Poppy

Mom Knows

Hope groaned and turned her alarm off. She tossed her bright red hair into a ponytail, and brushed her teeth. She glanced at the champagne colored dress she had chosen for the day. Was it too understated? Did it project enough confidence? Dad had told her when she was running for student body president that it was important to dress for the role. He'd been right. People treated her with respect in these clothes, and as shallow as it was, it really did change the way people saw her.
She stepped out of her room, and saw her mother on the sofa holding...
Her heart dropped to her feet. She'd found them.
"Hey Poppy," her mother gave her that "don't - lie - I - already - know" smile.
Poppy was a childhood nickname that had stuck for some unearthly reason. It was her father's pet name for her, but her mother reserved it for moments such as these.
Her mother, Donna, held up four crisp white envelopes. Embossed, and crested with generations of dignity, the envelopes  fanned in her well manicured hand.
"When we're you planning to tell us?" Her mother arched a brow. It was no surprise that it was her mother who discovered it.
Donna Specter was the most intuitive person alive. No one kept secrets for long in the Specter household. Hope's fear was that her mother kept no secrets from her father. That was the whole point of the secret to begin with. Hope didn't want her dad finding out.
"Does dad know?" She sighed nervously.
"Not yet," Donna narrowed her eyes at her daughter, "Please explain why your father and I don't know that you've received four acceptance letters from four Ivy League schools."
" Because dad expects me to go to Harvard, and become the next great Specter. He has his heart set on me majoring in law, and on the fast track to being the next best closer in the city..."
"...and you don't want to be a lawyer?" Posed as a question, but it didn't sound like one.
" I want dad to be proud of me. But I don't want to become one, based on my last name. I know that's the only reason they accepted me. I want to be the best, and I want to love what I do. If I'm just some mediocre lawyer eventually it'll show. It's my dream to work for dad, but I can't be who he thinks I am. I'm no Mike Ross."
Hope's frustrations were radiating off of her.
" He did set the bar pretty high," her mom smirked, then grew serious, " Your dad loves you, Hope."
She took her daughter's hand in hers.
"The truth is, you owe him an explanation. It's going to be hard to do, but you have to tell him. If I know Harvey, and I do, he'll get over it. Best of all, he'll be proud of you for having the guts to be honest."
Hope knew her mother was right, and in true Specter fashion, she tightened her jaw and nodded.
"I'll tell him after school, I should be over there at about 5 p.m. I have a student council meeting today. Schedule me in?"
Donna nodded.
"See you then."
Hope stood and kissed her mom on the cheek, "Gotta go. Love you, and I swear I'll be there."
Two rules growing up: Specters told the truth, and Specters kept their word. A promise was binding. Though reluctant, she purposed to keep it.

Donna sighed as the door shut. Hope was just like Harvey. Bull-headed and stubborn. However, Hope looked like Donna. Tall, porcelain complexion,  and exuded confidence. She was student body president. Harvey's pride and joy. She'd gotten numerous policies passed through the Board of Ed in support of her anti- bullying and Special Ed projects. Harvey betted on her being his new associate in a few years, and for a while, she'd have agreed. But in the last year things had shifted. There was a change in Hope that she was almost positive Harvey was oblivious to. Try as she might, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, and she was Donna for God's sake! The overly confident exterior would sometimes crumble and she would see these moments of desperate vulnerability. It usually happened when Harvey discussed Harvard or an exciting case. In the last year, her wardrobe had morphed as well. It had gone from the usual teenage trends to business-like, and mature. Donna couldn't help but feel like Hope was trying to relate in some way to her father's way of life, knowing that her dream of working at the firm would probably never happen.