1

Dylan and Luna fumble down the stairs into the dining room. Harper has already cooked their breakfast and is waiting for them to sit down.
“Please guys, eat. I need to be at the office by 9.”
Almost out of ear pitch she hears, “Luna says you look fat today,”
She turns a complete 180 degrees and stares right into her son's eyes.
“And I say that if she ever says something like that again she can forget about going to Susie’s birthday party.”
Luna chimes in from her chair with food in her mouth, “Hey!”
“Hey you. Now finish up your breakfast so I can take you and you brother to school.”
Luna hushes up real quick after that; Dylan laughing from his spot at the dining room table.
“You think thats funny? Don’t test me little man.”
Her children sit quietly after that. They know better than to mess with her on days like this when she’s late.

When she drops them off at their school, Harper gets a call. The number of her lawyer shows up and her heart sinks.
“Hello, Harper,”
Harper reluctantly replies, “Hey, how are you Mary?”
Mary has been a good friend of hers for years. They met in a coffee shop right next to Harpers office and immediately clicked. Mary was happy to help when she was asked to help Harper with...
The divorce. God, the divorce. She nearly forgot all about it. Harper had been so busy and… time just slipped. How could she forget about John? The last time she’d seen him was 7 months ago in court. When she left the courtroom that day he looked so angry. She never thought in her wildest dreams that she would dread seeing his face. Mary’s voice returns, “Fine thanks. I’ve got some good news. The divorce has been finalized.”
In a moment where she should be happy, Harper’s mind is blank. Everything freezes in her car and only the sound of Mary’s breathing on the other line shakes her from her position.
“Oh um,”
Mary chimes in from the other line, “Is that good? How are you feeling right now? Tell me.”
Harper hastily replies, “Yes, I’m just fine. Can you please hold on for a moment.”
She holds her phone close to her chest to muffle the oncoming sigh. She takes a few deep breaths. She starts by inhaling slowly through her nose, and next exhaling everything in her lungs out through her mouth. In and out.
“Harper are you there? What’s happening?”
“Yes, thank you so much Mary have a good day.”
“Wait hold on for-”
Harper hangs up and spends the next hour in her car staring at her hands resting in her lap.

2
“What do you mean divorce?”
Harper looks down at her shoes. Miu Miu, she got those on sale.
“It means we’re no longer together mom, I thought you knew this.”
“Of course I know what it means do you take me for a fool? Why a divorce when you’ve got a beautiful life and beautiful children, now with no father!”
She looks at the Oscar De La Renta dress her mother is storing in her closet. She had it specially made for her honeymoon.
“Mother…”
In her Cuban accent she continues, “I know. Harper I’m sorry, you know I just want whats best for you. The man was a tool I’m glad you did away with him.”
She waves her hand with the Swarovski crystal bracelet she received as a gift from dad last Valentines Day.
Harper feels suffocated by the amount of opulence in the room. She was eager to leave the ritzy lifestyle when she got to college. She found the people associated with the glitz were not the best of characters. Her parents being successful authors have had a knack for luxuries for as long as she can remember. Their obsession wasn’t as bad up until Joseph, Harpers father, published a book called Into the Deep. A Sci-fi novel following a character, Muhammed, who is lost at space. It exploded overnight, and at first her parents had no idea what to do with the influx of cash. Her mother, Olamide, had a couple of great novels, but was overshadowed by Joseph’s overarching success. At the young age of 8 she watched as her father squander away his money on a new BMW, while her mom had an indoor garden installed where their old living room used to be. It was too much for Harper, and when she was 16 she graduated early and enrolled into Brown University. Harpers parents became reason enough for her escape.
Her mother puts away all of the clothes in her bedroom. She sits down next to Harper and grabs her hands, “Anyway darling, how are you, are you ok?”
“I’m still coping. It’s still hard to talk about. I still can’t sleep some nights, I don’t think I’ve gotten over the sadness.”
She laughs, “Make up your mind child! Do you love him or no? Why be sad when you should be happy?”
“Because it isn’t as simple as that, mom. John was a good man. A very good man! He just lost his way. Me and the kids just couldn’t fit in his life anymore.”
Harper thinks of the time her and John first met. It was a stormy day in July many summers ago, and it was absolutely pouring. The only thing to shield her from the water cascading down was a soggy old newspaper she grabbed the previous morning. Out in the rain she saw a little bookstore. As far as she knew that bookstore was the only thing getting between her and a bolt of lightning. She ran as fast as she could and bursted into the store causing quite the scene. The first thing she noticed about the quaint little shop was this beautiful smile. From this smile she gazed up and saw the most beautiful green eyes, and the most curly hair she’s seen on anyone. The beautiful man she was now staring at meets her eyes. He smiles and Harper was blushing uncontrollably. So much in fact that the man that she’s admiring is now coming towards her in long strides.
He’s holding a very large book in his hands when he approaches her and asks, “Are you okay?”
Harper’s more than okay, she’s in awe. From afar he was gorgeous, but a few inches away from her face was enough to have her stammering like she’d just forgotten how to speak.
“Ye-s, yes. I- I’m good th-thank you so much.”
They both sit down at a nearby table and Harper still hasn’t found her bearings.
“So where do you live?”
She makes sure to slow down enough to answer the question in a coherent sentence.
“In Rockingham. Just outside the city.”
His eyes get impossibly greener and light up. He explains that he grew up there and that he couldn’t believe that anyone would move to a town so small.
From then on Harper was completely infatuated. For their first date they went to the very same book shop. It was a done deal after that. The adoration they shared with each other was like something out of a cliche love movie. It was like she could spend days upon days with him and never get tired of his presence. He was a dream.
She’s awoken from her daydream when her mother scoffs and stands, “Forgive me darling, but I just cannot watch this anymore. Do not come to the aid of a man who dropped you like a hot coal. Do you think of what he did to you; to what he really did to you and your two children? He left you high and dry and did not think twice about it. He is halfway across the world chasing some investors, and you are here dead broke defending a man with no value or moral standing. You have to get yourself out of your mind; see things for what they really are. He was no good man; he was a man consumed by ambition, who didn’t want his family to fit in his life. Why is my little girl so smart yet so blind? Why are you caught chasing after the shining image of this man when he is more lowly than the likes of pond scum? Wake up, child.”
Silence. Broken and beaten by life, poor Harper has nothing to say. She thinks of all the things she used to enjoy. The trips to Malibu and the designer clothes. The beach house in Florida and the yacht she bought with his money. All he ever really provided was security. At first she thought this man would show her the brighter side of the life she left at her parents house, but he turned out to be what she feared most. A person consumed by greed. She realized that that was the person she’d become. Harper had become the one thing that she feared most.
“Do you see now? This house, this fortune is never what me and your father wanted. It was a side effect of success. People may try all they want to attain it, but as long as money is their ambition there is no success. Look at your shoes darling, look at your dress. Is this success, or is it money? This was never yours to begin with. His money is what keeps you up at night, it is the weight in your chest that you feel. Let it go.”
Harper with her face planted in her palms mumbles, “Yes, mother.”
Her mother sits down on the floor in front of Harper and doesn’t say a word. She gently wraps her arms around her daughter, and they both sit in the quiet of the room.

3
Two months later and Harper is back in her office with Doc Jones for the sixth time; both of them having been through some stressful events.
Harper gazes up and down in awe. She grips Doc’s file in her hand tightly, “I see you’ve made some improvements there, Doc.”
The slimmer young man replies with a hearty laugh and says, “Well, you know. I was in a funk. I just needed the help of a certain nutritionist to get me off of that unholy diet.”
Harper opens up his file, “Let’s just check how far you’ve come in these short two months.”
His file marks incredible progress. In just these short months his body fat percentage has dropped 4%, and his BMI has lowered 2 points. In all losing just a bit over 19 pounds. It’s clear that Harper’s impressed with how easily it was for Doc to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Of course, Doc has a long ways to go, but every pound lost is an achievement.
“There’s not much else for me to say except keep up the good work. I’ve never seen a patient do a complete 180 like you have Mr. Jones.”
He gives her a sheepish smile, “Like I said, I couldn’t have done it without you.”
There’s visible hesitation on Doc’s face before he asks his next question.
“I don’t know if this is appropriate, but I just wanted to know if you’re free this weekend. We could go out and get a coffee, if that’s what you’d like.”
Harper is baffled by his boldness. Surely he knows that there’s no way that as his nutritionist she can be on a date with a client. Why would a young man in his 20’s take her, a single mother of two, out for coffee anyways?
Sensing her apprehension Doc continues, “Sorry, I just couldn’t help but notice you’d taken your ring off. I thought it’d be great if we could get to know each other better.”
Harper gives him no chance to continue before she replies.
“Doc don’t get me wrong you’re a wonderful person; one of my best patients. I just don’t think that in this time of my life I need something like that. Trust me it has nothing to do with you, but you’re my client. It just isn’t possible.”
He gives an understanding smile and says, “I understand. It’s alright.”
Harper puts his file back together and starts walking Doc out.
“Have a nice day Doc. Keep up the good work!”
“Yeah, you to Harper. See you soon.”
Harper watches as he exits the office, feeling content with her decision.
In the end Harper was able to sleep at night. She got her life back together the way she wanted and did it without breaking. All she wants now is to make sure her children grow up happy and healthy, and to live the way she wants. She doesn’t need the luxuries that she grew up with, nor John. She ends this chapter in her life with a grin, and can only see greater things in her future. The void within Harper scared her, because she didn’t know what would become of her once she conquered it. From the hole in her chest grew a new beginning. She was happy.