The house was quiet when Julius stepped through the front door, but the air felt heavy. He didn't even have his coat off before he saw his mother standing in the middle of the living room. She was holding her phone in one hand, her face flushed with a mix of anger and pure panic.
"Have you lost your mind?" she asked. Her voice was high and thin. "Julius, look at me. Have you completely lost your senses?"
Julius didn't stop. He walked toward the stairs, his footsteps heavy on the floor. "I'm tired, Mom. We can talk about this tomorrow."
"We will talk about it now!" she shouted, following him to the base of the stairs. She held up the phone, the bright screen showing the headlines about him and Helen.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you calling that girl? Why are you messing with your life like this?"
Julius stopped on the third step and turned around. He looked down at her. She looked small, her hands shaking as she gripped her phone.
