Days after their successful meeting of the parents, Louis woke to the sound of someone unlocking his flat. He glanced over his shoulder to the bedroom door. The sound of dishes being loaded into his dishwasher carried from the kitchen. He relaxed as he exhaled, then flattened on his stomach. "Linda," he murmured. He rested with his eyes shut for a moment, then slapped for his phone on the bedside table. He checked the screen. "It's Tuesday." He contemplated dozing for a few more minutes, but decided a shower was in order. After he showered, he pulled on soft sweats and a hoodie, then joined her in the living room. "Hey." He ruffled his wet hair. "Forgot which day it was."
She turned off the vacuum. "Oh, I hope I didn't wake you! I figured you and Harry would be up and working. When no one was here, I thought I was alone."
"Nah, we're between projects. We've been doing rewrites for the first two project remotely, sending emails to each other. I think he was visiting a friend. We're still waiting for the details of our third assignment." He padded into the kitchen. "Tea?"
"Sure, thanks."
As she vacuumed, Louis prepared their mugs and put a plate of shortbread cookies on the living room table. Linda rolled her supplies to the door, then joined him. She shook her head with a good-natured eye roll as she adjusted her sunny yellow headband. Her high bun of greying auburn hair swayed.
"You couldn't wait but a moment before you dirtied another dish, hmm?"
He laughed with his hand over his cookie-filled mouth. "Sorry?"
"Don't be, love. Dishes are meant to be dirtied. That's what make the world go round."
"Very wise." He took another cookie and munched for a moment as she made her cookie pick. "It's funny."
She sat back in her brown leather armchair, a cookie cradled in her hand. "What's that, love? The world?"
"It's funny that you asked about Harry. You've only met him a few times."
"He's a kind, sweet soul, dear. They are few and far between."
"His parents are equally sweet. Their whole family must have sugar running in their veins."
Her eyes widened as she sipped her tea. "Oh, how was that? The meeting of the parents?"
"It was...great." Louis bit his cookie, then looked down at his lap. "It was fun, actually. They got on so well. I think our parents already had dinner together, without us, and I can't stop playing Words With Friends with his mum and dad."
"How lovely. It's always such a relief when the families get along."
"Get along for what?"
"I only mean it will make things easier in the future. In-law relationships can be a tricky thing."
"In-laws?" Louis laughed loudly, and he spasmed so much that tea sloshed onto his wrist. He glanced at the burning liquid and brushed his wrist on his sweatpants. "We're writing partners, that's it. And friends. But writing partners, for now." She opened her mouth as if to speak, but he blurted out, "I don't mean to say that as if I think something will happen in the future, I just meant that we are currently writing partners and also becoming better friends. Good friends. We get along so well. But just writing partners. As of, uh, now." He blew a breath through his rounded lips, nodding to himself. "Just friends."
"Oh, sweet boy," she said with her teacup poised. She smiled kindly. "Whatever you say."
. . .
Harry leaned his forehead against a grocery store shelf. His eyes fell shut as he listened to someone's shopping trolley wheels squeak in the next aisle. He took a breath in and flattened his hand on his stomach, just breathing for a moment. He swallowed the swollen lump in his throat and grasped the first box of plain crackers his hand landed on.
