Harold helped Denise pack the provisions their bought into the kitchen. He had not spoken to Denise the entire time they left the supermarket till they got home. After he was done, he tried leaving but Denise held his waist and stopped him.
"What are you doing?" he asked her, looking a bit shocked.
"I just want to talk to you. You have not spoken to me ever since we met your mother at the supermarket."
"I don't want to talk about her. Please, I need to go back to the car and lock it up. Let me go, before anyone finds us in this compromising position."
Denise frowned a little and stepped back, taking her hands off her waist. "Okay. I just wanted to know why you and your mother are estranged. Listen, I just want to understand what is going on, that's all."
"I will tell you, not now. I just want to have some time to myself. Can I please go?" he asked, looking down.
Denise tried to get him to look at her, but he kept looking away. "Okay. You can go."
"Thank you." Harold whispered and walked away.
Denise sighed and climbed the stairs to her room. She threw herself on her bed and picked her phone. She dialled Elena's number. She placed the phone on her ear and heard it ring. After the second ring, Elena picked up the call.
"Hey, girl. How are you?" Elena said, sounding excited.
"Hi Elena. How are you doing?"
"I'm good. You?"
"Not bad. You sound tired, what's wrong?"
"It's Harry. We met his mother at the supermarket today, when we went out to get some provisions. But, he was not happy to see her."
"Really? Did something happen between them? Maybe Harold's mother abandoned him or something?"
"He did say something about his mother leaving him. I don't know much about his family because he doesn't like talking about them. So, meeting his mother today, kind of said something."
"That must be very terrible for him. Is he okay?"
"No, he is not okay. He has not spoken to me ever since we got back. I'm really worried about him."
"So, what do you want to do now?"
"I don't know what to do. I really do want to help him. But, he is not ready to open up to me."
"Please, give him time. If he is like that because he met his mother, then I guess it's because something big happened. As I said, give him some time, he will definitely open up to you when the time is right."
"You are right. He needs time to think. I guess I will have to wait for him to come to me. But, I still want to help him, just like he has helped me all this time."
"Just be there for him and wait patiently. He will come to you. Aw, Denise, you are really in love with him, aren't you?"
"Yes, Elena. I love him very much and I don't want to see him hurting like this." Denise admitted.
"Then why don't you tell him. Tell him how you feel about him," Elena said.
"I can't. I really wish I could let him know. But, I am not ready for another heartbreak."
"Do you honestly believe Harold will hurt you in anyway? The guy loves you as well. You can tell from how he looks at you."
"Well, let's forget about that. I just need to find a way to help him. That's what I want to do right now."
"Oh my friend."
Harold was in his room, looking very confused and sad. He could feel the tears in his eyes threatening to fall. He clutched hard, onto the chair seated in front of him. He tried not to remember the past, but all the memories kept rushing back. Then he remembered his mother's pleading face at the supermarket. How she was pleading with him to listen to him.
"After all these years, she decided to show up. After she abandoned me, how can she just expect me to forgive her? What does she want from me?" He screamed and pushed the chair in front of him aside, which fell on the other side of the room.
He wiped the tears from his eyes, and tried to avoid the others from coming. He could not control himself anymore, so he sat on the bare floor and began to cry. Then he heard a knock on the door. He wanted to go and see who it was, yet he felt too tired to get up. He began to wish for whoever that was knocking on the door to go away.
Denise decided to enter Harold's room when he refused to open the door and rushed in when she heard a noise. She found Harold on the floor, curled up in one corner, crying his eyes out.
"Harry, what happened? Hey, it's okay. Calm down," she knelt down beside him and hugged him, while he just cried in her arms.
After he was calm, Denise helped him get into his bed. "Do you feel better now?"
Harold nodded.
"Would you want to be left alone?" Denise asked slowly.
"No, please. Stay. I don't want to be alone. Please, stay."
Denise sat beside him on the bed and held him. Harold sighed deeply. He really wanted to tell Denise everything but he was not ready to tell her anything yet. He was happy when Denise did not ask him anything. She just stayed by him and held him. Because that was all he needed at the moment. She wanted to help him, and if keeping quite was the best way to do so, she will gladly do it.
This is the first time she had seen Harold like this. He has never broken down like this before. Even when Denise treated him badly, he never put on a sad face. He was always happy, making others around him happy as well. That is why Denise felt so bad seeing him like this. She stroked his back to make him feel much calmer.
Even though she did not understand what happened between mother and son, she decided she won't ask about it till Harold himself was ready to talk to her about it.