I'll Make This Feel Like Home {l.s}

55

"Gemma?" I look to her, behind me to Louis who ended up following me to the door, and back to her again.

"Hey Harry. I missed you."

I throw myself in her arms and squeeze her as hard as I can, afraid that if I let go, she might leave again.

I pull away and look back to see that everyone else who was at the table has come to the door to see what the commotion is.

"Hi Mum," says Gemma as she waves, still stood in the doorway. "Happy birthday."

Just like I did, my Mum doesn't say anything, just runs over and gives her a big hug.

After a moment, she pulls away and finally says, "Not to be rude, but what are you doing here? I'm so glad you came, but still."

Louis speaks up and says, "I invited her actually. I hope that's okay with you Anne." Gemma nods in agreement with him.

"Of course it's more than okay. Well come on in, we can grab you a plate of food," says my Mum.

I take the gift from her and put it with the others, and we all sit back down to eat.

After dinner, Louis goes to bring the gifts over to us, and I follow him.

Now away from everyone else in the party, I ask, "How did you invite Gemma?"

"Instagram."

"So you slid into my sister's DMs?"

"I wouldn't put it like that I mean-"

"I'm kidding. Thank you. It means a lot to me and definitely my Mum too. We haven't seen her in too long. But I guess the real question is how did you convince her show up? She would always decline all our invitations, then we stopped trying I guess and we figured she just wanted to do her own thing."

"Well obviously I first explained who I was and stuff, then explained to her how fondly you spoke of her and how much you miss her. I think she just realized how long it's been and decided she missed you both too."

Before I can reply, Gemma calls from the other room, "Did you boys get lost?"

We quickly grab all the gifts and take them back to my Mum.

...

Gemma gave my Mum a picture she had painted of the three of us while she was in art school, showing that she still thought of us all the time.

My Mum also loved the gift from Louis, Lottie and I. Then Robin got her a Louis Vuitton wristlet.

After gifts, we ate cake, then Robin had left.

"Gemma why don't you stay the night? It would be such a long drive back to your dorm if you left now," exclaims my Mum.

"I don't want to intrude anymore than I have."

"Oh please, your not intruding to the the slightest. You can sleep in Harry's bed too, right Harry?"

I look over to Louis, panicking, with wide eyes, and he returns the look, but still ushers me to respond to her.

"Uh how about well- Gemma should sleep in her old bedroom probably right?"

"Harry," my Mum scolds me, "that's where Lottie and Louis sleep. It would be rude to not give her your bed. It's one night, come on."

Yes Mum, the sheets do have come on them.

I'm panicking.

"Harry just let her sleep in your bed, it's fine," says Louis, giving me a knowing look.

My face feels all hot and my Mum can definitely tell somethings up. If she wasn't suspecting something of me before, she definitely is now.

I just gulp and nod.

"At least let me clean my room a little first," I add.

"I'll help you. It'll speed up the process," Louis says before guiding me up the stairs.

"I'm screwed I'm screwed I'm screwed I'm screwed I'm screwed," I murmur all the way up the stairs.

"You'll be fine."

"How? Gemma already didn't want to come her, now she's about to sleep on um- dirty sheets."

"That's why we're going to change your sheets. You must have a backup set right?"

"Probably somewhere."

"Okay you go find that, and I'll strip down the bed."

I creep into the hall and go to the linen closet in hopes of finding new sheets.

Thankfully, I found some that will hopefully fit. I go back into my room and Louis asks, "Okay now what do you want me to do with your mess."

"Shut up. Should I just put it in the laundry room or something?"

"Hell no. Don't leave that for you Mum to find. Put it in the washing machine and clean them right now. And if she asks, you didn't remember the last time you changed them and you wanted to give Gemma fresh sheets."

I take the sheets from Louis and carry them downstairs, careful to avoid any people I may run into on the way.

After successfully getting my sheets into the wash, I go back to my room to find Louis and Gemma both in there.

"Thanks for not making me sleep in your teenage stink," Gemma says when I walk in.

"We'll pretend that's why we changed them," Louis smirks.

"Louis," I scold.

"I'm not going to even ask," Gemma sighs. Thank god. "Where are you sleeping then?"

"With me," Louis says.

"The couch," I retort.

My Mum of course walks in, then asks, "All settled then?"

"Yep, couldn't thank you enough. Night all," Gemma says, probably trying to get us all to leave. I don't blame her.

"See you in the morning," I say as I guide us all out of my room.

"Thanks for planing this for me tonight boys," my Mum starts once we all exit. "Can't even put into words how much it means to me. You really outdid yourselves."

"I owed something nice like this to you after all you've done for my sister and I honestly. But I'd be happy to do it again."

"You're too good for this world Louis. Alright, love you boys, goodnight."

I give my Mum a hug, and she grips me so tight it scares me. Seems more like a warning than anything.

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Word count: 1037