Henry looked up from the stove as his back door slammed shut and Shawn stormed in.
"What's going on?" He demanded.
"Nothing." Shawn scowled, plopping down at the kitchen table.
"Then why the hell are you trying to break my door?"
"I'm not trying to break your stupid door!" Shawn shot back, crossing his arms bitterly.
Henry just grunted and went back to his pots and pans as Shawn continued to sulk at the table.
For a solid two minutes, they continued in pregnant silence. Neither of them wanted to talk about the elephant in the room…or rather, lack of elephant in the room…and neither of them were about to force the issue.
Finally, Henry sighed and dropped the wooden spoon he was holding, resting both hands on the counter and leaning forward.
"Where is she?" He asked.
"Who?" Shawn grumbled, pretending not to know who his father was talking about.
Henry wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily, however.
"Shawn." He intoned sternly. "I'm cooking three steaks. You told me you were both coming…so, where is she?"
"I don't know."
"Is she coming?"
"Probably not."
"Okay, Kid…" Henry sighed, rolling his eyes as he came around the stove and sat down at the other end of the table. "What the hell did you do this time?"
"Why would you assume it's my fault?" Shawn shouted, completely exasperated. "Why do you just automatically take her side?"
"Shawn. It's a relationship. There aren't supposed to be sides. So just tell me what the hell you did to piss her off!"
"I didn't do anything!"
"Then why isn't she coming?"
"Maybe she doesn't like your cooking." Shawn snapped, knowing even as he spoke the words that he treading on very thin ice.
Henry Spencer had lectured people to death for far less.
But, fortunately for Shawn, this time his father seemed content just to glare.
"Shut up, Shawn."
"I don't know what I did, okay?" Shawn sighed. "She won't tell me…some stupid 'if you really cared, you'd already know…' thing."
Henry rolled his eyes.
"God, I hate those."
"No kidding."
"Too bad you're not really psychic, Kid." Henry grinned, gently smacking the back of Shawn's head as he stood up and went back to the stove. "That's your only way out this time. Well, that and begging…"
"I don't beg." Shawn snorted, as if the idea had never ever occurred to him. "At least, not when she won't answer her phone…"
Henry shook his head, turning his concentration back to the simmering pans in front of him.
"Shawn. Listen." He said a moment later. "You're not psychic."
"I know, Dad."
"Then why the hell are you sitting here? The spirits aren't going to tell you how to fix it, Kid. You have to figure out how to do that by yourself."
"How am I supposed to do that when she won't talk to me?" Shawn demanded.
"Get her to talk to you." Henry shrugged simply. "Trust me, Shawn. This might just seem like a little fight now…and it is. But it's the little fights that eat away at you from the inside out. It's the little disagreements that you don't deal with that turn real big real fast."
"Relationship advice?" Shawn rolled his eyes. "Really, Dad? I mean, how would you even know? You're--"
He stopped himself from finishing the sentence when he saw the look flash across his father's face.
It was just a moment…less than a second, even…but it was all there.
Pain.
Regret.
But then, just as quickly as it was there, it was gone again.
Someone who didn't know him would have missed it completely.
But, of course, Shawn saw everything.
"Dad--"
"How the hell do you think I know?" Henry asked quietly, cutting Shawn off.
Shawn blinked, for a moment not knowing what to say.
Henry looked down at the stove blankly, as if he couldn't remember what he was supposed to be doing.
Finally, he picked up the wooden spoon again and half-heartedly stabbed at something in one of the pans.
"Trust me, Shawn." He said quietly, still not looking at his son. "Deal with it. Now."
Shawn nodded and slowly stood up.
"Mind if I take a rain check on dinner?" He asked, already heading for the door.
"No." Henry shrugged, finally looking up. "The steaks will be here next time."
"Thanks."
"But I think I should warn you." Henry added with a small grin. "If you two break up, I'm dumping you and keeping her."