The Price of Love

18-Here We Go

   "Anna?" Alex asked as they sat in a restaurant, waiting for the waiter to arrive with their check.

   "Yes lover boy?" She said, and he laughed lightly at the nickname. She never seemed to like any other nicknames, so it stuck.

   "Don't get mad at me," he said, and she wasn't sure where he was taking the conversation,

   "I could never get mad at you," she replied, and he gave her a puppy dog look.

   "Annie we've been going out for over a year. And I think the next step for us to take would be for... me to meet your parents," Alex said, and it was obvious that he had rehearsed the question multiple times.

"Honey I've told you. My parents and I don't get along and it's just a bad idea," she said. "They're too controlling."

Alex took her hands from across the table, and she couldn't help but feel her resolve start to fall away at the touch.

"Come on. Worst that can happen is I get to meet them and we leave quickly," Alex said. Anna took a deep breath. She already knew that he was wearing the idea down.

"I'll talk to Chloe and Matt and see what they think," she said, and Alex smiled widely, knowing that he won.

"Thanks," he said. She shook her head and pointed at him.

   "There is no one else I would do this for," she said. He laughed, smiling widely.

   "I know. I love you," he said. She smiled back.

   "I love you too, Keaton," she replied. When Anna got home, she immediately went to her sister, sitting down with her at the kitchen table.

"What's up?" Her sister asked her. Anna collected her thoughts.

"Alex wants to meet mom and dad," Anna said. Chloe gave her a small smile, knowing that it was hard for her sister to even think about the idea.

"What did you say?" She asked curiously. Anna shrugged.

"I said I'd talk to you," she replied. Chloe shook her head.

"So it's up to me?" She asked.

"I just need advice. His parents are perfect. Supportive and loving. I don't know how they'll react when I bring Alex over," she explained. Chloe nodded, understanding the situation.

"I think you should do it," her older sister said boldly. "This is a part of relationships. He'll meet them eventually. Might as well be on your own terms."

"You really think so?" Anna asked.

"I know so," Chloe replied. "Do you want me to stay here while you call them?"

   "Please," Anna replied. She grabbed the phone and thought back to the last time she had called her parents. She remembered the phone number and dialed it nervously.

   "Hello?" Anna's father said. Anna was silently grateful that her father had answered, and not her mother. That was a problem for another day.

   "Dad," she said, a smile rising between the both of them.

   "Anna?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said in a soft voice.

"It's great to hear from you," he said. "How've you been?"

"I actually have a favor to ask," she said, but hated how she phrased the sentence. She decided to skip to the question. "My boyfriend really wants to meet you and mom. Would you guys be free anytime soon?"

"You give us the date and I'll make sure we're there," he said. Anna was relieved that it had gone so well. Chloe could see her sigh of relief. She hung the phone up, and crossed her fingers.

   "Alright. That's step one," she told her sister.

   "Complete," Chloe replied.
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   "Why are we doing this?" Anna asked nervously, sitting on her sisters bed as she curled her hair before dinner with her parents.

"Because it's the right thing to do. Things are going so well between you and Alex. This is what couples do. Besides, you haven't seen mom and dad in forever," she said.

   "I hate when you're right," she replied. Suddenly, the door opened.

   "Hello ladies," Matt said, walking in and holding Millie.

   "Hey Matt," Anna said. They then heard a knock on the front door.

"Come in!" The three exclaimed, prompting Alex to walk through their house and towards the room he knew the group would be gathered in.

   "Hey everyone," Alex said, sitting on the bed behind Anna, and pulling her hair forwards over her shoulder.

   "Are you ready?" Matt asked Alex. "I remember the first time I met the Walken parents."

   "That couldn't have been worse," Chloe said. "Completely horrible reactions on everyone's part."

   "You were young," Anna said, pointing at Matt as Alex wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his stomach.

   "What happened?" Alex asked curiously.

   "I was a bit of a rebellious teenager," Matt said, bouncing Millie in his arms.

   "What matters is you changed for the better," Chloe said.

   "Whatever you say," Anna said, causing everyone to laugh. "At leafs tonight can't be that bad."