Aurelia Bristow died before Fynn or Harry could see her. In fact, she didn't make it to the hospital and had passed away in the ambulance. Her unconscious body was found by a few coworkers when they came to talk to her about a new manuscript. She was lying on the floor by her desk and by the time the paramedics had come, it was too late. Her legs had given out and she collapsed, hitting her head against the edge of her desk. Her body shut down on the way to the hospital and she passed away without feeling any pain.

Harry had discovered that Aurelia had fatal familial insomnia, a very rare disease that had no known cure. It didn't have a set treatment either because how uncommon it was. Patients, once diagnosed, are given eighteen moments at the most to live and he learned that Aurelia found out about what she had six months after the symptoms really became a problem. Harry realised that it all started when the affair had. It made sense to him then, all of the times that Aurelia tried to get him to come home. She always said that she had something important to tell him.

He had always assumed that it wasn't. He always thought that whatever it was, it could wait. He never thought that the times he chose to brush off his wife for his secretary were the times when she was trying to tell him that she was dying. He had never hated himself more than when all of that hit him. He had brushed aside Aurelia for Celia. He couldn't believe that he didn't notice the signs of his wife's failing health. It was all there, right in front of him and he chose to ignore it.

Aurelia had labeled all of her foods in the end. She began to forget every important thing and she often forgot about the divorce. Her body was failing her when she collapsed or her hands shook uncontrollably. She didn't sleep as well as she used to and didn't actually do that in the days leading up to her death. She didn't eat as much as she used to, and Harry had known that should have been the biggest red flag. Aurelia absolutely adored food, she never cared about the amount that went into her body. She loved her curves and was even proud of them.

Harry was hurt at first that Aurelia never told him in the end that she was dying. At the point when he had brought up the divorce, she was given a month and a half at the most to live. He realized that she was going to tell him what was happening that night, but what he said had caused her to get distracted and she forgot. It seems that after that, she never truly tried to tell him again; perhaps she had assumed that he'd catch on. He knew he didn't deserve to know after everything he did. He knew that once he brought up the divorce, the only person that Aurelia was trying to take care of was Fynn. Every thing she did after that was for him.

It took years for anyone to realize the true reason as to why Aurelia had Harry carry her out of the penthouse every day for thirty days. Part of it was so Fynn wouldn't be distracted from his exams, but the biggest part was how he'd perceive his father. Aurelia had wanted her son to see his father in a good light. She wanted him to see that his father could be loving and caring.

It had become an important part of Fynn's mornings. Even though he knew what was really going on, Aurelia wanted to lessen the pain for her son and she thought that this was the best way. She didn't want Fynn to resent Harry for what was happening, it was clear that she wanted them to maintain a good relationship, even if it wouldn't be like what it was before. She had been aware that things wouldn't be normal again but she wanted to try and make things less painful.

That is the only reason why Fynn is currently standing on the front steps of his father's small home. His wife, Luna stands behind him with their month old baby, Rosemary. He is here to introduce his daughter to his father. He doesn't want to give Harry the luxury of knowing his daughter, but he knows he should. He owes it to his mother to try and fix things, and it was his wife that convinced him to actually go through with this. Fynn has resented his father for the past twelve years, but he's remained in contact with him through occasional phone calls and letters. Harry was invited to the wedding, but his father had quietly left after the vows were said. He had known that was the only thing he was meant to see.

"Relax, Finnie," Luna murmurs quietly as she gently grasps her husband's hand. "It'll be okay."

"I know it will, but..."

"But you're nervous to see your father after so long. I understand," she says softly. "I am willing to do whatever you want. If you don't want your father involved, we can leave right now."

"That'll just break his heart," Fynn grumbles. Even though he isn't fond of his father, he knows how excited he is about his new granddaughter. He didn't go to the hospital because of his uncertainty in regards to how welcome he'd be. Fynn had grudgingly decided to FaceTime him once Rosemary was born. He was annoyed at how excited his father was, but he also found it oddly endearing.

"This could be good for you, Fynn," Luna says. He sighs quietly and looks down at his wife, his eyes scanning her tanned skin. It's been seven years since he met her at UC Berkeley and a day hasn't gone by where he isn't amazed by her beauty. Her tanned skin matches beautifully with her olive coloured eyes and thick brown hair. Her body isn't the same after the pregnancy, but he doesn't care. She's even more beautiful for having carried their daughter inside her for eight months. He's well aware that she hates the scar that she has from the c-section, but he likes it because it's a reminder of how strong his wife is.

"I should knock on the door, shouldn't I?" Fynn asks after realizing that he's been staring at his wife for too long. She smiles kindly at him and stands on her toes, lightly pressing her lips to his cheek.

"You can do this, my love," she says quietly. She carefully adjusts Rosemary in her arms before nodding at her husband. Fynn takes a deep breath before knocking on the oak door. He bites the inside of his cheeks when it opens, revealing his father. He's aged since the last time he's seen his son. He has a few wrinkles here and there, his hair hair has grayed a lot and he's gained weight. He's not nearly as thin as before and he has a larger stomach because of his years of drinking beer. His eyes widen slightly when he sees his son, not quite able to able to believe that he's actually here.

"Uh, hi," Fynn mumbles uncomfortably. He instinctively wants to hug his father, but he stops himself because he doesn't want to give in. Not yet at least. Harry hesitates for a moment before he smiles, the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes grow more prominent and he steps aside to let his son and daughter in law into his home.

"Hey Fynn, it's good to see you," Harry manages to say as he tries to keep his excitement at bay. While this is his first time meeting Rosemary, it's also the first time seeing his son since the wedding. That was five years ago. "And you, Luna. I'm happy to see you both." It's only then that the young couple notices that Harry is wearing a white apron. Fynn feels himself grow excited because he knows what that means. His father must have whipped up baked ziti--his all time favourite home cooked meal. With a slight pang, Fynn knows that this is his father's way of asking him and his wife to stay over longer.

"Thank you, Mr. Styles," Luna says, still unsure of how to address her father in law. Harry's smile falters at the formality, but he doesn't try to correct her, knowing full well that she'll say his name when she thinks that he's proven himself. Fynn notices his dad's sad look and lets out a quiet sigh, hating that he sympathized with him for a brief second.

"Dad, I hope you didn't go all out, we're not sure how long we'll be able to stay," he confesses.

"Oh," Harry says, his confidence lessening with each thing that's said. "Well, I can give you the extra dish I made for you. I...I'm not sure if you still like baked ziti but...I guess it's okay if you don't. I can just give portions out to the homeless. I can't actually eat this anymore...I should have asked what you guys wanted, and-"

"Dad, you're rambling," Fynn says. "You don't need to worry about me not liking baked ziti, I still love it. I recently got Luna to like it too, but she's not nearly as into it as I am. Why can't you have it anymore?"

"Oh, it's bad for my heart," Harry says  as he walks into the kitchen. He leans down to look through the glass of the oven to check on the progress of the baked ziti, before looking at his son and daughter-in-law again. "That doesn't matter though, I made myself a salad." there's a few moments of awkward silence before Luna decides to do something. She clears her throat and steps forward.

"I think it's time for you to finally meet your granddaughter, Mr. Styles," she says with a slight smile. Harry's eyes immediately go to the small baby in his arms and he feels a sudden rush of warmth as he looks at Rosemary. "Would you like to hold her?"

"If that's okay," he says in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake the sleeping baby. He wants nothing more than to hold his granddaughter but he holds back, not wanting to cross a line. His hopeful gaze turns to Fynn who slowly nods. He watches carefully as his father takes his daughter into his arms and he feels even more conflicted when he sees how happy Harry is. It's like new life has been breathed into him.

While Fynn's relationship with his father is strained, he does still care about what he does. That's why he's always asked Harry if there's anything going on in his life. To this day, his father has never tried to be with another woman. He actually had to go to court to get a restraining order placed on Celia. Fynn knows that his faster has abstained from any form of relationship now as his own personal punishment and he feels conflicted about that.

On the one hand, he wants his father to suffer for what he did to his mother. He wants him to feel pain, but on the other hand, he doesn't want him to be alone for the rest of his life. Fynn knows that Harry could be perfectly content with being alone, but he personally isn't. He doesn't want his father to be alone because he knows that his mother wouldn't have wanted this to happen. She had probably hoped that Harry would move on, but he hasn't. She was his one and only love, and it took her dying for him to realise that. There's no way he could ever be with anyone else after what happened.

"Rosemary's absolutely gorgeous," Harry says quietly as he holds her carefully in his arms. He's reminded of the times when he held Fynn and he smiles sadly. "You know, I am always willing to take care of her for a night if you two ever need a break. I...I recognize that you don't owe me anything but..." he continues rambling and while this happens, Fynn and Luna glance at one another. They nod together before turning their gaze to the still rambling man.

"Dad," Fynn says, trying to get his father's attention.

"Okay so maybe I don't deserve to be in her life. I get it. I fu-messed up and there's nothing I can do to right my wrongs. I've spent countless nights thinking about the possibilities of what happened-"

"Dad."

"You wouldn't hate me if I hadn't been such a selfish human being. Aur-your mother wouldn't have died thinking that I didn't love her. She would have-"

"Dad."

"I bet she's laughing at me right now. Sure, she may have said that she forgave me in that note, but I wouldn't blame her if she was lying. I deserve her still hating me in the afterlife-"

"Harry," Luna says forcefully. He immediately stops his rambling when he hears his name. It's been a long time since someone he actually cared about had said his name.

"Oh, sorry, I tend to do that a lot more now," he says nervously. He goes over to hand Rosemary to Fynn and he takes a few steps back. "I uh, okay, well, I'll just check on the food," he continues as he pretends to look at the ovens, even though he did that just minutes ago. He doesn't want to see looks on Fynn's or Luna's expression and he determinedly avoids their gaze. "I got a few gifts for Rosemary. They're on the dining room table. You don't have to accept them, or you can donate them but-"

"Dad, will you please look at me?" Fynn asks a little forcefully. It's certainly satisfying to see, but it also feels wrong because of how he can hear the sadness and pain in his voice. He knows now that his father has been extremely lonely and it does break his heart a little more than he expected. "Luna, is it okay if I have some privacy with my father?"

"Of course," she says with a small smile. She takes her daughter from his arms, before quietly moving out of the room. She decides to go upstairs where she's less likely to overhear the conversation. She hesitates before deciding to go to the bathroom, where she'll be able to breastfeed Rosemary without anyone seeing. When she's inside the guest bathroom, the first thing she sees is a framed photo of Aurelia. Luna's eyes widen in surprise, mostly because there are limited photos of her husband's mother.

She smiles at the picture and admires how beautiful her mother in law was. Aurelia Bristow embodied youth as well as kindness and Luna can't help but feel a rush of sadness at the fact that she never got to meet her. On top of that, her daughter would never meet her grandmother. There are so many possibilities of what could have been, and it's that thought that makes her want to make sure that Harry's in Rosemary's life. That being said, she won't force Fynn to be around his father if he doesn't want to. She takes a deep breath and turns away from the photo to focus on her baby.

While Luna is breast feeding her child, Harry and Fynn stand awkwardly in the kitchen. Neither of them say a word, silently hoping that the other will speak first. Eventually, Harry takes a deep breath and fumbles with the edges of his sweater. He takes a deep breath before staring at his son, feeling waves of regret hit him.

"Fynn-"

"Listen Dad, I don't want to hear your apology," he interrupts. "I can tell that you're sorry, I know that you regret what happened, but that doesn't change things. You're part of the reason why our family got so broken. If you hadn't let Celia seduce you, we would've been on better terms today. Mum would have died no matter what, but I wouldn't have spent years of my life resenting you. What you did was despicable, and I can't ever forget the pain you put Mum through," he continues, making Harry's eyes fill with tears.

"In all honesty, I don't care that you missed so much of my life because I knew that you loved me. I knew that no matter what, you would always care for me. Sure, you spent more time with Celia then you did with me during that year, but I still knew deep down that you loved me unconditionally. The only thing I really care about, is the fact that you ignored Mum. You ignored all of the signs that she was sick. You didn't seem to care that she was in pain, or that there is something obviously wrong with her. You were too caught up in Celia's body to realize that the one woman who would always love you was going to die."

"It's also quite shitty because you were going to leave her for Celia, even though you didn't truly love her like you said you did. You were only lusting after her, you never actually loved her. There's no way. I know perfectly well that you were sleeping with her more than you were talking with her. That was not love even if you had thought it was. I honestly can't believe that you thought that Celia loved you too. It was so obvious that she didn't like you in that way. She only liked you because you were having sex with her, and that you were giving her things. Women like her, that is to say, women that like to sleep around with married men in that way, never want love."

"Women like that typically want money and power. I know not everyone is like that, and I know that sometimes one party is in a bad place but you weren't in a bad place. Sure, you were bored, stressed, wanting something new, but you weren't. I wish you hadn't ruined things. Mum did so much for you. She literally save your life and your family's life. You wouldn't be here without her, I wouldn't be here without her and what she did for you. You're my father, and I will always love you, and I will always care for you, but it won't ever be in the way that it used to be. I hate what you did, and that I don't really want to be around you any more."

"Fynn-" Harry says, his voice cracking as he struggles to keep his emotions in check.

"That being said, even though a part of me will always hate being around you, I want to spend more time with you. I want you to be involved in Rosemary's life because that's what Mum would have wanted, and I do admit that I want it too. I know that Luna wants it too. I just need you to know that you're on thin ice and you always will be, so if you fuck up again, that's it. I'm giving you a second chance. You won't be allowed any more because you don't deserve it," Fynn interrupts, trying to ignore he way his heart beats wildly as he reaches the end of his rant.

"I don't deserve this," Harry says as tears run freely down his cheeks. "I had expected you to not show up today. I wouldn't have blamed you for it. I don't deserve to know your daughter or your life for that matter. Hell, I don't even deserve to be alive today. Your mother should be the one here, she should be the one that's taking care of you, your wife, and your daughter. I should never of been the one that survived, and that's something I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life. I won't be able to make up for what I did, but I want to try and make things better. I know that you're giving me a second chance, and I am forever grateful for that. I'm not taking this chance for granted, and I truly am sorry for everything that I've done."

A few minutes of silence pass before the two men walk up to each other and hug. Both of them know that things are going to be streamed for a very long time, but they're confident that things will work out. Sure, things won't be the same, but with the help of baby Rosemary, it'll be a little bit easier. Luna comes down a few minutes later, and smiles when he sees how much closer her husband and her father-in-law are compared to when they first walked into the house. The baked ziti turned out to taste really good, and Fynn insists on taking all of the leftovers.

As the young couple drives home, Fynn reflects on how proud his mother would be of him. He's confident that she wouldn't be mad at him for resenting Harry. He thinks that she'd be glad that he was angry for a period of time, but the fact that he was willing to give him a second chance showed who the bigger person was. Fynn will always regret what happened, and how his daughter will never to meet such a strong woman like his mother. He can only hope that he'll be able to raise her in a way that cherishes and honors her memory. It's with this thought that he smiles, and he feels as if things have finally calm down enough for him to breathe again.

T H E E N D

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a/n: there is a 'final thoughts chapter as well as a Q&A that is posted, so check it out if you want. I talk about my writing process a little as well as some insight into me and my thoughts on certain things.

If you don't read that then thank you. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. Thank you for giving me the support and love that I didn't expect to receive. Your comments and votes have meant the world, and I am forever grateful.