Poppy

Dad Can't Find Out

She sat in her bedroom now berating herself and replaying the meeting over and over in her mind. When she'd left his office she couldn't even look her mother in the eye. Hope hadn't technically lied, but she'd hadn't been forthcoming either, which in her father's eyes, were the same thing.
"Dad," she remembered knocking on his office door.
When he looked up, she knew she was going to have to be careful.
"What's going on?" He looked stressed. His tie crooked, his sleeves rolled up, and his graying hair was a bit disheveled.
"Acceptance letters," she raised them as she said it. His face brightened.
"Oh?" He smirked," Plural. As in you get to choose?"
She nodded. Loving that she was making his day.
"Princeton, Brown, Yale, and...Harvard," Hope smirked back.
"Poppy, that's..." He stopped himself, "Which one are you thinking?"
In the moment, she decided to mess with him like mom. Hope tilted her head sideways, and arched a brow. "You think I'm going to choose Pinceton, or Yale, or... Brown?" She tossed the Harvard letter to him. And crossed her arms. He grinned his Specter smile recognising the crest.
"Do you mind if I frame it?" He puffed out his chest as if he'd just won a big case. As much as she loved that she'd made him proud, she knew that she wasn't being entirely honest, and it killed her inside. Dad trusted her.

Mom stepped in and sat down on the bed next to her. Hope tried to hide her tears.
"Mom don't," she sighed.
Donna raised her hands in surrender.
"This is a no judgement consultation. Judging by your tears, I'll say you are well aware of the predicament you're in." She arched a perfect brow at Hope.
Their eyes met and held.
"I couldn't do it. He was upset, and stressed, and I had the letter..."
"I get it," her mother reached her arm around her shoulder, "I've done it too."
"He's going to frame it, he said."
"He already did, and bragged to Louis about it," Donna smirked at her husband's antics, "So, you're going to Harvard."
"I have to now. I'm NOT breaking that promise, but you better make sure he doesn't call in any favors for me," she leveled a "Donna look" at the woman herself. Donna had to admit, if things didn't work out for hope, she'd make an incredible Donna.
"Scouts honor," She raised three fingers, then pulled in her baby for a hug. She was Donna, and she was awesome, but sometimes it shocked her how well she and Harvey had raised Hope.
"I'm proud of you, baby," she whispered into her daughter's matching copper hair. Hope squeezed tighter, and Donna felt the tear slip down her face.