Status: active
Getting Caught in the Rain
15
Harry shows up to work on Friday and goes into his cubicle, turning on his computer and sitting at his desk. Due to the rest of the parent-teacher conferences going on, school has been getting out early for the past few days. He wishes he could spend it with Olivia, but he guesses Caroline is the next best thing.
His boss, Mr. Ward, strolls by, but stops short at his desk. “Styles? What are you doing here?”
“I work here, sir,” Harry points out, confused.
He rolls his eyes. “Don’t be smart, boy. I know you work here. I meant today.”
“Today’s Friday, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but you’ve got the day off today, don’t you?”
“I do? Why?”
“Didn’t you work on that case we won the other day? The big one, that got the plaintiff that reward?”
“Oh yes,” Harry says. “I just didn’t know I got a day off because of it.”
“All of the lawyers who worked on it got today off as their reward,” Ward says. “And don’t you have a baby at home, Styles?”
“Well, she’s four, but yes, I have a daughter,” Harry says.
“A baby,” his boss agrees. “Go spend the day with her then. Pick her up from school or something ‒ is she in school?”
“Yes sir,” Harry answers. “She turns five in December, but I put her in Year One already.”
“She must be smart then.”
“Yes sir, she’s very smart.” Harry bites his tongue to avoid turning into the proud father, although he pretty much exists in that state by default.
“All the more reason to go spend the day with her.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Styles, I’m positive. Unless you want me to reconsider?”
“No, no,” Harry says hurriedly, already shutting off his computer. “I’ll go. Thanks very much, sir. I’ll see you on Monday.”
“Have a good weekend, boy. Enjoy your baby girl.”
Harry packs up his things and leaves the office. Olivia doesn’t get out until 12:30, so he spends his morning running errands that would otherwise be tedious if she was with him. It’s only when he’s on the Tube afterwards does it occur to him to call Caroline.
“Hey,” he says when she picks up. “I, uh, got off work early, so I can pick Olivia up if you want.”
“Oh,” Caroline says. “I’m afraid I’m already at school. I had nothing else to do, so I came a little early.”
“Ah,” Harry says. “Well, do you mind if I come anyway?”
“Of course not. She’s your daughter, after all,” Caroline says with a laugh.
“Right,” Harry says, a little embarrassed. “I’ll see you in a few, then.” He gets off at a stop near Olivia’s school and walks the rest of the way. He spots Caroline standing a few feet away, dressed in a coat and scarf. He goes over and taps her shoulder. “Hey.”
“Oh hi,” she says, her voice slightly muffled from the scarf. “Fancy meeting you here. Tell me again, why’d you get the day off?”
“I worked on a case that we ended up winning, so as a reward my boss gave everyone who helped out the day off.”
“Nice. Congratulations,” she says, holding up a gloved hand to high-five. They chat aimlessly for a few more minutes until the kids come filing out. It’s easy to recognize Olivia; in addition to her jacket, she’s wearing a hoodie Cara had given her as a souvenir from a Victoria’s Secret fashion show; it’s black and a few sizes too big, but it keeps her warm. She’s also got a white beanie stuffed over her head and cute little black boots. Harry wouldn’t be surprised if he found out Olivia was the most fashionable in her class; having a model for a mother and allowing her to buy Olivia’s clothes will do that.
When Olivia sees the two of them standing together, she stops and stares. Harry waves, and her face breaks out into one of the biggest smiles he’s ever seen. She runs over and practically leaps into his arms. “Hello! Hello! You’re here!”
“Yes, I am,” Harry says, laughing. “I got the day off, is it okay if I spend it with you and Caroline?”
She nods vigorously. “Can we go to the park? Please? Please, please, please?”
He glances at Caroline, who shrugs. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”
Privately, he’d rather go home, where it’s warm, but outwardly he smiles. “Let’s go, then.”
So they walk to the park, and halfway there Olivia gets tired of carrying her backpack and brandishes it to Harry, who holds it the rest of the way. When they get there, Harry and Caroline sit on a bench and Olivia runs off to the swings, insisting she doesn’t need anyone to push her.
The two of them sit together and watch Olivia use her little feet to push herself off the ground; soon, she’s going higher and higher, shrieking as she does. “Be careful, please,” Harry calls, although he knows it won’t be any use.
Sure enough, Olivia screams, “Watch me, watch me!” and before either of them can say or do anything, she’s launching herself off the swing, soaring through the air, and then landing lightly on her feet.
“You really need to stop doing that,” Harry says weakly, because watching that gives him a minor heart attack every time. Olivia merely laughs and runs off to the jungle gym, climbing on it and sliding down the slides.
Harry and Caroline don’t talk much, both preferring to keep a watchful eye on Olivia, but it’s a companionable silence, and Harry feels content.
An elderly woman is standing near them, and Harry stands up and says, “Ma’am, do you want to sit down?”
She smiles at him. “No, thank you. I don’t mind standing. I won’t be here much longer anyway; my grandchildren just wanted to stop for a little bit.” She nods to a boy and a girl who are playing on the swings; the boy looks about Olivia’s age and the girl a few years older. “Which one is yours?” she asks.
“Uh . . . that one,” Harry says, locating and pointing out Olivia. “She’s in the black.”
Olivia is attempting to solve one of the puzzles on the jungle gym, staring at it with her brow furrowed in concentration. She moves a few blocks before her face breaks out in a huge smile and she turns to them. “Look, I did it!” she calls. Harry flashes her a thumbs-up and Caroline says, “Good job, babe!”
“Oh, she’s gorgeous,” the woman says fondly. “She’s just beautiful. How old is she?”
“Thank you,” Harry says, pleased. “She’s four, turning five in December.”
“Lovely,” the woman says. Nodding to Caroline, she says, “She’s got your hair, I think, and your eyes,” she says, looking at Harry.
They glance at each other, slightly panicked. While part of Harry wants to correct the woman and break it to her that Caroline isn’t actually Olivia’s mother, they both just happen to have straight light brown hair, another part of him feels happy. Happy that they look like a family, like they belong. So he just nods and smiles a little, and Caroline catches on and does the same.
The old woman leaves shortly after that with her grandkids. Harry turns to Caroline immediately and says, “Was that okay? I’m sorry if that was uncomfortable, she was just so nice and ‒ er ‒ elderly, and I just didn’t want to ‒”
“Harry,” Caroline interrupts. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
“Oh,” Harry says. “Okay. Um. That’s good.”
“Yeah,” Caroline agrees, and they both smile.
Olivia comes over a few minutes later. “Daddy, will you play with me?” she asks.
“Let me consider it,” Harry says, pretending to think. Olivia rolls her eyes and he grins. “Of course. What do you wanna do?”
“Do the puzzles with me!” she exclaims, grabbing his hand and pulling him off the bench. He looks to Caroline, who smiles and waves. “Go on. I’ll be here.”
Harry allows Olivia to lead him under the jungle gym, where there are more puzzles. He’s way too tall to fit under it, so he ducks, squats, and then eventually just sits on the ground and pulls his knees up to his chest, ignoring the cold.
When he tries to help her, she waves him off, insisting, “Daddy, I don’t need help. I just wanted you to see me.”
“Oh, okay.” So he sits and allows her to do them. She figures them out fairly quickly, only getting stuck once or twice. Harry watches her fondly, noticing how she tugs at her lower lip just like he does when she’s deep in thought.
As she’s finishing up the last one, she says, “Daddy.”
“Yeah?”
“Remember when I asked you if you fancied Caroline?”
He’s startled that she remembers that, since it was a little while ago and he was able to distract her from getting an answer. “Yes, I do,” he answers finally. “Why?”
“I think the answer is yes.”
“Yes to what, love?”
Olivia sighs, sounding like a mixture of her mother and Harry’s sister Gemma when they’re annoyed with him, and sits down across from him. She starts drawing shapes in the dirt, and Harry grimaces, knowing he’ll have to clean it out from under her fingernails later.
“I think you fancy her,” Olivia says.
Harry’s heart nearly stops. “What makes you think that?” he asks carefully.
“You smile at her a lot,” Olivia says thoughtfully. “And sometimes you pull her chair out for her when she sits down. And she made beef strongoff one time and you ate it even though you don’t like it.”
“Stroganoff,” Harry says absently. “How does that mean I fancy her?”
“Because that’s what you do when you love someone,” Olivia answers matter-of-factly. She pauses, and then adds, “Also, Uncle Louis says so. So do Uncle Niall and Uncle Li and Uncle Zayn. And Auntie Perrie and Sophia.”
“Do they?” Harry says, making a mental note to have a word with all of them later. “I see.”
She looks up at him for the first time. “It’s okay if you do.”
“If I do what?”
“Like her.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But you just have to promise that you’ll always love me more than her.”
“I don’t think you need to worry, babe. Caroline and I are only friends right now.”
“Promise me,” she insists. She sits up and holds out her pinky.
Harry allows himself to grin, wrapping his pinky around hers. “Okay, okay. I promise that I love you more than anyone in this whole world. And I always will.”
“Forever?”
“Forever and ever and ever and ever,” he confirms.
“Good,” Olivia says, satisfied. “Now will you watch me go down the big swirly slide?”
“Of course, kid.” And that’s that.
His boss, Mr. Ward, strolls by, but stops short at his desk. “Styles? What are you doing here?”
“I work here, sir,” Harry points out, confused.
He rolls his eyes. “Don’t be smart, boy. I know you work here. I meant today.”
“Today’s Friday, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but you’ve got the day off today, don’t you?”
“I do? Why?”
“Didn’t you work on that case we won the other day? The big one, that got the plaintiff that reward?”
“Oh yes,” Harry says. “I just didn’t know I got a day off because of it.”
“All of the lawyers who worked on it got today off as their reward,” Ward says. “And don’t you have a baby at home, Styles?”
“Well, she’s four, but yes, I have a daughter,” Harry says.
“A baby,” his boss agrees. “Go spend the day with her then. Pick her up from school or something ‒ is she in school?”
“Yes sir,” Harry answers. “She turns five in December, but I put her in Year One already.”
“She must be smart then.”
“Yes sir, she’s very smart.” Harry bites his tongue to avoid turning into the proud father, although he pretty much exists in that state by default.
“All the more reason to go spend the day with her.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Styles, I’m positive. Unless you want me to reconsider?”
“No, no,” Harry says hurriedly, already shutting off his computer. “I’ll go. Thanks very much, sir. I’ll see you on Monday.”
“Have a good weekend, boy. Enjoy your baby girl.”
Harry packs up his things and leaves the office. Olivia doesn’t get out until 12:30, so he spends his morning running errands that would otherwise be tedious if she was with him. It’s only when he’s on the Tube afterwards does it occur to him to call Caroline.
“Hey,” he says when she picks up. “I, uh, got off work early, so I can pick Olivia up if you want.”
“Oh,” Caroline says. “I’m afraid I’m already at school. I had nothing else to do, so I came a little early.”
“Ah,” Harry says. “Well, do you mind if I come anyway?”
“Of course not. She’s your daughter, after all,” Caroline says with a laugh.
“Right,” Harry says, a little embarrassed. “I’ll see you in a few, then.” He gets off at a stop near Olivia’s school and walks the rest of the way. He spots Caroline standing a few feet away, dressed in a coat and scarf. He goes over and taps her shoulder. “Hey.”
“Oh hi,” she says, her voice slightly muffled from the scarf. “Fancy meeting you here. Tell me again, why’d you get the day off?”
“I worked on a case that we ended up winning, so as a reward my boss gave everyone who helped out the day off.”
“Nice. Congratulations,” she says, holding up a gloved hand to high-five. They chat aimlessly for a few more minutes until the kids come filing out. It’s easy to recognize Olivia; in addition to her jacket, she’s wearing a hoodie Cara had given her as a souvenir from a Victoria’s Secret fashion show; it’s black and a few sizes too big, but it keeps her warm. She’s also got a white beanie stuffed over her head and cute little black boots. Harry wouldn’t be surprised if he found out Olivia was the most fashionable in her class; having a model for a mother and allowing her to buy Olivia’s clothes will do that.
When Olivia sees the two of them standing together, she stops and stares. Harry waves, and her face breaks out into one of the biggest smiles he’s ever seen. She runs over and practically leaps into his arms. “Hello! Hello! You’re here!”
“Yes, I am,” Harry says, laughing. “I got the day off, is it okay if I spend it with you and Caroline?”
She nods vigorously. “Can we go to the park? Please? Please, please, please?”
He glances at Caroline, who shrugs. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”
Privately, he’d rather go home, where it’s warm, but outwardly he smiles. “Let’s go, then.”
So they walk to the park, and halfway there Olivia gets tired of carrying her backpack and brandishes it to Harry, who holds it the rest of the way. When they get there, Harry and Caroline sit on a bench and Olivia runs off to the swings, insisting she doesn’t need anyone to push her.
The two of them sit together and watch Olivia use her little feet to push herself off the ground; soon, she’s going higher and higher, shrieking as she does. “Be careful, please,” Harry calls, although he knows it won’t be any use.
Sure enough, Olivia screams, “Watch me, watch me!” and before either of them can say or do anything, she’s launching herself off the swing, soaring through the air, and then landing lightly on her feet.
“You really need to stop doing that,” Harry says weakly, because watching that gives him a minor heart attack every time. Olivia merely laughs and runs off to the jungle gym, climbing on it and sliding down the slides.
Harry and Caroline don’t talk much, both preferring to keep a watchful eye on Olivia, but it’s a companionable silence, and Harry feels content.
An elderly woman is standing near them, and Harry stands up and says, “Ma’am, do you want to sit down?”
She smiles at him. “No, thank you. I don’t mind standing. I won’t be here much longer anyway; my grandchildren just wanted to stop for a little bit.” She nods to a boy and a girl who are playing on the swings; the boy looks about Olivia’s age and the girl a few years older. “Which one is yours?” she asks.
“Uh . . . that one,” Harry says, locating and pointing out Olivia. “She’s in the black.”
Olivia is attempting to solve one of the puzzles on the jungle gym, staring at it with her brow furrowed in concentration. She moves a few blocks before her face breaks out in a huge smile and she turns to them. “Look, I did it!” she calls. Harry flashes her a thumbs-up and Caroline says, “Good job, babe!”
“Oh, she’s gorgeous,” the woman says fondly. “She’s just beautiful. How old is she?”
“Thank you,” Harry says, pleased. “She’s four, turning five in December.”
“Lovely,” the woman says. Nodding to Caroline, she says, “She’s got your hair, I think, and your eyes,” she says, looking at Harry.
They glance at each other, slightly panicked. While part of Harry wants to correct the woman and break it to her that Caroline isn’t actually Olivia’s mother, they both just happen to have straight light brown hair, another part of him feels happy. Happy that they look like a family, like they belong. So he just nods and smiles a little, and Caroline catches on and does the same.
The old woman leaves shortly after that with her grandkids. Harry turns to Caroline immediately and says, “Was that okay? I’m sorry if that was uncomfortable, she was just so nice and ‒ er ‒ elderly, and I just didn’t want to ‒”
“Harry,” Caroline interrupts. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
“Oh,” Harry says. “Okay. Um. That’s good.”
“Yeah,” Caroline agrees, and they both smile.
Olivia comes over a few minutes later. “Daddy, will you play with me?” she asks.
“Let me consider it,” Harry says, pretending to think. Olivia rolls her eyes and he grins. “Of course. What do you wanna do?”
“Do the puzzles with me!” she exclaims, grabbing his hand and pulling him off the bench. He looks to Caroline, who smiles and waves. “Go on. I’ll be here.”
Harry allows Olivia to lead him under the jungle gym, where there are more puzzles. He’s way too tall to fit under it, so he ducks, squats, and then eventually just sits on the ground and pulls his knees up to his chest, ignoring the cold.
When he tries to help her, she waves him off, insisting, “Daddy, I don’t need help. I just wanted you to see me.”
“Oh, okay.” So he sits and allows her to do them. She figures them out fairly quickly, only getting stuck once or twice. Harry watches her fondly, noticing how she tugs at her lower lip just like he does when she’s deep in thought.
As she’s finishing up the last one, she says, “Daddy.”
“Yeah?”
“Remember when I asked you if you fancied Caroline?”
He’s startled that she remembers that, since it was a little while ago and he was able to distract her from getting an answer. “Yes, I do,” he answers finally. “Why?”
“I think the answer is yes.”
“Yes to what, love?”
Olivia sighs, sounding like a mixture of her mother and Harry’s sister Gemma when they’re annoyed with him, and sits down across from him. She starts drawing shapes in the dirt, and Harry grimaces, knowing he’ll have to clean it out from under her fingernails later.
“I think you fancy her,” Olivia says.
Harry’s heart nearly stops. “What makes you think that?” he asks carefully.
“You smile at her a lot,” Olivia says thoughtfully. “And sometimes you pull her chair out for her when she sits down. And she made beef strongoff one time and you ate it even though you don’t like it.”
“Stroganoff,” Harry says absently. “How does that mean I fancy her?”
“Because that’s what you do when you love someone,” Olivia answers matter-of-factly. She pauses, and then adds, “Also, Uncle Louis says so. So do Uncle Niall and Uncle Li and Uncle Zayn. And Auntie Perrie and Sophia.”
“Do they?” Harry says, making a mental note to have a word with all of them later. “I see.”
She looks up at him for the first time. “It’s okay if you do.”
“If I do what?”
“Like her.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But you just have to promise that you’ll always love me more than her.”
“I don’t think you need to worry, babe. Caroline and I are only friends right now.”
“Promise me,” she insists. She sits up and holds out her pinky.
Harry allows himself to grin, wrapping his pinky around hers. “Okay, okay. I promise that I love you more than anyone in this whole world. And I always will.”
“Forever?”
“Forever and ever and ever and ever,” he confirms.
“Good,” Olivia says, satisfied. “Now will you watch me go down the big swirly slide?”
“Of course, kid.” And that’s that.
