Harmony jumped.Her father never raised his voice.He never got angry.He was the most even-tempered person she’d ever met.
“I’m sorry,” he said with a sigh.“I shouldn’t have yelled.But you need to understand things.You’re old enough to know that high school is not going to last forever.The people who are popular right now aren’t going to matter in ten years.You need to focus on things that aren’t dependent on other people.Things no one can take away from you.Why would you choose to go for things that someone else can take from you?”
“What do you mean?”
“When you’re an adult, what do you think will matter more: being popular or having a degree?”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
Harmony groaned.“Fine.”
“What about being popular or being kind to others?”
Again, Harmony groaned.
“I want more for you.Maybe you’ll date this Johnny.Or maybe Maggie will.Or maybe neither of you will.But if you can’t tell me one thing about this boy, I can’t begin to understand why you would want to date him.”
Harmony sat back, the conversation hitting her square in the chest.
“You should want to date someone who makes you smile when they walk in the room.Someone you miss when they walk out of the room.Someone who inspires you and motivates you and captivates you.”
“What if he does?”
“Does he?”
Harmony was quiet.
“The person who is meant for you is going to be someone you can’t imagine your life without.Someone who is kind and thoughtful.Who not only makes you feel like the most important person in the world, but someone who is the most important person in your world.”
“Is that how you and Mom were?”
He looked up at her, his eyes watery.“From the first moment I saw her.”
“How will I know when I meet him?”
He chuckled.“You’ll know, sweetheart.And when you do, bring him home so I can meet him.”
Harmony nodded.“Okay.”
“You doing okay?”Damien asked, drawing Harmony out of her memory.
“Yeah,” she said, smiling at the man she wished she could have introduced to her father.“I was just thinking about my dad.”
“Was he a scientist?”
Harmony chuckled.“Ah, no.He never went to college.It was part of why he was so adamant that I go.”
“What would he have thought about all of this?”
“He would have been so proud.”
Damien’s eyes crinkled with his smile.“I bet he would have been.”
“He would have really liked you, too.”
“Yeah?”
