ALWAYS

I walked up to Enola's house all alone. The boys said they were coming by later on to see how it was going. They wanted me to be alone with Enola and Darcy. They wanted me to figure out how to be the man they needed in their life. I didn't know how I was going to do it but I was going to try. I knocked softly then waited for one of the girls to answer the door.
"Harry!" Darcy shouted excitedly as she pulled the door opened. I smiled widely as she threw her arms around my legs and hugged me tightly. I picked her up and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
"How are you my girl?" I asked as I walked into the house, closing the door behind me. DArcy kissed my cheek and wrapped her arms around my neck.
"You should see the flowers that Mommy got today." Darcy smirked at me. I beamed right back at her. "They're really pretty." She giggled as we walked into the kitchen where Enola was doing some snack prep.
"Hi Noli." I smiled at her sitting down at the island with Darcy still in my arms.
"Hey Harry. How are you feeling?" She asked gently.
"Sophia told you, didn't she?" I inquired, feeling a sting of anger.
Enola nodded, "Yeah. She said you downed quite a bit and acted like an idiot." I sighed heavily and nodded. I looked at Darcy with loving eyes as I watched her draw in her notebook with her crayons. I brushed her hair away from her face so I could see how hard she was concentrating. "Harry, is there something on your mind you want to talk about? I know we're...Harry, we can be friends."
I nodded, "I know, Noli. I'm just...I'm stressed out. As much as I love her, she was a shock. I'm just trying to process." I ran my fingers through Darcy's hair gently.
Enola sighed, "I'm sorry, Harry. I wasn't expecting her to run from me at the gallery. I was going to pull you aside and tell you about her then let you meet her. But she's Darcy and does things her way." A smile played on Enola's lips as she summed up her daughter. I chuckled and nodded, agreeing with her. Darcy was very much her own person with a very distinct personality. She was a lot like Enola but there were parts of her that weren't. Mostly her audacity and outgoing nature. "Anything else you wanna talk about?" Enola inquired quietly.
"Not in front of her." I replied with a shy smile. Enola nodded and went about making Darcy's snack. I watched her as she cut the fruit with slow and deliberate movements. "I heard that you're being forced into a girls night with Sophia and Brynn." I stated with a chuckle.
She laughed loudly and nodded, "Yeah. It was Niall's idea."
"He's trying to be nice. And he's Irish. He likes a party." I felt my heart swell seeing her laugh.
"Yeah, I know but I haven't been out since before Darcy was born. I've spent every moment of my time with her or working." Enola informed me.
"And that's exactly why you need to go out. I can stay with Darcy." I offered.
Darcy beamed up at Enola, "Oooh Mommy, I'll stay with Harry!" Enola looked at Darcy with skeptical eyes. "I'll be good I promise!" Darcy squealed. I tried not to laugh as Enola kind of glared at me. "Please Mommy. Please please please."
Enola groaned, "Oh alright." Darcy cheered. Enola turned to me, "Can you stay here with her?"
I nodded, "Yeah, then she can sleep in her own bed. Plus, I don't really have a guest room set up at the moment. The boys just kind of wing it at my house." Enola agreed. She looked at the clock then sighed. "What's wrong?" I inquired not liking the look of frustration on her face.
"I kind of wanted to go to my studio today and develop some photos and cut somethings together but it's kind of late." She replied dropping her eyes back to the fruit on the counter.
"Why does that matter?" I asked. I didn't get why she was so upset. IT was barely three in the afternoon.
She sighed again, "It's too late for Darcy. I don't want her to get too tired to the point where I can't work."
I shrugged, "Go to your studio. I'll stay here with Darcy." Enola gave me a blank stare. "Noli, if you need to work, go work. I don't mind. We'll play and color and I'll put her to bed. Just go."
"Harry, I don't know." Enola's apprehension was clear in her voice.
"Baby, go. It's fine." I laughed. I quickly stopped laughing when I realized my slip. Enola bit her lip as her cheeks flushed. Her eyes dropped to the counter. "Sorry." I muttered looking over at Darcy.
"It's okay. If it makes you feel better, go for it." Enola stated quietly. I sighed quietly. I didn't want her to let me call her baby so I would feel better. I wanted her to let me call her baby because it made her feel better. I wanted her to want it. "Are you sure? You think you can handle making dinner for a picky three year old?" She asked me shyly.
I nodded, "Yeah. Go ahead." She placed the plate of fruit in front of Darcy and got her attention.
"Baby, I'm going to go work for a little while. You're going to stay here with Harry." Enola informed her with a smile.
"Okay!" Darcy beamed at Enola. SO excited that we were going to hang out. Enola looked upset but gave a nod and walked out of the room.
"Darcy, stay right here. Don't move a millimeter." I commanded. She nodded and placed a strawberry in her mouth. I kissed her hair and ran out of the room after Enola. "Noli, baby, come here." I called after her. I knew that calling her baby was a bad idea but I needed her to feel comfort. She turned and looked at me with sadness. "You know it's just because I'm new right?" I asked her, referring to the way Darcy was so happy to let her leave. Enola sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. "She still loves you more than anyone. You're Mummy." Enola's eyes lightened a little. "In a few weeks, it's not going to be as exciting to see me anymore." I assured her. Enola broke into a smile. "What?" I asked not understanding her sudden mood change.
"Harry Styles, always trying to be Mr. Fix it." She chuckled. I blushed and rubbed the back of my neck nervously. Enola moved toward me. She placed her hands on my chest and kissed my cheek lightly. "Thank you. You're a good man." She murmured before backing away from me. I watched her walk up the stairs. Her bum looking as delicious as ever as her hips swayed. My concentration was broken when I heard a giggle from behind me. I turned my head to see Darcy leaning in the doorway watching me with a smile.
"Get back in the kitchen." I laughed and followed her.


"Alright, baby girl, what do you wanna do now?" I asked as Darcy and I flopped onto the sofa. We had just finished playing her dancing game.
She held her stomach as she gazed up at me, "I'm hungry."
I felt my own stomach turn, "Me too. What would you like for dinner?" DArcy shrugged and sat quietly beside me. "Wanna go out? We can go see a movie after dinner?" I suggested. Darcy nodded and clapped loudly. I laughed, "Okay baby. Get your shoes and a jacket." I instructed.
I carried Darcy into a small restaurant as she talked at me about a show that she watched with Enola, something about ponies. The hostess smiled brightly at me.
"Hello Mr Styles." She greeted me with a warm tone.
"Hello." I replied politely. The girl was nice enough but I also hated the fact that she always hit on me. It wasn't her occupation that put me off, it was her demeanor and the fact that she wasn't Enola.
"Who is this lovely lady?" She asked catching Darcy's attention.
"I'm Darcy." She nearly whispered. I could see in her face that she was uncomfortable with how close the hostess was. I shifted her in my arms to back her up. Darcy wound her arms around my neck tightly. The hostess took a step back, realizing that Darcy was upset.
"It's a pretty name." The girl smiled at her gently.
Darcy whispered, "Thank you."
"Do you and Daddy want a booth or a table?" The hostess asked Darcy. Darcy looked at me questioningly.
"You pick, baby." I smiled.
Darcy turned to the hostess and murmured, "Booth." She really didn't like the woman. I tightened my grip on Darcy to make her feel better. The hostess nodded and grabbed a seat for Darcy before leading us to a booth out of the way. I thanked the woman, letting her know that I no longer needed her assistance. I set Darcy in the booster seat then sat next to her. I liked the rounded booth, I could sit by Darcy but also give her the space she wanted. I picked up the menu and glanced over it. I pursed my lips as I tried to find something I could suggest to the picky child at my side. "Harry." Darcy nearly whispered.
"Yes, love?" I smiled at her.
"Why did that lady ask me about my daddy? Does she think you're my daddy?" Darcy aske with a sad voice.
I sighed, "She probably does, baby. Why? Are you upset she thinks I am your daddy?" Darcy nodded and looked at the table. "Why does it make you upset?" I inquired not liking the tears that were forming in her eyes.
"Because I don't have a daddy. I wish I had a daddy. But my daddy doesn't want me." Darcy replied softly. My heart broke into a million pieces. No child should ever feel the way she was feeling. I ran my hands through her hair as she looked up at me. "Can you be my daddy? You'd be a good daddy."
"Baby." I murmured pulling her into my lap. "I promise you that I will always be here for you. I will always love you as much as your mummy does. I can't be your daddy but I will be your best friend and as close to a daddy as I can be. I know it's not the same but you will never be without me." I assured her. Darcy looked sad still but she nodded anyway. "Darcy, I love you, baby girl." I murmured into her ear. She giggled and shied away from me. I smiled, just like her mother. "Come on. Let's find something to eat." I said holding the menu up so she could pretend to read with me.
The waiter came back to our table chuckling. Darcy was holding her stomach and groaning.
"I so full, Harry." She whined quietly.
"Full? The little lady is full? Well, what am I going to do with this cake?" The waiter asked holding up a slice of chocolate cake with a sweet cream frosting.
Darcy perked up, "I like cake!"
I lifted my eyebrow at her, "I thought you were full." Darcy smiled sheepishly and blushed. The waiter looked at me waiting for permission. I nodded, "She can have it." He set the plate down in front of her and handed her a new fork.
"Enjoy, Miss Darcy." The waiter laughed. "Anything else for you, Mr Styles?"
I shook my head, "No thank you."
Darcy looked at me shocked, "You don't want cake?" I held in a laugh seeing her face was already covered in chocolate.
"No. I'm holding out for candy at the theater." I replied. Darcy looked at the cake curiously. "Don't worry. You're going to get something there too." I laughed. Darcy grinned and went back to devouring the cake.

Darcy sat in my lap happily eating popcorn as we watched the film she had picked. She had chosen the new Disney princess movie. I was bored out of my mind. The stories were always the same. Why couldn't they ever empower the princesses? Make them sure of their own worth without having a man show them? Why couldn't the characters be like Enola? Self confident, strong and intelligent. Women not to be underestimated. Darcy leaned back against me, resting her head on my shoulder. I hugged her closer and kissed her hair. I stared at the movie screen as intensely as she did as the princess started to sing. I smiled when Darcy got excited during the key change. This little girl was going to be my happiness. Everything she did was magical to me. To see the world the way she did must've been a blessing.
Darcy and I exited the movie theater hand in hand. I felt like I was walking at a snail's pace because she wanted to walk and not be carried. I smiled down at her as she looked around at the movie posters in awe.
"Oh Harry, can we see this?" Darcy asked pointing to a poster for an animal movie. I frowned; the movie came out after I went back on tour. "Can we, Harry?" Darcy asked again. I smiled and nodded. I felt bad. I didn't want her to get upset but I also knew it was a promise I wasn't going to be able to keep. Darcy beamed at me then pulled me along. I held her hand a little tighter when we came to a larger group of teenage girls. I groaned a little when the recognized me. Most of the girls just blushed and turned their eyes away from mine. I felt a bit of relief but I was too quick. A blonde girl with deep brown eyes walked over to Darcy and I. Darcy looked at me curiously as the girl came to a stop in front of us.
"Hi. I'm sorry. I know you're with your..." She looked down at Darcy a bit confused. "With your family, but I just wanted to say hi." I held my hand out to her.
I shook her hand gently, "Hello."
"Yeah, um, how are you?" She asked nervously.
I chuckled, "I'm well. Thank you. You?"
She nodded, "Great. What did you see?" Darcy shouted the title with a smile. The girl in front of us giggled, "And I guess you picked the movie?" Darcy nodded quickly.
"Thank you for being polite and calm." I spoke quietly to the girl as her eyes turned back to mine. She nodded with a smile. "She doesn't understand when people stare and all." I said motioning to Darcy.
"Oh of course." She grinned.
Darcy whined and tugged on my hand roughly, "Harry."
I knelt down next to her, "What baby?"
"I have to go potty." Darcy mumbled. I panicked a little.
I winced a bit, "Can you wait 'till we're home?" Darcy shook her head and crossed her legs. I sighed heavily. I didn't know what to do. I definitely couldn't bring her into the men's room.
"Um, Harry?" The girl I had been speaking to spoke up. I looked up at her. "I can take her?" She offered, bit unsure of herself. I nodded and stood up. The girl knelt next to Darcy. "Hi. I'm Aubrey." Darcy did a bit of a dance while she introduced herself. "You have to go potty?" Aubrey asked her. Darcy nodded quickly. "I can take you. Daddy can't go in the ladies room." Darcy released my hand and took the young girls hand. "We'll be back." Aubrey smiled at me and led Darcy into the toilets.
I pushed off of the wall as Darcy returned from the bathroom with the fan-girl. Darcy ran at me with open arms. I picked her up quickly.
I looked at the fan-girl with grateful eyes, "Thank you."
The girl nodded, "Of course. Where's her mum?"
"Home. It's baby's date night." I smiled at Darcy.
"You're a good dad." The girl smiled.
"Harry's not my daddy." Darcy corrected her. The girl looked a bit shocked. "He's my best friend." Darcy beamed at the fan-girl. The girl looked at me confused.
"Her mother and I are good friends." I clarified. The girl nodded and blushed a bit, sliding her hands in her back pockets. There was an uncomfortable silence between us.
"Um, since she's not your daughter and you're not with anyone..." The girl began. I felt a bit awkward. The girl looked really young. She handed me a slip of paper, "If you need a friend, or something when you get back from tour, here's my number."
I reached out for the paper but stopped, "How old are you?"
She chuckled, "Nearly nineteen." I nodded and took the paper from her fingers. "Have a good night." The girl smiled at me. I wished her the same. "Good night, Darcy. I hope to see you again." The girl said kissing Darcy's cheek before walking away.
Darcy smiled up at me, "I like her. She's nice."
I chuckled, "Yeah, she is."
"Can she be our friend?" Darcy asked with a sweet smile.
I lifted my eyebrow at Darcy, "I'll think about it."


I turned to Darcy as we pulled into the drive, "We're not going to tell Mummy about all the junk we ate." Darcy smiled brightly and nodded. I smiled and got out of the car. As I unbuckled Darcy from her seat, I felt my phone start to ring. I rolled my eyes as I looked at it: Louis. I hit the reject call button and placed it back in my pocket. "Come on, baby girl." I grunted lifting Darcy from her car-seat. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I slammed the car door.
I walked into the house with Darcy still in my arms. Suddenly, Enola came rushing into the hall. .
"Harry, what in the hell?" She shouted at me. She looked furious and scared.
I looked at her startled, "What? What have I done?"
"Where did you go with my daughter? You just left!" She yelled taking Darcy out of my arms. "You didn't call me or text me. I came home to an empty house. A note on the counter would've been just fine as well!" She was terrified.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. We were hungry and I didn't really know what to cook so we went out. Then we went to see a movie. I wasn't sure when you would be back." I replied sincerely. Enola sighed heavily as she smoothed Darcy's hair and gazed into her eyes.
"Mummy, I had so much fun with Harry." Darcy beamed. "WE went to a really nice resraunt where they called me Ms Darcy and we had pasta. The Harry took me to see the princess movie. And he said we could go see the animal movie when it came out. But that was before we met the nice girl."
"Nice girl?" Enola inquired.
Darcy nodded, "Yeah, Aubrey. She helped me when I had to go into the bathroom. Then she talked to Harry for a while. She was nice. I liked her. Harry said that she could be our friend."
"Aubrey, huh?" Enola smirked at Darcy. Her smirk was definitely directed at me but she kept her eyes on Darcy. She was obviously upset with me. I wasn't sure of why just yet.
"Yeah, she gave Harry her phone number. I want him to call her. I think she'd be nice to play with." Darcy grinned at her mother. Enola looked at me with almost hateful eyes. That was new. The look I was seeing in her eyes was one I never thought I would see: jealousy.
"She was a fan. She was very polite when she said hi. And she helped Darcy into the toilet because I couldn't. That's all." I stated quietly. Enola looked at me skeptically. "What?"
Enola smirked, "How old is she?"
Darcy grinned again, "Nineteen."
"Baby, why don't you go play?" I suggested. Darcy nodded and wiggled out of Enola's grip. She ran off to the living room. Enola and I stared at each other. "What Enola?" I asked a bit harshly.
"Using my child to pick up girls?" She asked folding her arms over her chest. I tried not to laugh when her eyes narrowed at me. I loved it when she was angry. She looked so cute when she pouted and glared at me. "It's not funny, Harry." She snapped at me.
"She was a fan. She recognized me and said hi. I spoke to her for a moment because she was polite and calm so she didn't frighten Darcy. She gave me her number and I didn't ask for it. Nothing more." I assured her. When Enola continued to glare at me, I pulled the paper from my pocket. "Look." I tore up the number quickly then threw it into the waste basket. "It doesn't matter. It was just a hopeful girl." I assured Enola once again. She shook her head and walked into the living room. I smirked a bit. I already saved the girl's number to my phone. Enola wasn't my girlfriend. I didn't always want to be alone. I needed a way to release tension while I waited for her. It was terrible idea but a nineteen year old girl wasn't looking to me for something serious. I followed after Enola into the living room. I was a bit relieved to see the boys sitting around the living room as well. As I sat down next to Louis I felt a strange feeling stir within me. I kind of liked the fact that Enola looked jealous hearing about Aubrey.

Notes