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Miss Rosie is like, Write about your family! See you tomorrow! and Ren goes over to her cubby and packs her bag all neat and goes to the benches to wait for Papa. She only has to wait two minutes before Papa is walking towards her and taking her hand and saying Hiii, munchkin, how was school? Ren turns to wave at Miss Rosie and so does Papa. Then she turns to Papa and says, It was okay, cept Lila fell on the monkey bars and she was all bloody for recess.
Papa does that frowny thing and asks, Is she okay?
Ren says, Yes, but she cut her lip. But Miss Rosie didn't put a plaster on because it was her lip not her skin.
Papa nods understandingly. Careful on the monkey bars, kay, sweetheart? he tells her. Ren says, I am careful, cause she is. She's better than all of the girls and boys in her class at monkey bars.
Just checking, Papa laughs. He opens the car door for Ren to clamber inside. Seatbelt, he says, like every day.
Done, says Ren. She waits for Papa to get into the front seat before she says, Also, we have to do Art and write about My Family and how we love each other. Is Daddy home?
No, darling, it's Wednesday, he's at training now, says Papa. He's put on his sunglasses so the sun doesn't stare at him too much when he drives.
Oh. Ren ponders this. I need him to help with my My Family writing.
I could help, says Papa.
No, I need both of you, Ren frowns. To indervu. Inter - intervoo.
Interview? asks Papa.
Yeah, that, says Ren.
Papa smiles at her from the mirror up in front. He'll be back by four, baby.
OK, says Ren.
When they get home Ren wants to eat first because she's hungry but Papa makes her change and wash up. Sometimes when Daddy picks her up he lets her eat first when she pouts at him and makes her eyes big and says she's really really reeeaaally hungry. It never works with Papa though because Papa always says he invented that trick, it won't work on him. Lunch is corned beef sandwiches and chocolate milk. Ren eats it fast and gets started on her Art.
What're you supposed to be drawing? asks Papa curiously, passing by and seeing her on the floor with her colour pencils.
Ren huffs because he's supposed to know. It's us, she says. Outside the house.
Huh, says Papa. You draw like Daddy. All smiley faces and my body parts too long.
Your arms and legs ARE like that, Ren tells him. He laughs.
Ren colours until she's satisfied that Daddy's number 17 jersey is perfectly striped then Papa announces it's naptime. Ren goes without arguing like she does some days because she's kind of tired, they played a lot at recess today. She curls into the sofa and Papa kisses her cheek and says Daddy'll be back soon, okay?
When she wakes up Daddy is back, he's in the kitchen and talking to Papa about his day. His voice is quiet so he doesn't wake Ren up, so she just lies there quietly still half-asleep and listens to them because when they do this it feels kind of nice and safe, like warmth. Also, she wants to hear if they talk about her. Papa calls it Earsdropping. Ren calls it Investigating, like that book Papa read her.
I swear it was close, Daddy's saying, he was on the verge of knocking him out, babe.
Dyou think he'll get a warning? Papa asks.
Nah, think they'll turn a blind eye, seeing as he's the star transfer of the season, Daddy's making that voice that's all not nice, even if the words are, but babe, he had it coming, he's been acting like a top arse ever since he got here and shagging Connelly's girl? Last straw.
Ren has no idea what they mean sometimes, and it's not like they'll explain it to her properly. Daddy says, How was your day, then?
Pretty quiet. Did some writing, Papa says. Rennie wants to interview us for her essay. Oh, you should see her drawing of us, Lou, it's adorable.
There's quiet after that. Ren thinks they're probably going over to her, to see her drawing.
Huh, Daddy says, his voice happy. That. I look good! She got my jersey right and everything.
She draws me like you draw me, says Papa's laughter voice. Manic curls and overly proportioned limbs.
We only sketch truth, Daddy laughs. There's a sound like they're kissing, which Ren takes as her cue to wake up properly. Daddy, you're back!
Hey, monkey! Daddy says, un-entangling himself from Papa's arms and hugging her as she goes over. Missed you. How was school?
Lila fell down and cut her lip, Ren says. There was blood. But she's okay, even if she doesnt get a plaster.
That's good, says Daddy. Papa says, Didn't you want to ask Daddy and me some questions, sweetheart?
Riiight, Ren says. They settle down on the carpet. Ummm, what is your job? Like, your proper one, I know you play football and you both write things, but what's your for real job?
Daddy hmms. Well, love, football is something I'm only doing till your brother gets here, he says. So you can't really put that as my Real job. I guess you could say I write songs? I'm a songwriter now.
Doesn't Papa do that? Ren asks.
Yes, I do, Papa says. We both do that. I also sing sometimes.
Ren makes an unimpressed face. I've never heard your songs, she tells him.
That's cause we don't wanna show off, Daddy laughs. We used to play them for you a bit when you were younger. It's just embarrassing now.
You know Papa and me used to be in a band, right? Daddy asks.
Yeah, I know, Ren answers. With Uncle Zayn and Uncle Ni and Uncle Liam, and that's why people take pictures of us outside. Papa used to tell me this story a lot when I couldn't sleep.
Yeah, he's ridiculously proud of himself for how it turned out, Daddy says, turning to grin at Papa.
Papa says happily: You remember!
It's how you met, Ren says, smiling a lot because of course she knows this story, just because Papa tells it less these days cause she can sleep better doesn't mean she's forgotten.
Wanna tell it to me? Daddy asks. In case I've forgotten?
In the toilet, Ren says, making a face. You met in the toilet. It's not very romantic, whatever Papa says.
Neither is what he did, accidentally pee-peeing on me, Daddy frowns, but not-really.
I was distracted, Papa defends himself, smiling wide. Try to leave that part out when we're in polite company, Ren, he adds.
And then you said Oops. Ren shifts on Daddy's lap, pushes up Daddy's sleeve so she can trace over it. And Daddy said Hi!
Papa shows her his arm too, so Ren can rub her thumb over it.
Cause I still had my manners, even as covered with pee as I was, Daddy informs both of them.
It was literally only a drop. Papa pinches Daddy's thigh, just a bit.
And he looked so scared because he was gonna have to sing on stage with all those people in a bit, and you said he'd do great and you asked for a picture so you could keep it for when he was a big big singer.
Daddy's patting her hair, now, smiling up at Papa all far away-like. That's right, munchkin, Papa says, using his knuckles to swipe gently at her cheek. S'your dad all over, taking care of us. He made me feel a whole lot better.
But you got put into a band! Ren says. And you did well and got famous and people took lotsa pictures of you.
Some pictures she sees in the albums, Daddy and Papa and Uncle Ni Zayn Liam smiling up at the camera from a stage, too many people looking up at them, more even than there are in Grade school, the big school. Sometimes people go up to her and say, Dude, your dad's Harry Styles, or Do you know Zayn Malik? Can you give him my number?
Like, but she knows better than that. Her daddies have taught her better than that, that some people think that her daddies and the people they know are more important than they really are. She says, Yeah, and Okay, all polite like her daddies have taught her, and stuffs the number in her backpack. She doesn't dig it out later.
One night Papa found a scrap of paper, and asked her what it was, and went all quiet, and said: Ren, love. If anyone's been bothering you--
Ren huffed. Please, Papa, she said. I can handle them.
Papa raised his eyebrows, and shook his head a bit, and said you're just like your dad, in a sort of proud way, but kind of quiet still, but mostly proud.
Kind of like the way he's looking at her now, when she continues.
You got famous, but not so happy, cause people were in charge of what you did and you didn't like that. Ren frowns. She doesn't like the idea of people controlling her daddies, doesn't think Daddy would allow that.
But Papa always says you knew you'd be okay cause you loved each other. And it worked out. You got control even though you had to wait ages and ages--, Papa told her they had to wait for almost as old as Ren is, and that is ages and ages-- and you got married and you had me!
Daddy is full on smiling at her now, eyes almost disappeared cause they're crinkling so hard. That's right, Bug, he says, and hugs her to his chest tight. And you're the best thing that ever happened to us. To Papa, over her head, he says: You really drummed the story into her, didn't you. You proper sap.
But his voice has gone all croaky like it does right before he swipes at his eyes and pretends he isn't crying, so.
Papa answers: Only for you.
Ren wriggles out of Daddy's grasp when the hug gets too long and it doesn't feel like he's going to let go any time soon. Good Luck Charlie is on at four thirty every Wednesday sharp, her daddies should remember this. She rushes off to the tv room so she doesn't miss anything.
Ren, your colour pencils! Papa calls out all huffily, a moment later.
I'll pick em up later, she promises, fingers crossed. Right after the show. Don't worry, Daddy!
The last thing she sees before the show starts is Daddy muffling a laugh into Papa's neck, Papa's fake-angry That's your kid, Tomlinson, even as he grins just as wide and runs his fingers through Daddy's hair, even if it's still a bit sweaty from football.
And, Ren thinks, that's how my family love each other.