Chapter 15
Harper was unsure of the reception she would get as she knocked on her parents’ door. She was tempted to turn around and leave. Just walk away and not even think about talking to them. Just give up trying to make them see her for who she was.
She and Anders were planning their trip up to Providence in a week. It was time for Harper to start her own path, with Anders by her side. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at the man behind her. She was strong enough to handle this on her own, but having him with her was even better because she knew he would always have her back. “Thank you.”
“Sweetheart, you never have to do that. I ain’t going nowhere. You and me. We’re in this together.”
Her heart swelled with love for Anders. She had found someone who loved her so good it hurt, and he was a protector. Her best friend. Someone who never cared about who her family was or what they could do for him.
The past weekend, they had even taken a trip to Arlington, VA. She met his friends and their wives. Parker and Kandace. Ian and Jasmine. Interestingly enough, they were both Black women, and she was thrilled to have some ladies to connect with while Anders and the guys did their thing.
This was their last action before leaving in a few days. She would speak at the conference in Boston and spend a few days sightseeing. After that, a Lucarelli driver would meet them at the hotel to take them to the main compound. Not only would Harper spend time with Camille and Tristan, but Shandra and Leo, who were their closest friends and confidantes. It was going to be a very interesting weekend.
The door finally opened, and her mother appeared.
“Harper?” Her eyes flitted to the side and noticed Anders. Her lips pursed in anger. “What is he doing here?”
“I’m here for Sunday dinner. Anders is my guest. Can I come in?” She may have been forging her own path, but that didn’t mean she would be disrespectful. This was still her mother. One day, she hoped they would be a family again, but she had to come to terms with everything she now knew.
After she told Anders what was really going on, he was even more convinced he did the right thing when he confronted her father at the restaurant that night. He was more pissed that her father held her parentage over her head for her entire life. Instead of moving on and enjoying the blessing of having a beautiful little girl in his life, he lorded it over Harper and her mother. Made their lives a living hell. That was the part that upset Anders the most.
It made her love him even more. She kept hearing the line in her head from that one movie she loved. “He’s a good man, Savannah…”
When her mother stepped back, she and Anders stepped through. She walked them directly to the dining room area. She had planned their arrival right when dinner was about to be served. Her parents were sticklers for keeping up appearances. When they walked into the room, her father and brother were both sitting at the table.
“Harper?” RJ spoke up first. He stood from his chair and came over to her. “Hey, Sis. I’ve been trying to reach you. You won’t answer my calls. My texts are left on read.” He pointed one finger over his shoulder. “I’m not okay with what they’ve done. I’m sorry that I was such a shitty big brother. I just… I’m sorry.”
At a loss for words, Harper just nodded. In all her life, she had never known RJ to apologize to anyone for anything. It just wasn’t his style. “Thank you. And I just needed some time. I’m doing better now. And it wasn’t your fault. Our parents should have done better.” She smirked at him. He outright laughed.
“You’re right about that.” His eyes shot over to Anders. “Who’s this?”
“This is Anders. We’re together.” To call him her boyfriend was such a disservice to what he actually was. Plus, Anders was all man. There was nothing ‘boy’ about him. “Anders Callahan. My brother, Rodney Bryan, Jr. We call him RJ.”
The two men shook hands. They both greeted each other with, “Nice to meet you.”
Anders was still alert, prepared for anything slick that may come out of anyone’s mouth.
“You bring that man into my house?” her father piped up.
Harper sighed. She had been expecting this, but thought they would at least be able to get through dinner. Anders placed a firm hand against her lower back, and she relaxed. They had prepared for this.
“Daddy, I’m here because I want you to know that I forgive you.”
His eyes shot up, shocked. Athena stood in the room’s entrance, watching the situation unfold between her husband and her daughter. RJ didn’t move away from Harper’s side. He simply leaned against the wall and watched everything play out.
For the record, he was on his sister’s side. Yes, he was a shit brother, but he was ashamed of how much his father’s indifference had played into how he treated her. It may take him years to make it up to her, but he would do it. It wasn’t fair that Harper had been treated so badly for so long. He would no longer play a part in that. He didn’t care what his father or mother did.
“Forgive me for what?” The older man stood. “For giving you my last name? Giving you a roof over your head? For making sure you had food, clothes, a high-quality education? What, pray tell, are you forgiving me for?”
She resisted the urge to cry, but her emotions were becoming increasingly overwhelming. Harper took a deep breath, steadying herself. Anders’ hand on her back gave her strength.
“I forgive you,” she said evenly, “for never accepting or loving me as your daughter. For making me feel like an outsider in my own home. For always seeing me as less than RJ. For ignoring me at best and berating me at worst. For making me feel like I didn’t deserve love.” Her voice broke on the last word, and Anders wrapped a supportive arm around her waist. She leaned into him, drawing strength from his solid presence.
Her father scoffed, but she raised her hand to stop him from interrupting.
“I know I was a reminder of Mom’s infidelity. I know seeing me every day hurts you. But I was an innocent child, and I needed love. You withheld that from me. So, I forgive you. Not for me, but for you. So you can let go of the bitterness and regret. But know this. I won’t ever forget. What you did to me was hurtful to a child. It damaged me.”
The room was silent.
Athena looked between her husband and daughter helplessly. She had never stood up to her husband when it came to how he treated Harper. The guilt ate at her.
Her mother looked down, ashamed. RJ stared at his father, as if seeing him clearly for the first time.
Her father worked his jaw, conflicting emotions playing across his face. When he finally spoke, his voice was strained.
“I won’t apologize for how I raised you,” he said gruffly. “But I release any anger toward you. You’ve grown into a strong woman, despite my failings. So whatever I did, you prevailed.” As she stared at him, Harper hoped his expression was pride. But she wasn’t holding her breath.
“Then I won’t apologize for walking out of here and never looking back.” She turned to her mother. “I love you, Mother, but your best wasn’t good enough. I know you made a mistake, but no matter what, I was your baby. It was your responsibility to make sure I was cared for. You chose your husband over your child. You sacrificed me and my childhood for a life of safety.” She glanced at RJ. “I’m headed out of town for a week. When I get back, let’s plan lunch. I’m willing to start over if you are.”
“Yeah, I’d like that. Where are you going?”
“Boston for a speaking engagement. Then to see our cousin, Camille, and her family.”
He nodded. “Tell her I said hey. Maybe it’s time I go see them too. Haven’t been up there in a minute.”
She grabbed him in a hug. “That would be nice.”
“Harper,” her mother called out. “I love you. It was just… a very different time. I felt I had to make the best of the situation. I…I love him.” She walked over to her husband and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I accepted his anger. It was what I thought I deserved.”
Harper felt a pang in her heart hearing her mother’s words. She knew her mother had suffered, believing she deserved to take whatever her husband dished out over the years. Although he had never raised a hand to her, he used his words to make sure she paid the price for her betrayal.
Harper’s voice was soft, but there was a hint of anger in her tone. She reached out to touch her mother’s hand, which was shivering. “I know you thought you were doing the right thing,” she said. “But it hurt so much not knowing the truth. I wish you would have told me sooner.”
Tears glistened in her eyes as she spoke. “No one deserves to carry that burden alone without any chance of forgiveness.” She looked up at her mother with love and compassion in her eyes. “I hope one day you can forgive yourself and see that you’re worthy of love and happiness.”
She turned to leave, pausing at the doorway. “I’ll call you when I’m back in town. Take care of yourself, Mom.”
As Harper stepped outside, the evening air felt heavy with the weight of the conversation. She took a deep breath, exhaling the hurt of the past. Looking up at the emerging stars, she felt a swell of hope. The future was hers to shape now, unburdened by her father’s anger or her mother’s guilt.
RJ followed her out. “You okay?” he asked.
She nodded. Catching Anders’ gaze, she smiled. “I will be.”
He studied her face. “For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you, sis. It takes guts to stand up to all that.”
Harper managed a small smile. “Thanks. I guess I had to. At least for my own peace of mind.”
“So, what now?” RJ asked.
Harper looked thoughtful as she considered her brother’s question. “I’m not entirely sure,” she admitted. “Part of me feels like a weight has been lifted now that everything is out in the open. But another part of me is worried about what comes next.”
RJ studied his sister’s face, seeing the conflict and unease in her eyes. “Well, you know you’ll always have me in your corner, Harper. Whatever you decide to do.”
“Thanks. I appreciate you.” She glanced around, then took a step closer to Anders. “We’d better get going. I figured tonight might not go well. Anyway, I’ll call you when I get back to town.”
“Alright, Harper..” He reached out a hand to Anders. “Again, it’s nice to meet you. If you’re the man my sister has chosen, then you’re alright with me.” Anders nodded in response before they walked to the car. He opened the door for Harper to climb inside.
A lesser person might have curled into a ball and cried their eyes out. Not Harper. She was ready for whatever came next.
An hour later, they were sitting in Anders’ dining room with her eyes closed. “Why can’t I see what you’re doing?”
“Because it’s a surprise.” She heard a bit more shuffling. “Okay, open your eyes, baby.”
On a plate in front of her was the yummiest dessert she had ever seen. A cupcake with a slice of granny smith apple embedded within a creamy frosting with… nutmeg on top? “What’s this?”
My second favorite dessert. “That’s a caramel apple cupcake. It’s made with vanilla cake, cinnamon, and my favorite—brown sugar. Just like you.”
She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled. “I’m not food, Anders.”
“You are to me. Now, you have three minutes to eat as much as you can before I remove you from this chair and eat my dessert.”
Harper blushed as a shiver ran down her spine. She picked up the cupcake; its sweet cinnamon fragrance filled her senses. The first bite was an explosion of flavor—moist vanilla cake giving way to tart apple and velvety caramel frosting.
“Mmmm, this is incredible,” she murmured. Anders watched her intently, desire darkening his gaze. She ate greedily, licking stray frosting from her lips.
Too soon, Anders pulled the plate away. “Time’s up, baby. Now it’s my turn.”
He lifted her from the chair, gripping her hips firmly as he claimed her mouth in a searing kiss. She tasted like sugar and spice, and everything nice. His hands slid under her shirt, caressing bare skin as he walked backward toward the bedroom.
Gently, he laid her on the bed, his body settling heavily over hers. His lips trailed down her neck, nipping and suckling the sensitive skin.
“You’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted,” he rasped, deft fingers undoing the buttons of her jeans. “And I plan on savoring every inch of you…”
~FIN~