A Second Chance

7.

Every afternoon, I get excited. Because I get to stop doing my work and I get to help Willow.

It's fun, in a way. Harper only asked me once to help and that was because she was sneaking in vegetables in to the dinner. I know it's common that kids don't eat vegetables and Willow has proven it time and again.

So I asked Harper if it was alright for Willow to have dessert. Harper hesitated about it and I simply told her that Willow can have it under the conditions that she eats at least half of her vegetables.

Harper agreed but I didn't want to step on her toes since she was Willows mother.

I help Willow with all sorts of homework. Her maths, reading, English, spelling. We are always smiling and laughing.

I heard the front door open and close, but I didn't hear Willow or Harper talking.

Intrigued, I got up and went for the kitchen. Usually Willow gets in with Harper, we do homework, Harper does dinner and Willow see's Liz then we have dinner and Willow watches tv till her and Harper go home.

But it was awfully quiet. I got to the kitchen and saw Harper by herself. The kitchen stool was empty. There was no sign of Willow there at all.

"Hey." I greeted Harper and I saw how she quickly wiped her face before facing me.

"Hi." She smiled at me. "Sorry, no Willow till Monday."

"Oh." I was a bit disappointed.

"She is spending the weekend at Connor's. Not that either were pleased."

I could hear that defeated voice again. "Is Connor her dad?" I frowned, finding the word quite foreign to me.

"Yeah, the bastard. I'm sorry. He just winds me up." Harper took a deep breathe and steadied herself against the counter. "I just can't understand why he is doing all this. First he denied me child support to help me with Willow, the divorce papers, now he stated that after this weekend he won't have Willow as much because he is moving away." Harper cried out. I could see her trying to stop the tears, but they wouldn't stop. "I'm so sorry. I'm not usually this emotional."

I didn't know what to do. Do I comfort her? I was stuck.

"Uh..."

"It's okay. I'm so sorry." She sniffed back.

"Come sit down, have a breather."

Harper shook her head. "No I can't. I have to start Liz's dinner."

I gave her a smile. "It's only two thirty."

"I know. But I have to start. Liz wanted roast beef."

"You are spoiling her." I teased Harper which made her giggle.

"I should let you get back to your work."

I pressed my lips together. "It's nothing important. It can wait." I told her sitting on the bar stool. I don't know why I said that. What I had to do was important. Very important.

"Would you like a coffee?"

I gave her a charming smile. "Sure."

I watched Harper make my coffee and placed it in front of me before she started dinner.

"So what do you do?" She asked me while peeling a couple potatoes.

"I manage a tech business."

"Tech?" Harper raised her eyebrows. "Like phones or the smaller hardware that goes in them?"

"Both." I watched her face as we spoke. She looked genuinely surprised.

"So how did Liz get here?" She asked me casually.