The remainder of the Snow Ball continues without incident. Eventually, Jon returns to find Harmony. He apologizes for disappearing but is quite honest with her about her obvious feelings for Jimmy.
“Harmony, can I talk to you for a moment?” Jon asks her in front of the punch bowl.
She glances up at him and blinks. But she nods her head. Momentarily, Jimmy has disappeared. Jon leads Harmony over to the corner that Harper was occupying a few minutes ago before my daughter and Lyric rescued her.
Thankfully, I can still hear Jon and Harmony speaking.
“Harmony? Am I wrong to assume that you wished Jimmy had invited you tonight instead of me?”
Now my curiosity gets the better of me, and I turn to catch the ripple of discomfort and regret that slides across her face.
“I’m sorry, Jon. I should have turned you down. It wasn’t fair to you. I knew I had a crush on him when you asked me yesterday. I just…I didn’t have a date, and my sister and brother both did, and I knew I’d be the fifth wheel if I came alone.”
“It’s all right, Harmony.”
Surprise lighting up her features, her eyes rise from her toes to meet his own again. “It is? You’re not hurt?”
“Well,” now he’s the one studying his toes, “I can’t say that. I really like you, Harmony. That’s why I asked you to the dance. It took me a whole month to find the courage.” Now his eyes travel back to hers again. “You’re so beautiful and sweet. I’ve liked you for a long time. I just…I always suspected you liked him. So I left room for him to invite you…but he never did.”
More ripples are flowing over her face in a steady stream of guilt and unease. “Oh.”
Very gently, Jon prods her. “Why didn’t he ask you, Harmony? I mean, he clearly wants to be here with you.”
“He didn’t think he was going to be here tonight. His mom has been really sick for the past few weeks. He’s been spending his evenings with her at the hospital.”
Surprise lights up Jon’s face now. “Oh!” He glances towards the door to the gym through which Jimmy disappeared a few moments before. “Is she all right?”
“I don’t know about that. But she is feeling better. Somehow, she discerned how badly he wanted to be here with me, so she pushed him to come tonight. I…” Harmony’s voice trails off.
“Then you should be with him, Harmony.”
Her eyes fly to his face. She seems to search his gaze for a few moments. “Are you sure? You did invite me.”
Jon nods his head. “It’s all right. I,” he turns to glance at Bella who’s standing across the room staring at him with her heart in her eyes, “I’m hanging out with Bella.”
Harmony smiles. “She’s a nice girl, Jon. And she’s nuts about you.”
He sighs. “I know she is.”
“Hey,” she reaches out to touch his hand, “give her a chance. Would you?”
His eyes find hers again.
“I think you’d make a nice couple,” Harmony opines.
“You do?” he asks in genuine surprise. “Why?”
“Because you are both extremely sweet.” Now her eyes fly over to Bella. “She’s really pretty. Don’t you think?”
But the expression on Jon’s face as his eyes devour Harmony’s countenance is enough to tell me whom he finds beautiful. However, he remains silent.
Harmony lifts her gaze to his face again. She must be catching the hint of vulnerability in his countenance, for she swallows before whispering again, “I’m sorry, Jon. So sorry. I know how bad it feels to be…”
“Rejected?” he croaks.
She nods her head. Her fingers wrap around his and squeeze lightly before she drops his hand. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening with Bella. And, Jon?”
He continues to stare down at her.
“Thank you for inviting me tonight.” She smiles so prettily up at him that I can see why he fell for her.
He bobs his head before she wanders away. His eyes suddenly collide with mine as he turns to watch her go. I feel a tug on my heart. I don’t miss those days for anything. Such strong feelings unrequited. Painful crushes. Disappointed hopes.
I give him a flimsy smile. Surprising me, he strides towards me.
“Thank you, Mrs. Franklin, for encouraging me to ask Bella to dance. I had a good time with her. You were right. She’s sweet.” Now his eyes are straying across the room again. “And funny. I never had any idea she had such a great sense of humor. She’s usually silent around me.”
The corners of my lips continue to rise. “That’s because she likes you.”
“Yeah. I kinda figured that out.”
“Are you going to ask her to dance again?”
He takes a deep breath before blowing it noisily out of his mouth. “Yeah.” He glances down at the table and snags two cups of red liquid off of it. “After I take her some punch.” He gives me a lopsided grin before disappearing for the rest of the night.
—
“Mom?” Janna asks me an hour later. “Is it okay if Harper spends the night?”
“Oh!” My eyebrows ascend into the heavens. “Isn’t Emmie coming home with you?”
She nods.
“Where’s Harper going to sleep?” Long ago, we installed another twin mattress in my daughter’s room after her father built her a loft bed. Emmie sleeps underneath it.
“She said she’s perfectly happy camping out on the floor in my room. I told her she can use one of our sleeping bags.”
My eyes search for Harper. She’s standing a few feet away talking to Lyric who is saying something that’s made her laugh.
“What about her stuff?” I ask.
“Lyric’s going to run her home, so she can change and grab a bag. She’s already texted her mom for permission. She said it’s okay.”
“She did?” I ask in surprise.
“Yeah,” Janna smiles at me. “Mom, you know her mother. She worked on the pageant with you. She’s the one who made all the costumes.”
“What? Mrs. Taylor?”
Janna nods.
“Oh. All right. How is Jon getting home if Lyric is driving Harper?”
“He told us he’s catching a ride with Bella.” Now Janna’s eyes travel across the room to where Jon and Bella are standing as they sip their punch. Janna’s lips quirked upward. “I think we may be seeing the beginning of a wonderful relationship.”
“Mmm. He really likes Harmony,” I murmur.
“I know, Mom. But Harmony’s been into Jimmy forever! And now she finally knows that he likes her too. Jon’s out of luck in that department.”
“Well, he seems to be rolling in luck when it comes to Bella.”
“Ha! Yeah, the whole school knows she’s been mooning over him for years.”
“Do they? That must be decidedly uncomfortable for her.”
“She’s never made it a secret. Her eyes never stray from him. No matter where they are together.”
Talk about a painful crush. My heart hurts for the girl. Such devotion. To like a guy for two and a half years despite no encouragement from him. That’s faithfulness.
“Well, I hope he finds something in her to adore then.”
Janna’s eyes collide with mine. “They seem to be on a good path to that possibility. I’ve heard him laugh tonight at several things she said. And she’s eating up his dad jokes.”
“His dad jokes?” I ask, stunned.
“I know, right?” Janna spears me with her gaze again. She smirks. “Maybe everyone does have a twin somewhere.”
“Well, one thing’s for sure.”
“What’s that?” she furrows her brow at me.
“You do.”
“Mom!” she laughs breathlessly. Shaking her head at me.
“And so do Abs and Alastair. I haven’t found Everett’s yet, though,” I pull the corners of my eyebrows towards my nose as my eyes search the room for my son’s doppelgänger.
“Maybe he’s in South Korea,” my daughter murmurs before heading back to her boyfriend.
