Relationship For Convenience

Chapter 15

Anna stood in front of her apartment with her jaw on the ground. She was buzzing with excitement and launched herself into the waiting arms of her father. Her father's arms were warm, as usual. She took a deep breath, cherishing his ever familiar scent- cinnamon and old spice. She felt at home.

"You're here, dad." Lost in the moment, she didn't realize how long she held him until he gently eased her off him.

"I am, baby girl. Why don't we bring this into your living room? I brought sushi, your favorite." Her father, Bradford Myers said kissing her forehead.

She led him into her apartment, nausea agitating her stomach. "I'm sorry, for a moment, I got carried away."

He shook his head, blond hair spilling over his forehead. "You don't need to apologize for anything, Brianna." Her father was the only one who called her by her full name. She tried to persuade him severally to drop her full name, ever since the incident (as Nicole calls it) happened.

Looking back at it, it was quite laughable. But for her fourteen-year-old self, she was embarrassed and humiliated when a popular, prettier, and slimmer Brianna had cornered Anna after class, to taunt her about the both of them sharing the same name. To say puberty had hit her hard was putting it mildly at least.

Acne had made her life hard and her weight had worsened the situation. As a fat, short, and pimpled faced teenager, insecurity was her best friend. Her father wasn't happy with her choice because he had chosen the name for her. 'A beautiful name for a beautiful lady' he always said when she insisted her father call her by her new name.

Now, at twenty-four, she was confident and happy with her body, all 5'4 feet of it. Sure she still got the odd pimple now and again, she was never going to be the insecure fourteen-year-old who hated her face and her name. She had come to terms with herself and that was all that mattered.

Lost in her thoughts, she set the table. "Where is mum?"

His face dropped at her question. "Your mum is going through a lot right now."

Her expression mirrored his. If she could get a dollar for every time her dad made that statement, she would be able to buy the expensive pinot Gregor she had seen in the supermarket last week. Something on her face must have alerted him to her displeasure.

Apologetically, he averted his gaze from hers. "Your grandma is in critical condition and your mum isn't in the right frame of mind. But she did want to see you."

Anna knew her dad made that last statement to make her feel better; she felt nothing. They made themselves comfortable in her small kitchen, her dad taking up most of the space. The brunette took a bite of her sushi, spiting it out right back. She felt bile rise in her throat. Any more of the sushi and she was going to throw up.

"Is something wrong with the fish, Brianna?" Her dad raised his worried gaze to her. He took a bite of his, it tasted normal.

Anna shook her head, the smell of the food turning her stomach. "The fish is fine, I think I have a stomach bug."

"Have you taken anything for it?" He tilted his head.

"No, but I'm sure I'll be alright in a couple of days." She felt awful for lying to her dad but she wasn't ready to say anything yet. A stomach bug was clearly not the reason for her nausea. It wasn't going to be long till she would start showing, and at three months, her baby bump was barely visible. She placed her hand on her bump, rubbing it gently.

This would have been the perfect time to tell her dad, but she was afraid of his reaction. She was afraid of disappointing her dad, and even her mom. No, matter how damaged her relationship with her mom could get, she didn't want to disappoint her.