Page 1 of Forbidden Harmony

Chapter One

“Addie, this isreally bad timing.”

“It’s fine, Mom. Honestly.”

Her mother brushed a strand of hair awayfrom her face. “It was bad timing when the wedding was happening and it’s evenworse now. I should stay. You know what? I’m going to stay.”

Addison smiled at her mother. “You’re notstaying. We are literally at the airport and your flight leaves in threehours.”

“It’s not the time to be leaving you. Yourfather will understand.”

Addison glanced at her father. He was standingat a kiosk a few feet away, purchasing two neck pillows. He waved at herbefore shuffling forward in the line.

“Dad’s work trip is six weeks long. You’llmiss him like crazy. Besides, you retired early for a reason, remember? You wantedto go with Dad on his work trips.”

“I know, but…” her mother touched Addie’shair again, the auburn colour the exact same shade as her own, “you’re my babyand you’re hurting.”

“I’m fine,” Addie said.

“Honey.” Her mother’s look of exasperationwas kind of sweet. “Your fiancé cheated on you. You’re not fine. And it’s okaythat you’re not. Gosh, I hate Harrison for what he did to you. I’m so gladthat Daniel broke his nose.”

“Daniel almost went to jail for breaking hisnose,” Addison said. “You would have been forking out bail money for your son.”

“Totally worth it,” her mother said. “Harrisonis the jerk here, honey. You know that, right?”

“I do.”

“Spend lots of time with Gracie and Kira,okay? Don’t lock yourself away for the entire summer vacation in your apartmentwatching bad reality television and knitting Harrison voodoo dolls.”

“I won’t,” Addison said with a small smile.

“Maybe you should go and visit Harper inNew York. She’s your best friend and she -”

“I was just there, Mom. You know that.Besides, she has her own stuff going on and doesn’t need me moping around herapartment.”

“So, instead you’re gonna mope around yourown apartment? What if you’ve gone feral by the time your father and I returnfrom Tokyo?”

Addison laughed so hard that a short womanwith ‘Hawaii or Bust’ written across her t-shirt stared at them as she walkedpast.

“I’m not gonna go feral, Mom. I promise.”

Her mother smoothed her fingers across theneckline of Addie’s t-shirt, studying the empty space where pearls usuallygraced Addie’s neck. “Sweetie, you wore jeans and a t-shirt to drive us to theairport. You’re not even wearing makeup. Honestly, you’re halfway to being feralalready.”

“I got up late, that’s all,” Addie said. “Ipromise I’m okay.”

“I know I’m your mom and I’m old, but willyou humour me and take some advice?”

“Yes,” Addie said.

Her mother glanced over at her father stillin line at the kiosk. “The best way to get over someone is to get undersomeone else. Go find yourself a nice boy and sex him up, sweetheart. Nothingserious, just some casual banging. You’ll forget all about that nasty dickfaceHarrison.”

Addison’s jaw dropped. She’d never once heardher mother say a swear word and hearing dickface come out of her mother’s mouthwas more shocking than her suggestion that Addison should do some ‘casualbanging’.

“Did you just say dickface?” Addison said.

Her mother laughed. “Just promise me you’llthink about it. Casual sex is a good thing.”

“You married Daddy right out of highschool. How do you know that casual sex is a good thing?” Addison said.

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