when all is said and done | e.d.

thirteen

harper

monday morning could not be worse.

ethan called in sick, samantha is out in meetings all day, and bentley is annoyed that i didn't like the conference saturday afternoon.

i keep glancing towards the glass door to ethan's office, just expecting him to be there each time. of course, he's not.

my phone rings, and i pick it up.

"harper brown speaking."

"hi ms. brown," mary's voice rings in my ear. "you have a visitor that claims he has a written note to go into your office."

i furrow my eyebrows. "who's it signed by?"

"ethan dolan."

"um, okay. what's he here for? and his name?"

"one second," mary says, and the phone muffles. i hear quiet talking, and then she presses it back up to her ear. "name grayson dolan, claims he needs to pick up some of his brother's things."

oh, this should be good.

i smile. "send him in."

right as i place my phone back on the receiver, i hear a knock on my office door.

"come in," i say cheerily.

i was right about the twin thing.
ethan apparently must have mentioned it at one point, because the man in front of me looks almost identical to my assistant.

the only thing that's different is the hair, freckle placement, and this guy has a dangly earring.

"hi," he smiles a little. "i hope i'm not bothering you or anything... i just have to get some of ethan's stuff for him."

"not at all," i say, motioning to the connecting office doors. "take your time. it's a slow morning."

i watch him closely as he shuffles through some of ethan's things, grabbing a small stack of papers and some file folders.

"how long do you think he'll be out for? is he badly ill?" i ask.

he turns to face me. "pretty bad. they think he has viral pneumonia. i would estimate about three days or a week, at most."

i frown. damn it.

"that's too bad," i reply sadly. "i'll have to call him or something."

grayson gives me a funny look, but stands in front of my desk and holds out his hand. "i'm grayson, by the way."

"harper brown. nice to meet you," i say with a smile, shaking his hand.

"he was right."

i furrow my eyebrows. "what? who was right?"

"n-nothing," he stumbles with a look of pure panic on his face. "no one. sorry, i was just... talking to myself."

"talking to yourself?" i repeat back skeptically.

"yep. sorry."

"that's fine," i brush it off with nervous laughter. "did you find everything you need? if it's not in there, it's with me."

he glances at ethan's belongings in his hands.
"i think i got it all. thank you, though."

"it was nice to meet you, grayson," i call out as he opens the door to my office.

with one glance over his shoulder, he says, "you as well."

when he leaves, i try not to think about what he was referring to when he said 'he was right.'

i begin on signing some more documents right as my phone rings again.

"ughhh," i groan and reach for it. "yes, mary?"

"sorry to bother you again, ms. brown. your mom is calling. d-do you want me to... tell her you're busy?"

mary knows very well how i feel about my mother calling me at work, and usually tells her that i'm out of the office, even when i'm not.

"put her through," i respond dryly.

the line clicks, and my mother's voice fills the phone. "harper? are you there?"

"hi, mom," i muster up a happy tone. "you know you can just call me on my personal phone, right?"

"sorry," she apologizes with no sincerity. "i just like to call the building. it makes me feel fancy."

"got it. um, why'd you call? what can i do for you?"

"you're coming home for the reunion, right?"

the words make me freeze, and i glance at the calendar in my office. in ethan's handwriting, it clearly states that i have a family reunion this sunday.

"of course," i say slowly, trying to get myself to believe it as well. "where is it?"

"champaign, honey. at uncle jerry's? everyone will be there, and they're all dying to see you. it's like we have a celebrity in the family!"

i close my eyes. "right. uh, yeah. i'll be there."

"are you... coming alone?"

leaning back in my office chair, i ask, "what do you mean?"

"i'm asking if you're still single, harper jane."

of course. every single time i speak to my mom, she asks me if i'm seeing anyone.

"mom—"

"i'm not kidding. i'm worried about you. you're always stuck up in your work, and it makes me think you don't have an actual life. i can set you up with one of my friends' son! he's very nice and—"

"i met someone," i blurt out. immediately after, i slap my hand over my mouth and internally curse myself.

i can practically feel the excitement through the phone. "oh my god! that's so exciting. you have to bring him."

"we're not that serious yet."

"that's fine!" she exclaims. "please. i just want to meet him. i'll even pretend not to be your mother, if it'll make you feel any better."

"okay," i agree warily. "yeah, that's fine."

"so you'll bring him?"

"i'll bring him."