SINS (Completed)

GHOSTS OF THE PAST

"Charles tells me that he wants to make Hardin a part of his life a bit more, make up for the time he has lost, and he means to start with small inclusions in his work." Patricia Scott speaks softly with a smile on her face as she sips her tea.

"But isn't Hardin too young, for business now?" I ask her confused, keeping my empty glass of water on the table across which she sits.

She nods with understanding, her eyebrows furring in a careless frown.

"That's what I told Charles, but he says it's just a gesture. He won't be working straight away of course. Charles would just give him the locker codes, and ask him to retrieve some files probably.

Just a small demonstration of trust. I'm counting on it to relieve some tension between them," she speaks seriously, with a sad hopeful undertone.

"As a child, Hardin was always trying to impress him, fetching his papers, counting the number of sheets, tidying them up." She says fondly, with a twinkle in her eyes, and I smile too.

An image of a small boy comes into my head, as he fiddled with paper sheets, and counted them slowly in concentration.

"Then I hope it works too. Hardin always gets so- upset, when the topic comes up, I just- I just hope everything gets sorted, he would be so much more peaceful, once he has his family back in life."

I say out, thinking back of all the times his face had held so much sadness when even someone would mention his parents, especially his father.

I've personally never seen his father, only talked to his mother a few times. And together, we tried to pull him closer to his estranged relationship, to return to him the parts of himself that he has lost.

I know Hardin wouldn't exactly tell this to anyone, but I know he misses it- the protection of family, the feeling of having someone, and to be loved unconditionally.

And believe it or not, every pain comes from that past of his, because as long as that's tainted, he won't be truly happy in the way he deserves to be.

"You know I just held Hardin in an embrace yesterday, Tessa, after so, so many years, you have no idea how grateful I am to you. And I know it was you who has helped with his eating problems." She brims excitedly, her face adorned with the brightest, happiest smile I've ever seen.

It makes me feel all the more sad, thinking what Hardin is missing on here. But hearing that they had a close moment, is amazing to know.

"I just, try to knock some sense into his head. And please, don't thank me. It was all for him, and if he's happy, he gets his family back, I couldn't ask for more." I say quietly, in a small voice.

Hardin had gone so thermonuclear with anger the first time I had tried to talk about his parents. But eventually, he started holding his own, and now- he just gets mad and not Hulk mode. Which is I guess, kind of a normal for him.

"I was just so helpless when it comes to him and his sister. At least she would still talk to me, but- he wouldn't even look at me. And I guess that's kind of our own fault, Charles and I couldn't really give them the time and love they deserved. I- couldn't be the mother they deserved." She says ruefully, her voice breaking towards the end.

"The last time Hardin listened to me, was probably in his middle school when I asked him to cut his hair, it had gone barbaric, I tell you." She speaks with a small amused frown and I chuckle.