Page 99 of A Home for Harmony
“Mom,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “That’s not nice to say. No one asksyourage. Would you like me to volunteer it?”
“No,” her mother said primly. “But it’s obvious that Micah is older than you. If I’d known his last name, I could have figured it out.”
She turned and grinned at Micah, then winked. “Maybe that is why I didn’t give it to you. Why can’t you meet him first to form an opinion rather than trying to get all the dirt on him? Which there isn’t.”
“Everyone has dirt,” her mother said, lifting her nose.
“Including yourself, Marion,” Jerry said, coming into the room and putting his hands on her mother’s shoulders. “Leave Harmony alone. It’s her birthday dinner.” Jerry put his hand out. “I’m Jerry and it’s nice to meet you.”
“Micah,” he said. “The same.”
“My wife gets ahead of herself and is protective of her children and doesn’t always do it in the right way. But we’re getting better about that, aren’t we, Marion?”
Harmony didn’t know what to make of this conversation. Her mother turned to Jerry and smiled, then almost flushed. “We are.”
Her jaw dropped. “Did you hypnotize my mother to get her to smile and agree?” she asked her stepfather.
“Marion, why don’t you go get the snacks out that you spent all morning putting together,” Jerry said.
Her mother nodded and walked away. “What have you done with my mother?” she asked.
Jerry smiled. “I only reminded her that everyone is an adult, including her. If she wants to stay part of your life, she has to give you some respect. It doesn’t take much more than a gentle note of what happened with Theo and then again with Erica.”
“Thank you,” Harmony said sincerely. “I mean that.”
She’d always liked Jerry, but never realized he’d go to bat for her like this.
“No problem,” Jerry said. “Please, come in. Everyone is in the back.”
They moved to the back of the house she grew up in and she saw her siblings seated in the family room, her mother off to the kitchen in the back.
Jerry went to help her mother, so she and Micah moved closer to Erica. “What happened to Mom? Jerry said one word and she just changed in front of my eyes.”
Erica laughed. “We all saw it too. Take it for what it’s worth.”
“Was she ragging on me before we got here? I’m not late.”
“No more than normal,” Theo said. “It’s only a few hours and then we are all out of here. You’re a pro at this.”
That was when she didn’t worry about being embarrassed in front of her boyfriend.
“Harmony,” her mother yelled. “Can you come help me?”
“Yep,” she said. “Here it comes. I guess I should be happy she’s doing it in private.” She turned on her heel. “Coming, Mom.”
“Jerry, why don’t you bring these into the family room for everyone and Harmony and I will be out with the rest?”
“Be nice,” Jerry said. “Or I’ll come right back.”
Her eyes were a little wide over the interaction with her mother and Jerry. “Go on,” she said. “Be nice. Jerry told you to.”
Her mother’s smile dropped. “How old is he?”
“Mom,” she said. “I told you, it’s rude.”
“Harmony,” her mother said. “I can be a lot ruder and I’m trying not to be.”
“Why? It never stopped you before.”
