"This needs your signature."

I turn towards my lovely assistant, sighing stressfully while skimming over the words in whatever document she's just placed in front of me. With everything checked out I quickly scrawl out my signature and hand it back to her.

"Miss Williams, you know it's almost eleven, right?"

I laugh a little as I look up from my computer. Madison, my assistant, is probably the nicest person I've ever met in my life. She's always fussing over me, making sure I'm eating all my meals and not drinking too much coffee, as well as making me go home at a decent hour so I can spend time with Sophie.

"Please call me Savannah," I remind her for the thousandth time. "I don't need to be home tonight. Sophie is at her Dad's."

"Things are good here," she continues. "All the paperwork is basically done. We just have to send it all to the lawyers and we'll be able to start filling the store."

My mother owns a ton of fashion lines, or is a major investor anyway, and she has decided to start a small chain of stores. Nothing along the lines of Prada or Chanel, but something nicer than your every-day shopping store. Good quality high fashion clothing without prices that force you to take out a second mortgage or have a ridiculous amount of money. My office is in the main building, and the first floor of the store is where the actual store will be. I'm going to be heading up the company as well as managing the store downstairs and there's so much to do.

"I know, Madison. You've done amazing, really. You're a life saver. I just have a few things I need to work out for the floorset," I explain. "I'm not happy with some of the demo pieces my mother had sent here."

"Let me know if you need any help," she says. I nod and look back to my screen, documents and images laid in front of me so I can choose the right patterns and fabrics.

I never thought I would work in fashion, to be honest, but this job is really exciting. It's so new to me, so it's a challenge. My mother came to me with this two years ago, so I ended up with a degree in business and marketing.

About an hour later my eyelids feel heavier than bricks, so I decide it's time to call it a night. If I'm honest the only reason I've stayed so long is because I hate being home when my apartment is empty. Harry usually picks up Sophie sometime Thursday evening so that he can have her Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I pick her up usually Sunday night sometime, but sometimes I let her spend one more night there. We try to split it up as evenly as possible and we even spend a decent amount of time with all three of us. There's some things a parent just doesn't want to miss, even if it does mean spending extended amounts of time with their ex.

"Before you leave," Madison calls as I walk by her desk, "Someone came in to apply for a designing job today."

"A designer? We already have three, we don't need any more."

"That's what I told him. He insisted you look at his portfolio."

I sigh as I walk over to take the folder from her. "I'll look at it at home. Thanks, Madison. Don't stay too late, alright?"

She nods and waves to me as I walk through the glass doors that separates my section of the floor. My mother owns this entire building, but only certain floors are designated for this company. Their so high-security that we need access cards to get into the offices.

Once I'm back home my body is being pulled to my bedroom like a magnet. There's nothing I can do to stay awake right now, so I quickly change into an old baggy t-shirt and crawl under the covers.

---

"Damn it," I mutter, feeling blindly around my bed and the nightstands to try to find my phone that is ringing so loudly. I wince at the brightness of the window, apparently too tired last night to close the curtains.

"Hello?" I say groggily, rubbing my eyes.

"Hey, it's me."

"Hi, Harry." I lay back against the pillows with my arm over my face to shield my eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Are you hung over?" he laughs.

"What? No, of course not. I was working late."

"Oh, right. Anyway, I was going to take Sophie to the zoo today. Do you want to come with us?"

I can't help but smile at the way he asks, like he's scared I'm going to say no. I'd rather have him in my life like this than not at all, as hard as it is sometimes.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Almost ten."

"Oh. When are you going?"

"Well I'd rather not pack a whole cooler, so we're going to eat lunch here later and then head out. Do you want us to swing by your place to get you?"

"Umm...yeah, sure. That sounds fun," I agree, yawning at the end.

"How late did you work last night?" he asks softly, worry evident in his tone.

"I'm not sure. I think I got home at around midnight, maybe a little bit after."

He sighs. "You're going to run yourself into the ground."

"Don't worry about me, Harry." I sigh and we both stay silent for a moment.

"Right," he says finally. "Okay, I'll see you in a few hours."

"Sounds good."

We both hang up and I turn over with my face buried in the pillow. My job combined with raising a three year old makes for a lot of time spent exhausted. I would love to take a week's vacation and just sleep the entire time. It would be amazing.

When I eventually manage to drag myself out of bed and take a shower I realize that we're going to the zoo. Whenever we go to the zoo with the three of us I always pretend that Harry and I are still together, that we're a real family and everything is perfect. It just seems like something perfect families should do. Sophie just adores animals, especially bears, so she loves going to the zoo. We've been three times since she turned two.

It's Saturday, so I'm sure it's going to be absolutely insane there. Harry hates crowds, so I'm not sure why he always suggests going to the zoo with Soph. Actually, I do know. He would walk through fire for that girl. It's so amazing to know that the father of my child would literally give his own life ten times over for her. It makes letting her leave my sight to go with him a little easier.

When I'm showered and dressed I decide I should probably eat some breakfast. Feeling particularly happy today, I decide to make some pancakes for myself. My hair dries into its natural waves while I cook and talk on the phone with Madison, the new designer's portfolio sprawled on the counter next to the stove.

"He seems talented," I remark. "I'm just not sure if we need him."

"Tenley was saying she might want a designer specifically tied to the brand," she says. "He might be good for that. He's new and doesn't have attachments with other clothing lines, so it would be good to get him before that happens. His loyalty would be to Williams."

Yes, the store is called Williams.

"That makes sense," I agree. "I'll meet with him. Maybe we'll get him on a probationary contract that ends after six months so if we don't need him anymore we don't have to renew it. See how talented he is."

"I'll set it up," she says. "What day would you like him to come in?"

"Monday, I want this done."

"I'll call him right now."

"Thanks, Madison. See you Monday." I hang up the phone and put another pancake onto the stack. I made way too many, there's no way I'll eat seven pancakes.

As if having read my mind the front door opens. It startles me, so I quickly walk through the kitchen door to see who it is.

"Hey," Harry says, his hand surrounding Sophie's as she walks beside him. "Sorry to barge in, but I tried to make her a sandwich for lunch and she refused. She wanted your cooking."

"Mummy!" she squeals, running with high knees over to where I'm standing. A large smile spreads on my face as I scoop her up into my arms.

"Hi princess." She wraps her little arms around my neck and I can't help but laugh.

"Daddy made eat crust," she says. "Me no crust."

"She doesn't like crust," I tell Harry. He rolls his eyes.

"Since when?"

"Since Tuesday," I laugh. I flick my head towards the kitchen. "Come on, I was actually just making pancakes."

"Daddy makes yucky pancakes," Sophie informs me as we walk through the kitchen.

"Soph, you love my pancakes!" Harry defends.

"No Daddy," she says, laughing like it's the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Mummy pancakes are better."

"Oh really?" he challenges, creeping towards us. Sophie giggles and half hides against my chest as he gets closer. He places his long fingers on her belly and she giggles as she tries to push them away.

"Daddy no!"

"Say you like Daddy's pancakes," he says. I would like to deny that my heart rate went up from him standing so close to me, his face right next to mine. I really can't, though.

"No," she giggles.

"Say it," he says. She shakes her head and his fingers start moving, making her squeal with laughter as she tries futilely to make him stop. "Say you like my pancakes!"

"Daddy!" She shouts, laughing hysterically. Her adorable little girl giggle always makes me laugh along with her. It's the happiest sound in the world.

"Me like them!" she squeals finally, all three of us still laughing. Harry stops tickling her and gives her a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"That's better," he says as she wipes his slobber off her cheek.

---

"Soph, don't put your mouth on that please."

I try to make her bring her face away from the fence that separates us from a bunch of penguins. I don't even want to think about how many hands have touched that, and now her mouth is all over it.

"Bears?" Sophie squeaks, looking up at me.

"No, honey, these are penguins."

"Bears!" she shouts.

"I think she wants to see the bears again," Harry says, smirking at me. She is now obsessed with bears; we have already been to see the bears twice, going back forth between the polar and grizzlies about four times each.

We start back towards that section of the zoo and I take Sophie's hand so she doesn't take off or get lost in the massive crowd we're in the middle of. Harry walks on the other side of her, and when she reaches up to take a hold of his massive hand I can't help but smile. Their relationship is incredible, the way they adore each other. I find myself a little envious sometimes.

Flashback

"Harry, please take her," I beg as he walks through the door. Tears are streaming down my face and the baby's, who has been crying for what feels like days.

"Woah, what's wrong?" he asks, taking the infant but looking intently at me.

"I can't do this!" I exclaim, pulling at my hair. "She hates me!"

"Babe, don't do that to yourself," he says gently. He turns to Sophie and rocks her a bit, shushing her and cooing gently. Within minutes her cries start to die down.

"See?" I jab my hand towards them. "Why can'tI do that? She's my child, I should be able to get her to stop crying."

"Savannah-"

"No. She hates me, Harry. She hates me because I'm a terrible mother. I can't get her to stop crying and the only time she's ever calm is when you're here."

I collapse on the couch, tears flowing freely while I try not to cry too hard. I never thought being a mother was going to be this difficult.

"Baby, please stop," Harry says, his voice strained. "She doesn't hate you, you're her mother."

"No, she hates me." He sits down near my feet with a sigh, baby held in one arm while the other hand rests on my leg. I sit up, pulling his arm around my shoulders and leaning into him. "Please don't leave me."

"What?"

"I can't do this, not without you," I explain. "I'm not good at this."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, love. You're great with her."

"Not as great as you. Harry, what if she always hates me? What if she never wants anything to do with me? You don't have to worry about that because she clearly likes you way better."

"Stop," Harry says, laughing a little. He kisses my head and pulls me even tighter against him. "You need to sleep, that's all. If you weren't so stressed she wouldn't be so fussy. You need to relax."

"When am I supposed to sleep?"

"Right now," he says, kissing my forehead again.

End of Flashback

Fatherhood always came so naturally to Harry, not that I was surprised. Even when Sophie was a baby they seemed to have a bond that I couldn't understand or compete with. By now I've come to accept it, but I had a really hard time, especially when she started throwing tantrums about wanting to stay with him instead of me. That broke my heart. It wasn't until Harry had a talk with her that she agreed to live with me. Like she had a say in it.

When we get to the polar bears Sophie breaks into a run, releasing both of our hands to press her hands and face against the glass. I hate it when she does that, I don't want to think about all the germs getting in her mouth.

"This is fun," Harry says, falling into step next to me.

"Yeah," I agree.

"We could spend more time with all of us," he says. I look over at him. "I think it'd be good for her."

"That makes sense," I agree. "We can do that."

"I was thinking maybe instead of you picking her up Sundays we could all stay at yours Saturday nights, watch a movie together or something and Sundays could be a family day."

"You've thought about this a lot," I note, a small smile on my face.

"She deserves as much of a normal family as possible," he says, staring at her.

"Let's do that," I agree. "Your room is still the way you left it anyway, so you can still sleep in there."

When I moved out Harry would still stay at mine sometimes to help with Sophie. My guest room was basically his room, though sleeping in the same home but not in the same bed was incredibly hard for me.

"Soph," Harry says, bending down next to her. She pries her eyes from the bears and looks at her father. "Do you want to sleep at mum's tonight?"

"I wanna stay wif you," she says, putting her hand on his cheek.

"I'm going to stay there too, love," he says.

"Mummy too?"

"Yeah, all of us will be there," he confirms.

"Yay!" she shouts, clapping her hands and stomping her feet. I can't help but laugh and feel sad at the same time; she gets so excited about all of us spending time together. I wish that was normal for her.

Notes

i cant believe how rattled you guys are!!! IM SORRY i know its the most depressing thing ever that they aren't together anymore.

now is the big question of the day. i know i only did the first book in Savannah's POV and i really liked it that way, but if you guys REALLY want some of Harry's in there i can do that too sometimes. maybe every third or fourth chapter would be in his.
so comment and let me know :)
and also tell me what you think of this chapter :)

keep voting and subscribing!!!! thanks lovelies <3