Page 14 of Hidden Truths

five

CAL

I closethe door to the nursery as quietly as I can. After the first dose of antibiotics and a little bit of infant Tylenol, Cora finally fell asleep. Harlow was right about her having an ear infection. I know I would’ve ended up in the Emergency Room with Cora and absolutely freaking the fuck out if it wasn’t for Harlow.

“She went down?”

I nod at Harlow as I enter the kitchen where she’s sitting on a stool at the island. “Coffee?” I ask as I grab mugs from the cabinet.

“Please.”

“Eventful first day.” I try to joke, but it falls flat. Both the doctor and Harlow have reassured me that Cora wasn’t minutes from death, and I need to stop feeling guilty, but I can’t. I’m her dad, and I panicked and did nothing for her. Harlow had barely put her car in park before she fixed everything. I’m not sure I can even drink the coffee I’m making with the way the guilt, frustration, and annoyance are swirling around in my gut.

“Cal?” Harlow’s voice breaks through the war in my mind.

“Huh?”

“I was wondering if I could ask you some questions before I officially start. Seems like you zoned out there for a minute.” There’s a hesitant smile on her face. Like she’s worried speaking too loudly or gesturing too quickly will set me off. I probably traumatized her from how anxious I’ve been all morning. The noble thing to do would be to let her back out of this job, but I can’t. I’ve trusted no one else out of my immediate circle with Cora, and even though I don’t know Harlow all that well, I already feel like I can trust her.

“Sure,” I say, sliding the hot coffee in front of her. “I have milk and sugar if you want.”

“Both please.”

Once she gets her coffee to how she likes it, which looks less like coffee and more like tan milk, I lean across the island and wait for her to start her questioning.

“I read through everything Willa sent over. She said that no one knows about Cora, and you’re trying to keep it that way for as long as you can.” She bites her bottom lip, like whatever she’s about to say next is making her nervous.

“That’s not a question,” I point out, smiling into my coffee. Something about this woman puts me at ease.

“Cora’s mom. Is she in the picture? Do I need to worry about her showing up looking for her? Or your mom? You mentioned your dad being around a lot but didn’t mention her. Am I confined to the house because of that? Like if I wanted to take Cora shopping with me or something, can I do that? My dad obviously must know about her, right? Or can I not talk to him either? What about Jo? She’s interviewing with Willa and Maverick today. She knows about Cora. Well, kind of. She read over Willa’s texts with me before I interviewed.” All her questions come out sounding like one big anxiety induced sentence. So I hold up my hand to stop her.

“That was a lot of questions at once, Harlow.” I chuckle as I watch the pale skin on her face and chest turn a bright red.

“Sorry. I just really don’t want to have blown this opportunity before it’s even started,” she says quietly.

I stand up straight and have to consciously make an effort to stop my jaw from dropping. Making my way around the island to take the stool next to her, I make sure she’s looking at me before I speak.

“Harlow, the only thing you’ve done is cement your position. You knew exactly what to do. I’m Cora’s dad and all I managed to do is scream and cry right along with her.”

Harlow snorts, and that causes a smile to break out on my face for the first time today. I try to answer her questions the best I can. “Cora’s mom died after giving birth to her. My dad is very involved in her life and the best Papa to Cora. My mom, on the other hand, let’s just say she is unaware I have a child, and I would like it to stay that way for as long as I can.” Harlow nods along, paying close attention to every word. “You’re not a prisoner here. If you need to take Cora to the store or wherever you need to go, I trust you to do that. Just don’t go shouting ‘this is the daughter of Callahan Griffin, lead singer of Shattered Halo’ while you’re out.”

Harlow laughs, and it’s the most perfect sound I’ve heard. “That’s fair enough. What about my dad and Jo knowing?”

“Your dad is trying to see if Bailey, Cora’s mom, has any family. So he’s fully aware of her. As for Jo, if she’s as good as you say she is, she’ll be working with the band and probably you in part, so she’s going to know anyway.” I scratch at the stubble on my jaw and sigh. “I know how it sounds. I don’t want Cora to be a secret, but I’m trying to give her a good childhood. One as close to normal as I can. I can’t do that if the media makes it their job to follow her entire life.”

I watch Harlow’s shoulders visibly relax and a small smile bloom on her face. “You’re a good dad, Cal. I know this morning has you doubting it, but you’re going to great lengths to allow your child to be a child and there’s a lot to be said about that.”

Her words go straight to my heart, and I feel it crack. I’ve spent most of my life keeping women away from me emotionally. I saw what my mom did to my dad. He loved her with everything he had, and she used him for his paycheck and his ability to give her things.

I’ll have to try harder to keep Harlow out if she can get to me that easily. It’s barely her first day, and she’s already seen what I keep under my carefully crafted mask. Taking a deep breath, I slip that mask back into place. Harlow watches, and I can see the confusion on her face.

“You can take the rest of the day off. Hopefully, tomorrow will be closer to normal,” I tell her, giving her a big goofy smile before leaving her in the kitchen.

six

HARLOW

That was weird.Does Cal have more than one personality? I swear even the shade of his eyes changed.

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