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Crossroads

Chapter 10

"What do you think?"

I stare at my reflection in the full-bodied mirrors, turning to my side to get a better view of the slope of my bump under the snug fitting material.

"Trying too hard?"

In any other state, I wouldn’t have thought twice about the single-shouldered black gown but it’s the most formal thing I’ve worn since my belly popped and it feels a bit weird seeing the bump all dressed up.

Mom chuckles, tossing her cell in her purse.

“How could you be? You could never go wrong with a little black dress. You look stunning,”

After a long and stressful week, the weekend was finally here, and I was more than ecstatic to wind down with a bit of pampering and one-on-one time with Harry. I’d hardly seen him with a week full of food runs and date night had been over-due for the longest time. I’d penciled in our date in my calendar nearly a hundred times in fear that my pregnancy brain would prevail, and it’d slip my mind. I was determined to make tonight perfect.

I turn to face the mirror straight on, getting a view of my belly from a different angle. The bump strains against the silky fabric and makes me feel a bit subconscious. I was not used to having my belly be the center of attention like this.

“So, are you going to get it?” Mom asks, shattering my thoughts.

“I don’t know,” I glance at the price tag with a sigh. “it’s lovely but I don’t know if I should be spending extra money. I just had to replace my battery for the Rover. It wasn’t exactly cheap.”

As much as I wanted this date night to be special, I was sure rummaging through my closet one more time wouldn’t hurt.

Mom scoffs letting out a short laugh.

“Oh, River. We both know you hardly noticed the money leave your bank account. Don’t be a penny pincher.”

It wasn’t a secret that Harry and I were a very financially secure couple, but I never liked to flaunt it or use it to my advantage.

While we had a joint bank account, I set aside finances for personal wants and needs. Even if I didn’t have to, I still worked for my own money and maintained the frugal mentality I was raised with. Harry was accustomed to living a luxurious lifestyle where money was no object and had never really gotten out of the habit. When things were broken or got old, his only rationale was to replace it. I, on the other hand, tried to make dollars stretch as much as possible. I was proud of my independence and never wanted to rely on Harry’s money to get me the things I wanted.

“Mom, you know how I feel about that. We’re just going to dinner anyway.”

She raises a sculpted brow.

Just going to dinner? You and Harry going out happens less than a moon landing. You better buy that dress. Treat tonight like it’s special.”

I don’t know whether to laugh or take offense to my mother’s blatant insult of my crumbling marriage, so I simply hike up the dress’ skirt and retreat into the dressing room to change back into my clothes.

“I guess I owe tonight to you,” I spoke over the wooden door as I pulled down the zipper of the dress. “Your talk really helped.”

“How so?”

Her voice is muffled as I pull my blouse over my head. I suddenly feel dizzy and steady myself against the wall.

“I marched right into his office and demanded he talk to me. We decided that we’d like to know the baby’s gender and then I mentioned date night."

I say that with more pride than necessary as I adjusted the elastic band of a pair of maternity shorts under my bump before tossing the dress across my shoulder. For most women, marching into their husband’s office was a routine. For me, it was a milestone.

I open the dressing room door to meet my grinning mother.

“Impressive. See what happens when you listen to your Mother?” she replies, thrusting my handbag into my arms. “Buy the dress. Then you can thank me when you get laid.”

I gasp, my cheeks stinging with embarrassment.

“Mom.” I groan as we approach the cash register. The feeling of dizziness was returning.

She chuckles.

“Oh, don’t act innocent, River. You’re pregnant. You can’t expect me to believe you two are holding hands and praying at night."

I’d rather her believe this baby was conceived via immaculate conception than discuss any aspect of my sex life with her. My mother had always been candid and bohemian in her parenting and opened the floor for conversations about sex since my early teenage years. I was much more conservative than my mother, however, and was far too embarrassed to seek her counsel.

I placed the dress on the sale’s counter for the cashier to ring up but before I can reach into my wallet, Mom nudges me aside and swipes her credit card.

“Mom,” I chide. “you weren’t supposed to pay for that.”

She takes the bagged dress from the cashier with a grin.

“Consider it an early push gift,”

“I’m barely five months. It’s way too early to be receiving push gifts,” I grin, folding my arms over my belly. “let me at least pay for lunch and work off my debt. “

Mom chews the corner of her lip in thought.

“I do have some extra work to get done in the dining hall. It’s a fair exchange.”
***
“Oh, River,” Adele coos. “this looks lovely.”

I stare at the dining hall, satisfied with my work. The eyelet lace tablecloths and magnolias gives a dreamy, vintage feel that’s undeniably romantic. Apart from cooking, I think I was at my happiest when I was helping Mom around the B&B. It felt nice helping couples fall deeper in love. I almost felt like cupid. A cupid that was a master bowman for others but couldn’t manage to shoot arrows straight for my own sake.

“I don’t know why I never thought of magnolias,” Mom chimes in whilst adjusting a vase “it looks gorgeous and smells great. Only something my girl would come up with.”

I flash a bashful smile, swinging my legs against the edge of the dining room stage as I stuff my face with chicken Lo Mein. I know I’ll probably have heartburn later but the takeout is far too delicious for me to care.

“It’s not the most innovative thing but it does look nice,” I reply, dabbing the corner of my mouth with a napkin. “I’m more worried about your florist. He’s a total hunk. If I were single and about twenty years older. . .”

Mom chuckles as she rummages through the brown paper bag of takeout.

“River Dawn, you are incorrigible,” she laughs. “there’s not a single man who hasn’t walked through these doors without a woman that you haven’t tried to hook me up with.”

Adele grins as she places silverware on the table and I shrug in defense.

“You have to admit, Kate. He’s quite the looker. Any red-blooded woman can see that.” She speaks.

“See! Even Adel agrees. This place is full of romance, Mom. Don’t you think you deserve some of that too? It’d be a classic romance story- florist meets hotel owner. There’s got to be a Hallmark movie about it already.”

Mom takes a bite out of a pot sticker with a sigh.

“I’ve had my run, sweetie. I’m not young and starry-eyed like you,” she reaches over to smooth a humidity-stricken strand of my hair. “As far as I’m concerned, Prince Charming doesn’t exist. But I’m glad you found yours.”

Although she doesn’t mean to, her words strike a nerve. I used to think of Harry as my Prince Charming. I was Cinderella who’d ridden into the sunset of happily ever after on my pumpkin. But lately, I felt more like Rapunzel, locked away in a tower of loneliness and doubt with no way to get down.

“I think I’m going to take a walk by the water,” I speak, swallowing the sudden lump in my throat.

My mood went from content to irritable in a matter of seconds.

With date night a few hours away I didn’t want to torture myself with any negative thoughts. I wanted the night to be perfect- insecurity and tension free.

Mom’s brows set into a deep furrow, a worried look settling on her face, but she doesn’t seem to question it.

“I might need a little help getting down, though.”

She suddenly giggles.

“Alright, my little roly-poly,”

I ease off the edge of the stage feeling dizzy again once my feet hit the ground. I didn’t seem to matter how much food I shoveled in my face, I still seemed to feel lightheaded.

I don’t bother looking back at Mom or Adele as I excuse myself out of the dining hall. The sun burns my skin and beads of perspiration form on my brow as I walk the stone-lined path. The gleeful shouts of children fill the air and the beach is buzzing with activity of lively games of frisbee and sandcastle building. The pleasant smell of waffle cones from the ice cream shop on pier seems to calm my nerves. I’m in so much of a trance I hardly hear my name being called.

“River, that you?”

My head whips in the direction of Thomas Gallagher waving at me from the porch of his Nix and Knack’s shop. Ryan sits in a chair identical to his father’s and his terribly blue eyes seem to burn right through mine. I’d been avoiding him for a while since our last lunch date ended with me in tears. I’d managed to get over what he said but now I felt completely guilty for ignoring my best friend.

I force a smile as I make my way up the steps of the porch that creek underneath my feet.
“Hi,” I greet before Tom envelopes me into a firm hug.

I’d always sort of lived vicariously through Ryan’s family. They had the stable and loving family dynamic that I often craved as a child. Tom was a loving father figure that filled the void of my own father’s absence and his late wife Rachel was a bit more maternal in nature than Mom had been. Tom knew how to fix broken toys and told silly Dad jokes and Rachel knew how to cook and make paper doilies. The Gallagher’s where a nice balance when I sometimes felt overwhelmed with my mother’s pseudo-hippie habits. I was almost like the daughter they never had.

He steps back to get a good look at me.

“Well, aren’t you as pretty as a magnolia in May? It seems like only yesterday you were a little girl and now you’re going to be a Mama.”

Tom had the same deep blue eyes as Ryan that crinkled when he smiled.

I chuckle.

“Time flies, I guess.”

“When is the little one coming?”

In the beginning, these questions had annoyed me but now that I couldn’t hide my pregnancy I was getting used to them.

“Sometime in November. Whenever they decide really.” I reply.

Tom grins, running a hand through his head full of thick gray hair that was once a deep brown.

“You’ll have to bring em’ by and let me meet your little critter.”

I grin as I press a hand to my bump.

“I can definitely arrange it.”

There a short silence between us until Ryan finally speaks.

“Mind if I talk to Audley alone, Pop?”

Tom’s brow furrows in confusion but his expression soon changes to that of realization.

“Sure, I’ll let you two kids have a moment. I’ve got to tune this organ that came in last week,” he turns to me. “take care of yourself, River, okay?”

I tuck a fallen strand of hair behind my ear.

“Yes, sir.”

With a final smile Tom is gone, leaving Ryan and I completely alone. I stand awkwardly, chewing the corner of my lip and stuffing my hands in the pockets of my shorts to distract myself from Ryan’s gaze.

“You can sit if you like, angel.”

My stomach twists into nervous knots at the use of the pet name. As long as he’s not calling me River I know things are okay between us.

“I’d rather stand,” I reply.

“Okay, then,” he grins. “I’ll stand too.”

He rises out of his chair with a smirk and I roll my eyes. Even though I know he’s trying to break the ice, I find myself annoyed.

"You're filling out nicely," he speaks sheepishly, rubbing a hand against his beard.

"What?"

My eyebrows furrow in confusion and I feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment, completely caught off guard. I stare down at my chest in horror.

Ryan smirks.

"Your belly, Audley. It looks like there's an actual baby in there."

I giggle, placing a hand against my belly.

"That's because there is, silly,” I reply.

He runs a hand through his hair with a deep sigh.

“Look, Audley. I’m sorry about last time. I never wanted to hurt you. I just want to know if you’re okay, that’s all. Please, forgive me?”

His tone oozes sincerity and I sigh.

“I’m over it, Ry. I know you didn’t mean it.”

Ryan let’s out a sigh of relief before extending his arms out to me. I can’t help but laugh as I initiate the hug.

“You had me worried, angel. The last time we didn’t talk for this long I broke one of your New Kids on The Block dolls. I was in deep shit.”

I giggle as we pull away.

“Jordan was my favorite and you knew it. You were totally jealous of his hair.”

He scoffs.

“Who could be jealous of a doll? I have something it’ll never have.”

The laughter dies down between us.

“I’m glad we buried the hatchet, yeah?” I speak, breaking the silence.

He drapes an arm around me.

“Me too, Audley. Me too.”

At least if all else fails, something good came of the day.
***
After spending some more time at the beach I finally headed home to get dolled up for dinner. By the time I arrived, Harry was home but the lack of his presence around the house meant he’d retreated to his office to get in extra work before he was out for the night.

I didn’t mind, I wanted him to be surprised when he saw me tonight. Dressing without giving him a peak made me feel cheeky.

I did a quick dry shampoo on my hair and did my make-up as usual with a little extra attention to the eyes. Once I slipped into my dress my confidence surged. This was probably the greatest I looked and felt in the past four months. Suddenly I felt invincible like nothing could ever ruin this night.

“Babe? Are you ready? Our reservation is set for seven thirty. They’ll take our table if we’re not on time.” Harry drawls from the bedroom.

I stare at my reflection in the bathroom mirror.

“Yeah, sure.”

I open the door painstakingly slow meeting Harry’s gaze. He’s wearing what he’d usually wear to work but with a casual twist of black jeans. It never took much effort for him to look handsome. His jade eyes follow the length of my body and by the expression on his face, I can’t tell if he’s stunned or terrified. Or both.

“Darling,” he drawls whilst snaking his arms around my waist. “You look incredible. You’re stunning. Bloody gorgeous.”

I grin, leaning in to press a kiss against his lips. He’s clean shaven and smells of aftershave.
“Me? You’re joking right?” I chide.

His hands slip lower.

“I’m not. I’m so lucky,” he presses another kiss to my mouth. “you’re so sexy, Riv. Even sexier pregnant.”

I take in a deep breath, afraid we won’t make our dinner reservations if he doesn’t shut up. My eyes drift to the bed, a bouquet of peonies rest against the pillows.

“You brought me flowers? How sweet.” I speak, wrapping my arms around his neck.

The last time he brought my favorite flowers we weren’t speaking. Harry suddenly snaps out of his daze.

“Oh, yeah. Feels like more a real date, yeah?”

I kink a brow in confusion.

“This is a real date. Just because we’re married doesn’t make it less of a date,” I toy with the curls at the nape of his neck. “it’s one of the last few dinners we’ll have before we have a squealing infant to tend to. Let’s enjoy ourselves, okay?”

“We can’t enjoy ourselves if we miss our reservation,” the corner of his lips turn up into a dimpled smirk. “or maybe we can.”

I grin.

“Don’t get any ideas. Give me a minute to put on my shoes,”

I steal another kiss, rushing off to my closet on cloud nine. For the first time in forever, the night seems glittering with promise.
***
“Food’s good, yeah?”

I poke at an olive on my plate in boredom.

“Yeah,”

The smooth sounds of a Henry Mancini track fills the void of silence and a waitress passes by with a tray full of wine glasses.

The restaurant Harry had chosen fairly new in town and specialized in hyper-expensive gourmet dishes and dim lighting. He’d gotten us a table in a cozy corner and helped me in my chair and showered me with sweet compliments. But somewhere between the starter and entre his attention had waned and all that was left was radio silence. Horrible, terrible radio silence.

Harry reaches across the table for a slice of bread as I fork through the bowl of pasta I ordered. He meets my glance briefly but goes back to his meal and it makes my blood boil with deep annoyance.

I set my fork down with an aggravated sigh, scooting to the edge of my seat.

“I hate this,” I huff. “we’re just sitting here, not talking to each other like, like-”

“Like married people?” he smirks, reaching for his glass of wine.

I chew at the corner of my lip, soaking in his words. In the early stages our romance, it hadn't taken long for me to notice the pattern of couples who had been together for so many years they'd somehow forgotten how to talk to one another. They sat across from each other like zombies, poking food around their plates and occasionally mumbling about the meal or the weather.

I was certain Harry and I would never be like that but now I wasn't so sure.

"Yeah, exactly."

His piercing jade eyes meet mine over the brim of his glass, the corner of his lips curving up into a smile.

"In our lifetime, we'll have eaten about 29,930 meals together," he chuckles. "we've got all our lives to talk. A little silence here and there isn't going to hurt, darling."

I tear away from his gaze to pick up my fork again.

"Remember when we talked about everything? Remember our first date?"

Harry's grin widens as he sets down his glass.

"We went to a museum. You were wearing this blue cocktail dress and the most incredible perfume, what was it, Alien?"

I poke at a piece of pasta biting back my smile. I was surprised yet completely thrilled that he remembered such minor details. What a clever way to get us talking.

" And you wore this button up that really brought out your eyes. I was so nervous. I ran out of time to shave my legs and was so worried you'd notice. And I didn't know much about art." I chuckle, reflecting on the memory.

He rests his hand on top of mine brushing over my knuckles and sending a jolt of electricity up my spine.

"Not as nervous as I was about picking a place for dinner," he replies. "I was sure it'd be hard to impress you when you were studying to be a chef. You could cook anything any restaurant could serve- and better."

I roll my eyes with a smirk.

"You make me sound like such a food snob. We ended up ordering Chinese takeout and eating it on the fire escape. We must have talked all night, but it felt like a minute,”

Harry chuckles and his gaze roams my face until he meets my eyes.

“I wanted to kiss you so badly, but I didn’t want to seem like a creep. Didn’t really know how American girls took kisses on the first date.”

“I think I knew then that I wanted you to be the first person I wanted to tell every detail of my day to. " I sigh wistfully.

Upon the words, my cheeks flush with unwarranted embarrassment and I swallow the sudden lump in my throat.

Harry sighs, gently tearing his hand from mine and reaching for his silverware.

He cuts into his fish in silence and I go back to nibbling on my pasta, not feeling very hungry anymore. Suddenly he stares up from his plate, his green eyes burning into mine.

"What changed?"

I chew at the corner of my lip as I reach for my glass of sparkling cider that's probably gone flat.

"You cut your hair, started working for the firm," I shrug. "we started spending more time apart and less time together. You started shutting me out. I don’t know anything about your dreams, your goals, I don’t know what makes you tick- I don’t know you anymore. And I fucking hate it."

The atmosphere between us has completely changed. All the air feels like it's been sucked out of the room and the sound of silverware scraping against the plates of other tables feels almost deafening. I didn’t know where the sudden flood of emotion came from or how we even got to this point in the conversation. It was like that with us. One minute things were fine and the next, a beautiful disaster.

I snatch my napkin off my lap and dab the corner of my eyes, not wanting my hormonal tears to ruin my makeup. My stomach knots with regret and I can't help but feel like I've ruined our night. I always ruin things with my overthinking.

"I just, " I draw in a deep, shaky breath. "I just wanna be your best friend again."

I wait for Harry to protest or bite back with a cocky remark, but he doesn't. He simply picks up his glass of wine bringing it up to his lips once more.

"All that over some hair, yeah?"

The ride home is quiet and awkward. I stared out the window to keep myself occupied, feeling Harry's eyes on me occasionally. While the silence usually would have bothered me, I feel too emotionally and physically spent to care.

So much for enjoying ourselves.

I make a beeline for the bathtub once we arrive home, stowing our leftovers in the fridge and disappointingly slipping out of my dress. Harry would probably go lock himself in his office after being away from his work for too long, but I didn’t care. I felt foolish, small and embarrassed and didn’t want to face him.

It had been a while since I'd set time aside for a bath and it seemed like the perfect way to end a stressful week and doomful night.

The water was just warm enough to be comfortable and not harm the baby. I sink down so that the water reaches my neck, my bump peaking just below the surface. Closing my eyes, I allow the water to caress my muscles.

I sit like this for a while until I feel a strange twitching sensation in my belly. It's short and fleeting so I don't think much of it and go back to relaxing but when the feeling soon returns I grow curious.

I gently place both of my hands against my belly, staring down at the exposed skin in worry. Was twitching normal? I brush a thumb over my skin when the realization hits me.

The baby just moved.

"Oh my god," I gasp. "you moved! You're really in there."

Although the little bean had been sitting in my belly for nearly five months, I still thought of them in an abstract way. Finally feeling them move made it feel completely real.

I can't help but wonder what they feel like being suspended in fluid and bound to my flesh. Do they ever feel cooped up in there? Do they ever want to get out and stretch?

In my state of wonder, I hardly notice Harry leaned against the door frame. He quirks a brow, running a hand through his hair. His shirt is untucked, and the belt loops of his jeans are bare. I guess I wasn't the only one looking to wind down for the night.

"You okay, babe? I heard you gasp."

"I'm fine," I giggle, resting a hand against my bump. "I'm great. I’m fantastic! I just felt the baby move for the first time."

He grins, eyes crinkling and dimples on display.

"How does it feel?" he asks. His green eyes fix on mine and I can feel my stomach fluttering with more than tiny baby kicks.

"It feels strange at first but it's really gentle." I grin" I don't think you'll be able to feel it just yet."

I expect him to share in my excitement for a short time and then go his separate way but Harry surprises me by sauntering to the edge of the bathtub.

"Do you mind if I get in?"

As long as I can remember, bathing together was not a habit of ours. Weekdays were too busy for baths and our schedules were too different. We often went to bed at different times of the night. There were showers here and there but were hardly for anything other than coital purposes.

The intimacy of baths had yet to be explored.

"It's not that hot if that's okay with you," I reply.

He's already working the few buttons on his shirt by the time I end my sentence.

"I don't mind,"

I push my prenatal hormones aside and restrain myself from staring too hard as he strips. Our bathtub was larger than most, big enough for both of us to comfortably have our own space but he insists on positioning himself behind me. I melt into the warmth of his chest, sighing in contentment at the feeling of his legs wrapped around the curve of my hips.
His hands rest against the swell of my belly.

"I do love you," he drawls, his lips pressing against my shoulder blade. "you know that, right?"

I sigh, squeezing my eyes shut.

“I do. I do. I think I do. “

“We’re fine babe, honestly. We’re fine. “

The thing was, I didn’t want to be fine. Fine was average, pedestrian, volatile. I wanted to be undeniably, irrevocably and terribly happy.


Notes

Guess who's back, back again, Tea is back so tell a friend!

Hi guys! I'm back after a short hiatus! Thanks for bearing with me! The semester was super busy and I had a lot of distractions so this update is later than I wanted it to be but I'm glad I finally got it out!

So, after a hiatus, I decided to be evil and extra and give you all the feels! Here's a couple of things to think about: Do you think that maybe River's mom knows something is going on with River marriage wise? Do you think she will ever confront her about it or maybe River will finally confess? We get a little more insight into River and Ryan's friendship. What do you think of their history/friendship dynamic? Was Ryan's apology sincere? Why is it so easy for Ryan to apologize but harder for Harry? And now to the emotional date night. Why do you think Harry insist silence is okay? Do you think River was wrong for blowing up on him? How do you think their relationship has changed since they were younger? Sorry for all the questions, I just love to hear what you all think!

Also, Kudos to Baby Styles for getting in their first little kick! Next chapter we find out the answer everyone wants to know: Boy or Girl?

I want to thank each and every person who's read, voted and commented. The amount of love this story has gotten is INCREDIBLE! In case you didn't know this story has been nominated for the Cowley's Awards in multiple categories. They are as follows:Best Harry Styles Fanfiction
Best Plot
Best Description
Best Fanfiction of 2018

If you enjoyed my story "Let's Pretend It's Love" that has also been nominated for multiple categories as well and I am also on the ballot for best overall author of 2018 and best original author. It would mean the world to me if you all voted! Also, please vote for your other favorites the awards poll needs more voters. If you'd like to know more about the awards or vote you can do so here:
http://www.onedirectionfanfiction.org/Story/91370/Fall-Of-2018-Fanfition-Awards-THE-COWELLYS/

This is the last update of 2018. I want to again thank each and every one of you who read, voted and commented or even just supported this story. You've given me an incredible year and I can't thank you enough for that. I look forward to sharing more of my work with you all. I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and I wish you all a splendid 2019! Until next time

daydreamsandafternoontea.tumblr.com


Comments

@nvrmind
Welcome new reader! I'm so glad you've joined us! This review has really made my day!

River certainly goes through a lot dealing with Harry and it's great that she has a pretty stable support group around her. Each one of her friends and family is so important!

You're the first reader to catch the "perfect man" in Harry's character description. That was definitely purposely done because Harry and River are far from it, together and apart. From the outside looking in, Harry and River seem to have it all, but neither one of them is happy. Harry's character profile is definitely worth exploring.

I'm glad you mention Ryan because he's always the odd man out. It's not at all hard to tell that he has something against Harry. What that is we shall find out but you might be on to it already. Hannah is so sweet!

While we do see a lot of River and Kate's relationship, it will be interesting to look at River's childhood and how growing up with a young single mother affected her. Harry's family is a totally different story and they definitely leave more to be desired. I think you're right. River does seem to have a fear of being a single mother. I think it stems from the void she seems to feel from not have a traditional, nuclear family. She wants it so bad for herself and her baby that being a single parent would be like a major failure to her. Not sure if we'll get any flashbacks of Harry and River but we will certainly discover more of their relationship.

One thing you should know about me is that I absolutely adore when readers ask me questions and give me deep analysis of my stories. I love interacting and talking with readers so don't be shy about asking me questions! Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to review! There's an update coming very soon!

Just started reading this and I've got a lot to say and ask. First of all, the characterisation is brilliant! Each character that has popped so far carry their own significance and seem to affect River's life in one way or another. The characters are complex and River is honestly mesmerising! She's really strong to be dealing with Harry's shit especially while being pregnant because a woman is really vulnerable during that time and needs support.

Secondly, I couldn't help but notice you've put "the perfect man" under Harry's picture in the character section. But that's the thing, isn't it? Neither him nor River are perfect in any way that's why this story is so compelling! Harry certainly has flaws inflicted by time and I can't wait to discover what they really are.

Ryan is pretty special in his own way. To River he's the support she needs sometime but I think he's harbouring bitter feelings for Harry and I might, might have an idea why. (He still calls River by her maiden name.) And I really love Hannah for being who she is!

As for River's mother, I need to read more about her because she seems like a pretty sweet mother and I really want to know how growing up with a single mother affected River. I can't say the same about Harry's family so I'll need more to figure out why his mother seemed like she didn't like River.

Also, does River have any fear of being a single parent? And I also want to know more about River and Harry's history, like how did they meet and stuff.

So many questions, I apologise. You're killing with this story!

@CrumpetsAndTea
I've got an army out here baying for blood, I can't hold them back much longer.
If Harry is cheating I'm letting them loose. We'll steal River away and hide her somewhere

@tumblruser99
Honestly, River is a totally catch. I'm sure anyone would be happy to take her away from Harry. *Cue Steal My Girl* You are the very first reader to suspect that Harry is cheating and it's probably the most interesting theory yet. Hold the ammo though until we have reasonable evidence lol.

I'm so glad you're enjoying this! Thanks for reading and re-reading there's an update coming in the near future!

Harry's cheating... I am sure of it. Let me kill him, let me punch him in his adorable nose

If he is cheating I am leading an army into battle