Charlie Robin Styles [Addition to We're Having Our Baby]

First Break-Up

Harry's P.O.V. Charlie 16, Sophia 7, Avery 4

Charlie: dad

dad

please answer the phone, mum is working

dad, i need you

"Charlie, are you okay?" I ring my oldest as soon as I see my text messages. I was giving Avery a bath and didn't have my phone on me, and I now realize that was a mistake.

"I-I need you to pick me up" Charlie says on the line and I hear the cracks in her voice telling me that she's been crying.

"Okay, sweetheart, I'll be there as soon as I can. Can you tell me what happened?" I try to stay calm, but I have no idea what's wrong and the worst possibilities are running through my mind.

"Nat-Natalie, she, we broke-," she starts crying again, preventing her from finishing her sentence, but I understand the situation now.

"Shh, it's going to be okay. Are you still at her house?" I ask, getting my keys and putting Avery and Soph in car.

"Yeah."

"I'll be there really soon, okay? I have Soph and Avery in the car with me, too. I'm really sorry, sweetheart. I love you."

"Thank you," Charlie says so quietly that I'm not even sure she really said it.

"Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?"

"No, it's okay."

"Okay. I'll be there in less than ten minutes. I love you."

"I love you too," Charlie says and the call ends.

"Is Chawie sad?" Avery asks from the backseat having heard my half of the conversation.

"Yes, she's really sad so I need you two to be extra nice to her, okay?"

"Why is she sad?" Soph asks next.

"She'll tell you if she wants you to know, but can you guys promise me you'll be extra nice to your sister?" I take a glance in the rearview mirror to make sure they're listening to me.

"I pwomise, Daddy," Avery says first.

"I promise, too," Soph follows suit of her brother.

I thank my youngest children and then Soph proceeds to tell me what she learned in first grade today. Only eight minutes later I turn onto Natalie's street and immediately spot Charlie sitting on the steps that lead to the front door.

Charlie must have been watching for me, because she's nearly to the curb before I even stop the car. I don't see any tears, but her face is still flushed red.

She gets in the passenger seat and without saying a word looks out the window, completely ignoring the presence of anyone else in the car.

I don't know what the right thing to say is, so I opt to just tell her I love her, to which she doesn't respond. It doesn't bother me though, because I know that she's just not in the mood to talk.

The littles seem to pick up on their older sister's mood as they sit in silence as well. The entire ten-minute drive back is spent listening to The Beatles, Charlie's favorite, except she doesn't sing along like she normally does.

When we get home and I'm unbuckling Avery's seatbelt, he asks if it's time for bed and I tell him it is. It's a Friday night and normally everyone stays up a little later, but I want to put the younger kids to bed early so I can talk to Charlie without distractions. It's not like they'll notice the early bedtime anyway.