The room was silent as Harper laid on the bed, her eyes closed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quiet the thoughts that fought for her attention. It was an assault that she couldn't defend herself against. A headache started to brew from all those thoughts, though she was sure that getting punched didn't help either.
Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly. Harper focused on quieting her mind but one intrusive thought floated to the forefront. It was one that she tried to avoid, to lock in the back of her mind and forget but it proved to be impossible. A clear image of the man she bumped into earlier that day caused her to open her eyes.
While lower in the sky, the sun shined as bright as ever. Its warm beams entered her room at an angle that shined directly into her face. Shielding her eyes, she glanced out the window at the cloudless sky. Sighing, Harper turned her head in the other direction but restlessness got the best of her after a few more minutes.
Harper sat up on the bed, happy to no longer be blinded by the sunlight. She ran a hand through her hair and brushed the tangles as best as possible. The idea that she knew who that man was caused panic to stir inside her. He'd been so familiar. If it was who she thought, it would turn everything she believed in upside down.
But I need to know, Harper thought, though the truth terrified her.
With a shaky breath, she pushed herself off the bed and walked towards the door. The house was quiet save for the music from the room across hers. Olivia and Lucas were out for the afternoon, leaving her alone with Cole.
They seemed to be getting along okay but their friendship from a month ago was like a ghost. A reminder of what had been. She hoped they'd rekindle their friendship but knew it wouldn't happen over night.
She took a couple of steps toward his room and knocked.
"It's open!" Cole yelled, though how he heard anything over the music was a mystery.
Harper stepped into Cole's room. The music seemed even louder, and he sat on the bed with a Nintendo Switch in his hand.
"What's up?" Cole asked without looking at her though he lowered the volume so they wouldn't have to yell.
Harper paused. "Can I use your laptop for a sec?"
"Uh, why?" He asked.
"I just need to check something," she said.
"Can't you just check on your phone?"
Harper shook her head. "I still don't have internet access."
Cole sighed heavily as he lowered his Switch. His eyes widened when he looked her way and sat up. "Woah! What happened to your face?"
Harper sighed, briefly forgetting about the bruise that covered her left cheek. "Some idiots were bullying my friend. I wouldn't let them hurt him, so I got hit," she said with a shrug.
"So you got in a fight," Cole stated with a grin that continued to grow. "You know, mom and dad are going to freak when they see!"
"They already know." Mrs. LaRusso informed her foster parents of what happened. While they weren't angry with her for standing up for Demetri, they were upset at her being involved in a fight.
"How mad were they?" Cole asked, his eyes shining with interest.
"I think they were more disappointed than mad," she answered.
"That's worse," he said with a shake of his head. "You know that's worse, right?"
"Yeah, I'm aware. Look, can I use your laptop or not? It's just for a few minutes, I promise," she said before he could ask any more questions.
"Yeah, sure." He nodded and returned to his game as if their conversation never happened.
Harper stepped towards his desk where the laptop sat. She sat in the chair with her back to Cole as her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She let out a slow breath and forced herself to type despite the anxiety tugging at her. Screaming at her to stop.
Her dads' name entered the search bar, and she closed her eyes before hitting enter. Harper held her breath as the results page loaded with articles and images. With a quick glance at Cole, she relaxed when she saw that he was absorbed in his game. Harper returned her attention to the screen and skimmed the titles of news articles and pictures of the same smiling man she'd bumped into just hours ago.
From what she read, Harper learned that Ryan owned an accounting firm that assisted other big name corporations. He built it from the ground up and it did incredibly well, growing each year.
So he's alive, Harper thought with a frown.
While the news should've brought a smile to her face, she couldn't bring herself to feel anything but disappointment. He'd been alive this entire time and hadn't come looking for her. All those years of bouncing from one bad foster home to the next, her dad had been here the whole time. So why hadn't he come looking for her?
"Who's that?" Cole asked, his voice coming directly from behind.
Harper jumped and turned around, her heart thumping in her chest. She contemplated closing the browser and not giving him an answer but she knew Cole wouldn't relent. Not after he'd already seen. He would pester her with questions until she gave in. "It's my dad," she said quietly.
Cole looked at her funny. "I thought you said he was dead."
Harper shrugged, biting her lip. She was just as confused as he was, probably more so. "No, I said he wasn't around."
Cole hovered over her shoulder, peering at the screen. "You never looked him up before?"
"No," she said, sighing. "I never thought I needed to."
"So why are you looking for him now?" Cole asked. His eyes lit up with curiosity, a list of questions already spinning in his mind, begging to be released.
"I bumped into him at the mall. I mean, it was only for a few seconds but he didn't recognize me. At least, I don't think he did. But…." She trailed off, mindlessly scrolling down the page.
"Do you want to find him?" Cole asked. "I mean, to talk."
She gave him a slight shrug with a half nod, the uncertainty clear on her face. "Maybe." Her eyes flickered from Cole to the screen. "I think I can find out where he lives."
Cole threw her a look. "How?"
"By cross-searching. Hold on," she said, returning to the screen. After a few more clicks, she found a news article about Ryan, highlighting his expansive lifestyle. She scrolled through the pictures until she saw one with Ryan in front of a gorgeous, modern home. "So the article gives the general area where the house is. But if I cross reference this against a 3D map of the area, I think I might be able to find it."
"Uh-huh," he said with a nod, most of what she said was clearly lost on him. A few seconds passed silently before he spoke again. "So, what are you waiting for? Do it!"
Harper paused, unsure if she should do this. Or if it would even work. But, if it did, then it would put her in a difficult situation.
Cole nudged her. "Are you doing it or not?"
"Yeah, okay," she said and typed a string of commands into the computer, the clacking of keys the only sound in the room. Her heart thundered in her chest the entire time. The search began, and Harper turned around to face Cole.
"Now what?" Cole asked.
"Now we wait," she said.
Cole sat down at the edge of the bed though his eyes were fixated on the screen. Tilting his head, he threw a look her way. "How do you know all this?" He asked, gesturing towards the program that ran in the background.
Harper glanced at the screen, secretly relieved to see it was nowhere near complete. "It's something I picked up over the years," she said. "This one foster home I was in was one of the better ones. And the dad worked in IT or something like that so he would teach me some things. Showed me how to code, stuff like that. I ended up using a lot of what he taught me to help other foster kids find their siblings. You know, when the system would separate them, I'd find out where their brother or sister was."
"That's pretty cool," he said with a smile.
"Thanks."
"Did you ever think of joining S.T.E.M club? You'd be good at it," he said before adding, "Maybe you can join in the fall. They're always looking for more nerds."
"Funny," Harper said with a roll of her eyes. "But I don't know. Maybe I will."
While it would be nice to join a club, go to school, and have a normal high school career, her future was still very much undetermined. Things were good as of now but it could all change in the blink of an eye. It didn't matter what she wanted as her life wasn't up to her. It never was and never would be. At least not until she turned eighteen. But because of that, life played a cruel game of give and take. She knew better than to expect things or even hope for anything.
She made herself remember that whenever she became too comfortable, too hopeful.
Harper picked at her nails, the anxiety increasing with each passing second. Every now and again, she glanced at the screen to see that the computer was still doing its magic. Though she wanted this to work, she half hoped it wouldn't lead to anything. Because if it did, then what?
"Do you think you'll go see your dad?" Cole asked, sitting cross-legged on the bed.
"Maybe. I don't know." Ever since that afternoon, it was all she could think about. But now that she knew the truth, that her dad was alive and doing quite well, she wasn't so sure. It could all lead to more heartache than answers, and God knew she had enough of that.
"I think you should," Cole said matter-of-factly.
Harper raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. "Why? So I can leave and you can be the only child again?" She teased though there was some truth to her question.
But Cole shook his head quickly. "No. So you can finally have some answers," he told her. "If this works," he gestured towards the computer, "you have to go."
It was easier said than done. Entertaining the idea that her dad was alive and knowing he was were two very different things. One wouldn't get her anywhere, while the other could change her life forever. She cautiously looked over her shoulder, and her heartbeat picked up speed.
The search was complete.
You got this, she thought.
Harper leaned forward as the result stared her in the face. It had, in fact, worked. Her dads' address was listed and an aerial view of the street was shown. The house was identical to the one in the picture.
"It worked," she whispered. Before she could change her mind, she copied down the address. But whether she would be brave enough to go there was still undetermined.
Cole shifted forward on the bed, eager eyes flitting from her to the screen. "When are you going?" He asked before narrowing his eyes. "You are going, right?"
"No. Yeah. I mean, I don't know," she admitted before saying, "Look, this has to stay between us for now, okay?" She faced him, a serious look in her eyes. "Promise me you won't tell your parents. I just - I need some time to figure things out, okay?"
Cole nodded once. "Yeah, okay. I promise."
Harper stared down at the wrinkled picture, its edges worn out from so many years of being stuffed into her notebook. It was the only picture she had of herself and her parents from when she was a toddler. The only proof that she'd had parents once upon a time ago. Before life decided to rip her life to pieces and put her into a nightmare that never ended. Her heart skipped a painful beat at the life that could've been.
With a sigh, she turned to the torn piece of paper. It held the address she'd hastily scribbled down just the day before.
The first held Harper's past while the other held the answers to her future. But was she brave enough to ask the questions? Was she brave enough to hear the answers that could either give her a happy ending or a tragic one? She wasn't so sure. While eager to see her dad, she was terrified of taking that leap. Of opening the door to something that should maybe remain closed.
The sound of her phone ringing pulled Harper from her thoughts, and she gratefully turned to the sound. Sam.
"Hey," Harper said once she answered.
"Hi." Sam's voice came out small and sad from the other line. "You're on speaker. Robby's here, too."
"Hey," Robby said after Sam instructed him to say something.
"What's up?" Harper asked only to be met with silence. "Is everything okay?"
"Not really, no," Robby said, and she could picture him shaking his head.
"Practice is canceled today," Sam told her.
Harper frowned at her words but more so at her tone. "Why? What's going on?" She sat down at the edge of the bed, her gaze falling to the window. It was a beautiful day just like every day before that: warm, sunny, not a cloud in the sky.
"The dojo was broken into last night," Sam said after a quiet moment.
She gripped the phone harder. Her intuition that something was wrong turned out to be right. "What? Are you serious? What happened?"
"It was Cobra Kai," Robby told her with a sigh, answering the question that she really wanted answered: the who. "The place was a mess when we got there this morning. It's really bad."
"And my dad's an even bigger mess," Sam said. "I mean, everything's just…broken."
Harper could only imagine the destruction that had touched the dojo. "What can I do to help? I can meet you at the dojo and we can start with the cleanup. Maybe -"
"Thanks but we're just taking the day off," Sam interrupted. "At least for today. When my dad saw everything, he got in his car and drove away. He's still not back."
"Where did he go?" Harper asked, her eyes falling upon the slip of paper again.
"Cobra Kai. I think," Robby answered.
Harper nodded slowly. "Do you think he'll get any answers about what happened?"
"I doubt it. They'll probably just act like they don't know anything," Robby said. "Typical."
Harper didn't think he'd get answers either. She sighed in frustration at all the problems Cobra Kai was starting. From the mall to the break in, it seemed as if they were escalating. "You sure I can't help with anything?"
"Yeah," Sam said. "Robby and I decided to just go home. We'll probably start cleaning tomorrow but there's nothing we can do today."
Harper nodded though she only wanted to help. It felt weird to hear this and be told not to do anything. But, then again, the free time did give her an opportunity….
"I'm sorry about what happened, you guys. But we'll get everything cleaned up and it'll be like nothing ever happened. And I promise we'll find out which one of those idiots did it," she said though how they would do the latter, she didn't know.
"Yeah, we will. We can't let them get away with this," Robby said while Sam agreed.
The call ended shortly after that, and Harper was left alone with her thoughts once more. Her attention kept returning to the address she'd written down last night. With a sigh, she crumpled up the piece of paper and left the room.
For the past thirty minutes, Harper paced on the quiet street. The sun bore down on her, making her more uncomfortable with each minute that passed. She pulled the baseball cap lower on her head, shielding her eyes from the sun as she stared across the street. The street and number matched the written address that she had in her pocket but the house bore no resemblance to the one she'd seen in the picture. It barely did it justice as the two story house was more impressive in person. And intimidating.
The fact that this was where her dad lived flooded her with a mix of emotions.
Harper was both overwhelmed and jealous.
Trying to push her feelings aside, Harper reminded herself of why she was there. But the task she had given herself was taking much too long as she avoided acting on it.
You can do this. Just cross the street, ring the doorbell, and talk to him. It's that simple, she told herself, psyching herself up. But the thundering of her heart conveyed just how nervous she really was.
The minutes continued to pass by without her having moved so much as an inch. It was getting her nowhere, only adding to the anxiety building inside her. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to at least cross the road. It didn't mean she had to ring the bell or face her dad just yet but it did bring her closer to the house. Closer to her goal.
Baby steps were still steps.
Harper looked through the steel fence that ran around the vast property. The vertical bars limited her view but she was able to take a glimpse at the house that stood behind the gate. For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine how her life would've played out had her dad been around. At the life she could've had.
"Hey!" A voice shouted, jarring her from her thoughts.
Harper backed up from the gate when she saw Ryan walking towards her. She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed when the door opened or when he'd stepped outside.
"What are you doing here?" He stopped outside of the gate, his expression guarded as he watched her. He grew frustrated when she didn't answer. "You've been outside my house for the past forty minutes. So, what do you want?"
Harper found it difficult to find her voice. Everything was suddenly going wrong, not at all like she'd planned. Perhaps if she'd acted faster and not hesitated at least a dozen times….
"I, uhm, I just…," she trailed off, stumbling over her thoughts and words.
Ryan's patience was thinning, and his trust was nonexistent. "Wait, I know you," he said slowly, studying her.
Harper's heart skipped a beat at his words.
"Weren't you at the mall the other day? We bumped into each other," he said, deflating the hope that he'd truly recognized her. His eyes narrowed once again when she said that she'd been there. "Are you following me?"
"No, I just -"
"I'm calling the cops. They can deal with you." He proceeded to pull out his phone and watched her out of the corner of his eyes as if expecting her to flee. But Harper remained where she was, frozen in place.
"Wait!" Harper said, her voice rising as panic coated that one word. "I swear I can explain. I just… I wanted to talk to you."
Ryan lowered the phone but held it in his hand, ready to use it if he needed to. He watched her curiously and distrustfully but waited for her to talk. To explain why she'd staked out his house for the better part of an hour.
It was difficult to get the words out as this wasn't how she'd planned to talk to him. But if she didn't act soon, didn't say what she'd come here to say, then he would call the cops. And that was trouble that she didn't need.
"I'm your daughter," she blurted out though her voice was quiet, small. As if she was afraid saying it louder would scare him away.
Ryan's expression quickly changed to one of bemusement. His eyes narrowed, a crease between his eyebrows as he studied this stranger who he supposedly knew.
"I don't have…," he started but stopped when Harper handed him the picture. The seconds ticked by as he stood there deep in thought, staring at the image. Recognition dawned on his face just then, his eyes widening with realization. "Harper?" He asked slowly, quietly.
A smile tugged the corners of her lips. At the fact that he did know her, remember her. "Yeah," she said, gently tucking the picture away.
Several seconds went by as Ryan tried to process her words. He first looked past her and then behind him, as if afraid someone might overhear the conversation. "Why…. What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk," Harper said again.
Ryan sighed heavily. "Why? You really shouldn't be here, kid."
Her smile faltered. His lack of emotional response to seeing her after twelve years hit her hard. "Right. No, you're right. This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here," she said, taking a few steps back.
Harper felt stupid for having come here. But what did she think would happen? That he would welcome her with open arms and she'd live happily ever after? This wasn't a fairytale, and her life didn't come with happy endings.
Ryan cursed under his breath. "I didn't mean it like that. Kid, wait up," he said, falling in step with her. "I just… Now's really not a good time. You just caught me off guard. I mean, I wasn't expecting you to come here. To show up after all these years, you know?"
"Right. Uhm, I shouldn't be here. Sorry," Harper said quietly, regretting her decision. Everything always came crashing down around her, so why did she think this wouldn't?
"I'm not saying I'm mad that you're here. Just surprised," Ryan explained.
"I didn't know how else to contact you," Harper said. "I found out where you lived and…. It was stupid, I know."
"No, it's not. Look, if you think you still want to meet up and talk, I'm okay with that. I-I want to. It'll be fun, you know?"
She risked a look his way but wasn't sure what to make of his expression. His reaction. But he'd said he'd talk to her and, once again, her hopes went up. "Really?"
Ryan gave her an easy smile and nodded. "Yeah. Hang on, I think I have one of my cards on me. My number's on there so just give me a call. Or a text. And we'll meet up." He dug around in his wallet for a few seconds before pulling it out and handing it to her.
That morning didn't go like Harper hoped it would. While it hadn't been terrible, she somehow had expected more. She envisioned a different father-daughter reunion and felt disappointed that she still had no answers. She twirled the business card in her hand, knowing that she still could get them. Ryan hadn't been opposed to meeting up and talking. In fact, he said he wanted to.
That should've made her feel better but it only increased her anxiety. She'd gone years thinking he was dead, and she was terrified of learning the truth. What if she was making the biggest mistake of her life?
A small knock sounded at her door before Cole poked his head in. He found her sitting on her bed and joined her.
"So? Did you go?" He asked eagerly.
"Yeah," she answered.
"Well, what did he say? Did you get your answers? Are you going to live with him? Is he -" he rambled on, but Harper interrupted.
"Slow down," Harper said with a small laugh. "But not much. No and no," she said, answering his questions in order.
Cole took a deep breath and nodded. "Sorry," he said with a grin. "But what happened?"
"Honestly? Not much. He said it wasn't a good time and couldn't talk." She shrugged and then handed him the business card.
Cole looked the card over curiously before throwing a questioning look at her. "What is this?"
"His number. He said we can meet up whenever I want and we can talk."
He widened his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "That's awesome! So when are you going?"
"I don't know, Cole. I'm nervous," she admitted, wishing that she didn't care so much. "I just…I'll figure it out."
"What are you two talking about?" Olivia asked, appearing in the doorway. She smiled at the two of them talking and getting along.
"Nothing," Cole said quickly.
"Uh-huh." Olivia narrowed her eyes suspiciously, shaking her head at their secrecy. "What's going on, you two?"
Biting her lower lip, Harper glanced at Cole. "We, uhm -"
"Harper saw her dad!" He blurted, then clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide.
"Cole! Seriously?" Harper sighed, chancing a look at Olivia, who looked dumbfounded.
"Sorry," he said, his voice muffled by his hand.
Olivia shook her head slowly, trying to work out if she heard correctly. "You what?"
"I went to see him. Today," Harper confessed.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Olivia nodded. "Okay, so you…." She trailed off, throwing a look at her son. "Cole, give us a minute, okay?"
Cole frowned. "What? Why?"
"Please," Olivia said, gesturing towards the door.
He hung his head before getting up. "Fine," he said, drawing the word out. "I guess I'll be in my room."
Olivia closed the door when she was positive that Cole was in his room. She turned back towards Harper and sat down in the chair, her kind eyes full of questions and worry. "So what do you mean that you saw your dad? I thought he…. Are you sure that it's him?"
"Yeah," Harper said with a nod.
Olivia tilted her head. "How do you know? Shane said that he left when you were really young. Maybe it's just someone who looks like him."
But Harper shook her head adamantly. "It's not. I have this picture and…," she trailed off, picking the photo up and handing it to Olivia along with the business card. "It's him."
"Ryan Cain is your dad?" Olivia asked, surprise coating her words. When Harper nodded, she asked, "How long have you known?"
Harper felt guilty that she'd kept this from her foster parents. "A day. Not even. I swear."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Olivia asked, looking hurt that Harper didn't trust them with this.
"I just…," she shrugged, not sure what she could say to justify her lying. "I don't know. I saw him yesterday at the mall, and I kind of panicked. I mean, it's been twelve years since I saw him. And I wanted to make sure it was really him. So I used Cole's computer to look him up and found out where he lived."
"And you thought it was a good idea to go by yourself?" Olivia asked.
"I just wanted to see him," Harper said. "To talk to him and maybe find out where he'd been for the past twelve years. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you or Lucas but I'm not sorry that I went. I had to."
"I get that, I do," Olivia said. "Look, I'm happy that you found him. I really am. But I wish you hadn't kept this from us. That you trusted us enough to tell us."
"I'm sorry," she said, knowing that she still struggled with trusting others. "I just thought that if I told you, you'd tell me I couldn't see him. And I didn't want to risk not talking to him, you know?"
"He's your dad, Harper. Of course we would've understood you wanting to see him," Olivia said as her face softened. "So, how did it go? What did he say?"
"Nothing. He said he didn't have time to talk," Harper said, and then added, "but he wants to meet up. But only if I want to."
"Do you? Want to see him again?" Olivia asked gently.
Harper stayed quiet for a moment, trying to organize her thoughts. To figure out what she truly wanted. "Kind of. Yeah." She looked toward Olivia to see her reaction. "Is that okay?"
Olivia nodded with a smile. "Of course it is." She took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Do you know when you might want to see him?"
Harper froze, the question throwing her into a state of panic. "No, I didn't think that far ahead. Is it okay if I think about it first?" She didn't want to make another hasty decision and wanted to be one hundred percent sure first if this is what she truly wanted.
"Yeah, definitely. Think it over and let us know," Olivia told her, standing up. She walked towards the door and turned around, her hand on the doorknob. "Just please don't think you have to do this alone. Lucas and I are here for you."
The words warned her, and she nodded. But when Olivia left, she was left alone with her thoughts and a decision to make.
