Adore

7

The room was thick with tension, completely silent other than the sound of silverware being placed down onto the hardwood table. Her parents hadn't said anything to Anais since church. She now regretted the tell them over lunch plan, she should have just told them right there in church where her mother wouldn't dare throw a scene. Instead she gave the devil permission inside her house.
The sound of the doorbell made Anais jump, was it time already. She felt so nervous as she watched her father open up the door to reveal Oliver with a bundle of lilies. Anais stood still watching his interact with her father. Anais was startled when her mother grabbed her by the arm and pulled her by her side.
"Is there something you want to tell me first" Her mother whispered into her ear harshly. Anais shook her head before moving away from her mother. Oliver entered the room. He be lined over to her mother and handed her the bundle of fresh picked flowers.
"these would be for you, Mrs. Cadine"
"Thank you, their beautiful" Her mother replied with a fake smile before moving to grab a vase from under the sink. Lilies were her mother's favorite flowers, information Oliver got from questioning Anais. Oliver didn't look panic, but she knew he was. Deep down somewhere, he just wanted to impress here parents but that's hard with past history. Their two families had roots in disaster.
Oliver cleared his throat as he moved to sit next to Anais. Giving her time to loo him over. Anais smiled at how the first thing he did when he sat down was wipe his hands on his pants. Just like her Oliver's fricking out, just he is a much better actor.
"I hope you like rosemary, Colette has a habit of putting to much on the chicken" Her father said leaning over the table. Usually Anais's mother would chuckle at his words and playful hit him with an oven mitt, but tonight was different.
"If you don't like it, don't eat it" She replied coldly to her husband before loudly slamming the chicken down onto the table. Her mother sat down next to her husband but pushed her seat slightly away from him. Oliver tried to laugh it off, but when no one else laughed he tried to play it off as a cough.
"Anyways, a little birdy told me you two have some big news to share?" Her father said trying to lighten the joke. He choose to ignore the bitter look his wife was giving him as he began to cut pieces of chicken from himself. Oliver turned to Anais and held eye contact with her as he started to talk before turning back to her parents.
"Well I'm graduating in a few months and I was offered a job up in the city" He started, eye going back and forth to each of her parents.
"That's great news for you" Her father said, her mother remained silent. Oliver thought it was going well, but Anais knew that her father wasn't putting the pieces together. otherwise he wouldn't be calling this great news.
"I know, by August I'll be working man"
"Where'd you get hired?"
"Well it's really a paid internship for a large engineering company, but job, internship same difference"
"When are you moving down there?"
"Anais and I'll be down there hopefully before July"
The room returned to silence. Her father stopped eating and looked up at the two kids in front of him.
"You and Anais?" He said putting empathize on the 'and'. Oliver nodded, by now he to had noticed the tension had raised.
"No" Her mother said from the other side of table causing Anais to still.
"Anais will be going into her senior year here next year"
"Well if your worried about her not getting an education Anais could go to one of the high schools in the city"
"The city is six hours away" Her mother added shaking her head at him.
"She wouldn't still be living here, she would move in with me once I find us a place" Her mother brusted out laughing at what Oliver was saying.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Her father said angierly making Oliver's hands turn into fists.
"No sir. I'm serious about giving your daughter a better life"
"Giving her a better life? What's that suppose to mean" Her mother snapped back at him.
"Calm down please" Anais said quietly hoping everyone would just stop their bickering.
"This boy comes into my house and tries to tell me he's taking my daughter away from me to 'give her a better life' I will not calm down"
"I don't know who you think you are to come here and try speak to me like this" She added
"I didn't mean any disrespect Mrs. Cadine"
"I don't know why you Taylor's are always trying to ruin my family" Her mother said, now standing with her face red.
"Colette" Her father barked at her making her rub her face with her hands.
"I think it's best if Oliver goes home" Her father said well giving Anais a pointed look.
"I'll show him the door" She whispered afraid Oliver would yell out and fight his leave. Instead he just sat up and gently placed the napkin down on the table.
"The meal was lovely Mrs. Cadine" He said giving her mother a nod before Anais began to lead him to the front door.
When they got to the door Anais gave Oliver a look of worry before looking down at his hands. He had balled them into fists so tight the skin had gone pale white. Before she knew what she was doing Anais had put out her own hand and used it to pull back his fist. Slowly she knitted their fingers together. Oliver held their hands up in front of his face and began to examine them.
"I'm sorry my parents acted like this, I should have just told them myself" Anais said quietly breaking the silent.
"I just wish things went a little smoother" He replied with the same level of lightness. Anais watched as Oliver let go of her hand letting his arm hang still my his side before shaking his head at her.
"But my whore of a mother ruins things once again Oliver said harshly.
"No it's not her fault, you know how my parents are"
Oliver just sighed in response, his eyes now had a faint watery look to them as he turned to leave.
"Are you ok?" Anais said grabbing his arm to get a better look at his face.
"Never better, baby" He said with a grim smile before pushing threw the doors and leaving.