Harry || h.s.

1.0- Harry

present time

I didn't tell anyone I was coming back. didn't call, didn't text as I booked the hotel, not even as I got off the plane and put all my shit into the hotel. not even when I drove over to my old house and knocked on the door.

"Harry?" Karen asked when pulling the door open to find me there.

"Hello," I smiled not knowing what else to do, to say.

"what are you doing here?" she asks a socked smile on her face that soon washes away as she looked at me more intensely.

"surprise?" I try and she shakes her head.

"Harry I'm so happy to see you but truly I'm angry at you," she crossed her arms pursing her lips. I could smell dinner cooking behind her.

"I know but-"

"you don't call, you don't do anything, not even a letter. I try contacting you three years ago and get nothing but your manager bitching to me about how you're busy then nothing at all. and you left that poor girl- no,
where have you been?"

"Karen I'm sorry my manager was shit and I fired him I swear and I got a new one and jeff he talked me into coming here and-"

"get inside it's cold," she muttered turning around and letting me in.

I knew it wasn't much but she had let me in and not shut me out as I assumed my father or even fletcher would have done.

"I'm glad you're back but you're talking to your father on your own and you're lucky fletchers coming over as well as the twins,"

I almost felt a bit of a sweat sink in, I had mostly hoped I would see them later in my stay. I wanted to talk to my parents before having to branch out to the ones I was scared of talking to the most.

and Rosie...

but I pushed her name away. I didn't even know if she was here anymore.

"Since you're the only one here why don't you help, start on the salad," she muttered waving to the counter where she had everything laid out.

it was one of the things I liked most about Karen. she never held things against you, she was accepting and understanding. I knew she would be the easiest to speak to even at fletchers wedding I knew I could talk to her.

so now I spoke to her and apologized. it wasn't hard to get out with her not when we were back to back as I made a salad and she made pasta.

"well I'm just glad you're back, you missed a lot," she muttered turning around, "now hug me before your father gets back and you get distracted,"

and I did hug her but it was interrupted by knocking on the door. but the door had been unlocked and soon I heard fletcher say, "what the fuck are you doing back here?"

"fletcher-" Karen started but he shook his head. his wife standing next to him hold a small child in her arms. I hadn't even known he had become a father.

"no, what the fuck are you doing here after no contact-"

"fletch-" his wife started as the baby began to start to whine in her arms.

"what are you doing here?" he asked again. I looked back at him seeing how he had aged. a diaper bag slung over his shoulder, dressed in a navy blue t-shirt and faded jeans. he looked good and I wanted so badly to be in a good place with him.

I felt like shit as I thought about how much better it would have been if I never pushed them away. I didn't even know his wife's name let alone his baby's.