With a light knock, Logan and Marilyn walked into Harry's room.
He looked up from his files and smiled,
"Ah!", "Was wondering when you would arrive Doc." he paused, "Mother" he greeted.
"Can't any of you take a break from work?" she sighed, shaking her head as she walked closer and took a seat on the chair close to his bed.
Logan checked his vitals quickly before raising his gaze to him,
"Your vitals show positive signs of recovery, so, you should be able to eat a good meal by tomorrow -But" he paused, "Cut down on protein for the mean time".
"Vegetarian it is then" Harry declared, leaving a smile on their faces.
"You don't need the wheelchair anymore as well"
Harry let out a dramatic sigh of relief.
"More rest and no overtime, that alright?" Logan stood to his feet.
"That would definitely be a hassle, considering our house arrest"
Logan gave him a face leaving Harry in a defeated sigh,
"Fine, fine, I want to leave this bed too"
Harry sat back and watched Logan work a little more before walking out of the room.
"Mother" he called just before turning to Marilyn.
She sat forward, attentive to him.
"I must speak to William about his behavior with Lily"
Marilyn sighed, "Calm down" she held unto his fingers, "William must have had his reasons, you all know each other, he- "
"Mother this is my life, my future wife, my family, he has no right to sabotage me and create doubt in her mind" he interrupted.
"-How can you be so sure she doubts you, he didn't even say it" she cut through his words sharply.
"Oh Mother", Harry scoffed, his eyes wandering off as he remembered Lily's face in that past moment, "I cannot, … allow anyone" he said faintly, turning his gaze slowly towards her.
"I will not give room to anyone to destroy the world I and Lily have built together" he shook his head softly, sadly, "I can't".
Marilyn herself had no excuse on William's behalf. They were her sons, love and peace were her desire for them, nevertheless they were men now and she could only rely on her upbringing to determine the situation.
"I had decided not to confront him that day because I respect him" Harry paused, swallowing down with determination, "But I must speak to him personally", his voice deepened "I'm telling you now because I want you to speak to him -and you will" he paused again, "I believe I will be discharged from these needles by dusk, that's enough time to get your sweet words into his ears just before tomorrow because I won't let this go unsolved before the end of tomorrow".
Ryan took out his travelling box from the box room and stood in the center of their closet room.
He couldn't decide where to start from because the period they moved from their main home to the family manor, Ruby insisted that they bring everything comfortable, which included the most of their clothes.
Suits, shirts, pants, Ryan chose his best clothes.
All the while he packed, his boys never left his mind. Soon after he was done, he walked over to the kids' room and met Ruby assembling a castle with her right hand along with Saul while Henry dug his face in a book as he leaned into Ruby's left grip.
"Well, hello" he greeted as they all turned to him.
"Papa" Saul ran over allowing Ryan to lift him into the air before giving him a kiss in his tight embrace. Henry stood from Ruby's grip and walked over to hug Ryan, who held him tightly with his other hand.
"Hello" Ruby greeted as their eyes met.
Ryan walked over to where she sat, "It's almost time"
Ruby swallowed down, straightening up and looking away, "It seems you've already decided"
"Yes" he paused, "So I need to talk to the children alone"
Ruby turned sharply to him, in awe of his words.
"What ridiculous statement did you just utter?"
He stared at her quietly and she knew he wasn't joking, neither receptive and so she stood after a good short minute,
"You've changed" she shook her head just before glancing at the kids and back, "We're not done here" she paused, "I'm in our room" she walked away and out of the room.
The room fell silent for a while before Ryan took a seat on one of the small couches in the corner with Saul settled on his thighs and slowly, he leaped Henry unto his other thigh.
"Is mama angwy?" (Is mama angry?)
Ryan pulled the kids into a tight embrace, digging his nose into their hairs and shutting his eyes.
"Yeah' he sighed, "But not with you two, with me" he turned to Saul, then Henry, planting a quick kiss on their temples before ruffling their sides rigorously with his hands.
"Will you be alright?" Henry asked
He thought for a while then turned to Henry, "I think so" he smiled.
"Pwease dwont be angwy wif mama" (Please don't be angry with mama)
Ryan grinned, "We'll be alright, ok?"
His children were smart. He knew. Every word and body language were as important as a promise meant to be fulfilled.
"Is that why you want to speak to us alone?" Henry turned to him.
He nodded, "I'm leaving, going over to Grandpa Kane's" he paused, looked Henry in the eye and the boy understood. Ryan then turned to Saul who seemed distracted by the gold buttons on Ryan's shirt.
"Would you both want to come along, see Grandpa for a few days and come back?"
"YIPPEEE!" Saul grinned hopping on Ryan's thighs.
Ryan turned to Henry who understood the situation and gave him some time,
"We'd be leaving early tomorrow morning, say before breakfast"
Henry nodded, pressing his lips with faint sadness as he looked away, "Mom won't be too happy"
Ryan nodded, "I'll speak to her, it'll only be for 2-3 days but ill stay longer while you both can come back" he paused, "Alright?"
Henry nodded. Ryan planted a kiss on their temples once again before leaping them both off his thighs and walking out of the room.
As soon as he shut the door behind him, he turned to Ruby who gave him a quick slap across the face.
He sighed, "I thought you were going to stay in our room?"
"I grew anxious" she paused, gritting her teeth, "You're making me anxious" she paused again, "Since when have we talked privately to our children?"
About to speak, she raised her index, shutting her eyes for a second.
"This is about our children, OUR children, not just mine, not just yours" she sighed, "How did we get to this Ryan, how?"
She looked at him as he waited for her to speak but it seemed she was done,
"Maybe you haven't thought this situation through but if you can look outside of your anger and frustration, you will come to understand that your words are selfish"
The corridor fell silent and for a long while, the two stared at each other.
"I love you" he began, "I still do" he added "But I will leave this place with OUR children" he paused, "We will see to the quiet burial and if you're invited or not" he paused again, shrugging, "You can still come but we won't stand there together as son and daughter of the deceased but rather, as the son of the deceased and the daughter in law of the deceased"
Ruby watched him walk away and into their room.
There was that time when she believed that even if everything went wrong, she still had her family to run to. The world could burn but the confidence of the world she had in her family was sure for her amidst any other thing.
But now it was clear, her perfect world with him was crumbling before her very eyes.
Dusk settled, dinner time was near.
Marilyn knocked on the edge of William's door twice. No reply. Slowly, she stepped in and came to witness an empty room.
She paused for a while, in deep thought just before deciding to tour over to the chief butler,
"Evening ma'am" he greeted. She nodded.
"Have you seen William by any chance" she paused, "I assumed he would be in his room but I have yet to see him around"
"Ah, I saw him outside along the garden path, it seemed like he needed some fresh air"
She smiled, "Thank you, you've been of great help"
"My pleasure".
Marilyn had an agenda and aimed to fulfil that agenda.
Walking over to the door that led to the garden path, Marilyn gasped at the sight of William in a breathtaking kiss with one of the maids around the garden shed.
'Since when' she wondered, quickly shielding herself from the sight by the door.
Marilyn thought deeply.
In as much as her children were now adults, it seemed to her that the times when they would lay in her comfort, entrusting her with their point of views, interests, dislikes and the many had inclined to a point of adamant secrecy.
She couldn't tell what had changed.
'Their surge for independence?'
'Their unresolved thirst for the opposite sex?'
Or maybe, just maybe, the will of broken trust in swallowed words.
She inhaled, exhaled and turned from the door, and this time, she watched something more unfold.
Pausing on her tracks, she looked around to make sure, she was the only one present before going on forward, peaking, her frail eyes against the glass.
Logan seemed to have caught unto the sight as he ran over to disperse the two. The maid arranged herself, leaving the men to themselves.
The pair scuffled, pulling against their collars, pushing, pulling, tussling only to see them grasp their lips in an aggressive, turbulent kiss.
Marilyn gasped once again, shocked at what had become of her children.
Dinner was set and she was yet to speak to William.
Harry graced the table without the wheelchair this time. Ludwig sat as well, since he was discharged from bed rest.
Marilyn first looked at her father-in-law Ludwig, Reece, Meredith and Paul, Ruby, then William, Harry before Jeremy, Berry, Belle and lastly Henry and Saul.
They weren't a lot but with the presence of each one of them in the dining hall, Marilyn paused on her food and began to wonder where the warmth of the family had really gone off to.