by Cara North
He looked at the floors, the walls, and the view from the windows.
“And you’ll notice there are three bedrooms and an office space.” The agent said as she led them back towards the rooms. He poked his head in each room. Harmony checked out closets and listened to all of the features and benefits. They made it to the master bedroom and the agent said, “I’ll let you two discuss it a bit.”
He watched her inspect the closets, “Walk in closets. Do you have any idea how awesome it is to have a walk in closet?”
Yeah, because before he lived in the tiny apartment he lived in a place bigger than this. He had to find a place to live and send an address for them to deliver his stuff. The longer he was in Dagney’s apartment the more he wanted out of it. He wanted his own bed. Especially since Harmony had returned to work and he had no reason to sleep at her place.
She went into the master bath and said, “Bruce! They have a tub.”
He watched her climb inside of the large Jacuzzi tub and stretch her legs out. He leaned against the doorframe and asked, “So you think this is the one?”
She looked up at him. “I…don’t have a say in it. I do think this is a really nice place though.”
“I made you spend your day off looking at places to live and you don’t have a say in it? Come on. What do you think?” He wanted confirmation that this was a place she really liked.
“I think it has an amazing kitchen. I like the open spaces for the living and dining area. I like that there is a nook at the entry where you could set up a place for people to take off their shoes. I love the closet space. It has an office, that’s important because when you start broadcasting and stuff you will want some space. You have two more bedrooms for guests or…whatever you would do with them.” She looked away from him and at her feet. He wondered what she had in mind for those bedrooms. He suspected he already knew. He wasn’t a spring chicken and that drove him as much as anything towards getting settled. Harmony was Dagney’s age. Her clock had to be ticking.
“We could always put some kids in them,” he said it calmly, but inside his heart was trying to kick out of his chest.
She didn’t look at him for a long moment. He was trying to figure out how to back pedal his way out of that statement. When she did look up she asked, “Are you serious?”
He nodded. He knew everything he needed to know about Harmony Hernandez. She was an amazingly kind and generous woman. She rocked his world in and out of the bedroom. “So what do you think about this place?”
“I love it.” She shrugged. He knew she was feeling awkward. After all he was dropping a lot of pressure on her and she was sitting fully clothed in a bathtub in a place neither of them owned. He moved over to stand next to the tub.
“Watch out.” He pressed a hand to her back and she scooted forward. He stepped in behind her and adjusted until they were both sitting there. “Lean back.”
She did. Her head on his shoulder, his arms around her he said, “We both fit. That’s an important feature.”
He could feel her heart betray her outward calm and cool attitude. She was just as revved up as he was. “What if you discover you don’t really like me? What if I’m not what you want a month from now?”
“What if you don’t like me? Maybe I’m not what you want.” He laced his fingers through the fingers on her left hand. “It’s all a gamble. My mom and dad were married for five years when my mom started cheating on him with Dagney’s father. She left her father for yet another man. I’ve never really trusted women because of that. But you…you’re different.”
“How do you know it will work out?” she asked and closed her fingers over his in a gentle grip.
“I have faith that my gut isn’t steering me wrong. I’ve known guys who married people they just met in Vegas. I’ve known guys who dated a woman for years, and I’ve known all of the in between. None of it matters. The success and failure of their relationships had nothing to do with time.” He kissed her temple. “You don’t have to move in with me right away. I know I’m bulldozing through your life and trying to rearrange everything. I can wait for you to be ready.”
The real estate agent stepped into the doorway and said, “Well that tub is bigger than I thought.”
Harmony started to get up, but he held her firm as he said, “We’ll take it.”
***
Harmony opened the door to Casa de Carlos and stepped inside. The place was busy as usual around lunch time. It was the end of the lunch crowd so hopefully people would be clearing out soon. She led him to a booth and they took a seat.
He looked at her weird and asked, “Don’t you let them know you are here?”
She pulled out her phone and placed it on the table. She punched in the text. It took forever because she could only use one hand. “Done.”
A few moments later her mom was in the dining area looking around. Harmony held her hand up and then stood as her mother approached. She hugged the short woman and said, “Hi. Where’s dad?”
“He ran out to grab some chilies for the chef.” Her mom looked over and noticed Bruce. “And who’s this?”
“Bruce,” Harmony said as Bruce stood up and extended a hand. Her mother was blushing.
“My aren’t you something.” Her mother looked from Bruce to the kitchen door and waved her father over. She said, “Honey this is Bruce. Harmony brought him with her.”
Harmony watched as her father settled his eyes on Bruce. She had dated her last boyfriend for three years and never brought him to meet them. The last guy to meet her parents was her date to the senior prom. Her dad extended a hand and said, “Juan Hernandez, this is my wife Betty. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Sit,” her mother said and ushered them to sit on the same side of the booth. Her parents took the opposite seat. “This is a nice surprise. We haven’t seen you in a while. What’s the cast from?”
She spoke up before he did. “I hit it against something at work. It probably wouldn’t have broken but it was in the same place as that old volleyball injury. It’s fine. I’m already back to work.”
“I don’t like you working that job. I don’t like it!” Her father said and moved his hands around for emphasis. He looked at Bruce. “What do you do? Besides work out?”
Harmony could feel the heat creep up her neck and into her cheeks. Her dad was not going to take it easy on him even if he was the first guy she brought home.
“That’s a great question.” Bruce nodded. “I’m kinda in between jobs right now. I suppose you could say I’m an actor, but I haven’t started work yet.”
“Aye dios mio.” Her father looked at the ceiling. “Acting will not help you take care of my daughter. How do you suppose you will do that in the meantime? Not with your gym membership. I can tell you that.”
Harmony wanted to crawl under the table, she wanted to disappear into the back of the seat, she wanted to pretend like this wasn’t happening, but it was. Bruce, calm as ever, said, “Sir, I just retired from professional football. Unless she has maintenance issues I haven’t discovered yet, I’m pretty sure I can manage.”
Her father scrutinized him through squinted eyes. He wasn’t big, he was just tall. He seemed shorter now that she was older and pretty much the same height. He tickled her because he certainly didn’t care that Bruce outweighed him, had muscles, and played football. He wasn’t letting his right of fatherly criticism and investigation pass.
Her mother’s eyes opened wide a moment later. “You were on the news. The…wait…” She got up and grabbed the remote control and changed one of the televisions that hung on the wall to one of the sports channels. Sure enough, they were discussing who could be drafted to replace Bruce this year. They were also showing highlight reels. She watched as another player launched and tackled him. The sound alone made her mother jump. “Some of the guys watch this during lunch. I hate football. Look at what they are doing to that young man. Sure he makes the goals but look at that one. I can’t watch anymore.”
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She flipped it back to a children’s channel and returned to her seat. “Do you know that young man they were jumping on?”
Bruce nodded, “Yes, ma’am. That was me.”
Her mother’s eyes really went wide then. Harmony had to admit, after watching him take those hits it made her really glad he wasn’t playing anymore.
“Okay, so you can take care of her financially. Where do you live? I lost one of my children already. I won’t let you take her away from me.” Her father’s eyes flashed with hurt. He never wanted Carlos to enlist, but her brother was determined to make his own way. Her parents had worked so hard all their lives. Her father worked two sometimes three jobs so they could have the same things as their peers within reason. Her mother worked a part time job and watched children in their home. They did the best they could by any standard.
“I bought a condo in West Hollywood today. It’s actually pretty close to here which is why I finally got her to bring me.” Bruce was not going to give her dad a reason not to like him. She knew that much for sure. It was impossible not to like him. He was such a gentle giant though what she had seen a moment before on the television made it seem otherwise.
“So what do you know about this cast business? She didn’t tell us she had a cast on. She talks to her mother every day.” Her father waved his hand as he spoke pointing to Harmony and then to her mother.
“Papa, that is because I don’t want you to worry about me. You would have been insisting I come home. It’s just a cast.” Harmony pleaded, “I’m a grown woman. I can handle myself.”
“And what do you think?” Her father looked at Bruce.
“I think she can handle herself.” He nodded. She was happy he took her side, but only for a moment. “But, I still don’t like that she works the night shift. Even if the place is safe, relatively incident free, but for an occasional accident. How can I not worry about her? It’s impossible.”
Okay, so he redeemed himself in the end. She reminded them both, “But I need to be available in the daytime for auditions.”
“I want to be an abuelo before I die.” Her father said as he looked at her. He used more Spanish terms now that he was older. Sure there were a few, like abuelo and abuela that she knew because that is what she called her own grandparents.
“Bruce, do you want to have children?” Her mother asked him.
“Yes, ma’am. At least two, maybe four.” She saw him glance at her from the corner of his eye. She hoped he knew how thin the ice he was skating on was.
“Four!” Her father was excited.
Her mother lit up. “We only had two because we wanted them to have the best of everything we could give them, Bruce. I regret it. I wish I would have given them less and had more. Maybe then my baby wouldn’t be alone when…” Her mother teared up.
Her father immediately comforted her mom. Bruce looked at her. His right hand moved to rest on her left knee. He gave a squeeze. She wasn’t going to cry. Absolutely not.
Her mother collected herself and smiled at them. Harmony really had to breathe through it. She was not going to let it get to her. She had shed her tears, she had dealt with it, she had accepted it, and though it hurt to think about, she wasn’t going to cry every time he was mentioned.
“Well, don’t get too excited.” Harmony realized that all three of them looked at her immediately. She cleared her throat. “We haven’t even talked about other things that need to come before grandchildren.”
“Isn’t that what we are doing here?” Her father looked from her to Bruce and back. “You don’t bring anyone to see us, ever. I know you have had other boyfriends. You brought him. I thought that meant he’s the one.”
“Can we maybe lighten the mood some and get lunch?” Harmony sighed.
“Of course,” her mother said. “Come, Juan. Let’s go grab them something to eat.”
Her mother pulled her father by the hand. He said, “You don’t even know what they want to eat.”
“I’ll figure it out, sweetheart.” Her mother winked. Harmony smiled. Her mom handled the business end of the business. She had taken some business classes after Harmony moved out. Without two kids in the house they earned enough for her to do a lot of things, but she took the classes and they were saving their money to do exactly what they were doing now.
As soon as her parents were out of earshot Bruce whispered, “How deep am I?”
“What?” She looked at him.
“I know I’m in trouble. You looked like you wanted to stab me when I said four kids.” He slid his hand up to grab hers.
“No one believes in me as an actress.” She shook her head. “I have to give up my dream to have kids.”
“No, that’s not true. I believe in you and you don’t have to give up anything. Except maybe that job, because I honestly don’t like you working nights. I know, I know. It’s chauvinistic, double-standard, blah blah blah, it’s still true. I don’t have a problem with other women working the late shift. Just you.” He was being a bulldozer again. “You have worked some as an extra right? Have you tried other things, like theatre, or commercials?”
“I wanted to be a movie star.” She laughed after saying it out loud. Sheesh, she was as bad as everyone else in this town. Thousands of people wanting the same thing.
“And I wanted to be a quarterback, but I made a lot of money as a wide receiver. You don’t have to let go of your dreams, gorgeous. You just have to make the dream work for you.” He let go of her hand and then put his hand on her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. Nothing too scandalous, just sweet enough to make her smile. She nodded.
She had to tell him this next part because she was pretty sure it was true. “I think my dad might think you are here to ask his permission.”
“Isn’t that why you brought me here?” He lifted his eyebrow.
“I brought you here because you wanted to meet my parents, and…I didn’t think it would go that far this fast.” Harmony popped herself with the cast as she tried to rub her forehead.
“Careful with that thing,” Bruce said as he chuckled.
“Awe,” her mother cooed as she sat drinks down on the table. “He’s good for you. You are good for her.”
“Then you can marry her,” her father said as he placed the food in front of them.
***
The next day…
“You can’t get married after knowing her for two weeks!” Dagney shouted at him. To make matters worse, she was yelling as she was driving him to a jeweler to pick out a ring. He hoped they made it there alive.
“You want me to pine after her for a year first?” He wasn’t letting her judge him.
“That’s different,” she said.
“It’s the exact same. You may have been around him longer, but you have only been in a relationship with him a week longer than me. You’re heading to Europe for six months on tour based on what, three maybe four weeks of a real relationship?” He scoffed. “I’m grown. I’m almost forty. I want to settle down. I want a place to live where I’m not worried that I might get traded to another team and have to uproot. I want a family. I came here to be near the only family I have left and you are heading away. I’m not mad. I get it, but I was coming out here to start a new life and by God that is what I am doing. I love her.”
Dagney screeched the car to a halt. She almost ran the red light.
“Jesus, Dagney!”
“You’re not worried that she will find someone else? You’re not worried that when the new and freshness wears off and you see the not so great parts and she sees the not so great parts she might stray?” Dagney was talking to him, but it wasn’t about Harmony.
“No, Dags. And I don’t think you will do that to Foster either.” He reached across the seat and grabbed her shoulder. “You’re not her. She’s not her. We make our own lives, Dags. The hard decisions remember?”
She started crying.
“Let me drive.” He opened his door and ran around. She scooted over in t
he seat. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“He asked me to marry him!” She screamed. “I told him no.”
“You don’t want to marry him?” Bruce asked and looked at the navigation system quickly to get his bearings on their location.
“Of course I do.” She sobbed. “I’m afraid to.”
He punched the navigation buttons and selected Foster’s address clearly identified as a saved place and entered the new route.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you back to Foster,” he said. “You’re better than this, Dags. You don’t lie to both of you because you’re afraid. You think this shit is easy? It isn’t. It’s scary. It takes work. You’ve never been afraid of anything. You need to tell him the truth. You want to but you’re scared. He’ll give you time. Hell, he gave you a year to go on a date, I’m sure he can give you a few more months to settle into the idea.”
Bruce was surprised to see where Foster lived. They had been meeting for lunches or dinners and the past week Dagney had been meeting without her beau in tow. He knew why now.
Foster came to the door and said, “Well this is unexpected. Come in.”
Bruce realized at that moment, his little sister was hiding behind him. “Both of us?”
“Both?” He let out a heavy sigh as Dagney made herself visible. He left the door open and walked into the house.
“This is a really nice place you have here.” Bruce tried for the small talk approach as he put both of his hands on Dagney’s arms and moved her to stand in front of him rather than behind him.
“It’s lovely, really.” Foster motioned for them to come farther into the house. He was heading towards the back.
“Why are you hiding?” Bruce whispered.
“I’m nervous. In my normal clothes I could be nervous and not worry. In this stupid outfit I feel like…” She looked down at the pretty dress she had on and the heels.
