Like the First Time (Harry Styles: no.2)

Chapter 12: Wide Eyes

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Chapter 12: Lydia

My parents were furious when I told them the story. The disappointment in their eyes were understandable, but I couldn't get my father's haunting look from my mind.

Dad was leaning against the wall by the door, my mother sitting in the chair next to my bed, a tissue crumpled in her hand. Harry, on the other hand was anxiously pacing at the foot of my bed, not uttering a single word.

"Why would you trust this man?" My mother chides me. "He could have poisoned you, for god's sake!"

"Don't you think I know that already?" I huff, my chest tightening from the sudden movement. "My scales have been disappearing and I figured that since he put the drug in me to make them deteriorate, he could give me the cure to fix it all." I curl my finger into a ball, trying to keep the warmth within them.

My entire body wanted to shake, but I was exhausted and in need of warmth. The nurses had put warm, toasty blankets on me, but, unfortunately, nothing could keep my temperature up. The on-duty doctor had visited me frequently since I woke back up, but he was just as confused as the rest of them were to the cause of my sickness.

Dad lifted his head and looked around the room, a sigh escaping his lips. His eyes were red and bloodshot, the green in them matching mine in both color and worry. His eyebrows are creased and I can't help but wonder why.

"Why did he go after you again?" Dad asks, looking out the blinds covering the hospital window to the hallway.

"He saw that I was a mermaid, accidentally, and that's how it started."

"But, why mermaids?"

"He told me his daughter and wife were captured by them and were drowned in the sea. That's all he would say to me before I left Los Angeles." I say, forcing myself not to look pointedly at mother.

"That doesn't make sense." Dad whispers to himself, running a hand through his hair.

"Wouldn't it, though?" Harry pipes in, finally. "A man wants revenge so he takes it on the first mermaid -mer-person- whatever, and tries to kill them. Makes a lot of sense to me, as an outsider."

"No, not that part I mean." Dad takes a cautious step forward. "Why would the mer-folk attack in the first place?"

That suddenly dawns on me too. Huh. When I was down in the ocean with Austin and the family, I had only been treated with the utmost respect and even at the underwater hospital I was okay. No one seemed threatening, now that I'm looking back.

"Could it be some anti-human terrorist group?" I ask, though I realize how stupid it sounds coming from my mouth.

Dad sighs and rolls his eyes, "No, we don't really have those down below. Humans can keep that quality, thank you very much."

"Then what would be a reason?" Mother joins in, turning to look at Dad the first time since they entered the room together.

"That's what we have to find out," he looks down at her quickly before looking away and meeting my gaze. "I'm going to go talk to some people, make a few calls. Stay here and rest. You two let me know if anything changes."

"But, I-" Mother begins but Dad cuts her off.

"I love you, sweety." He kisses my forehead, rubbing my cheek gently with his thumb. "Harry," he shakes his hand once, narrowing his eyes at the younger boy. "Cynthia." He nods his head at her and then quickly leaves the room, the door slamming on the way out.

Silence envelopes the room and Harry leans his hands on the rail at the foot of my bed. His eyes are full of worry and I can't help but know that he regrets getting involved with me.

"We'll get through this." He tells me, grasping my right foot and giving it a light squeeze. I nod at him and then look at Mother. Her eyes are dull as she stares at a spot on one of the blankets. I bury myself deeper in them and groan in pain as I shut my eyes.

"There's nothing good in this," I nod my head at the IV leading in my hand.

"Do mermaids have the same healing rate as humans?" Harry asks, cocking his head to one side.

"Usually they're faster by a bit," Mother states, looking down at my in worry. "Harry, can you excuse us for one moment please?"

Harry nods his head, looking at me for reassurance. I nod back at him, mouthing 'it's okay', right before he leaves to stand outside the door. When I hear the click of the door, Mother looks up at my, taking a deep breath and swallowing.

"So?" I ask, shaking my head, waiting for her to talk.

"I'm sorry."

I snort, tipping my head back on the bed.

"What was that?" I mock her slightly, something I really shouldn't be doing.

She sighs, gripping her tissue tighter before wiping her nose.

"Do you have to make this harder for me than it already is?" She asks, her voice getting quieter by each word spoken. "I'm so sorry, Lydia. I don't know what came over me all these years. The hitting, the extensive studying and work you did. Hell, I'm sorry about Los Angeles too." Her chin is beginning to quake. "When your father left with your brother-"

"Austin." I state firmly. "He has a name, use it."

"Fine, Austin-" she winces, shutting her eyes. "When David left with Austin, my world had begun to fall apart. I lost the love of my life and one of my kids. I went into a rage and thought that if I focused my energy on you, that you wouldn't turn out like him."

"Like who?"

"David, your father. He was everything I wasn't: kind, funny, charming. I couldn't handle how he was almost always on and in a good mood, one of the reasons we parted ways." She sniffs, slouching a bit. "I figured if I turned you into me, you wouldn't get hurt like I did."

I look up at the ceiling, taking it all in. My mother, a pristine, calm yet forceful genius, was slowly coming undone to me.

"I'm sorry that I was a awful mother to you. That's something I don't expect you to be alright with. I mean, what mother in her right mind hits her kid? I was never raised like that, but somehow I-"

"I forgive you." I whisper, closing my eyes. I hear her take a deep breath and I open my eyes to see her eyes begin to water. "But if you ever try to pull that on me again, you will never get a chance to say sorry because you will never come near me again. Do you hear me?"

Her eyes widen as a few tears fall. She quickly wipes them away and nods her head vigorously. "I promise, you have my word, Lydia. Never again." She crosses her heart.

And just like that, we took the first step in building back our relationship.

*****

So, what do you think of that? Lydia and her Mother, am I right?

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What do you think David, Lydia's Dad, will uncover? How will Harry hold up?

Let's find out in the next chapter!

LOVE YOU!!

-Caroline