Chapter 51
It was February 23rd, and Harry was in the kitchen, working quickly and carefully. He had silenced the house so he wouldn’t wake Luna. On the table, he had set a tray with a simple breakfast, but one made with care: toast, eggs, bacon, blackberry jam, pumpkin juice, and a small vase with a single wildflower that he had conjured. Beside it, there was a gift, carefully wrapped.
He finished adjusting the details and looked over at the babies, who were in the stroller beside the table. “Ready to surprise Mommy?” he whispered, picking each of them up one at a time.
The two boys were awake but calm, waving their little hands in the air as if responding to their father. Harry smiled, balancing one in his right arm and the other in his left, after making the tray float gently by his side.
When he entered the room, Harry did his best not to trip or make noise. He approached Luna, with the twins still nestled in his arms. For a moment, he stopped just to watch her. She looked so peaceful, the usual exhaustion softened by a night of rest. She was still deeply asleep, her face serene against the pillow. For the first time in weeks, she had had a full night of sleep. Harry had made sure to take care of the twins alone during the night because he knew she needed to regain her strength.
"Luna," he called softly, his voice almost a whisper.
She stirred, slowly opening her eyes and blinking against the morning light. When she saw Harry standing there, with the twins in his arms and a shy smile on his face, her heart skipped a beat.
"Good morning," he said, his voice full of tenderness. "Happy birthday."
Luna sat up slowly, her eyes widening when she noticed the tray beside her and the babies quietly in Harry's arms. "Harry... did I sleep the whole night? You took care of them by yourself?"
He shrugged, trying to appear casual. "It was fine. They behaved well." He placed the boys beside her on the bed, and Luna immediately pulled them close, kissing their little foreheads.
"You didn’t have to do this," she said, but there was emotion in her voice.
"I wanted to." He replied, sitting at the edge of the bed. "You deserve to rest. And more than that... you deserve a special day. So, I thought I’d start with this."
Harry picked up the tray and placed it on her lap, smiling shyly when she gently picked up the flower and looked at him in surprise.
Harry pointed to the wrapped gift on the tray. "Before you have breakfast, I want you to open this."
Luna furrowed her brow, curious, but carefully opened the gift. When she saw the cover of the album, her fingers trembled slightly. As she opened it, the first photo took the breath out of her.
It was the moment she first held the twins, still in the delivery room. In the picture, her tears were falling as she looked at them, and Harry, sitting behind her, holding her, was crying just as much as she was. It was a raw image, full of emotion and beauty.
"Harry..." she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"I asked the nurse to take some pictures that day," he explained, his voice low. "I thought you'd like to have this to remember. Everything. The strength you had. That moment."
Luna continued flipping through the pages, each photo bringing fresh tears to her eyes. There were images of her pregnant, moments she didn’t even remember that he had captured: her laughing on the living room carpet while caressing her belly, folding baby clothes in their room, or standing in front of the crib with her hand on her belly. There were also more photos from the delivery. Images of her leaning on Harry with her eyes closed, her face showing pain, but seconded by his hand, photos of her in the bath with Harry wiping her face.
Then came the pictures of the boys. Their first weeks at home, sleeping together in the crib, and the moments when Luna held them so carefully. Every page seemed like a piece of Harry’s heart, an effort to show her that he had been there for every detail.
When she reached the last photo, Luna stopped. It was a recent image, taken without her noticing. She was sitting in the armchair, with the two boys on her lap, looking at them with a soft smile as she breastfed them.
"I just wanted you to see... all of this. To remember how amazing you are," Harry said, his voice rough. "You’re not just their mother, Luna. You’re the reason all of this is possible. And I... I’m so grateful for you."
Luna closed the album, holding it against her chest. Tears silently streamed down her face as she looked at Harry. He gazed at her with so much tenderness.
"Thank you," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "For all of this. For remembering things I’ve forgotten. For taking care of them. For being here." She paused. "For taking care of me."
Harry took her hand, squeezing it gently. "I’m here, Luna. And I’m going to stay here. No matter how long it takes... I’m going to be here." He spoke firmly, not taking his eyes off hers for a second. His words alone were meaningful, but his eyes said so much more.
Luna didn’t reply, but squeezed his hand back, her words caught in her throat. She didn’t know how to express everything she felt at that moment, but for the first time in a long time, she felt that maybe she wasn’t so alone.
And as the two boys fussed lightly between them, Luna looked at Harry and, for a moment, thought that maybe one day, there could be something more. Maybe. That sweet hope frightened her, but at that moment, she didn’t mind.
Later that day, after reading all the cards and opening all the gifts, Luna was finishing breastfeeding the twins when Harry entered the room and stood by the door, watching them as he did every day.
"Did they fall asleep?" He asked in a low voice.
"Yes," she replied.
Harry helped her place them in the crib, then turned to look at her.
"I have one last surprise for you." He smiled.
"Harry... you’ve already done so much for me... I even slept more than eight hours straight." She smiled widely.
Harry returned her smile. "Now, you’re going to get a long bath in your bathtub, which I know you haven’t used in a long time."
Luna looked at him in surprise, and her cheeks flushed. Harry, realizing how his words had sounded, turned even redder than she was.
"I meant that I’ve prepared the bath." He tried to correct himself, but turned even redder. "You go there while I stay here with the babies." He hurried to add.
Luna didn’t know what to say, so she just left the room in silence and went straight to the bathroom. The scene she saw filled her with a confusing mix of emotions. The lights were off in the bathroom, but there were several candles lit. The bathtub was full of foam, and there was a soft scent filling the room. Beside the tub was a small tray with juice, grapes, and cheese. The book she had been reading was beside it.
Luna stood there, mouth agape. The bathroom exuded coziness. It had been so long since she had taken a bath, and she had never had something so beautiful and relaxing prepared for her. Her heart stirred with this thoughtful gesture. At the same time, she was filled with fear. Harry and his kindness were softening her heart, something she knew she shouldn’t allow. For a moment, she thought about undoing everything and calling him to ask him to stop doing these things, but everything looked so inviting, and she needed to relax, so she decided to enjoy the moment but keep her heart safe and far from false hopes.
Harry was just being kind, nothing more. She repeated to herself as she undressed and stepped into the tub.
Even so, she couldn’t escape the feeling of intimacy she felt as she undressed. For a brief moment, she wished Harry were there with her. Excitement ran through her body as she imagined the two of them together in the tub. Luna breathed deeply, trembling, and couldn’t stop her hand from sliding to the middle of her legs, her eyes closing as she saw images of Harry, naked, making love to her. It had been two months since the last time they had been together, and this was the first time Luna had been overcome with desire since he had left. Before, she had been too overwhelmed by the end of her pregnancy and, in the last month, too tired with the care of the twins. But now, alone in a warm bath, with all her muscles relaxed, she let herself be taken by her desire and only stopped when she reached climax.
When she opened her eyes, her breath irregular, she told herself that this would be the last time she did this. Then, she picked up her book and allowed herself to relax.