusted look before turning around and walking back over to her group of mom friends. I roll my eyes and shake my head, searching again for Sophie. She's waiting patiently at the top of the slide while kid after kid goes in front of and before her. Her eyes are wide and innocent as she watches, saying nothing.

"What was that?" Harry asks, laughing and taking his arm from my shoulder. I shrug.

"She was being all judgey and annoying. She thought we were bad parents because we aren't a year ahead of registering her for preschool. Knowing her colours a year early isn't going to set her behind in life and we are not bad parents."

"Easy tiger," Harry says. I roll my eyes at him and he pulls the sunglasses on top of his head over his eyes. "It was kinda sexy, though."

"What?"

"Watching you defend her," he says, sliding his hands into his pockets. I look towards Soph again as he chuckles beside me, my cheeks a little red.

"She still hasn't gone down the slide," I note. I chew the inside of my cheek, debating between going over to help her or letting her stand up for herself on her own.

"She will," Harry says. "She's just waiting her turn."

"No one else is taking turns, Harry. She's letting everyone go in front of her-"

"Savannah, relax," Harry laughs. He pulls me against his side again. "She's tougher than you give her credit for."

After another bunch of kids have gone Harry is literally holding me back from going to help her. I know she should learn on her own, but she's only two and she needs my help sometimes. She's far too young to let her do everything on her own and I'm not ready to watch her get older yet. She's not allowed to grow up.

"Look," Harry says in my ear. He puts both arms around my shoulders from behind, my hands resting on his forearms.

Sophie tentatively steps forward, then back again when an obnoxious little boy ploys through. Immediately after he goes she steps back up, looking back behind her for more kids. Another girl walks up behind her but she waits for Sophie, who smiles widely at her with her dimples showing. When she turns back around she slowly sits down and pushes herself down the slide.

Harry claps and cheers her name, as she goes and when Sophie lands on her feet she looks over at us with a huge smile on her face. I give her two thumbs up and she runs off to go again.

"Told you," he says, kissing my cheek.

---

"One more night," Harry whines as we get back to my mother's place. I roll my eyes as I step out of the elevator. "Pleeeeease, Mum?"

"Pweeeease, mummy?" Sophie says, copying him. I turn around to glare at Harry, who is proud of Sophie's begging.

One more night at the apartment. That's what they're asking for. I really do want to but I'm just not sure if it's a smart idea. We're already going to have a hard time going home, another night without Anne here is going to make it ten times harder. When I sit down on the couch Harry sets Sophie on my lap, her hands on either side of my face in an instant.

"I wuv you mummy," she says. She looks at Harry and he nods in approval, then she turns back to me. "Pweease?"

I shake my head at her, trying not to smile. When she leans forward and kisses my cheek I can't help but laugh. "Alright, fine! One more night, but then we are going home, got it?"

"Yay!" I let her on the ground and she dances around while Harry copies her movements. He sticks his hands in the air and moves his hip back and forth in the same awkward way that Sophie does. I laugh and clap my hands a bunch of times while they continue, and when Harry flops down beside me Sophie crawls onto the couch between us.

"No more dancing?" I ask.

"Hungry," she says, laying her head on Harry's lap. He laughs and brushes her hair from her face, which fas completely fallen out of the small ponytail it was in before.

"And tired," I mutter to Harry. He nods and I lean over to kiss him, forgetting about Sophie. He seems surprised when I stand, but he doesn't say anything.

A few minutes later he's standing beside me, his arms around my waist while I cut up some cheese.

"She's asleep," he mumbles agains my cheek.

"That didn't take long."

"Hmm." He trails kisses down my jawline and I turn in his arms to kiss him, dropping everything in my hands. My arms loop around his neck and he lifts me slightly off the ground, his arms tight around my back. When my fingers tangle into his hair he moans and lifts me onto the island. His lips move to my neck and I take the chance to catch my breath.

"Don't let her hear you," I remind him quietly. I know we're both going to have a hard time keeping ourself in check since it's been so long. We've had to control ourselves for two years, and now all of that lost time is bursting through.

He doesn't respond, but he starts kissing me again. My lips mould to his, his large hands sliding under my top onto my skin. I wrap my legs around his waist as tight as I can to keep our bodies close. There's a small and quiet voice in the back of my head reminding me that this isn't slow and I should be stopping it. But I really don't want to.

Suddenly he does, though. "Sorry," he says breathlessly again my lips, "This isn't exactly slow."

"Slow enough," I breathe, opening my eyes. He seems surprised but pleased with my response.

"Well then." He throws me over his shoulder and I let a small squeal leave my lips. "Better take this somewhere else."

"Just kissing," I remind him, sneaking one last peak at a sleeping Sophie before we disappear into his room. He leaves the door open and throws me backwards onto the bed.

"Just kissing," he repeats, crawling over me. He kisses me for a moment. "That's not up for debate?"

"Harry," I warn. It wouldn't take much to sway me.

"Can't blame a man for trying," he says, smirking at me. I roll my eyes and he fits his mouth to mine again. Slowly, sensually, our kiss travels further back into our fast to reignite something that could never have died in the first place.

Notes

family timeeee.

okay so i was gone for a week. that is my excuse. i is sorry <3

thanks for all the votes!!! please keep it up :)

also, please tell me what you think :) all the happy things are going to start getting messy now, so stay tuned ;)