Totally Completely 100% Organic » Zarry ✅

26: 🍎 Wish I Was Be Cider You

"A whole day off from work where you can just enjoy delicious food and good association and you choose to come by my apartment and bother me." Liam says on Christmas morning as he's dropping marshmallows into mugs of hot chocolate.

"You are good association, are you not?"

"I am. But that doesn't mean I'm not trying to figure out why you're here at nine in the morning."

"Bored."

"You wouldn't be bored if you just went to see Anne."

"I am going to see her but not this early."

"Why not? You're here with me."

"Because it's different. I can tell you anything and even though you're always on my ass about stuff, at least I know I can ignore you. I can't do that to her. Especially with the rest of her family around."

He hands Harry one of the mugs.

"Wow. I don't know whether I should be happy or offended."

"I'm serious. That's just how I feel."

"You know you've gotta stop running from your emotions, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

He blows across the top of his hot chocolate.

"It's obvious what you're doing. You do this every year. You spend christmss morning and afternoon by yourself and then you only show up to her house for dinner and leave shortly after because you know you won't have to have a long conversation with her. You're basically condemning yourself."

"How?"

Liam looks softly at him. "Remember the day you first told Anne you were gay?"

Harry looks down. Of course he remembers that day. He was outed by a gym teacher who caught him skipping class and making out with a boy behind the school building when he was seventeen. The gym teacher could have very well just told Anne he was in trouble for skipping class. But he chose to tell everything. So that's when he told her he was gay.

"How can I forget? The relief I got after telling her was amazing."

"And she didn't hate you even though it was a shock. She supported you."

"Yeah."

"And because of it, that gave you the confidence to be out and proud. Look at you now."

"Okay. Your point?"

"So if she didn't love you any less after that, why do you pretend that she would if she knew who you've been around with?"

Harry sighs. "It's not just that. I mean... it's kind of that. But I just don't want to disappoint her after all she's done."

"I get it, Harry. I do. I was adopted too. I know that nobody had to take us in. I understand that and I thank Lisa and Jeff every day that they did. But when our adoptive parents did take us in, they didn't expect us to be the perfect children. They just wanted to love us as we were. And Anne does."

He places a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder.

"So go see her for the whole day. Tell her about... your life. What you've been doing and how you're feeling. Whatever you do, just be honest and forward. You'll see it's not so bad. You don't disappoint her, Harry. Trust me. You make her very proud."

Harry brings his mug to his mouth to take a quick sip then he leans sideways against the kitchen counter with a shake of his head. That's a really great speech and all but it still isn't enough to sway him. Not today.