By Chance

43 - Harry

I woke up the next morning in a daze. I realized I was in my bed, but I didn't remember how I got there. All I could remember was last night. The fight. Genevieve shaking.

Once I checked my phone and saw that it was almost 11 in the morning, I stumbled out of bed, nearly getting knocked back by the splitting headache that hit me like a semi. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and kept going, unlocking the door and rushing down the hall to the guest room. Hesitating, I knocked on the door anyway. No response. I assumed she must still be sleeping or didn't want to answer and sighed, my head hanging as I turned around and walked towards the stairs. When I got into the kitchen, I saw Mum sitting in her normal morning spot in the living room chair, sipping a cup of tea and reading a book while the early-afternoon sunlight bled from the windows. The epitome of Britishness. Paddy sulkily ate his cereal at the table, his expression changing the second he saw me to reveal more bitterness. I made my way to the cabinet, grabbing a mug for tea.

"So, um, last night was..." Sam began to say, but I sighed, cutting him off. I rubbed my temple with my hand.

"Who all heard?"

Sam cringed at the question.

"Everyone and a few neighbors," he said with an awkward laugh, trying to make light of the situation. I didn't reciprocate it. I stared at Paddy.

"What about you? Did you hear?"
"Pretty sure all of Kingston heard you two, Harry," he remarked snarkily, keeping his head down. I tried to shove down the feeling of pummeling him into the ground, finding that it was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

"You know what, Paddy? You can just-"

"Harry!" Mum yelled reprimandingly from her chair, staring at me with a shocked expression.

"What? Are you going to excuse his behavior?!" I asked, raising my voice when I definitely shouldn't have. She gave me a glare, still surprised by my behavior.

"No, and I'm surely not going to excuse yours, either!" she replied, standing up.

"I'm going to be 21 in a few months, Mum. I think I'm far past groundings," I scoffed. She blinked, unable to believe what she was hearing. Frankly, I was surprised by myself, too. I immediately regretted my decision last year to save money and move back in. In the moment, standing there, being lectured by my mother as a 20-year-old, made me envy the homeless for a second.

"You must think fairly high of yourself, then. After that show you gave everyone last night, I'm surprised you have the nerve to show your face around here at all. And I'm not even going to bring Genevieve into this-"
I laughed, rolling my eyes—grave mistake.

"Of course not. You'd never bring precious Genevieve into all our family turmoil."

I was surprised I wasn't dead by the stare she was giving me. Sam and Paddy stood perfectly still, unable to turn their eyes away from the crime scene. My mum soon noticed.

"You two, upstairs!" she demanded, pointing at the upper level, giving them the same look. They hurried out the second they were told. Once they were out of earshot, she came over, looking slightly calmer while still wearing the same stern look on her face.

"Now, Harry," she began, taking a deep breath. "I know this whole thing with Genevieve is hard. Especially with your plans for Saturday. But don't let that stop you. You'll have the opportunity to make things right with her. Just wait. You've both been together six months and have had nothing but smiles and rainbows. It's about time you both got some yelling out of ya's."

I stood there, looking at my socks. I remained silent.

"Now, I suggest you go make some grand gesture to make her feel better because she flew up the stairs in tears last night, Harry. Tears," she repeated, as if the first time she said it hadn't stung enough.