Harry heard the bathroom door close and slowly opened his eyes. He could see the sun peaking in from the crack in the curtains so he knew it was morning. He felt the bed dip as Julie climbed back onto it and rolled towards her as she cuddled back up to her pillow. "Can I replace this for a bit?" He asked tugging at the pillow she was wrapping in her arms and legs. He felt her hesitate, but then she released her grip on the pillow and he set it behind him.

"I suppose. Grace is kind of all over the place. Probably a good time to feel her." Julie watched as Harry scooted closer to her.

"Yeah, but I really just want to have you wrap me in your arms and legs like that pillow. I want to hold you." Harry explained. He hadn't slept well at all. Way too many thoughts running through his head after their discussion, or argument as it was.

"I'd like that." Julie laid her leg across his and her arm over his waist. Her belly pressed up against his as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"I'm sorry, about last night." Harry sighed, relieved she'd willingly come into his arms.

"I know. I know it's not easy, and I don't believe you've ever done anything to hurt me in regards to this, or purposely make me feel like I'm left out. I know you've had good intentions. It's just not always the right thing to do." Julie snuggled her face into the crook of Harry's neck. "We can work through this. It's just going to take some time to get it right."

"I felt it was right at the time. All of it. But, now that you've said that you had no say in the most important decisions of our lives, I feel guilty. I wish I would have known it at the time." Harry admitted meekly.

"I don't think you would have been able to see it then, even if I would have. Even if I would have seen it and brought it up." Julie took a deep breath. "Moving in with you, and marrying you, those were the right decisions. And no matter how they came about, I don't regret them." Julie pulled back and looked at Harry's face. "Not for a second, Harry. But I need you to let me be me. And that may not give you the actions or the answers that you want when you want them. But that's just how it is. If you love me completely like you say you do, then you love me whether or not I move at your speed or my own. Maybe I wouldn't have moved in with you as quickly, or maybe it would have taken me longer to decide to marry you, but I believe I would have gotten there. And I should have had that choice."

Julie reached up and wiped off the tear that fell onto Harry's cheek. "And I love this house, and I love it here, but I don't want to move here and have Grace here. I want to do that in the States. If you want to talk about moving out of the LA, out of the city and somewhere quieter, I'm all for that. We can discuss that. But that's my home, and that's where I want to have her."

"No, that's fine. It is. I don't even know why I made it such a big deal. I think I just convinced myself it's what you wanted. To run away from the States and from your past there. And I convinced myself you were more comfortable here, so it's where you and Grace should be, and I didn't hear you when you were telling me what you really wanted. Having her back in LA is perfectly fine with me." Harry sighed and rubbed his thumb over Julie's cheek. "I'm sorry, baby, for making this into such a big thing. I'm sorry, for trying so hard to do everything I thought was right instead of just working with you to figure out what's right for us."

Julie nodded. "It's ok. Trust me, I know I'm difficult. I know I have a hard time making decisions, and I know sometimes it's just easier to make them for me, but you have to let me do it myself sometimes. I want to do this with you. I want to be your partner, so let's support each other. But, that means you have to let me fall sometimes, and you have to let me go and stumble and mess up. Just be there to pick me up, brush me off, and point me back in the right direction."

"Always, baby. Always." Harry leaned his forehead against Julie's for a moment and then pressed his lips against it before pulling her back into his arms. He held her there tightly for a few minutes before he chuckled. "I think we better get you up and feed you. I can feel Grace through your stomach, on mine."

"Yeah, she's definitely not going to let me go back to sleep right now. Child is already ruining my sleeping in." Julie sighed. "Luckily her daddy is more a morning person. He gets a.m. duty once she comes out."

"With pleasure." Harry smiled. Just the thought, that in a few months, he would be able to hold his little girl in his arms was too much to take. He might explode when it actually happened. "I'll take a.m. and p.m. duty, I don't mind at all."

"Well, you'll have to share sometimes. We are still working on that selfishness." Julie sat up slowly and forced a small smile at him. "We will get this right some time. We have to, because I can't live without you. And I really don't even want to try."

Harry rubbed over Julie's belly after he pushed up onto one of his elbows. "I absolutely agree. I can't live without you either, baby. And I don't ever want to." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on Julie's stomach. "You either little monster. I could not imagine you not coming into our lives now. I'm so excited. After Thanksgiving, Mummy and I are going to sit down and pick out your nursery furniture."

"Yeah, that's how this whole thing started." Julie sighed standing up. "Deciding which house we should furnish first."

Harry pushed himself off the bed and caught Julie before she got to the door. "I know you're still frustrated. And I know that you aren't sure exactly how this is going to go, but I am telling you, I don't want to overpower your voice. And if I do it, please make sure you tell me right away. Because even if I have the best intentions, I don't want to make you feel insignificant, ever. I know that may be hard to believe right now, but it's true."

Julie stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck when he pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapped snugly around her waist. "It's not hard to believe. I know you wanted to make things easy on me, so I didn't have to struggle with decisions. You wanted me to see how easy it could be. I get that. But my ability to have a choice is more important. My equality in our life together is important. My voice, no matter if it agrees with you or not, should be heard. And maybe I haven't been the best at making that clear, because it's never been that way for me, but we will learn how to do this together."

"I have to say, maybe I'm not used to her yet, but I like this new confident voice, the one that wants to be heard. The one that knows what she wants." Harry closed his eyes and he held his wife close to him. He thought making the decisions for her, knowing her and believing he knew what was right had been the correct thing to do, but maybe he should have pushed more for her to speak her mind. He pulled back and rubbed over Julie's stomach when he felt the baby moving again. "Ok, little Grace, we will get Mummy some food. How about we start with some fruit?" He took Julie's hand and walked with her down the hall and to the stairs leading her carefully down the steps but never letting go of her hand.

"Oh, no way." Julie said out loud as she hit the bottom of the stairs. She recognized the smell that was obviously coming from the kitchen. When Harry looked down at her, she explained. "Marcus, he's making breakfast. And it's SO good." She led him by his hand to the kitchen. "Good Morning." She said to Marcus as they walked in. "You're making stuffed French toast aren't you?"

Marcus smiled over at Julie and then looked back and forth between her and Harry holding hands. He may have been slightly disappointed, but he was also happy they seemed to at least be trying to work things out. "I am, banana custard just for you. And then some strawberries and cream, too. And some apple and cinnamon oatmeal, just in case."

"You didn't have to do this, but I'm sooooooo excited you did." Julie exaggerated the 'so'. "Marcus makes the best stuffed French toast, and the oatmeal, yeah, I'm gonna be stuffed myself. Y'all may have to roll me off the couch if I need to do anything later." She walked up and kissed Marcus on the cheek. "Thank you. I know everyone will appreciate it." She stole a piece of banana and a piece of apple from the fruit Marcus had already cut. "Sorry, the baby can't wait. She's bruising my insides."

"I don't mind in the least." Marcus smiled again. "I slept great last night. This place is so peaceful. I can see why you love it here. I opened the window and could hear all the sounds by the lake." This time he looked at Harry. "Thanks for asking me to come. It's been a great getaway."

Harry nodded. "I'm glad you could. It is a nice little place. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city." He could tell why Julie was drawn to Marcus. They did seem to have a lot in common. He wrapped his arm around his wife's waist when she walked back over towards him. "If you're able, you're more than welcome to stay a few more days. It's cold out, but sometimes during the afternoon, you can spend some time outside, walking or running around the lake. Julie will have to have you come back in summer when she comes."

Marcus and Julie both stopped what they were doing and stared at Harry. They looked at each other and then back at Harry. Neither were expecting that to be an offer he made at this point. Marcus broke the silence first. "That's a very kind offer. I'll have to think about that. And I definitely think coming here in the summer would be great."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the two of them and their reactions. "You don't have to act like I've lost my mind. I know what I'm saying. I'm trusting you both, and respecting your friendship. Even if deep down inside sometimes it makes me want to punch something."

"Aww, if that isn't the sweetest thing I've ever heard." Jaime said as he sauntered into the kitchen. He placed his arm gently around Harry's shoulders. "If they hurt you, sweet'ems, I'll always be around for a shoulder to cry on. They may be my friends, but I'd drop them in a heartbeat if they hurt you."

"Thanks, Jaime. I think." Harry chuckled as he widened his eyes at Julie and then looked at Gregory walking into the room.

"Don't look at me." Gregory said. "I'm just here for the coffee. I don't even try to control him this early in the morning," he said referring to Jaime.

"Smart man." Julie nodded at Gregory. "The more you ignore him, the better off you'll be."

"Well, aren't you a little snippy this morning." Jaime made his hand like a cat claw and hissed a little.

"Says someone who just said they'd drop me like a bad habit to comfort my husband." Julie shook her head.

"Only if you hurt him. You don't plan on doing that, do you?" Jaime asked putting his hand on his hip.

Julie looked at Harry who looked back into her eyes. "I don't think hurt is ever planned, but I guess I am human. And lord knows, far from perfect."

Jaime watched Harry reach over and rub his thumb over Julie's cheek. "Oh, you two are too much this early in the morning, even for me. You're taking all of the fun out of my fantasies." He took his arm from around Harry's shoulders and waved it dismissively in the air. "Just give me some of that coffee."

Gregory chuckled as he handed Jaime a mug of coffee. "Aww, getting a little too sentimental in here for you, love? I know how you don't like to cry and ruin your eyes."

"Oh, stop." Jaime took a sip of his coffee. "I'm much better with the fun." Jamie looked over at Harry and Julie. "But, I guess it's ok if even after you're married, you're still in love."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Jaime." Julie rolled her eyes. "Marcus, can you save me from this conversation? Is breakfast ready?"

"Yeah, there's enough for you to start and feed that baby. The rest can grab as it's made." Marcus handed Julie a plate with the French toast and a bowl of oatmeal. "I can bring the juice to the table."

"I got that, and the butter and syrup." Harry said hopping up from the stool at the counter. "Let me know if you need anything else." He walked over to the fridge and grabbed everything. Julie had spent so much of her time with him and his friends, but this was the first time that Harry had actually spent an extended period of time with her and just hers. That's another thing he should have probably made more of an effort to do. He grabbed everything from the fridge and took it to the table and then returned back to the kitchen. "Do you need any help?" He asked Marcus as he stopped at the end of the counter.

"I'm ok, thanks." Marcus nodded looking at Harry. "I just have to flip a few more. You should help yourself."

"Let me get a few things in the dishwasher for you, and then I will. Julie was right. It smells really good." Harry admitted. It did look and smell delicious, and he really couldn't wait to try it. "Thanks for doing this, as Julie said, you didn't have to. But from her reaction, I can't wait to eat."

"I don't mind at all. I like to do it, and I don't get to very often anymore." Marcus flipped the last few pieces of French toast in the pan. "Since my Nonna passed away, we don't really have the big meals together anymore. It kind of changed the dynamics of the family. She really was the glue, you know?"

Harry nodded. He did understand losing people so close to you. "Yeah, I imagine it was a big change, and quite an adjustment. I know you and I have had a bit of a rough time, considering, but I do hope we can put things behind us. Make things a little easier, not only on Julie, but on us. I appreciate you listening to her last night. She still has a hard time opening up. Even to me still, but I know she appreciated you being an open ear."

"I don't mind. Things may be a little unorthodox. But as long as it works for all of us, that's all that matters. Believe it or not, I just want her happy. And that's with you. Just try to give her a little more of an open mind. She's a smart girl. She may question her decisions, a lot, but she's capable of making them." Marcus put the remaining French toast on plates for him and Harry.

"Yeah, I learned that last night. Not that she's smart, I've known that since I met her. I'm still learning, though, that even though I know her, I may not always know what's best, and when it's best." Harry admitted. "Tough lesson."

"Can you ever really know what's best for anyone else? Even if you do know them? People are complicated. Sometimes I'm not even sure I know what's best for myself, so I'm not sure how anyone else can know. It's good to have people who will be there through the process though. To support the process."

"Yeah, we will see how fast I learn that lesson." Harry chuckled. "She spends so much time telling everyone she's not like everyone else, sometimes I think I start to believe it, when actually she's exactly like everyone else. She may not be as broken as she likes to claim. She's just human."

Marcus picked up his plate. Maybe this should be an uncomfortable conversation. His talking to Harry about Julie, but it didn't seem so uncomfortable. He was glad he could help, even if just a little. "Yeah, maybe tell her that. And when she doesn't believe you, maybe tell her that again, and then again."

"Yeah, and maybe a few more times after that." Harry laughed. He picked up his plate and bowl. "Thanks again, Marcus. For the talk, but also for being her friend. She doesn't let many people in. So, your sticking around means a lot, not only to her, but to me."

"I'm glad I made that decision to." Marcus walked into the dining room with Harry. Of course, he walked into some overzealous telling of a story by Jaime with Gregory and Julie just rolling their eyes at each other. They were an odd bunch of friends, but somehow it just worked, and somehow he was lucky to have wandered into them all. He smiled at Julie as he sat across from her, and she rubbed her belly as if saying yum. "I'm glad you liked it."

"It's amazing. I haven't had it near enough in my life." Julie said. "You'll have to come make it more often for me. Especially soon, when I can't really move. If my belly gets much bigger, I won't be able to stand in front of it and reach the stove."

"It's not that bad." Marcus laughed as he shook his head. "You've been taking drama lessons from Jaime."

"Hey!" Jaime said throwing a wadded up napkin at Marcus. "I am not dramatic!"

"Yeah, right." Julie looked at Jaime. "That's the biggest lie I've ever heard. I used to think Harry was the biggest drama queen I'd ever met. Until I met you."

"Hey!" Harry protested. "Don't be mean." He took a bite of his French toast. Julie was right. Marcus could cook a mean breakfast.

"It's not mean to tell the truth." Julie shrugged.

The rest of breakfast was spent with a lot of fun, light, conversation between everyone. The exchanges among the friends were pleasant, and Harry enjoyed himself. It wasn't near as uncomfortable as he had thought it might be. He helped Marcus clean up and explained to Jaime, Gregory, and Marcus the best way to take a walk around the lake. He found Julie on the sunporch when he was done. "Hey, baby." He sat down on the couch beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Are you tired?"

"A little. I'm stuffed. But it was so good." Julie moved a little to get comfortable against Harry's side.

"It was. Marcus definitely made a great breakfast. The three of them went for a walk around the lake. Figured you could use a bit of a rest." Harry took a relaxing breath. "This morning was nice. Getting to know your friends a little more. I wish I would have had the chance to spend more time with them before."

"You were busy and gone a lot. We were gone a lot. But yeah, it would have been nice." Julie yawned. "They are good people, just, don't tell them I said so."

"I wouldn't ever." Harry chuckled. "But, yes, they are good people." He rubbed over her arm gently. "I wanted to talk to you about something you said to me last night, too, about you being broken. You know you aren't really broken, right?"

"Come on, Harry. I'm pretty broken. I've been broken for quite a long time." Julie took a deep breath. "I think we can probably accept that."

"No, we can't. And I won't, because it's not true. You've been through a lot, you've worked through a lot, you've healed, you've fought, you've been knocked down and picked yourself up over and over again, but you are not broken. In fact, you're one of the most resilient, strong, and amazing people I have ever met, and I won't ever agree with you about being broken." Harry kissed her head. "I'll just keep telling you that until you believe me."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing you married me and plan on staying around for a long time then, because we know how well I listen." Julie closed her eyes.

"Yep, forever baby, that's another thing you're going to have to learn to say." Harry laughed as he leaned his head on hers. "Just take a nap my love. We have got a busy next couple of days. Everyone will be here early afternoon. I love you, baby."

"I love you, too." Julie snuggled close and once Grace settled, she fell asleep against Harry's side. Maybe, just maybe, they could figure this out quickly. It sure would be nice if they could.

Hey y'all!  Thanks again for waiting for the update!  We are sticking to once a week!  Yay!  Hopefully we can stay there for awhile!
We may be having a bit of a time skip come next chapter...
Think that's ok??
See you soon!  😘😘😘