Chapter 43 Anna
Chapter forty-three
Anna
M
y confessions have left me mentally and physically exhausted. I look at Keaton, and he doesn’t seem to be much better off.
“Stay with me,” I say. He looks at me with hope in his eyes and my heart melts. “Please, stay with me tonight.”
He nods. “I can sleep on the couch if that makes you more comfortable.”
It wouldn’t. Being in his arms again has me realizing I don’t want to be apart from this man for another night. “No. Stay with me. Beside me. Please.”
A soft smile has the dimple on his left cheek just barely making an appearance. “I will always be beside you, Baby.”
We get ready for bed in a peaceful silence, and when we climb into bed, he wraps his arms around me and I drift off to sleep knowing that no matter what happens, Keaton will be there beside me.
Anna
So while I was packing things up in the guest house last night, Keaton came over…
Jasmine
And you told him to go to Hell?
Penny
Did he grovel? He better have groveled.
Anna
I did not. And he did. In fact, he said a lot of things that made me want to give him another chance. Give us another chance.
Skyla
Woohoo! More newlywed adventures!!
Anna
Well this next adventure is about to royally suck. I hate to leave you while you’re in town, Sky, but there’s somewhere I need to be today.
Skyla
Don’t you worry about me. I made a really good friend last night and now he’s following me around like a sweet, little puppy dog. I’m sure he would like to hang out some more.
Penny
Sky, be nice to that boy.
Skyla
Oh, I was very nice to him. And he’s no boy. This guy is all man.
Anna
You’ll have a lot more fun with that than where I’m going.
Jasmine
Where are you going?
Penny
Is everything okay?
Anna
Today is the day Keaton gets to meet my parents.
My parents were expecting me today since my dad demanded I return, but they probably expected me to bring luggage and not the handsome man I married. Keaton turns into the paved driveway, and when he turns off his truck, he looks over at me.
“You ready for this?”
Nope.
But I nod anyway, and we exit the vehicle.
I smile at all the decorations on the front porch.
My mom is an avid lover of Christmas and firmly believes that the first Christmas tree goes up as soon as curfew ends on Halloween.
I’ve always shared the love of the holiday, but something tells me today’s visit isn’t going to be so holly jolly.
Before I can turn the knob, Keaton’s hand grasps mine and I wonder if he is as nervous about this as I am.
He’s a stranger to my family.
He’s a stranger who married me while we were both drunk in Vegas.
He’s a stranger who stayed married to me in secret.
He’s a stranger who beat the shit out of my father’s best friend.
But as I look at him, he seems calm.
“This isn’t going to go well,” I say to him.
He nods. “As long as we go through it together.”
Taking a deep breath, I open the door, and we step inside, ready for whatever awaits us behind it.
“Mom? Dad?” I shout out to the empty foyer. Keaton and I walk further into the house as we hear my mom’s voice.
“Oh, honey! You’re here.” Footsteps are headed our way from the kitchen, and I wonder if she’s already started her holiday baking. No matter how badly this day goes, one of my mom’s chocolate chip cookies will make any day better.
When she comes around the corner, her kind eyes meet mine, then immediately take in the man holding my hand. She fixates on where our hands are joined, then looks up at me again. “And you brought a friend.”
“No, Mom.” I straighten my posture. “I brought my husband.”
“Like hell you did,” I hear from behind us and turn to see my father. His expression is pure fire, and I can’t help but squirm under it. Keaton’s grip on my hand grows tighter and I remember that no matter what, he’s with me in this.
“Mom. Dad. This is Keaton Fisher. My husband.”
“It’s nice to meet you both. You’ve raised an incredible daughter,” Keaton says politely, but it just fuels the fire already radiating within my dad.
“Is it? Is it nice to meet us after you married my daughter without permission? Or is it nice to meet us after you assaulted my best friend?” My dad spits his words in our direction as he steps closer.
The two most important men in my life are sizing one another up.
The man who loves me so much that he pushes me to be the best version of me he thinks I can be.
And the man who loves me so much that he accepts me as I am.
They’re about the same height, but Keaton has maybe an inch on my dad, but also a solid fifty pounds.
Whereas my dad is lanky, Keaton’s fit frame is muscular.
“Tell me, Mr. Fisher, you think attacking another man makes you strong?”
I look at my husband, who is somehow still calm. “No, sir. But I do believe standing up for my wife makes me strong and worthy of being here.”
“Standing up for her, how? Against Daniel? He’s known her since she was born and would never hurt her.”
“But he has,” Keaton and I answer in unison.
“The day he showed up to my office, he called Anna some of the cruelest names and then slapped her,” Keaton explains.
My dad’s eyebrows furrow in confusion and I can hear my mom gasp from somewhere in the room.
“What did you say to him to make him react that way?” My dad turns to me, his arms crossed and chest puffed believing I’m the problem. Just like always.
My voice cracks as I let the truth spill from my lips.
“I didn’t do anything, Dad. Daniel has been harassing me for almost the entire time I’ve worked for him.
And on my last day at work, he called me into his office, and, Dad,” I force myself to say the words that don’t want to come out, “he touched me.”
Sobs sound from somewhere in the room, and I reach my hand up to my cheeks, surprised to find no tears. I turn and look at my mom, her beautiful face streaked. “Oh, honey. Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because it’s not true,” my father barks. “I’ve known Daniel for over thirty years. He wouldn’t do that. Especially not to my daughter. You can’t just make accusations like this, Anna Laura. You can’t try to ruin someone’s life in retaliation for letting your big married secret slip.”
“She’s telling you the truth, sir,” Keaton says strongly, tightening his grip on my hand.
“What do either one of you know about the truth? This man,” my dad points to Keaton, “is causing you to be erratic. He’s the reason you left home in the first place.
Left a good job with Daniel. He’s the reason you’re making these false accusations against a man I’ve known and called my best friend for decades.
And this man isn’t welcome in my house.”
“Dad, if he goes, then I go,” I say, attempting to stand my ground.
But my dad’s words cut me like a knife. “Then so be it.”
He chose Daniel. He chose his friend over his daughter. He chose not to believe me.
“No.” My mother’s firm voice shocks me out of my emotional spiral.
“What did you say, Kara?” My dad’s icy tone is directed in her direction, but she’s been married to him long enough to not care.
“She and Keaton are not going anywhere.”
“You can’t tell me you believe this?”
“I believe our daughter, Craig.” My mother walks over and wraps me in her embrace. She whispers in my ear, “I believe you, honey. I love you. I’m proud of you. And I’m so sorry that the son of a bitch hurt you. I’m so sorry I didn’t step in when I saw what was happening that night at dinner.”
“I oughta drive you all over to Waverly Hills and see if they’re still accepting patients. The lot of you are crazy if you think for one second that man hurt Anna.”
“And you’re crazy if you choose him over her,” my mom jabs in his direction. “She’s our baby girl, Craig. She’s telling you something painful, hoping you can help. And you’re pushing her away.”
I don’t know if it’s the pain from my dad’s rejection or the strength of my mom’s support, but my tears are falling freely now. My voice comes out in sobs, “I’m so sorry, Dad. I never meant to be your greatest disappointment.”
His face drains of color.
“My entire life I’ve never been good enough for you.
I just needed to lose a few pounds. Or make better grades.
Or I n,eded to get my head on straight and get a degree in something more practical.
I needed to make more money. I needed to work where you wanted.
I needed to marry someone you chose,” I swallow, “I’ve only ever wanted to make you proud, but I guess I’ll take being your disappointment if it allows me to finally be me.
A me that is completely loved by a man for the first time in my life”
My dad staggers back like he’s taken a bullet to the chest. “That’s what you think?”
I straighten, my mom and my husband standing tall beside me. “Anna Laura, you have never been a disappointment. I know I’ve said I’ve been disappointed with some of your choices, but you, you are the most important thing in my life. And I’m so sorry you ever doubted that.”
“Then why can’t you believe me?”
He plops down on the tawny brown leather chair beside him, his eyes scanning the floor. After several moments his voice comes out with barely a whisper. “He really did it, didn’t he?”
My mom goes over to kneel in front of him. “He really did it. And we’re not going to let him get away with it.”
My dad nods, “So, what do we do?”