28.

                                    

                                          
a/n: this is the longest chapter i've ever written. like I mean double what they usually are. enjoy <3
                          
Andi Rhoades
                          


                          
The feeling of wild, curly, brown hair tickling my face is what wakes me from my deep slumber this morning. At first, I assume it's Harry, but then I'm soon remembering our little middle-of-the-night meltdown with Ellie that resulted in her sleeping in our bed. 
                          
She had woken up from a bad dream and as soon as Harry heard her whimpering, he was out of bed and running to see what was wrong. She had told him she had a nightmare about "the bad sort of dragons, not like the ones from dragon tales," and when Harry asked her what she needed to be able to go back to sleep, she said she just wanted to be an "Ellie Bellie Sandwich" between Harry and me.
                          
I'm not joking. 
                          
You have to give it to the kid for her imagination and way with words. By the end of her negotiation, Harry and I were both laughing too hard for it to be four in the morning that we gave in and brought her to bed with us. 
                          
Opening my eyes, I see Ellie sprawled out in the middle of the bed while Harry and I are both curled up with barely a foot on our own sides of the mattress. Ellie has a steadfast grip on Harry's index finger as she sleeps, and he has an arm draped around her tiny frame with his body facing me. 
                          
The entire situation makes my heart melt and brings a small smile to my lips. 
                          
I grab my phone off the nightstand to check the time and I feel my heart sink when I see the date and am reminded of what today is. 
                          
Our last day with Harry. 
                          
He leaves for tour tomorrow, and today is the last full day we have together before he leaves in the morning. I can't believe the time has already come where I have to say goodbye to him for a month. 
                          
Harry has somehow figured it out so he can come home for two days for Ellie's birthday next month, but until then, we'll be sticking to FaceTimes and phone calls to get us through. I'm not looking forward to it at all, and I physically feel my entire demeanor shift as I let it sink in that today is our last day. 
                          
"Hey," I hear a raspy whisper from my left. My head swivels to face Harry to see him wide eyed as if he's been awake for hours, just watching me. "We don't have time to be sad right now, love. I have a whole day planned for us. Go get Rome and bring him back to bed, please? Want to cuddle with my little family."
                          
Harry told me that he was going to plan something fun for us and the kids to do today on his last day here, but he won't tell me what it is. It doesn't really bother me though, we could lie in this bed all damn day and I'd be happy as long as my three favorite people were with me. 
                          
My smile soon replaces my frown as I get up from bed and head to Rome's nursery. To nobody's surprise, he's already awake just happily lying there with no cares in the world as he babbles to himself. 
                          
"Hello my sweet baby, how did you sleep?" I kiss him on the cheek. Once I get him changed, we head back into mine and Harry's bedroom. 
                          
That still feels weird, us sharing a bedroom. I've been living here for about ten days now, and all of my stuff is basically unpacked and put away. 
                          
I really only unpacked my clothes and things for work and left the rest in boxes to be put back in storage. It just didn't feel right to be bringing in my own photo frames, knick-knacks, and decor into Lila's home. I'm still struggling with getting used to the idea of calling this house "home," but I'm trying. It'll just always be Max and Lila's house to me. It was never meant to be mine.