A Gift and A Curse
Chapter 15
When Harry Met Janey
(Week 9 – 2 months, 1 week)
The day had come that she was dreading the most; telling Harry he was going to be an Uncle. She had rung him when she got up and arranged to meet in a café they both knew well.
She had planned the meeting place strategically; if it was a café only she knew Harry would feel out of place and that would reflect on the conversation. If it was a café Harry knew and she didn't, she would've felt uncomfortable and if a café neither of them knew them Jane would have no idea of the exit points if things became a little too much…
So, she had chosen 'The Little Blue Deli' on Greene Street. It was a nice little café, the kind of little gem that people tended to overlook if they hadn't tried it before. It was understated but very, very nice both in décor and cuisine.
The décor was shabby chic with a collage of different wallpaper and white vintage tables and chairs. The proprietor, Clara, was an old mutual friend of both Jane's and Harry's. She smiled brightly when Jane walked through the door. She rushed from behind the counter and hugged Jane tightly.
"Hello, sweetie! How are you? God, I haven't seen you in years, how are you faring?" Clara said, whilst stuffing her notepad and pen back into the front pouch of her green polka dot pinafore.
"I'm good, thank you. You're doing well, very well in fact." Jane said as she glanced around the café. Practically every table was full. "You couldn't spare a table for an old friend…please?"
Jane pulled her best 'puppy-dog' eyes and Clara snorted and laughed. "I knew that look was genetic. Harry gave me that look more than once, come on, with me. I think there's a table round the back."
Clara took Jane's hand and they walked to the back of the café, back to the more secluded area, where instead of the seating being tables and chairs, there were booths. Jane slotted herself in between the soft multicoloured Indian cushions and shifted until she was comfortable.
When Jane looked back to Clara, a slow smile spread across Clara's face; her eyes suddenly sparkled. "I wondered when you had gotten fat."
"You cannot tell –"
"Is it that Detective's you've been lurking around with?" She whispered excitedly.
"I am not at liberty to disclose that information and –"
"Ha!" Clara clapped her hands in joy. "I knew it! I knew it! You two look so sweet together. Ah…two miserable gits together."
Jane burst out laughing. "Cheeky cow!" She said before her tone became more serious. "Now, listen to me Clara. Seriously now, you cannot tell anyone understand me? No one. Not even Harry, okay? I'm telling him…if he shows up." She muttered under her breath.
Clara raised her eyebrow. "Honey, I've been keeping your secrets for years. One more isn't going to do much with the amount of dirt I've got on you already." Clara winked. "Right Madam, you getting anything now or waiting for that brother of yours to show up first?"
"I'll wait for Harry if that's okay."
"Alright, I'll show him in when he arrives." Clara squeezed Jane's hand and whispered. "You're going to have a baby!" before scuttling back to the counter.
Clara and Jane had never really been terribly close but Clara had always been a good friend of Harry's, as far back as Jane's memory would serve, anyway, and the two women always got on well enough.
She pulled out her phone, mainly to text Harry to ask exactly what time he would be arriving, and smiled when she saw five texts from Sherlock.
What time are you coming back?
SH
You're not going anywhere far are you?
SH
Which café have you chosen?
SH
Ring me if you need anything.
SH
Is he there yet?
SH
Jane texted back;
I've only been gone for twenty minutes, calm down.
JW
Just as she sent the message to Sherlock, she received a text from Harry.
Sorry, running about five/ten minutes late.
I'll be with you in fifteen.
Harry xxx
Okay, I'll see you soon
xxx
Jane relaxed back into the plush cushions and just seconds later her phone buzzed again.
A lot can happen in 20 minutes.
SH
She smirked as she typed the reply.
I know you speak from experience, dear.
Mind you…it was nearer ten.
JW
She sent the text and threw the phone back in her bag and, as she looked up she was greeted by the grinning face of her older brother.
"Hello, Janey."
"Hello, Harry."
Jane stood awkwardly and reached over to hug her brother. The hug lasted a lot longer than it normally would have in previous circumstances but there was one major difference that Jane noticed when she buried her nose in the crook of her brother's neck; he didn't smell of alcohol.
"You look…really good." Jane said as Harry slid down to sit opposite her. "Is there something I should know about?"
Harry smiled shyly. "Um…do you mind if we order first?"
Jane nodded. "Right, okay. What are you having? I'm paying by the way – ah, no. Don't argue –"
"Yes, I'm going to argue. I'll pay for this Jane…I've…well, let's just say I'm not in the same financial position I was a few months ago, so I want to pay for this. It's not often I get to take my baby sister out for lunch. Ah –no. I insist."
Jane rolled her eyes good naturedly as she gave in. Clara walked over to their table and beamed down at them, a little too brightly for Jane's liking.
"What can I get you two?"
"I'll have a chicken Panini, Jane?"
"Uh…can I…um…just salad for me…I think." Jane forced a smile at Clara who tried to suppress her smirk.
"Coming up. Won't be long." Clara went back to the kitchen and Jane took a closer look at Harry.
She wasn't exaggerating when she said he looked good. He genuinely did. His skin was tanned but didn't have the same yellow tinge as it did before. He looked wide awake and as Jane stared into his blue eyes, she was pleased to note that they weren't bloodshot.
Harry wore a suit which she had never seen before so she presumed it was new and what's more it looked expensive. The grey sheen of the suit complimented Harry's eyes perfectly and the burgundy tie somehow made his blonde hair stand out.
The two were similar in looks, apart from the fact that Harry was taller, stockier and a slightly lighter blonde.
Harry had known he liked men since he was fifteen and Jane was the first person he had confessed that fact to but he never had any of the stereotypical traits of a gay man. He never went to gay bars, he didn't like personal grooming and he'd choose The Sex Pistols over Kylie Minogue any day.
Their mum had been brought up in strong catholic family and although she'd dropped a few of the more excessive traits when she had married their father, she had still inflicted a few of the beliefs on Harry and Jane when they grew up.
Homosexuality being wrong was one of them.
It had taken three years of Jane's unwavering support, for Harry to finally have the courage to tell his mother he liked men when he was eighteen. She didn't take it well. And that, unfortunately, was where Harry's drinking problems really kicked off.
To be fair, being a teenager in the eighties had ensured that neither Harry nor Jane were strangers to alcohol. Harry first tried a drink when he was fourteen, Jane when she was fifteen but the problem escalated. Badly.
It was when Harry had nearly drunk himself to death one night when he was in his late twenties that their mother finally accepted Harry's sexuality and did everything to make it up to Harry. But, by that point the damage had already been done.
Although, neither of them truly blamed their mother for Harry's alcoholism, it was a main factor, yes but they each had their own coping mechanisms when their father died and religion was their mum's. Harry just got the brunt of that.
Two years before Jane was sent off to Afghanistan their mum died of a heart attack, two days previously Harry had taken Carl to meet their mother and legend had it that their mum was smitten with the choice that Harry made.
And, although Harry found it difficult to admit, he was smitten with Carl.
"So…how is everything with you?"
"It's…um…well in all honesty it's going well. I've stopped drinking. Well, I haven't stopped, yet, but I'm getting there. I've been cutting down for…three, three months now. A couple of weeks ago I'd only have one drink and day. Last week I only had three the entire week." Harry looked a little sheepish when he spoke next. "Carl…Carl has been helping me."
"Are you and Carl back together?" Jane said, unsuccessfully trying to disguise the happiness in her voice.
Sadness flickered across Harry's face. "No…we're just friends at the minute but I'm trying to prove to him that I can do this…" Harry looked down as he talked. "I want him, Jane. I know I hurt him and God knows I don't deserve him but…it's only ever been him."
Jane reached over and grabbed his hand when she saw the tears begin to well up in his eyes. She squeezed it supportively and patiently waited for him to continue. As surreptitiously as possible, Harry wiped his eyes.
"Stop it. You're making me look gay in public." Harry said with a smile.
Jane pulled back and crossed her arms. "Under the fake tan, the shiny grey suit and the bleach blonde dye, you're still a prick you know that, right?"
"I'm not the one living in sin…with a weirdo at that. You don't half pick them don't you Janey?" Harry crossed his arms copying her.
"Ha! That's rich coming from the homosexual." Clara said as she materialised at the table with two plates. She placed the salad in front of Jane, who was smirking, and the Panini in front of Harry, who glared.
Clara smiled condescendingly, she reached out and grabbed Harry's cheek. "And I can say that because I'm your bestest friend in the world ever." She mocked in a 'baby' voice.
Harry glared as he said; "And that's why I turned gay."
Jane laughed while Clara wacked him over the head with a tea towel. "Shut up." She winked at Jane. "Enjoy."
Jane giggled slightly as she began to tuck into her salad. Harry respectively tucked into his Panini. As they ate, Jane would catch Harry glance at her curiously. Eventually Harry voiced his ideas.
"Why are you eating salad? Oh God…you're not on one of those mad mid-life crisis female diet things are you?"
"No…" Jane shook her head and just as Harry took another bite she said; "No. I'm pregnant."
She heard him choke before she actually saw the coughed up bread inches away from her bowl. When she looked up Harry was staring fearfully at her with a deer in the headlights expression.
"W-what?"
Trying to keep as much of a straight face as she could possibly manage, she said; "I am pregnant."
The seconds ticked passed and Harry's face remained in a Neanderthal-like state.
"You're up the duff?" He blurted out a little too loudly, then he leant forward and whispered. "As in, genuinely..." He puffed his cheeks out to finish the sentence.
Jane tilted her head back and roared with laughter. Harry laughed nervously along with her.
"Is that a yes?" He said through gritted teeth.
Jane nodded because she simply couldn't talk due to the laughs that shook her body. When the truth finally sank in, a smile spread across Harry's face and he relaxed back. But then his face turned stony.
"Jane." He said sharply, which drew Jane out of her laughing fit almost immediately. "Not only do you live in sin with a man above your status but you conceive his child. Om…I'm telling."
In response Jane threw a napkin at Harry's face. Harry pulled the napkin off his face and threw it feebly back at Jane. "Name it after me?" He said with a lopsided grin.
"Sod off. I've already chosen the names."
"Oh…you have, have you? I take it your detective bloke didn't get much of a say in did he?"
"No."
Harry snorted with laughter at the bluntness of Jane's admission. "So go on, what is the little terror going to be called?"
"Excuse me, I will have you know my child is not going to be a terror." She said with mock affront.
"You're going to be the mother and Sherlock Holmes is the father. Of course it's going to be a bloody terror! I'm not surprised if it doesn't become dictator of the world by the time it's two! Right, so, come on. Names."
"If it's a boy then Jonathan, after Dad and if it's a girl then Verity."
Harry took a few moments to digest the names but when he did a slow smile spread across his face. "Good, good. They're…they're nice, Janey. Honestly. I approve."
"Oh, thank you. I don't know what I would've done without your approval." Jane rolled her eyes.
"If you need anything…anything at all, Jane…I'd be more than willing to help. I know I haven't exactly been the best brother in the world but I do want to change that..."
"Do you really mean that? That you would do anything?" Jane asked earnestly.
Harry nodded. "Yes, yes, of course I do."
Jane's face morphed into a devious grin. "Well then…looks like you just volunteered to teach Sherlock how to change a baby's nappy because I'm not bloody well doing it."