Found Along The Way

Chapter twenty-two

"Hello Mrs. Whelan, I'm Daniel!" Daniel announced proudly, grabbing Anya's mother's attention, determined to never let it go. He needed her approval, otherwise he wouldn't stand a chance with Anya.

The arrogance almost pushed her father out of the door, he was overlooked but noticed his daughter stood behind Daniel, happy but timid.

Her mother responded-

"Anya darling!" Her mother exclaimed enthusiastically as the greetings began. She brushed past Lucas, almost knocking him over and went straight over to Anya, hugging her and scanning her outfit. Her father walked in behind his excited wife, holding a bag of treats and wine.

"Alfie Whelan, Mischief's father." He said shaking Lucas's hand, and laughing ever so slightly at his own joke.

"Lucas Rivera." He chuckled in return, "Mischief, huh?" He asked, wondering where that nickname came from.

"Ah yes, when she was little that was what we all knew her by. Being an only child really made her quite creative with filling the time. Did you know she once got the cat's litter tray and-"

"DAD! Maybe choose another story?" She cut in, running over to greet him and simultaneously stopping him in his tracks of revealing every embarrassing detail about her childhood. He hugged her and laughed,

"I'll tell him one day. There's nothing you can do to stop me. Maybe at the wedding." He laughed even more as Anya and Lucas exchanged humoured looks with each-other at Alfie's comments.

"Well I'm one of seven children so in my house there was seven times the mischief." Lucas added.

"Seven?!" Anya's mother chimed in, shocked. "Goodness, your poor parents."

"They have hair greyer than my Abuela." He joked, shocked at Anya's mother's accent, but leaning in to shake her hand. "Lucas Rivera, Mischief's boyfriend." He said with a smile.

"Don't be silly my dear, we hug in this family." She responded opening her arms. "I'm Clarissa."

Anya was astonished at the impression Lucas was making on her parents, they seemed to really take to him.

'Eager, that's a good sign,' she thought when she saw Daniel's approach when meeting her parents.

"Hello dearest, goodness aren't you tall?" Clarissa responded, inspecting his well put together outfit.

"Gets the ladies." He chuckled back. "I made Anya wear the dress you bought for her birthday, we thought it might make the both of you smile."

"Of course! You look precious Ann." Clarissa exclaimed, and hugged her daughter briefly before leaning back to admire the young couple together. "I like this duo." She remarked.

"Good, because it's not going anywhere." Daniel laughed in response.

It mirrored another time, but she tried to push the memory down, knowing it was different. She had Lucas, he was different.

"Now Anya darling, where should we put the wine?" Clarissa asked, searching the small kitchen area, looking down her nose at the furnishings. "This is very different than where you lived with Lina, too much yellow. I liked the toned down blues and greys of the old place." She commented on what she saw.

"Just put in on one of the counters mom." Anya smiled, almost through gritted teeth. She felt irritation bubbling beneath her words already, remembering how it felt when her mother's unwarranted opinions came flying. And that one was only the beginning.

"Anya my dear this couch is awfully low." "Why is your paint all over the ground here?" "Anya did you know this cupboard hasn't been dusted?" "Anya go get me another glass dearest, this one's smudged."