Haru was quiet. Haru was often quiet. She was quiet when she was focused on something that had piqued her interest especially when lost within the pages of a book. When daydreaming she would be quiet with a smile tugging at her lips. When she was being thoughtful and observing the world, she was often silent before engaging.
Baron enjoyed seeing these different quiet sides of Haru. He didn’t however like the current quiet version of Haru. She had a vacant look in her eye and was worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. She has totally zoned out from everything around her. Something was clearly bothering her. Baron picked up the two teacups and walked across to where Haru was seated on the sofa. He placed them down on the table before sitting next to her. Haru didn’t even seem to notice his presence. Frowning silently Baron reached out to touch her elbow. Haru jolted as if she had been electrocuted and Baron pulled his hand back.
‘Sorry.’ he apologised but Haru was already shaking her head.
‘Don’t apologise you didn’t do anything wrong.’ she replied, ‘I was just lost in my thoughts.’
‘You don’t appear to be very happy.’ responded Baron carefully.
‘Is it that obvious?’ she sighed, rubbing a hand across her face ‘I’m having difficulty dealing with something at the moment.’
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ asked Baron ‘The other two will be out for a while so if you want to you can talk to me without interruption. It’s also okay if you don’t want to.’
Haru looked over to Baron. He was so kind. Here he was giving her the opportunity to unload her emotional baggage onto him without judgement.
‘It’s probably better I do talk than keep it bottled up. I do hope that you will not feel any less of me though. I’m currently feeling rather jealous and bitter.’ she explained.
Baron took one of her hands between his own.
‘Haru I could never think less of you.’ he promised.
A small smile graced her lips. The first that he had see since she had arrived at the Bureau that day. She let out a sigh.
‘Well, I guess if I’m going to do this I should start from the beginning.’ she murmured.
Baron gave her hand a squeeze of encouragement.
‘As you know at home there is just my mother and I. It has been like that for quite some time. Don’t get me wrong I love her to pieces but she has to work so hard and often I have spent a lot of time growing up alone. She doesn’t even notice when I disappear to be here. I just wish she didn’t need to work so hard.’ explained Haru.
She let out a juddering breath.
‘I was seven years old when my father walked out on us. I don’t really remember my parents fighting. They were young and he just decided that at his age he didn’t want to be saddled with a wife and kid. He wanted to live life freely and explore the world.’ continued Haru unable to keep the bitter tone out of her voice ‘My mother was devastated and I was just completely lost. The man who had been there my whole life suddenly wasn’t. He could have done things so differently, but he chose to abandon us.’
Baron continued to sit quietly beside her. Haru gave him a weak smile.
‘This should be old news, right? Something I should have gotten over a long time ago. Well I thought I had until recently. I don’t even know what possessed me to do it but I searched his name on the internet. I didn’t really expect to find anything but I did. He had remarried. Once I opened this can of worms, I couldn’t stop myself digging.’ she sighed as tears slowly slid down her cheeks.
Within seconds a handkerchief was presented to her.
‘Thank you.’ she murmured accepting it with a squeeze to Baron’s hand.
‘I have step siblings.’ she finally said ‘Two of them. Both younger than myself. Two boys in their early teens. I doubt they know I exist. I browsed their social media.’
Haru took another breath.
‘I wish I hadn’t.’ she said, her voice cracking ‘My father was featured in so many photos. Holidays, baseball games, middle school graduations. The doting father with his sons. It just makes me wonder what I did wrong. Why didn’t her want me?’
Her sobs were coming thick and fast now and the handkerchief wasn’t enough. Baron pulled Haru to him wrapping his arms around her and rubbed her back as she cried into his shoulder. He had no idea how long these thoughts had been festering.
After some time the sobs had reduced to sniffles with the odd hiccup.
‘Have you ever spoken to your mother about this?’ asked Baron.
Haru shook her head against his shoulder.
‘No. She is hurting as much as I am and I don’t want to drag up the past or for her to find out what I did.’ She murmured into his shirt.
One of Baron’s hands rested on her back whilst the other was now soothingly stroking her fine hair.
‘Listen to me Haru. That man is not worthy of the title of your father. He is not worth your time or your tears. You did nothing wrong and he is the biggest fool for abandoning you. I know I said I wouldn’t judge but you needed to hear this.’ He murmured.
Although calm on the outside, inside Baron was raging and wondering if they could some how track down this man and make him pay for the pain he had put Haru through. He couldn’t help but feel protective. Haru had tilted her head against his shoulder, and he was able to gaze down at her. Her eyes were red rimmed and blood shot, but she appeared a little calmer.
‘I know that he is technically your kin by blood, but I believe that there is far more to family that that. Your mother of course is a wonderful woman but your family is larger than you think. There’s Hiromi of course, you two are as thick as thieves. There’s Yuki and Lune and to be honest the whole Cat Kingdom adores you.’ Baron informed her.
Haru let out a small giggle.
‘If that wasn’t enough there is also Toto and Muta.’ he continued ‘and of course you have me. You will always have me.’
Haru gazed up at him before moving to wrap her arms around his waist to hug him.
‘Thank you, Baron.’ she whispered.
‘Any time Haru.’ he replied hugging her back ‘That’s what family is for.’
yousharknotpass
tangentwithtanner
theartofmadeline
origamiaround
snowghoul
discoholicmusic
areudirty
