Songs For How You Taste | l.s.

Chapter 23

Harry immediately released his sister's face, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and blushed. He scrambled to take the brown paper bag of groceries from his mum's hands.

"Mum," Harry said, setting the bag on the kitchen island. He wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. "This is Louis, my boyfriend." A shy smile and a blush fell over his face while he made a sweeping gesture towards Louis with one hand.

Louis felt his body seize up, his stomach flipped, and he felt consumed by the eyes that held him. But Anne wrapped him in a warm hug, comfort seeped through his nerves, relaxing him. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Louis." She said, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "I hope a soup is alright for dinner?"

Anne regarded Louis with kind, soft eyes. He smiled, didn't know what he was worried about – Anne was warm and compassionate in the same way Harry was. "Yeah, of course."

"Excellent." Anne pulled carrots, celery, and an onion out of her grocery bag, started cutting everything into small dices. "Love, will you start thawing the stock?" Harry opened the freezer, pulling out a container of chicken stock.

Things in Styles kitchen flowed, the conversation was never dull. Gemma went on about a nerf gun phase she went through but every time she pulled one out, Harry would start bawling because he didn't like them. Then about how Harry would run around a tree with a blanket on as a cape, making a Ken doll fly with him.

Harry and his mum worked together, always moving flawlessly around each other, making a warm, creamy chicken soup. Louis, on his way to the fridge to grab another beer for himself or Gemma, would go behind both of them to pick up any crumpled paper towels they left behind. Before Louis felt like any time had passed, they were already moving towards a big, oak dining table with steaming bowls in their hands.

"Gem? How's work?" Harry spoke through spoonfuls of soup.

"Busy, after the holidays there's always a big influx of people who submit their novels," Gemma responded with a shrug.

"Where do you work?" Louis asked.

"For a publishing house. I'm an assistant for now, so I get the misfortune of having to read everything to know what to pass on to the editors."

"What are you studying, Louis?" Anne asked.

"It's an art therapy major. Basically, I take art studio classes and psychology classes. I learn the techniques and then how to apply them to help people, kids specifically."

"Wow, that sounds incredibly honorable." Harry beamed at his mother's praise of his boyfriend. "How'd you get into that?"

"Uh, working with kids through a social working program at home. I saw how much it could help, and I knew I wanted to do that for the rest of my life."

"And Harry tells me you have an internship? In Manchester for the summer? I know I spoke about it with Harry, but I just wanted to personally extend the offer to stay here with us during that time."

"Oh, wow. Thank you, thank you so much."

The relaxed nature of the Styles family was a little refreshing. Louis was used to family dinners containing a lot of sassy eyerolls and yelling, complaining that someone was too close or breathing their air. And Louis wouldn't trade his boisterous family for the world but things were clearly settled here; everyone spoke politely and happily – and Louis found comfort in the soft white lighting and the cinnamon spiced candles and the way that Harry's family made him feel like he fit in.

When dinner was over, Harry and Louis settled in next to each other at the sink to wash dishes, while Anne and Gemma made cups of tea. "Sugar or milk for you, Louis?"