Harmony quietly exited the control room and listened for the sound of voices. She smiled as she heard Rhapsody talking with her nieces in the kitchen. She quietly walked back to the large entryway near the front door, intent on going upstairs to fetch her laptop so that she could begin working on Operation Reciprocation. As she stared at the front door, her brain finally reconnected the previous day's memories with her consciousness. How had she totally forgotten about David breaking into their house and his subsequent beatdown by Rhapsody? She stared at the front door stupidly as her brain continued reconnecting the previous day's events. Wasn't her door destroyed? It had been kicked down, along with a sizeable portion of the frame. Yet, here it stood, as good as new, as if it had never been kicked down at all.
Did yesterday really happen? Am I losing it?
She suddenly remembered that her mother had spent the night as well. Instead of going upstairs, she walked over to the guest bedroom and quietly knocked. It was nine in the morning, and her mother was an early bird. She should have been awake already, especially with the drums playing. A sound room could only do so much. She was about to knock a little louder when she hesitated. Maybe her mother had a difficult time falling asleep last night and she needed the extra rest. If it hadn't been for her little songbird singing her to sleep, Harmony would have been up all night.
She looked up the stairs, pondering whether to get her laptop and start shopping. She heard Rhapsody's glorious laugh and decided she would indulge in both options. She quickly ran upstairs and grabbed her laptop and then returned downstairs and went to the kitchen.
Rhapsody was wearing a goofy denim apron that had always just been for decoration. She was whisking some kind of batter at speeds Harmony would have been hard-pressed to match. Aurora was in front of a pan on the oven while Serenity was washing off some grapes. A quick perusal of the counters revealed the flour, potato starch, vanilla, and almond milk had been used in whatever Rhapsody was making.
Their backs were all to her as she moved toward them. She quietly set the laptop down on a table and grinned as she felt a sense of karmic justice smiling down on her. The apron covered the front of Rhapsody while leaving her back completely open. Her revealing shorts made it hard for Harmony to focus as she crept across the floor. She was sure the other woman would hear her heart hammering in her chest and turn around to see who was playing the drums. She consciously forced herself to breathe as she stared at Rhapsody's long, toned legs. Those things should be licensed. They're a hazard to be showing off so cavalierly.
She was a step away from Rhapsody, reaching out to grab her shoulder and shout BOO!
"Good morning, Harmony," Rhapsody greeted her pleasantly without turning around. Her hand was still inches from Rhapsody's shoulder when the other woman spoke. She let her hand drop with a defeated sigh.
Serenity and Aurora both whirled around to look at her in surprise. Serenity's eyes narrowed as she studied Harmony.
"Were you trying to sneak up and scare us?" Serenity asked with a raised eyebrow. She had just learned how to raise one eyebrow a few days ago, and she was using every opportunity to show off her new skill.
"Guilty as charged," Harmony admitted sheepishly. "Unfortunately, some people have eyes on the back of their heads."
"That would be pretty gross," Serenity declared with a look of disgust. "Ew, now I can't get the image of someone with eyes on the back of their head out of my mind."
Rhapsody laughed her golden laugh as she regarded Serenity with amusement, inadvertently setting a swarm of butterflies loose in Harmony's abdomen. Rhapsody had her rose-tinted glasses on, hiding what Harmony was convinced would be the most beautiful eyes she would ever see. Why else would she be so determined to hide them? Rhapsody handed the batter to Aurora as she turned to face Harmony. "I really like how you got into the breakfast theme this morning, Harmony."
She watched Harmony expectantly, her lips curving ever so slightly at the edge.
Harmony glanced at the crepe pan in front of Aurora before returning a steady gaze to Rhapsody. "Really, Rhapsody? Creeps?"
"What?" Aurora asked in confusion, looking between the two of them with a questioning expression.
"Well, Aurora," Rhapsody explained, her lips curving into a dimpled smile. "Your aunt was creeping up on us while we were making creeps."
"Creeps?" Aurora repeated, with a frown. "They're crepes though... oh!" Her face split into a grin as she turned to Harmony. "You really were getting into the theme of breakfast, weren't you?"
Harmony closed her eyes with a resigned expression. "I'm being punished for something, aren't I? Some transgressions from a former life?"
"The punishment hasn't even started yet, young lady," Rhapsody informed her archly. "We've been working on some punny jokes for you later. Serenity assured me that you adore puns."
Harmony glanced at Serenity, who stared back at her innocently. "I heard you attempting to make puns on the way to the movies."
"I feel like I'm outnumbered here," Harmony complained, her expression plaintive. "I wish your grandma would wake up already. Maybe she'll back me up."
"I'll bet she just needs a little extra sleep today," Rhapsody stepped up close to her and craned her head to stare up. "Hmm...this isn't going to work. Where is that step at?"
Aurora stepped off a step stool and slid it toward her with a foot.
"Thank you, Aurora," Rhapsody smiled gratefully.
She moved the step right in front of Harmony. Harmony watched her suspiciously as she slowly stepped up onto the step. Instead of only reaching Harmony's chest, now she reached her chin. Rhapsody sighed in mock exasperation as she stared up at Harmony.
"Well, if there aren't any stools tall enough for me to stand eye-to-eye with this giant, I'll just have to improvise," Rhapsody declared, her smile growing slightly. Harmony had never seen lips so expressive, so capable of making fine-tuned adjustments that could add so many hidden meanings.
Rhapsody put her hands on Harmony's shoulders, her smile growing larger a moment before she jumped into Harmony's arms and wrapped her legs around her waist. Harmony was so shocked that she froze as she felt Rhapsody's body pushing firmly against her own, their breasts squished together. Harmony's brain short-circuited as Rhapsody embraced her tightly, wrapping herself tightly around Harmony.
"The things I gotta do to get a hug around here," Rhapsody murmured playfully.
Serenity and Aurora were giggling at the unexpected display, probably more at the stupefied look on Harmony's face than anything else.
Rhapsody placed her lips against Harmony's ear and whispered, "breathe."
Harmony inhaled a lung full of air, feeling her heart race at a dead run. She tentatively wrapped her arms around Rhapsody, allowing the smaller woman to ease her arms around Harmony's neck as Harmony held her up. There was a lot more than butterflies playing with her insides now. She realized Rhapsody weighed practically nothing. Either her own body was a lot stronger than she remembered, or Rhapsody was full of helium. She weighed just enough to be noticeable in a very distracting way, while not heavy enough to be a strain.
"It occurred to me the other day that you don't get nearly enough physical contact with other people," Rhapsody observed, leaning back so that she could look at Harmony, only a hint of a smile on her lips. Lips that were so close to her own lips right now. They looked so soft and inviting, ripe for the kissing. "So, from now on, you're getting hugs on a regular basis. You'll never know when you're going to get hug-tackled. It could be at any moment of any day... or night. Eventually, physical contact will seem so normal to you that all of your anxiety will float away like a wish on the wind."
"Um...I, uh...think that...um," Harmony tried to articulate something intelligible, but every time more than two words formed, she would feel Rhapsody's body push into her in just the right way in just the right places to derail her thoughts. Her breath would catch, and heat would erupt out of places she wasn't prepared to deal with. "So, um... yeah." she finished lamely.
Rhapsody stared into her eyes, her expression like velvet. There was no hint of her smile now. She reached up with both hands and softly pushed some stray hairs back behind Harmony's ears, her touch like molten silk. She leaned forward again, her lips brushing Harmony's ear and sending a violent shiver through her system. "Breathe, Harmony."
Harmony let her breath out slowly, the act causing another flash of heat to erupt from somewhere down below and her breath to catch once more.
"Breathe," Rhapsody whispered again, her lips hovering right near her ear. She tried to breathe, but the overwhelming stimuli flooding her senses made it look more like panting gasps. "That's right," Rhapsody purred into her ear in an approving tone that was little more than a whisper. "Just keep breathing."
Rhapsody leaned back, her lips curving into a pleased smile as she observed Harmony. "I'll admit, this is funner than I thought it was going to be, and I had high expectations."
"Yeah?" Harmony asked breathlessly.
"I suppose we should start with the breathing exercises," Rhapsody mused, her smile dimpling as she spoke. "Let's start with breathing. Take a deep breath and then let it out."
Harmony started to do as instructed, but as they both drew in deep breath and she felt their breasts squish together, her breath seized up
"Breathe," Rhapsody whispered softly, her breath blowing across Harmony's cheek and causing another shiver.
Harmony wasn't sure if she was in heaven or hell. The embarrassment was taking a backseat and leaving desire in center stage. She vaguely reflected on how impossible her situation would have been with any other person. She really did need someone that would see through her insecurities. Someone who could gently but firmly push through her walls. She doubted anyone existed that could walk the knife edge of bold but gentle the way Rhapsody did. As she thought of the amazing woman in her arms, a warmth of a different kind flushed through her body. She felt safe in Rhapsodies small hands, in a way she had never dreamed possible, even in her own fictional literature. A small but powerful part of her heart slowly woke up in the warmth of her realization. She stared back at Rhapsody with
something nobody had ever seen in her eyes before. Trust.
"That was pretty good for day one," Rhapsody told her softly, her lips curving into a satisfied smile. "You're safe with me, Harmony. I'll always keep you safe."
The warmth she had felt before was but a seed compared to the tsunami of love that suddenly flooded her heart. She felt like she had heard those words before, maybe a dream? The words were true; she could feel it with a conviction that went soul deep. She pulled Rhapsody forward into a loving embrace, feeling truly safe for the first time in her life.
"First crepe's done!" Aurora crowed, holding up a plate for them to see. "Who wants the first one?"
"I'll take it," Serenity offered, casting side-long glance at the tangled bodies of Rhapsody and Harmony. "Looks like they've already moved on to dessert."
Rhapsody began to shake in her arms as she laughed, her face still resting on Harmony's shoulder. Harmony snorted a laugh, eyeing Serenity with a smile. Her niece blinked when there was no sarcastic retort forthcoming. She smiled back at Harmony, then winked and gave her a thumbs up. Harmony nearly dropped Rhapsody as she broke into peals of laughter. Apparently, she had some wingmen to help on her conquest.
Rhapsody leaned back and gave her a peck on the forehead before relaxing the grip her legs had on Harmony's waist and dropping to the floor. "I hope you brought your appetite."
Harmony flushed, and she cursed her treacherous thoughts.
"Your other appetite," Rhapsody clarified with a roguish wink.
Serenity covered her hand with her mouth and quickly turned away, her shoulders shaking. Aurora made no effort to hide her mirth, giggling as she flipped a crepe over.
"You're pretty good at flipping those crepes, Aurora," Harmony complimented her niece, trying to pretend that her burning face was just a trick of the light.
"Mom used to make crepes with me on weekends," Aurora commented in a bright voice that was only a little brittle. "It got super messy when I was learning how to flip them. Mom always said cooking was like life, and that if you use the right ingredients, it can be delicious. I know it's a metaphor thingy, but I'm not sure what you would refer to as the right ingredients in life."
"Good friends, loving family, good music, and good books," Harmony suggested, her eyes gentle. She walked over and rested her hand on Aurora's back fondly. "Your mom always loved coming up with new adages and maxims. She used to have a journal that she would write them down in when she was in high school. I remember getting in trouble for reading it because grandma thought I was reading her diary. I suppose I should confess that I was looking for her diary when I found the adages."
"What did you want her diary for?" Serenity asked curiously.
"It was pretty silly," Harmony answered with a sheepish grin. "I was only seven years old at the time. I was curious what it was like to fall in love, and I thought teenagers wrote stuff like that down in diaries. I was hoping to see what all of the fuss was about."
"And you found her adages and maxims instead, huh?" Rhapsody mused with a tiny curve of her lips on one side. "I think you might have found more insight to her thoughts in a book of personal adages than a diary."
"That certainly turned out to be true," Harmony shook her head ruefully. "I found her diary a few years later behind her old dresser. She had already graduated high school and started college by then. I was Aurora's age."
"You read someone else's diary?" Serenity demanded, her face a picture of moral outrage.
"If you found my diary laying around, would you read it?" Harmony asked pointedly. "Don't just answer before thinking about it. Imagine I've moved out and you found my diary under a bed. What do you do? Be honest."
Serenity opened her mouth to answer with a look of self-righteous judgement on her face, but when she saw Rhapsody watching her keenly, she deflated. "I guess I would read it."
"What kind of stuff did you find in it?" Aurora asked hesitantly. "Am I old enough to hear about it?"
"Mostly hopes and dreams for boys she was crushing on," Harmony replied carefully. "She had a little trouble finding...good partners. Near the end of it, she talked about wanting to have a family and how she wanted some girls. I got kind of fixated on that idea myself, after reading it. She made the idea of motherhood sound so romantic and wonderful that I got swept up in her enthusiasm."
"Did you still want to have a baby before we moved in with you?" Serenity asked quietly. She was staring at her empty plate as if it were the most fascinating thing in the house. Harmony could see the carefully controlled fear in her niece's eyes, fear that the two of them had robbed Harmony of a chance to have a family of her own. She felt a wave of love for her niece. She had such a heavy emotional load already, and here she was worrying about Harmony's future.
"Goodness, no," Harmony scoffed with a wry smile. "I got over my desire to raise children when the two of you were born. Do you know how many dirty diapers I changed, or how many times I got stuck watching Finding Nemo? I feel homicidal rage every time I see a clown fish now."
Serenity and Aurora erupted in a fit of giggles at her words. Serenity grabbed another crepe as Harmony loaded one up for herself. Serenity looked at her shrewdly as she sat back down.
"You're not just making use of artistic license again, are you?" Serenity asked, her tone serious. "You really didn't want to have your own family?"
"I'm the proverbial cat lady," Harmony gave her nieces a lopsided smile. "I've never been what you would call relationship material, and I certainly wasn't going to try raising a child alone. I practically lived at your house until you were seven, Serenity. It was all your mom and I could do to keep you two alive and healthy with two of us trying to keep tabs on you."
"I remember you used to be with us all of the time," Aurora commented cheerfully as she flipped another crepe. "Why did you go away?"
Harmony felt a pang of sorrow at Aurora's words. Would things have been different if she had continued being like a second mom to her nieces? Would their mother still be alive? She could sense the hurt in Aurora's question. She had worried that her nieces would feel abandoned and blame themselves. She could practically feel Serenity listening for her reply with the same worry.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you more," Harmony sighed sadly. "With Great Grandma Dotty's declining health and Grandma's MS issues, I had to make some tough decisions. Sometimes I think I made the wrong decisions. I couldn't let Grandma Dotty get dumped in a nursing home like so much bother. She did need a lot of care for the last four years of her life. I wish you could have come to see her more. Even in poor health, she was the most amazing and kind woman. I missed you two so much. I turned into a high-strung basket case of nerves worrying about you all of the time. I wish I could have found a way to do things differently and been a larger part of your lives for the last four years."
"Dad said you were just doing it to try and steal the inheritance," Serenity said softly. "Mom was really upset that he was accusing you of scamming Grandma Dotty and the rest of the family. Dad really wanted to get rich from her inheritance. He talked about all of the things he was going to do when he sold the land and cabin. When Grandma Dotty passed away and all of the inheritance went to you, he just lost it. He said he was going to do horrible things to you." Serenity's eyes had filled with tears as she finished. She pulled a hand up to her mouth as a sob escaped.
Harmony moved over to her and crouched over where Serenity sat at the table, hugging her as she felt her own eyes fill with tears. "I'm so sorry, Serenity. I wish I could rewind time and find a way to have been there for you over the last four years. I know it doesn't mean anything now, but I am so, so sorry. I love you, Serenity. You too, Aurora. You're the most amazing thing that ever happened to me and I don't regret a single second that I spent with you. Let's spend the rest of your childhoods making happy memories, okay?"
Serenity clutched Harmony's arm like a lifeline as she wept, hugging it to her as she sobbed. Rhapsody took the spatula from Aurora and gestured for her to join her sister and aunt, squeezing her shoulder as she passed.
Aurora placed her hands on top of Serenity's, offering her sister her support as her own eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"You don't have to worry about me anymore," Harmony told Serenity softly, kissing the top of her head. "Rhapsody is here to protect me. That creep isn't ever going to get past her."
Serenity let out a half snort half sob as a weak smile appeared on her face. "Yeah, that's true."
"Is that breakfast I smell?" Harmony's mother called out as she sleepily entered the kitchen in her pajamas. The guest bedroom's only purpose was for her mother, considering how unlikely she was to have any other guests over for the night. She had talked her mother into leaving a few changes of clothes and pajamas for unexpected stayovers.
She finally noticed them and her eyes grew concerned. She walked over and began clucking around like a mother hen as she inspected the three of them.
"We're just offloading some grief, Mom," she told her mother with a wan smile. "This won't be the last time by a long shot."
Her mother studied her intently, clearly sensing a psychological shift in her daughter. She was interrupted by a musical voice.
"Good morning, are you ready for some crepes?" Rhapsody asked her cheerfully. "The kettle's on the burner if you'd like some tea as well."
"Oh!" her mother jumped when she realized she had overlooked Rhapsody. She stood studying Rhapsody for a moment, taking in the headband and casual clothing. Her gaze lingered on the tinted glasses, curiosity filling her eyes. "Sorry, Rhapsody, I didn't see you. Yes, thank you. These crepes look wonderful. Don't trouble yourself with the tea, I can take care of that."
"Nonsense," Rhapsody steered her firmly back to her family's table. "You go relax with your family. Harmony was just telling them stories of growing up with her sister. I didn't realize how big of a part of Serenity's and Aurora's lives Harmony was before they moved out here. I knew she had a big heart, but hearing just how much of her life has been spent trying to care for other people really puts it into perspective."
"That's my Harmony," her mother agreed with a fond smile. "Always trying to take care of everyone else."
"I am not," Harmony insisted as her face flushed red and her shoulders hunched self-consciously.
Her mother and Rhapsody laughed at her reaction, the two of them sharing a knowing look before Rhapsody turned back to the stove.
"How are you feeling, Mom?" Harmony asked, concern in her voice as she observed her mother critically.
"I'm feeling wonderful," her mother replied with a genuine smile. "I haven't felt any pain at all this morning, and I even forgot to bring my medication when I came over yesterday."
"Really?" Harmony frowned as she studied her mother. She really did seem to be doing well, with no sign of the pain in her eyes that Harmony could usually find hiding just around the edges. "How long are you staying? I can run over to your house and get it."
Her mother glanced over at Rhapsody curiously as the small woman flipped a crepe, then looked back at Harmony. "I wouldn't worry about it. Like I said, I'm feeling wonderful. I thought I would just play it by ear and see how things go before I make any plans. What are your plans for the day?"
Harmony frowned, not liking the idea of her mother not having her medication if she started to go downhill. Seeing her mother's sparkling eyes, full of more life than she had seen in over a decade, convinced her to just leave it be. "We didn't have any plans so far. Oh, that's right, I did have some plans."
Harmony walked over and retrieved her laptop from a small table against the wall and then returned to sit with her family. She opened it up and showed her mother and nieces what she had in mind. She opened a text app and typed her idea out so that Rhapsody wouldn't overhear them.
"That's a great idea!" Serenity and Aurora beamed at her. "How long will it take?"
"We could go today," Harmony replied, glancing at Rhapsody as she poured some hot water into a mug of tea. "Assuming we can convince her to come with."
"You leave that to us," Aurora grinned confidently. "We'll convince her."
"Convince me of what?" Rhapsody asked with an amused smile.
"So…Rhapsody," Serenity began with a look of forced casualness. "What do you think about going into town with us?"
Rhapsody observed Serenity thoughtfully, her lips pursed in a way that looked just right for…
Harmony mentally shook herself and let out the breath she was holding, receiving a brief glance of amusement from Rhapsody. Damn her and her observant eyes!
"Okay, sure," Rhapsody nodded slowly, a hint of a smile on her lips. "It's been quite a while since I've been into a city. It should be interesting."
"How long?" Harmony's mother asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"I went with Doddy once," Rhapsody replied with a reminiscing smile. "She hated going into the city and convinced me to keep her company. I think that was the year before she went to live with Harmony."
"You knew my mom?" Harmony's mother asked in surprise, her eyes fascinated.
"She said they were pretty good friends," Harmony told her mother with a smile at Rhapsody. "Did you know Grandma Dotty wrote poetry? Rhapsody was telling me about how she used to love writing poetry. I'm kind of excited to learn more about Grandma Dotty now that I know Rhapsody knew her so well."
"I knew she had a book of poetry, but I didn't know she wrote her own," her mother answered, her eyes intrigued. "My Mom was kind of a closed book most of the time. She wasn't very good at letting her hair down."
"Yep, that was Dotty," Rhapsody agreed with an amused chuckle. "She was a tough nut to crack, but what a beautiful heart she kept hidden inside of that rough exterior."
Her mother was staring at Rhapsody peculiarly, her eyes full of repressed emotion. "I would love to hear more about my mom sometime. I feel like I missed out on a large part of her life. I've always regretted not getting to know her better, and now it's too late."
"Well, I certainly have a lot of stories about your mother that will keep you entertained," Rhapsody told her with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "That woman was worthy of her own book, with all of the adventures she had."
Harmony blinked as she analyzed Rhapsody's words. How long had she known Grandma Dotty? She talked about her like she had observed her throughout her entire life, but she couldn't have known her for much longer than Harmony, even if she was a little older than Harmony. Just how much older than me is she? Maybe whatever crazy diet she's on makes her age a lot slower.
"Well, I happen to know an author that would probably love to turn those stories into a novel," her mother said with an indulgent smile at Harmony.
"Sounds like a pretty fun project to me," Harmony agreed with a grin. Anything that meant more time in Rhapsody's company sounded great to her. Rhapsody glanced at her with an unreadable look on her face as she brought the tea over to Harmony's mother. Harmony quickly closed the laptop to keep Rhapsody from seeing what they were looking at.
"Are you sure there isn't anything we can get you to eat?" Harmony asked Rhapsody worriedly. "I'm concerned you aren't getting enough food."
"She's fine, Aunt Harmony," Serenity assured her confidently. "When are we going to town?"
Rhapsody sat down next to Harmony at the large table. Harmony felt a thrill of excitement at the other woman's proximity. Was this what it felt like to be attracted to someone? Harmony had felt what she thought was attraction when she had seen a pretty faces on attractive women, but it was nothing like this. Is this why people get so sappy and write poetry or songs? She had written about romantic interludes in her fictional novels, but she realized that she had been clueless about just how intense this feeling of attraction could be.
Rhapsody leaned over and put her lips against Harmony's ear, causing waves of heat to erupt in the most embarrassing places. "Breathe, Harmony," Rhapsody whispered softly, her lips brushing up against Harmony's ear. Harmony shuddered as what felt like an electric shock coursed from her ear and down her spine.
Harmony took a deep breath, willing her face to look normal and her lungs to function independently. Did other people stop breathing when they got excited? What the hell was her problem? The whole point of the autonomic system was that it took care of itself. Why was it failing her so badly?
Her mother was watching her with a look of amusement as she sipped from her tea. "I see you still have that breathing problem when you get overwhelmed."
"It's kind of adorable," Rhapsody commented with a dimpled smile. "And it's fun to remind her to breathe."
Her mother laughed delightedly, much to Harmony's discomfiture.
They finished eating and Harmony began cleaning up. She tried to chase Rhapsody away, citing the age-old rule that the cook isn't responsible for cleanup, but the other woman ignored her and continued to clean up. Harmony welcomed the help, since it meant more time in close proximity with Rhapsody. They bumped into each other enough that Harmony suspected Rhapsody was doing it on purpose. Each time their hands brushed together she would feel an electric shock and her breath would catch. Occasionally, Rhapsody would grab her hand to stop her and look up into her eyes before instructing her to breathe, a playful smile on her lips.
They finished the cleanup and Harmony started the dishwasher. She had never enjoyed cleaning so much.
"Okay, shall we brave the roads and go to the city?" Harmony asked brightly.
"Which car do you want to take?" her mother asked, eyeing Rhapsody speculatively. "I'm pretty sure Rhapsody and the girls will easily fit in the back of either car, but mine is definitely more roomy than yours."
"Let's take Grandma's car," Serenity said quickly, sharing a wary glance with Aurora.
"Oh yeah, you probably don't trust mine anymore, do you?" Harmony asked with a sigh.
"Why not?" her mother asked, her eyes sharpening.
Harmony groaned internally. She was going to get a lecture.
"We almost got run over by a semi!" Aurora told her excitedly. "But someone saved us and knocked the semi-truck out of the road before it could hit us."
"Harmony?" her mother raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What happened?"
"Some stupid suicidal deer jumped in front of us the other day on our way to the movies," Harmony answered sourly. "I barely dodged it, but the stupid car stalled, and we were stuck in the other lane in front of a sharp turn. Before I could get out and go flag someone down, a logging truck flew around the bend and almost hit us. There was a big gust of wind that knocked his truck over to the shoulder before he hit us, though. I don't think the girls trust my car anymore, or my driving."
"It wasn't your fault, Aunt Harmony," Serenity told her reassuringly. "It was that deer's fault."
Her mother was looking at Rhapsody with a look of gratitude. Harmony glanced back at Rhapsody curiously, wondering what had elicited her mother's reaction. Rhapsody stared back at her innocently and shrugged.
"Okay, your car it is, Mom," Harmony decided with a sigh. "Besides, we need the extra storage space."
As they walked out to the car, Serenity and Aurora dragged their grandmother over to look at the front of Harmony's car, where two handprints were pressed down into the hood. Her mother raised an eyebrow at her after observing the imprints. Harmony scowled back at her, feeling her internal skeptic rear its belligerent head. When her mother saw the look in her eyes, she rolled her eyes and moved over to her own car.
They all piled into her Mom's Honda Pilot, with Rhapsody in the middle of the bench seat between Serenity and Aurora, much to their delight. Harmony sat in the front with her mother, feeling a pang of jealousy that her nieces had Rhapsody to themselves instead of her.
"How's your latest novel coming along?" her mother asked as she started driving down the long driveway. "Did you get that new contract finalized yet?"
"It's going really well," Harmony answered with a pleased smile. "I've always enjoyed writing, but this one's been more enjoyable than any of the others for some reason. I think I just really like who the character is growing into. It's always fun to see how they evolve. This one has surprised me a lot, that's for sure. As far as the contract, I just finished signing everything. They weren't happy that I refused to do book tours and interviews, but they know I'll start self-publishing if they try to force it."
"What concessions did your agent get out of you?" her mother asked with a faint smile.
"I told them I would produce good books in a timely manner, and they had to deal with the rest of it," Harmony shrugged with a wry smile. "It's not like marketing books is anything like it was before internet and audiobooks took over the industry. They don't need me to go talk my books up or let them pry into my personal life to garner interest in what I've written. All they really need are lots of five-star reviews, because that's all most people are looking at when they're looking for a book these days. As long as an author writes a four to five-star story, none of the other stuff matters anymore."
"I don't know about that," her mother disagreed with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "You've got quite the cult following on social media, with a lot of people who want to know all about you. I saw one theory that you're a middle-aged overweight man living in his mother's basement."
"Ew, social media," Harmony cringed and shuddered ostentatiously. "My agent tried to convince me to host an official social media channel a few months ago. Nobody cares what I have to say in the real world. It's my stories they want."
"I think you'd be surprised," her mother smiled indulgently. "A lot of people mistake your shyness for mystery and think you are part of some magical secret society."
"People will believe anything," Harmony shook her head dismissively. "That's the guilty pleasure of fantasy fiction. You get to suspend your disbelief for a little while and enjoy the wonder of a magical world where a single individual can change the world. Some people just can't turn their disbelief back off when they finish reading and accept that the world is a cold, hard place where magic is just an idea and good rarely wins, while evil thrives."
"That's a pretty bleak view of the world," her mother noted sadly.
"Why do you think I like to write so much," Harmony smiled wistfully. "I wish there really were heroes powerful enough to do all of the things I feel so powerless to do. It's why people love religions. They feel content with the knowledge that good will eventually prevail and evil punished. We like to delude ourselves; it's human nature."
"So cynical at such a young age," her mother sighed, and Harmony could feel the sorrow radiating out of her mother. "I'm sorry things have been so rough for you, Harmony. You should have been out playing with friends and enjoying your youth, but you got saddled with so many problems at such a young age that you never even tried to go explore the world and enjoy life."
"What are you talking about?" Harmony objected, her face incredulous. "I had a wonderful life. I had a warm place to sleep, food to eat, and a loving mother and sister. I had my books, which I'm going to be brutally honest, rate up there with family on my attachment list."
"Very funny, Harmony," her mother snorted a laugh, glancing back in the rearview mirror. She continued speaking quietly when she saw the rear passengers engrossed in conversation. "I know you spent most of your teenage years helping Melody take care of those two angels. They probably don't remember, but I do. I know who spent all of their time taking care of those two when Melody couldn't make herself get out of bed for months on end from crippling depression. You've spent your whole life taking care of people, and I just wish you would have had a little more time to be a kid and enjoy being taken care of instead."
"It's not in my nature," Harmony told her mother softly. "I'm not really happy if I'm not taking care of someone. You make it sound like I had to struggle to take care of those two when they were younger, but those were the happiest years of my life. I absolutely loved every second of the time I had with them and wouldn't change a thing if I had it to do over. The only thing I would have done differently is take them with me when Grandma Dotty moved in with me. Either that, or I would have poisoned David."
Harmony noticed the silence in the back and turned to see her nieces staring at her. Serenity's eyes filled with tears as she stared back at Harmony. Harmony smiled back at her tenderly, letting the love she felt for them show in her eyes. Rhapsody was smiling at her with such warmth that it triggered an immediate flush. Having that kind of a smile from the beautiful woman felt like a promise of wonderful things to come.
The silence was broken when the three girls all spoke at once. "Breathe!"
There was the sound of Harmony expelling her breath, followed by a choir of giggles from the back as all three of them were overcome by mirth. Harmony began sheepishly laughing as well. Her mother had a fond smile as she shook her head ruefully.
"I suppose it makes it easy to know what you're thinking about," her mother noted with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Button it, Mom," Harmony ordered as her cheeks fought to return to normal.
"I mean, it's kind of flattering when you think about it," her mom continued relentlessly. "How many people can say they cause that kind of a reaction in another person."
"Mom!" Harmony wailed plaintively. "Please stop!"
Harmony didn't dare to look back at Rhapsody. At least, not until she had some time to oxygenate her blood a little more.