𝐴𝑛𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑎ℎ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ sᴇᴠᴇɴ: ᴏᴘᴇɴ ᴜᴘ

🪐 Annaleah 🪐

"Do we really have to go to store now dad? I'm kind of jet lagged and want to sleep." I whine as I push a cart through the vegetable isle. "Yes, i'm having Irene over tonight and I want to prepare dinner for us." My dad says and I uuu at him elbowing him in the shoulder.

"Now who is this Irene lady I haven't yet heard off." I wiggle my eyebrows at my father making his snort. "She's a sweet woman I met a few weeks ago at a coffee shop." My dad smiles lightly and I squeal in happiness hugging him tightly, "I'm so happy for you dad. You deserve this." I tell him truthfully. "Thank you kiddo, now help me choose what to buy! I don't know the first thing to buy here and i'm frankly running out of time." My dad jokes and I clasp my hands together.

"First things first, we need to go get some pasta. Because the first date is always the most important one, and you want to impress her with some delicious food, and nothing is more delicious than pasta."

"What type of pasta though?"

"Um.. let's see there's um.. Spaghetti?" I ask and he shakes his head. "Spaghetti is too common."

"Alright.. What about lasagna? Lasagna tastes very good." I wiggle my eyebrows and my dad laughs shaking his head no. "Too complicated."

"Okay well what about-"

"Fettuccine," Someone interrupts me from behind, startling me, "you can never go wrong with fettuccine on a date." Kathryn pop's up into view making a bright smile appear on my face.

"Oh my god, Kathryn hi!" I beam up and hug her tightly as she laughs. "Hey Annaleah, how's life been treating you?" She asks and I shrug not wanting to get into detail, "It's been alright, just helping out my dad on what to cook for his new girlfriend." I taunt him, making him roll his eyes at me.

"You know I have the power to ground you if you keep taunting me." He threatens and I raise my hands up in surrender. "You got me, i'm done taunting." Kathryn laughs and hand's my dad a box of fettuccine pasta.

"As I said, you can never go wrong with fettuccine pasta on a date." She tells us and we nod taking the box. "Thank you, but could you tell me what other ingredients I need to make this? I'm a rookie at this." My dad ask's nervously as he looks around the store with absolute fear and confusion. Kathryn nod's and points with her index finger towards several isles, "You're going to need butter, parmesan cheese, garlic, heavy cream, and salt for the alfredo sauce.. Are you writing this down? There's a lot more things we need." She point's to my dad who nod's frantically trying to find a piece of paper in his pocket.

Oh boy, this is surely going to be a very long afternoon.

••••••••••

"Thank you again Kathryn, is there any way me or Anna can repay you?" My dad thanks Kathryn for the fifth time as we walk to our cars. We've spent a whole hour looking for ingredients, vegetables, spices and a whole other stuff I forgot about in the store.

"Repay me by going home, cooking that delicious meal for your date and letting me barrow your daughter for a few hours so she can help me with a few things at home." She winks at me and I smile giving at her. I slowly turn my face over to my dad with a pleading look, "Can I dad?" I ask and he nod's giving a quick forehead kiss. "Of course sweetheart, you girls go do whatever it is you're going to do, and i'll head on home to do this," he points to everything we bought and I laugh giving him a tight hug. "Love you dad, good luck." I say and he squishes me in the hug making me wheeze, "Love you too kiddo." He kisses my forehead one last time and drives away.