15

                                    

                                          

Harry woke in the middle of the night, screaming.
                          
Of course, this woke Louis up with a fright.
                          
"Harry! Harry!" He said, trying to grab Harry who was swatting Louis' hands away and pulling the duvet up over his head.
                          
Jay and Mark had rushed in after hearing the screams.
                          
"Boys? What's wrong?" Jay asked as she ran to the bed.
                          
"H-Harry screaming Mummy." Louis was nearly crying as the noise had scared him so much.
                          
"Harry, sweetie, it's ok. You're safe." Jay said as she pulled the duvet off of the small, frightened boy. He hid his face in his pillow, sobbing, finding it hard to catch his breath.
                          
"Mark, take Louis to our room please?" She said. Mark picked up Louis, who was now crying and took him out of the boys bedroom. 
                          
Jay sat on the bed. "Harry, you're safe." She repeated herself. Harry was shaking into the pillow, his tiny fist gripping on to his blanket for dear life.
                          
She gently touched his back, making him flinch. "Harry, it's Jay."
                          
He lifted his head from his pillow and looked at her.
                          
Her heart broke yet again.  Harry's eyes were red and puffy, tears still streaming from them, his nose all snotty and his bottom lip wobbled. He climbed up into her open arms, sat on her lap and buried his head in her chest, sniffing at his blanket.
                          
"It's ok little one. We'll keep you safe." She whispered.
                          
Harry hiccupped as his tears gradually stopped. His grip on her arm relaxed and his breathing eased, as Jay rocked him back and forth while stroking his back.
                          
"That's it. Good boy. You're ok now." She said, kissing the top of his curly hair.
                          
The smell coming from his pull up hadn't escaped Jay's nostrils. The poor boy was so scared he had messed in it.
                          
"We need to clean you up my lovely. I'll be as quick as I can." She said, carefully picking him up and taking him to the bathroom. She laid him on the changing mat and made quick work of making sure he was comfortable once again. 
                          
She picked him up and went to her own bedroom.
                          
"Is h-he ok Mummy?" Louis asked. His eyes were wet with tears too. 
                          
"I think so darling. Can you sleep here with Daddy, so I can keep an eye on him?" She asked. Louis nodded and laid back down.
                          
"Good boy. Goodnight my loves." She said. 
                          
"Night night." Mark and Louis replied, both way too sleepy to stay awake much longer.
                          
She took Harry back to his bed and climbed in beside him, covering them with the duvet.
                          
"Hope you sleep better, sweetheart. Goodnight." 
                          
Harry sucked his thumb and closed his eyes, eventually falling back to sleep.
                          
*****
                          
It was 9am when Harry woke up. Jay still fast asleep beside him.
                          
He sat up in his bed and looked at her, sleeping peacefully. He gave her a light stroke on her arm.
                          
Her eyes slowly opened and she blinked a few times. "Harry? Are you ok?"
                          
Harry nodded and rubbed his tummy.
                          
"You're hungry?" He nodded again.
                          
"Ok. Let's go get some breakfast then."
                          
She first took him to the bathroom to get changed. She really must think about potty training soon. Then took him downstairs, where surprisingly, she found Mark and Louis, expecting them to both still be asleep.
                          
"Hi Mummy! Hi Harry!" Louis yelled, jumping up from his seat at the kitchen table and running to them.
                          
"Is Harry ok now?" 
                          
"Yes love. He wants breakfast. Anyone else?" She replied as she sat Harry at the table next to Louis. 
                          
"Meeeeeeeee." 
                          
Jay laughed.
                          
"You sit down love. I'll make it." Mark said, making Jay sit down.
                          
"Thanks. Shouldn't you be at work though?" She sat next to Harry.
                          
"I've taken the day off. Thought we should have a family day." Mark replied as he placed bowls of cereal in front of them.
                          
"Yes! Can we have a snowball fight Daddy?"
                          
Mark looked at Harry, but he was busy trying to get his ready brek on his spoon. "I'd love to." He smiled. Then whispered, "Wait til Harry's nap."
                          
Louis nodded and smiled widely, then tucked into his coco pops.
                          
They spent the morning playing hide and seek and snakes & ladders, had lunch, then it was Harry's nap time. Jay kissed his cheeks, before tucking him under a blanket on the sofa. Jay wanting to keep an eye on him. He'd not been too involved with the earlier games and Jay wondered if he remembered the nightmare he had last night.
                          
Meanwhile, Louis was busy throwing snow all over his Dad in the garden. They laughed and ran around, made snow angels on the cold ground, and there was enough snow left over to build a smaller snowman.
                          
Louis became very cold and tired though, so they headed back indoors.
                          
Mark made hot chocolate, while Louis warmed himself up by the fire.
                          
"Thank you Daddy." Louis said, as he was handed a not so hot hot chocolate.
                          
"You're welcome son." He sat next to Jay. "How is he?" He nodded towards Harry, who was fast asleep, fidgeting slightly.
                          
"Not sure. I'm worried about last night. What do you think he was dreaming about to make him wake up in that state?"
                          
"I dread to think, poor little love. Makes you wonder if he saw bad things at home. What if he saw his Mum getting beaten or something?"
                          
Jay shuddered at the thought, and sipped on her drink.
                          
There was a knock at the door. "I'll get it." Mark said.
                          
He walked to the front door, and opened it slowly. Rita stood there.
                          
"Hi Mark. Can I come in? I have some news."
                          
*****



                          
Cliffhanger! Sorry!
                          
I'll definitely updating Saturday.
                          
Thoughts on the chapter?
                          
Hope you're all OK.
All the love. L. Xx
                          
💕💕💕