Andante

CLXVIII

He closed the front door softly behind him, kicked off his shoes and walked slowly down the hall. He felt like his socks were weighted down with lead, the floor suddenly made of wallpaper paste. But there was nothing for it, was there? Wasn't like there was a better time to face this on the horizon. 
"I'm so sorry, mum." he said quietly as he crept into the kitchen. There were several pans on the fire and it smelled good everywhere. He could see in the slight tightening of her shoulderblades that she knew he was there, but she wasn't turning around, she just kept stirring the pan in front of her.
"Mum?" he tried again, holding on to the door post as if it could help him through this. 
He stood and waited, for an eternity it seemed, until at last she sighed deeply and turned down the fire. Then she turned around without looking at him and stalked past him into the living room. She sat down at the table and folded her hands firmly on the table in front of her. Eddy held his breath and followed her into the room. He sat down opposite her on the high backed chair and looked at his own hands as they rested on the wood of the table. Long, slim fingers, violinist's fingers, shivering slightly in anticipation of what was coming next. 
"So." she said at last in Mandarin, her tone ominously quiet. "You thought it would be a good idea to wake me up and leave the house in the dark to go be with your friend this morning."
Something in her tone made him shrink, all the way back to when he was four years old and had stolen a cookie from the jar. He kept his gaze firmly on his hands. 
"I know, mum. I'm so very sorry. It's just... Brett was in a bad way. He needed my help, and so I had to go. He got in though, mum. I'm sorry for waking you, I really am."

Finally she looked up at him, and he caught her gaze. And man... there was something in her eyes... a weariness maybe? It made him want to get up and hug her. But he knew that wasn't a good idea right now, so he sat in his chair, stared at his hands again and waited. 
Then his mum cleared her throat softly. 
"Eddy... I'm happy for you that you have such a good friend, who likes the things you like. I can see that he means a lot to you, and you to him. But you may want to be careful not to take it too far. There will be consequences if you take it too far."

He paled, he could feel it happening, and he really, really tried his best not to let what a giant punch to the gut her quiet words were show on his face.  
Oh mum... if only you knew how far. If only I could tell you. If only you could then be happy for me. 
He swallowed to stop himself from crying like a little boy. 
"Don't worry, mum." he said then, hoarsely. "I won't. My grades are good, and you know I'm practising a lot."
He blinked once as he played his trump card.
"I would have done this for any of my other friends too, mum. I just... I couldn't let a friend be alone, through that."
It was true, of course. If Lily had called him? Or Todd, or Ian? He would have gone as well. Maybe not with quite the same urgency, but he would have gone. His mum looked up at him again and nodded quietly, and even though she didn't respond to what he had said he could see it in her eyes. The fight was over. 
"So. Brett passed the audition?" she asked curtly. 
Okay. okay, okay. So they were back on safe ground. He breathed a soft sigh of relief as he allowed a little shadow the beaming smile from earlier to spread on his face again. 
"Yes, he did, and apparently they really rated his playing."
His mum nodded again. "Good. I will call his parents to congratulate them."
Without another word or another glance she got up and stalked past him, back to the kitchen. He buried his face in his hands and sagged in his chair with relief. Then he dug his phone out of his pocket. He typed quickly, because he knew Brett would be at home, worrying about him instead of celebrating his success. 

     'Hey there. It's okay. I'm okay.' 

He sent the message before getting up and making his way to his room. Fight or no fight: he still had a mountain of homework to do and he had better get to it before he was in more trouble than ever before. His phone buzzed before he had gotten to the top of the carpeted stairs. 

    'I'm very glad. Talk later?'

Oh Bretty. 
He leaned against the landing wall for just a moment, and he scrunched his eyes shut, a smile playing on his lips as he could finally allow the lovely memories from just now to wash over him. Two lovers in their secret hiding spot in the park. Brett with him, so close against him, Brett's mouth on his own so beautifully. He went into his room, closed his door behind him and hugged his phone to his chest with glee. His fingers flew over the touch screen. 

     'Yeah, absolutely.'