‹ Prequel: More Than This
Over Again
20
I hurried to get the brownies in the oven on time, then bounded up the stairs of Liam’s house to the girl’s bedroom.
“Are you almost ready to go to your grandma’s?” I asked the girls.
“Why do we have to go?” Daisy whined from her spot sitting on the floor. “Daddy’s home!”
I crouched down in front of her, running a hand through her hair.
“Honey, I know, but we have to go somewhere today. But, I promise he’ll play with you tomorrow, okay?”
She stuck her bottom lip out, but held out her pinky.
“Promise?” She asked.
My heart was breaking for a little girl who just wanted to spend time with her father as I locked my pinky with hers.
“I promise.” I stated. “Now, go downstairs, Auntie El and Uncle Lou are gonna drive you there, okay?” They both nodded and I kissed the tops of their heads.
They both went down the stairs where Louis and El were waiting for them.
The rest of the boys were with Niall, helping him get ready, and they were going to meet me here.
I looked at the clock, realizing I only had 5 minutes.
I darted into my bedroom and threw on my black dress and grabbed my heels running down the stairs.
Then I ran into the kitchen to pull the brownies out of the oven, but as I pulled them out, my hand touched the inside of the oven. Immediately, I recoiled in pain, dropping the pan on the floor.
“Goddammit!” I yelled in frustration, just as Harry came quickly into the room. I hadn’t even heard the front door open.
“What happened, Bails?” He asked softly, taking in the scene around me.
I felt hot tears of frustration and embarrassment fall from my eyes as I took a deep breath. Harry immediately crossed the room to me and took me in his arms.
He kissed the top of my head.
“It’s going to be okay, Bailey.” He said softly.
“I just wanted to make brownies for my friend’s wake.” I muttered. “And I can’t even do that. I couldn’t help her, and now I can’t even make goddamn food for her family.”
“Hey.” Harry grabbed my face so I was looking at him. “There wasn’t anything you could’ve done.”
I shook my head.
“But there was, Harry. I could’ve-“
Harry interrupted me by shaking his head.
“No, Bailey, you couldn’t have.” He sighed. “But do you know what you can do right now? You can go out there and be surrounded by people who are here for you. You can be there for Niall and emotionally support him. You can go hug her brother. All of these things mean more than brownies, okay? I need you to focus on the present and what can be done now, because you can’t change the past.”
I closed my eyes and counted to ten, knowing he was right. He kissed the top of my head again and I squeezed him tight.
“Thank you.” I muttered. “Thank you for being here for me.”
“Always, babe. Always.”
I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat.
“Promise?” I asked, holding out my pinky.
“Promise.” He replied.
We locked pinkies, and I squeezed his extra tight, because I couldn’t lose anybody else I loved.
“Are you almost ready to go to your grandma’s?” I asked the girls.
“Why do we have to go?” Daisy whined from her spot sitting on the floor. “Daddy’s home!”
I crouched down in front of her, running a hand through her hair.
“Honey, I know, but we have to go somewhere today. But, I promise he’ll play with you tomorrow, okay?”
She stuck her bottom lip out, but held out her pinky.
“Promise?” She asked.
My heart was breaking for a little girl who just wanted to spend time with her father as I locked my pinky with hers.
“I promise.” I stated. “Now, go downstairs, Auntie El and Uncle Lou are gonna drive you there, okay?” They both nodded and I kissed the tops of their heads.
They both went down the stairs where Louis and El were waiting for them.
The rest of the boys were with Niall, helping him get ready, and they were going to meet me here.
I looked at the clock, realizing I only had 5 minutes.
I darted into my bedroom and threw on my black dress and grabbed my heels running down the stairs.
Then I ran into the kitchen to pull the brownies out of the oven, but as I pulled them out, my hand touched the inside of the oven. Immediately, I recoiled in pain, dropping the pan on the floor.
“Goddammit!” I yelled in frustration, just as Harry came quickly into the room. I hadn’t even heard the front door open.
“What happened, Bails?” He asked softly, taking in the scene around me.
I felt hot tears of frustration and embarrassment fall from my eyes as I took a deep breath. Harry immediately crossed the room to me and took me in his arms.
He kissed the top of my head.
“It’s going to be okay, Bailey.” He said softly.
“I just wanted to make brownies for my friend’s wake.” I muttered. “And I can’t even do that. I couldn’t help her, and now I can’t even make goddamn food for her family.”
“Hey.” Harry grabbed my face so I was looking at him. “There wasn’t anything you could’ve done.”
I shook my head.
“But there was, Harry. I could’ve-“
Harry interrupted me by shaking his head.
“No, Bailey, you couldn’t have.” He sighed. “But do you know what you can do right now? You can go out there and be surrounded by people who are here for you. You can be there for Niall and emotionally support him. You can go hug her brother. All of these things mean more than brownies, okay? I need you to focus on the present and what can be done now, because you can’t change the past.”
I closed my eyes and counted to ten, knowing he was right. He kissed the top of my head again and I squeezed him tight.
“Thank you.” I muttered. “Thank you for being here for me.”
“Always, babe. Always.”
I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat.
“Promise?” I asked, holding out my pinky.
“Promise.” He replied.
We locked pinkies, and I squeezed his extra tight, because I couldn’t lose anybody else I loved.