LANA MASON
With a resting smile on my face, I watch Jane in her karate class behind the tinted window that allows all the parents and caretakers to see their children. She chose to wear her hair in pigtails today and they're bouncing all over the place as she kicks her legs as high up in the air as she can. She only trips once, which makes me giggle to myself only because she's so quick to get up and pretend like it didn't happen. She even looks back at the window but she can't see me from the other side and I'm glad. I don't want her to think I'm laughing at her mistake because I'm not; she just looks so cute.
I'm almost positive Harry won't watch it, or he won't respond, but I still take a video of Jane as she does her one-two-punch combination with all the other kids. Surely enough, his phone is set on Do Not Disturb as I open our dry text thread to send him the 30-second video. The last time we communicated over text was three days ago and the last time we communicated over a voice call was three weeks ago-the day his scathing review was published.
Allison warned me about what to do if Harry should begin to choose the restaurant over me, but she didn't tell me what to do when his pride is publicly destroyed and his craft is humiliated. I started sweating when I was reading the article because it was dripping with bullshit. Besides, if any of it is true, why is there a nine-month wait to eat at the restaurant? Why is everyone begging for Harry to come out of the kitchen to give him their compliments? Did the stupid fuck even go to the right restaurant? Is he speaking about the right Harry Styles? None of it adds up.
As Jane's class comes to an end, I stand from my chair and excuse myself around the various parents in the room to grab her sneakers from her cubby. Her head bobs from side to side as she looks for me, beaming when our eyes meet. These days, I feel as though I have to be enthusiastic enough for me and Harry in his absence.
"Good job, babe!" I hold both hands up for a high-five as she sits to put her shoes on.
"Thank you!" Her voice squeaks and her dimples carve into her soft cheeks as she lets me help her with her shoes. "What are we going to do now?"
"Well, I was thinking we could go to that place where we can paint the pottery and make something for your Daddy, and then we can go home and have breakfast for dinner."
"Yay!" She gasps excitedly. "Can I make Daddy a piggy bank?"
"Of course," I help her down from her chair and we leave the building hand-in-hand.
I already have the address to map on my phone when I came up with the idea during her class, and it's close enough that we can walk rather than take the subway. On the way there, I'm more than happy to let her talk my ear off all about what she learned in karate today. She earns a lot of attention on the sidewalk as she yells, hiyah, but they're all accompanied by smiles.
At Color Me Mine, I pick her up into my arms so we can scope out all the pottery together. The piggy bank she decides to paint for her dad is actually a bear because it reminds her of Charlie. I choose a mug with a smiling sunflower and we sit down at a table next to each other with our chosen paints like two girls just having a day out.
"Aw, she's smiling!" Jane giggles and points at my mug.
"Cute, huh?" I laugh with her. "What do you think we should name her?"
"Um...I think...Flower," she tilts her head with a sweet smile.
"Flower is perfect," I dip my brush into a puddle of yellow paint to start with the petals first.
Naturally, she paints her bear a baby pink color and I love how sloppy she is with it. The snout and eyes are as pink as the fur, and I just know Harry is going to adore the work of art whenever he finally comes home to see it.
