The scream broke through the calm of Riverside University’s nighttime air like broken glass. Connor Hayes stopped moving. His old fingers gripped the radio that was fastened to his security outfit.
Three huge hockey players circled a young woman like predators thirty yards away. Books flew all over the asphalt. The wind blew papers all over the place in the fall.
The girl smacked the concrete hard. Connor’s instincts for fighting kicked in. As he ran forward, his boots hit the ground hard, and memories of every muscle in his body from Afghanistan came rushing back.
Get away from me now! His voice sounded like a man who had fought actual foes. The attackers disappeared like shadows, but when the girl with auburn hair glanced up at him, Connor’s blood froze. Those green eyes didn’t show thanks or relief.
They looked at her like they knew her, as if she had been waiting for him. The beautiful laptop in her shaking hands and the brand-new textbooks that cost more than his monthly pay. Everything shouted money and power.
But there was something deeper hidden under her shiny exterior. Something told me that this wasn’t random at all. Connor offered her his calloused hand to pull her up, and he noticed that she flinched a little before accepting his help.
Does it hurt? He asked, his voice softer now, as if he were a father. The girl brushed the dust off her pricey trousers with studied ease, making her actions look too sophisticated for an average college student. “Thanks,” she said in a voice that sounded like she had private tutors and went to finishing schools.
I’m okay. But she wasn’t okay. Connor could tell by the way her shoulders tightened and her eyes darted toward the dorms, as if she were figuring out how to get away.
Have those boys ever caused you problems? Connor asked while picking up her papers that were all over the place. Philosophy books, complex literature, and amazing reading for someone who just graduated from high school. It appeared like a business presentation on her laptop screen, which was way too advanced for her undergraduate studies.
She said that sometimes, when avoiding his sight, she was different from the other students here. “Different” was an understatement. Everything about her screamed money and careful growth, but here she was in a state university, presumably alone and weak.
Connor has seen enough scared youngsters in his three years as a campus security guard to know what to look for. This female, on the other hand, was different. The way she acted, the quality of her clothes, and even the way she talked all made it seem like she came from a different place than where she was now.
What is your name? He asked in a soft voice. Zoe. She took a moment to think before answering.
Only Zoe. No last name, no details. Another warning sign in Connor’s mental file? As he brought her to the dorms, Connor couldn’t help but look at her profile.
High cheekbones, flawless posture, and an aura of breeding that money couldn’t buy. Only decades of affluence could make someone like that. But there was something delicate about her that made him think of how hard it was for his daughter Harper to fit in. You know.
He stated it gently. You can find me if those boys trouble you again. Night Security, Radio Channel Seven, Connor Hayes.
Zoe nodded, and then she shocked him by asking, “Mr. Hayes, do you have kids?” He wasn’t ready for the inquiry. One girl. I think nineteen, exactly like you.
Zoe’s face changed, and for a split second, he almost missed the look of desire. Zoe remarked softly, “She’s lucky to have a father who protects people.” Those comments had weight, and Connor could tell that she wasn’t ready to tell him the whole story.
When they got to her dorm, she turned back once, and those green eyes looked at him with such intensity that it made his skin crawl. Not in a terrible way, but in a way that let him know this meeting would change things. He just didn’t know how to do it yet.
As Connor watched Zoe go into the building, his radio came to life. Unit Seven, Report on Status. The voice of his boss sliced through the night air.
Everything is evident. Send. Minor problem fixed.
Connor knew that none of this was small, even as he said it. The way Zoe had looked at him, the expensive things she carried around so easily, and the way she had carefully answered his inquiries all added up to something he couldn’t quite understand. Something that would keep him awake for a long time after his shift.
Connor went back to his regular patrol the next night, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the girl with the auburn hair. Earlier, Harper had texted about how hard her psychology class was, which is another sign of how hard college can be for youngsters who are trying to figure out where they fit in. Connor was 42 years old and knew more about being alone than most people.
Three years have passed since Margaret died. During that time, he has been parenting Harper by himself while also attempting to keep his own demons at bay. The night security job paid enough for their small apartment and Harper’s therapy sessions. Barely.
Some days he wondered if he was doing the right thing for his daughter and if she needed more than a broken ex-soldier could give her. When he saw someone he knew in the library’s 24-hour study section, his mind started to wander. Zoe was sitting alone at a table in the corner, surrounded by textbooks that looked like they were too hard for a freshman to read.
Business law, international economics, and strategic management. The kinds of publications Connor had seen when he worked as a corporate security consultant for a short time. Books that cost hundreds of dollars each.
He could see her writing in what looked like exquisite calligraphy through the glass. Each letter was written with the care of someone who has gone to a good school. Connor pushed through the library doors, pulled by something he couldn’t put into words.
Maybe it was how upright she sat or how she looked nervously at the door every few minutes. Maybe it was only that she made him think of Harper when she was at her most vulnerable. Studying late at night? He asked, walking carefully toward her table.
Zoe looked up, and for a second her tightly controlled face broke. She felt a wave of relief wash across her face before she stopped. She pointed to the empty library around them and added, “I like the quiet hours.”
Not as many people. The way she worded it made it sound like she meant more than simply room. Connor looked at her textbooks again and saw titles that would be hard for graduate students to read.
A lot of reading for a freshman? He looked. Zoe’s palm went protectively over her papers, but Connor was able to see what looked like business letters before she did. Letterhead for business, legal terms, and numerals with too many zeros.
Zoe said gently, “I’ve always been ahead in school.” My mom made sure I was well-prepared. The way she pronounced “mother” conveyed weight; it was formal and suggested relationships established on expectations rather than warmth.
Connor wondered what kind of family would raise a girl like her. Smart, professional, but somehow quite lonely. Your dad works in business? He asked in a casual way.
Zoe’s face went blank. “I don’t have a father,” she responded, putting an end to that line of questions. They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Connor seemed to help Zoe relax a little.
She finally spoke again. Is your daughter happy here? He was shocked by how strong the question was. Connor honestly stated, “She’s finding her way.”
Zoe nodded as if this really hit home: “College is hard when you’re trying to figure out who you are.” She said gently, “I sometimes wonder what it would be like.” To be a typical student and worry about normal things.
Connor looked at her profile and noticed how her shoulders relaxed a little as she talked. Zoe’s idea of “normal” was certainly not what she was living through right now. What do you worry about? He asked in a soft voice.
He believed Zoe wouldn’t answer because she had been so quiet for so long. When she did finally say something, it was barely a whisper. About people wanting to get to know me for the wrong reasons and never knowing if someone cares about me or what I stand for.
Connor felt like he had been hit in the gut by the weakness in her remarks. Zoe’s phone buzzed against the table before he could say anything. The caller ID just said “office.”
But Connor could tell this wasn’t a normal call because Zoe’s whole attitude shifted. She murmured, “I have to take this,” and her polished mask slid back into place. She stepped back and said in a low voice.
But Connor got bits and pieces. Keeping a low profile and following security rules; can’t afford to be seen. When she came back, there was no sign of weakness left.
She remarked, “I should go,” and then she picked up her expensive textbooks with a lack of practice. Connor watched her go and thought of a million things he wanted to ask her. What are security protocols? Not much of a profile? What kind of first-year student has to worry about exposure? One notion kept coming back to him as he patrolled.
Zoe was not like other classmates in many ways. She was keeping a tremendous secret. Something that made sense of the pricey things, the hard classes, and the careful manner in which she talked about her life.
Something that made his protective instincts ring with warning bells that he couldn’t quite figure out. An unexpected meeting over the weekend would change everything. Connor was getting coffee at the university cafe when he heard a voice he knew shouting his name.
Mr. Hayes? Zoe came up to me with something that seemed almost like enthusiasm, which was unusual for her typically calm demeanor. I was hoping to see you. She pointed to a table in the corner where another young woman was studying.
Meet my friend Harper. Connor’s heart stopped. His Harper sat at the table with psychological books all around her, like a fortress.
She looked up and spotted him, and her face showed that she was confused. Dad? What are you doing here? The word “dad” hit Zoe like a punch in the gut. Her green eyes got big and darted between Connor and Harper, as if she was about to panic.
Is Harper Hayes your daughter? She asked, her voice sounding odd and empty. Do you two know each other? Connor asked as he sat down on the chair next to Harper. His daughter’s face looked strange as she looked at Zoe with new interest.
We are both in Literature 101. Harper said. Zoe is really smart; she usually has the best analysis in class.
But there was something else in Harper’s voice that made me think their relationship was more than just schoolwork. For a few weeks now, we’ve been studying together. Zoe added in a low voice.
She was no longer excited at all. Connor watched the two girls interact and saw that Harper seemed more lively than she had in months. After Margaret died, Harper had a hard time with melancholy and anxiety. She didn’t make many friends and stopped going out with people.
Seeing her engaged and happy made Connor feel a huge wave of relief. Zoe has been helping me write my papers. Harper went on.
She sees themes that I don’t, and Harper has been showing me what college life is really like. Zoe responded, giving a little smile that looked real. I’ve never had a friend like her before.
The way she worded it made it sound like Zoe didn’t have many friends. Connor studied the relationship between his grounded, often sad daughter and this intriguing, polished girl who seemed to carry secrets like other people carry books. They were at ease with one another, which showed they had a solid relationship.
Harper replied, looking back and forth between her father and Zoe. If it’s okay, I was thinking about having Zoe over for dinner this weekend. The request was lighthearted, but Connor could tell how much it meant to his daughter.
Harper didn’t bring friends home very often, certainly not since Margaret died. The fact that she was asking now meant that Zoe had somehow gotten past the boundaries Harper had placed around herself. Zoe’s answer was quick and quite telling.
I couldn’t force myself. She said it fast, but her eyes were so full of longing that it was nearly painful to see. You wouldn’t be a burden? Connor said softly.
We’d love to have you here. The word “love” seemed to have a big effect on Zoe. She blinked quickly to calm down before nodding.
That would be great for me. She said it in a low voice. I don’t get invited to family dinners very often, though.
Connor was paying close attention to Zoe as they planned arrangements for Saturday night. She appeared too grateful for a simple dinner invitation, which made it feel like she hadn’t had any normal family interactions in a long time. Connor volunteered to pick her up when she said she didn’t have a way to get there. She hesitated before giving him her address in the university district.
He was still interested in and worried about everything regarding Zoe. The coolness of fall settled over Riverside on Saturday night. Connor had spent the afternoon helping Harper get their small apartment ready. He noticed how happy she was to have a guest over.
Harper put flowers on their modest dining table and stated, “She’s really special, Dad.” She seems older and more grown-up than the other students in some way. Connor agreed, but he didn’t say anything about his growing doubts about why Zoe seemed so grown-up.
When Connor got to the address Zoe had given him, he found himself outside a small apartment building that looked strangely empty. There were no personal touches and no signs that someone lived there for a long time. Zoe came out in jeans and a sweater that probably cost more than Connor’s monthly grocery budget, even though she had clearly tried to dress down.
She looked nervous in the passenger seat, as if this was something she had never done before. Zoe replied, “Thanks for including me,” as they drove to Connor’s apartment. I should let you know that I’m not particularly adept at small talk.
People have warned me that I can be overly formal. Connor looked at her profile and saw how well she handled herself, even in his ancient pickup vehicle. He told her to just be herself.
It’s evident that Harper likes you just the way you are. When those words came out of Zoe’s mouth, her face changed. It seemed like she was vulnerable, like candlelight streaming across her features. Even though Zoe was worried about being too formal, she fit in with their tiny family dynamic surprisingly well. The night went on with surprising warmth.
She really liked Harper’s cooking, helped clear the table without being asked, and seemed genuinely interested in Connor’s stories about his security work. Zoe looked at each thing on the mantle of the modest shrine that Harper showed her for Margaret with much regard. “Um, she was beautiful,” Zoe whispered gently as she looked at a picture of Margaret cradling baby Harper.
Her eyes show how much she loves you. Connor thought about her family relationships when he heard her voice, which had a sad tone. When Harper told Zoe about her mother’s death from cancer, Zoe reached across and squeezed her hand with surprising sympathy.
She said, “I’m sorry you lost her so young.” You’re lucky to have had that type of love, even if it was only for a short time. Zoe’s comments on love made it sound like she didn’t have much experience with the kind that doesn’t depend on anything else.
As the night went on, Connor paid close attention to her. She appeared really interested in the little things about their lives, like how they shared cooking tasks, how Connor assisted Harper with her homework, and how they made their own family traditions after Margaret died. “This feels like a real home,” Zoe observed at one point, looking around their small living room with something like wonder.
That night, as Connor took Zoe home, she was quieter than normal. She said “thank you” before getting out of the truck for treating me like family. The words had a lot of meaning, which made it seem like she hadn’t been treated that way very often.
As Connor watched her walk into the unknown apartment complex, he couldn’t help but wonder what type of life had educated a 19-year-old girl to be so thankful for small acts of kindness. The next few weeks produced a trend that made Connor both happy and worried. Zoe became a regular part of their lives. She studied with Harper, had informal dinners with them, and became the friend his daughter really needed.
Harper’s attitude was a lot better, her anxiety seemed easier to handle, and for the first time since Margaret died, their flat felt like a home instead of a shelter. But Connor’s security expertise kept making them wonder about their new family friend. Her pricey things, her deep understanding of business and economics, and the way she sometimes answered the phone in a formal tone that made it sound like she was talking to a professional all pointed to a background that was far more complicated than she had let on.
The most telling times were when she forgot to watch what she said and used words and references that showed she was well conversant with the business and financial realms. One night in early November, Connor’s questions were answered in the most spectacular way possible. Harper had been quite anxious all week, and on the last day, she had a panic attack so bad that Connor had to take her to the emergency department.
Connor called Zoe while they waited for the test results since he knew she would be worried about her friend. Zoe answered without hesitation, “I’ll be right there.” Her voice was tight with worry. What happened next would break Connor’s world and show him things he wasn’t ready to deal with.
Zoe got to the hospital 45 minutes later, but she wasn’t alone herself. A line of black SUVs followed her into the parking lot. When she got out of the first one, two men in expensive suits were with her. They moved like professional bodyguards, always on the lookout. But it was the woman who got out of the second SUV that scared Connor to death.
Catherine Wells. Connor knew her right away from business magazines and financial news shows. She is the CEO of Wells Tech Corporation, one of the biggest tech companies in the country, with a value of almost $12 billion. She walked with the same controlled ease as Zoe. Her steel gray hair and fine suit gave her an air of dominance that could be sensed from across the parking lot.
Everyone around her appeared to know how important she was when she walked up to the hospital door with her security detail. Where is she? When Catherine Wells got to Connor in the waiting area, she asked him when she would get there. Her voice had the kind of authority that made people do what she said right away. Connor stood up without thinking about it, his military training kicking in to respond to clear authority even though his mind was having trouble processing what he was witnessing.
Who wants to know? He was able to say it, even though he already knew the response would change everything. “I’m Catherine Wells,” the woman replied, her bright blue eyes looking at Connor with a disconcerting intensity. Zoe’s mom.
The words hit Connor like a punch in the gut. Zoe was his daughter’s best friend. She had been eating supper with them at their small table and appeared so grateful for the basic warmth of family. She was the daughter of one of the most influential ladies in America. Connor couldn’t even begin to understand what the huge deception that had been the basis of their relationship meant.
Zoe stood next to her mother and seemed smaller and younger than Connor had ever seen her. The young woman who had charmed his family was no longer there. A girl stood in her position, and it looked like she was getting smaller beneath her mother’s stare. Every part of her perfectly controlled behavior was breaking down under the pressure.
Zoe murmured softly, “I can explain,” but her voice sounded like someone who knew that answers wouldn’t be enough. What do you mean? Catherine Wells cut her off in a voice that was sharp enough to cleave glass. Tell us how you broke our security rules and put this family in danger by making relationships without permission.
She looked Connor up and down, taking in his security outfit, battered boots, and clear working-class background. The way she looked at him made it clear that she was done with him. And this is your… friend? Connor felt like everything he thought he knew about Zoe was falling apart.
Relationships that aren’t allowed? He said it again, and the words tasted bad. Catherine’s face didn’t change. Do you know what kind of background check you just started? She asked.
Do you know how much of a security risk you are to my family? Connor learned everything he needed to know about Zoe’s childhood from the clinical manner in which she talked about how people could be a threat to her safety. Everyone that comes into contact with my daughter must be checked out, investigated, and given the green light. Catherine went on, her voice full of power and authority.
She pointed between Connor and Zoe with clear disgust. This is the kind of uncontrolled interaction that should never happen. Every statement made Zoe flinch, and Connor could see that her carefully built bond with his family was being reduced to a security breach and policy violation.
Harper showed up next to them, appearing perplexed by the gathering of expensive suits around her father. Zoe… She said, unsure of what to do, as her fear grew. What’s going on? Catherine Wells looked at Harper with a calculating look on her face as she scrutinized Connor’s kid.
You must be Harper. She said it in a tone that was a little softer but still very authoritative. I’m sorry, but Zoe won’t be able to keep being friends with you.
Harper’s face showed immediate and total anguish. After months of getting better from her sadness and making her first real friend since her mother died, she was watching it all go away for no reason. I don’t get it.
Harper looked back and forth between Zoe and the scary woman who had evidently come to ruin her happiness. What is going on with Zoe? Zoe seemed to be stuck between what her mother wanted her to do and how much she really cared about Harper. “I’m sorry,” she said in a low voice, her eyes welling up with tears.
I didn’t want this to happen. Catherine Wells put a firm touch on her daughter’s shoulder. It appeared like she was being helpful, but it was a sign of total control. She said, “We’re leaving.”
Zoe will be moving to a better school tonight. Connor saw his daughter’s life fall apart in real time. Harper’s face lost all its color when she realized she was losing another significant person in her life.
“But we’re friends,” she added sadly, her voice full of the pain of someone who had already lost too much. You can’t just leave, Zoe. Harper’s voice sounded so desperate that it seemed to really upset Zoe. She finally lost her cool, and tears streamed down her face.
Zoe’s voice broke as she said, “I have to go.” I am so sorry, Harper. Catherine Wells was already on her way out, and her security team was making a safe path for her.
When they got to the hospital doors, Zoe turned around and stared at Connor with her emerald eyes, begging him to understand. After that, they left, leaving Connor and Harper alone in the waiting area, which had suddenly become empty. What happened next was terrible.
Harper fell into a despair that was worse than anything Connor had seen since Margaret died. She stopped going to class, hardly ate, and spent her days sleeping or looking at her phone, hoping for a message that never came. Connor tried to get in touch with Zoe through the university, but he found out that she had formally dropped out of all her classes.
Her dorm room was unoccupied, and it was so immaculate that it looked like she had never been there. Connor’s feeling of betrayal was more than he cared to admit. He had started to feel something he hadn’t felt since Margaret died in the weeks since he met Zoe.
The chance to grow their modest family and discover happiness beyond just getting by. He had begun to picture a future with Zoe’s brightness, her evident love for Harper, and maybe even something deeper between himself and the strange young woman who had brought so much warmth into their lives. He now knew that it had all been a trick.
Zoe wasn’t the poor student he thought she was; she was thankful for their modest family warmth. She was the daughter of a billionaire and lived with regular folks until her actual life came back to her. Every supper they had together, every talk about typical student life, every time they seemed weak.
All of it had been done by someone whose real life he couldn’t understand. The worst part was seeing Harper in pain. She had already lost her mother to cancer, and now she was losing her best friend to something she couldn’t control.
Connor tried to explain what little he knew about Zoe’s circumstances, but how could he make a 19-year-old realize how complicated money and safety were when he didn’t even understand them himself? She told me she loved me. Harper whispered one night when they were snuggled up on the couch they had shared with Zoe many times. How can you just walk away from someone you love? Connor didn’t know what to say because he was having trouble with the same question.
If Zoe really cared about their family, how could she just disappear without saying anything? If she cared about their friendship, wouldn’t she have found a way to stay in touch? The silence was so loud and complete that it made it seem like what they had shared meant a lot less to Zoe than it did to them. Three weeks after Zoe went missing, Connor got a call that altered everything. Harper was found unconscious in her dorm room with an empty bottle of prescription drugs next to her bed.
The travel to the hospital in the ambulance was a flurry of sirens and desperate prayers. Connor’s wife was already gone. He couldn’t stand the prospect of losing his daughter.
Connor sat alone with his failures in the waiting area of the intensive care unit. He was so concentrated on his own grief and Zoe’s lies that he didn’t notice how hard Harper was having it. His daughter needed expert help, not his promises that things would get better.
She needed him to strive for her happiness, not just give up and say that some losses were unavoidable. Connor heard footsteps he recognized in the hospital hallway about four in the morning. He looked up and saw Zoe coming. She was no longer the polished young woman who had charmed his family or the millionaire heiress who had a lot of security around her.
She wore an old university sweatshirt from Harper and trousers that had seen better days. Her hair was tied back into a simple ponytail. Her eyes were red and tired from crying. How is she doing? Zoe asked right away and sat down next to Connor as if the last three weeks hadn’t happened.
Connor looked at her, having a hard time understanding why she was there. How did you know? He asked. Zoe’s face crumpled a little.
I’ve been keeping an eye on social media, hospital records, and everything else I could find to see how you two were doing. When I read the report from the ambulance… She couldn’t complete her sentence. Have you been watching us? Connor asked, unsure if this news made him feel better or worse.
Zoe nodded, her face showing shame. I know it sounds strange, but I couldn’t just go away. Harper is really important to me.
Connor was surprised by how honest her voice was. So why did you go? He inquired, and the pain in his voice came through. Zoe was quiet for a long time, looking at her hands folded in her lap.
When she eventually spoke, her voice was so low that it was hard to hear. My mom told me I was hazardous to both of you, so I believed her. She showed me security papers about efforts to kidnap other rich families and told me how individuals like you and Harper could become targets just by knowing me.
She made me think that caring about you was selfish and that staying would only put you in danger. Connor felt like he had just learned something new as he heard the explanation. So you left to keep us safe? Zoe nodded, and tears ran down her face.
But I was incorrect. The risk isn’t in loving others; it’s in being alone. I left Harper alone when she needed me most, and now she’s in that room. I chose my mother’s anxieties over my own heart.
She lost her voice totally on the last phrase. Connor looked over Zoe’s profile and saw the scared young woman underneath the costly schooling and polished demeanor. He continued softly, “Your mother was trying to protect you too, in her own way.”
Zoe’s laugh was sad. When I was ten, my mom tried to kill herself. Did you know that? She constructed her own empire when my father left us, thinking that money and power were the only things that could keep her safe.
She spent my whole life trying to get rid of every risk, even the risk of real human connection. The discovery changed how people saw Catherine Wells’ actions. Connor knew how trauma worked in the mind, how terror could be so strong that it took over everything else…
He explained it was why she reacted so emotionally to our friendship. Zoe nodded. She thought you and Harper were threats to the world she had built up so carefully.
But more than that, she was scared because she could see how happy I was with your family. Because being happy made you weak?” Connor asked. “Because being happy meant I could choose something apart from the life Mother had prepared for me.
Zoe was right. She spent billions of dollars building a fortress around me, but it was truly a jail. I didn’t know it until I felt what it was like to have a true family.
Her statements sounded like someone who had finally figured out the difference between keeping someone safe and smothering them. For a few minutes, they sat in quiet, the weight of what they had learned resting between them. Connor finally spoke.
What happens next? Zoe’s face hardened with a determination he had never seen before. Now I have to choose. I’m 19 years old and legally an adult. I’m weary of spending my life based on my mother’s anxieties.
I want to be here for Harper. If you want me to, I want to be a member of your family. Connor had desired the offer for weeks, but it came with problems he couldn’t ignore.
He cautioned that your mother wouldn’t just accept this. Zoe’s smile was sad. My mom is about to find out that some things are more essential than following the rules for safety.
Harper is fighting for her life in there because I wasn’t brave enough to stand up for our relationship. I won’t do that again. Eighteen hours later, when Harper finally woke up, the first face she saw was Zoe’s.
You returned. Harper muttered, her voice hoarse from the hospital treatments. Zoe held her hand tightly, and tears streamed down her face.
I shouldn’t have gone. I’m very sorry, Harper. I’m so sorry.
Harper’s answer was quick and strong. Please don’t leave again. Please don’t go again.
Catherine Wells and her security crew showed up, which stopped the reunion. Connor looked at the CEO’s face as she took in the scene. Her daughter was clutching the hand of the girl who had almost died, and they were both crying with relief and happiness. For a minute, Catherine’s carefully controlled face broke, showing something that may have been comprehension.
Then her mask went back on. Catherine murmured quietly, “Zoe.” We have to talk.
Zoe didn’t do what her mother asked her to do right away for the first time in her life. She said later, still looking at Harper. My friend needs me right now.
Zoe said the term “friend” with a lot of emphasis, making it apparent that she wasn’t going to change her mind. In the hospital hallway, Connor ran into Catherine Wells. They were both parents attempting to deal with an impossible circumstance. Connor whispered gently, “She won’t go with you.”
It was hard to tell what Catherine was feeling. She said, “I’m starting to get it.” The question is if you know what you’re asking for, the risks to your safety, the attention from the media, and the problems that come with being part of our family.
Connor said, “I know your daughter saved mine.” I know that Harper has been happier having Zoe in her life than she has been since her mother died. We can work out the intricacies of everything else as we go.
Catherine looked at him for a long time, and her businesswoman’s instincts were obviously judging how honest and determined he was. Catherine finally remarked, “You have no idea what you’re getting into.” But maybe, she stopped, and her face changed a little.
Maybe Zoe was right when she said she needed something I can’t give her. It looked like the entry cost her something, but it also showed that she was a mother who could put her daughter’s needs ahead of her own anxieties. A doctor came in with Harper’s discharge papers, which stopped the talk.
Catherine made an unexpected surprise as they were getting ready to leave the hospital. Zoe will go back to Riverside University to finish her education. Security will be there but not in a way that draws attention to it. She glanced right at Connor. I’d like to talk about setting up a scholarship fund for students like Harper.
Students who have faced and conquered big personal problems. Catherine’s offer was plainly her way of thanking Connor and Harper for how much they had helped her daughter. Connor also saw that it was her way of trying to establish bridges instead of walls.
That’s kind of you. He stated it gently. But we don’t need help.
He had never seen Catherine grin before. It wouldn’t be giving. It would be a way to help the kind of community that has been excellent for my kid.
Six months later, spring had come to Riverside, bringing with it the promise of new starts. Harper had gone back to school with the help of better counseling services, and she had become an advocate for mental health awareness on campus. She wasn’t fully healed.
It was never possible to heal from trauma. But she had learned to ask for help instead of keeping her pain to herself. Zoe had also gone back to Riverside, but things were different for her this time.
She still had the grace that her upbringing had given her, but there was a lightness to her that hadn’t been there before. She had learned to be Zoe, not the Wells heiress with all the rules and expectations that came with that title. Her connection with her mother was still hard, but it was getting better slowly thanks to family therapy sessions.
Connor kept working as a college security officer, but Catherine Wells also paid for a new job for him: coordinator of student safety and mental health programs. It was work that employed his protective instincts and military background to help students like Harper deal with the kinds of problems they had. He knew that it was ironic that his connection to the Wells family had opened doors he had never thought he would walk through.
As Connor ended his patrol, the sun set and created lengthy shadows across the campus. He could see Harper and Zoe studying together on the quad from a distance. They were hunched over their books and laughing at something one of them had written. He felt the kind of happiness he believed he would never feel again after Margaret died.
Connor’s radio was full with normal updates from other security staff, but he could barely hear them. He was remembering the phone call he had had with Catherine Wells earlier that week. She had called to talk about getting more money for mental health services, but their chat had turned to more personal things.
Catherine had added that Zoe seemed really pleased, and Connor could sense the surprise in her voice, as if she had never thought her daughter would be happy. Connor had said that she had found her place here, with people who care about her for who she is, not what she stands for. Catherine took a long time to answer.
I’m starting to get what the difference is. I didn’t realize until today that love doesn’t need control. It took me fifty years to learn this. The admission had cost her, but it also showed how far they had all come since that night in the hospital.
Connor spotted Catherine’s quiet security crew keeping an eye on the campus as he walked to his pickup. The deal they came to wasn’t ideal, but it took into account the Wells family’s real security worries and Zoe’s need for real relationships. Some fights were worth it, and some wins were judged in modest freedoms instead of full independence.
As he got to the parking lot, Harper came up next to him with her backpack over one shoulder. She looked more at peace than she has in months. Are you ready to go home? She questioned, walking next to him. Connor nodded, noticing how easily she had started calling their place home again.
For months after Zoe went missing, Harper called their home “the place where they slept.” As they got into Connor’s pickup, Harper said, “Zoe’s coming for dinner tomorrow.” She wants to try preparing that spaghetti dish that Mom used to prepare.
The casual mention of Margaret no longer hurt as much as it used to. Time and mending had turned those memories into something that could be shared instead of kept safe. I found the recipe cards my mom gave me.
Harper went on. I thought we could all make dinner together. The drive home was quiet and comfortable, with both of them engrossed in their own thoughts.
Connor thought about how much their lives had changed since that night when he saw Zoe cry across the parking lot at school. He had stepped in to help a stranger, not knowing that it would lead to the growth of their small family and a kind of happiness he had given up on. Harper went to her room to study some more, while Connor sat on their small balcony and watched the sun set over Riverside.
A text from Zoe made his phone vibrate. Thanks for not giving up on me. See you tomorrow.
The message was simple, but it meant a lot because of everything they had been through together. They had experienced the lies, the truth, the breakup, and the decision to forge something stronger than what they had lost. Connor typed back.
Family doesn’t let go of family. He knew the truth of those remarks as soon as he pushed submit. They were family not because they were related by blood or marriage, but because they chose to be there for each other, even though that choice came with problems and difficulties.
The family they had chosen wasn’t the one they had intended, but it was the one they had. The noises of college life filled the evening air: music from far away, laughter, and the hum of young people finding out what to do with their lives. Connor closed his eyes and let the noises wash over him. He thought of Margaret and how much she would have adored Zoe’s intense commitment to Harper.
His wife had always thought that sharing love made it bigger, not smaller, and that extending your heart to new people didn’t imply forgetting about the individuals you had lost. There would be fresh problems to deal with tomorrow. There would always be security issues to deal with, media attention to deal with, and the complicated dynamics of a connection between families from very different backgrounds.
But tonight, Connor felt something he hadn’t felt in years: total peace with his decisions and real enthusiasm about the future they were constructing together. As night fell on Riverside, lights began to flicker on in the windows of dorms and apartments all throughout the college town. Each light stood for a person’s story, their fight to find their place in the world…
Connor thought about all the pupils who were having trouble with problems that looked impossible to solve or who felt lost or alone.
Maybe one of them would need aid tomorrow, and Connor would be there to provide it to them. Harper was getting ready for bed in her apartment. She was taking medicine and going to therapy to deal with her anxiety, but she also knew she wasn’t battling her problems alone.
Zoe was certainly going over her schoolwork, but she was also contacting friends and making plans for the weekend, just like any other college student.
Catherine Wells was learning how to blend her protective impulses with her daughter’s demand for real interactions in a business boardroom or a fancy hotel.
They were all altered from how they had been six months earlier, changed by loss and discovery and by the risk of loving individuals whose lives didn’t fit into simple categories.
Connor now knew that some of the best things in life came from areas he didn’t expect, like when he chose to help a stranger or let someone in who needed what he had to offer.
Before going inside, Connor witnessed a shooting star fly across the bright Colorado sky. He didn’t ask for anything.
He didn’t have to. Everything he had hoped for was already here. It wasn’t perfect, and it was difficult to understand, but it was genuine in a way that security measures and business plans could never be. Their strange family will have fresh adventures tomorrow, and Connor was ready for all of them.