#... now what?

As it turned out, defying your family and the iron grip they had on you that went back generations and centuries was actually a lot easier than it seemed.

At least, that’s what Phillip told himself right now, as he and John and Thomas sat in a little pub in London, staring blankly at each other over a plate of fish and chips and a round of beers. All of them were silent. Phillip took a slow sip of his beer, before rubbing his temples.

As expected, neither John or Phillip’s father took the news well. As expected, they told Tom and Phil and John to never contact their families again. As expected, Phil and Tom and John were also totally cut off financially. 

This was among other things. Those were the main points though. Phillip didn’t regret it. Phillip looked at his father, and he didn’t see the strong-shouldered formidable figure he feared his entire life. He saw a weak man, a coward. It was surprisingly easy to laugh in his face and walk out of the room with his head held high.

The fact that he might not ever see his mother again, though, was surprisingly hard to wrestle with. Phil was trying not to think about that right now. 

He glanced up at Tom and John, both of them huddled together on the other side of the booth. 

“So,” said Phillip, reaching for a chip and popping into his mouth. “... Now what?”