In Another Life

“And that,” I announce, slipping the hair tie off of my wrist and knotting it tightly at the end of Cadi’s braid. “Is why all the Who’s down in Whoville say that Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day.”

Owi is studying me closely from where she’s comfortably swathed in a mountain of blankets and stuffed animals. Her eyes are drooping, though she does her best to stay awake. “Did his heart really grow three whole sizes, Bryn?”

I peel back the blankets on Cadi’s bed and pat the mattress before I eye my sister knowingly. “Of course it did. How else do you think all of the Who’s got their Christmas back?”

“I don’t think so,” Cadi crawls to the head of her bed and allows me to settle the blankets around her body cozily. “A heart can’t just grow three whole entire sizes.”

“Yes it can,” Owi insists, her eyes drifting shut again. “How else did he get his own movie then? You don’t get a movie if your heart doesn’t grow three whole entire sizes in one day.”

I have to work hard to stifle the bubble of laughter that swells up suddenly. Instead I finish tucking in my sister and press a soft kiss to her temple. “I suppose it can if you’re the Grinch. Now then, go to sleep, my loves. When you wake in the morning, we’ll have a brand new brother or sister to go visit.”

“Do you think it’s a girl or a boy baby?” Cadi asks as she reaches for the worn teddy bear half-hidden beneath her pillow. She tucks the familiar plush in the crook of her arm and snuggles into it contentedly before she yawns. “I think it’s going to be a boy. Tad says so.”

“It’s going to be a girl,” Owi mumbles, though her eyes remain tightly buttoned shut. “Because girls are better than boys.”

Cadi’s gaze flickers up to me, and I shake my head slightly before I lean forward and smooth back the fine flyaway hairs the frame her face. “Boys are just as lovely as girls. Now go to sleep. You’ve had a long day today, and we’re going to have a long day tomorrow, too, I’m sure.”

“Are you going to sleep, too?” Cadi yawns again. “And Harry, too? What about Griffith?”

I nod before I stand up and move for the bedroom door. “Yes ma’am. I am going straight to bed now. I’ll bet Harry’s already sleeping, because you two wore him out today. And Griff will be sleeping shortly, I’m sure. Now shh, it’s time for sleep.” I click off the light, and the entire room is cloaked in darkness.

I wait just the briefest of moments for my eyes to adjust to the change in lighting before I start to shut the bedroom door. A tiny, frail voice stops me in my tracks, and I stop and peer back into the blackness in the general direction of my sister’s bed, where I’m sure she’s studying me closely, even though I can’t see her.

“Good night, Bryn.” Cadi whispers in that girlish lisp that she seems to acquire whenever she gets especially tired. “It’s really nice having you back home again. I-I,” Another massive yawn interrupts her speech. “I love you,” She sighs the last of her words, more to herself than anyone else, really.

“I love you, too.” I reply, leaving the bedroom door slightly ajar before I move for the staircase and start to make my way downstairs.

I pause just outside of my brother’s room and hesitate with my hand hovering over the handle to let myself inside. It’s dark inside his room, though he must be playing on his computer, because I can see the way the lights flicker blue and white in the crack between the bottom of his door and the carpeted floor. And then I can hear Griffith laughing, and I realize that he must be online with some of his mates.

Not wanting to embarrass him by barging in to check on him, I creep back towards the stairs and then slip down the steps to where I know my adorable boyfriend is waiting for me after a long, hectic day of my siblings wearing him out.

After romping around in the snow for nearly an hour, Harry and the girls had spilled into the kitchen with rosy cheeks and frozen fingers. I made hot cocoa and wrapped all three of them up snuggly in thick, wooly blankets before the girls decided to watch a movie. They picked some princess movie, though Owi paid more mind to the whipped cream on top of her drink, and Harry will never admit to being enraptured with the Rapunzel cartoon, so really it was just Cadi watching.

After the movie, the girls decided that they both needed matching manicures and pedicures. And so I lugged down the kit that I’d brought from my flat in London, and we’d spent a merry afternoon painting our nails and snacking on popcorn. Harry had even allowed Cadi to paint his toes a lovely teal blue. Really, he’d given in far too easily. All she had to do was stick out her lower lip in an almighty pout and Harry had been putty in her hands.

We’d eaten an early dinner, since we’d missed lunch because we spent the afternoon snacking. I’d then managed to herd the girls through a warm bath before all four of us had spent the rest of the evening playing board games. Despite their protests, both of my sisters’ eyes had been drooping and yawns had been stifled into the crooks of elbows so I brought them upstairs where I told them several bedtime stories before I tucked them in.

Harry had been tasked with cleaning up the board games, though the way he had been yawning himself as I’d walked upstairs makes me believe that I’d more than likely find my boyfriend fast asleep on the sofa with the game still sitting out on the table. Not that I can blame him, because I’m sure that my siblings had worn him out. He’s not quite used to being at two small, hyperactive girls’ beck and call nonstop.

Sure enough, Harry is sprawled out on the couch, half propped up on the squashy armrest with an arm thrown dramatically over his eyes. A heavy blanket is flung out around his lower body, though it seems to have fallen down around his waist.

I have to work hard to suppress the way that I melt slightly on the inside at the sight of him being so casual and innocent, and as I step into the living room, he stirs slightly on the cushions and then removes the limb that’s covering his eyes.

“Are they asleep?” He yawns, stretching so that his back cracks before he collapses back into the same position. He looks ridiculously pleased with himself.

I nod, stepping over the heap of toys that Owi left out from her after dinner adventure. “Owi didn’t last long, and Cadi wasn’t too far behind her.” I admit as I take in the mess that has seemingly taken over the room. A small part of me is slightly horrified that the clutter has gotten this big. How had that happened?

Harry’s gaze follows my line of sight, and once he realizes what I’m looking at, a soft chuckle slips out before he raises his hand out to me. “Just leave it until the morning. Come sit with me, I feel like I haven’t seen you all day.”

“You’ve been with me the entire day,” I reply back airily, though I do step over the makeshift bridge built out of blocks and make my way over to my boyfriend. I quirk my eyebrows up at him before he laughs and then waggles his fingers invitingly. That’s all it takes for me to curl up next to him, draping my arms over his chest and using my hands to cup my chin so that I’m not cruelly digging into his body.

“You know what I mean,” He rolls his eyes before yet another yawn escapes him.

“Did they really wear you out that badly?” I use my hand to hide the smile that appears at the idea of Harry being so shattered at the end of barely twelve hours spent with my sisters. “How are you going to spend an entire week with them if you’re this exhausted now?”

His arms come up around me and he squeezes me lightly, though he is laughing at himself. “I’m an old man, Bryn. Now shut up and kiss me.”

“How rude,” I laugh, though I do lean forward and drop a sweet kiss on to his waiting lips.

When I pull away, he pouts adorably. “Is that the best that you could do?”

“At the risk of giving an old man a heart attack,” I begin wickedly, though I stop once I see the outrage in his eyes.

He’s tugging on my elbows and half dragging me up his body before he relaxes with his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. “Christ’s sake, you act like there’s this massive age gap between the two of us—it’s only three years.”

“You started it,” I whisper, drumming my fingertips lightly against his chest before I shake my hair out of my eyes and then peer up at him. “You called yourself an old man, and here you are, yawning and—”

I don’t get much more out, because Harry greedily attacks my mouth with his own. Because I love our teasing games so incredibly much, I’m half-tempted to pull away and mouth off just a bit more. But the way he’s gripping my hips and sucking on my lower lip is giving me second thoughts, and so I settle down against his body and then sigh contentedly.

I must be the worst sister in the whole entire world, because this, this right here, is exactly what I’ve been looking forward to all day—ever since Harry announced that he was spending the next week with me and my family, actually. And yes, I had enjoyed spending time with my siblings, please don’t get me wrong…

But what girl is going to complain when her boyfriend is sneaking his hands up the back of her tshirt, when he’s dropping sweet, soft kiss after kiss onto her waiting lips, or when he moans that throaty rasp that sends a lightning bolt shiver down her spine and settles squarely between her legs.

God, if he had any idea just how much he turns me on, I have a feeling that I would never be able to live it down. I can absolutely see Harry bringing it up in every conversation that he could, just so he could see the way my cheeks light up in a furious blush.

I’m not even the slightest bit ashamed to admit that Harry and I spent quite a bit of time on the sofa, kissing and laughing and whispering delicate nonsense to each other in the dark before we settled down and turned on the telly to some awful Christmas film that somehow always seems to be on during the holiday season.

I’d uncurled myself from around Harry at some point to go make some tea for the both of us. I’d eaten a Kit Kat with mine, and Harry had stolen a few nibbles, though he had claimed that he wasn’t hungry. I did make a snide comment about how he can’t complain the next time I steal a bite of his food, though I’m not sure he fully realized just how serious I was being, because he nudged me in the thigh with his knee and then resumed watching the movie.

It isn’t until much, much later that I realize that my mobile is vibrating and lighting up with an incoming call on the coffee table in front of us. I must have drifted off at some point, because the movie is over and I’m not quite sure what exactly we’re watching now. I certainly don’t recognize any of the actors up on the screen.

I snatch my phone up. “Hello?” I lean forward again and grab the remote for the television. I hit mute before I realize that it’s Tad on the other line and I suddenly feel so much more awake than I did thirty seconds previously. “Tad?”

“Bumblebee!” Tad’s voice booms down the line, and it’s the tone that he uses whenever he’s especially happy.

I can’t stop the smile that appears on my face. “Tad, how’re you?”

“I’m perfect, Bumblebee, just perfect.” There’s background noise on his end of the line, a low drone of multiple voices and faintly the sound of someone using an intercom system. “How’re things at home?”

“Everything is fine. The kids are all in bed sleeping. I was just watching a documentary on the telly,” I sneak a glance over at Harry, who is slumbering peacefully with his head resting on the armrest of the sofa. “How are things there? Do we have a baby?”

“We do—a baby girl,” Tad confirms, and I can tell that he’s smiling widely. “Mum and Baby are both doing well. We don’t have a name yet, but I’m sure it’s something your mother will decide on in the next hour or two.”

“Oh Tad,” I make a soft noise in the back of my throat, and much to my horror, I can feel tears pricking at the corner of my eyes. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, love.” He sighs contently. “I know it’s late, so I’ll let you go. I just wanted to ring you the news and I figured you’d still be awake. You always were my night owl.”

“Give Mum my love,” I request, hugging myself happily. “And send a photo of the baby whenever you’re able! I’m sure the girls will be dying for a picture when I tell them in the morning.”

“Can do, Bumblebee. Bring the gang around tomorrow morning after breakfast,” He instructs and in the background, I can hear that high-pitched shriek of a newborn baby. It brings a wide smile to my face. “I’ve got to go—Baby is about to have her first wash. Love you, sweet girl.”

“I love you, too. See you tomorrow,” I disconnect and then turn to see Harry watching me sleepily.

“Good news?” He mumbles, his eyes drifting shut again.

I fling myself on top of him and pointedly ignore the way he oomphs under my weight. “We have a baby girl!”



“And jump,” I announce, my voice slightly muffled by my scarf. Both Harry and I pull up at the same time, and Owi soars up and over the curb before we set her back down on the sidewalk. “Good job, Owi.”

Owi is clearly unimpressed with our attempts to amuse her. Normally a happy-go-lucky child, she’d been up before dawn, as she’d been far too excited with the number of new playmates at home. I hadn’t seen the harm in her being up so early (especially as I, myself, was kindof excited to go meet the newest member of our family), but after a particularly embarrassing meltdown in the backseat of Harry’s Audi, I quickly came to regret our decision.

Harry, bless his heart, seems completely at ease with my bratty baby sister. In fact, the grumpier she gets, the more out of his way he goes to make her laugh. I swear he has the patience of a saint. Of course, he’s barely been with us for twenty-four hours, but my boyfriend seems to be right at home with my chaotic family unit.

“I’m tired,” Owi grumbles, dragging her feet in the slush that’s accumulated just outside of the maternity ward. “Is Mummy here?”

Harry pauses only briefly to scoop up my sister and then settle her on his hip. It’s a familiar stance worldwide—one that every parent or caretaker has adopted and perfected, but it still makes my heart skip a beat to see him transition so easily into this role. He’s taken to it quite naturally, actually.

I’m getting vivid visions of a little redheaded baby girl with ruddy cheeks that match her daddy’s, and big, chocolate eyes that reflect my own, standing on Harry’s feet and dancing with him in the hallways of his apartments in Clarence House. They’d both be laughing merrily, and I can hear her clear, high baby giggles perfectly in my head. They’d spin around and around, before Harry grabs her and hugs her close to his chest. And then he’d turn and hold out his free hand to me, just in time to announce that Mummy wants to play, too.

“Bryn?” Harry’s voice crashes through my subconscious, and I descend rapidly back to earth before I realize just how far out I’d been. “Are you okay?” He’s stopped walking and is watching me closely.

With my heart hammering wildly in my throat, I somehow manage to nod and offer up a weak smile. I can still hear the phrase ‘Mummy’ ringing in my ears and I physically shake my head, as if that would sweep the memory from my mind. “I’m fine, just a bit nervous.”

It’s a pathetic lie, one that I know he doesn’t buy, but he lets it go for the time being as we’re just about to enter the building. Owi has her head down on his shoulder and her eyes are closed, and I have Cadi holding my one hand and peering up at me curiously. Griffith is already at the door, and not paying us the slightest bit of attention as his eyes are glued to his mobile screen.

“Bry, we don’t have a gift for Mummy or the new baby,” Cadi pipes up, tugging on my hand to draw my attention down to her level. “Should we have one?”

“I don’t think we need one,” I reply, glad that the focus has shifted to her rather than my flushed cheeks. “Mum just wants to see you. Don’t you want to meet your new baby sister?”

Owi’s eyes have flickered open at this, though she doesn’t raise her head off of Harry’s shoulder. “I want to bring Mummy a present—maybe a Doggie Doo. I think she would like that the most.”

“A Doggie Doo?” Harry repeats a bit slowly, his lips twitching in amusement. “And what, pray tell, is that?”

“It’s a dog,” Owi’s face lights up as she realizes that Harry has no clue about popular children’s toys, and that he’s far too polite to tell her to hush up. “That poos actual poo,” She is totally serious, completely oblivious to the fact that she’s chattering on to a member of the Royal Family about an animal that produces bowel movements for fun.

I cannot wait to remind her of this moment in about ten years when she’s gotten her first boyfriend. I have half a mind to document this moment with video evidence, but the more rational side of me is actually quite horrified that she’s talking about actual shit with Harry.

In the meantime, I can be mortified for the both of us. “Owi, no. Mum has already said that she doesn’t like that toy, so Santa won’t be bringing it to you this year. Maybe we can make cards at home for Mum and Baby, and that way we can surprise them when they come home?”

Beside me, Cadi scoffs in disapproval and then both of my sisters begin to talk to each other about what to actually purchase for Mum and our new sibling. Despite the fact that we’re literally about to walk into the ward and I’ve left my wallet at home and there’s no place to purchase any of these gifts that they’re discussing.

“So she wants a toy dog that makes a mess?” Harry is working so incredibly hard to keep his face straight. “If she wants to clean up after a dog so much, I’m sure Gran will let her pick up the gardens at Buckingham.”

I groan softly to myself, and then wince. “I am so sorry that you had to witness that. They’re really quite strange children,” I offer up, though I’m only half-joking. Honestly, could they be any more embarrassing?

“Tell you what,” Harry announces, capturing my sisters’ attentions once again. “How about we go into the gift shop and pick out something to bring to your mum and your new sibling? Perhaps maybe a balloon, or some flowers?”

“Mummy loves lilies!” Owi shrieks, before she begins to wriggle in Harry’s arms. He lets her down, and she latches on to his hand before she starts to drag him towards the gift shop. “I want a purple balloon!”

I grab Harry’s one free hand up in my own before I tug him to a stop. “You don’t have to buy anything. I can tell the girls that we’ll make cards for Mum at home, and they’ll be fine.”

“It’s okay, love.” Harry smiles fondly down at me. “We can’t show up empty-handed; that’s just rude. I don’t know much about baby wards, but I do know that you’re supposed to bring presents.”

“But I don’t want you spending any money,” I reply quickly. “You don’t need to spend anything. The girls will forget all about buying something once they see the baby.”

Harry drapes his arm heavily around my shoulders before he pulls me in close to his side. “I wouldn’t have offered if I’d minded. I promise that we will not go overboard, and we will settle on something small. Now let’s pick something amazing out, and then let’s go meet your newest sibling.”

And that’s how I allow myself to be swept up into the gift shop. The girls pick out a bouquet of pink roses (obviously because it’s a girl, and not because it’s both of my sister’s favorite color) and then some balloons to take up to Mum’s room (again, also pink and white, because it’s a girl, and not because it’s their favorite color). Despite my protests, Harry pays for everything and then directs us towards the elevators.

It takes us a few moments to ride up three levels and then to get past the maternity ward security. Mum’s room is 377, which is off to the left, so once all of us have our visitor badges on, we move towards her room.

It doesn’t take long for us to find it. It’s just in the corner, and tacked up to the door is a shiny little banner that reads ‘it’s a girl!’. I pause, my right hand curled up in a fist and hovering over the door, before I turn and look at Harry with a slight frown on my face.

He’s holding a bunch of four balloons in one hand, and Owi’s hand is clasped tightly in his other. He raises one eyebrow up at me. “Yes?”

“Give me a moment?” I request, wincing slightly. It sounds like I don’t want him to come in. I do want him to come in… I just want to make sure that Mum is adequately prepared before I drop this bombshell on her.

Harry nods and steps back a little bit. “Of course. Take all the time that you need.”

The girls have tired of my delays, and so they push past me and enter the room. I can hear both of them squealing as Dad greets them in his loud, booming voice before a burst of laughter swells out of the room.

“I just want to make sure that Mum is decent,” I explain, smiling up at him. “She would never forgive me if I let you walk in and she’s nursing topless or something.”

It seems as though the thought has never crossed Harry’s mind, and he nods quickly. “Absolutely. I’ll sit right here,” He gestures towards an empty chair just to the right of us. “Let me know when it’s safe to enter.”

I pause, once again, and drop a sweet, soft kiss onto his unsuspecting mouth. “Have I told you how amazing, and patient, and adorable you are for coming up here with me? I appreciate it so incredibly much.”

Harry smiles so widely that the corners of his eyes crinkle up. “Well I am pretty amazing, so that’s understandable.” He dodges my halfhearted push, before he sobers up. “There is no other place in this world,” He begins in a soft voice—so soft, that I have to strain to hear it over the bustling hospital background. “That I would rather be, than right here with you in this corridor, about to meet your sibling. I hope you know that,” His eyes flick down to mine, and I can see that he’s being quite truthful.

I have no words to describe just how blissfully happy I am in this moment. And so I settle for kissing him again, and then turning and walking through the door that my sisters left open just moments ago.

“Hello Mum,” I call out as I walk through the privacy curtains. “Hello Tad.”

Mum is seated on a bed with a small bundle of blankets in her lap. I’m actually quite thankful that I had for the foresight to ask Harry to wait in the hall, as she’s wearing a nursing tank that leaves her quite exposed. I’m not quite sure that this is the first impression that she’d want to make on Harry. She looks exhausted, but exhilarated, and her hair is a tangled mess about her shoulders.

“Bee,” Mum greets me with a tender smile before she gestures for me to come give her a hug. “Hello, darling. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mum.” I reply, hugging her tightly. “Congratulations.”

“You have a new sister,” Mum sniffs, her eyes red and swollen from crying. I do remember this part from when Owi was born—the hormones and the crying. Plus Mum is well known in the Matthews family for being a bit weepy at most major family milestones. “Would you like to see her?”

“I would absolutely love to, Mum, but there’s something I have to tell you.” I place my bag down on the table that’s tucked under the window. “I-I brought someone to the hospital, and uhm—”

“It’s Harry!” Owi announces from where she’s perched up on Tad’s shoulders.

It’s almost comical just how quickly things fall into place for Mum. I can see the puzzlement first—who’s Harry?—and then I see the realization that Harry must be the Henry that I’d told her about only a few weeks ago. And then I see the alarm that ignites behind her eyes as she realizes that I’ve brought a complete stranger to her bedside, and she looks an absolute fright as she’s only just given birth.

Honestly, I really didn’t think it would be this big of a deal, but now I’m regretting not giving more notice. Except I know that if I had warned Mum, she’d be going out of her mind with worrying and nerves.

“You brought your boyfriend here?!” She hisses, her one free hand beginning to flutter anxiously. “Bryn Alexander, I am an absolute mess—I am wearing a bleeding nappy for god’s sake, and you just decide to bring home a boy for the first time?!”

“It’s not like that,” I begin, rushing to reassure her. “He surprised me earlier yesterday morning. I didn’t think he was going to be here, and I didn’t want you stressing out during delivery, so here we are. It’s honestly not that big of a deal, and he didn’t want to pressure you—”

“Of course I feel pressure,” Mum snaps, already slipping into damage control mode. “Jack, take the baby. Bryn, get my coat out of my bag. Cadi, hand Mummy her brush off of the table, please.”

I move mechanically, grabbing her robe out of her overnight bag and helping her to put it on and then tie it securely around her waist. I am in so much trouble once she realizes whose about to walk through that door. I mean, honestly, Mum will murder me in my sleep once she realizes that I’ve brought an actual member of royalty into her hospital room, and she’s only just given birth a little over twelve hours ago.

I do have to give her credit, though. Tad attends to the baby, while I run a brush through Mum’s hair and then quietly begin to braid it in a tight, neat knot that hangs beautifully over her shoulder. She makes quick work of scrubbing her face clean, and then pinching some color back into her cheeks. With a swipe of some lip gloss, and a mint to freshen her breath, she tosses everything back into her bag and then sighs heavily.

“I will never understand you, Bryn Alexander, just springing a boyfriend out of nowhere and expecting me to be okay with it. We will be discussing this later,” She fixes a stern glare on me, and I wince, because I know exactly how much worse this is going to get in about thirty seconds.

Somewhere behind me, Griffith is sniggering attractively and I flip him off behind my back before I sigh heavily. It’s time to face the music, I guess. It’s like a plaster… just rip it off and then it’s all over, right?

Wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. But who’s counting anyway?

“I’ll bring him in then, shall I?” I say to no one in particular before I start to walk back towards the door. I hesitate at the threshold before I turn around and look at my parents. “Just promise me that you won’t get upset?”

“Upset?” Tad pipes up, his brow wrinkled up in puzzlement. “Why would we be upset?”

Mum glares at him before she turns her scowl to me. “Honestly Bryn, you act as if we’ve never met a boy before. Although we really haven’t met any of your boyfriends before, so I’m not sure why you thought it’d be a good idea to bring him to here, of all places!” Her tone of voice has gone a bit shrill, and I wince, because I know that this is about to get so much worse.

“Just promise me,” I state a bit louder, though not quite so loud that I can be heard in the hallway. “That you won’t get upset.”

Tad huffs. “Good lord, Bee. Unless you’re bringing in that bastard pedophile from bloody Manchester*, just bring him in. It’s just a lad.”

I resist the urge to retort back smartly before I open the door and step out into the hallway. True to his word, Harry is seated in the chair with the balloons still held in one hand and his mobile in the other. He looks up at my opening the door, and he smiles at me before he stands up and stores his phone back in his pocket.

“Alright then?” He asks, switching the balloons to his other hand. “Am I allowed to enter and meet your mysterious family?” His eyes are twinkling to let me know that he’s only joking, and quite honestly, his teasing is exactly what I need to hear right about now. I am so stressed out over this.

“I apologize in advance,” I whisper before I kiss him softly and then take his hand up in my own.

He allows me to lead him into the room, and it’s with one last deep inhale that I push open the privacy curtains and pull Harry forward with me to Mum’s bed.

The friendly smile that Mum has adopted quickly freezes as she realizes just who’s standing in her room, and I can see the growing panic behind her eyes as she flounders for something—anything to say.

“Mum, this is my boyfriend, Harry.” I begin quietly, though no one is actually listening to me, except for, maybe, Harry himself. “Harry, this is my family.” I announce brightly and squeeze his hand reassuringly. “This is Mum, and Tad,” I nod at my father who looks quite shell-shocked at the sight of a prince in front of him. “And I guess the new baby, too.”

Harry, ever the gentleman, picks up on the situation immediately and then seamlessly transitions into putting everyone at ease. “Hello! It’s such a pleasure to finally meet all of you. I’ve heard so many lovely stories from Bryn about you,” He doesn’t hesitate to lean down and hug Mum quickly. “Although, judging by the looks on your faces, she has kept me a secret from you.”

Tad is the first one to recover. Mum is still looking horrified on her bed, despite Harry’s best efforts to put her at ease. Tad clears his throat, and then nods his head once at Harry before he offers him his hand. “How do you do, Your Royal Highness? My name is Jack Matthews, and it’s quite the honor to have you here today.”

I can see a brief flash of annoyance flit across Harry’s face, though he does a spectacular job at brushing it aside so that my parents won’t notice. And I get it, I really do. He’s here right now as just my boyfriend, not as a member of the Royal Family. It gets frustrating to constantly have something like a title thrown back in his face again and again, despite his best efforts to step out from behind all of that when he’s with me.

But then again, I do understand that I’m an awful human being for just shoving my parents into this situation. And honestly, if I had been given a chance to redo it all, I might not have let Harry come to the hospital, and I at least would have told Mum now so as to prepare her. She probably wouldn’t do so well coming home to see a prince sitting on her sofa and watching telly.

“Please, its just Harry today,” Harry has a tight smile as he shakes Tad’s hand firmly. “Congratulations on the newest member of your family. I know that Bryn has been very excited about the baby, and I’m dreadfully sorry to impose on your private family moment.”

I can feel Mum’s eyes burning into the side of my head, and I shrink away from her gaze before I begin to busy myself with hiding half behind Harry and making a big show of taking off my jacket. Because everyone knows that she won’t murder me when there are so many witnesses present.

At least, I don’t think so. Can a woman who’s just giving birth plead temporary insanity if she slaughters her first-born daughter? Something about all of the hormones floating around in her system…

“It’s not an imposition,” Mum speaks up finally, though her eyes are trained down upon the baby that’s back in her arms and I know it’s because she’s working hard to not completely freak out. “We’re more than happy to have you here; this is the first time that Bryn has deemed us worthy enough to meet a boyfriend.”

I catch sight of the mischievous glitter in Harry’s eyes, and so I rush to speak before anyone else can comment on the apparent appalling lack of boyfriends in my life. “So!” I raise my voice so that I can be heard over all of the side conversations that have popped up around the room. “What’s the baby’s name?”

Mum is still bursting with pride and love, and she looks back down at her baby before she runs a soft finger down her daughter’s cheek. “Everyone, I’d like for you to meet Teagan Rae, your new baby sister.”