Page 41

Harper

“Harper!” my mother exclaimed as we walked up to them, drawing the attention of more than one of the tables around us. “And you brought Jamil again! How wonderful. I enjoyed our conversation last time. You were better company than my own daughter.”

“Mrs. Nelson, it’s a pleasure to see you again. I find your daughter to be the best company, however.” Jamil reached out to wrap my normally non-sentimental mother into a hug. Her body stiffened in Jamil’s arms before she gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder in return.

Jamil turned to my father who was watching the interaction between his wife and the Chicago Cougars’ centerfielder with amusement. “Mr. Nelson, it’s wonderful to meet you.”

“What a pleasant surprise that our Harper brought you tonight.” My father reached out to shake Jamil’s hand. “And please, call me Robert.”

I didn’t miss the curious look my mother was giving me as the four of us took our seats. Bringing Jamil to a family dinner once could be written off as friendly. Bringing him twice was sure to raise a few questions.

A waiter came to take mine and Jamil’s drink orders before announcing that my parents had already ordered me a steak and asked Jamil what he would like. The interlude was only putting off the inevitable conversation that would take place. Once the waiter stepped away, my mother wasted no time.

“Happy early birthday.” My father slid an envelope across the table toward me.

His signature illegible doctor’s scrawl was visible on the back.

I slipped my thumb under the lip and ripped the top open.

The card had a cheesy quote about the gift that daughters were and inside was more of my father’s handwriting.

He’d signed it from himself and my mother, but I had a feeling that she had no idea he’d gotten me a birthday card.

“Birthday?” Jamil asked, looking at me like I’d seriously offended him.

“It’s not until the fifteenth of June.”

Jamil narrowed his eyes at me as if that information did little to make up for the fact that I’d left out something so important.

“That’s just under two weeks away.”

I narrowed my eyes as I watched him send a text off on his phone before sliding it back in his pocket.

“So how is your pursuit for a promotion going?” My mother was trying to come across as nonchalant, but her goal for the conversation was clear.

“That interview you did with Derek Allen was quite something,” my father chimed in. He gave me a soft smile that I returned. While my father was often the buffer between me and my mother, when the chips settled, he was always on my mother’s side of the conversation rather than mine.

“I have another one coming out. I think the team said either tomorrow or the next day. I interviewed Adam Steel and Nolan Hill.”

Jamil gave me an encouraging smile. However, I couldn’t help but notice the absence of his hand on my leg or in mine.

Even though he’d offered to come with me tonight to this dinner because he knew how hard it was for me to be around my parents, there was still a distance between us that was my own fault.

“And has your boss mentioned anything about these interviews you’re doing? Are they helping you toward your goal or are you exhausting yourself and your team over a lost cause?”

No congratulations. No compliments over securing another interview with respected athletes. No encouragement at all.

I glanced over at Jamil. His eyes were intense as he tried to convey to me that he was there, and he believed in me.

I’d watched him struggle to come to terms with having to cut ties with his brother, his own family.

But after realizing there was nothing else he could do to help him and continuing to do so was only bringing more stress into his own life, his decision had become obvious.

Maybe the same applied to my own life.

What if I just got up and walked away right now?

Could I do it?

Would I regret it?

“Harper?” My mother looked at me expectantly after I’d hesitated to respond for too long.

“He and I haven’t discussed the interview at length yet.”

My eyes flicked toward Jamil. I didn’t mention that all Terry was concerned about right now was the story he was expecting and now that I’d decided I wasn’t going to do it out of respect for Jamil, I had no idea what was going to come of it.

I could very well have kissed those four years of hard work goodbye.

“Maybe that’s because he has no intention of giving you what you’re wanting.”

With every comment my mother made, my irritation toward her grew like a beast inside me. It filled my mind with anger. It took hold of my tongue, wanting to lash out. It poisoned everything it could, leaving me stewing in my seat.

“Maybe you’re just rooting for my failure.” The words sounded like they had been spoken by someone else. My mother’s mouth dropped open, the only sign that she was taken aback. My father’s eyes were wide as he glanced between us, probably trying to figure out how he’d put this growing fire out.

“Excuse me?” my mother asked, her voice almost deadly quiet.

“It’s hard not to think that when all you do is talk negatively about my career since I first told you I wanted to be a sports reporter. You’ve never supported me. You’ve never bothered to congratulate me when I have a new achievement. Of course I feel like you’re rooting for my failure.”

“Harper,” my father warned, but I was already past the point of no return.

“Don’t you think it’s a failure to stay stagnant in the same job for four years?” My jaw went slack at my mother’s question she tried to pose as an innocent inquiry.

“How can you say something like that?”

“Because apparently I’m the only one who can see any sort of reason,” my mother shot back at me.

“You’ve been hanging on to this dream far longer than you should have.

I told you that if you didn’t get the promotion to a more stable position after this season, you’d be moving back to DC and you’d be working for me.

That is still going to happen and more likely every day it seems.”

It was obvious why my mother was known as being such a hard woman to negotiate with on Capitol Hill, but the other congressmen and women hadn’t grown up around her like I had. My skin had grown thicker over time.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jamil open his mouth as if he were about to jump to my defense. But before he could, I caught his eye and shook my head.

“I’ve got this,” I told him. I’d watched him work through his own family problems himself. I could do the same.

I turned my attention back to my mother, who was smiling at me like she’d already won.

“This dream is what I want to do with my life. If it doesn’t happen with this company, I’ll figure something else out.

I’ve done nothing but support both of your careers my entire life.

I thought that eventually the parent would support the child’s dreams, but, apparently, I was mistaken to think such a thing.

The last thing I want is to end up sitting at a table next to my spouse who I barely know anymore because I misplaced my priorities.

I’ve already started to make that mistake and I won’t continue to do so.

If this career falls apart, fine. I’ll pick myself up, without your help.

Because I never had it in the first place.

” I stood up from the table. “Dad, thank you for the birthday card.”

“Are you leaving?” my mother exclaimed. She glanced around at the other patrons dining in the restaurant to see if they were watching all of this go down.

I didn’t bother to turn back around because there was nothing else that I wanted to say.

It wasn’t until I reached the restaurant door that I realized Jamil was not with me.

When I turned around, I noticed him making his way through the restaurant tables, my parents looking whiter than ghosts still sitting at the table behind him.

“Did you say something to them?” I asked once he was close enough.

Jamil slipped a hand to the small of my back to direct me the rest of the way out of the building.

He looked tense as we turned the corner and started walking with no destination in mind.

Jamil still hadn’t answered my question as he clicked away on his phone, probably getting us a car back to the hotel.

“Jamil,” I tried again, pulling the both of us to a stop. “Did you say something to them?”

He let out a frustrated puff of air before he finally looked at me.

“I told them that I thought anyone who claimed to care about you wouldn’t be anything but one hundred percent behind you.

They wouldn’t put down your career aspirations because of their own backward opinions.

And they especially wouldn’t make you feel less than because you are anything but.

I told them that the only good thing they’ve done when it comes to you was bringing you into this world. The rest you’ve done yourself.”

Silence had never been so loud. I felt like I’d had a bucket of ice water tossed over me.

I had been surprised that Jamil managed to stay quiet through dinner, only attempting to jump in once it was obvious my mother was out for blood tonight.

But he didn’t blink an eye when I wanted to handle my parents myself.

“You said that to them?”

Jamil’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth like he wanted to defend himself.

“I’m not mad,” I hurried to add.

He visibly relaxed once he noticed I wasn’t upset. “I couldn’t help myself. Especially after you stood up for yourself like that, you didn’t see your mother’s face as you walked away from her. She was so angry, like she was plotting to get you back. Who does that?”

Sadness filled me as I realized I wanted to laugh at something that horrified Jamil.

Even with battling her son’s addiction and the disappointment she had to face all these years, Jamil’s mother had never given up hope for Jordan.

She’d never stopped loving him and she’d never stopped supporting him.

All I asked of my parents was to support my career aspirations and they acted like I’d personally offended them in some way.

“That’s my mother for you.” I tried to sound light-hearted, but the crack in my voice at the end gave me away.

Jamil’s eyes softened. His arms lifted like he wanted to hug me before he hesitated. I stepped forward and wrapped myself around him before the moment could pass. I wouldn’t let my career destroy one more relationship in my life.

“What did your mother mean about working for her?” Jamil asked me as I was still in his arms.

I sighed because while my mother was right that I needed to figure something else out at the end of this season, I had no idea what that would look like, and I’d do everything in my power to avoid moving back to Washington DC and subjecting myself to the career my mother wanted for me.

Besides, my parents weren’t going to help support me any longer—especially after tonight’s dinner.

“Being a field reporter doesn’t pay a lot.

It’s a grind. Most of the benefits come from expenses being paid for while traveling, but my parents have been the ones to truly support me financially through this career.

Before I came to Chicago, my mother told me that I had to move forward in my career somehow by the end of this season or they’d stop supporting me.

Which would leave me with the only option they were giving me—work for my mother on her campaign trail. ”

Jamil pulled away from me, his eyes wide with concern. “That would be a death sentence for you.”

“My thoughts exactly. Which is why I’ve been so desperate to get that host position. The only way to do that was to prove to my boss that I was a heavy hitter. You’ve already given me my best shot with these interviews you’ve helped me get.”

“The success you’ve had is all your own.

I have nothing to do with that,” Jamil replied fiercely.

His hands wrapped around my arms so he could hold me in place, forcing me to look him in the eyes.

“You deserve that promotion. If your boss doesn’t give it to you at the end of this season, surely another company would give you a shot. ”

I gave him a sad smile. “The problem with that is it would most likely take me away from Chicago and I’m starting to fear that will be my only option when it’s all said and done.”

Jamil turned his gaze to the city around us. His eyes searched the faces of the people passing by, looking for nothing until he finally resounded. “And you don’t want to leave Chicago?”

“No, I don’t.”

“And the interview you were going to do of me was going to be your sure way to get the job you wanted?”

My mouth grew dry as I realized what Jamil was thinking about. “No.” I shook my head vehemently. “No. I won’t ask that of you. We’ve already had this conversation. I’ll find another way and if that’s not enough, then I’ll find somewhere else to work.”

“But finding somewhere else to work could take you away from Chicago.”

If I didn’t change the subject now, he would talk himself into doing something he didn’t want to.

“Let’s not worry about that now.”

“Okay,” Jamil agreed. “Let’s worry about the fact that your birthday is coming up and you hadn’t bothered to mention it to anyone.”

I sighed as I realized I was jumping out of one frying pan and into another. “I didn’t think I needed to because I’m so used to celebrating on my own every year. It wasn’t intentional.”

“Sure, it wasn’t.” The smirk that grew on Jamil’s face told me I should be worried. “You may have given me and Tommy a tall task putting together a birthday party so last minute, but I promise it’ll still be the best one you ever had.”

“You and Tommy are doing what ?”

“Derek requested that there be karaoke. He and I on the microphone are pure entertainment.”

“You really don’t have to do anything,” I tried to argue, even though I knew it was no use.

“It falls on a day off and you think we won’t do something?” Jamil prowled toward me until my back hit the wall of the building we were next to. “I told you I don’t make a habit of ignoring the blessings life puts in my path, Moon.”