Awakened
8
Harper woke up the next morning in an extremely good mood. The ring, still so delicately placed on her left ring finger, reminded her of the amazing man still sleeping soundly. She took a shower and changed into one of the outfits Aaron had packed for her. She put on the pale pink shorts and a white lace button up tank top, finding her gold Jack Rogers and slipping them on. She braided her hair into maiden braids, keeping all of her hair away from her face. After she had finished getting ready, she walked around the expansive guest home, thinking about how thankful she was to have Aaron and his family in her life. Harper wandered out into the expansive fields, searching for Aaron. It was around midday, and the smell of rain was prominent after the storms from the prior day. Harper caught a glimpse of Aaron in the kitchen of the house and decided to head in to see the family.
She opened the door and was greeted by Aaron's mother, who promptly noticed the ring on Harper's finger. His mother smiled.
"Aaron's in the kitchen," she said, leading Harper in the correct direction by placing her hand on Harper's back.
"Good morning, Harper," Aaron said, turning from the counter to place a kiss on her forehead while continuing to do the dishes.
"Good morning," Harper said, smiling and picking up the towel to help him.
"Oh, Aaron, I just remembered, the neighbors, your father, and I are going golfing today - could you and Harper watch the children for a few hours before you leave?" His mother sounded desperate for a good afternoon with her friends, and Aaron was just eager to get to spend some time with Harper. He glanced over at Harper, who shot a smile his way.
"Absolutely mom, enjoy your afternoon," he said, placing his arm on the counter behind Harper. Harper was excited to get to spend some time with children, and Aaron was even more excited to see how Harper got along with the children.
"Oh sweetheart, thank you so much," his mother said, hugging and kissing Aaron and Harper on the cheek. She ran upstairs to change into appropriate clothing and Harper turned to face Aaron.
"I guess we get to play house today," Aaron said, smiling and wrapping his arm around her waist.
She giggled, kissing his cheek. "I suppose we'll need some things to entertain them."
Harper smiled, thinking to all of the lesson plans she had put together during her years of student teaching. She wondered what the kids would want to do, and helped Aaron put the dishes up in the cabinets.
Before they knew it, they were in charge of a six year old, a three year old, and an eight month old. As the mother handed the eight month old to Harper, her face lit up with a combination of shock and excitement. Aaron realized that they would be in above their heads.
Harper led the six year old to a covered table and allowed the six year old to paint alongside the three year old. She bounced and cooed while holding the eight month old, while Aaron tried to decipher the instructions to the small crib the family brought with them. He began to get frustrated with the crib, but looking up at Harper with the child brought an involuntary smile to his face.
"Aaron, are you okay?" Harper asked, kneeling beside him to help while holding the youngest child. There was truly nothing she couldn't do.
"Perfectly fine," he said, smiling and finishing the construction of the crib. He kissed Harper on the forehead. They each stood up, and Aaron traded off with Harper. He held the baby and smiled at him, making sure he was comfortable when they laid him down.
"I'll keep an eye on this one, if you want to play with the other two," Harper said, putting together a quick lunch for the eldest girl and the middle boy. Aaron was impressed with her ability to take charge and take care of the children.
He grabbed a t-ball bat, two gloves, and a ball before leading the kids out into the yard. Aaron always loved baseball, and was excited to run around outside with the kids. They were excited, they always saw Aaron as a cool uncle and enjoyed spending time with him. They ran outside, and Harper stayed inside to keep an eye on the eight month old. She went to the kitchen to begin making a quick lunch for the kids, and her big kid of a boyfriend.
After she put the lunch together, she made a cup of coffee, looking out of the window at the three running around in the backyard. Aaron was pitching, the three year old was trying to bat, and the six year old was playing the outfield. He looked so happy and in his element, she couldn't help but smile while looking at them. Aaron turned and caught her glance, and smiled the goofiest smile she had ever seen. She chuckled and waved in his direction. She could feel herself falling in love with him, and he could feel the same about her. She turned around to grab the three plates, taking them outside to the table and chair set on the patio.
"Alright guys, it's time for lunch," She said, setting them down before turning back around to get three juice boxes and some napkins. Aaron was walking over to the table with the kids, pulling out the chairs for them. As he scooted their chairs in he turned and kissed Harper on the cheek.
"Thanks, Harp," he said, smiling before sitting down and putting the straw in his juice box. She smiled and turned back into the house, closing the french doors and getting some food for the youngest. She set up the high chair and moved the child over to begin feeding him.
"Aaron?" the six year old asked while shoving a sandwich into their face.
"What's up," Aaron said, while doing the same.
"Are you and Harper married?" She looked at him as if he were a real life prince, and Harper the princess.
"No, we aren't married-"
"But are you gunna be?" She asked, starting to get frustrated with him.
"Maybe so," he said, looking in at Harper smiling and making faces at the child eating inside.
"You know - I've always wanted to be a flower girl," she said, giving him a sassy look.
"I'll keep that in mind... Eat your lunch so we can go play," Aaron said, changing the topic but still thinking about the questions the little girl asked.
-----
Soon the parents arrived. The two under Aaron's care ran into their mother's arms, and Aaron began to search for Harper and the youngest. He walked into the sitting room and saw Harper sprawled across the couch, the child in the crib beside her. Her hand was sitting on the edge of the crib, evidence that she was rocking the child to sleep. The mother came in, smiled at the sight and walked over to her child, picking it up out of the crib. She looked at Aaron, then back down at the sleeping girl.
"You got a good one, Aaron," she said, walking out of the room with her child. Aaron folded up the crib and followed her out. He waved goodbye to the kids, walking in with his parents. He woke up Harper.
"Hey Harp, it's almost time to go," He said, trying to ease her awake. She slowly stood up, hugging Aaron. She turned and saw his parents, smiling and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"How was golfing?" She asked, smiling.
"It was marvelous, thank you both so much for taking care of the kids. They had such a great time," his mother said, hugging the young girl in front of her. She really enjoyed Aaron's new signifiant other, and really wanted to keep this one around. His father thought that Harper was one of the most amazing girls Aaron had ever brought home, and wanted to see them spend their lives together. They worked so well together, and he knew that this was an amazing sign.
"Well, we're going to head back to the city so that we can get back before it's too late," Aaron said, with his arm around Harper. They each said their goodbyes to his parents, then went to the guest house to grab their suitcases. They walked out to Aaron's car and began to drive back to the city. Less than five minutes into the ride, Harper had already fallen asleep. Aaron played music very low and enjoyed the scenery. He looked over at the sleeping girl periodically, smiling to himself. Upon their arrival back at Harper's apartment, Aaron picked her up out of the car with their bags and carried her up to her room. He laid her down on the bed and curled up beside her, ready to spend a night with her in his arms. He kissed her cheek and fell asleep.
She opened the door and was greeted by Aaron's mother, who promptly noticed the ring on Harper's finger. His mother smiled.
"Aaron's in the kitchen," she said, leading Harper in the correct direction by placing her hand on Harper's back.
"Good morning, Harper," Aaron said, turning from the counter to place a kiss on her forehead while continuing to do the dishes.
"Good morning," Harper said, smiling and picking up the towel to help him.
"Oh, Aaron, I just remembered, the neighbors, your father, and I are going golfing today - could you and Harper watch the children for a few hours before you leave?" His mother sounded desperate for a good afternoon with her friends, and Aaron was just eager to get to spend some time with Harper. He glanced over at Harper, who shot a smile his way.
"Absolutely mom, enjoy your afternoon," he said, placing his arm on the counter behind Harper. Harper was excited to get to spend some time with children, and Aaron was even more excited to see how Harper got along with the children.
"Oh sweetheart, thank you so much," his mother said, hugging and kissing Aaron and Harper on the cheek. She ran upstairs to change into appropriate clothing and Harper turned to face Aaron.
"I guess we get to play house today," Aaron said, smiling and wrapping his arm around her waist.
She giggled, kissing his cheek. "I suppose we'll need some things to entertain them."
Harper smiled, thinking to all of the lesson plans she had put together during her years of student teaching. She wondered what the kids would want to do, and helped Aaron put the dishes up in the cabinets.
Before they knew it, they were in charge of a six year old, a three year old, and an eight month old. As the mother handed the eight month old to Harper, her face lit up with a combination of shock and excitement. Aaron realized that they would be in above their heads.
Harper led the six year old to a covered table and allowed the six year old to paint alongside the three year old. She bounced and cooed while holding the eight month old, while Aaron tried to decipher the instructions to the small crib the family brought with them. He began to get frustrated with the crib, but looking up at Harper with the child brought an involuntary smile to his face.
"Aaron, are you okay?" Harper asked, kneeling beside him to help while holding the youngest child. There was truly nothing she couldn't do.
"Perfectly fine," he said, smiling and finishing the construction of the crib. He kissed Harper on the forehead. They each stood up, and Aaron traded off with Harper. He held the baby and smiled at him, making sure he was comfortable when they laid him down.
"I'll keep an eye on this one, if you want to play with the other two," Harper said, putting together a quick lunch for the eldest girl and the middle boy. Aaron was impressed with her ability to take charge and take care of the children.
He grabbed a t-ball bat, two gloves, and a ball before leading the kids out into the yard. Aaron always loved baseball, and was excited to run around outside with the kids. They were excited, they always saw Aaron as a cool uncle and enjoyed spending time with him. They ran outside, and Harper stayed inside to keep an eye on the eight month old. She went to the kitchen to begin making a quick lunch for the kids, and her big kid of a boyfriend.
After she put the lunch together, she made a cup of coffee, looking out of the window at the three running around in the backyard. Aaron was pitching, the three year old was trying to bat, and the six year old was playing the outfield. He looked so happy and in his element, she couldn't help but smile while looking at them. Aaron turned and caught her glance, and smiled the goofiest smile she had ever seen. She chuckled and waved in his direction. She could feel herself falling in love with him, and he could feel the same about her. She turned around to grab the three plates, taking them outside to the table and chair set on the patio.
"Alright guys, it's time for lunch," She said, setting them down before turning back around to get three juice boxes and some napkins. Aaron was walking over to the table with the kids, pulling out the chairs for them. As he scooted their chairs in he turned and kissed Harper on the cheek.
"Thanks, Harp," he said, smiling before sitting down and putting the straw in his juice box. She smiled and turned back into the house, closing the french doors and getting some food for the youngest. She set up the high chair and moved the child over to begin feeding him.
"Aaron?" the six year old asked while shoving a sandwich into their face.
"What's up," Aaron said, while doing the same.
"Are you and Harper married?" She looked at him as if he were a real life prince, and Harper the princess.
"No, we aren't married-"
"But are you gunna be?" She asked, starting to get frustrated with him.
"Maybe so," he said, looking in at Harper smiling and making faces at the child eating inside.
"You know - I've always wanted to be a flower girl," she said, giving him a sassy look.
"I'll keep that in mind... Eat your lunch so we can go play," Aaron said, changing the topic but still thinking about the questions the little girl asked.
-----
Soon the parents arrived. The two under Aaron's care ran into their mother's arms, and Aaron began to search for Harper and the youngest. He walked into the sitting room and saw Harper sprawled across the couch, the child in the crib beside her. Her hand was sitting on the edge of the crib, evidence that she was rocking the child to sleep. The mother came in, smiled at the sight and walked over to her child, picking it up out of the crib. She looked at Aaron, then back down at the sleeping girl.
"You got a good one, Aaron," she said, walking out of the room with her child. Aaron folded up the crib and followed her out. He waved goodbye to the kids, walking in with his parents. He woke up Harper.
"Hey Harp, it's almost time to go," He said, trying to ease her awake. She slowly stood up, hugging Aaron. She turned and saw his parents, smiling and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"How was golfing?" She asked, smiling.
"It was marvelous, thank you both so much for taking care of the kids. They had such a great time," his mother said, hugging the young girl in front of her. She really enjoyed Aaron's new signifiant other, and really wanted to keep this one around. His father thought that Harper was one of the most amazing girls Aaron had ever brought home, and wanted to see them spend their lives together. They worked so well together, and he knew that this was an amazing sign.
"Well, we're going to head back to the city so that we can get back before it's too late," Aaron said, with his arm around Harper. They each said their goodbyes to his parents, then went to the guest house to grab their suitcases. They walked out to Aaron's car and began to drive back to the city. Less than five minutes into the ride, Harper had already fallen asleep. Aaron played music very low and enjoyed the scenery. He looked over at the sleeping girl periodically, smiling to himself. Upon their arrival back at Harper's apartment, Aaron picked her up out of the car with their bags and carried her up to her room. He laid her down on the bed and curled up beside her, ready to spend a night with her in his arms. He kissed her cheek and fell asleep.