Best Woman

With the New Year over, Annabelle was cleaning her room: it was a Monday and she didn’t have work. At the age of 22, Annabelle worked as a freelance photographer. She had loved it ever since she was a child and her father gave her disposal camera. She had got her degree in Media Art, and now she was free to do whatever occasion she liked. She mostly did weddings and special occasions but she had managed to sell a few artistic pieces.

When Annabelle was twelve years old, her mother passed away. It was a huge shock to the family. Her father, Eddie was obviously devastated, as his wife died within six weeks of the diagnosis of a brain tumour. The doctors claimed it was one of the most aggressive cases they’d ever seen.
Her older brother, Leo who at the time was just fifteen fell into a downward spiral soon after her passing. He started skipping school his grades flunked, he got mixed in the wrong crowd, soon by the time he was 16, he had his first illegal tattoo, he was a smoker and had the most disrespectful attitude.

Due to Leo’s downward spiral, Eddie and Leo clashed constantly: there were severe fights, some even physical. At times, Leo had been taken away in a police car as he punched his own father.

Annabelle was thirteen when it happened and she still remembers crying herself to sleep and begging for her mother return.

Holly Jacobs was the glue to her family, a loving mother, wife and friend: she was just beautiful inside and out.

Growing up without a mother was extremely difficult for Annabelle, she went through puberty alone, and she went through the process of falling in love with her best friend too. She just wanted her Mom to help her out.

Memories were important to Annabelle, and that’s one of the reasons why she wanted to be a professional photographer. Annabelle has some amazing memories with her mother and family, and she has many pictures of them too. Annabelle wanted to be able to give people that too.

“Okay, give a big smile for me…” she called to the family she was doing a shoot for. A wife, and a husband and bump were all present.

The woman grinned widely, the husband smiling too: they looked so in love.

A few more clicks: “Brilliant, I think we’ve got it…” Annabelle concluded, moving her face away from the camera, and allowing it to hand around her neck.

As the to-be-parents looked them over, Annabelle’s phone began to ring. She looked back at the family, too occupied with the pictures. Annabelle picked up and smiled when she heard his voice.

“Hi honey…” her father, Eddie greeted her.

“Hi Dad, everything okay?” she replied. Eddie had gradually been getting better since his wife’s death. He eventually went back to work and now he and Annabelle live in the family home, while Leo had ventured out and had his own apartment, thirty minutes away.

“Yeah I was just wondering what you want me to get for dinner tonight….I believe it to be a special occasion because Evan called here and asked if he’d be able to join us, Ellie is busy apparently. I said it was no problem, he tried to ring but I said you were at a shoot, that’s alright isn’t it?” Eddie explained.

Annabelle shook her head smiling: “Course it is, Dad…I’m glad, haven’t seen him since New Year…get your favourite.” She told her father.

“Glad you said that, I already bought the steak…I’ll get you some pudding cups…see you later honey…” Eddie said, making Annabelle grinned. Her father always did that, offered something knowing she would go with the flow and she’d discover he’d already done/got it.
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That evening, Annabelle got in from work, tired: after lunch she had two families, one with a crying child, the other with a mardy teenage and a snob of a child. Annabelle had a headache coming on with a vengeance and sighed heavily as she dragged her camera stuff inside. She would have to do backing up files tonight before she could get to the printers tomorrow.

“I’m home!” she hollered, closing the door behind her. She could hear laughter from the kitchen, and she smiled at the sound. Eddie hadn’t been laughing so much lately.

It was good to hear her father’s warm, infectious laughter. “In here, Annie!” Evan called, making Annabelle’s smile widen.

Going to the kitchen, Annabelle was greeted with delicious smells and two of her favourite men: her daddy and the love of her life.

“Hi honey…you look tired, long day?” Eddie asked sympathetically. Annabelle noticed how his hair was beginning to grey and his own eyes were tired looking. She worried about him.

“Want a hand?” Evan offered and Annabelle nodded eagerly. He reached for her camera bag, while she carried the rest, and left to go up to her room, Evan following.

“Ugh, I need to get my own studio…” Annabelle groaned, and Evan smiled as he gently put the bag on her bed.

“You should…” he added, and Annabelle laughed gently: “I’ll never afford it, I can’t even get money together for my own place…” Annabelle groaned. Evan looked at her surprised: “You want to move out?” he asked.

Annabelle stared out him in surprise: “Well course I do, I just…with my Dad and everything, Leo already left, I just don’t want him to be alone…” Annabelle explained.

Evan looked at her and stepped closer, and slowly wrapped his arms around her, hugging her softly, in an instant, Annabelle felt safe, warm and loved.

“I didn’t know you felt that way.” Evan sounded sad as he said it.

There’s a lot you don’t know – Annabelle thought silently