Chapter 3 Anna—Eggplant and roast chicken
Mason had collapsed into bed the previous night, with little more than a brief kiss and an annoyingly dramatic sigh.
Why was he suddenly so annoying? Even the way he gargled his water that morning had got under her skin.
Anna slept badly, creating scenarios in her head and panicking herself about where each scenario would lead.
Catastrophizing is what her sister Eliza called it.
Anna was pretty good at catastrophizing but it’s not like she did it for no reason.
She was a planner. A cautious person. Part of that meant strategizing for what might come her way.
In the end, all she ended up with for her night of “strategy” were bags under her eyes and exhaustion in her bones.
Later at work, Anna texted Mason to remind him of her family dinner that night. Every two weeks, she and Mason had dinner with her dad and her sister. His response was almost immediate.
Mason: Shit. Things are crazy here. I’ll have to meet you there. Will probably be half hour late. Will make it up to you *eggplant emoji*
Okay. That seemed reasonable. The eggplant was no doubt his most used emoji. It used to be cute, like a sweet but dirty language between them. Now she felt like it was mocking her. Placating her.
The rest of her shift dragged until she finally climbed into her car and drove the 15 minutes to her dad’s house.
James Harris was an efficient, ex-military man and his incredibly organized personality was reflected in her childhood house.
Neat, tidy lawns sat before a well-kept house.
Eliza’s car was already parked in the drive in her usual crooked, rushed way.
“Hey Dad,” Anna greeted, kissing his cheek.
“Hey Lady Anna,” he greeted back. When she was seven, Anna had decided she wanted to be royalty, but not a princess. That felt like she was reaching too high, so she’d insisted her name was Lady Anna. Her dad had found it charming and never let it go.
“Wine? Eliza’s already cracked a bottle,” James offered.
“Sure, count me in,” Anna enthusiastically accepted. Before she could even turn around, Eliza pushed a glass of wine in her hand, giving her a side hug.
“I’ve done a roast for my girls tonight,” James stated proudly. The smell of roast chicken wafted through the house as they all sat in the lounge.
“Mason’s running late, but he’ll be here,” Anna explained.
James smiled woodenly. He got along well with Mason, but Anna could always tell he didn’t fully approve.
But then, her dad was a protective man, devoted to his daughters, so she had a feeling no one would be good enough for his girls.
Eliza had certainly tested his patience with her last boyfriend, who was unemployed.
James had listened to his tales of “finding himself” with a thin veneer of patience.
Thankfully, the self-professed “freedom seeker” and “lost soul” became yet another minor footnote in the book of Eliza’s life.
“No problem. It’ll give us a chance to chat before he gets here. Anna, you know your trust is due for settlement in January. Please tell me you’ve given more thought to my suggestions.” James said the words seriously, his face the picture of concern.
Anna gave a half smile, feeling her blood pressure rise.
She felt so caught in the middle. She understood her dad’s desire to protect her, but she was marrying Mason in eight short months.
They shared everything. When James suggested she have legal documents drafted to protect her money from Mason in the event of a split, Anna had been furious.
Eliza hadn’t offered much support to James, agreeing with Anna that marriages shouldn’t be defined or divided by money or assets.
But Anna did see his point, very begrudgingly.
Her grandparents had worked hard for that money, founding a dental supplies business out of their home and working it into a multimillion-dollar empire.
When her mother Ellen died delivering Eliza 22 years ago, her maternal grandparents had offered to give James Ellen’s inheritance early to help him raise his two little girls.
A proud man, James had refused, insisting instead that the money be placed into trusts for the girls to be handed over when they turned 25.
Both grandparents had been gone several years now, and their wills had dictated that the rest of their funds be directed to their only grandchildren—Anna and Eliza—leaving both girls with an inheritance of just under $4m each.
James had taken it upon himself to teach the girls about money management and the importance of protecting their assets.
Anna understood that his stance on legal agreements stemmed from his love and concern for them, but it still created an uncomfortable tension between her and Mason.
Mason had declared that he’d sign anything, but also understood Anna’s desire to go all in. And that’s where it was left.
“Dad, I get it. I really do, but I’ve decided to just pool my money in with his.
We’re going to be married. What’s mine is his and what’s his is mine.
You and Mom shared money, Nan and Gramps shared money, and there were never any issues.
The fact that Mason was willing to sign the documents tells me I have nothing to worry about.
Even if we did split, I know he’d never take my money," Anna shared nervously, awaiting the inevitable head shake from James. Mason’s prior gambling problem was the only element of her plan that gave her doubt.
She reasoned that if she saw excessive spending, she could address it then.
Besides, he had not had an issue since his initial recovery.
He even paused when buying raffle tickets for charities.
“Okay, well you know my thoughts,” James stated tersely.
“Let’s open some Doritos to tide me over until my future bro-in-law is here,” Eliza interrupted. “I didn’t have lunch because some bitch stole my sandwich at work and had the nerve to put the empty container back in the fridge. I’m gonna start putting hairs in my food.”
Half an hour later, a very harried and tired Mason walked through the door. “Sorry everyone. Work’s been a madhouse lately.”
“Busy is good,” James said. “Jobs are safe when it’s busy.”
“Yeah, for sure. I kind of like it though. Being challenged all the time. Did Anna tell you I’m talking at a conference next week? I leave Sunday” Mason asked, clearly seeking some kind of approval or validation from James.
“Yes, she did. That’s great! We’re all very proud of you,” James soothed.
As they all sat down to dinner, with Eliza prattling on about her grumpy neighbor’s noise complaints, Anna felt happy again.
Her emotions were giving her whiplash lately.
She felt contented and relaxed one minute, then suspicious and full of doubt the next.
And for what? Ungrounded suspicions and a random banking app?
She needed to get a grip on herself. She had a wedding to plan!