Together Or Apart

7. Talk It Out

I am loading the dishwasher with this mornings breakfast mess. I made scrambled eggs and avocado toast which wasn't very messy. But I meal prepped Sydney's pure and meals for the next 3 days. I often do this of a weekend so that it saves me time during the week. 

"Morning." Harry says to me as he appears from outside. By the look of it, he has just gone for a morning jog. 

"Morning." I reply quietly without raising my head from the dishwasher. 

"Syd awake?" 

I nod my head and point over to the living room where Sydney is laying in her rocker, watching tv. 

"And where is the little popstar? I slept terribly last night." Harry raises his arms above his head to stretch out his upper body. "London was fidgeting all night."

"In the playroom."

Harry leans forwards and rests his hands on top of the kitchen island. "Have you eaten today?"

"Yep."

"Then fuck Hailey, why are you still in a shitty mood?"

"I'm not in a shitty mood. I just feel that the less we say to each other, the less likely we will fight."

"Then how do we stop fighting?"

At last, I stand up and look him in the eyes. "By resolving our problem."

"Which is?"

I scoff. "If you don't know, then that's another issue within itself." I close the dishwasher and wash my hands before drying them off with a towel. In the meantime, Harry walks over to my side of the kitchen. I step around him and walk towards the living room where Sydney is. I sit down beside her while Harry stands in the doorway. "I'm going out in an hour."

"Where are you going?"

"To re-sign up for the gym."

"That's great, I'll stay here with the kids. Are you going to get a session in today?"

"Mum's coming over."

Harry's silence comes as a surprise to me, so I quickly glance in his direction. He has his hands on his hips with a sarcastic grin on his face. "You seriously don't trust me alone with them. I am their father Hailey. I have been a father for over 5 years now. I do know how to look after children."

"Then start acting like one. Put your kids first." 

"There it is, I was waiting for that one. I am doing this for my kids because that is how I make money to build a life for them. They wouldn't have this house if it wasn't for me. You're not working Hailey, you're doing the stay at home Mum thing and I respect that. But I-"

"Stay at home Mum thing?" I snicker, feeling rage boiling inside of me. "You think this was my choice? I would be working if I could! But instead I chose to be at home with these girls so that they aren't raised by a nanny like most kids in the industry are." 

Harry argues back, saying something about how I am always playing the victim. But I zone out because Sydney's attention has broken away from the tv and she is instead staring at Harry and I. She is getting a little unsettled due to the tones of our voices. I pick her up and cuddle her. "Sorry baby. I'm sorry." I kiss her forehead. 

Harry stops speaking and he walks away. "I'm going to go and ask London if she wants to go ride her bike. Am I allowed to do that? Or should I do a 3 year college degree on parenting first, since I'm apparently so shit at it."

"I never said you were a bad father, Harry. You're just an absent one."

"And that sounds so fucking much better."