No One Has To Know

-14-

Song: Clarity

Artist: Zedd ft. Foxes

*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Heather kept checking her phone as she helped her dad set up furniture in their new house. She had hardly been able to focus in school because all she could think about was getting that special text from Alejandro.

"Heather Feather, could you stop looking at your phone for one minute?" Rob asked her. "I can't lift this sofa by myself. I'm not getting any younger, you know."

"I'm not either," Heather jabbed.

He gave her a disappointed look. "Hey, I'm not twenty-two."

"I know, dad." Heather rolled her eyes and slid her phone into her back pocket. She helped him haul the grey couch into the living room across from the TV. Just looking at the TV reminded her of yesterday when she and Alejandro watched that cheesy Spanish romance movie. She frowned as they set the sofa diagonally from the other couch, turning her gaze away from the television.

"Heather," Rob began, "what's wrong? You look sad."

"It's nothing," she muttered, gripping her phone.

He shook his head with a knowing smile. "Is it a boy?"

"Dad, I said it's nothing."

Rob sighed. "Can I tell you something about your mother and I's marriage?"

"No, I'm not interested," she grimaced.

"Heather, please. It won't take long." He sat on the couch and patted the spot next to him.

Heather rolled her eyes and reluctantly sat down. "Make it quick."

"When I first met your mom, I knew in my heart that I never wanted to see her hurting. And even nowadays, when she can be..." he cringed.

"A pain in the ass?" Heather spat.

"Well—let's use a nicer word. A...difficult person, I still remember that promise I made to her a long time ago when we were only sixteen years old." Rob patted his daughter's shoulder. "I promised her I'd do everything in my power never to let her cry because of me."

"Ok? What's the point of this story?"

"The point is, if a guy is making you upset, I'll kick his ass."

Heather gave him a surprised look. Rob hardly ever cursed, and on the rare occasion that he did, he'd do it under his breath. "Kick his ass? Dad, firstly, a reminder: you're almost fifty years old. Secondly, I don't like any guy!"

"Honey, this was all hypothetical. I'm not claiming that you like anyone."

"Whatever, dad. You're pretty much implying it." Heather stood back up.

"I'm just saying you deserve the best because you're my daughter." He stood up with her.

She sighed. "I'm fine." Even if Alejandro weren't my professor, I wouldn't have told my dad about him anyway, she thought. She looked at her phone yet again. He said he would text me. He's probably just busy.

"How about you put your phone down for a while, hun?" Rob suggested. "Whoever makes you sad doesn't deserve your attention."

Heather scoffed lightly and stuffed her phone back in her pocket. "Fine. But only because we have more work to do."

The front door swung open, revealing Martha. She carried a medium-sized pearl-colored statue of a swan in her arms. Heather furrowed her eyebrows. Rob gulped. "Uh—Martha, where did you get that...beautiful peacock?"