“I doubt she cares,” Harmonie grumbled, rolling her eyes. “She went and got a whole new life, Daddy.”
“And what about Alba?” I went on. “The man just had a baby with her. What are you thinking? Or are you thinking at all?”
“I may not be a borderline genius like Harbor, but I’m not stupid. Lock is with Alba out of obligation. He cares about me, and we’ve been having fun with each other. There is nothing wrong with that, especially since she’s going through her ownshit and is pushing him away. We both needed something and were there for each other,”she expressed.
“Is that all that it is?” I raised both brows and waited for her to respond.
She cut her eyes briefly in my direction, not responding initially before shifting them to Junior playing on the floor.
“What do you mean ‘is that all that it is’? Don’t I deserve to be happy and have a man care about me?”
“A man that’s yours, Harmonie,” I corrected her gently.
“Daddy, it’s more than that between me and Lock. And I don’t have to explain it to you either. Harbor hasn’t been in his life for almost two years now. She went and built an entirely new one for herself with a man that she had never even heard of before. It’s crazy and unpredictable. Especially for her.”
I gazed off, lost in a sea of my own thoughts threatening to drown me. She was right. Harbor’s switch up definitely took me by surprise, but Frequency’s admission only made me more curious. If he had taken her, what the fuck was the status of their relationship now? How did they end up where they were? I couldn’t stop the curiosity that plagued me, so I sipped more of my juice.
“You know something, don’t you?” Harmonie pressed, leaning on the edge of her chair and giving me her full, undivided attention. “What did Harbor say when you saw her months ago?”
“Why are you so concerned, Harmonie?” I brought myself to my feet and guzzled what was left in my glass. “Harbor is gone, she’s living her life, and she chose to keep us out of it.”
“But what’s the big secret, Daddy? Like why? She’s never been like this before. That night she disappeared… everything changed.”
“I know, and it had a lot to do with me and my past,” I muttered, standing at the bar in the room and taking in a deep breath with my back to her.
I could hear her moving on her feet, inching closer until she stood behind me.
“What are you talking about? What did you have to do with this?”
“I can’t tell you everything, Harmonie. The less you know, the better in fact. But know that Harbor was put at risk because of me. She didn’t take off like I wanted to believe. But somehow, she ended up in the hands of a man that is very calculated, ruthless, and manipulative.”
She stared off, the wheels moving in her head. I knew my daughter, and although her mind wasn’t as strong as Harbor’s academically, Harmonie was still very smart. She was able to learn fast and use what she knew and apply it with success most of the time.
“Either way, she’s moved on. Everyone else is allowed to as well. She gets to live the good life, tucked away in some mansion, driving luxury cars and being waited on hand and foot no doubt. Meanwhile, my college degree hasn’t taken me anywhere. See how that works? I deserve something too, Daddy.”
“You won’t find what you need or are looking for in another woman’s man, Harmonie,” I warned her. “Tread lightly. Lock could switch up at any time. He’s shown that. From Harbor, to Alba, then you, and he would keep spinning in circles through you all if you allowed it I bet.”
“I thought you liked Lock?” she asked, wearing a frown.
“He’s a stand-up businessman. After everything, he isn’t the type of man I want either of my daughters involved with. And given the games he’s playing, I don’t see why you would even want to be involved with him.”
“We have a lot in common, and I can talk to him, and he talks to me. I might not ever find some successful man to fall in love with. I’m not built like Harbor.”
“You can’t count yourself out, but you can’t be on this self-destructive shit either.”
My words seemed to pierce her. Tears filled her eyes to the brim and she lowered her head. After a moment, she sniffled and lifted her head. Wiping away the tears threatening to spill down her face, she nodded in agreement. I might have made sense to her, but that didn’t mean she would listen. She was still going to do what she wanted to do in the end.
“I’m going to get dressed. I actually have a job interview today. It’s not ideal, or anything, but… it’s a start to get my foot in the door for advertising.” She perked up with a small smile.
“You gotta start somewhere.” I placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her forehead.
She went upstairs, leaving me watching over my son as he sat on the floor building something with his blocks. A car pulled up in the driveway, alerting me that Chaya was home. Not too much later, she bounced inside, full of energy and refreshed. Stopping in the doorway, she peered in at me with our son. Something seemed to be on her mind. She was in yoga attire still, and a small smile played with the corners of her mouth.
“Hey. How are my guys?” She sailed into the room, stopping near Junior so that she could bend down and kiss him.
“We are fine. Wondering if mama has some time for us today?” I asked, taking in the glow that she seemed to have.
Stammering, like she was thrown from my question, and clearing her throat, she ran her hand down her thigh and stood tall.
