I wasn’t sure how long I lay there, looking down at my stomach.I felt like I was heavier than I had been before but I didn’t know if I really was, or if I had been thinking about it too much.Deciding I needed to think of something else, I stood up and walked down the hall.I could still hear the water in the bathroom, so I made my way down the steps.The smell coming from the kitchen was heavenly.Walking in, I found Anne pulling a pie out of the oven.I laughed quietly and she jumped in surprise, obviously not hearing me walk in over her unconscious humming.“Only you, Anne.”She just laughed back at me, her smile spreading even wider.She went back to work for a few minutes before turning just to smile at me again.

Sitting down at the island, I watched as Anne rushed around the kitchen.She would take little glances at me and after awhile there was a slice of apple pie and vanilla ice cream sitting in front of me.I took a bite and then another, unconsciously looking down at my plate.When I glanced up, Anne was full on staring at me with a smile for days.I glanced from side to side before reconnecting with her gaze.“What is it?”She rolled her eyes – still smiling – and sat down in the chair next to mine.I turned to face her as I took another bite of pie.

“How long were you guys going to try to keep it a secret from me?”I almost choked as I quickly tried to swallow everything that was still in my mouth.Anne quickly jumped up to grab me a glass of water.Once I had gathered all of my thoughts, I looked up at her through unsure eyes.“Ugh… I just knew that you two would end up together… Well,” she let her eyes wander down to her twiddling thumbs, “I was really hoping so.”I let a soft smile come over my face.After a while I spoke again.

“We actually didn’t know until I got hit with morning sickness.”I could feel my cheeks flush slightly red.I met Anne’s eyes once again and found her brows raised in a manner of surprise.

“That’s quite a ways into the pregnancy,” my mouth became a straight line as I nodded.

“Yeah, at what point does it hit you at midnight.”Anne sighed and started playing with her fingers again.

“I never quite got why they called it morning sickness when it hits you all the time.”Her face scrunched slightly as she thought back to her passed pregnancies.Looking back up, she simply smiled at me.“It’ll get better though, and God knows it’ll be worth it in the long run.”Her face was almost too much for me.Here I sat – my boyfriend wasn’t here to protect me from this conversation – thinking about the possibility that the woman sitting in front of me wasn’t the grandmother of the child inside of me.Turning to leave the kitchen, Anne got all the way to the door frame before she turned back.At first, she looked as if she wanted to say something more, but then she started to think better of it.

“Anne?”Her head whipped back towards me, urging me to continue.“Is there something else you needed?”

“Not quite,” she turned to lean against the door frame.The way that she crossed her arms and put one foot over the other reminded me scarily of Harry.I still wasn’t buying into it with the look on her face.“I was just wondering,” she looked down to swipe her foot across the floor, “it’s been awhile since I shopped for baby clothes.”My eyes got a little wider with fear of what was coming next.“Maybe it would be fun for us to go together in a little while.”As much as my heart sunk, I wouldn’t let my face show it.It wasn’t until I was unconsciously nodding my head ‘yes’ that I saw the mop of curls standing behind her.Anne’s smile grew bigger as she almost bumped into Harry walking out of the kitchen.

Once Anne was gone, Harry walked into the kitchen, opening the door to the fridge and pulling out the leftover pie.Without looking at me, he pulled back the wrapping and got out a fork, eating it straight out of the pan.After a few minutes of him facing away from me, my heart began to sink.

“Harr…”

“What,” he responded shortly, mouth still full of food.I could feel a lump forming in the back of my throat, but I tried to swallow it.Why was he acting like this?

“Y-your mum asked me…” I took a moment to take control of myself, “if I wanted to go shopping today.”

“Sounds fun.”Not only did his short words dig deep into me, but what he said after broke my heart.“You obviously need some girl time.”He picked at the pie in front of him, still not facing me.Harry didn’t question turning around until he heard the muffled cry that had escaped my mouth.Even then, he only looked up and out the window, looking over the front lawn.“Where are you gonna go?”I looked down and started playing with my hands.

“Clothes shopping,” my voice cracked as a few more tears spilled from my eyes.Finally he turned around, carrying the pie tin over to the counter of the island and setting it down.He still didn’t look at me.

“And why are you so upset about going shopping for clothes?”

“Their not for me,” his face stayed down but his eyebrows furrowed quizzically, “… they’re for the baby.”I sniffled and another horrid sob escaped my mouth.This time, Harry dropped the fork and his head snapped up instantly.His face was no longer harsh and was full of concern as we stood with the countertop in between us.Now it was my turn to look down, not being able to look this beautiful boy in the eye.“And I don’t know why you’re so upset with me, but I really can’t prep for this alone because I don’t know…”I heard footsteps shuffle and Harry was picking me up, muffling my sobs in his bare shoulder.

“I’m not mad Love, stop thinking that right now.”

“Then why…”

“I don’t know.I was being stupid.I wasn’t seeing that what’s really important is standing right here in front of me.”I calmed slightly.

“I need you.” It came out as a whisper as he rubbed soothing circles at the base of my back.

“Shhh… I know Babe, I know.”

~

“We’ll see you later Honey!I’ll get dinner started when we get home!”Harry yelled something unintelligible back to his mother before Anne closed the front door behind us.

It was a short ride to the store, but even I was surprised at how fast we had gotten there - maybe because it was about the last place that I wanted to be.It wasn’t any place that I had ever seen before.Walking in to the simple store, I struggled to keep joyful emotions on my face.Any other time, I would’ve thought that this little corner store was the cutest place I had ever laid my eyes on, but now… now it was like my worst nightmare – or at least in the top ten.When I had zoned back in, Anne was talking to a young woman on the other side of the counter.She was smiling at me with a half hearted smile when I realized it.This wasn’t just anyone.

“Hannah, this is…”

“Shelby, right?”Harry and I went to school with Shelby.She was one of his most common love interests.She pulled me into a loose hug before holding me out at arms length.

“Well,” she gestured around her small shop, “I guess you two being in here makes things pretty official.”The biggest smile came over Anne’s face as she nodded vigorously at Shelby.As for Shelby, the look on her face wasn’t incredibly pleased.“No ring?”I noticed that her gaze had fallen down to my left hand, resting on my waist.My eyes got a little wider as I shook my head slowly.

“Oh, erm… not yet, I guess.”I was a little uncomfortable talking to Harry’s ex about this.

“I have to be home to start dinner after awhile, let’s get started!”Thank you, Anne.Because there was no one else really in the shop, Shelby basically just followed us around.There were a few times where I almost got caught up in what we were doing and was having fun, but then I would remember that we might be lying if we bought the baby a shirt that read ‘Daddy’s First’.With every item that we looked at, my heart managed to break a little bit more.Before long, I couldn’t take it.It was almost as if I was getting light headed.Anne was turning to speak to me after laughing with Shelby.Her face fell when she saw me.“Hannah, are you alright dear?You look pale.”

“I-I… I need some air.”I was sure my words were quiet as I turned to rush for the door.Slightly embarrassed at how loud the bell on the door was from my shoving it open, I sat down on the curb and held my head in my hands.This was the point where I noticed I was crying.How could I look Anne in the eye and tell her?Apparently I had to think fast because I heard the bell on the door moments after I sat down.Feeling a presence next to me, I peeked out between my fingers to see Anne’s skinny legs mimicking mine.She wrapped me in a comforting hug; it reminded me of the way she did this when I was younger.I restrained slightly and she let go, not forcing it on me.When I gathered the strength to look up through teary eyes, I could tell that her heart was breaking for me.

“What’s wrong sweetheart?”My gaze shifted, not being able to look her in the eye.I was then wrapped in a very forcing hug.She kissed my head and it reminded me of Harry’s calming nature.“You know that you can tell me anything.”There were a few moments of silence.

“The baby,” I choked out.Anne continued rubbing my back and letting herself be a barrier between me and the rest of the world.Her silence gave me strength.“Anne, it might not be Harry’s.”Her hug tensed.I could tell that she was surprised by the news and I knew exactly what was going through her mid.She thought that I was cheating on her baby boy; that I would stoop so low as to run to the arms of another when things got rough.

“Does he know?” leave it to Anne to go into friend mode as opposed to mama bear mode.Thank God for Anne.I nodded my head ‘yes’ as a new wave of tears washed over me.She still tried to comfort me, but there was less emotion there now.Yes, I could tell her anything, but there was no guaranteeing that she would stick with me through everything.I had to accept that.Crawling to my feet, I looked from left to right.I could feel Anne’s eyes still on me, looking up from the ground.Wiping my eyes, I tried to hide the fact that they were ever wet in the first place.Anne stood up and draped her arm around my shoulder.She began walking, taking me with her towards the car.

The ride home was dead silent.She was so disappointed and I was so ashamed that we had nothing left to say to each other.No, she didn’t know what had really happened, but would it really make a difference.Technically, I did cheat on Harry.What had happened was totally preventable.If I hadn’t let him into my apartment, if we hadn’t have been drinking and if I hadn’t been so naïve, then none of this would have happened.All too quickly, we were pulling up in front of the house.The door opened and Anne followed me in.I could hear the television on and started running. Anne ate my dust as I tried desperately to reach Harry.He must’ve heard my feet racing across the floor because he was waiting, arms wide open, when I found him.The tears were once again streaming as I let him embrace me in a tight, comforting way.

He whispered the same sweet nothings in my ear as we rocked back and forth.He tried to ask what happened, what was wrong, but I didn’t answer; I couldn’t find the words.Anne’s heels clicked down the floor of the hall before they stopped at the door and Harry’s muscles tensed around me.Letting Harry’s arms fall back to his sides, I looked uneasily between Harry and his mother.Her arms were crossed and her hips were jutted to one side.She looked between the two of us for quite a while before her gaze shifted to the floor.“Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?”I tried to wipe the waterfall away, but it was doing little good.Looking back to Harry, I could see that he had gotten most of the picture.

“Hannah, how about you go wait in my room?I’ll be up in a bit.”I had to pass Anne on my way to the stairs; I couldn’t look her in the eye.It took Harry weeks to come back to me after it happened, and now – being pregnant – I couldn’t afford to loose Anne.Quietly closing the door, I could hear Anne’s frustrated voice reaching out to Harry’s closed ears.His voice stayed calm – I couldn’t hear it – and then Anne started in again.Even from the opposite end of the house, I could feel the tension of their conversation.Apparently they could too because soon they were yelling at each other, which made me cry harder.I shouldn’t be coming between Harry and his mother.I knew how close they were.Harry was trying so hard to defend me, but Anne didn’t understand.

“Why is she doing this to you?!” Anne shouted.

“Because it wasn’t her fault!”Harry’s voice frightened me.I’d never heard him as loud as I did now.It boomed through the entire house and then there was nothing: silence.Harry tried to say something else, but his voice cracked just before his soft sobs wandered up the stair case.My heart began breaking as I wrapped myself in Harry’s comforter and turned away from the door.I could still hear them talking, but my crying droned out the words.

Before long, Harry’s bedroom door opened slowly.His side of the bed sunk in and I held my breath.He didn’t touch me.He didn’t talk.He didn’t move.It didn’t sound like he was breathing either.“I-is she m-mad at me?”I muffled my next wave of sobs.The bed moved slightly before he pressed a kiss to my hair.

“I can’t be mad at you, Angel.”My breath was sharp as I realized it was Anne’s thin and nimble fingers that were stroking through my hair.Turning over, she wore an expression of sympathetic understanding.She wrapped me in a hug as I let her force field come down around me, protecting me from anything that could ever come my way.Harry and I were one in the same to her.Harry was her son, as I was her daughter and even when I didn’t see it that way, she did.

~

Please don’t be a bug… Please don’t be a bug… Please don’t be a bug…When I was positive that there was a bug crawling on my bare stomach, my eyes snapped open and flashed to look down.Harry laughed as my heart rate began to slow.He continued to glide his middle finger easily over my impregnated belly.Humming softly, he continues his actions while I squirmed beneath his touch.“Babe, your appointment isn’t for another two hours; you should go back to sleep.”I closed my eyes as his finger paused.He started moving again and my eyes snapped open.“Babe…”

“I can’t!It tickles!”He started laughing and I couldn’t help but burst out with him.Once we were calm, he pulled me tight into him, my head to his chest.His heart raced.“Are you nervous?”He sighed before responding.

“I threw you into finding out whose baby it is.It’s my fault that it happened in the first place and you’re still the one going through all of the hard stuff.”I shook my head ‘no’ as I sunk further into him; I knew that’s why he had been upset yesterday.

“We both made bad decisions, but the important part is that we’re together now.”I hugged him tighter and my heart warmed when he hugged me right back.

When I woke up again, it was to Harry shaking me gently.I could hear my alarm blasting through the background.“Babe, we have to leave soon,” he whispered quietly.I groaned into his bare skin and shuffled around in the sheets.When I looked up into his pure green eyes, I found a look of hidden sorrow.

“What’s wrong?”I cupped his face with one hand; his eyes closed as he leaned into my touch.

“Do you still want to go and find out?”I pulled his face so that his eyes locked with mine.

“We’re going to know eventually.We might as well have some time to prepare.”There was no way there was a look of happiness in Harry’s eyes, but there was something more like hopefulness instead.I knew how terribly Harry wanted the baby inside of me to be his.The only trick was finding out when it was the right time to know whose it was.

We both visibly moped towards the door as it was time for my appointment.I was embraced by Anne for I’m not sure how long as we stood by the door.Suddenly, everything was ultimately noisy outside the front door.Harry and I gave each other questioning looks before he reached for the doorknob.I didn’t have to see anything beyond the crack that he opened the door; the flashes of light that bounced off of his face were enough to match up with the loud roar.The paparazzi were here.Why were they here?How did they know?I heard as they shouted questions at an already down Harry.All Harry did was give a faked smile to the world before closing the door.

Pulling out of the garage was a nightmare.I was tempted to push his foot down on the gas to run over a few of the paps; send the others a bit of a message.Thankful for the heavily tinted windows of Anne’s significantly smaller car, I watched as people pressed the lenses of their cameras to our windows.They tried to get a shot of the pregnant couple and I prayed to God that the windows were thick enough to keep them out of our business.The tint was thick but the glass was not; we could both here different variations of the common question.“Who’s the father?!”Harry’s phone rang and – after giving me an apologetic look – he dug it out of his pocket before holding it to his ear.

“Mum?... Yeah, I’m not sure… There’s no way we’re going to be able to go under the radar… Yes Mum, I’m sure… because they’re tailing us, that’s why…” I tuned out of their conversation and turned in my seat to see that he was absolutely right.There were at least three cars of paps behind us, mimicking every turn that we made.A little while after, Harry hung up the phone.After the fifteenth sharp turn that Harry made, I grabbed onto his arm closest to me and held tight to my stomach with the other.He looked anxiously from me to the road and back to me again.“Babe?”

“If you keep driving like this I’m going to throw up and then I’m going to die – if not because you wreck the car then because it’s going to upset the baby so much it’ll kill me.”After checking his mirrors again, he gave me an apologetic glance before getting us back home.We closed the door between us and the rest of the world.Harry ran his hands through his hair as he began ascending the stair case.I was about to follow him when Anne grabbed my arm, restraining me from carrying out my actions.After I raised my eyebrows at her, she led me into the living room, sitting me down on the couch.

“I called the doctor and he said that he would be happy to reschedule.”My lips came to a tight line and there was a moment of silence.

“Surely that isn’t all that we’re talking about right now.”Anne looked towards the floor; it wasn’t like her to be this shy with me.

“Are you alright?” her brow furrowed and she looked up to me, tilting her head to the side.I looked thoughtfully for a moment before nodding my head.“It’s just,” she grabbed onto one of my hands with both of hers, “it can’t be easy to bring yourself to go and find out and then not even have the option.”I let one corner of my mouth pull up as I looked down at our hands.

“I’m pretty alright… I mean there’ll be other opportunities.I’ve waited this long, right?”Thinking for a moment, I decided that I should ask.“Anne, did you talk to any of the paps?”Her eyebrows furrowed in a look of concern.

“Of course I didn’t.I would never do that to you and Harry.Why do you ask Sweetheart?”I paused before responding; the look of confusion was now mine.

“Every one of them was asking…” I crossed my arms and looked towards the floor, “erm… they were all asking whose baby it was.”I sniffled, choking back tears before looking up at Anne.I could tell that she so badly wanted to comfort me, but she seemed to be lacking the ability to speak.

“Hannah?” Harry called down to me.“Babe, are you coming upstairs?”He walked down to the base of the steps with us.Wrapping his arms around my waist from behind me, he rocked us back and forth, helping me to compose myself.“Mum, we’re probably going to head out tomorrow.Now that…” he stopped to steady his breathing.“There’s nothing keeping us from just going to a doctor that’s closer to the guys and Hannah’s apartment now.Now there’s nothing to hide.”

Notes

Hey guys! Posting this right before I go to school this morning! Sorry it took so long :/ How did everyone like it? Imma say 120 votes for the next chapter? I'm writing part of it today. I gotta pick it up for all you beautiful people haha who should the next chapter be about? Hanarry, Nemma or Zaley? I've got the plot for all three so just let me know what you guys wanna be updated on lol
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xoxo Hannah <3