Sylvia grabbed a few tissues from behind her and handed them to Harper. “Please, it was my absolute pleasure. Plus, it’s my job to help out students Harper and you are officially a student here. Now, you’re going to have to make an appointment with a counselor to figure out what classes you need to take. I found a grant to help pay for your books and supplies. You should be good to go, doll.”
Harper looked at me through grateful tears and nodded repeatedly as if in disbelief. ‘Thank you’ she mouthed.
“Stop,” I said, “you’re making me feel all gushy inside. I don’t do well with emotion.”
She laughed and grabbed my hand. We just stared at one another deeply.
“Okay, love birds,” she said making Harper and I smile wider. “I’ll need Harper to fill out some paperwork. The same, ironically, you filled out last time, Callum.”
She removed a stack of papers from her desk and slid them across the desk toward Harper and handing her a pen. Harper eagerly filled them out, making my heart swell with pride for her.
I leaned back in my chair, a small weight lifted from my chest. Now all we need is a place to live, I thought. I sat up. I had an idea.
“Sylvia,” I began, “is there any way to get a grant to live on?”
Sylvia smiled kindly. “Well, it’s too late to apply for housing, Callum. I’m sorry. Why? Do you not have a place to live?”
“No, well, we ran into a bit of bad luck,” I said and noticed Harper’s pen stop moving for a moment. “It’s not a big deal but we basically have nowhere to live.”
“Callum, I’m really sorry to hear that,” she said sincerely, “but I have nothing to offer you. Housing applications were due at the beginning of summer. It takes several weeks to process them and are only done annually.” Harper handed Sylvia her paperwork and she took it, turning her chair and standing before walking over to her filing cabinet. “Unless, you were married,” she joked. “Then I could put in an emergency application but...” Sylvia said, turning around with the largest smile on her face, “but you aren’t, so.”
Sylvia bent to pick up a paperclip she dropped and I peered hard into Harper’s eyes, my mouth dropped open. This was it. This was our out. Her eyes opened wide and she started to shake her head but I wouldn’t hear of it.
“But we are,” I blurted out.
Sylvia stood but stopped in her tracks, seemingly shocked.
“Excuse me?”
I cleared my throat to gain confidence. “I said, we are. Harper and I are marrying next Saturday.”
“What?” Her hand flew to her chest. “I’m so sorry! Where are my manners! Congratulations! I had no idea. Well! That changes things a bit,” she laughed, sitting back down only to stand right back up. “I have to get a few app’s from my cabinet. Hold on.”
With her back to us, Harper pinched my shoulder. She threw her hands up in question. ‘What are you doing?’ She mouthed.
I pressed the air, telling her to hold on but she kept staring at me, shocked. I held my finger up. ‘Please,’ I silently begged just as Sylvia turned back around.
“Alright,” she said. “We’ll start the paperwork now. I’ll just need the marriage certificate as soon as it’s finalized. The sooner, the better. Time is of the essence what with classes starting soon. Let’s see.” She grabbed her bottom lip between her thumb and forefinger, thinking. “I think I have everything I need for the application already in your files. Yup, just the certificate will suffice.” She smiled at us. “Congratulations, you two.”
Harper and I filled out the new application then stood to leave, Sylvia wrapped us each in a hug again and we left her office as coolly as possible. Harper waved to punk chick once and we swiftly walked as fast as possible without arising suspicion toward the exit. Harper busted through the large wooden doors, out into the sun.
“What. Was. That.?” She asked.
“Harper, listen. I know it sounds crazy.”
“Crazy? I can’t marry you! I...I...Why did you tell her that?”
“Harper!” I yelled, edging us toward a few benches near some trees. We were drawing people’s attention. Quietly I continued, “Listen, our college is paid for. That’s awesome, right? But how are we supposed to attend? We have no money. No prospects. No real jobs. No parents to rely on. We are utterly alone, Harper. It’s just you and me. We’ve got the crap end of the stick our entire lives. Just...think about it.”
She shook her head back in forth at the grass below us, her arms folded across her chest. “This is just too crazy, Callum.”
“What other choice do we have? Huh? Tell me. How are we going to survive?”
“I don’t know,” she said honestly, “but this is not the answer.”
“I know we haven’t figured out all the particulars but this is the only way, Harper. You have to see that.” She opened her mouth to answer but I cut her off. “No, don’t answer. Just promise me you’ll think about it?”
She closed her eyes and seriously thought for a moment. I began to panic that she would say no.
“Fine,” she said. “I promise to think about it.”
“Thank you,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief.
Harper and I worked at the restaurant for lunch, earning three hundred dollars altogether. It was a start. We had the choice of working The Bowery or heading toward The Hope House. We were sick of mooching off our friends so we opted for The Hope House. We sat outside the welcoming doors, not surprisingly the first ones there and settled on the sidewalk, leaning against the stone facade.