In My Dark Times - The Deal With The Demon

Chapter Thirty

"Hey," I smiled and hugged her immediately.

My mum stepped out next and her smile was radiating as she stared directly at me.

"Hey," I whispered as I walked over to her. I stood still for a minute just staring at her, but the smile never left her face as she stared back at me.

"I've missed you," she finally said quietly, tears in her eyes.

"I've missed you, too," I managed to say. I threw my arms around her and hugged her as she lay her head on my shoulder, "I'm sorry, mum. I really am."

"It's alright, babe," she whispered, "it's alright. I'm just thankful you're ok."

I closed my eyes and sighed as I hugged her tight. Seeing her, hugging her, made me realize what I had missed for so long.

My mum had been everything to me growing up. She had been my support, my comfort... she was the only one there for me at certain times in my life. And now, as I stood here holding her, the reality of what my life had become had hit me all over again. I hated myself for pushing her away for so long. I hated myself for avoiding the one person who had always believed in me and loved me, no matter what I had done.

I let her go, her smile still there as she pushed my hair back. Tears fell out of my eyes and it only made her own fall more.

"Harry, it's alright," she said sincerely. I tried to nod as I sighed. "Let's get home and we can chat, alright?"

"Alright," I replied. She hugged me again, holding me tight, then let me go and turned to Louis.

Louis was grinning at me looking proud as I introduced them, "mum, this is Louis Tomlinson. Louis, this is my mum, Anne."

"It's very nice to meet you," Louis said, smiling as he walked over.

My mum hugged him, "it's good to meet you as well, love. I've heard wonderful things about you."

Louis grinned at me as she let him go. He and Gemma had put the suitcases in the trunk already and the 4 of us piled into my mum's car, heading for my old home.

Louis was great at making conversation and making Gemma and my mum laugh. He had eased any tension I had felt. He was going on about our bumpy flight, how different Cheshire looked from Doncaster. He even told them about me taking him to the Rovers game. I could tell by my mum's face that she already loved him.

We pulled on our street and I glanced around at the familiar houses. I remembered playing with my childhood friends in those houses.

"How's David and his family?" I asked my mum as we got out of the car.

"Well, David moved off," my mum began while we gathered our bags from the trunk, "his parents still live here."

I glanced over at the house next to ours, remembering playing in that front garden with David. We hung out in school up until I was 16... after that I began pushing everyone away.

"Would you like us to help carry up your bags?" My mum asked me.

I stepped in the doorway and looked around at this familiar, yet distant place. I hadn't been home since before I turned 19.