Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 58-

"Four or five! Harm, did you not see how many relatives I have?"

"How about just the people you live with?"

"All of them! I live with all of them!"

Harmony paused, frowning. "What?" She motioned to the family tree. "You live with... everyone on here?"

"Yes- well no... I think I might have forgotten a few people..."

"And you're sure you're not in a cult?" Harmony raised her brow.

Corinna frowned, as if to scold the chimaera, then broke down into a grin. "We all live in a housing complex that we built ourselves. We grow our own food and everything."

"Fine. Okay," said Harmony, still not believing that a household could be so big. "Who do you love the most?"

"Harmony!" Corinna gasped. "You can't just ask that!"

The chimaera shrugged. "Why not?"

The young woman shook her head in disapproval.

"Why remember some cousin that has a grudge against you for sharing the same birthday as you when you can remember someone who actually mattered to you?"

"Julia wasn't..." Corinna scratched her arm.

"I suppose you'd pick your parents. I would say your siblings too, but you seem to have a lot of them. Perhaps only pick three?" Harmony looked to the young woman for a response, but Corinna stared down at her notebook. "Like for instance, this person here..." The chimaera continued, pointing at someone called Henry Best. "He's only a second cousin. People don't tend to be that close to-"

"I'm not forgetting Henry!" Corinna snapped out of her trance. "He's more of a brother to me than my actual brothers."

"Okay..." said Harmony, happy that Corinna was finally answering. "What about this... Amelia Earl. She's a second cousin once removed-"

"I'm not forgetting Amelia either!" Corinna snatched her notebook away. "I don't want to forget anyone!"

"You will if you don't narrow it down!" Harmony growled, hoping that her sternness would help. She did not want Corinna to lose everything as she did. "Look, you already have two: Henry and Amelia. Just pick three more."

After a moment of reluctance, Corina stared down at the family tree, her eyes scanning the names in consideration. As soon as Harmony had asked who she loved the most a person had immediately popped into her mind. She felt it was wrong, that it was blasphemy that her parents or her siblings weren't even a possible consideration as that was what everyone else would choose. But not for Corinna.

"My great-grandfather Ernest," said the young woman. "He would read us stories, and sing lullabies so we'd all fall asleep. When I was older, I would help him get all the children to bed" Her face softened, and a smile emerged. She gazed deeply into the fireplace.

Harmony watched her, seeing the flames' dance reflected in her eyes.

"We would put on family plays, and he would attend every single one. Sometimes he would play the piano to accompany it."

Corinna continued talking about her great-grandfather. She spoke slowly and softly instead of her usual fast ramblings. There was pauses mid-sentence as she thought of precisely the right word as if the wrong one would discredit Ernest.

"There was this big red armchair in the main lounge, and he would always be sitting in it. It was his chair. He liked it because there were these big windows and he could see the garden."

She recalled memories of their time together without the aid of her notebook. They were not meaningless facts and trivia like before, nor memories of excitement or grandeur but humble and simple. Corinna's happiest memory was sitting on the back porch, overlooking the sunset and the garden with her great-grandfather, drinking lemonade and talking.

"He sounds worthy of remembering," said Harmony, her voice quiet, as if it would disrupt the memory.

Corinna smiled, but then it faded, her lips twitching. "But then, something went wrong." She swallowed. "He had to be taken to the hospital. He can no longer walk. He's bedridden and can't play the piano anymore."

Harmony saw the young woman's eyes become shiny, tears almost spilling out.

"I visited him every day," Corinna continued. "I read to him and listened to music with him and talked to him." She paused to clear her throat. "I think... he was one of the few people who actually liked talking to me." She forced a smile and then laughed. "But I suppose since he couldn't talk, he probably didn't. Probably got sick of hearing my voice all the time." Corinna sucked in a quick breath. "I'm gonna be here for fifteen years," she croaked, her voice rising in pitch. "I'm not sure he'll be around when I get back-"

"Corinna-"

Corinna rested her head on the chimaera's shoulder, hiding her face away from Harmony. "I don't want to forget him, Harm. He's already forgotten most of our family." The young woman gripped onto the chimaera's arm. She had never cried in front of her family or friends as she could easily mask her emotions. However, it had always seemed that around those she fancied it was far more difficult. They had always been the ones who had seen her vulnerable side and Corinna hated it. "I just hope that someone continues to visit him."

Even after Corinna had regained her composure, she clung onto Harmony's arm in silence. The chimaera rested her chin on top of the young woman's head in comfort and, they both gazed into the fireplace.