I wasn't nervous. I was a grown woman—18 counted, thankyouverymuch—who could juggle school and two twin boys. I could totally handle one night of dinner guests without making a fool of myself.

"Up! Up! Up! Up!" Ronan had learned a new word this week. Riddle had caught on quickly.

"I can't right now Riddle. Mommy is cooking. Go play with your brother." I said, pointing to the living room where the sounds of falsely happy cartoon characters radiated from. Had I ever actually enjoyed that as a child? Now it seemed so very…patronizing.

"Up! Ma." He tried to jump towards my arms but instead just stumbled and fell onto my feet. He was enthusiastic. Just not very coordinated.

"Riddle," I said, not really knowing what I was going to say to him, just that I was trying to stir the spaghetti sauce in and the bowl was too far away for me to reach with him on my feet. "Up." I said, watching him roll away from me, arms landing above him on the floor.

"Moo." He said, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He was so demanding.

"One second Riddle." I said warningly.

"Moo!" He screamed, sitting up and walking over to the fridge. He then began to pound on it with his hands. "Moo!"

"Riddle, that's enough. I'll give you your milk in just a second." I said, hearing the slow, careful sound of two bare feet coming towards the kitchen. Ro appeared from around the corner and looked over immediately to Riddle, walking over and putting his arms around him in what I knew was their version of a hug.

"Ri," Ronan huffed, squeezing him, his face smashing into the back of Riddle's head.

"See? Go play with your brother, I'll bring you your milk." I said, pouring the spaghetti into a large bowl. It would have to do.

At that very moment there was a sharp knock at the door. Riddle was the first to run for it, with Ronan right on his heels.

"Coming!" I shouted, taking my time to make sure the boys didn't fall and break their heads in their rush to see people who weren't me. It was understandable. We didn't get out much. They got restless.

I swung the door open, pulling Riddle back by his collar before he could trip over the door jam. He was so klutzy it was painful to watch sometimes.

"Lily!" Danielle shouted, pulling me into a hug as if I was some old friend she hadn't seen in years. It was sort of nice, actually, to be accepted so quickly and so graciously into their ragtag family.

"Hello Danielle." I laughed, pulling away and opening the door wider for them. "The spaghetti just got done so we'll-"

"Moo!" Riddle shouted, turning towards me, remembering his earlier demand.

"Yes Riddle. Milk. Okay? I'm going." I sighed. "You can all come in." I waved them inside. I didn't know British formalities. Was I supposed to curtsey? Do some sort of jig? Offer them tea?

I instead decided to just go get Riddle a cup of milk. He eagerly took it from me, sticking it in his mouth and wandering back to the living room without another word. Ronan, on the other hand, had taken an interest in Niall's leg. His arms were curled around his calf, his bottom resting on the top of his shoe.

"Ro," I said, shaking my head at him.

"Ah he's fine." Niall waved me off, looking down and waving. Ronan buried his face into his leg. "I think he likes me."

"He must." I said, walking closer to look down at my son curiously. "He's usually very shy."

And then before I knew what was happening I was being pulled into a very warm, very full hug with Niall, my face buried in his neck as he squeezed my back. It took me a few awkward seconds to hug back.

When I pulled away and was faced with that ridiculous smile, I was forced to laugh. Really, I had no choice in the matter.

"It's good to see you again Niall."

"And you. I must be honest though," He said, reaching down to gently pry Ronan off his leg, only to pull him up to hold him against his hip. "I really only came back for these two."

"Well then I can't say I'm surprised." I smiled, reaching over to gently tug at Ronan's nose with my fingers.

"Lily do you want us to help you set the table?" Danielle asked, walking out of the kitchen. Only then did I realize that everyone had moved into the living room, to talk or just watch Riddle play.

"Actually we're just going to use paper plates." I said. "I'm afraid I haven't used a real dish since I got the boys. I think I actually forgot how to wash them."

"Well nonsense. I'll help her set the table. And I'll wash the dishes, since I was the one who said we should use them." Niall cut in, offering me Ronan, who desperately clutched at his neck instead of going over to me.

It didn't hurt my feelings. Nope. Not at all. No jealousy here.

"I'll help Danielle, you can just hold him." I tried to shrug it off, and went to help her set the table.

"I saw the video." I said, smiling and speaking loud enough to be heard over the clatter of plates and silverware.

"Oh so you heard my shout-out then?" She asked, and laughed herself.

"Yes. But for some reason I have the vague impression that you had ulterior motives in getting me to watch that." I said slyly, carefully avoiding her eyes as I lined up the knives perfectly.

"Oh really?" She asked. She was a terrible actress though. Awful liar. "Well…Niall is certainly charming isn't he?" She asked, and I quickly glanced around, noticing that no one else was in the room but feeling my face heat regardless.

"I knew it!" I hissed at her.

"Well he just seemed very taken with you. I was wondering what happened at that hospital."

"Oh god, nothing happened. I sat there a worried mess all night practically on the verge of tears the whole time and he sat with me." I rushed to explain, my face growing warmer than I'd ever thought possible.

"That certainly sounds like something to me. Besides, I don't know why it's such a big deal. What if he wants to get to know you? What could be bad about that?"

"I can think of several things." I tried to warn her away from the topic.

She's determined, that woman. Niall's voice echoed in my head and I had to resist the urge to cringe.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Like the fact that I come with quite a lot of baggage." I said, hating referring to my boys that way but knowing that that's what they would be to any other teenager. "Or the fact that you'll all be leaving to go back to England in a few days?"

"I didn't say you had to get married." She rolled her eyes, walking past me and shoving my shoulder lightly. "I just said there wouldn't be anything strictly bad about getting to know him."

"I know…but it's not gonna happen. Can we just…get everyone else and eat some spaghetti now?" I sighed, giving her a pleading look. She agreed with possibly the most exaggerated sigh I've ever heard.

"Yes, yes, we'll get everyone."

Dinner was a surprisingly pleasant affair even though most of the time I was trying to keep the twins from throwing their food. Table manners were something they were having a particularly hard time grasping.

"Riddle," I warned, as his picked up a handful of spaghetti, eyes trained on Louis. I had finally managed to get all of their names down. "No. Eat your food."

"I really don't know how you do it." Zayn said from my right, pulling his eyes away from the twins to look at me. There was something very…calm about him. I mean I'd heard his raucous laughter earlier when he was in the living room but around me—a stranger—he seemed almost shy.

"With lots of tears, messes, spilled milk and black coffee." I laughed, watching warily as Riddle began to pound his cup against his high chair top. He was just not very hungry.

"We only ever really get to interact with one baby. One of our make-up artists kids. Lux." He went on to explain, and I was grateful that he was trying to bring me into conversation.

"Oh yeah? How old is…she?" I assumed.

"Yeah. She's about 11 months–"

"Ahh that's a good age." I smiled. Ronan started whining and I glanced up to find Riddle trying to take food from Ro's plate. "Riddle, no."

"No!" He shouted back at me. Stern mother face time.

"One…two…" His hand retreated. "Anyways," I sighed, turning back to Zayn. "It's wonderful when they're that age because they don't cry all the time but they also haven't fully grasped how to say the word no yet." I chuckled.

"No!" Riddle shouted, only this time it wasn't directed at me, but at Ronan, who was attempting to reach over to Niall and grab his hand.

"Riddle, be nice." I warned again. He was being difficult. Again. I knew it was a stage. We would soon be approaching the terrible two's. It was only to be expected.

"No!"

"Hey there," Niall said softly, reaching over the tug Riddle's earlobe. "It's not nice to tell your mummy no." And then he proceeded to shake Ro's hand.

I wasn't sure if conversation at the table stopped at his words or if I just couldn't focus on anything else because suddenly all sound stopped. He'd sounded so…sincere when he'd said that. So comfortable. Like he…and it was strange to say it so soon but I said it anyways—like he was a father. Like they were his.

"Lily?" Zayn's voice pulled from my thoughts and the world rushed back into my head with a sound like rushing air.

"What?" I asked, blinking stupidly at him. I pointedly ignored the fact that I was almost definitely sure Niall had been staring back at me the whole entire time I'd been looking at him.

I brought new clarity to the word mortified.

"I asked what you were studying at university."

"Pre-med." Niall offered from across the table. I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eyes. So I settled for his plate as I nodded bashfully.

"Wow. A doctor then?" Zayn asked. I could only nod and hope my face wasn't red. I hated when people acted like it was such a big deal. Any idiot could take the classes. It was getting into medical school that was the hard part.

"It's uh…it's really not a big thing. I just…I'm good at science and…well, kids are kind of my thing. Obviously. A pediatrician just seemed like the logical aspiration."

"And you already have the vocabulary of a scholar." Danielle said, raising her glass to me. I didn't mention that aspiration really wasn't that great of a word.

"So, what are you all planning on doing while you're here?" I asked the table. The whole table. I had absolutely no desire to only hear what Niall planned to be doing. I was totally interested in the plans of the group as a whole. No favoritism here.

"What do you mean? We'll be letting you show us the sights of course as we assist you in your never-ending battle to keep track of two young boys." Danielle said, smiling to let me know she would be joking if I needed her to be.

But I didn't.

"Are you sure there's nothing else you'd rather do? I really am a recluse. A hermit, you could even say. I don't…well I don't get out much."

"Well then we can discover the city together!" Louis cheered. I noticed the very obvious absence of Eleanor. I did not comment on it.

"I would be glad to discover the city with you." I smiled, nodding to him.

"We could go to a park or something tomorrow morning. Take some coffee and let them play around. I mean, if you wanted to I mean. They might not be, you know…allowed." Liam suggested, almost like he didn't want to tell me what to do with my kids. Which I mean, he obviously shouldn't but he wasn't so much commanding as asking. These boys, they really were very odd in their mannerisms.

"That sounds good to me. Where are you all staying?" I asked, setting my fork down.

"The Holiday Inn on Roland." Harry said.

"Oh, okay. Well then…I can meet you all there at, say 9? Or is that too early?"

"Nine is fine."

"Hey that rhymed." Niall said, and I chuckled. Because it was funny. Not because he was cute. Funny. Not cute.

"Ma! Joo!"

"Dropped it." Niall said, bending down and picking up the cup and handing it back to Riddle.

"Thank you."

"Down!" Riddle shouted, and soon his demand was joined by Ronan's.

"Can you say please?" I asked, although I was already getting up and moving over to get them out of their chairs. There was only so much hope I could have for their manners.

"Down!" They continued to shout. I rolled my eyes but obeyed anyways, watching as they ran into the living room, back to shoving shaped blocks of wood into a bucket. How it entertained them I would never know.

Niall stayed in the kitchen with me to help wash the dishes. Everyone else moved into the living room to talk about things probably very interesting and British that I couldn't understand.

And Niall and I fell into a comfortable pattern of washing and drying plates that shouldn't have been possible between two people who knew so little of each other but it happened anyways.

It wasn't until we were nearly done, the last fork being wiped dry and put away that he spoke.

"You're quite extraordinary." He said suddenly, turning to rest against the sink. I didn't so much freeze as stutter to a stand-still, my hand awkwardly halfway out of the drawer and my head down.

"Um…thank you." I whispered. Because it's not everyday that an attractive boy stands in your kitchen and tells you that you're extraordinary.

"Can I know you?" He asked, some underlying implications to the question that I very closely examined. My mind instantly flashed to the magazine that was still tucked safely under my bed.

To know Niall Horan wasn't a small thing. It meant I would be known by his loyal fans by simple association. And I wasn't sure if I could handle that.

Could I? Could I take more articles linking me to One Direction?

Well. I hadn't been taking care of two little boys for this long to start backing down in the face of intimidation. I refused to be daunted by the threat of the public eye. I was not ashamed. I was not afraid.

And I wanted him to know me.

"If you want." I said, turning to face him, my hip sliding the drawer shut as I leaned against the counter. "I mean by the end of the week you'll be half-way around the world. And I'm not the easiest person to know. I have school."

"That's why I'm so fond of telephones."

"I'm a teenage mother."

"I'm part of a famous band." He responded with.

"I'm not known for doing anything in moderation."

"Neither am I."

"I think this could be a bad idea. Not for me, but for you."

"I think we should just wait until we know each other before we make up our minds about that."

"I think this is crazy." I breathed.

"I think you're absolutely right."

"I think we should go into the living room with everyone else before I do something terribly hasty like try to kiss you." My head pounding with the blood that rushed to my face. When had my life turned into a badly written young adult fiction novel?

"Let's go then."