Aren't Meant To Be

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Anastasia

   Asher and a little girl all too familiar showed up at Anastasia's front door drenched in water. "Ana... Anastasia!"

Abigail hopped to Anastasia. Even after all this time, she recalled who Ana was. Her kindness had never been forgotten in Abigail's eyes. Asher watched them both intently.

"Would you like hot chocolate?" Anastasia inquired as she held Abigail's hand to the kitchen where she stood her up on the counter to let her choose one of the mugs. After choosing the mug with a frog on it, Ana filled it up with the hot chocolate and put a coffee cup sleeve on it so the she would not burn her hands. "Thank you." she told.

As Abigail sat on the stool and joyfully took little sips at her beverage, Ana made her way to Asher awkwardly. "You-..." she was no sure what to say. The stillness in the room was calming but the invisible duct tape around Anastasia's mouth made it hard for her to speak.

Thank you, she wanted to say but at the same time, she felt like a burden upon them both. "You didn't have to-..."

"I did not stay for you. Abigail still begs to see you so I let her. Don't think of this as anything more." Asher cut the the access tension but Anastasia was not one bit sad. She missed Abigail.

The  girl on the counter made her way up to Anastasia and Asher and eyed them both. "What are you guys doing?" Arms crossed, she glares at Asher and smiles at Anastasia. Noticing, Anastasia smirks at the guy leaning on the door irritating him.

"Let's go Abigail. I am sure he can fend for himself if he needs anything." Both girls gather Abigail's things to put in Anastasia's bedroom where she will be resting, not wanting to leave Ana.

"The first guest bedroom is to the right of the hallway and the second one is upstairs next to my room in case you want to be closer to Abigail. I am getting ready to cook dinner so is there anything specific Abigail... or you would like to eat?" Asher did not say anything for a moment, clearly thinking about what she had just asked.

"Abigail likes breakfast for dinner. Work with that." Immediately Anastasia smiles and gets to work with what she has in her kitchen. Asher made his way upstairs to use the bedroom next to Anastasia's. Now alone, she tends to her cooking and leaves the two to settle in.

Not long after, the moon came up and her lights were on. There were no Christmas decorations in the house though Christmas was just a week away.

The storm is settling down tomorrow so it would not be too bad to go get Christmas decorations. The thought crossed her mind as she looked at her house regretting not going earlier like everyone else.

Hearing the door creak open, she sees two bodies walk down the stairs. "Dinner is ready. Well... Breakfast?" Anastasia set the two readied plates down on the table and made her way to the couch. "If you don't like something just tell me and I will make something new-"

"Thank you, Ana!" Abigail, held her hands together and then started consuming the food. "You aren't eating?" Asher stared at her with questioning eyes.

"Not hungry."

Seizing a book from the side table, she plummets onto the couch and reads while the noise of forks and spoons hitting the plates replenished the silence of the room.

"Actually, I was thinking..." Abigail and Asher turned their attention to Anastasia. "I am going out for Christmas decorations tomorrow since the storm is supposed to be a little more calm. You don't have to come if you-"

We're coming."

Asher looks back at Abigail as she gleamed putting another piece of waffle in her mouth.

Without any further question, Anastasia proceeded to read.

***

Abigail chose the things she favorited; her favorite specifically being the gold and white star that she chose to go on top of the tree. It stayed in her hold throughout the whole trip. Asher did not have much to say but only agreed whenever Abigail asked if he liked it. So, both of them just let Abigail take over on what to get.

Every corner of the store was filled with green and red. It was almost comforting walking into the store with instrumental Christmas music playing in the background.

Strolling up and down the aisles Anastasia comes to be wary at a guy she has often been seeing around them. Lanky jeans, a flannel and black sneakers. She brushed it off the first few times knowing it was a store and it's normal to see the same people a couple times but it seems he wanted to see them.

Evidently frustrated, she takes Asher's wrist and connects his hand to the cart signaling to keep it there. "I have to pee."

Wandering off, she finds the guy peeping on the end of the aisle. Jaw clenching, she grabs his collar and drags him two aisles over.

"Is there a reason you keep following us?" The guy did not looked fazed or scared, instead, he puts his hand on her back and slowly pushes it down.

Chuckling, Anastasia knees him where the sun did not shine and in response, he groaned in pain. "It's Christmas, hope you liked your present." Walking off, it seemed he wasn't done playing with her with the way he groped her.

Turning around with a scowl, she swung her arm, first striking into the guy's jaw. Plummeting back onto the floor, he murmurs curse words under his breath getting ready to swing back only to be stopped by Asher's hand grabbing his wrist stopping it right in front of Anastasia face.

"Which hand?" He asked as he looked at Anastasia with dark eyes implying he wanted to know which hands touched her.

"Left." was all the was said before there was a sound of something cracking. The guy almost screamed realizing Asher just broke his left hand.

"Next time, keep your hands to yourself. I am going to give you 3 seconds to get lost or your hand isn't going to be the only thing broken today."

Leaning back on the isle, he starts his count.

"3..."

"2..."

Before they know it, the guy storms off with defeat and anger on his face. Anastasia did feel bad but it was not only her he was looking at, it was Abigail too. The thought of that made it easy enough for her to want to kill him but she knew what Asher did was enough to put the message through.

"Thank you." her voice was serious, still full of resentment at what she knew his intention was. Asher looked at her and walked away.

Sighing, she let go of the anger and went back too.

***
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