He began loading the dish washer, rinsing the plates before he put them in.
With slippery hands, he grabbed the corner of one plate. As he transferred it from the sink to the dishwasher, it slipped from his grip and shattered onto the floor.
Immediately he began panicking, crying, knowing he was going to be in so much trouble for this. "No! No, no, no" he whispered. He heard someone enter the kitchen but didn't look up, only kept trying to hold all of the glass in his hands, sobbing quietly.
"Oh, sweetie, don't hurt yourself! It's okay!" Anne bent down to his level to help the small boy clean up. She could sense that Louis was in the early stages of a panic attack, but she barely knew the kid. She didn't know what to do for him except help.
Harry walked in then, seeing his mother crouched down next to Louis, picking up the pieces of a shattered dish.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" He snarled angrily.
Before he could take a step closer to Louis, Anne stood, blocking the boy from Harry. "Enough. He's had enough." She stared at Harry's eyes as hard as she could, forcing him to back down. "We're cleaning it up together. It was an accident. Go."
Harry didn't move.
"Harry. Now!" Anne yelled in his face. Finally, he stepped back, leaving the kitchen.
••••
Anne has practiced how this would go with Louis. They'd finished cleaning the kitchen together, taking a few extra moments to discuss how Louis was going to explain to Harry how he was feeling. Anne knew Harry was being harsh, and she knew if Louis didn't stand up for himself, nothing would change.
"Okay, are you ready?"
Louis sighed and nodded slowly. He couldn't wait to get this over with. This whole thing. He wanted to go home, and not to Harry's, but back with Liam and Zayn. He should've known this wouldn't work ever since that day in Harry's studio.
"Let's go then," Anne smiled weakly at him, trying her best to be encouraging.
Harry and Gemma were sitting on the couch in silence, Gemma continuously rubbing her hands over her belly.
"Harry," he turned to look at them both, "Louis has something to tell you." Anne announced.
Harry looked at Louis expectedly but didn't say anything.
"Um..." Louis got nervous with Harry staring at him. He didn't want to hurt his feelings.
In the kitchen, Anne had helped him articulate how he was feeling but suddenly, as he was looking at Harry's soft green eyes, he didn't want to say any of it. He could tell Harry knew what he was thinking, and he didn't want to waste his breath with it all. This is what they both wanted. Maybe Harry had wanted it first, but finally, after a week, Louis felt the same. This wasn't right. They weren't right for each other and Louis would find someone better.
"I'm ready to go home now," he said simply. He knew that Harry knew what home he was talking about.
Harry sighed and looked down at his lap. He had done it. He had broken this poor boy down so much that he didn't even have to reject him himself. "Okay. Get your things, we can go."