Promise Me Forever

“I don’t see why we have to go,” I mumbled as we started out the door. She looked back at me and shook her head. “What? I’m just stating the simple fact that we don’t necessarily have to go to this thing if we don’t want to,” I said with a shrug.

“John, it’s your parents. They’re not going to poison us or something like that. Besides, your brother just got home and this is the party thing that I would be going if you had just gotten home as well so stop your pouting and move it mister.” She explained it as if was simple knowledge that I should be aware of. I just rolled my eyes. If she wanted to go I was all for that but part of me felt like she was only going because she felt obligated.

“Alright, fine, but can we please leave before she starts talking about how it was when we were still in diapers and how she misses her baby boys. I really don’t want to relive my childhood through her memories that almost always include her being way too happy that I’ve actually made it to this age, however old I am when she’s talking.”

“John, be nice that’s your mother you’re talking about. How would you feel if your son or daughter said that one day?”

“I don’t have a son or daughter so I don’t see that being exactly something of relevance right now. Anna, please can we just stay home?” By now we’d gotten in the car and had started down the street. I was driving slower, figuring that if we took our time she’d change her mind and we could just go back. With a glance my way I figured we were stuck going regardless. “Alright, I’ll stop,” I said turning down another street.

“Are you sad you didn’t get to stay out in California?”

I looked over at her as we coasted to a stop at a light, “no, not as sad as I thought I would be. But I guess I like protecting people more than I like entertaining them.” I told her honestly. I probably would’ve left even if she had called and said she was scared. She smiled lightly and leaned her head against the rest just barely looking over at me.

By the time we rolled up I was certain that this family gathering would only turn into something of a farce and I really didn’t want to deal with that. I was happy to see that Arianna, Stephen’s on again off again, had turned up. At least it wouldn’t be all Gomez and one “outsider” in this little mix.

“Baby Gomez, how’s it going?” It seemed that like everyone else, Arianna wasn’t going to let my nickname go unused.

“I’m good, I suppose,” I said waving her way. Looking at Anna I watched as she giggled over the actual name she’d just heard. “What? Have you never had a nickname you don’t necessarily agree with?” She shook her head as we started towards the house. “Are you happy to have Stephen home Ari?”

“More then you’ll ever know,” she teased. “So is this the famous Anna I’ve heard so much about?” she asked looking past me. I could almost feel Anna’s blush.

“This would be her,” I said nodding towards Anna. “Anna, this is Arianna. Ari, this is my wife Anna.”

“I can just about bet your mother was pissed about that,” she mumbled as we walked through the door. I couldn’t tell her how right on the money she was about that. It was crazy how some people just knew when stuff was going down. I looked back quickly as the door shut before turning to face my mother.

“Is that John and his newly wedded?” came a bouncing voice from the back room. It didn’t take long for my mother to make her way into the front with a bright smile on her face. “John Gomez you gave your father and I a heart attack when Stephen called to say you’d driven all the way back from California after driving all the way there!”

I groaned. She always did this, this overly protective worried act. She knew as long as I called her when I got home, which I kind of did, that she was fine. She was just not happy with this marriage and she made no effort to hide it.

“Anna,” she said curtly before turning away.

This was going to be a long day.

** ** ** **

“Anna, tell me what do you do again?”

“I’m a chef at the Biltmore. Well a sous chef anyways.”

“Sous chef, those are the ones that prepare the meals right?”

“Um, they prepare what goes into the meals. The head chef puts everything together after we all cook our own parts of the meal,” she said softly. Her voice was slow as she thought about what she was saying based on what my mom was really asking.

“So after a long day of cooking you just come home and cook some more? I don’t know if I’d be able to do that I’d get sick of it after a while,” she said. She was leaned back into the couch while Anna and I sat in a chair across the room. Stephen and Ari had taken this opportunity to run off and do whatever it was they were doing that I really didn’t want to hear about.

“No not really. I mean, John offers to help out when and where he can. But, it’s not a big deal I like cooking.”

“You like cooking because you like food or you like cooking because you like making your husband something to eat?”

“Stop it mom. You’re acting like a five year old right now.”

“John, I am only asking questions. I would hope that she likes cooking you something to eat much like I hope she too enjoys food. You’re overreacting to a few innocent questions.”

I couldn’t help but shake my head. Almost out of instinct I wrapped my arms around Anna’s waist tighter than before and waited for the questions to continue.

“What do you think about children Anna?”

“Mom, stop it. That’s out of context and the conversation. You’re just trying to get a rouse out of her so stop it,” I said quickly before Anna could say a word. I didn’t even know what to do about this. My mom was being an egotistical maniac and it was getting on my last good nerve.

“Its fine,” Anna said looking over at me as she leaned her head backwards a little bit. “I think kids are great, I mean I love the idea of a big family.”

“So you’re saying you like the idea of having a big family. What’s your home life like? Do you have a lot of siblings?”

“No, I’m the youngest of two. My older brother passed away in a car accident about three months ago and I don’t really talk to my parents,” she admitted.

“You don’t talk to your parents? Sweetie I think you might want to, especially if they’re going to have a grandbaby one of these days.”

“MOM!” That was the final straw. I shifted and stood up without pushing Anna out of the way before looking back at my mother. “If all you’re going to do is degrade her we’re leaving. She deserves better than that and you know it.” I spat quickly. “I cannot believe you would be so judging after always telling Stephen and me to be fair and honest with everyone. How fair are you being to her?”

I shook my head and looked back at Anna with a nod towards the door. She got up quietly and nodded a goodbye to my parents.

“We just want to know the truth about why you’re married to her,” she hissed once Anna had left the room. I turned around and stared.

“I told you, it’s for a show. If you don’t believe me then I’ll see you in nine months without a baby,” I said quickly before walking into the next room and then out the door into the sunlight. “Anna, wait!”

She turned around slowly, “I’m tired John. I don’t see why she’s being so hostile but you know I give up. I don’t want to fight her this entire year. I can’t do that. I’ve fought my parents long enough to know that it will rip you apart to do that to your parents,” she said. “I can’t do that to your family.”

I walked towards her and looked her in the eyes. My arms caressed her hips as I hugged her to me. I smiled quickly and informed her, “Anna, you are my family.”