From A to Z - Angel Reyes

Chapter 16

Zara sat at the airport, fiddling with her phone while waiting impatiently for her parents' flight. She text Angel, growing more annoyed with the delay and hoped they'd arrive soon.

"This isn't exactly how I wanted to spend my spring break."

"I can't wait to wine and dine Holly." He said back.

Just as she was about to reply, Zara heard her mother's all too familiar voice hollering at her. "Zeebee!"

"Christ Mom," Zara groaned.

"Oh, honey!" Zara's mother attacked her with affection, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her cheek. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too," she said sheepishly. Looking over her mother's shoulder, Zara smiled at her father. "Hi, Dad."

"Hi sweetie," he said quietly. "You look happy," he remarked, "I'm still waiting to hug my only daughter, Holly."

"Okay, okay," she huffed, "Zara hug your father."

Zara and her father hugged, brief and subdued unlike Holly's embrace, and quickly she ushered them out.

"So, what's with this flight?" Zara asked. "How did you get a direct one? You didn't even have an exact time for me and this is the tiniest, shadiest airport ever."

Holly smirked. "Your father got his license!"

Zara froze. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Your father flew here! Himself! It was exhilarating!"

"Christ," Zara groaned. "You people are insane. So the ticket thing was bullshit?"

"Language," Holly chided. "I didn't want you to know, I wanted it to be a surprise!"

Zara closed her eyes and shook her head. "You are crazy. Both of you, seriously."

"Where is he?" Holly asked as they strolled out of the airport.

Zara furrowed her brows and looked at her father. "She's going to leave you, Dad. Sorry."

"Last week Daneen from next door had her son over for dinner. Good kid," he explained casually, "He just graduated med school, she was talking about him for two days."

Looking at her mom, Zara just laughed. "You're lucky Dad is so understanding, Mom."

"Oh I like to look but he knows he's my one and only," she said sweetly, taking his hand as they strolled the parking lot.

Zara watched her parents and her heart skipped a beat. She always wanted a relationship like there's, not that wacky but that devoted and joyful.

"He's at work," Zara said to her mother.

"It's almost lunch," she said in a higher pitch than normal. "Do you feed him? Bring him lunch at work?"

"That's actually one of the first things I ever did," Zara recalled fondly, "I think it was the second time I saw him I was bringing him and the guys lunch."

"Bob, Bob," Holly said eagerly. "Look at her. She's glowing."

"I am very happy, yes," Zara laughed, opening the car door for her mom, "But glowing means baby and there is no baby."

"He's handsome," Holly said, "That baby will be gorgeous."

Zara rolled her eyes. "How long are you guys staying?"

"A week," Holly looked at Bob. "A week, right?"

"We'll play it by ear," Bob said with a reassuring glance at Zara.