Coming back to his family home was always something Harvey made sure to appreciate, especially when all of his siblings were here. He felt like he was a young boy once again, yet now he appreciated everything he had taken for granted back then. His mum's cooking skills and his dad's best attempts at helping, were key additions to that.
"Morning!" Harvey announced to everyone in the kitchen as he walked inside and instantly gained their surprised attention.
"Wow, you actually woke up before 11am for once!" Theo called out as he flashed his older brother a teasing look. "What a shocker!"
"Bet you woke up about 5 minutes ago too though, didn't you?" Harvey remarked back and Theo's guilty expression was enough proof.
"Maybe." He just shrugged. "Are you doing anything today?"
"I don't think so, why?"
"I want you to come and help me look for cars."
Theo was watching Harvey with a hopeful look in his eyes, as he'd been dying for a spare day that they could spend together. He had always looked up to his older brother and missed him intensely now that he wasn't at home everyday.
Jack and Kian had both offered to help Theo look for a car however, he had been adamant that he wanted Harvey to do it. He was desperate to find one but still very willing to wait for his brother until doing so.
"Yeah I'll come and help you look, man." Harvey agreed, noticing the look of excitement fall across the 18-year old's face. "Grace is here still though, so it'll have to be when she's gone alright?"
"That's cool." Theo said, as he was just grateful to get the time with his brother, even if he did have to wait around for his girlfriend to leave.
"Harvey, do you and Grace both want breakfast?" Jess called over from where her and Jack were currently plating up the food for everyone.
Turning around and making his way over, Harvey was then urged into a side hug by his mum, giving him the perfect opportunity to reach past her and grab one of the pieces of bacon.
"Yes please." He grinned while she was now looking at him in warning. "Can you just plate Grace one up though? She's sleeping."
"Yes of course..." Jess began before turning around to see Jack doing exactly what Harvey had been doing 5 seconds ago. "...if there is anything left by the time you have both finished with it."
"Your cooking is way too good to wait, babe." Jack teased, while trailing his hand up Jess' neck before placing a kiss to her cheek.
While Jess just rolled her eyes at him and turned her back to continue dishing up, Jack reached for another piece of the bacon as Harvey did the exact same. The pair of them were like big kids with the mischievous looks over their faces. It was as though they both wanted to get caught.
"Oh, Harv, I've got a proposition for you." Jack then announced, as momentarily paused from putting the bacon into his mouth.
"What's that mean?" Harvey asked in bewilderment, causing Addie to make a bad attempt at containing a grin at her brother's innocence.
"An idea, a plan, work related." Jack laughed as he watched the re-wording cause some clarification in Harvey's mind.
"Alright, what is it?"
Usually Jess made a rule that work was never to be discussed during meals, especially during precious family time. It wasn't often they all got together like this, so she felt that they should use their time talking about more personal things. However, in this case she was fine to accept it considering what it entailed.
"Right, so you know the garage in Cambridge that Corey's in charge of?" Jack began, causing Harvey to nod his head. "Well Corey's going to New York to visit Soph, and to also just take a long holiday for 2 months, so he's not going to be around. So I didn't know how you'd feel about going over there for that time to run the garage? I don't fancy just getting any old person in and I thought you might wanna do it?"
"Wait, what? Really?" Harvey looked back at his dad in slight shock. That sounded like a huge responsibility and he was slightly apprehensive that he wasn't capable of doing it.
"I wanted to do it." Theo spoke up. "But dad wouldn't let me, so you better appreciate that offer."
"You're too young Theo." Jack chuckled, feeling a little bad that he'd turned down his enthusiasm but knowing now wasn't the right time. "Give it a few more years and you'll get your chance."
"You want me to go up there for 2 months?" Harvey clarified, ensuring he understood what his dad was suggesting.
"Yeah, I'll rent you a place while you're there and you can come home on the weekends, it'll just be weekdays."
"What about you? Why aren't you doing it? Or Kian?" Harvey asked and he was surprising both Jack and Jess at how apprehensive he sounded.
"I thought you might wanna do it. You're fully capable and it would be good experience."
"You don't have to do it Harvey." Jess quickly added, unsure if he was scared to say no as he had other plans for himself. "But if it's because you're worried, like your dad said, you're fully capable."
Harvey wanted to do it, that wasn't the problem. He just wasn't confident enough in his own abilities, which was surprising considering he was usually one of the most confident people you would ever meet. He had grown up watching his dad run the business like an absolute pro and Harvey wasn't sure how he would match that.
He knew it wasn't the same as running the Brighton one as that was bigger and held a lot more responsibility. However, Harvey was only used to being an employee, who got his jobs, usually with the same customers, and that was that. He didn't have any experience of being a manager and actually telling other people what to do.
"I wanna do it, I just dunno..." Harvey trailed off, catching the looks of both his mum and dad's faces. "It's a big responsibility."
"You won't be alone, I'll just be a phone call away, and if you need it I can come up and help, but I really don't think you' will. You know how it all works and the people there are really good." Jack tried to reassure his son, wanting nothing more than him to hold confidence in himself with this.
Jack had always been super cocky when he was younger. He'd been willing to take on more work the moment his own dad offered it to him. Therefore, he wasn't used to seeing such uncertainty, especially when he knew that Harvey could do it in his sleep.
"Are the people there older than me?" Harvey asked, considering telling those what to do who were much older than him, seemed slightly odd.
"Most are around your age, some older, some younger."
"and you've met them all? They're alright people? Because you can't really beat the Brighton lot."
"No, you can't." Jack chuckled, considering they were all like a family now. "But I know you'll get on with them."
Nodding his head, Harvey knew that he just had to do this. No matter how apprehensive he felt, this was a great chance for him to grow. He loved this family business as much as his dad and now was his turn to make a big difference.
"Plus, you'll love Cambridge!" Addie beamed, considering her attending university there meant she knew it like the back of her hand. "I'll come and show you around!"
"I don't think you'll get a better tour guide than that." Jess smiled, appreciating the fact that Harvey would have Addie there and he wouldn't be completely alone.
"Alright then, yeah I'll do it." Harvey finally gave in and agreed. Knowing if he put it off now, there was a chance he'd just continue to do so.
Stepping out of his comfort zone wasn't something he usually found that challenging but in this case, it felt like a lot more responsibility. However, he did know that he would have his dad's support no matter what.
"Ay!" Theo called out as he began clapping his hands. "But how are you gonna cope without your new girlfriend? You two don't spend a second apart."
"Fuck off." Harvey laughed at his younger brother's comment, yet it also quickly ignited something within him.
He hadn't even thought about Grace or what that would mean for them. He had just asked her to be his girlfriend the night before, yet now he would be fucking off to Cambridge for 2 months and leaving her behind.
Of course there was the option of inviting her along with him but he couldn't help but think that was a terrible idea. He didn't want to move too fast and cause them to get sick of one another. He needed to pace himself. However, he was also aware that 2 months was a long time and if he wasn't coming home every weekend, those 2 months would drag by.
"Do you wanna speak to her first?" Jack asked more seriously, knowing that although they hadn't been together long, it was still something he would have discussed with Jess first, to save any misunderstandings.
"Nah, it's cool. She'll be fine. It's only 2 months." Harvey shrugged and Jack just nodded his head.
That part wasn't really his business to get involved with and he trusted that his son would have it handled. Therefore, he was just grateful that Harvey had agreed to do it, knowing it would be good for him.
It was a big responsibility for the 26-year old but Jack remembered appreciating every opportunity his own dad gave him when he was younger. It was all part of the family run business. They shared the load and as a dad, Jack had to mentor his own children so they were prepared to take it over from him one day.
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