Against the Odds

Alex was pretty sure she had never been so sick in her entire life.

They had barely made it back from Africa before the illness hit fully, taking her completely down. After initially worrying that she had picked up something in Africa, Harry rushed her to the doctor right away, but after determining it was just a nasty flu virus that was going around, they put her on antibiotics and cleared her to go home.

Unfortunately, the next morning was Emma’s first day back at school after spring vacation and there was just no way that Alex would be able get Emma ready as she normally did. She was almost too weak to move, and having to get Emma dressed, fed, and to school would require energy she didn’t have.

“Harry, you have to get her ready,” Alex groaned as she blew her nose for the hundredth time that morning as Harry stood in the doorway to the bedroom. He had stayed the night before to help take care of Emma, and had handled that just fine, but getting an almost seven year old ready for school was something that was well beyond his comfort zone. “And you have to get her to school. Molly won’t be back in town until this afternoon and she’ll pick her up, but you have to get her there.”

“Okay…” Harry nodded, shifting on his feet. “But what do I do?”

“Emma knows what to do,” she moaned as she fell back among the pillows, her eyes sliding closed out of the sheer effort it took just took to hold a small conversation. Harry instantly took a step towards her, hating the fact that she was feeling so incredibly bad. “Don’t!” she called out hoarsely, hearing him coming near her. “Don’t come over here. I don’t want you to get sick. It’s bad enough you have to see me like this.”

“Alex, I don’t give a shit what you look like. You’re sick,” he chuckled as he listened to her wishes and stepped back to the doorway.

“Ugggggggh,” came the groaned reply from the mess of blankets and pillows on the bed.

“Okay, okay,” Harry gave in, holding his hands up in defeat, even though she wasn’t looking at him at all. “I’ll get Emma ready, take her to school, and then I’ll come back here before I head into work to do some things. Do you need me to bring you anything?”

“Yes, a new immune system please,” she whimpered.

“Okay, love. I’ll work on it,” he said, trying to be sweet and light as he knew she felt beyond terrible. When she didn’t reply he knew she had slid back into sleep and he stepped from the room and closed her door quietly.

He moved down the hall to Emma’s room and pushed her door open. He couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips at the sight of her; her arm thrown above her head, her legs sticking out under her pink princess blanket. He moved over to her and then he realized he had never woken her up before. He had tucked her into bed countless times, but the times that Emma didn’t get up first, Alex had always been the one to pull her out of bed. He was moving into a weird sort of territory, getting her up and getting her ready for school. It made him inexplicably nervous. This was part of a routine that Emma and Alex had done many, many times and had perfected over the years and here he was, being thrown into it.

And then, with a shake of his head he had to laugh at himself. He was a Captain in the British Army. He had flown his Apache in a war zone. He had been all over the world and met all kinds of people and been in situations that normal people would never be in. But yet, something that normal people did all the time, getting a child ready for school, was making him nervous, was making his palms sweat just a little bit more than he would ever admit to anyone.

He grinned at just how sappy he was being, something that had become quite prevalent in his life since Alex and Emma had walked in, and then moved to the bed and sat down quietly. He reached out and smoothed a hand gently over her forehead, moving her blonde hair from her face.

“Emma,” he called gently. “It’s time to get up.”

She stirred and he smiled as her eyes blinked open, sleepy and confused. “Harry?”

Her voice was small and hoarse from sleep and Harry thought it was probably the cutest thing he’d ever heard. “Your mum is still really sick, so I have to get you ready for school kiddo,” he said as she began to wake up a bit more, rubbing her eyes and blinking at him several times, taking in his words.

“Okay,” Emma mumbled and then she moved out from under her covers and, almost taking Harry down, she crawled onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling her face down into him.

“Aw, Em,” he grinned as he reached up to rub her back.

“Will you carry me into the kitchen, Harry?” she mumbled as she snuggled down deeper into the crook of his neck.

His heart thumped so loud in his chest he was amazed Emma didn’t hear it.

“Sure, Em,” he murmured. “Is it breakfast first then?” When she nodded against him he gathered her in his arms and stood. As she wrapped herself around him he reached down and pulled her blanket from her bed and wrapped it around her, keeping her warm and snuggled against his chest as he left her room and moved them into the kitchen.

He flipped on the light when they moved into the kitchen and moved to set Emma down in one of the kitchen chairs. He pulled her blanket snug around her and kissed the top of her head as he stepped away. “What’s for breakfast usually?” he asked with a sheepish smile.

Emma shrugged. “Mummy usually makes eggs or pancakes but…” A sneaky grin appeared on her face. “But sometimes she lets me have cookies.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed with a shake of her head. “I find that very hard to believe, Emma.”

Emma bit her lip but she couldn’t help the giggle that slipped out. “Come on Harry! I looooooove cookies.”

“Emma,” he chuckled. “When are you ever going to learn to call them biscuits like a proper little English girl?”

“But Mummy calls them cookies,” she said with a wrinkle of her cute little nose.

“Fine, fine,” he gave in with a shake of his head. “How about some eggs and toast this morning? I can definitely do eggs and toast.”

“Ooooookay,” Emma sighed, bringing another laugh from Harry as he set about attempting to make eggs and toast for breakfast.

***********

Forty five minutes later Emma had eaten, she was in her room dressing in her school uniform, and Harry had relaxed, feeling much more comfortable with getting her ready. It had been much easier than he thought and Alex had been right, Emma knew exactly what to do.

That was until it was time to do Emma’s hair.

She opened the door to her room to where Harry waited in the hallway. She was fully dressed, shoes on and everything, and she walked right up to him and held something out to him, looking up at him expectantly. When he glanced down and saw the hair brush in her hand he blinked.

“Do you need me to brush your hair for you?”

“Noooooo,” Emma rolled her eyes. “I need you to put it in pigtails for me.”

“You can’t put your own hair in pigtails?”

“Harry,” she whined, thrusting the brush at him again. “I don’t know how and I can’t see back there. They will be crooked and I can’t have crooked pigtails. You have to do it.”

“Emma,” he started, taking the brush reluctantly from her hand. “I’ve never put anyone’s hair in pigtails before.”

“Well you have to,” she insisted. She reached up and pushed on his hip, turning him towards the bathroom and when he turned around she pushed on his lower back, clearly intent that he was going to do this, no matter what he said.

“Where did you learn to be so bossy?” he chuckled as he moved in the direction she was pushing him. He flipped on the light in the bathroom and moved in so she could come in as well. She threw him a look as she pulled a small step stool out from under the cabinet and then moved to stand on it so she was fully in the mirror over the sink.

“You don’t get mad when Mummy bosses you around.”

A shout of laughter left his lips and he pointed the hairbrush at her in the mirror. “You have too much sass for your own good sometimes.”

Emma threw her hands on her hips and looked at him with wide eyes. “Are you going to put my hair in pigtails or not, Harry? You’re going to make me late for school!”

“Okay, Okay.” He held up his hands in surrender and then stepped in behind her, looking cautiously at the mop of long blonde hair before him. There was a rather large tangle of hair right near her neck, so he figured that would be the best place to start.

He was so incredibly wrong.

He reached up and tried to tug the brush through her hair and Emma’s head yanked bank and a yelp left her lips.

“OW! HARRY!”

“Oh shit…I mean. Crap! Emma, I’m so sorry,” he rushed to sooth her, reaching up to run a soft hand over her hair. “Emma listen, look at my hair, I’ve never had to brush it. I pretty much run a comb or my fingers through and I’m done. Can you at least tell me how your mum does this?”

“You said a bad word.”

He resisted the urge to groan. “I know. I know. I’m sorry.”

Emma sighed. “Start at the bottom, Harry,” she said. “And don’t tug so hard.”

“Okay,” he nodded, taking a deep breath. And then he went to work.

Starting at the bottom of her long blonde hair he worked the brush upward slowly, pulling the tangles from her hair with only a few more shrieks of pain and annoyance from Emma. Eventually he could pull the brush through without meeting resistance and then he stepped back, a proud smile on his face.

“Done!”

“Now you have to put it up,” she said matter-of-fact. She opened the drawer beside her and pulled out two hair ties.

“You can’t wear it down?”

“I don’t want to. It gets in my way.”

“But you are allowed to?”

“Harry!” Emma stomped her foot on the stool in frustration. “Please! I don’t like to wear my hair down at school.”

“Emma, you are being just a teeny bit difficult,” he groaned, not wanting to frustrate her any more but a little perturbed at her attitude. “I know this is what your mum usually does but she’s sick and you have to work with me here kiddo.”

“But I want pigtails,” she tried again, though her voice was smaller, less pushy and Harry could see instantly that she was testing a limit, seeing how far she could push him.

He cocked an eye brow. “Want me to go wake your sick mother up?”

Emma’s mouth opened and then closed right back up, obviously deciding that whatever she was going to say wasn’t worth it at all. She shook her head slowly. “No way.”

“Okay then,” Harry nodded. “I’ll make you a deal. We will do a ponytail. If we try to do pigtails I can assure you that you will walk out of here with them crooked and you will not be happy.”

Emma waited a beat and then she nodded. “Okay, I like ponytails too.”

Harry shook his head and laughed. “You are too much sometimes, Em.”

Then, taking another deep breath, he went to work on pulling Emma’s thick hair into a ponytail. It wasn’t the world’s best ponytail. In fact, it was a little messier than Emma would usually wear, and just a teensy bit crooked, but it still served its purpose and by the time it was finished Emma was tired of the process and they were running short on time so she just hopped off the stool with a huff and left the bathroom to go get her books together. Harry rolled his eyes and moved out after her to help her gather her stuff.

By the time they made their way down to the car her attitude had faded and Harry had relaxed, having made it through the morning without any breakdowns…from either of them. They slid back into their easy-ness; the silly back and forth they always had with each other.

When the car pulled up through the gate to the school, he lifted her backpack and handed it to her after she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Do you need me to walk you up?” he asked, a soft smile on his face as he remembered being walked up to school by his own mother on more than one occasion.

“No,” she shook her head. “I just go right in that door.” She pointed to a set of big double doors about ten feet away that a kind looking woman was standing at, ushering children inside.

“Okay,” he nodded, unexpectedly emotional. He had gotten her ready for school and he was dropping her off. It was so very parental that suddenly he didn’t want to let her go. “I hope you have a good day, Emma. Your Granny will pick you up and I will see you later back at your house.”

“Okay!” she smiled wide and then, leaning over she hugged him quick and gave a quick knock on the window, knowing the drill by now. Harry’s PO that had been standing there pulled the door open and she slid out, turning to offer Harry one last tiny wave before she ran off to join her classmates.

Harry grinned as he watched her enter the school before he gave the okay for the driver to pull away.

************

Harry finally made it back to Alex’s later that evening, a couple of things he had brought for her tucked under his arms as he unlocked her door and called out for her. He knew Emma would still be at Molly’s for another hour or so, but fully expected Alex to still be in bed. So when she answered him from the kitchen, hoarsely but with a little bit more spirit than she’d had that morning, he was a bit surprised.

He rounded the corner and found her there, still in her PJs, her hair askew, searching through her pantry. “What are you doing up, baby? You should be resting.”

She gave him a small smile, and although he could tell she was still weak, she looked about one hundred times better than she did when he had left her that morning. “I’m starving,” she said. “I finally feel like I can get something down but my throat is so raw…” She shut her pantry door with a sigh. “But I don’t really have anything other than soup that I think I can take.”

“Ah…” Harry grinned, moving forward into the kitchen. “I think I can help you with that.”

“You can?” She eyed the packages under his arms. “Did you bring me something Wales?”

“I did. But before I give it to you I need you to sit in that chair right there…” He pointed to the very same kitchen chair he had deposited Emma into that morning. “I’m going to get you snuggled up in a blanket, and then I’ll solve your hunger problem.”

“Okay,” she agreed with a sigh of relief that she could sit, that she didn’t have to continue her search and use what little energy she had.

She moved to the chair and sat, watching as Harry set the packages down on the counter and then moved from the room and then came back with a warm, fuzzy blanket from the living room. With a loving smile he wrapped it around her, making sure she was tucked completely inside of it, and then he dropped a kiss on top of her head.

“Look at you, taking care of me, even when I’m sick and utterly gross,” Alex joked as she pulled a tissue from the box she had set on the table when she had come into the kitchen and blew her nose.

He laughed as he moved to the counter, pulling something out of the smaller of the two bags that sat there. “I’ll always take care of you, you know that.”

“I do,” she nodded and then, her attention diverted to what he was doing, her forehead wrinkled and she pointed to what he was holding. “Is that your shirt?”

“It is,” he grinned, holding up his blue and white plaid shirt that was lined with flannel. “You love this shirt and you threaten to steal it from me all the time, so I figured, with you being sick, it would be the perfect thing for you to snuggle up in.”

“Awww. Harry…” she smiled softly. “I love that shirt.”

“I know you do love.”

He walked over to her and she shrugged the blanket off as he held the shirt out. She slipped her arms inside and pulled it around her. It was big and warm and smelled like him.

“Thank you,” she sniffed as she pulled her blanket back up around her. “I promise I’ll wash it free of germs once I’m over this.”

“It’s not a loaner shirt, Alexandra,” he smirked. “I’m giving it to you.”

Her eyes turned soft even as she blew into a tissue again. “But you wear this all the time.”

“I have other shirts,” he shrugged. “And don’t lie, you really want the shirt.”

She gave him a small smile. “I really want the shirt.”

He chuckled and then moved over to the second package from which he pulled out a small portable cooler. Alex could hear ice moving around in it and she looked at Harry curiously.

“What in the world is that?”

“This…” He lifted the lid from the cooler with an over-exaggerated flourish and then pulled out a tub of ice cream, holding it up with a cheeky grin.

Alex’s eyes widened a bit. “Is that…Blue Bell?”

He nodded. “It is.”

“Chocolate chip cookie dough?”

“Would it be anything else?”

“Harry!” She squeaked, her sore throat causing her voice to break. “You have Blue Bell and you've been holding out on me?”

“No,” he laughed, moving to her cabinets to pull out two bowls and then pulling two spoons from a drawer, he scooped a bit into each bowl. “I called this morning and had some sent over. I thought it would help with the sore throat a bit.”

“Wait. Sent over? From where? Is there a store here that sells it?”

He smirked as he set a bowl down in front of her and then moved to sit across from her at the table. “No.” He spooned some of the sweet dessert into his mouth and shrugged. “I had it sent over from the States.”

Alex paused with her spoon in mid-air, halfway to her lips. “...You had ice cream flown over from the states? Like, this morning this was in the US and now it's in my flat in the UK?”

His smile was as smug as could be. “Yes.”

Alex shook her head as she spooned a bite into her mouth. She almost moaned with how good it felt against her throat, sore and raw from coughing. “Jesus Wales,” she murmured. “I wish I wasn't so fucking sick so I could kiss the lips off your face right now.”

*************

By the time the weekend rolled around, Alex had pretty much recovered, and it looked like Harry and Emma might have escaped the sickness themselves.

“Are you sure you feel well enough to go?” Harry asked Alex as they were getting ready to take Emma to her weekly riding lesson with Zara.

“I’m fine, Wales,” she laughed. “Quit mothering me.”

“Mothering you?” he scoffed. “I’m doing no such thing.”

She grinned and stepped up to him. Her hands moved to his chest and she leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “You are, my love. And don’t get me wrong, I adore that want to take care of me, but I’m all better. Today is my last day of antibiotics and you are officially off of caretaker duty.”

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his again, lingering there, happy to be up against him after a week of avoiding contact so that he wouldn’t get sick. Her fingers tightened in his shirt and he groaned, his desires for her flaring instantly.

“Alex…” he moaned as she tipped her tongue out to his lips, asking for entry to his mouth, wanting to feel the sweet slide of his tongue against hers. He knew Emma would be running from her room to find them any second. He knew that they had to leave in less than five minutes. And he knew that if he kissed her like he wanted to kiss her right now, all that would happen would be that he would want her all day and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it for hours and hours.

But in the end, he couldn’t resist her; he never could. With a groan his arms moved around her and his opened his mouth over hers, sliding his tongue in to tangle with hers. “God, I love kissing you,” he whispered against her lips before moving in again, tightening his hold on her, kissing her deeper; harder.

She moaned and pressed herself harder against him, wishing more than anything that she could rip the shirt she had fisted in her hands from his body and take him straight to her bed.

But the reason she couldn’t do that very thing opened her bedroom door down the hallway right then and Alex and Harry moved apart instantly, both of them with flushed cheeks, swollen lips, and a look passing between them the clearly said, “We will finish this later.”

“I’m ready!” Emma called out as she sailed around the corner and into the kitchen where Harry and Alex waited, looking entirely too cute in her riding gear.

“Well, don’t you look adorable,” Harry exclaimed, moving to Emma and hoisting her into his arms, needing to move his mind from Alex for the moment.

“I’m always adorable,” Emma said, as if Harry should know better.

“Ha!” He tickled her quickly, bringing a giggle from her lips before he set her back down and turned to Alex. “Your daughter has quite the ego.”

“Don’t look at me,” Alex chuckled as she moved from the kitchen into the foyer, Emma and Harry following behind her. “You encourage her.” She pulled Emma’s light jacket from the hook by the door and held it out, Emma immediately moving into it, sliding her arms in while Alex reach for her own jacket. She turned and found Harry watching her with amusement. “What?”

“Nothing,” he shook his head. “You two just…” He waved his hand between them. “…Have such a routine. It’s fun to watch.”

Alex’s lips twisted up into a smile as she grabbed her purse. “Well, we’ve been at this a long time, haven’t we Em?”

“A looooooooong time,” Emma nodded her agreement, her face comically serious.

“You’re too much, Emma,” Harry chuckled as he checked his watch and then clapped his hands together. “Alright ladies, it’s time to go. We don’t want to keep Zara waiting. She gets mean when you make her wait.”

Alex giggled and tossed him a look as he opened the door for them to pass through. “She’s only meant to you.”

Harry smirked and tossed a wink at his girlfriend. “It’s because I’m secretly her favorite. She doesn’t want the others to find out.”

“No Harry,” Emma called out. “I’m her favorite. She told me so.”

Alex couldn’t help the shout of laughter that left her lips and Harry rolled his eyes.

“Of course.”

************

“Alright, she’s brushing Prince Charming down and then she’s going to feed him some apples,” Zara grinned as she stepped from the stables to where Harry and Alex waited outside, letting Emma have her time alone with Zara.

“I still can’t believe she named that horse Prince Charming,” Harry laughed, an almost shy grin coming to his lips.

“That kid’s got a wicked sense of humor,” Zara said with a grin as she moved to stand by Harry, bumping his shoulder with hers. “I hope my kid will have a sense of humor like that.”

“Yeah, when you ever get around to making one,” Harry teased. “Do I need to go have a talk with Mike or…”

Zara chuckled and she turned to wink at Alex before swinging her gaze back to Harry, a devilish grin on her face.

And Alex knew. She knew before Zara said a word to Harry. Her smile grew wide and her heart swelled as she waited for Zara to say it, to confirm it.

“Nah,” Zara shook her head. “Mike definitely didn’t need any help with that job.”

“Didn’t?” Harry smirked. “Did he give up already or something?”

“Is he always this dense?” Zara asked Alex, rolling her eyes.

“You’d think about this he wouldn’t,” Alex giggled.

Harry’s forehead wrinkled in confusion and then Alex saw it hit him. He blinked and then his entire face warmed as he swung a wide eyed gaze to Zara. “Wait. Are you…are you pregnant?”

“Oh God. I thought I was going to have to spell it out for you,” Zara laughed. “Yes. I’m pregnant. Due in October.”

“Zara!” Harry’s smile pulled wide and he reached for her, tugging her into his arms. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Thanks,” Zara said, her smile grateful as Alex moved in, wanting to hug her as well, to offer her congratulations.

“I’m so thrilled for you,” Alex said as she hugged Zara tight. She pulled back and grinned at Harry’s cousin, at her friend. “You’re going to love being parents. And now Emma won’t be alone in making poor Mike do ridiculous things.”

“Oh no,” Zara smirked. “Mike does ridiculous things whether the kids make him do them or not.”

****************

“She’s asleep,” Alex said with a smile as she slipped into Harry’s room, closing the door softly behind her. “She was worn out from her lesson today.”

“Good,” Harry grinned from where he sat stretched out on the bed, his eyes dancing as she moved closer to him. “I love that kid, but I’ve been dying to be alone with her mother all fucking day.”

Alex chuckled as she slid onto his huge bed and crawled up towards him. She moved to straddle him and settled herself there, at home right in his lap. She was already dressed for bed in a t-shirt and shorts and Harry’s hands instantly found home on her bared thighs.

“Well, that’s lucky, because her mother has been dying to be alone with you all day as well.” She settled her arms around his neck and leaned into him, enjoying being wrapped around him, loving the closeness. “I can’t believe Zara is pregnant,” she sighed, her lips curling up at the sides as she met his eyes.

Harry’s smile went wide. “More babies is always a good thing. Especially from Zara and Mike, they’ll be excellent parents.”

Alex nodded, her eyes growing soft and hazy. “And of course, we will get to babysit…I hope anyway.”

“You kill me when you do that, you know,” Harry said, his voice low and soft, bringing her eyes up to his.

“When I do what?”

His hands slid to her hips and he tugged her tighter against him. “When you get all soft about babies.”

Her fingers teased in the soft hair in his neck and she leaned closer, her chest pressing against his. Her eyes danced, seeing where he was going. “I love babies, Harry…” Her voice was soft, suggestive.

“Alexandra…” he warned with a shaky laugh. “You can’t do this to me tonight.”

He bottom lip jutted out just a bit and she looked down for a just a moment and then turned wide, innocent eyes up to him. “I can’t do what?”

“Talk about babies like you want babies. I desperately want to make love to you and I’m already on a high from getting the good news from Zara and if you start talking about babies like that…”

“Well then, Harry…I guess you’re going to have to find a way to make me stop talking…” She ran the softest of kisses across his lips, pulling a low groan from him. “Because if you don’t I’m just going to go on and on about how good they smell and how sweet and snuggly they…Oh!” she squealed as he moved, wrapping a strong arm around her and flipping her on her back.

His mouth was quick to cover hers, quick to silence her, quick to bring her brain to a place where she remembered that she hadn’t had this with him in almost a week and that she wanted this just as bad as he did.

And she did. She wanted the way he slowly peeled her clothes from her body. She wanted the way he kissed and licked and sucked what felt like every inch of her skin until she was writhing with want under him. She wanted the way it felt when he pushed himself into her, filling her completely, touching the places that only he could reach.

And God, she wanted the way it felt when he moved within her, pushing and pulling at everything she had while his hands ran over her, while his mouth ravaged hers. She wanted the way he groaned and moaned and called her name when he was close, when begged for her to come for him, to join him in the intense end that both of them were barreling towards wildly. And when she did, when she went over the edge, calling his name out hoarsely into the room, he followed right behind, pressing hard and deep as he groaned into the soft, sweaty skin of her neck as he poured himself into her.

The air was soft and sweet between them after it was over, after they both caught their breath, after they both shared whispered words of love and the slow, easy kisses that come after that kind of passionate lovemaking.

Harry left her side only to clean himself and then he was back, sliding into the covers and pulling her instantly against him, tucking her into his side and pulling the blankets up around them.

“I love you, Alexandra Mae,” he whispered against her hair as he closed his eyes.

“And I love you, Henry Charles Albert David.”

****************

Three Weeks Later

Alex couldn’t stop the way her hands shook as she got out of her car at Harry’s place. She couldn’t stop the way her brain raced and how the only thing she wanted to do was tell him and at the same time wished she didn’t have to tell him anything at all.

She fought to take deep breaths as she knocked on his door and when it swung open she fought to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes.

But it was a losing battle and the tears came anyway, filling her eyes and blurring her vision as she rushed inside, leaving a stunned and concerned Harry in her wake.

“Alex?! What in the world…” he shut the door and hurried behind her as she moved into the living room, pacing back and forth. “Hey…baby…” He finally caught her by her shoulders and turned her to face him. His eyes were wide with worry and concern. “What is going on? What happened, Alex? Did something happen with the press? Did something…”

“No…” She shook her head slowly. Her voice was small, nervous. Her eyes were big and filled with tears. “Oh God…Harry, how could I have been so stupid? I just wasn’t even thinking and…”

“Wait. What?” He shook his head, confused. He bent down to her level and brought his hands to her face, gently pushing the hair from it. “Baby, you’re scaring me. What is going on? Please…” His eyes searched hers. “Tell me what is going on, Alexandra.”

Her lip trembled, but she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “I was on antibiotics, Harry. I’ve been on birth control for years…”

“Wait. What?” He shook his head, confused. He bent down to her level and brought his hands to her face, gently pushing the hair from it. “Baby, you’re scaring me. What is going on? Please…” His eyes searched hers. “Tell me what is going on, Alexandra.”

“I was on antibiotics. I’ve been on birth control for years…years…and I forgot that antibiotics mess with birth control and…”

Harry’s breath sucked in and his eyes went wide. “Alex…”

The tears finally spilled from her eyes.

“I’m a week late, Harry.”

And his entire world tilted on its axis.