#harmani

Normani knows how terrible it feels to be the new kid atschool but being the new kid on Valentine’s Day has to the absolute worst. So while everyone in her 3rd grade class was exchanging Valentine’s and celebrating she couldn't help looking over at the new boy sitting there with an empty Valentine-less desk. She knows that it was no one’s fault and she shouldn't feel bad but she did.

So later that day when her mom picked her up from school Normani had a request, “Mommy, please take me to go buy a Valentine for the new boy in class.”

Ms. Hamilton was taken aback and teased Normani about having a little boyfriend, which she adamantly denied because boys are gross and have cooties, but Normani explained that this boy was sad and she wanted to cheer him up. Ms. Hamilton just smiled and drove her daughter to Walmart. There wasn’t much left to choose from but Normani found a box of candy hearts to buy for the boy.

The next day at recess he was sitting alone. Normani excused herself from an intense game of jump rope and walked over to the browned haired, green eyed boy.

“Hi,” She said once she was in front of him. He looked up obviously startled that someone was starting a conversation with him. Normani looked over her shoulder to see her friends staring at them and whispering. She ignored them and sat down.

“Hi…” He responded softly also looking over at Normani’s friends. Maybe he thought this was a joke.

“I… um… I got you something.” She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the box of candy hearts and gave them to him. “For Valentine’s Day.”

For a moment he just looked at the box of candy and didn’t say anything. Normani berated herself in her head. This was a dumb idea and now she just looks silly. But then he gave her one of the biggest smiles she had ever seen on a person.

“Thank you! I wish I had something to give you…”

“That’s okay. You just owe me one.” Normani laughed as she got up to return to her jump rope game.

“Wait!” The boy called out to her, “Do you wanna share them?” He asked hopefully.

Normani looked back to her friends and they were still staring. Some were even waving for her to come back over.

“Uh… yeah. We can share them.”

She sat back down and the two of them read the little sugar heart shaped candies as they ate them together.

“I’m Harry, by the way” the boy says and although they had never introduced themselves to each other Normani heard their teacher say it.

“I know. And I’m Normani”

“I know.” He says back and they laugh.

As they go through the box of hearts Normani thinks that Harry is a boy so no doubt he has cooties but maybe… just maybe he has less cooties than all the rest. That’s still to be determined.

***

Ever since that day this has been a long standing tradition. Both would agree that was the day that solidified their bond and they became closer than ever. Well, that was until junior year of high school when Harry finally asked Normani out on a date. Now, even into adulthood and after ten years of dating, every Valentine’s Day they sit down and exchange candy hearts.

They trade them back and forth just reading the sayings. All their friends thought they were crazy but no one else understood, they just had to do it. As Harry and Normani got older the sayings became lamer. It’s gotten to the point that they switch the hearts back and forth laughing out loud. It’s silly but it’s them so that made it okay.

This Valentine’s Day was like all the others. It started off with a very nice breakfast consisting of heart shaped pancakes made by Normani. Okay, there weren't perfect hearts but she had tried and she knew that Harry appreciated the effort. The rest of the day was spent doing the cheesiest couple things they could think of. A walk in the park, a horse and carriage ride and everything. It was nice because they don’t ever really get to be the couple that does all these things until this one day out of the year. They spend the other 364 days laughing at other couples that do it. Now after a long day of nauseating romance they are home sitting across from each other at the dining table.

“Kiss Me” Normani reads a yellow heart that Harry has just handed her out loud.

“Don’t mind if I do.” Harry retorts and leans over to plant a lingering kiss on her lips. Normani giggles, shaking her head. Harry has been using that same move since they were sixteen. She digs into her box and pulls out one that makes her scoff out loud.

“Welcome to the 21st century, I guess.” she laughs placing the heart in Harry’s waiting hand. He rolls his eyes when he reads it.

“Skype Me,” He pops the heart into his mouth “And here I thought they were pushing it with text me.”

“Oh, stop being an old man!” Normani laughs silently agreeing though. What would be next on a candy heart? Snapchat Me?

“I’m 26! And I just miss the classic hearts,” Harry digs through his box for a second, “Such as…” he hands Normani the heart he just searched for.

“Marry Me”, she reads aloud. “Yes, that is a classic one.” She eats the heart and pulls another from her box and hands it to Harry.

“Text Me” Harry reads and Normani doubles over with laughter when he tosses the heart across the room.

“I swear I didn't do that on purpose! It was totally random!” She can hardly catch her breath from laughing so hard. She sees Harry trying to suppress a grin as he digs through his box again and hands her a heart. She takes the heart and sees that it says “Marry Me” again.

“Okay I get it! It’s a classic and you like it,” she proceeds to eat that heart as well before she searches her box. “I’ll try to find one that says ‘Write Me a Letter and Send It by Carrier Owl’”. She finds one that says “Hug Me” but when she goes to hand it to him he’s holding a heart out to her. She bites back a sarcastic comment about him never being able to wait his turn and takes the heart. Once again it says, “Marry Me”.

“Harry what the- is that all you have left?” She looks at her box and it’s still pretty full so his should be too. There’s no way he has thirty-something hearts that say Marry Me.

Harry shakes his head no and Normani just becomes more confused. She’s about to say something when he holds up a finger, telling her to wait. He stands up and takes something out of his front pocket. Normani can’t help but notice that he’s shaking. At this point she’s pretty sure what’s happening but she doesn't want to get her hopes up. It’s when he’s down on one knee in front that she lets her hopes run free because, yes, this is definitely happening.

Harry looks up at her and Normani swears that she has never ever in all the years of knowing him seen him this nervous. He visibly steadies his breathing and presents the ring to her, “Normani Kordei Hamilton will you marry me?”

She always said to herself that when she was proposed to that she wouldn't cry because in her opinion being a babbling snotty mess was not cute but when the words finally come she can’t help it. The tears seem to have a mind of their own as they flow down her face. She can’t even speak so she just nods her head rapidly and Harry lets out a sigh of relief while placing the ring on her finger.

Normani isn't sure who initiated it or if they met somewhere in the middle but lips are crashing into each other in an intense kiss. Hands are everywhere as they make their way to their bedroom. She has a thought and stops the kissing much to Harry’s dismay.

“What’s wrong?” He asks worried, Normani guesses that worry isn't only for the possibility of not having sex but the engagement being called off too.

“Nothing, everything is perfect but I just remembered I have something that can make it a little better.” Harry raises an eyebrow as Normani dashes away to retrieve something from her purse. She comes back with it hidden behind her back and presents it dramatically, “TA DA! Sexy Candy Hearts!”

“What do you think about us moving into a house?” Normani asks popping a piece of bacon into her mouth.

 It’s sudden and Harry looks up from his breakfast at his girlfriend sitting across the table. He studies her face for any sign of where it may have come from but she’s looking at him waiting to answer as if talks of moving is just part of normal every day conversation.

 The morning started off fairly normal. Normani had requested that he cook her favorite breakfast which consisted of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and cheese eggs. He happily obliged. But now she’s questioning their living space and he’s confused. What’s wrong with their apartment? It’s was really nice in his opinion. Just enough space for the two of them and Normani kept it decorated splendidly.

“What’s wrong with our apartment?”

“Oh nothing, it’s just kind of… small.” She says quietly, “But we do have that extra room.”

She digs into her food again so Harry follows suits. He doesn’t want to talk about the extra room because that’s his office space and he knows that if they start talking about it she’ll win whatever it is and they’ll end up with a giant walk in closet while Harry has to do all his work on the living room couch. So he keeps his mouth shut hoping she’ll forget about whatever she was thinking.

“I’ve been thinking about taking a few extra shifts at work for a while.” She starts and Harry raises an eyebrow.

“Babe, you already run around trying to balance work and finishing your degree. Just relax. You have one more year and then you can get a job in your field and buy all the shoes you want.” He chuckles around a sip of orange juice but he stops when he notices that he’s the only one that finds humor in what he said.

“Well, some things are a bit more important than shoes.” She’s scowling now and Harry has no idea what he said wrong.

“Okay, fine take the extra shifts. I just know how much you hate working there.”

“And you… maybe you could talk to your dad about the job he offered you at his firm. I say this becau-“

“Because what?!” Harry was angry now.

Normani knew that Harry and his father were a sore subject and that he didn’t want to work for his father. He wanted to make it on his own. That was the whole point of not taking the job with his dad and starting from the bottom with another firm. He didn’t need nepotism to make it as a lawyer. Harry is honestly offended that she’d even suggest that.

“What do I not make enough money for you? I bust my ass working so we can have this place and for you to have to work only part time to finish school and now you’re complaining about both of those things? I can’t fucking win. I’m sorry we live in an apartment and I’m sorry that I’m poor. I’m really fucking sorry.”

Harry instantly feels bad when he looks and sees tears in Normani’s brown eyes. He wishes he could take back every word.

She stands up from the table and takes something from the pocket of her really his hoodie and throws it onto the table, nearly landing the white plastic stick in Harry’s plate, “You really are sorry.”

He watches as she runs into their bedroom and slams the door making the walls shake around him. He picks up the stick from the table… it’s a pregnancy test and its positive. Normani is pregnant.

How could he have been so stupid? All the signs were there and instead of just opening his eyes he berated her. He felt like an ass. Harry has done some asshole things in his life but this definitely takes the cake.

***

When he walks into the bedroom she’s lying on the bed with her headphones in her ears. Harry can hear a Beyoncé song blasting. He’s just happy that she isn’t crying but upon closer he inspection he figures that he missed that part because he can see the track of her tears still on her face.

She doesn’t turn to look at him or acknowledge his presence at all. He Lays down beside her and tries to hold her hand but she moves it quickly, he deserves that but they really need to talk so reaches up and takes the buds out of her ears. She immediately flips onto her side with her back turned towards him.

“Babe, we have to talk about this. I know I was being a jerk-“ she scoffs and Harry grateful because at least she’s listening, “Okay I was a major dickhead out there and I apologize profusely for that.”

Normani is still quiet but she looks a little less tense. He decides to test his luck. He lays down beside her and drapes his arm across her still flat tummy. She doesn’t move or push him away so Harry takes that as the green light to spoon up behind her. They lay like that in silence for a bit until he breaks it.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That’s what I was working my way up to if you hadn’t been so damn rude. Honestly, is that what you think of me? We’ve been together for so long. If I was unhappy about the money you made or how we live I would have left a long time ago. Hell, I would have stayed with my parents.”

“I know and I’m sorry. I should have never said that.”

She gets up a bit so she’s slightly hovering over him, “I don’t think you know that. Sometimes I think you think I’m some vapid little girl that only cares about Beyoncé and shoes.”

“Ah come on, I know that’s only half true.”

She smacks him on the arm but she can’t resist the smile that’s starting to bloom across her face. He pulls her down so she’s laying with her head resting on his chest and her arms around his torso.

“I know that you’re not vapid or shallow. You’re very deep and caring. Not only do you care a lot about Beyoncé but your family, your friends, me, and now our baby.” She nods against his chest and he places a kiss on the top of her head.

“I love you.” She mutters into his shirt so quietly it’s almost like she doesn’t want him to hear it but he does and he kisses her again.

“I love you too and I guarantee that no matter what we’ll be fine. ALL of us are gonna be fine.”

She reaches up at that kisses him on the mouth. It’s a lingering kiss but before it deepens he pulls away. Normani gives him a questioning look.

“Hey, if it’s a girl we should name her Harriet. Can you imagine?” He has a dreamy look on his face, “Harriet Anne Styles…”

“I’m gonna puke.”

“Morning sickness?”

No matter how many times it’s been explained to him Harry doesn't quite understand pep rallies or the purpose they serve.  He’s forced out of bed every morning at an ungodly hour to come to a place full of people he doesn't like to learn things he’ll never use. No amount of shouting “go team go” and hearing how the football team is going to crush the competition this season is going to pep him up. But he guesses they deserve kudos for effort though. Something so ridiculous doesn't just materialize overnight so there’s that.

He’s half paying attention to his new acquaintance, Niall, talk about the school’s rivalry with another school and how they must win or some shit. Harry just wants to watch to see how long before the coach pops a blood vessel from screaming so much. He diverts his eyes and they land on the cheerleaders, especially one cheerleader in particular that he had the pleasure of encountering previously.

~~

When you’re walking along, discovering your new town and come across a place called “Whirled Peace” you must go in. At least that’s what Harry tells himself as he makes a beeline towards the place, intrigued by the name. He’s thrilled to discover upon entering that it’s an ice cream parlor.

The parlor is empty except the girl behind that counter who seems to be so engrossed with her manicure that she doesn’t even look up when he enters. Harry walks up and clears his throat, startling the girl and she hurriedly rips some ear buds out of her ears.

“Welcome to Whirled Peace! We have 33 different flavors of ice cream and so many toppings that the combination possibilities are endless,” the girl says her practiced spiel, “What can I get for you?”

She has the scoop in hand ready to fill Harry’s order.

To say that Harry is entranced would be quite the understatement. This girl is gorgeous. She has the brightest eyes he has ever seen, brown and expressive, and full lips that are now turned up into a beautiful smile. Not to mention her gorgeous smooth complexion that reminded Harry of milk-

“Chocolate!” He says when he realizes that she’s staring waiting for him to say what he wants, “I like chocolate.”

The girl laughs and Harry considers dying.

“Classic!” she says going over to where the chocolate is so she can begin scooping some, “I’m a bit partial to vanilla myself. But then again I’m kind of a plain Jane.”

She finishes scooping the ice cream into a cup and gestures towards the toppings, silently asking would he like any and Harry declines.

“So you’re new around here?” she asks and Harry is a bit shocked. Was he that obvious?

“Let me guess, this town is so small that you know every person in your age group from school?” He asks in response and regrets it because he realizes that he may have come off like an asshole.

But the girl, Normani is what her name tag says, just laughs it off so he breathes a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, that and your cool accent.” She says laughing nervously fiddling with the brim of her visor.

Shit. Sometimes Harry forgets that he’s the one with the accent.

“You got me!” He laughs fishing in his pants pocket for his wallet, “How much do I owe you?”

Normani waves her hand nonchalantly, “On the house. Let’s call it a welcome gift. I’m Normani but you may already know that.” She says pointing at her name tag.

“Thank you, Normani. I’m Harry by the way.” He says extending his hand and she takes it and he confirms that her skin is as soft as it looks.

“See you at school, Harry.” She responds with a smile.