them?"
"Probably nothing. They're used to me being a little
bit odd."
"That's funny. You don't seem the least bit odd to me."
She looked up at him, eyes sparkling in amusement. "Then
you clearly don't know me well enough yet." She turned and walked through
the doorway, pulling the door shut behind her.
Sam ran both hands through his hair. "Just give me
time, Anna. Just give me time."
Chapter 6
Anna woke up thinking about making coconut donuts. Deciding
she'd better get in a half hour earlier than normal, she rushed through her
morning ablutions. Coconut donuts always took her longer to make than other
kinds.
She decided she still felt nervous about this thing with
Sam, but he had gotten to her last night. What he'd said felt honest and true.
And some of those women in the photos had looked a bit, well, fake. Staring at
herself in the mirror, outfitted in a pale blue uniform she shook her head.
Kayla had agreed last night to come in by nine o'clock to
manage the bakery for the day. She had a work study program as a senior so
there were some days when she could spend the whole day at the bakery. Anna
felt a little guilty about asking at such short notice, but Kayla seemed happy
to be making extra money.
Shopping with Holly--now that should be an experience. Holly
loved to shop. Anna never had loved it the way her sister did. At least on this
trip it would be different because she was actually interested in what they
would be buying. She knew she couldn't compete with the women she'd seen on the
arm of Tom Anders. Therefore, she chose not to try. All she could do was be
herself. Maybe an improved version, but still, the real Anna, and nobody else.
* * * *
Frank looked up in surprise from the kitchen table as his
oldest daughter, Holly, walked into the house. "What are you doing here,
Holly? Not that we don't love to see you, but I thought you were too busy to
come for a holiday with us."
Holly stared at him, hands on her hips. "I've come
because of Anna. Dad, just what is going on with her? She called me last night
asking about what to wear on her date tonight. Who is this guy and can he be
trusted? I don't want to see her get hurt."
Frank chuckled. "So they're going on another date? That's
great."
"Another?" Holly sat down across the table from
him.
"They were at the fair together. Cody said they seemed
to be having a good time when he saw them."
"And we all know Cody is the best judge of
relationships."
"Holly--be nice."
She sighed. "Sorry, Dad. I'm just worried about Anna.
She told me she sold one of her paintings. I can't comprehend that. She's
always been so secretive about them."
Frank frowned. "That was my fault. About Sam finding
out. She told me last night he'd bought one for his living room. She seemed
okay with it. Said he might put her in touch with a gallery owner, and I'll
tell you, I'm glad to hear it. She needs to be out in the world more and not
just cooped up in that loft all the time and hiding her paintings. There are
plenty of them too. About time she got rid of some of them."
"So you see all this as a good thing then."
"Yes, I do. I think Anna is growing up and coming into
her own. And yes, Sam may have something to do with it."
"Well then, I hope he's a good guy. What does he do for
a living?"
"He's a writer. Although I think right now he's living
off money he saved up so he can write his novel. I'm not sure if he's actually
made money at writing yet, although he does have a pretty expensive car."Holly
got up and poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip and smiled at her
father. "So what else is going on around here? Clearly I haven't been home
enough lately. I feel like I'm completely behind in the news."
Frank smiled at his oldest daughter. "You know we'd
love to see you back here more often. And you have missed out. Cody and I are
fixing up Anna's loft. She's going to start living there permanently once we
are done."
Frank laughed at how startled Holly looked.
"Probably nothing. They're used to me being a little
bit odd."
"That's funny. You don't seem the least bit odd to me."
She looked up at him, eyes sparkling in amusement. "Then
you clearly don't know me well enough yet." She turned and walked through
the doorway, pulling the door shut behind her.
Sam ran both hands through his hair. "Just give me
time, Anna. Just give me time."
Chapter 6
Anna woke up thinking about making coconut donuts. Deciding
she'd better get in a half hour earlier than normal, she rushed through her
morning ablutions. Coconut donuts always took her longer to make than other
kinds.
She decided she still felt nervous about this thing with
Sam, but he had gotten to her last night. What he'd said felt honest and true.
And some of those women in the photos had looked a bit, well, fake. Staring at
herself in the mirror, outfitted in a pale blue uniform she shook her head.
Kayla had agreed last night to come in by nine o'clock to
manage the bakery for the day. She had a work study program as a senior so
there were some days when she could spend the whole day at the bakery. Anna
felt a little guilty about asking at such short notice, but Kayla seemed happy
to be making extra money.
Shopping with Holly--now that should be an experience. Holly
loved to shop. Anna never had loved it the way her sister did. At least on this
trip it would be different because she was actually interested in what they
would be buying. She knew she couldn't compete with the women she'd seen on the
arm of Tom Anders. Therefore, she chose not to try. All she could do was be
herself. Maybe an improved version, but still, the real Anna, and nobody else.
* * * *
Frank looked up in surprise from the kitchen table as his
oldest daughter, Holly, walked into the house. "What are you doing here,
Holly? Not that we don't love to see you, but I thought you were too busy to
come for a holiday with us."
Holly stared at him, hands on her hips. "I've come
because of Anna. Dad, just what is going on with her? She called me last night
asking about what to wear on her date tonight. Who is this guy and can he be
trusted? I don't want to see her get hurt."
Frank chuckled. "So they're going on another date? That's
great."
"Another?" Holly sat down across the table from
him.
"They were at the fair together. Cody said they seemed
to be having a good time when he saw them."
"And we all know Cody is the best judge of
relationships."
"Holly--be nice."
She sighed. "Sorry, Dad. I'm just worried about Anna.
She told me she sold one of her paintings. I can't comprehend that. She's
always been so secretive about them."
Frank frowned. "That was my fault. About Sam finding
out. She told me last night he'd bought one for his living room. She seemed
okay with it. Said he might put her in touch with a gallery owner, and I'll
tell you, I'm glad to hear it. She needs to be out in the world more and not
just cooped up in that loft all the time and hiding her paintings. There are
plenty of them too. About time she got rid of some of them."
"So you see all this as a good thing then."
"Yes, I do. I think Anna is growing up and coming into
her own. And yes, Sam may have something to do with it."
"Well then, I hope he's a good guy. What does he do for
a living?"
"He's a writer. Although I think right now he's living
off money he saved up so he can write his novel. I'm not sure if he's actually
made money at writing yet, although he does have a pretty expensive car."Holly
got up and poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip and smiled at her
father. "So what else is going on around here? Clearly I haven't been home
enough lately. I feel like I'm completely behind in the news."
Frank smiled at his oldest daughter. "You know we'd
love to see you back here more often. And you have missed out. Cody and I are
fixing up Anna's loft. She's going to start living there permanently once we
are done."
Frank laughed at how startled Holly looked.
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