Young & Beautiful

“It’s good to see you,” she says eventually, rubbing his back soothingly. “Even if you are in a
right state.”
Louis sniffles.
A ‘right state’. Hah.
She doesn’t know the half of it.
“Good to be home,” he says in response, voice crackling.
And it is good. She may drive him up a fucking wall and be a selfish loon and they may have their
mountain-sized pile of issues, but Louis’ mum is still Louis’ mum and… And right now he needs
that.
“Come on in, Boo,” she coaxes gently, beginning to lead him forwards, never releasing her hold.
“I’ll make us some tea. You can tell me all about it.”
When Louis makes to protest, she shushes him, a small smile on her lips.
“I’ll listen this time. I promise,” she says.
And he thinks she means it.
So, together, they walk into the kitchen and Louis can feel himself breathe a little bit again.
**
He’d had a good talk with his mum.
She’d listened, just like she promised, and she nodded where she was supposed to, looked
sympathetic at the right times, and laughed at Louis’ wry humor that managed to squeeze through
the cracks of his desolation.
It was nice.
It was new.
He felt even better when his sisters came home, squealing in surprise and delight upon seeing him
sitting at the kitchen table, his eyes tired and puffy, hair askew, clutching his sixth mug of tea in a
ratty jumper.
“Louis! You came home!” Charlotte squeals, damn near bowling him over as she flings herself at
his seated figure.
He laughs in a huff, inhaling the wisps of dirty blonde hair that have fallen out of her ponytail.
The fur lining the hood of her jacket tickles his nose, prickles his left eye a bit.
“Good to see you too, kid,” he smiles.
He feels their mum watching them and he glances up to see her smiling, standing by the stovetop
and waiting for the kettle. There’s an oddly emotional look caught in her eyes, a bit distant, as if
she were lost reading a book or watching a movie, but it’s a good smile that paints her face, a fond
smile, and Louis warms at that because this all feels good.
So, naturally, he feels yet another batch of tears coming.