Shine (Larry Stylinson)

Shine

Louis sits at his laptop, Skype screen open as he waits for Diana to join the call. It's only just gone ten but he's already on his third cuppa, his textbooks laid out beside him, different coloured highlighters laying in their open folds, marking his places. The sun streams through the kitchen window into his small flat, last night's dinner dishes draining in the rack.

He loves his little flat, it's peaceful and quiet but still close enough to uni for it not to be a bother and has a lovely sunny enclosed balcony for Louis' current crop of plants.

A dark grey box appears on the screen next to his own image, static soon replaced by Diana's beaming face. Her grey hair is cropped short and perfectly styled, clear-rimmed glasses with chains looping down from the arms magnifying her kind green eyes, and a full-face of makeup in an attempt to smooth and hide her wrinkled features. She looks just as Louis thought she would and it makes him smile.

Still half off-screen, bringing her hand up and blocking the camera as she adjusts it on her side. "Louis?" She mouths silently as her face takes up the screen.

"Hi Diana," he says with a smile and a small wave. "I think you're still muted. Just click on the icon down the bottom that looks like a microphone." He points down and she follows his guidance, looking for the button, the audio coming to life.

"Louis? Can you hear me?"

"Hi Diana, yeah, all good now."

"This new-fangled technology always trips me up," she says with a little huff. "But I'm learning!"

"You're doing brilliantly, love."

Louis hears a doorbell in the background and Diana sighs, turning away from the screen. "Charlie! Can you get that? I'm striping with Louis!"

Louis chuckles to himself.

"Not striping, Di, Skyping !" A man's voice yells back, Charlie, Louis presumes.

"Oh yes, silly me, Skyping ," she says and turns back to Louis. "Sorry, it's chaos here today. So many deliveries."

"Yeah?"

"Mmmmm... we're getting some work done while we're away and all the materials are showing up and I just don't know what to do with them all." Diana flings her hands in the air dramatically. "Our grandson will be back soon and he can sort it out so we're just trying to cope until he returns."

"Ahhhh, righto. Sounds like fun," Louis offers, as he takes another sip of his tea, not fully understanding but wanting to be agreeable.

"Sorry. Back to us. Now, I think we covered most of the requirements in our emails," she says distractedly, rifling through some papers. "But I thought it would be good to catch up face to face before you arrive. I'm bound to be in a tizzy by then."

"Yeah, it's a great idea. You excited for the cruise?"

"Oh gosh, yes. Six weeks of pure bliss and relaxation sailing around the rivers of Europe. We're thrilled!" Her face beams through the screen, as a man passes behind her in a blur, turning her head to address him. "Aren't we Charlie?"

Charlie comes back and into view, closer now over Diana's shoulder. "Hi, Louis. Nice to meet you, lad."

Louis waves "You too, Charlie."

"Don't let this one talk your ear off, I'm sure you've got plenty of stuff to do," Charlie jokes as Diana swats him away and Louis can't help but smile. They seem like such a genuinely lovely couple.

"Get away with you," Diana says, a melodic lilt to her voice. "Go make yourself useful until Harry gets back."

"Right! Yes, ma'am!" Charlie salutes her and waves to the screen. "See you tomorrow, Louis."