“Just sit down,” Brian said, taking his own seat at one side of the table. “I wanted to talk to you first, before your sister. She’s at play rehearsal tonight, right?
“Yeah, until eight or so.” Harper sat down across from him, literally sitting on the edge of her seat. “Dad, you’re really kinda freaking me out. Can you just spit it out? Are we losing the house?”
“What?” Brian was confused, then appalled. “No, we’re not losing the house. Where would you get that idea?”
“I don’t know! It sounds bad.”
“It’s not bad. You worry too much. You know, you worry more at the age of eighteen than I do at forty-one. You’re gonna give yourself an ulcer or have a heart attack if you’re not careful.”
“Dad!” Harper said, barely able to contain her anxiety any longer.
“All right, all right.” He held up his hand and took a deep breath. “Um … I think I need to go see your mom.”
Harper waited a beat, staring at her father blankly. “You want to visit Mom? That’s your bad news?”
“I told you it wasn’t bad news, but…” Brian wouldn’t look at her when she spoke, and that didn’t help to ease her fears. “I’ve been thinking about a lot of things lately, and I need to see her again before I make some decisions.”
“What kind of decisions? What are you talking about?” Harper asked.
“Harper, I told you there’s nothing you need to worry about. I want to see Nathalie, and I wanted to go with you and your sister. Are you both going this Saturday?”
“Um…” She stopped to think. “Yeah, I think we are.”
“Okay, then. Can I come with you?” Brian asked, finally looking up at her.
“Yeah, of course you can. You can go see her anytime you want. She’s your wife.”
“I know that.” He began to peel the label off his bottle, and more quietly he repeated, “I know.”
“That’s all you wanted to talk about?” Harper asked, confused as to why he wanted her to sit down for something relatively painless.
“Yeah.” He nodded, then lifted his head. “Unless you needed to say something.”
“I do, actually.” She took a fortifying breath before beginning. “There’s something I’ve been needing to tell you…”
“You’re not pregnant, are you?” Brian asked, nearly cutting her off.
“Dad! What? No. Of course not.” Her eyes were wide. “Oh, my god, Dad. Daniel and I’ve been together, like … No. We’re not even … Dad. Just no.” She couldn’t help herself and began to blush.
“Good, because babies are wonderful, but not until you’re ready,” Brian said, sounding relieved. “They’re a lot of work, and you have all that college ahead of you.”
She saw her in, so she said, “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“College?”
“Yeah, I was thinking about maybe holding off another year.”
“Harper Lynn Fisher, you are going to college,” Brian said firmly.
“I know, Dad. I’m just thinking it might not be the right time.”
“Is this about Daniel?” He narrowed his eyes and his expression hardened. “If he’s holding you back, I will get rid of him.”
“Dad, stop. Get rid of him? Are you in the Mafia?” Harper asked in disbelief. “And this has nothing to do with Daniel. I’ve never let a boy interfere with my future before. Why would I start now?”
“Then what is this about?” Brian asked, his tone carrying an edge of confusion and irritation.
“I just think it’s not the right time,” she said simply.
The real reason—that Gemma was a siren—she couldn’t tell her dad. He’d never understand or believe her. And even if he did, what good would it do? Harper was already driving herself crazy with worry. Brian didn’t need to go through that, too, not when there was nothing he could do.
“If it’s about money, Harper, we can do this.” He leaned forward on the table. “You’ve got those scholarships, and you’ll lose them if you don’t go. I’ve got some cash put away, and you’ve got loans lined up. We’ll make it work. You don’t need to worry about it.”
“No, it’s not about money.”
“Then give me one good reason why you shouldn’t go,” Brian said.
“Gemma.” Harper gave the most honest answer she could. “There’s something going on with her.”
“I’m glad that you love your sister so much, but she is not your child. She’s not your responsibility. She’s mine. I’ll take care of her. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is getting ready to leave for school. The rest of us will be fine.”
She sighed. “There’s stuff that you don’t understand.”
“Understand this—I have not worked forty-plus hours a week for the past nineteen years for you to throw your future away. Everything I have done, I have done so you and Gemma could have a better life than what your mom and I had. This is what we both wanted for you, and it’s what you want for you. I don’t care what the reason is for not going. There isn’t one good enough.”
“But Dad…” she said, but she was already giving up trying to convince him.
“No buts, Harper. You are going to college. And that’s final.”
FOURTEEN