Remember, Everything Will Be Alright

VI

14 August 2019

The mess of empty food wrappings that had accumulated on Harry's desk was laughable at the start of the day. By 11:00am, it was pitiful. Rather than the remnants of his usual lunch, the plastic and aluminium packaging that once contained the most ungodly, processed foods a man could buy, disposable cups, and single-use silverware covered 75% of Harry and Louis' shared surface in the bakery's tiny office space. That, serving as a reminder of how self-indulgent he had been, in combination with what the humidity had done to his hair made Harry feel the lowest he had been all month. Not to mention, the hum of tinnitus in his left ear and the ache in his head when he leaned forward secured him an appointment with the ministry of misery.

He reached for an empty crisp wrapper, straightening it out with the edge of the table as if its sudden neatness would erase the fact that its former contents were now held in his inflated stomach—among other things. When his tidying hadn't had the desired effect, he decided that the only way to offset the consequences of eating such un-whole foods was to eat something else. Something that would fill him up for good. Something sweet. Something large. After some more thought, he quickly figured that the only food in the center of that Venn diagram was watermelon. Louis hadn't even known that Harry left the shop until he came back in through the front entrance, football-sized fruit in arms. The two shared a moment of eye contact before Harry took a seat at one of the indoor dining tables.

"I'm still kinda hungry," Harry mumbled bashfully.

Louis nodded as he finished wiping down the countertop. "I'm sure you are." He disappeared into the kitchen.

Harry stared down at the watermelon, realizing that he had no means of opening it. "Lou!" he called. "Can you please bring me—"

"Already on it!" Louis called back. Seconds later, he was back in the dining area with a bread knife, a spoon, and a paper plate. He placed it on the table beside the fruit and leaned over to kiss Harry's forehead. "You eat whenever you need to, love."

Harry smiled up at Louis, offering him his non-verbal gratitude.

"It's almost noon. Should I start closing up?"

"Sure," Harry said, cutting the melon in half and digging in with the spoon. "Dan and Phil should be here in a few."

As Louis turned over the "Closed" sign, Harry scooped himself his first ball of fruit. Halfway through the watermelon, he had covered the table in sticky nectar. If he hadn't been so captivated by the sugar on his tongue, he would have gotten himself a napkin. He would have noticed Dan and Phil approaching him from behind.

"Aw, shit!" Harry said as he spotted his friends in his peripheral vision. He stood to hug them, first wiping his hands on the apron, he just then realized, he had worn into the grocery store. "Are you guys ready to bake?"

Phil nodded. "Yup! Where's Louis?" he asked.

Harry pointed to the kitchen as Dan took a seat at Harry's table. "He's around back."

Phil thanked Harry as he flipped up the counter and headed for Louis.

Harry resumed his spot in front of the melon, chipping off more pieces to eat. "How are things?" he asked Dan.

"They're alright," Dan said. "I started waking up with Phil in the morning so we can—"

Harry zoned out right then. The sheer comfort he felt chewing and swallowing the watermelon on such a warm day was unsurpassable. As much as he wanted to focus on what Dan was saying, he couldn't manage to look away from the fruit as he gutted it.