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THE FULL STORY

act one ━ chapter two

. . . . . .

━ HERBERT FLEET ━
august 1993

"THIS CAN NOT BE HAPPENING."

"It sorta is."

Great choice of words, Herb. Truly.

Morgan can describe this feeling as nothing other than a disastrous epiphany, wherein she could feel the crack form down the centre of her heart as she watched her life crumble down around her. And she would not be exaggerating.

Said feeling is Herbert had just broken up with her and Morgan is heartbroken.

Thoughts swam about her mind in a frazzled mess as she tried her best to organize them in a way that would allow her words to be formed. But no matter how hard she tried, nothing but desperate pants for air would come out.

None of it made sense. Why would he do this to her? How? Why was this happening to her? And it all came without warning. Herbert had given her no signs that he wanted to break up with her. None. But he just decides to drop this on her on a random sunny afternoon right before school starts like he's hit her with a bus?

Her leg started to bob up and down as she always did when she was anxious and she was incapable of stopping it.

Morgan had a serious thing for what other people thought. No matter what people told her, she couldn't ignore it ─ it was always at the forefront of her mind. And now she's just been dumped. So what will people think?

"You just introduced me as your girlfriend!"

"I didn't think I'd see you there!"

Herbert did really feel like a dick. He truly was sorry but he felt helpless about the whole situation ─ he wasn't heartless despite Morgan's current opinions on that topic. It did bring him sorrow to see the tears well in her eyes and to see her frantically gag for air as the reality of this slowly sank in.

Okay, nope he just felt awkward. Words should help with that.

"I'm really sorry, M." Herbert said, hoping his voice would soothe her panic in some way (Herbert wasn't very good when people show signs of sadness, so, word of advice, don't get dumped by him).

"It's just, I leave Hogwarts after this year and after that, I'll hopefully be working full-time and it wouldn't make sense for me to stay dating someone who's still in school."

Morgan managed to clear some of her airways with a big gulp. "Right. No. Of course not. That makes sense."

A natural human reaction ─ compliance. Herbert has to be right. Of course he's right. Thus, making Morgan comply with his rightness. She wasn't even sure whether she meant what she was saying.

Herbert placed his hand on top of hers. "I'd love to stay friends though."

The wince. The friendly smile. The classic line.

Out of fear she'd vomit, burst into tears in front of him, laugh because she's uncomfortable or do all of the above, Morgan abruptly got up from her seat and ran for the exit, leaving Herbert feeling awkward and out of place, with a melted, untouched pot of ice cream.

The air didn't feel fresh when she pushed open the door of the parlour. It felt even stuffier outside than it did in. Frantically brushing her hair and panting for breath, Morgan panicked, her head darting around like an unsettled pigeon looking for food.

Which direction? What now? Don't cry. Please, don't cry.

But she was going to. And she was oh so close to crying. She was on the brink of tears, on the verge of a mental breakdown ─ feelings one can't just suppress and save for later. She had to find somewhere to hide. To curl into a ball and let it all flow. She needed to break the dam, let her tears flow in peace and quiet.

But Morgan couldn't just leave Diagon Alley. Her brother was still here, and so was Bea. She couldn't just run away from the street without the people she was supposed to go home with. And, of course, the most important factor was still in play ─ she still needed to finish her shopping.

She quickly began running through her frayed mind for places that had toilets. The nearest one was the ice cream parlour she just left where her boyfriend ─

Nope, her ex-boyfriend still resided.

There are toilets in pretty much all of the food places but they were all much further up the high street. And the only other place she could think of was the changing rooms in the last shop she was in.

That worked for her.

With Quality Quidditch Supplies in her sights, Morgan sucked in a tight breath of air, swallowed her tears for now and legged it up the road towards the shop. Pushing past the crowds of people outside, she shoved the door open and crashed through the busy store, her shoulders colliding with just about every other person in her path.

The changing rooms were on the other side of the shop and when she got there, there was a long queue waiting outside. Three out of the three of the red fabric curtain doors were pulled to one side and her heart rate increased as the threat of her tears spilling worsened. But just then, one of the curtains came sliding open, and, ignoring the groans of complaint she would no doubt receive, Morgan rushed forward and hid away in the newly free changing room.

Sitting down on the bench that was fixed to the wall, Morgan hugged herself tightly and hid away behind the safety of the curtain, despite the string of people ─ who seemingly weren't going to do anything about her skipping the queue ─ murmuring discontentedly outside.

Morgan must have had no more than a minute of peace and quiet to herself to gather her thoughts after just being abruptly dumped by her long-term boyfriend before she was disturbed. She heard someone clear their throat from behind the curtain followed by the shuffling of feet next to the fabric drape.

Expecting it to be an irritated customer from the line of people waiting to use the changing room, Morgan was surprised to hear a Scottish voice croak from the other side of the curtain.

"Are you alright in there?"

Morgan recognised it as the boy she had met earlier, Oliver Wood since he was about the only Scottish wizard she knew.

Feeling her face heat up at the thought of a boy she had only just met seeing her crying and running, Morgan wiped her eyes aggressively, as if he could see her right now.

"I'm fine!" It was more of a declaration for self-assurance purposes because Morgan was most definitely not fine.

"I don't want to be that person," Oliver replied back cautiously, "but you don't sound fine."

Morgan wrapped her arms around her torso, hugging herself. "Okay," she said slowly, still trying not to give away any of her emotions to this (more or less) stranger, "so maybe I'm not fine."

Oliver pressed his ear up against the curtain as best he could without making it move and without falling over. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Do you want to come out and talk?"

"Not particularly."

He was just as red in the face as her at this point but still felt as though he should at least try and help her in any way he could.

Oliver hesitated before he spoke again. "Do you want me to come in and talk?"

No sound came from the inside of the changing room at first. Not even a sniffle from Morgan's end, while she deliberated how to respond to the help from a boy that she barely knew.

Finally, she swallowed the lump in her throat and said, "Okay."

A second later, the older Gryffindor pushed the curtain to the side, brandishing a sympathetic smile, before he carefully took a step inside the changing room, sitting on the bright red ottoman opposite her.

Morgan noticed how uncomfortable he looked. Either he wasn't used to comforting people when they run and hide in a shop's changing room whilst crying hysterically or he just didn't like how little they knew each other before their relationship took this turn. Or it was both. Either way, he was still staring into her eyes, prepared to suffer through the uncomfortableness of a girl he hardly knew.

"What happened?"

Morgan's eyes were trained on the floor now she was faced with a question she would no doubt be hearing several times more that day. She shrugged, visibly upset by having to answer. "I just got dumped."

Her eye-line slowly raised so she could size up his reaction, just as Oliver's chin retreated inwards. He didn't have any other words besides: "Oh."

Morgan thought that was a respectable response ─ it would be exactly what she would say should it be her in Oliver's position. "Yeah oh."

Oliver remembered only just being introduced to Morgan alongside her boyfriend Herbert, who had been Oliver's rival keeper for a few years now. He felt as though Morgan was waiting for him to acknowledge the dumper by the way the dumpee was looking at him with solemn eyes.

"Herbert's an arse."

"No, he's not."

Oliver had clearly thought wrong.

Morgan felt instantly sorry for how she responded when she watched him shuffle uncomfortably from where he sat on the (rather small compared to his build) pouffe. It was not the right choice of words if she ever wanted to diffuse the tension in this very tight space.

Morgan suddenly broke the silence with her fast-paced talking, feeling as though she should explain why she had corrected him when all Oliver was trying to do was be nice and defend her. "I'm sorry, this is really awkward." She blurted out, fiddling around with her fingers in a stressed manner, causing the boy to freeze up. "It's very nice of you to try and comfort me and all but ─"

"I understand." Oliver cut her off to save her the panicked explanation. "We just met. I can go if you want."

Morgan was grateful for his slow, gentle voice. And she really did appreciate his nice gesture.

She lightly shrugged her shoulders. "I think I just need to be alone. Thank you though."

Oliver got up from his little seat, tipping his head in understanding. "Of course," he replied with a sweet smile, holding out his hand to move the curtain to the side and grant him exit.

He turned his head to say his final piece. "See you at school, Morgan."

The girl smiled back and he was gone. But as he went, she could think of only one thing: He remembered her name without hesitation.

Morgan got a mere few moments of time alone before the felt movement just outside her changing room followed by the fabric being drawn once more. She had her head in her hands but raised her voice so her message wouldn't be muffled. "I thought I said I wanted to be alone?"

Morgan cut herself off when she looked up and didn't see Oliver Wood but instead stood her brother, frozen on the spot, prudent to not anger his sister any further.

"Oh. It's you."

Jason sat down on the seat that Oliver had just left, pushing it against the wall so it would be harder for Morgan to hit him if he said the wrong thing. Which seemed very likely because, in her temperamental state, anything could set her off.

"Not gonna lie," Jason said, "I don't really care for your love life but I'm pretty sure, as your brother, I'm legally obliged to follow you when you disappear to cry in a changing room."

"No, you're not." Morgan deadpanned. Jason was the last person she wanted to talk about her feelings with right now. "No one told you to do that. Don't do that."

Jason winced, "Actually," he held his hand out to the now closed red velvet curtain, "Oliver told me you just got dumped so . . ."

"Jason."

The boy picked up on the warning tone of his sister's voice but didn't have the words to respond with. "Morgan."

"Who's crying and why are we crying?"

"Oh, Jesus Christ."

Morgan's head was back in her hands at the arrival of yet another unwanted guest. This time, Beatrice had stumbled in, eyebrows furrowed in concern, hands on hips.

Jason rolled his eyes. "My thoughts exactly."

Bea widened her eyes in disbelief at not only Jason's reaction to her entrance but also at Morgan's, who was currently trying to conceal her whimpers into the palms of her hands.

"I'm basically the third Samuels child ─ it's a legal requirement for me to be here."

"You're not our family member." Jason tilted his head to look up at the standing Gryffindor.

Bea shrugged. "Extended."

Re-directing the conversation onto the real matter at hand, Bea stepped further into the changing room, drawing the curtain to a close again. She kneeled down beside Morgan, rubbing her hand across the crying girl's back.

"M, what happened?"

Morgan swallowed her need for more tears, lifting her head to reveal her puffy eyes and scruffy hair, still sniffling as she answered. "He dumped me."

"He dumped you? Oh hell no ─"

"Bea." Morgan didn't use the same warning tone as she did with Jason, but instead spoke softly, through her tears, not wanting to paint Herbert out as the bad guy.

"Did he break your heart?" Jason asked tentatively.

Morgan looked over at her brother, her forehead creased incredulously. What did he think?

"Just a little?"

Jason sighed, evidently not being very good comfort by his lack of empathy. "Does that mean I have to go all big brother and beat him up or something stupid I don't understand?"

"Yes." Bea answered immediately.

"No." Morgan corrected her. "Please don't do that."

"Good. I really didn't want to."

Bea was practically flabbergasted by Jason's inability towards act sympathetic to his little sister. "Erm, why not?"

"He's right," Morgan sighed. "I don't want to make a big scene about it."

"And relationships come and go. I'm not going to beat a guy up just because he wasn't the right person for my sister."

The silence that followed was very very loud. Slowly, both Bea and Morgan turned to look at Jason, who was slumped against the wall, apparently rather unaware of the impact of what he had just said.

"Who are you and what have you done with my big brother?"

"Yeah, seriously, that is like the most un-Jason thing you've ever said."

A previously nonchalant Jason Samuels was now showing signs of confusion, jutting his neck out and repeating what Bea had just said. "Un-Jason?"

"She means you said something intellectual." Morgan dumbed it down for him. "It's basically unheard of."

Jason mulled over this for a minute, debating with himself whether he should be flattered they thought his advice was good, or offended that that was just about the only smart thing he's ever said before in his life, thus labelling his previous sixteen years of being an older brother poor.

He didn't want to come to a conclusion. "I'm gonna go now."

Slightly sheepishly, Jason left the changing room. And just as the two girls that remained inside thought only silence would follow, they were proven to be mistaken when yet another person strode inside the tight space.

"I know I'm not great emotional support, but I'm here and I will try my best."

Morgan managed to smile weakly up at Casper Romero, her dimples frowning. "Thanks, Cass."

As Casper smiled kindly at his teary-eyed friend, another visitor popped up from behind him and Edie shuffled inside, taking up the seat that Jason had just vacated.

"I'm also here and I happen to be great emotional support." Edie was good with contagious smiles.

After closing the curtain behind him, Casper sat down on the carpeted floor beside Edie and the ottoman, with his legs crossed.

Warily, he broke the hostile silence that had followed the two newbies' arrival. "So . . . what happened?" He tried his best not to grimace with total pity.

"Do I seriously have to say it again?"

Following Morgan's frustrated sighs, Bea rubbed her back in a circular motion, replying for the heartbroken newly single girl. "Herbert broke up with her."

"That fucker." Casper was on his feet now, and Morgan could only pray silently that he wouldn't take any drastic action to the news ─ despite that being very unlikely ─ because the lump in her throat had grown too big to speak.

Edie's shoulders sagged sadly, and in the most Edie way possible, she tried to lighten the stuffy mood. "Is now a bad time to tell you I've always thought he looked like an overgrown bean sprout?"

"That's my brother you're talking about."

Even if Casper was planning to storm out into the shop and begin his hunt to find the dumper, Herbert, the appearance of the final member of their clan stopped him mid-step.

Kira Fleet had her arms folded across her chest and her hip popped to one side, the curtain still swaying from where she had abruptly pulled it to the side to reveal her presence.

They all stared at her, completely dumbfounded by this change of events.

"Kira? Kira Fleet?" Bea stuck her chin out in shock. "You exist?"

Kira was well aware of her friends' running joke that she was never around, but she couldn't help but smirk profusely at their stunned expressions. "Sup dipshits."

They all stared blankly at Kira's toothy grin and she stared back, both parties waiting for the other to reprimand their silence.

Kira then realised her mistake when she looked over at Morgan, whose cheeks were still bright red and whose problems had not blissfully disappeared just by Kira's arrival.

"That was inappropriate, I apologise."

With the period of no talking over, Bea asked the question they were all thinking. "How long have you been outside?"

"I was eavesdropping for a good ten seconds. I was waiting for the best entrance opportunity." Kira shrugged as if it were no big deal, now stepping inside the changing room closing the curtain behind her so that they all felt they were being individually suffocated by each other. "And I now realise I'm making this about myself."

Morgan wasn't paying much attention to her friends' movements. She appreciated that they cared but she wasn't lying to Oliver when she said she wanted to be alone right now.

But Kira was all prepped and ready with her lecture about her brother, Herbert. And Morgan couldn't exactly justify her surprise.

"M, he's a dick, and I would like to apologise on his behalf."

Morgan didn't want her friends there period. But she couldn't let them stand there and act as though Morgan was a wronged saint that had been completely screwed over. If they were going to be here, she needed to tell them the truth.

Heaving a tired sigh, Morgan rubbed her eyes as if that would make the tears disappear. "He's not a dick, guys," she said. "You don't even know the full story."

Casper wasn't so convinced. This was evident by the way his head tilted and his lips pressed together in a straight line. "He made you cry, ergo, a dick."

"You think everyone's a dick, Cass."

Another statement from Morgan that Casper didn't quite understand the logic to. "Your point?"

"If he isn't so bad," Edie said, "what's the full story?"

Morgan didn't want to relive the scene in the ice cream shop. But it was what needed to be done. She didn't make eye contact with any one of them as she spoke.

"He just said he's worried that we want different things," Morgan explained. "He leaves this year and we both knew it wouldn't last past Hogwarts so why not be friends until he leaves and soften the blow now cause it'll hurt more at the end of the year."

A painfully loud silence that Morgan had expected followed.

Casper was deep in thought. Kira was rolling her eyes still not entirely convinced her brother is incapable of not being a dick. Edie bit her lip. And Bea chewed on the inside of her mouth as she stared at the carpeted floor. Morgan waited for them to respond.

Edie was first.

"Oh."

Kira was next (she most certainly had not concluded that her brother wasn't a dick, but she accepted that maybe there was no "dick" as such, in this context ─ he was still a dick).

"Ah."

"That actually makes some sense."

"Casper!" Bea would have hit him if he wasn't too far away.

He held his hands up in surrender at Bea's deathly scowl but simply couldn't place what he had done wrong. Even Morgan was on his side.

"What? I'm only saying what you guys are thinking." Casper crossed his arms in defence of himself while Bea gave him warning glances subtly so Morgan wouldn't notice. Bea was determined to make sure none of her friends did anything to upset a very fragile Morgan Samuels.

Morgan was full of sighs today. "Cass is right," she said, "Herbert didn't do anything wrong."

As human beings, we always try and find someone to blame for any minor inconvenience that pops up in our lives. And to Morgan, this was the biggest minor inconvenience that has ever happened to her. She can't blame Herbert ─ this is what is right for him, and, as much as it hurts her, all she wants is his happiness. And so, naturally, she can't help but blame herself. For being born a year later. For not making him feel like she wasn't good enough for an outside-of-school commitment. For not being his happiness.

It hurt a lot.

"We're sorry, M." Kira could be sweet when she wanted to be. And, as much as Morgan wanted to be alone right now, it felt like a warm hug to see all of them put so much effort in.

"Let us know anything we can do to help." Edie was their rock. They all passed her around like she was a physical rock and it made Edie happy to help others.

Morgan knew they couldn't do anything to repair her heart. The only thing that could do that was time. And that was going to be a slow process. Since she burst into this changing room and since she dismissed Oliver Wood, Morgan had learned that her friends were damn good at making themselves needed.

She didn't want to be alone anymore.

"I didn't get to fully appreciate my ice cream."

They all beamed back at her when Morgan managed a faint smile. It was only small, more like a bad attempt at a smile, but they all adored it nonetheless.

Casper got up first. "I'll fetch Greg."

❋❋❋

"HONEY, YOU'RE GOING TO SET THE HOUSE ON FIRE."

"Good!"

Three days, six hours and twenty-eight minutes had passed since the breakup. Not that Morgan was counting or anything.

The sadness stage had passed, and for the following two days after the initial heartbreak, denial came next. The next stage to bless Morgan's mood swings ─ and everybody in the Samuels household's favourite (not!) ─ was, evidently, anger.

Morgan hadn't exactly stopped feeling sad, as such, but instead developed more prominent emotions that made her act (at least in Jason's view) like a bit of a lunatic. Her head was frazzled. The thought of going back to school with Herbert stressed her out. She didn't know what to do with herself. And she was angry for being sad all the time. Angry at love, angry at people in love, angry at Herbert for leaving her. She was angry at her sadness.

In summary ─ Morgan was a bit of a mess.

That was reflective on the state of her room. Clothes were dumped everywhere, an unpacked trunk despite the Hogwarts Express departing the following day sat by her window that hadn't been opened in days leaving the air gross and stuffy, chocolate wrappers were scattered on the carpet and dirty bedsheets. A very cliché, post-breakup, teenage girl's room, if you will.

After a failed attempt at her summer homework for Arithmancy, Morgan finding it far too hard, she ripped it to shreds and now held it over a candle she had lit in her bedroom, hoping to make it suffer for all the pain it caused her. Morgan is very sensitive at the moment.

Jason stared at his sister in disgust, almost at the fact that he was related to such a mad person. Jason liked to forget the context and reasoning for Morgan's exaggerated anger, hence his parted lips and furrowed brows ─ he liked to make his sister out like a psycho for his own entertainment.

He pointed at the parchment, which was now, finally catching fire. "So, do I finally have permission to restrain her or?"

Beatrice watched in curiosity as her friend fell apart in front of her. Bea tried to help Morgan with the broken girl's homework to the best of her ability but didn't quite do anything in the end because Bea doesn't take Arithmancy. Likewise to most of the sane (Bea's interpretation) student body.

Bea, with her eyes still trained on her blonde friend, whose mother was trying to coax her down from her rage spiral, leaned in closer to whisper to Jason: "Go ahead. She's feral."

"Darling put the wand down. You know you'll get in trouble for that."

Odessa was a very patient person, luckily for Morgan. The mother understood the reasons behind her daughter's foul moods and days spent to their entirety in bed, but even this saint of a woman was holding onto her composure as if it were a very thin thread.

Morgan waved her wand around as if it were nothing as if it possessed no dangerous abilities. "My life's over anyway so they can send me to Azkaban all they want!" The girl yelled at her mother, her manners long out the window.

"I say let her go."

"Jason!"

Jason blinked sceptically at his mother like what he had said was perfectly justified. "What?" He said. "She requested it. And besides, it's your choice: only child or potentially murderous, definitely dangerous daughter."

Morgan had gone red in the face, and, now acknowledging the power it gave her, held her wand up to his neck threateningly. "I hope they have a cell in Azkaban for me if it means I get to hex your arse, you fuck ─"

"Morgan! Language!"

Joe Samuels could only watch the scene unfold before him. He was never that good at giving fatherly advice and in the current situation, he had little to no knowledge of how to approach it. Joe thought he and his wife should just let Morgan do her own thing. Odessa can't think of anything worse than leaving their daughter to her own devices in her current state, but even she was going slightly pink in the face at this precise moment.

Placing a gentle hand on his wife's arm, Joe leaned into Odessa's ear so their daughter wouldn't hear ─ Morgan was already too preoccupied with sending her brother glares as sharp as knives.

"She goes to school tomorrow anyway, Dess," Joe stroked Odessa's arm in an attempt to soften the blow of what he was implying, "let's just leave ─"

"Oh for the love of Merlin, Joseph!" Odessa made her opinion on her husband's plan rather clear by the sharp pulling away of her arm and the high-pitched ring in her voice. "Do I have to parent on my own?" Only then, did she manage to put the fire out.

Joe immediately regretted ever inserting himself into the conversation as opposed to standing in the doorframe as he originally had because he watched a vein pop on his wife's forehead. And he knew he had gone a step too far.

Stepping backwards cautiously, Joe softened his voice even more. "Sorry, dear."

While Odessa returned to their huffing daughter ─ Jason narrowly missing a beating from the girl moments prior ─ Joe turned to talk to the other person in the room, who was watching the scene happen with a look of bafflement.

"Tea, Beatrice?" Joe offered, thinking it probably best that he leave immediately and, judging by the look on her face, thought he might take the opportunity to help Beatrice out in the process.

"Love some."

Jason watched as his dad and Bea crept out of Morgan's bedroom and glanced briefly back at Morgan, who was yet to put away her wand. That was all the evidence he needed to exit the danger zone.

"That's my queue too then."

Morgan, of course, had something to say about Jason's departure, despite it probably benefitting her.

She launched at him and Jason had never despised his sister more. "Yes, it is if you want to keep that stupid life of yours─"

Odessa lept between her two children just before Morgan could do any more damage, removing her daughter's wand from her hand. "Okay, this is probably best with me for now, dear."

Jason hurried out of the bedroom, making sure to display his middle finger to his little sister before he disappeared down the stairs.

"Sit down," Odessa said, gesturing to Morgan's unmade bed, "let's talk."

Morgan stubbornly crossed her arms, deliberately turning her head in the opposite direction of her mother. "Nothing to talk about, I'm fine."

"Clearly."

Sighing defeatedly, Morgan's shoulders sagged and her arms drooped to the floor. "Mum, I seriously don't want a lecture right now, so if you could just─"

"Not a lecture. Just some advice."

"I didn't ask for any."

"I'm going to give you some. Now sit down, and shut up."

Reluctantly, Morgan slumped down onto her mattress, Odessa sitting down carefully on the edge of the bed next to her.

"I'm not going to tell you to just get over it ─"

"But?"

"No buts. I'm serious," Odessa assured, before shuffling a little closer to her daughter and placing a hand on Morgan's leg.

"First love is difficult." She said and Morgan prepared herself for the inevitable mother-daughter lecture, that Odessa claimed wouldn't happen ─ Morgan knew better than to believe her.

"And it didn't work out. That's why it's called first love. Love comes and goes. Some people will stay, and some won't. And that's okay. That's how it's meant to be."

Morgan took a second to let her mother's advice sink in. The tears had almost completely dried from her eyes now and her cheeks were slowly returning to their usual pigment.

Morgan did appreciate her mother's words but one thing stuck out to her and she couldn't quite dismiss it. "You know," Morgan sat up straighter, "Jason told me the exact same thing a few days ago."

Odessa's forehead creased in surprise. "Jason?" She asked and Morgan nodded. "Our Jason?" Another nod. "Your brother, Jason? My son, Jason?"

Morgan completely understood her mother's confusion. "That's the one. I know, it's shocking."

Still trying to wrap her head around this information, Odessa Samuels puckered her lips in pride. "I'm a damn good parent."

Morgan shrugged. "You're alright, I guess."

Smiling at her daughter wistfully, Odessa felt the air in the room clear. She felt Morgan ease just a little and, as a mother, she couldn't ask for anything else. Odessa knew that Morgan would need time. And lots of it. Recovery didn't happen overnight but just seeing her daughter seem a little bit more at peace with her situation, warmed Odessa's chest.

Their eyes still locked in a loving gaze, Odessa squeezed Morgan's leg before standing up. "Now," she said slowly, "how about I bring you up a cup of tea ─"

"And a biscuit?"

Odessa flashed her teeth in a brief grin, so happy to see the hint of a smile tug at Morgan's lips. "And a biscuit," she repeated, "and you get an early night. School tomorrow, can't be up late."

"Okay." Morgan said. "Thanks, mum."

It was an unsaid sentiment that Morgan wasn't just saying thank you for the cup of tea and room service but also for her mother's understanding. Morgan hadn't been herself these last couple of days. In fact, she had rarely left her bedroom full stop. She made a mental note to apologise to Beatrice for being such a bad host but then Morgan assumed that, due to Bea's fondness for her parents and of course, her infatuation with Jason, Bea probably didn't care for Morgan's absence whatsoever.

Just then, Odessa's proud mum moment and Morgan's first tranquil instant in what felt like a long time were ruined by the screaming voice from the staircase.

"You better not adopt some favourite child bullshit just because she got dumped!"

Jason had stopped halfway on his journey downstairs and opted to eavesdrop for evidence just like this that his parents were too absorbed in their sympathy for Morgan that they had forgotten that they had a second child.

"Jason Joeseph Samuels! One more word out of you and I'll ban your tea privileges for life!" Odessa called back from Morgan's bedroom. She then turned back to her daughter and they shared a second of silent giggles waiting for Jason's response.

The sound of descending footsteps was accompanied by a muffled and very upset: "Sorry, mum."

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫!

dear inspiration, please don't go away x