Duality [H.S.]

Chapter Thirty-One

Thursday, 26th May 2022

Blinking blearily, Harry feels like he slept for all of five minutes.

Confused for a beat, in the low light filtering through the white blinds and gauzy curtains, it takes him a moment to recall that they're in Claridge's.

It wasn't a dream.

It was a real nightmare.

No doubt reliving her ordeal, he knows Eloise had at least one more in the night. Waking with a start, flinching out of his hold hard enough to wake him, she'd sat panting, kicking at the strewn bed linen before flopping back down again. Melting into his arms, face buried in his neck, her silent, weepy tears then pooled in his clavicles.

Rolling on to his right side, he's surprised to find her propped up against the headboard. Wide awake, she's turned slightly away from him, gaze fixed over towards the cots.

It can't bode well that she's already awake. Just before daybreak, it can't even be 5am yet.

This culprit looks fairly innocuous and unsuspecting, too - angelic, even.

Snoozing sprawled over Mummy's chest, his curly blonde head is tucked under her chin. With one arm bent and his hand near his face, he sleeps just like she usually does.

As Dylan stirs, stretching slightly, Eloise's focus drifts back to him.

She gazes into his matching big blue eyes as he blinks, focusing up at her. Gently stroking his chubby cheek, willing him back to sleep, she can't help but wonder what he's seen...

Had he felt left out? Neglected? Is that why he's clingy with her? Had he tried to tell her? God, what have they been through? What do they understand? And will they remember any of it?

Deep in thought, she flinches in surprise when Harry reaches out and rests his hand gently on Dylan's back, rubbing soothing circles.

Lolling her head on the headboard, she musters a soft, sleepy half-smile and drops her hand to his equally chaotic curls. "He was stirring," she whispers, voice froggy from tears and tiredness. "I didn't want him to disturb Freya."

"How long have you been up?" he asks gently, shifting to nuzzle his cheek into her palm.

She shrugs. "Half an hour, maybe? Since the dawn chorus started, anyway. Something warbling on the terrace must have woken him." She dips her chin to press a kiss to the top of Dylan's head.

They both sigh in relief when he succumbs and nods off again.

Eyes fixed, locked on Harry's broad hand still splayed across Dylan's back, Eloise keeps her voice hushed whilst broaching the elephant in the room. "It's completely irrational, I know, but I can't help but wonder why - how - she didn't want him, too... What kind of a monster could possibly separate them? How didn't we-?"

Closing her eyes, swallowing thickly, she shakes her head, reprimanding herself. She failed them. She feels like a terrible mother. Navel-gazing and self-pity won't fix that. And neither will lashing out - as she had at Harry.

Looking at him again, she lays her hand gently over his, interlacing their fingers. "I'm really, really sorry for what I said last night. It was out of line."

"Not all of it..." Shaking his head, he reaches for her hand with his free one and drags it to his lips, sponging kisses. He's too tired and overwrought to get into it all again, so he just stretches forward to kiss her and Dylan's cheeks in turn.

Hearing a faint ping behind him, he peels back with a huff and wriggles and stretches to reach his personal phone from the nightstand.

Rolling back again, he settles closer than he was, snuggling up to her side.