Charlotte heaved a dramatic sigh as she looked over at her six year old son Abel. A boy who had only turned six a few days ago and a boy who was slowly testing her nerves today. Nerves which were already shot because her husband Harry had found ways to be as equally as whiny as their son.

But really Harry whining was nothing new and it was probably something that Charlotte should have been used too because that was just how Harry was and sometimes it was hard to even understand why she was with him still. Though it was never hard to understand why they had married.

Not when she looked at her son and was reminded of the why. They had married because Abel had been on the way thanks to them being two reckless sixteen year olds who had gotten a bit drunk on Harry's birthday and forgotten to use a condom.

An action that had lead to them marrying four months later and then five months after that Abel had been born and things had just been a blur as they adapted to life as married newlywed teenagers with a baby. A life that got even more complicated once Harry got that record deal at eighteen.

A record deal he had always wanted which meant Charlotte was usually left at home with their son and maybe she resented Harry because of it. Maybe that was why she now saw her husband as a whiny brat when sixteen year old Charlotte had once adored Harry and probably would hate now Charlotte for even calling Harry a whiny brat. But thus was the life Charlotte now lead.

"Mommy I don't want to go with you to the store," Abel whined bringing Charlotte out of her thoughts and she couldn't help but give her son a glare at that. "Can't I stay with Nana Anne?" he pouted as his green eyes looked up at her so pitifully.

Sighing again Charlotte ran a hand through her hair. Hair that needed to be washed badly but probably wouldn't get washed before her grocery trip so she'd just have to pull it up into a sloppy looking bun.

"You really want to stay with Nana Anne?" she asked as she bent down to Abel's level deciding that maybe she could find a way to give him what he wanted.

Something she was never able to do with his dad anymore.

Abel nodded his head with a hopeful looking smile, the dimples he got from Harry coming out slowly. "Please," he added on obviously finally using the manners she knew she had instilled in him.

"I'll call Nana Anne and see if she can watch you then," Charlotte spoke as she returned Abel's smile before standing up and heading to where she last laid her cellphone. A hopeful feeling in her chest because if Anne watched Abel then that would give Charlotte a bit of a break.

A break she wished she'd get more often since it always seemed like it was her doing everything when it came to parenting and keeping up things at home. Hell even keeping things up in the marriage.

Picking up her cellphone, Charlotte quickly rummaged through the phone until she found Anne's name under her contacts and pressed dial. Putting the phone up to her ear as it rang.

"Hello?" Anne's voice spoke into the receiver after the third ring and again Charlotte couldn't help but feel hopeful.

"Anne, it's me Charlie," Charlotte answered her using the nickname that everyone called her. "I was calling because it seems your grandson would rather stay with you today while I did my grocery shopping then come along with me and I was wondering and maybe hoping that you'd let him."

Anne laughed softly after Charlotte spoke, "Charlie I'd love to spend time with that darling boy," she said with what almost sounded like a smile in her voice. "Bring him over whenever you go out. I'm sure I can think of a few things to keep him occupied while you're busy."

Smiling to herself at Anne's words Charlotte relaxed slightly, "Will do," she nodded feeling thankful that Harry's mom was much more involved than her own in Abel's life. "I'll call before we go," she said before finally bidding Anne a goodbye and ending the call.

Laying her phone back down she continued to smile even though she knew she now faced a feat in trying to get herself and Abel ready and out the door at a reasonable time. But the prospect of going to the grocery store by herself was appealing enough that even that idea didn't worry her too much or as much as it usually would.

---

Three hours later Charlotte chewed on her lip as she sat in a booth at a restaurant. Her groceries were in the car and Anne had graciously agreed to keep Abel a bit longer when Charlotte had called and asked if it would be okay, because she had been invited to lunch by Helena a woman who had been her friend for years now.

At least six because they had both been pregnant at the same time and both had been teenagers when pregnant. Though Helena had been a year older than Charlotte and Charlotte swore she had a better head on her shoulders when it came to parenting and being a wife to her husband Niall.

"I don't know how you and Niall do it," Charlotte spoke in between bites after listening to Helena gush on Niall which was common. "How you guys continue to be so in love with each other. Harry and I can barely stand to be in the same room anymore."

Helena just laughed as she took a sip of the sweet tea that she had ordered, "It's easy Charlie," she said as if she was judging Charlotte. "Niall and I find ways to have sex every night," she revealed as if that was no big deal. As if she thought Charlie was dumb for not knowing it.

"Every night?!" Charlotte asked clearly perplexed and also feeling a bit insecure because she couldn't remember the last time that she and Harry had, had sex let alone kissed or made out.

Yeah they shared goodbye kisses but those were usually on the cheek or forehead. There had been no mouth to mouth kisses in ages.

The sex had probably stopped longer than that which was a fact Charlotte was embarrassed to admit. But with Harry in the process of making his second studio album after coming off of what had been a hectic tour it was hard to find time to have sex.

Most nights he came in once both she and Abel were in bed and by then he was clearly exhausted too and so neither of them even mentioned or tried anything with each other.

It was pathetic really and she knew if Helena knew that Helena would probably chide her now. Especially since Helena and Niall were able to have sex with a busy life with their jobs and a kid Abel's age.

Helena nodded at Charlotte's question, "Don't tell me you and Harry don't have sex every night," she spoke and once again Charlotte knew her friend was judging her.

"We haven't had sex in ages," Charlotte admitted as she looked away from Helena's gaze. A blush coating her cheeks now. "Kind of hard to find time I guess with his schedule and Abel," she shrugged but she knew her words were just excuses.

Especially if Helena and Niall were finding time to do it every night.

"Maybe that's why you two have so many issues then," Helena mused as she furrowed her eyebrow. "Niall and I used to be that way too but then we found this thing about trying a thirty day sex thing and how it could help bring romance into a marriage so we tried it and it worked."

"And you haven't looked back since?" Charlotte asked though she knew the answer to that.

Helena smiled with a shake of her head, "We haven't looked back since," she confirmed before again furrowing her brows. "I can email you the article if you want Charlie and maybe then you and Harry can work on getting that romance back before..well you know."

Charlotte went silent at Helena's last words because she knew what Helena meant. Helena meant before she did what she had been talking about lately and filing for divorce.

Leaving Harry and trying life as a single mother which she had never done. But well maybe she could bring up the thirty day thing to Harry and see what he thought.

It didn't hurt to at least maybe try to salvage their marriage instead of just letting it fall apart at the seams.

"Sure, why not," Charlotte agreed as she nodded her head. "I'll even suggest it to Harry when he gets home from the studio tonight. Hopefully he agrees to do it."

"I'm sure he will Charlie," Helena spoke with a laugh. "What man would turn down thirty days of sex?"

Charlotte pursed her lips together as she went silent because Helena was right there. But it wasn't so much Harry turning it down that she was afraid of. She was afraid of Harry turning her down. Of him rejecting her which was something she didn't want at all.

She didn't want to be rejected by the man who was supposed to love her and desire her. A man she was afraid no longer did that anymore. That over the years and their busy life any love or desire for her had diminished.

"I guess you have a point there," Charlotte again agreed and after that the rest of their lunch seemed to go by in a blur as Charlotte again got lost in her thoughts. A bundle of nerves building in her stomach over the prospect of bringing up to Harry the idea of doing a thirty day sex thing.

Notes