She Lays Down [h.s.]

Two*

Today Mary doesn't rush down the hallway. She's managed to convince her boss to switch her hours with Denise's so that she gets off two hours earlier. It still isn't enough to get to Ember's school on time, but it makes a great difference and she's happy that she doesn't have to have Harry watch Ember for so long.

Harry and Ember are surprised when she walks in at five instead of six-thirty. Ember is practically bursting with excitement. She's missed her mommy and she gets to go home earlier than the day before.

She runs across the room and throws her arms around her mother just like she does every time she sees her. "Mommy!"

Mary smiles and smooths Ember's hair, "Hi, Emmy! Did you have a good day?"

Ember releases the hold she has on her mother's legs and beams, "Yes! Mr. Styles gave us cookies!"

Mary looks to Harry with raised eyebrows, "Oh, he did? Were they good cookies?"

Harry folds his arms over his chest and leans back against his desk with a smile, "I thought they deserved a treat for being so well behaved these last two weeks."

He lets Ember answer the last question because he didn't eat any of the cookies himself.

"Yes! They were...um...sugar cookies with lots of pretty sprinkles!"

She's so excited that Mary puts on a brighter smile and a cheerier tone, "Wow! I bet those were really good! Maybe I'll buy you some for desert later. But you have to promise me that you'll be good for the rest of the night."

Ember nods excitedly and it's almost so fast that Mary thinks she might give herself whiplash, "Yes, mommy!"

"Good. Now, go pack up your things so your poor teacher can go home and relax!"

Ember runs off without another word and starts to pack up her books and crayons that have somehow managed to be scattered all around the classroom. Mary smiles as she watches her run around and gather her school supplies. She never thought that she wanted children, but now that she has Ember she knows what she would have been missing. She can't imagine life without her sweet little girl and she hopes that she'll never have to.

Harry speaks suddenly and she nearly jumps, "I didn't report anything. I...uh...I know that it's hard for the two of you right now, and I know that having to see someone about it can sometimes make things worse. I don't want to put either of you through anything more, especially Ember because I know how those sessions go and I don't want to let her experience that as well."

Mary turns to face him, disbelief written all over her face. She can't believe that he's gone out of his way to keep this between the three of them. She knows that talking to someone about it might help Ember in the end, but she also knows that it might just make things worse for her. The motherly instinct inside of her is overjoyed that he's left the decision in her hands.

She's looking at him with slightly glossy eyes and a gentle smile that's usually only reserved for her daughter, "How are you so sweet? Did your mother feed you daily doses of pure sugar when you were growing up?"

Harry laughs and shakes his head. He's not sure that his mother did that at all, but he is sure that she raised him to be like her. It was her kind heart that taught his to always do its best to be kind to everyone, no matter how badly they've hurt him.

"No, I don't think so anyway. But she did raise me to be like her, so I guess you can say I got daily doses of kindness."

She nods because that makes perfect sense. Mary's embarrassed that she asked the question in the first place and she can feel the flames rush up her body and claim her cheeks. There are so many ways he could have learned how to be kind on his own, and she feels silly for automatically equating it to his mother.