Hero Harper's Dad

{Editing longliverowbrina here, if the chapter title is Hero Harper's Dad when this is published you all have my full permission to just stop reading. I have two weeks to figure out a new title.

Well, I never changed it and it is 3 am so that isn't happening. See y'all Monday for my favorite chapter (unless you stop reading because of this GOD AWFUL TITLE obv)

I'm currently rereading Evelyn Hugo. A little basic but I forgot almost the entire book so it will be like reading it for the first time again.}

We're on my way to my dad's house right now. I texted him about 5 minutes before we left that we were coming. He is going to know it is important that way.

We arrive and I park my car out front as usual. "Don't be nervous"

"I'm not," She says.

We walk up to the front door and I walk in. "Dad, we're here"

"Harper, Jessie come sit" He emerges from the kitchen. He motions us to come in so we do. He has two iced coffees on the table waiting for us and a hot coffee from him. I normally turn down coffee after 1 pm but he got a whole new coffee machine when I told him I liked iced coffee better than hot. "I wasn't sure how you liked yours but I have creamer, sugar, and whatever flavored syrup she picked up last time we went to the grocery store"

It's caramel just in case you were wondering.

"Thank you" Jessie sits down and starts pouring some creamer and syrup into her coffee.

"So what brings you two here? I haven't seen you in over a week kiddo"

"Yeah yeah, visitation schedule or something" I joke. I don't have a visitation schedule with my dad. They both agreed I was 15 and would be driving soon so I could do what I wanted. "We need advice on something," I say more seriously.

"What's up?" He asks.

Jessie looks at me. "Can you tell him?"

"Jessie came out to her mom last week" He shifts slightly in his seat. "She didn't take it too well"

"What happened?" He asked.

"I came out to her on the last day I was there. Just for the back story, I didn't see or talk to my mom from like six years old until maybe 2 years ago so I am not very close with her and I didn't know her stance on queer people but I just wanted a parent to know. Anyway, I told her and she essentially told me to never speak to her again once I left. I've been texting her a couple of times a day since and she never responded and when I texted her yesterday it wouldn't send so I think she blocked me" She has no emotion in her voice, as if she had removed herself from the situation.

"You don't need people who aren't going to love and support you for who you are," He says. I could tell he was going to keep going but she cut him off.

"I know but she is my mom"

I think I need to hit her with the hard truth. "Given the few stories I have heard about her, I think you are better off without her"

"You didn't tell your dad?" He questions.

"No. Harper keeps telling me I should" She says.

"Well don't let her peer pressure you into doing it," He says to her. "I thought I raised you better than that," He says to me. "How do you think he'll react?"

"I think he already knows. He has been dropping the hint for years that it is ok if I like girls"

"I do think it is a good idea to tell him before your mom does then. It is better if he hears it from you"

"Will you help me?" She asks me and I nod.

"You will be ok." He says and I cut him off.

"Yeah, plus he needs someone to watch Levi all the time so he won't disown you" I try to lighten up the mood. I think I may have made it worse.

"I know, that's the other thing I need to talk to him about" Aw little Jessie is finally gonna stick up for herself.

"If anything happens you can always come stay here with Harper," He says.

I might have to bring her here when he goes away on that alligator-watching trip with his "buddies" in a few weeks. Such a strange man.

"Want to come see my room?" I ask her.

"I've already seen it"

"You've probably forgotten since the last time," I stand up and she follows my lead.

She turns around to my dad. "Thank you"