Uncle Daddy

Hannah Erickson

Uncle Daddy

Psychology: the scientific study of the human mind and its functions. In a simpler sense, why humans do the things they do, and what makes “normal,” normal. From B.F. Skinner, to Sigmund Freud, explanations have been made up for virtually every process that the human mind experiences. People naturally need food and water to nourish their bodies in order to stay alive. Yet, these are the things that are not necessary to keep you alive, that really make life worth living. From the earliest stages of life, love is the utter-most necessary emotional quality a human body thirsts for.

Harmony Ann Rose, a certified Psychologist, grew up through many different foster homes throughout her childhood. Learning to count on herself only, she grew a bitter hatred toward the rest of the world around her. Maturing into a young woman without the help of any parents taught Harmony to be independent and rely on herself only. Remarkably turning her life around and earning a 6-year Master's degree at the Capella School of Psychology, Harmony Rose grew into a very successful woman. Finding herself at 35 years old, single, living in a one-bedroom apartment in New York City, Harmony faced the truth that being alone forever was in her destiny.

Walking into her job at a Research Psychology center every day, Harmony's boss, Mr. Jackson was disturbed by the grim visage and crabby attitude that made up Harmony's demeanor. Despite his usual boorishness toward his employees, Mr. Jackson approached Harmony about a special upcoming study. Feeling honored to be the chosen employee out of the two hundred plus that worked for Psychology Research of America, Harmony pranced into his office cheerfully.

“Yes Mr. Jackson, how can I serve you?”

“Well, Miss Rose, I have a special task for you. Our team is conducting a new procedure based on love and the human need for it. We are interested in researching what stimuli in the brain projects the need for love and comfort from fellow human beings.”

Harmony's wide grin slowly grew smaller when she heard the basis of the new study that she would be participating in. Knowing that she knew virtually nothing about being loved or cared about, how would she excel in this task?

Harmony nervously said, “I'm sorry sir, but I am not sure I am your best choice for studying something I know literally nothing about. What exactly does this task consist of?”

Laughing under his breath, Mr. Jackson looked Harmony in the eyes and said,

“I am giving you six months to fall in love. You will be set up with a random man, and we will study the process of your love for the next six months.”

“Wha, uh wha what sir?” Harmony stuttered. Quickly moving from her chair to the office room door she said, “I am sorry sir but I decline your offer. I am not capable of falling in 'love'.” Exiting the room quickly, tears started to roll down Harmony's cheeks. She had just given up an opportunity to be a test subject for a potentially million dollar study.

As she reached her hand out to press the elevator button, she heard her boss yell down the hallway, “If you decline, then you may pack up your belongings Miss Rose, you are fired.”

A torturous pain rolled through Harmony's body, knowing that she was on the verge of getting fired from the job she had forever dreamed of. Gripping her navy blue jacket tightly in her hand, she began to walk slowly back to Mr. Jackson's office.

Without any hesitation, Harmony looked her boss in the eye and said,

“who is he, who is the man I must love?”

Mr. Jackson smiled extensively and welcomed Harmony to the team with a firm handshake. “Well Miss Rose, he is waiting in the lobby right now for you. Go ahead and go down stairs and introduce yourself.”

A knot of nausea filled butterflies occupied her stomach. “Sir, I, I, I have never loved before, never even been on a date. What do I do, what do I say?”

Chuckling and staring down at his thousand dollar wedding ring, he smiled and said,

“And that Miss Rose, that is exactly how I met my wife. Just be yourself, the rest will fall into place.”

Leaving her with a sleek smile, Mr. Jackson walked back into his office and locked the door.

The elevator ride down stairs made what was just two minutes feel like a lifetime. When the doors opened, she caught a glimpse of the man that Mr. Jackson had referred to. Before walking over to him, she completely scanned him up and down with her eyes. He was sitting nervously on the waiting room couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. The curls in his hair fell perfectly over his baby blue eyes, which lead to his tall, lanky body. Taking a large breath, Harmony felt intimidated by his “out of her league” appearance. Asking herself why he was so available for a Psychology study, and not already taken by a beautiful woman. Finally building up enough courage, she took a few steps toward him, and introduced herself.

“Hi, I am Harmony, and your name?”

“It is so great to meet you, my name is Jake,” he said excitedly.

Conversation ran out quickly, until he offered to take her out for coffee at seven o'clock. Being new in the dating world, Harmony took a deep breath and stuttered her answer, “Uh, um, yeah sure I like coffee.”

Jake anxiously laughed, “I'll pick you up at seven Harmony,” ending their conversation with a wink of confidence.

Watching Jake walk all of the way out to his car helped ease the butterflies that felt to be swarming her stomach. Taking a large breath of reassurance, Harmony walked back up to her office with mixed emotions swirling around her head like a tornado.

Harmony was impressed with Jake's punctuality when he knocked on her apartment door at exactly 6:59 p.m. He greeted her with a kiss on the hand, telling her how beautiful she looked.

Humbly accepting his compliment, she asked him, “Are you ready to go? It is getting kind of late and I do not want to miss my 9 o'clock show.”

Not sure how to take her snobby comment, Jake reluctantly took her hand and showed her to his beat up pick-up truck.

As the night proceeded, the date played out successfully; as well as every other night that week. Getting to know each other more made both Jake and Harmony realize that they may actually like each other outside of the shallow Psychology study. Every night that Harmony came home, she would sit on her bed and try to convince herself that she was simply just tricking her mind and this man was not going to stick around once the six months was up; trying to protect herself from future hurt. Nobody had ever stuck around and loved her before, so why would they start now? That was, until three months later when the new couple got a surprise that would change their lives forever: they were pregnant with a little girl on the way.

The news of becoming a mother caught Harmony by complete surprise. This man that she had barely known for just a few months, was going to be in her life for at least the next 18 years? Remembering what it was like growing up without any parents in her life brought back terrible memories for Harmony. She wanted nothing other than for her baby girl to have both a Mommy and a Daddy together. Terrified out of their minds, Jake and Harmony prepared for the baby's arrival like any other parents would do. Ready or not, the baby was on the way.

As the six month mark came around for the Psychology “experiment” to end, Jake and Harmony were called into the laboratory to be asked questions about their time together. Mr. Jackson challenged the couple with many detailed questions, and one rather challenging one.

He stated, “ In order for me to assure that my research is accurate, you guys must prove to me that you truly are in love. How will you do so?”

As tears filled her eyes, Harmony looked over at Jake and whispered to the room of researchers, “I am pregnant.”

Jaws dropped throughout the entire room of scientists. Mr. Jackson quickly released the couple for dismissal, knowing that they needed their space from the research room for the day.

Months quickly passed by as Jake and Harmony grew closer and closer to one another. They realized that they had more in common than ever expected. Jake too, was a foster child when he was young. Although, he was adopted into a wonderful family at the age of four. Luckily, he had not experienced the same loneliness that Harmony had. They truly were in love, despite being pregnant or not, they adored each other. The welcoming of their baby into the world was the most amazing experience either of them had ever lived. It took one simple glance at their baby girl, to fall in complete love with her. That was until they found out that she was born with a severely rare condition called, Hydrocephalus. Simply known as “water on the brain.” Both Harmony and Jake sat and waited for the doctor to come into the room and explain whether their baby girl would be okay, or not.

The doctors entrance into the room took both of the new parents' breath away. “Hello, my name is Doctor Edwards. I wanted to personally congratulate you on the birth of your baby girl.” Tears rapidly rolled down Harmony's face. “Your baby girl is going to be okay. She will need to stay in the hospital for a few weeks so we can monitor her progress, and we will determine where she goes when the time comes. She will not have a normal life, although, she is perfectly capable of being a happy little girl. On a side note, I do have some questions for you both. We ran some tests on your baby and found some interesting results through her DNA. You two are both adopted, right?”

Jake and Harmony looked at each other very confused, nodding their heads to the Doctor. “Well, I am sorry I have to be the one to break this news to you, but Harmony, the tests came in with similar DNA. Through research we have found a disturbing truth.”

Staring Harmony in the eyes Dr. Edwards said, “Ma'am, Jake is your brother...you two are siblings.”