They laughed and joked for the two hour ride up to Key Largo, the time passing faster than it ever had on this drive for Harper. She kept Charlie’s hand firmly on her thigh and absolutely loved every second of it. In the lulls in conversation, Harper wondered what issue Charlie had tried to report but didn’t want to pry. It obviously made her uncomfortable, and she had enough stress with the reunion with her parents looming.
They killed a little time walking hand in hand along some beach on Islamorada since they were nearly an hour early and still arrived fifteen minutes before they were supposed to meet Charlie’s parents.
“Are you ready for this?” Harper asked as Charlie parked in the gravel lot in front of an unassuming little beach restaurant, a common style all along US 1 throughout the entire length of the Keys.
Charlie’s head tipped back until she was looking at the roof of the car. She took a deep breath and huffed it out. “Ready or not, we’re here.”
Harper was in awe of the way Charlie seemed to take control of the nerves she’d been displaying all morning and somehow looked every bit the confident investment banker, even in casual clothes. She leashed up Franky, and they headed toward the restaurant, walking close but not holding hands. When Charlie’s steps faltered, Harper paused with her and looked around, catching sight of an older couple sitting on a bench in front of the restaurant.
Oh.Her parents?
When Charlie didn’t start walking, Harper leaned closer. “Are you okay?” Franky had gotten a few steps ahead but also came back and leaned into Charlie’s legs.
Charlie nodded and grabbed Harper’s hand with a deathgrip. Harper gave her a light squeeze and watched as she let out a breath and took a step forward, then another one, Franky moving with them. They walked in what felt like slow motion toward the older couple, who were now standing and holding hands, watching them. When they reached them, Harper released Charlie’s hand and stayed slightly behind, not wanting to intrude on the moment.
“Mom, Dad,” Charlie said, her voice barely audible. Harper found herself holding her breath, hoping this went well for all their sakes.
Chapter Eighteen
Charlie looked into her mom’s teary eyes and then her dad’s. It felt like they stared at each other for an eternity as her chest was bound tighter than the markets in 2008 after Lehman collapsed. She struggled to breathe. She wasn’t sure who moved first, but suddenly, they were all hugging. Her dad smelled exactly the same, like a blanket on a cool day. Her mom’s face was smooth against her cheek, and she could smell the moisturizer she’d been using for as long as Charlie could remember. She couldn’t stop the tears that had been building behind her eyes since she’d seen them sitting there.
Her mom leaned out of the huddle first and laid her hand on Charlie’s cheek. “It is so good to see you, baby.”
Charlie tried to find her voice around the lump in her throat. “It’s good to see you too.” Tears were freely rolling down her mom’s face too. “I’m so sorry, Mom.” She looked up into her dad’s eyes, which were teary but not crying. “Dad.”
“We’re just happy you reached out. We’ve missed you,” her mom said, and Charlie had to fight back a sob.
“I’ve missed you too.” She couldn’t find words to explain just how much she hated herself for icing them out, so she just pulled them back in and marveled at how much lighter she felt in their embrace.
Now that she had them, she didn’t want to let go, but Franky’s bark had her stepping back. She was being incredibly rude. “Mom, Dad, this is my friend, Harper, and her dog, Franky, who has also been filling double duty as my emotionalsupport dog.” Charlie stumbled over the word “friend,” as that felt insufficient to describe their relationship, but they hadn’t talked about using the word “girlfriend” yet, and she didn’t want to overstep. Especially given how skittish Harper was. Charlie tried to study her face to make sure she hadn’t offended her.
Harper stepped forward and shook hands. “Mr. and Mrs. Paulson. Great to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, Harper. And please, no need to be so formal. Call us Lynn and Patrick,” her mom said.
“Lynn and Patrick. Thank you.”
As they chatted, Charlie couldn’t help but notice that her parents looked older than the last time she’d seen them. Her dad had lost some weight and had a slight frailty about him, and a fresh wave of self-loathing rolled through her at having frozen them out over something so dumb. She squeezed her fists and released, trying to expel the bad feelings that she could process later.
“Should we grab a table?” Charlie said, attempting to keep herself from spiraling into self-recrimination.
“Yes, let’s,” her dad said. “With Franky, we should get something on the patio.”
“That would be great, Patrick. Thank you,” Harper said.
“Why don’t you three hang tight out here, and I’ll go check in?”
“Thanks, Dad,” Charlie said. As he walked away, she said, “How was the conference?”
“It was great. Sobering but still a nice event. Your father gave a presentation on government interference in higher education, a horrible topic but timely, and it was well attended. Afterward, they had a breakout session with brainstorming on strategies to curb the impact as much as possible. I gave one on AI in academia that everyone seemed to enjoy.”
“Wow, that’s really amazing, Mom.” Charlie was in a little bitof awe. She had no idea that her mom would be familiar enough with tech to be able to give a presentation on AI, and her dad being on the front lines trying to halt government interference made her incredibly proud.
“I don’t think I’d say amazing, dear. It’s just life, and we have to stay on top of it. I know we could be getting ready to retire, but neither your father nor I are ready for that.” She shrugged like it was nothing.
Her father returned with the host, who took them around the side of the restaurant to the patio. Once they were seated and put in drink orders, her dad said, “How long have you two been dating?”
Charlie was pretty sure her jaw dropped, but Harper nonchalantly said, “Just a few weeks.”