Persuasion is not mine. It belongs to Jane Austen.

I was playing with Jack and Nathan outside and Mary was napping when David's younger twin sisters, Hannah and Lucy, pulled into the driveway. They got out of the car and squealed when they saw me. "Anne, we haven't seen you in, like, forever," Lucy said.

"Me, too. How are you two?"

Hannah grinned. "Did David tell you I got accepted to the nursing program at UMKC?"

"No, he didn't. That's great. What about you, Lucy?"

"I decided on being a lib arts major. I can bullshit my homework while I find a rich husband," Lucy said. She pulled out her cell phone. "No texts." She waved her hand in front of her face. "Damn, it's hot."

"Let's go inside. Jack, Nathan, it's time to go in."

"No," Jack said.

"No way," Nathan replied, supporting his big brother.

"Yes. It's hot." I grabbed the boys' hands and took them inside. The twins followed. We went into the kitchen.

As I poured out lemonade for my nephews, Hannah said, "The reason we're here is because Mom and Dad wanted us to invite David, Mary, and the rugrats to dinner tomorrow night."

"I'm not a rugrat, Aunt Hannah," Jack said.

Hannah patted Jack's head. "I know you're not. You can come if you want to, Anne."

I set the cups on the table. "Thanks."

"Great," Hannah said.

It was hard for strangers to believe that Hannah and Lucy were sisters, let alone twins. Hannah was short with light brown hair and hazel eyes and pixie-like features; Lucy was tall with blond hair and blue eyes and could have been a model. Hannah was more laidback and down-to-earth; Lucy was high-maintenance and always craved attention.

The only things Hannah and Lucy had in common were a love of shopping and fashion, the same birthday, and the same parents and brother. They were twenty and both went to UMKC.

It wouldn't hurt me to go to dinner, I thought. The Musgroves were nice people, after all.

Later that night, I went on my fifth date with James. I drove to The American Restaurant and when I arrived, James was waiting for me inside. He held a bouquet of roses.

He kissed my cheek. "These are for you."

I blushed and took the roses. "Thank you. You didn't have to."

James smiled. "It's not a problem." A waiter came over and took us to a table. He handed us menus and went to get us water.

"How was your week?"

"It was good. I just helped my sister with her sons. How about you?"

"I now get to handle a top account."

"That's great."

"Yes, it is. Of course it is. Since the stock market has been improving…" James continued to talk about his work and the current economic situation through the rest of dinner. I tried to talk a couple of times, but James would always turn the conversation back to himself. I couldn't deal with dating someone like that.

James walked me out to my car. As I pressed the button to unlock my car, he kissed me. I kissed him back. There was no spark between us, no passion. Kissing him was like kissing my brother, if I had one.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and I had to break the kiss off. He looked at me, confused.

"I can't see you again," I said.

"Why not?"

"It won't work out between us. I'm sorry."

"But -"

"No, I can't. I guess I'll see you around." I opened my car door and James walked off.

The next morning, the ringing of my cell phone woke me up. I grabbed for the phone and it fell off the bedside table. I sat up and bent over the bed to pick the phone up. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. It read 9:03.

The caller id read Molly. "Hi."

"Hi, hon. How was your date with James?"

"I'm not going to see him again," I answered. I knew what was coming.

"You're not going to see him again?"

"Yes."

"Anne," Molly began in the patronizing tone I knew too well. "I set you up with James because he's a nice guy. I just want to see you happy."

I used to be happy eight years ago, I wanted to say. Instead, I said, "I know that, but there's no chemistry between us. It's better if I break it off now than later."

Molly sighed. "I appreciate your honesty, but you've always taken my advice. Why don't you trust me on this and go out on another date with James?"

"Well, I appreciate the advice, but it won't work out with James."

"Anne, what would your mother think?"

Of course, she would bring Mom up. Mom would support any decision I made as long as it weren't destructive. Unlike Molly and Dad, she would've liked Rick and been happy with our engagement. "She would want me to make the right decision and be happy," I said.

"Yes. Would she want you to dump a nice, successful man because you didn't give him enough chances?"

"No, but -"

"Honey, I have more life experience than you. I'm just trying to help."

"I know. It's just -"

"Madelyn was my best friend and I know she would want me to give her daughters all the help I can."

"I know that, Molly."

"So will you go out with James again?"

I wasn't going to win this argument. "Yes."

"Good." Molly sounded cheery. "Have a good day." She hung up.

I lay back down and groaned into my pillow. I had just agreed to do something I didn't want to again. Would my life ever be my own again?

I ended up not going to the Musgroves' for dinner. David called me that afternoon and said that Jack had climbed a tree that morning and had fallen out of it. I rushed to Mary and David's house where Jack was lying on the couch with a cast on his wrist and Mary was arguing with David.

"Mom and Dad will understand if you stay home, Mary. I got into a lot of accidents when I was Jack's age."

"Of course you get to go to dinner and not stay home with your hurt son," Mary yelled.

"A client is coming to dinner and I need to talk to him with Dad."

Nathan came running from behind me and wrapped his arms around my legs. "Hi, Auntie Annie."

"Hi, Nathan."

"Why can't Anne stay with Jack and Nathan tonight?" Mary asked.

"Uh."

David's eyes were begging me to look after the boys. I knew he didn't like arguing with Mary, especially when she was pregnant.

"Okay. I'll babysit tonight."

"Thanks a lot, Anne," David said.

"I have to decide what to wear tonight. Anne, come help me." Mary headed towards the stairs.

I helped Mary up the stairs. She didn't thank me. After all, my whole family expected me to put their needs before mine. They were used to it.