PARKER | Dark H.S. AU

xxiv. backfire?

Copyright © zylgnagnaba

"Things didn't go as planned. I'm sorry that I upset you. I swear, I didn't know Derek had lined up events for me to attend to when I first got here. I'm really-"

Harry's mother waves her hands at the screen of the computer, stopping Harry from apologizing.

"It's okay, honey." Anne signs, lips pressed together and stretching to an understanding smile. "I'm just glad you're okay and you're not wearing yourself out."

Harry only smiles at that. He loves his mother more than anything in the world and nothing puts him off other than disappointing her. Sure, he did that a couple of times before and it broke his heart even if they were unintentional, but he still feel like the worst son in the world to not be there with his mother when she asked him to.

"Still," Harry speaks and feels the need to sign as Anne's ability to lip-read is deterred whenever they talk to each other through Skype. She couldn't hear the sullen tone underlying in his words, but it's evident through the look in his eyes that he's upset at himself too. Anne's shoulders sagged.

The instance only made the two individual miss each other more. Texts, video calls and such do help ease the longing between the mother and son, but it'd still be more preferable if the two were face-to-face, not barred by the distance sitting between them. Communication would still be better that way -- in their case.

"I'm just really sorry, Mom. I promise, I'll make it up to you."

"Hey. I told you, it's okay." She gives him a reassuring smile to which Harry reciprocates with one of his own, only they didn't reach their eyes. It's obvious the conversation is going to a sad turn, so Anne does her best to lift the mood up by changing the subject.

"Any news that does not relate to work lately, son?" She has a suggestive smile swirling on her lips, causing Harry's eyes to light up at the instant thought that sparked in his head.

Anne's brows rose on her forehead upon seeing the involuntary reaction she prompted from her son. She wiggles them, a devious smirk from her only makes Harry shake his head.

"Mom," He groans, stiffling the smile that threatens to break through from his face. It's also apparent that he doesn't want to talk about it but is also dying to talk about it at the same time -- if that's even possible.

She only nods, urging her son to spill although she already has an idea about the matter. He pauses and he watches her mother sitting up straight -- probably now on the edge of her seat. Her brows pull together, lips pulled between her teeth -- an expression that clearly reads 'tell me'.

Harry shakes his head once again, releasing a sigh as he adjusts himself on his office chair.

"I met a girl." Harry starts, chuckling when he hears his mother's squeal at the other end.

Her hands are now giddily interlaced with one another in front of her; face inching even closer to the screen so she could clearly read the way her son's lips move.

Harry's hand run through his curls, finding the situation a little bit too much. He couldn't escape this now. There's no other choice but to tell his mom about the girl that stole his heart the moment she walked in the police station.

Anne nods excitedly yet again, her patience wearing thin at Harry's long pause.

"She's really beautiful, fun to be around with...she just," He looks up at the ceiling of his office room for a brief moment, and then shakes his head before looking at the screen once again. The wide smile on his mother's lips only made him smile wider. "In a way, she's a lot like you, Mom. I don't know...whenever I'm with her, it feels...it feels nice. Feels like home. She reminds me of you."