Season 3 Young Royals (Version 1)

48. Louise

Wilhelm walked down to the bus stop after classes let out on Monday and waited for Louise to arrive. He saw her sports car come round the curve as it made its way up the road toward the bus shelter on the edge of the school grounds.

She was alone this time. Once she had parked off to the side of the road, he approached her car and held the door open for her as she took her bag and stepped out. She closed the door and they couldn't decide where to go but the bench in the bus shelter.

Wilhelm thought it was funny to see a very elegant middle-aged woman wearing a long, white fur coat of some kind, making herself comfortable on a bus stop bench next to him. She greeted him warmly before they sat down. Wilhelm noticed that she was very kind the way she spoke to him and made him feel at ease instantly.

It occurred to Wilhelm how strange it was also that August had been raised by a seemingly very loving mother, and yet he'd still turned out the way he did. He thought maybe his other circumstances has been more extreme than Wilhelm realised.

Louise looked down as if she were the one who should be ashamed. She began to apologize for what August had done, although she recognized there was no excuse for it, and she said she felt she'd probably failed him as a mother but now she had to support him because she was his mother.

Wilhelm couldn't help but compare how Louise would support her son through anything, but his own mother wouldn't even tell him August had leaked the sex tape. There was a seemingly stark difference between the two mothers.

Louise continued, saying that August must be trying to make things right somehow. She admitted it was too late of course but said she hoped that whatever he'd given her for Wilhelm could help him or perhaps repair some of the damage August had done.

She said she hadn't opened the letters but August had given hem to her from his father's belongings. It seemed important as it was the only thing he took out when he went home to get his affairs in order.

She said that August seemed to sincerely regret what he'd done when she'd spoken to him but he knew that he could never earn back Wilhelm's trust and didn't deserve his forgiveness.

Wilhelm thought that at least August understood that.

Wilhelm thanked her for the message and the letters and hesitated for a moment. He'd watched her face as she'd talked about her son and could tell she'd been hurt by all of this as well.

As they stood one in front of the other, Wilhelm held back a moment then leaned in for a hug. She was surprised but in the end seemed to need it as much as he did. She wiped her eyes once they'd pulled away and wished him the best, putting her hand to his cheek as a sign of affection.

He walked her back to her car and waved goodbye briefly as he watched her turn her car around and drive back down the road away from the school.

He contemplated the folded papers in his hands a moment and pushed them down into his pocket before heading back up the hill.