Awakened
11
Weeks had passed, and Harper was getting anxious to hear back from Cornell. She walked out of her bedroom after a much needed night's rest to find Aaron in the kitchen having cereal and looking at houses on his computer. She went to the counter and started to fix some tea. Aaron came over and kissed her on the back of the head, handing her the mail that was delivered earlier that morning. Harper flipped through and found an envelope that said Cornell University School of Law on the top left corner. It was a larger envelope, and Harper put her mug down quickly and began to rip the envelope open.
"Why didn't you wake me up earlier? This has just been here waiting and I've been sleeping!" Harper yelled towards Aaron.
"You needed the sleep, dear," Aaron said, laughing and helping Harper open the envelope.
"Miss Johnson... As you know, acceptance to Cornell Law is a prestigious honor... we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted," Harper said, beginning to jump up and down with excitement. She smiled towards Aaron, who scooped her into a giant embrace.
Aaron's phone began to ring, and he looked down with excitement. It was his mother. He answered, ecstatically.
"Mom, you'd never believe this, Harper got accepted in--" Aaron stopped promptly.
Harper looked over at Aaron, as concern spread across his face. Harper looked at him questioningly.
"Yes, mom, we'll be over soon," Aaron said, ending the call with his mother and looking over towards Harper.
"What was that about?"
"Oh, mom just wants us to come by. You know - her and dad would rather hear this news in person. Lets go pack some bags," Aaron said, grabbing a duffel bag and putting all of the clean clothing he had at Harper's apartment into it.
"Aaron, why do we need so many clothes if we're just going for a visit?" Harper asked, while complying to his request.
"Oh you know, maybe we'll go look at some homes while we're down there. I don't want to be in a rush to leave, you know?"
Aaron was acting weird and Harper could see through it. She knew something was bothering him, but knew that she would soon know, and that Aaron would not keep a secret from her for too long.
Aaron sped out of the city, looking very anxious.
"Honey, you need to slow down," Harper said, putting her hand on Aaron's knee. He looked at the speedometer and noticed he was going too fast. He sighed and relaxed his shoulders. "Do you want to tell me what's going on yet?" Harper looked towards Aaron as he came to a stop at the last stoplight they would see for a while.
"Someone vandalized my parent's house and they're just nervous. I told them I would come down and help clean it up, and figured that we could just look at homes while we're out here. Not a problem, I just know she is upset."
"That's too awful. I'm sorry, Aaron. On the bright side, the more hands working the faster it will go," Harper said.
They pulled up to the home, surprising the young couple. Windows were shattered, the beautiful white walls were covered with spray paint. The messages were full of profanity, and there were beer bottles smashed all over the property. Aaron pulled the car behind police cars that were there surveying the damage. Aaron jumped out of the car, with Harper not far behind him to go over to his parents. Harper hugged his mother while Aaron stood beside his dad and brother in order to hear what the next steps should be. Aaron was not worried about Harper talking to his mother. He knew that Harper would calm her and that everything, in the end, would be okay.
"Son, I want to show you something," Aaron's dad said, placing his hand on Aaron's shoulder. He took him around to the side of the house, presumably something his mother had not seen yet. The words read 'Broadway Boy and Slut to be wed 2018.' Aaron's jaw dropped.
"Dad, I'm so sorry," Aaron said, stumbling over his words and no doubt not finding the right ones.
"I'm not mad at you, other than I wish this wasn't how I found out that you are engaged, but I was not expecting Harper to be getting out of the car with you if that were the case.
"Dad, I know exactly who did this," Aaron said, running his hand through his hair. "Harper's dad is not happy that I proposed."
"So you did propose," his dad laughed, and walked to the other side.
"Bill Johnson," Aaron said in a low tone to the police officer.
"Sir?"
"Bill Johnson, that's the asshole who did this," Aaron said, walking over to his family and beginning to wonder how he is going to tell Harper that her father did this.
"Aaron, don't tell her. We'll clean this up. You guys distract your mother, me and your brother will figure this out," his father said, walking back around the corner to begin cleaning the walls.
"How about we go out to a really nice dinner tonight, my treat," Aaron's brother said, casting a look towards Aaron.
"I don't know if I could handle going out, my dear," his mother said, with Harper's arm around her shoulders.
"I have an idea, how about we bring the nice dinner here? We can get all dolled up, have a nice dinner outside, and enjoy each other's company?" Harper said, smiling.
"I love that idea," Aaron said, grabbing Harper's hand and sliding her ring off her finger. Harper looked over at Aaron and he made a calming face.
"I'll go get dressed. I'll need a new dress and some food for dinner," his mother hurried upstairs.
"I will explain everything later, but I don't want mom to see the ring on your finger and think we weren't going to tell her," Aaron said, catching Harper's glance.
"I understand," Harper said, seemingly upset.
Aaron sighed. He didn't understand why this happened, or how her father found his parent's home, but he was disgusted. He trusted the police would do what they needed to do, but until then he was in charge of distracting his mother, keeping his engagement a secret, and processing the idea that he hurt his fiancee's feelings by trying to hide their engagement.
"Why didn't you wake me up earlier? This has just been here waiting and I've been sleeping!" Harper yelled towards Aaron.
"You needed the sleep, dear," Aaron said, laughing and helping Harper open the envelope.
"Miss Johnson... As you know, acceptance to Cornell Law is a prestigious honor... we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted," Harper said, beginning to jump up and down with excitement. She smiled towards Aaron, who scooped her into a giant embrace.
Aaron's phone began to ring, and he looked down with excitement. It was his mother. He answered, ecstatically.
"Mom, you'd never believe this, Harper got accepted in--" Aaron stopped promptly.
Harper looked over at Aaron, as concern spread across his face. Harper looked at him questioningly.
"Yes, mom, we'll be over soon," Aaron said, ending the call with his mother and looking over towards Harper.
"What was that about?"
"Oh, mom just wants us to come by. You know - her and dad would rather hear this news in person. Lets go pack some bags," Aaron said, grabbing a duffel bag and putting all of the clean clothing he had at Harper's apartment into it.
"Aaron, why do we need so many clothes if we're just going for a visit?" Harper asked, while complying to his request.
"Oh you know, maybe we'll go look at some homes while we're down there. I don't want to be in a rush to leave, you know?"
Aaron was acting weird and Harper could see through it. She knew something was bothering him, but knew that she would soon know, and that Aaron would not keep a secret from her for too long.
Aaron sped out of the city, looking very anxious.
"Honey, you need to slow down," Harper said, putting her hand on Aaron's knee. He looked at the speedometer and noticed he was going too fast. He sighed and relaxed his shoulders. "Do you want to tell me what's going on yet?" Harper looked towards Aaron as he came to a stop at the last stoplight they would see for a while.
"Someone vandalized my parent's house and they're just nervous. I told them I would come down and help clean it up, and figured that we could just look at homes while we're out here. Not a problem, I just know she is upset."
"That's too awful. I'm sorry, Aaron. On the bright side, the more hands working the faster it will go," Harper said.
They pulled up to the home, surprising the young couple. Windows were shattered, the beautiful white walls were covered with spray paint. The messages were full of profanity, and there were beer bottles smashed all over the property. Aaron pulled the car behind police cars that were there surveying the damage. Aaron jumped out of the car, with Harper not far behind him to go over to his parents. Harper hugged his mother while Aaron stood beside his dad and brother in order to hear what the next steps should be. Aaron was not worried about Harper talking to his mother. He knew that Harper would calm her and that everything, in the end, would be okay.
"Son, I want to show you something," Aaron's dad said, placing his hand on Aaron's shoulder. He took him around to the side of the house, presumably something his mother had not seen yet. The words read 'Broadway Boy and Slut to be wed 2018.' Aaron's jaw dropped.
"Dad, I'm so sorry," Aaron said, stumbling over his words and no doubt not finding the right ones.
"I'm not mad at you, other than I wish this wasn't how I found out that you are engaged, but I was not expecting Harper to be getting out of the car with you if that were the case.
"Dad, I know exactly who did this," Aaron said, running his hand through his hair. "Harper's dad is not happy that I proposed."
"So you did propose," his dad laughed, and walked to the other side.
"Bill Johnson," Aaron said in a low tone to the police officer.
"Sir?"
"Bill Johnson, that's the asshole who did this," Aaron said, walking over to his family and beginning to wonder how he is going to tell Harper that her father did this.
"Aaron, don't tell her. We'll clean this up. You guys distract your mother, me and your brother will figure this out," his father said, walking back around the corner to begin cleaning the walls.
"How about we go out to a really nice dinner tonight, my treat," Aaron's brother said, casting a look towards Aaron.
"I don't know if I could handle going out, my dear," his mother said, with Harper's arm around her shoulders.
"I have an idea, how about we bring the nice dinner here? We can get all dolled up, have a nice dinner outside, and enjoy each other's company?" Harper said, smiling.
"I love that idea," Aaron said, grabbing Harper's hand and sliding her ring off her finger. Harper looked over at Aaron and he made a calming face.
"I'll go get dressed. I'll need a new dress and some food for dinner," his mother hurried upstairs.
"I will explain everything later, but I don't want mom to see the ring on your finger and think we weren't going to tell her," Aaron said, catching Harper's glance.
"I understand," Harper said, seemingly upset.
Aaron sighed. He didn't understand why this happened, or how her father found his parent's home, but he was disgusted. He trusted the police would do what they needed to do, but until then he was in charge of distracting his mother, keeping his engagement a secret, and processing the idea that he hurt his fiancee's feelings by trying to hide their engagement.