Never Too Soon

Be Ready

POV: Harper

"I'm home!" I called out to my grandparents as Lauren and I walked in through the front door.

"Harper!" My Gramps came running to me and almost gave me one of his famous bear hugs, so I quickly tucked away behind Lauren.

"No hugs like that yet. That would hurt." I quickly explained when his face sunk.

"Oh! Right! Sorry." My Gramps held his arms out for me to come into.

I smiled and he wrapped his arms around my shoulders to avoid the incision wound that was placed just under my rib cage.

"Lauren, thank you so, so much for taking care of her for three weeks. The renovation next door is still loud as hell." My Nan gave Lauren a hug before stealing my attention from my Gramps.

"No problem, we had fun. Do you know when Frank will be home?" Lauren asked as she walked into my room to set my things down. I told her that I could do it myself at least thirty times, but she didn't listen.

"He should be home in the next few minutes. He won his big case today, so he's super happy. Harper being home will only top it off." My Nan smiled at Lauren when she came back to my side after setting my things down.

"Do you want to sit out here or in your room?" Lauren asked me with a gentle hand resting on my back.

"Out here. I wanna see how my dad reacts." I looked up at her and she nodded her head. I may be more mature than most adults at seventeen, but since I'm a few months short of being a legal adult my dad has to agree and sign off on it. My measurements were already taken by Lauren's designer for her Vogue and LMJ models yesterday morning. She thinks she can persuade him if he were to say no, so she is getting everything rolling as fast as possible.

My strides were strong as I walked to the couch. My biggest issue is soreness upon taking a deep breath or significant pressure, and those really weren't a big deal.

My eyes widened when I heard a car door close in the driveway.

"Hey, I've got it." Lauren whispered as she sat down beside me.

"Hey mom, hey dad." My dad's voice was upbeat, but still a bit down for some odd reason.

"She's home." My Nan chuckled at his saddened expression light up before walking into her room while my Gramps walked out into his screened in porch.

My dad shot around to see Lauren and me on the couch.

"Harp! You're home!" My dad ran over to me and set his briefcase on the coffee table. "I will refrain from hugging you, but know that I appreciate your presence."

I giggled and nodded my head.

"Was she trouble?" My dad asked Lauren with a wince.

"No more than usual." Lauren teased me.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Says you."

"I have something to ask you." Lauren ignored my comment with ease, per fucking usual. Eventually I would find something to piss her off enough to gain her attention.

"Oh? What is it?" My dad sat down in chair adjacent from us.

"So as you know, I own LMJ Magazine, Vogue, and a few others." Lauren started off and my dad nodded his head as if it was old news.

"Woah woah woah! You knew?" I slapped the couch and looked at my dad in disbelief.

"I know everything. I wanted you to figure it out on your own. Took you longer than I expected, but still. Go on, Lauren." My dad dismissed my question with an egotistical remark that only earned an eye roll from me.