“Thank you everyone for coming. As most of you know, this girl is very special to me,” Harbor announced proudly.
Ivy lifted her eyes, and they sparkled when she smiled at Harbor.
“Ivy and I didn’t start off on the good foot when we first met. But the more I got to know her, the more I understood her. She’s beautiful, loving, helpful, and smart as hell. I feel very blessed to even know her, and I hope that I am able to watch her blossom into a woman that will make her mark on the world. Happy birthday, ladybug.” She kissed the girl’s cheek, and Ivy wrapped her arms around her waist and embraced her tightly.
“Thanks, Harbor. I love you,” Ivy said, and I could tell that it shocked my daughter.
Her eyes widened, then glossed over, and she swiped away a tear that slipped down her cheek.
“I love you too, so much.” Harbor practically bubbled over.
The dark-skinned woman lingering in the background rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed by the show of affection that they were putting on display for everyone to see.
“Well, let’s party! Grab a bag on your way into the yard. It’s full of goodies and has a roll of tickets so that you can enjoy all the games and rides set up.”
“Yes!” Ivy raced out first, ahead of everyone, and most of her classmates followed behind while their parents or caretakers took seats at the surrounding tables.
My eyes connected with my daughter’s across the room, and after a few words with her friend, Chevy, she made her way over to me. I bounced Junior in my lap as he played with my cellphone in his hand. Harbor gave him the warmest smile when she came over, and his little face lit up, returning the gesture.
“He’s gotten so big since the last time I saw him,” she gushed, taking the seat that Harmonie gave up about thirty minutes ago.
“Yeah, becoming a real handful. Been a long time since I had one this young in the house,” I joked, making her snicker.
“Well, as a new mother of two, I get that. The twins aren’t even crawling yet, but they are giving me a run for my money.” She was practically glowing, yet there was a small hint of sadness behind her stare.
“Everything okay with you? I know with the news breaking and everything?—”
“I’m fine. You know me. I bounce back like a cat,” she insisted.
“Yes, you do.” I nodded. “You seem happy here, Harbor. And if that’s the case, I am happy for you. I’m sorry for everything else. For not believing you and for accusing you of purposely disappearing. I’m not sure how you and Frequency got here, but it seems like its consenting. I can tell he cares a lot about you. As your father, that’s all I ever wanted for you. I made a lot of mistakes over the years. Some things I can’t take back.”
“No, you can’t. I don’t want to dwell on that either. Not today, not here. I don’t know where Free and I stand right now, because I am not living here. We’ve got a few things we have to work through because of the twins, and I am not sure what that all looks like right now. It’s been a lot to take in. Today is about Ivy. I planned all this, and I want her to enjoy herself. You should take him out there and get on a few of the rides with him.” She reached out and played with her brother’s fingers.
“Well, well, what’s this… having a bonding moment?” Harmonie’s voice taunted us as she stepped up behind Harbor.
Standing, she twirled so that she and her sister were now face-to-face. Harmonie tilted her cup to her lips, andHarbor shook her head. Looking her sister up and down, disappointment dwelled behind her espresso eyes. Over the years, they’d been close, but Harmonie either made fun of her sister or pretended that she was better than her because she was popular, and everyone thought that Harbor was unique because she was so smart. They weren’t as nice about it as I was, calling her weird and a nerd. I never had to worry about Harbor like I did Harmonie, so when she was taken, that shifted a part of me as a father. I had failed her, yet somehow she still pushed forward.
“Harmonie, why did you even come? What could we possibly have to talk about?” Harbor queried, tucking both arms across her chest.
“I thought we were family. And you would be surprised by what we have in common now,” she insinuated snootily.
This shit was about to go left if she was going where I thought it was.
“You thought wrong. We may share a bloodline, but we haven’t been family for a while now. You come parading around here like something is owed to you, but it’s not.”
“You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?” Harmonie’s dark eyes lowered into tiny slits as her jaw locked resentfully at her sister. “You are just like Halo. Selfish as fuck. And look at you, snagged yourself a nigga with some paper, and now can’t nobody tell you shit, right?”
Clearly whatever was in her cup was giving her the courage to speak so freely. She boldly got in her sister’s face while a few bystanders, including Frequency and their friends took notice. “Oh, but I know you, dear sister. Better than you think I do,” Harmonie whispered that last part, and Harbor snickered to herself.
“You are really pathetic,” she declared.
“Me, pathetic!” Harmonie argued. “What about you! You think this nigga actually gives a fuck about you? You have no idea, baby sister. Nobody cares about you. The only thing you had going for you was being a virgin, and now look at you,” she huffed, a cold glare stabbing her sister. “Baby mama number two, no ring, but you get all the perks, so that’s a plus, right?” The smug grin that captured Harmonie’s face must’ve set something off inside of Harbor.
Her hand swung swiftly, connecting with Harmonie’s cheek with a loud smack that echoed on the terrace. A few gasps came from people, and I shot to my feet as Harmonie tried to come for Harbor. Frequency got to them before I could, stepping between them like a referee.
“Get her the hell out of here!” Harbor ordered.
“You bitch!” Harmonie lunged, but Frequency and his boy Ledge were there.
