Christian
Ughhhhh my body is so tired. I finally wedge my eyes open but instinctually know that Ana is not there. I reach out and feel that her side of the bed is cold. I groan and stretch out my legs and arms. I am a bit sore from last night's adventurous. It has been so long since I have been with Ana that I forgot just how good our bodies worked together.
I eventually drag myself out of bed and take a quick shower and make my way to the kitchen. I stop short when I hear Ana and her dad talking.
"What do you mean I actually am his father in law?" Ray demanded
"Well Christian and I really are married. We have been for quite some time now dad." Ana said in a soft tone
"I thought when he said that whole father in law thing yesterday that was him talking about that high school project you guys loved so much." He reasoned. HOLY SHIT I did introduce him that way to security. He thought it was just like in high school when I called Ana my wife. He just thought I stretched it out to encompass him.
Crap now Ana had to deal with the fall out.
"Well…" Ana didn't exactly know what to say
"I am happy for the two of you guys. From what you have told me, you made a good decision and took a break for school and his business. You know I love that boy like family so I don't think that this will be a problem for me other than the simple fact that you did not let me walk you down the aisle." He says with emotion in his voice. I peek over the corner and see them hugging.
I think this is the best time for me to make my presence known.
"Morning you two." I say as smoothly as possible.
"Well Christian, my daughter here tells me you two actually are hitched. Though she didn't tell me exactly where though." Ray raises his eye brows and gives me an expectant arm nudge.
Okay Ana didn't tell him this part. "Well we got married in Las Vegas when we were eighteen. On that college trip tour we went on." I couldn't help but smile and think of that night as the best in my life.
"Really you two?! Vegas! You better have a party or something so I can have a memory of this." Ray said
That wasn't so unreasonable. "Alright but we do have to tell my parents tonight."
"Oh well how are the Greys' these days?" Ray asks
"You know the same pretty much." I shrug because I honestly don't know how their personal lives are. Okay dodged a really big bullet with Ray just now. I need to get my equilibrium back.
I walk over to the table where Ana has made breakfast. I don't think I will ever expect Gail back now after having Ana back for just two days I have eaten better than I ever have in years. Gail made me things I wanted but also very healthy forms of them. Ana cooked healthy but you wouldn't know it. Today was chorizo and eggs with and huevos rancheros. Oh the smell coming from the food was mouthwatering.
Ana, Ray and I sat down for breakfast and the natural topics of conversation weaved in and out. Ray was exactly the same as I remember.
"Where are Taylor and Sawyer?" I ask finally
"Oh they went to go pick up Gail. Something was wrong with her car." Ana says
"Okay well I will start the dinner know. What should I make?" Ana asks
I can think of one thing that I have wanted for ages and this is the one things that Gail was never able to make right. Each time Gail tried it never tasted the same, eventually I stopped requesting it.
"Could you make that macaroni and cheese with bacon you made at my house that one time? Please!" I swear I can just taste it.
"Okay I think I can do that. Pot roast, mashed potatoes, veggies, a special side dish of mac and cheese with bacon that I can do. How about chocolate cake for dinner?" she offers me at the end
She knows my weakness for chocolate cake.
"Yes please." I finish my plate and put it in the dish washer.
Ray eventually finds a new home in my media room. He says "this should be my room next time I come here." He watches the last of the highlights and continues on to the fishing channel.
Ana starts on dinner and hums in the kitchen while cooking. I sit at the counter and just watch her move. She even lets me lick the spoon she mixed the cake batter with. She just indulges me when she doesn't even know it.
…..
When it comes close to the time when my family is expected we all gather around in the front room and talk. We talk about a very horrible time we had during the camping trip. They couldn't stop laughing at my family and their not so graceful adaptation to the wild.
"Oh come on! You shouldn't expect people to know that stuff" I say with a huff.
"Yes you should. One day you will need to know how to do that stuff and it is not a far off notion." Ray tries to reason.
Suddenly Taylor announces my family's arrival. My mother and father lead the pack. Elliot and Mia are right behind them.
"Hello everyone." I say with a smile. Everyone looks happy except my father he looks a bit reserved.
"Oh Christian it is so good to see you!" Mia exclaims and throws her arms around me. She is taller but still the same. "Oh God Ana where have you been?!" she moves on from me onto Ana and Ray.
"Its good to see you up close bro." Elliot gives me a one arm hug and pat on the back.
"Mom it is good to see you." I say with a smile
She hugs me close. "Oh you too, son."
"Dad" I say with a little less emotion.
"Son." he shakes my hand.
"Okay everyone let's get something to drink and let's eat." Ray yells and claps his hand together. He and I were both trying to get a snack earlier but we each got him on the hand with a range of spoons for even attempting to get a taste of dinner.
We make our way to the table and dinner and slowly the conversation ranges from sports to clothes. Ray is the first to notice my fathers lack of comment on the topics of conversation and asks him about it.
"Well Carrick, why so quiet?" Ray asks
"Oh just wondering at how convenient this whole get together is." He shrugs while cutting into his meat
"What do you mean by that?" Ray's eyebrow knit together and the tension in the room heightens as the others go quiet
My father places down his fork and knife and places his elbows on my table and looks Ray straight into his face and begins to speak. "I will say this plainly so no one here misunderstands me. I think that this is a very convenient reunion on the part of your daughter. Ana happens to get back with my son now that he has a successful company and lots of money. I am merely saying that for anyone else this would be a very calculating situation. Lonely Christians long lost love comes crawling back when he has money and status. Convenient."
Did he just…?
Ana crawling back to me?!
Like some gold digger?!
I see red but before I can say anything Ray slams his hand down on the table.
Ana next to him seems so small and looks like she is about to cry.
Mom looks livid next to my dad.
Elliot and Mia both look disappointed. They look down at their food not ready to comment.
Ray looks murderous. I see movement to my right side and realize that it is my security and Gail. Obviously wondering what the commotion was about. My eyes warned them to stay where they were.
"I don't know you that well Carrick so I will give you the benefit of the doubt here. I will not have you describe my daughter as a gold digger. You may not have said those exact words but we both know you are just dancing around the term you really wanted to use. I am not here to insult anyone. I am here because the kids wanted me here. My daughter loves your son. And to make a quick correct to your very inappropriate statement, my daughter did not crawl back to your son. Did you know that they have been together the entire time? Granted they were in a brake but really did you think these two wouldn't still be together?" Ray asks in a rage
"Really who told you that they were together the entire time?" My father asks in a mocking tone.
"Your son and my daughter did." Ray says standing up. Immediately my dad stands up as well.
"Well I doubt that. You daughter is just manipulating my son into doing as she wants." My dad brushes off.
"Do you not know your son at all? He would never be told what to do or how to think. Christian is independent and head strong." Ray would be the only one to describe me in such a way.
"Yeah well that doesn't stop your daughter from coming in out of the blue and wanting him now that he has made his own money." My dad smirks
I stand up because I know Ana and I know the real truth of wear this money came from.
"Excuse me Ray but I believe Ana and I can take this conversation from here" I set my hand on his shoulder and he sits down.
I get right into my fathers face and say "Take back what you said about Ana right now."
"No, she is a gold digging opportunist. She wants nothing more than your money." My dad says with too much passion to be fake.
"Dad, do you know who gave me that $500,000 dollar investment money for my company?" I ask as calmly as I can
"A bank" he says flippantly
"No, Ana gave me the investment money." I say with more aggression
"No they don't have that kind of money. Don't try to pull that on me." He says trying to reason with me.
"Oh yes she did give me that money. She gave me the money she got from her mother's death. She supported me in dropping out of school. She even went along with keeping our marriage away from you guys so that you would pay for my college in the beginning." The shock that went across his face was priceless.
I hear my mother's intake of breath and a small about of wonder. Shock and awe went over Mia and Elliot's faces. Ana only stayed silent looking at me.
"Oh nothing else to say dad?! Yeah Ana and I have always been together. She is no gold digger who came in out of the blue for my money but she is my wife finally coming home to her husband. A husband who I might add took a gift from his wife and made her a life she can be secure in. Ana and I have been married since we were eighteen. We got married and didn't tell you because we knew you wouldn't pay for my education if you knew. It turns out we were right." I sit back down next to Ana this time and hug her to me.
"I am so sorry about this." I whisper into her ear.
I turn and see my father seething in rage and gets marches over to me. Ana is faster and stands before I can. Her arm is a blur. The next this I hear is a snap and my father covered in blood on the floor. I scramble to catch up with Ana.
"DON'T YOU EVER RAISE YOUR HAND TO MY HUSBAND! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! NOW!" Ana yells over my father.
He raises to his feet and snatches his coat from the table and tells my mother "I will wait in the car." And inelegantly walks to the elevator. Waits for a very awkward minute and finally leaves.
I look over at the table and see my family in shock.
My mother is the first to speak…..
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