The next few weeks blurred together like a montage. Every morning, Henry Stein woke to the shrill buzz of his alarm, grabbed a quick breakfast, and headed to his acting coach Leon's studio.
Lines, gestures, timing — everything had to be precise. Henry paced the room, repeating his scenes over and over, trying to catch any nuance he had missed the day before.
"Feel it, Stein," Leon said, arms crossed, a faint grin on his face. "Columbus is chaotic, impulsive, scared, and fearless all at once. You need to own that."
"I swear, every time I do this, I feel like I'm already getting eaten by zombies," Henry muttered.
"Good," Leon replied. "Now channel that energy into your movements, your voice, your eyes. Make me believe you'd survive a real apocalypse."
Days blended into nights. Henry's apartment became a messy mix of coffee cups, scripts, and makeshift props. He stumbled through exercises, shouted lines at walls, and even recorded himself to study his expressions. Somewhere along the way, his timing sharpened, and his reactions became instinctive. He could see himself not just performing Columbus, but living him.
During a short break in rehearsal, Henry's phone rang. It was his grandfather.
"Henry," his grandfather said, voice calm and familiar. "It's time for you to come home. We haven't seen you in a while."
Henry paused. "Yeah… you're right. I've been so caught up with all this, I didn't notice how long it's been."
"No worries," his grandfather said lightly. "Just thought you could use a little break. Come by when you can. We'll be around."
Henry leaned back in his chair. "Thanks, Grandpa. I'll come soon."
He hesitated for a moment before hanging up. Even though his grandfather's tone was casual, Henry couldn't help thinking about the tension with his father. Running away to pursue acting hadn't been easy. His father still didn't approve, and Henry often wondered if this short visit would dredge up old arguments.
Leon glanced at him. "Everything okay?"
Henry forced a small smile. "Yeah… my grandfather called. Wants me to come home for a bit. Just a visit."
Leon nodded. "Good. Sounds like a break. You've earned it."
Later that evening, Henry left the studio and met a few of his newer actor friends at a small Italian place downtown. Among them were Andrew Garfield, Charlie Cox, and a couple of other rising actors who were also navigating early Hollywood.
"So, any big plans for the holidays?" Andrew asked, twirling his fork.
Henry grinned, taking a sip of his drink. "Actually… I'll be heading back home for a little while. Family time. Figured it's about time I checked in."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Family time, huh? Should we be worried?"
Henry chuckled. "Well… my dad's not exactly thrilled that I'm pursuing acting. Let's just say I didn't take the easiest path to get here."
Andrew leaned back, curious. "Wait… what do you mean by that?"
"Long story short," Henry said, shrugging with a grin, "I kind of… ran away to do this. No lectures, no arguments, just went for it. Figured I'd rather take a shot at my dreams than stay stuck arguing at home."
Charlie smirked. "That's gutsy. Not everyone has the courage to do that."
Henry laughed. "Yeah, or maybe just stupid. Either way, it worked out for now. My grandfather's cool about it, though he called earlier today and reminded me to come home for a bit. Said he misses me."
Andrew shook his head with a smile. "Man, that's good. Everyone needs someone in their corner. Even if your dad isn't on board yet."
Henry nodded. "Exactly. And honestly, it feels nice to step back for a while. Take a breath, see things outside all the scripts and rehearsals."
Charlie raised his glass. "To family, then. Even when they make things complicated."
Henry clinked his glass with theirs. "To family," he agreed, smiling.
The rest of dinner passed in laughter and casual conversation — swapping audition stories, teasing each other about past mistakes, and making tentative plans to rehearse lines together later in the week. The evening felt easy, ordinary, a small bubble of normalcy before the whirlwind of filming began.
As he walked home under the glow of the city lights, Henry felt a rare calm. Rehearsals, auditions, and the looming start of filming for Columbus were still waiting, but for the first time in months, the balance between work and life — between ambition and the people who mattered — felt just a little closer.