A few days later, Harry brought home a little girl. How she had gotten with him, Mirabelle didn’t know.

“Who’s that?”

“This,” Harry said, gesturing to the little girl in his arms, “is Lux. Lux, this is Mirabelle.”

Lux smiled up at Mirabelle, waving to her with her small hands. Mirabelle waved back to Lux, stroking the child’s soft hair.

“I’ve got to babysit Lux because her mum has some work to do.”

“That’s fine.” Mirabelle sighed, heading over to the couch, which she had grown to sleep on so much lately.

“Come on. Don’t be boring. I thought you’d want to play with us.” Harry pouted, resting Lux on one hip.

“Pway.” Lux giggled happily, clapping her hands in excitement.

“You can go along. I think I’ll just sleep.” Mirabelle sighed, pressing her cheek to a pillow.

“Suit yourself.” Harry yelled, walking out of the room and outside towards the pool area.

Mirabelle sighed and watched as Harry sat Lux on the ground outside, sitting down in front of her. He told Lux something that made her laugh, her giggle making Harry laugh. They started playing a hand game that Mirabelle recognized as Patty Cake. Suddenly, the small hand game triggered something in her mind. She felt rather dizzy and lightheaded as she lay on the couch.

The moment she took another glance at Harry and Lux, her vision went white.

Not black.

White.

A small girl leaned against a tree by herself, watching as her other peers ran along together across the large fields of grass. The girl was on the verge of tears, wishing she were normal. Her eyes fell to two girls sitting in the grass fairly close to herself. The small girl watched quietly as the two other girls began to play a hand game that her mother had taught her.

“Patty cake, patty cake, baker’s men,” one girl giggled, slapping hands with the other girl.

“Bake me a cake as fast as you can.”

“Roll, it, and pat it, and mark it with a B,”

And put it in the oven for baby and me.”

The girls giggled and started the rhyme again. The girl watched as the other two enjoyed each other’s company. She approached then, hoping to finally make a real friend or two.

“May I join?” she asked the girls quietly. They two girls stopped and stared up at her, their faces showing a look of disgust.

“You’re the monster girl.” They screamed, pushing the small girl away. The two girls staggered away, screaming.

“I am a monster.” The little girl said to herself, a tear rolling down her soft cheeks. Her lips trembled as she fell to the grass covered ground, weeping to herself quietly.

“I’m a monster.” She trembled.


Mirabelle blinked, coming back to reality. Her breathing was unsteady.

Had she just had a flashback?

She shuddered at the thought of those two girls. They seemed so familiar, like a distant memory. Mirabelle shook her head, trying to gain her sanity. Normal people didn’t just have flashbacks like this. Maybe Mirabelle really was a monster. She didn’t notice until the moment that her lip was quivering, and her body was shaking slightly.

She glanced at Harry and Lux, who were playing the hand game over again. Harry looked up, through the clear glass windows and saw Mirabelle staring back at him. He gestured for her to come and join them, before turning his attention back to Lux.

“What is my problem?” Mirabelle whispered to herself in disgust. She rubbed her eyes, sitting up on the sofa.

Sighing, stood up and went to the back yard door, opening it.

“I see you have decided to join us?” Harry smirked, that stupid smirk.

Mirabelle rolled her eyes. “Only because I was bored.”

“I saw you spacing out over there.” He acknowledged. Mirabelle shrugged.

“Just thinking.”

“About me?” he winked.

Mirabelle glared at him. “Is it just me or have you gotten cockier since you told me you were famous?”

“Just you, Mirabelle.” Harry grinned, picking Lux up and setting her in his lap. Mirabelle sat down beside him in the soft, perfectly mowed grass, smiling at the little girl. She felt a bit uncomfortable around little kids, the word, ‘monster’, running through her mind.

Lux poked Mirabelle’s eye.

“Ow!” Mirabelle yelped, pulling back. Lux giggled, but stopped when she saw Mirabelle scowl. Her happy face turned to fear.

“Hey, now. Don’t scare her. She’s still young and she gets scared very easily.” Harry reminded Mirabelle. Mirabelle sat in silence. Of course she scared Lux. She was a monster.

“Just because you scared Lux, doesn’t mean you’re a monster.” Harry added softly, as if he could read her mind. Mirabelle bit her lip, holding her arms out as a signal to Harry to give Lux to her. Harry smiled and handed Lux to Mirabelle. Lux smiled up at Mirabelle, sticking her small tongue out.

“Miabe-lwa.” Lux cooed, clapping her hands.

“She’s trying to say your name.” Harry laughed. Mirabelle grinned, tickling Lux’s chin. Lux squirmed in Mirabelle’s arms, bursting into a fit of giggles.

“Mi-ra-belle.” Mirabelle spelled her name out for Lux.

Lux paused, then smiled. “Bella.”

“We’ll stick with Bella, then.” Mirabelle giggled.

“You’re a natural.” Harry chuckled deeply, watching Mirabelle and Lux.

“How old is she?” Mirabelle asked, looking up into Harry’s perfect green orbs. She immediately looked back down.

“Two and a half. She’s going to turn three in a few days. September eleventh.”

“That’s in a week, correct?”

Harry nodded, smiling down at Lux. “She’s like my little sister.”

“I can tell.” Mirabelle laughed, stroking Lux’s hair. This seemed to make Lux sleepy, and slowly but surely, the little girl settled into a nap in Mirabelle’s arms.

“Your birthday is in October.” Harry said quietly. Mirabelle looked at him again.

“What?”

“Your birthday. It’s in October. I saw it in your file at the hospital.” Harry confessed, flipping his mop of curls.

Mirabelle paused, feeling stupid that she didn’t quite remember the date of her birth, either.

Someone had had to tell her. Once again, she felt pathetic.

“Your eyes are so different.” Harry exhaled, causing Mirabelle to stare into his.

“So are yours.” She smiled, starting into the deep forest green eyes. Over time, they changed to a light emerald green, and then to the color of fresh cut spring grass. They just seemed to change shades every minute. Mirabelle couldn’t help but feel captivated by his eyes.

“Mine are just green.” Harry sighed. “But yours, yours are every color. You don’t know how beautiful they are. You mistake them for some curse that makes you ugly, a curse that makes you a monster. But you aren’t a monster. You are sweet, and you’ve just got the wall built up, why I don’t know.”

“I don’t know, either.” Mirabelle sighed, hugging sleeping Lux to her chest.

Mirabelle watched as Harry reached over to rub his thumb over Lux’s palm, soothing the baby girl as she slept.

“She’s really pretty. She’s going to be gorgeous when she grows up.” Mirabelle whispered, looking down at Lux.

“Maybe she’ll look like you.” Harry smiled, looking back and forth between Mirabelle’s eyes.
Mirabelle made a face.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the prettiest girl in the world.” She snorted, being sure to keep her voice down for Lux.

“You’re not pretty.” Harry agreed. “You’re quite beautiful.”

Mirabelle’s cheeks turned crimson as she used looking down at Lux as an excuse to hide her reddening face.

“So, I have a question.” Harry asked. Mirabelle looked at him.

“What is it?”

“Do you really think I’m some suck ass pop star?” he questioned, continuing to rub Lux’s palm.
Mirabelle bit her lip, embarrassed to admit the truth. “No. I don’t. You’re sweet, you’re kind, and all you’ve done was be nice to me. I had no excuse to think of you like that.”

“It’s alright, lo- Mirabelle.”

Mirabelle giggled. “And I’m starting to understand that calling girls ‘love’ is part of your vocabulary, so it’s fine if you say it.”

Harry grinned widely. “Finally. It was so weird having to force myself to not say it.”

Mirabelle smiled. “I always come with a challenge.”

“Very true.” Harry agreed, slowly taking Lux from Mirabelle.

“I’m going to go put her to bed.” He whispered to Mirabelle. She nodded, watching as he walked off with the child.

Mirabelle sat on the ground, picking at a single piece of grass. She thought about her previously flashback, and how she must have been that lonely girl. That must be why Mirabelle felt so uncomfortable around strangers; she never had anyone for her before. But now, she had Harry.

“I’m back.” Harry sang, walking back outside. Mirabelle smiled as he sat down beside her.

“It’s a horse.” Mirabelle giggled suddenly, pointing to a shaped cloud. Harry chuckled beside her, lying down in the grass. Mirabelle followed his actions, lying down beside him.

“That one looks like a banana.” Harry giggled childishly, glancing at Mirabelle. Mirabelle laughed, signaling she agreed.

“That one looks like a-“ Mirabelle hesitated. “What is that?”

Harry snorted, tucking his hands behind his head. “Who knows?”

“That one’s a donut.” Mirabelle squealed, pointing to a circular shaped cloud.

Together, Mirabelle and Harry lay, naming shapes for each cloud that passed, often stopping at a comfortable silence. Harry turned to Mirabelle, propping himself up on one elbow.

“Why do you think so lowly of yourself?” he asked, staring at Mirabelle. He was entranced by her eyes.

Mirabelle shrugged, shifting her gaze to the green grass.

“Because I don’t think you know how special you are. You seem to be so tough, but underneath, you’re just a girl trying to heal the scars.”

Mirabelle stayed silent, biting her lips as Harry talked.

“I just want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here. I’ll always be there for you. You’re already such an important person to me, and I would help you in any way if I could.” Harry paused to take a breath. “We’re going to find out what that news report was talking about. We’re going to fix everything, just you wait. Because I know you worry about that. You worry that you may have hurt someone. But Mirabelle, I think you’re the one who has been hurt. But for now, you have to let that go. You’ve gotta start fresh.”

Mirabelle gulped, not being able to look away from Harry’s eyes. She nodded.

“When life gives you the chance to start over, take it. And make something out of it.”

“Wise words from Mr. Styles.” Mirabelle said in her announcer voice, causing Harry to laugh.

“No, but seriously.” He added. He didn’t know what he was doing, and he didn’t think before reaching over to push some loose hair from Mirabelle’s face. Mirabelle felt the sparks from that touch. So did Harry.

“Sorry. It was annoying me.” Harry covered quickly, trying hard not to blush.

“That’s fine.” She laughed quietly, her eyes locking with Harry’s.

Mirabelle noticed how close she and Harry were, and suddenly, it bothered her.

“Let’s get something to eat.” She suggested abruptly, sitting up.

“Actually, I was thinking we could make something. Maybe a chicken salad. Lux needs to be able to eat it, too.”

“Challenge accepted.”

Notes

YAY CHAPTER SEVEN. :D