⎯⎯ 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏

𝕻anicked shouts of his name had woken Harry up from his nap on the living room sofa earlier today when he'd decided to rest for a while upon returning home after a long early morning session at the studio.

At first, he'd thought he was dreaming but then the words had started to become clear, the blurred edges fading out only to reveal what lay underneath.

Darlene's water had broken, while she was busy scrolling through her phone on the one-seater opposite to his sleeping form.

Now, seven and a half hours later, after many many desperate attempts from the blonde to claw his hand off while undergoing a painful labor, there she sits exhausted but still smiling with a tiny human delicately wrapped in a pink blanket resting in her arms.

"Her face is so scrunched up", she laughs leaning her head against Harry's chest, his own face grinning in disbelief at the thought of creating an actual person.

And one so adorable, at that.

His feather light touch graces his daughter's warm forehead, the skin feeling innocently soft under his hand.

"We made that, huh".

Darlene leans back smiling widely at him, "We really did".

His gaze runs back and forth between hers trying so hard to understand how he could be lucky enough to get the chance to love someone like her, to be a dad to the sweetest little girl she gifted him with but he comes up empty handed every time because there are just not enough words to express what he's feeling right now.

Sometimes good things happen to people completely out of the blue and you have to learn to accept it and live with it despite all your self doubts because you were lucky enough to experience something so beautiful.

Suddenly, his throat feels tight with utter and beautiful raw emotion.

"I love you", he whispers as her tired blue eyes stare back at him — those same eyes that look at him with so much love he could disintegrate, those same eyes that cut sharply to him every time he says something dumb, those same eyes that twinkle every time she laughs.

Those same eyes that, only about three years ago, had enchanted him for the first time he'd ever looked into them.

She'd unknowingly put him under a spell that night they'd first crossed paths at a Los Angeles bar, and though he could've never known what life would turn out like he did know one thing for sure, even back then.

He needed to be a part of her life, know what it's like to have all of her attention, to know her inside and out and cherish every little detail that made her her.

Darlene smiles softly, sighing as she leans into him again.

"I love you too. You know what I'm thinking right now?".

"What?".

"There's only one name that really makes sense when I look at her".

He sits up causing her to turn back, still smiling.

"Which one?".

"Cecilia", she speaks into the quiet of the room, something changing in the air as soon as the word slips past her lips.

"Cecilia", Harry tests it out, a new bubble of excitement taking over him.

"What do you think?".

He exhales, grinning.

"I love it. It suits her", his eyes turn back to the sleeping baby in his girlfriend's arms.

How is this even real?

Darlene bites her lip, the smile permanently etched into her features.

"Cecilia, it is".

Harry hums wrapping an arm around her shoulder and bringing her into his side.

There, in that hospital room, is honestly everything he could've ever wished for.

***
my playlist shifted to style when i began editing this 😭