love one another and you will be happy | anabel

[ana isabel bailey]

His body jumped beneath her hand and Annie recoiled a bit, setting it back down. Her blue eyes didn't leave him, waiting for an answer. His dark eyes met hers and he nodded, admitting his weakness. She knew it wasn't easy for him. He had an ego like any other man. It wasn't an inflated, but he had one. She nodded in return and licked her lips, pushing in the red button to release the buckle and sliding from beneath it, opening her door and getting out. Normally she let Jason get the door for her, but in this moment it seemed best she do it herself, leaving it open. Her heels tapped as she walked around the car, opening the door and sliding into the driver's seat. It had been a familiar seat for a while now. She had her own car, an ugly Honda Civic that she fondly referred to as Rhonda, but when they were together she always drove.

Annie pulled her shoes off her feet and set them on the floor, then snapped the belt over her chest, and shifted the car into reverse, pulling out of the space Jason had pulled into. She was never an especially cautious driver and when her mind wasn't on driving she was worse. The car jerked a bit as she came to a stop and put the car in drive, turning out of the narrow, nearly vacant parking lot and out onto the road. She sped, just slightly, as she was known to do when her mind was elsewhere. She didn't know what to think really about this whole thing with him. He needed to get over this now before it was his ruin the way she saw it, and while she could get why he wouldn't want to see a therapist, it seemed to her the only option. There was only so much she and the other people in his life could do.

She looked over at him only once during the drive, several minutes after the incident. Her eyebrows raised to hear his muffled sniffle. She didn't know why he was crying, but it wasn't like him and that worried her. She wondered if they oughtn't turn around and go home. This day was off to a very... satisfactory start, but now it was turning sour and stressful. As they got nearer to Trolley Square she felt his eyes on her face and she turned, her gaze making his eyes fall into his lap. She let out a sigh; it kind of hurt that he wouldn't even look her in the eye. "Uh huh," she said when he told her to tell him the truth, shocked into near silence when he asked her about her mother, knowing that wasn't really the question.

She was quiet as she turned the car into the parking lot, coasting up and down the lines of cars seeking an open space. "Jason, I swear," she said with an unattractive roll of her eyes. She'd never been an especially tender person when she was dealing with something as silly as this. She was one of those tough love sorts. Finally she found a spot and pulled into it, turning her eyes onto him as she put the car in park and pulled the keys out of the ignition. "Yes, you are still meeting my mother. And yes, we are still going to look at rings. And yes, I still do want to marry you." She undid the seat belt and turned in her seat, her blue eyes staring at him with a humored expression. "And I'm not going to toss you into the nut house because frankly I tend to think that would strain our relationship," she said with a laugh, trying to imagine what that would be like and hoping maybe she could get him to lighten up and laugh. She leaned a bit nearer across the console between the seats, "Baby, I love you and I don't like seeing you this way, but that doesn't mean I'm going anywhere and you're going to get over this, whatever that means," she said quietly. She did intend on getting him to see a psychologist, but now didn't seem like the right moment to suggest it.

[jason andrew irving]

As Jason’s eyes dropped from Annie’s gaze, he heard her quiet sigh and he felt awful; he couldn’t even hold her gaze when he spoke to her because he was so ashamed. She agreed to tell him the truth and it took her a moment to reply as she searched for a vacant parking place in the busy lot, making him question himself once again. He watched her expression carefully from the corner of his eyes, attempting to read her, though getting no where. He caught her eye roll and it put a very tiny, uneasy smile on his face. Rolling eyes could mean a lot of things, but the way Annie did it, it seemed like she was telling him to stop overreacting. Finally parking the car, he turned his head to look at her as she pulled the keys from the ignition. He sighed with relief as she answered his hidden question, his thoughts. Her humored expression made him raise his eyebrows, unsure what she found so amusing until she spoke and though he didn’t quite laugh, his smile grew. The quiet words she spoke as she leaned in closer relieved him and his dark eyes lost the glassy look, starting to sparkle again. “That’s all I needed to know,” his voice was softer than hers, just a bit more than a whisper.

Unbuckling his seatbelt, he slid from the leather interior of the car, shutting the door behind him and walking around to Annie’s, actually making it there in time to open it for her this time. It was good to know that she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Closing her door, he let her keep the keys. He really should tell her to sell her older car and just keep the Mercedes; she drove it more than he did anyways. Then again, he couldn’t let one little - okay, big - thing keep him from driving for the rest of his life. Besides, up until that flashback, he had been fine behind the wheel. Nervous, yes, but still fine. He had only been really nervous at night and he avoided that intersection. In the dark or when an ambulance went by, even though it made him jumpy, he hadn’t had a flashback, just nerves. The intersection was apparently the only part he couldn’t deal with.

His hand found hers and he entwined his fingers through hers, as they walked through the parking lot, looking much more relaxed now that he was out of the car. He was still trying to push back the memory of what just happened; he wasn’t going to let it ruin their day, not when it had started so perfectly. Walking into the lower level of Trolley Square, he smiled, still holding her hand as he turned his head to look at her. “So, what jewelry store first?” His question brought the spark of excitement back to his eyes, like a little kid in a candy store. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he glanced at the time, wondering how long they had to peruse. “What time are we meeting your mom? And where?” That would tell him how much time they had, but it’s not like they had to find something today.

Jason’s mind started to wander as the two made their way through the shopping center, Anabel basically leading the way. He wondered what kind of ring she’d want. What kind of style, if she’d rather have the gold or the platinum, how large of a diamond. They all crossed his mind. He’d just have to watch her facial expressions, see which rings she gravitated to. If she was anything like other girls he had gone shopping with previously, she’d probably circle. He remembered a few times when he had gone to New York City with his mom or his ex. Anytime they’d see something they’d like, they’d look at it, go look at something else and then make their way back to the thing they liked. If they really liked it, they’d do that two, maybe three times. It sort of made him laugh when he realized what they were doing.

He wondered what her mom was like and if Anabel looked like her. He looked a lot like his mom, though he was taller than her. They had almost the exact same facial features and he got his dark brown eyes and curly hair from her. A soft chuckle slipped from him as he realized Annie had to learn Spanish somewhere; he wondered if her mom spoke a lot of English. Otherwise, it could be quite interesting trying to communicate; he doubted she’d want to hear his pathetic attempt to speak a foreign language. His dark eyes slid sideways to look at his girlfriend, a happy smile crossing his face. The earlier stress had been forced to the back of his mind and he was content to make his way through the shopping center with Anabel by his side. Unwrapping his fingers from hers, he put his hand on her waist and pulled her close to him, adjusting his stride so it matched hers.

wearing; this
car; here

[ana isabel bailey]

Annie's blond head nodded and she gave him a tiny smile. "Ok, then," she said, turning and undoing her seat belt. She didn't understand why he questioned her like that. She supposed he still lived in fear of losing her like he'd lost his last serious girlfriend, quicker than it seemed possible. Annie wondered if she'd ever meet her, the girl that had had his heart before she had. She wasn't really sure she wanted to, the same way she didn't want Jason to meet one of her exes, and few of them had been serious; none like Jason had been with his ex. But it was the past. It didn't matter, or at least it shouldn't. Annie looked down at her shoes, trying to get her feet in right without hands. They were close, but she would have to fix them when she got out. The steering wheel was in her way right now.

She stepped out when he opened her door, letting him shut the door before she leaned back against it to fix her heels. She looked up at him with a smirk as she looked down at her shoe, wiggling it more against her foot. "And for the record, Jason, I would've dumped you when we weren't having sex, if I had such intentions," she teased with a snicker, switching feet. He was lucky she'd forgotten how much she liked it. She dropped her foot once the shoe was on, beginning to walk. Jason caught her in a matter of steps and his hand embraced hers. Annie gave him a smile, knowing that he was trying to make the day a good one after all.

The inside of the mall had the good smell, one like people and food and a tinge of fragrance that was probably from one of the bath stores. Her lips pursed at his question, "I don't know. There's only two... I think. I don't usually go looking for jewelry," she said with a giggle. She had an idea of what she wanted though, a rather specific one, actually, but she adamantly refused to pick. That just didn't seem right. They'd never really done any shopping together; it would be interesting to see if he figured out her patterns. She was a stockpiler; she liked everything and then had to sort the less spectacular items out. That made it a lot harder to crack the code, especially when she refused to pick.

She let him guide her, not really knowing where to go, her eyes looking all around the people in the mall. Her eyes caught on a sale sign in a shoe store window, sort of enchanted as she stared, unable to really help herself. His question snapped her back and she had to think for a minute. "One, at Cafe Madrid," she replied, "What time is it now?" They could probably shop until twelve-thirty if they wanted to; Cafe Madrid wasn't far from the mall and Mariana Villalobos was never on time. She hoped things would go ok and that it wouldn't be awkward for Jason, sitting in a Spanish restaurant with his girlfriend and her mother eating foods he'd probably never heard of.

His fingers disengaged with hers and his arm wrapped around her. She set a hand at the base of his back, her fingers slowly slipping lower as they walked the circuit of the mall looking for a jewelry store until the tips of her fingers were in his back pocket. Tilting her head up against his arm to look at him as they approached the first of the jewelry stores, her lips parting, "Would you ask my mom for my hand? It would mean a lot to her." She watched his expression, adding onto her previous question, "You don't have to do it today if your not comfortable with it," she spoke quietly, turning with him into the brightly lit store.

[jason andrew irving]

A laugh slipped from his lips as she slid her shoes back on, listening to her comment. Once both heels were on her feet, he pulled her close, his lips next to her ear. “Well I’m sure we’ll get home in plenty of time for more,” he said quietly, kissing her cheek quickly before adjusting his body so he was standing upright, his spark nearly completely back in his eyes. He would have whispered if she didn’t hate it so much. Jason could swear she held some kind of curse on him; he had never been the kind of guy to sleep with a different girl every other weekend, or to even have sex with his girlfriend all the time, but after the way their morning started out, well, he wasn’t going to say no. And if he had to, he'd just take another one of his painkillers. He had enough. “My ribs'll hold up fine.” he muttered quietly, smirking back at her. If anybody passing by heard what he said, it wouldn't make any sense to them.

Nodding his head absentmindedly as she told him she wasn’t quite sure where the jewelry stores were, he glanced around, seeing if he could find any right away, just in case they were short on time. Anabel’s strides slowed for a moment and he snapped out of his trance, looking to see what caught her eye. He chuckled quietly, knowing her weakness for shoes. “If we have time, we’ll stop there before we leave and I’ll get you a new pair or two. And if we don’t have time, we can stop back after lunch.” Pulling his phone from his pocket again, he sighed. He was the kind of person who could look at the time and then forget what time it was two seconds later, pausing as he read the time off of the glowing screen. “Uh…it’s almost twelve now. That gives us, what, twenty minutes, a half hour?” He thought out loud, trying to remember where Café Madrid was. He had driven past it a few times, but he had never actually stopped. He assumed Anabel and her mom had been there before so he’d know what was good to eat and what to avoid.

It took the two a little while to find the first jewelry store and Jason felt Anabel’s hand slipping down his back the longer they walked, a small smile once again on his face. Holding hands was nice, but walking like this allowed him to be closer to her, something he’d never protest. Finally finding one of the two stores they were looking for, he steered her in as he felt her head move on his arm. He looked into her eyes as she questioned him, a mildly surprised expression on his face. It hadn’t been something he thought of. As she added on another sentence rather quietly, he furrowed his eyebrows slightly, wondering why she thought he wouldn’t be comfortable with it. His voice was relaxed, though slightly curious. “Of course I will. And of course I’m comfortable with it.” It took a minute for the realization to set in and once it did, it was quite obvious; his question in the car might have made it seem that way. Finding the rings, he smiled at her, gesturing for her to look. “So, how should I ask her?” He wasn’t sure if Spanish traditions were different than the “traditional” traditions he had grown up with. The way he had always heard wedding stories, the groom-to-be would usually ask the father, but in Anabel’s case, he could see why that was different; she wasn’t crazy about her dad.

Looking at all the different bands, Jason felt his heart beat increase excitedly. He hadn’t imagined doing this so soon, he didn’t think Anabel would be ready to even think about it when she was only nineteen. A grin spread across his face and he slid his arm from around her waist, giving her more space to browse without him breathing down her neck. He was planning on staying close, though, so he could see what she was eyeing up and what she turned her nose up at. He saw a few bands that caught his eye, wondering if she had the same kind of taste that he did, but he kept his attention mainly on Anabel. The last thing he’d want to do would be to get her an engagement ring and a wedding band she didn’t like. One of the store clerks approached the two, asking if he could help them and Jason grinned. “It’s all her,” he said, laughing quietly. “But she won’t tell me what she wants.”

wearing; this
car; here

[ana isabel bailey]

Annie was sort of perplexed by his question at first, her pretty little face scrunching in a confused look. How? She'd didn't know what the answer was. Finally she got the connotation as they walked by cases full of necklaces and earrings. He was trying to figure out if there was a proper way to do it considering her mother was Spanish. "Well, technically speaking," she said with a laugh, her eyes on the precious metals and stones beneath her eyes, "You're supposed to demand my hand in song." She darted her blue eyes to him, a tiny smile on her lips, wondering what he'd think of that. It was sort of an outdated custom, though her dad had done it for her mother, back when he'd had a heart. A giggle bubbled in her throat, "No, that's actually rather old fashioned, so I won't make you do that," she told him with a nod, her eyes twinkling as she turned her head to look up at him, "Unless you're just so overcome with love that you can't stop yourself," she teased, batting her eyelashes.

As they continued to walk in search of rings she turned more serious and shrugged, "Seriously though, just... I don't know," she said with a tiny laugh. "She's not exactly a formal person, so I wouldn't stress about it," she concluded as her answer. He knew well enough why she wanted him to ask her mother and not her father. Tradition just didn't seem to work in this case because frankly it would probably just be a curse on their marriage to have her father's "blessing". Jason didn't have any similarities with her dad in that area, but it still just seemed like an honor he didn't deserve after destroying his family. Really it was probably the stability of Jason that led Annie to have next to no fear of marrying him. She knew all she needed to know: he wasn't going to leave her or dare to cheat. Angling her head to see him a tiny smile crossed her lips.

When they reached the case of wedding rings it suddenly hit her just how big of a deal this all was. Thousands of dollars worth of polished rings glinted up at her and she wanted to giggle or squeal or something. This was for real; she wasn't just dreaming it up and that made it exciting. A hungry look filled her eyes as she stared at the gold behind the glass. She glanced up from her trance when Jason stepped away a step or two and began to look, though he was watching her. She liked pretty much all of them, but her eyes were definitely a bit brighter when she gazed at one of them. She continued to stare when the clerk walked up, until Jason said she wouldn't tell him what she wanted. Smirking, she lifted her head and looked from him to the salesman. "I don't want to pick," she made her case, "I want him to. It's no fun if I pick."

Sliding her hands in her back pockets, she looked back down, her eyes going again to one ring. The jeweler must have noticed her eyes because he cleared his throat, "Well, what if I show you kids some different sets to get you started. Anything you want in particular? White, yellow, princess, baguette?" The question seemed more directed at Annie with the slick terms, but it was open for Jason to answer. Annie didn't have to think before replying, "Princess and white, if that's ok with you," she said, looking at Jason to make sure he approved of the white gold. Their bands would have to match and she wouldn't want him wearing something he hated for the next however many years. The man nodded and produced a key, slowly taking out a few sets and placing them on the counter. He had definitely noticed where her eyes had been; one set was the one she wanted. Now Annie was curious to see if he would figure that out. She would take a set she didn't like as well and love it, but she definitely had a favorite.

rings, here

[jason andrew irving]

A quiet yet uncontrolled laugh slipped from him, unable to help himself when she said he’d have to sing to her mom for her permission to wed her daughter. “But I can hardly speak Spanish, how am I suppose to sing? I’d completely butcher it.” His eyes and his tone teased her but he knew if that was what he had to do, he would. Anything for her. He let out an over-exaggerated, false-relieved sigh when she said it was an outdated tradition, laughing again as she batted her eyes. “You never know, it just might happen,” he teased back, smirking.

Nodding his head, he understood what Annie meant by her mom not being a formal person and in some cases, that was better and it would make some things much less awkward. Glancing at Anabel, he could see her eyes light up as the realization that this was really happening hit her and he smiled, still trying to study her. He could tell that there was one set that stood out to her; her eyes absolutely lit up, but he couldn’t tell exactly what set it was. There were two or three in the area where her gaze rested, so he glanced over to the jeweler, assuming he had done this enough he could read her expression and her gaze.

She knew what she wanted; she didn’t hesitate at all when she was asked what she wanted to see. Jason nodded his head when she glanced at him, making sure he was okay with her choice. He did prefer the look of the silver-colored metals to the harsh, typical gold, especially when diamonds were part of the picture. The silver hue and the diamonds just went together in his opinion. Clearing his throat quietly, his eyes rested on Annie as he questioned the jeweler about the metals. “Do you have the same thing with a platinum band instead of white gold?” The price difference might be enough for Anabel to say no, but platinum required less upkeep; white gold required re-plating about once a year. And when white gold was rhodium plated, as all of this was, it looked no different than the more expensive precious metal.

After his questioning look was answered from Anabel, he returned his gaze to the rings, still trying to decipher which set it was that she obviously had her eyes on. If he couldn’t figure it out, he’d come back without her and talk to their jeweler and see which one he had thought she was looking at. Her eyes seemed to be gravitating towards one set, an absolutely gorgeous set. Smiling, he looked over at Annie, a slight, teasing look in his eyes. “Do you want to try them? See which one just feels right?” He wanted to see what she looked like with a ring on her hand; just the thought made his heart skip a beat. Not only that, but if her face lit up the same way when she saw the rings she liked when it was on her hand, he’d know for sure which set it was she liked.

The only concern he had was that he’d pick the absolutely wrong set, one that she really didn’t like, and he didn’t want her to wear something she hated for any amount of time. It didn’t seem like that would be a problem, though. Her eyes shone as she looked at all of the rings set before her; none of them had been pushed aside. As he looked at the different rings, another thought occurred to him. “And I don’t know your ring size. That might be kind of important,” he grinned as he spoke, wanting the ring to be absolutely perfect when she finally got it. Once he figured out what ring it was she liked, no, loved, all he had to do was figure out how he was going to actually propose to her. Since she was expecting it, he didn’t want to do the traditional out-to-eat-then-go-some-place-romantic-afterwards thing, however sweet that was. He wanted to do something where she wouldn’t see it coming.

wearing; this
car; here

[ana isabel bailey]

Annie's delicate eyebrows raised and her eyes darted to look at him, her eyes wide and staring at his almost inquisitive ones. Anabel was scarcely paying any attention to the salesman who was going on about how they could get the rings, but it would be a custom order. She didn't need words to say she was a bit concerned about the price. He looked back at her and she knew he was positive it was what he wanted and she nodded slightly, giving her consent if he needed it. Glancing back down she watched the jeweler's selections, suddenly realizing this wasn't exactly some whim of Jason's to buy a more expensive ring. He had some reason, she didn't know what, but his quickness to ask revealed he knew a thing or two. She looked back up at him, a look between curiosity, a smile, and a bit of surprise on her face. He had looked at rings before now. Looking away with an almost smug smile she tapped her purple painted nails against the glass; she hadn't been the only one thinking about it.

With piqued interest she turned her head toward him with an intrigued look. Slowly she nodded, it was a good idea. She didn't reach immediately for the set she absolutely loved. Instead her hand moved toward a similar set with a smaller diamond and rectangular inset diamonds. Carefully her fingers picked up the dainty but strong ring, sliding it on her left ring finger. To her it was supposed to go on the right, but that was one thing she didn't actually intend on doing. She didn't want anyone questioning her marital status once they were officially man and wife. It might seem juvenile and silly, but she wanted everyone to know she was his. She had every intention of taking his name and she was going to wear his ring on the left hand so there was no question they were married.

She moved her fingers out of the way once it was finally where it should be, holding back a tiny gasp, her heart fluttering just a bit. This was not the perfect ring, it didn't give her that 'this is absolutely perfect feeling' but it was awfully close. If someone had told her six months ago, even a month ago really, that she would be looking at wedding rings she would have just rolled her eyes or flicked her hand dismissively. She'd grown up significantly when he'd been in the accident. She would wish it away in a moment for his sake, but honestly she probably would have dumped him by now if it hadn't happened. Sitting in the waiting room for several hours half removing her nails with her nibbling teeth and having no idea how he was going to react to the anesthesia or really anything had given her time to think and it was enough time to convince her that it wasn't just some mistake that he had been hurt like that. Something bigger than her was trying to tell her something and in those hours she'd left behind the nineteen year old girl, not quite a woman, and stepped into bigger shoes, of the pink pump variety that is, but bigger all the same.

She gave a little approving nod and began to wiggle the ring off her finger. She glanced up when Jason asked about her ring size, "Six," she replied; she had rather small fingers. She then picked up the ring she wanted more than all the rest as it was next in the line the salesman had made. She was definitely a bit more excited for this one, sliding this one and holding her hand out before her on the top of the case. She watched it glisten in the light and she didn't want to take it off. She picked up the man's band and held it to Jason with a nod. "Try it," she urged him wanting to see how his ring would look. She too wanted to see the whole effect and so she took the engagement ring off and slid the woman's band on and then the other ring. She smiled as she looked from his hand to hers, half tempted to elope today after all, not that Jason would agree willingly.

They tried on another set that paled in comparison to the second one and that was really all the small store had to offer. She slid her phone out to check the time. Tapping Jason on the shoulder she whispered, "We have ten minutes before we need to go." She was waiting around to see if he was going to shoo her off so he could buy, though she did intend to pay for his band later, or if he was going to pass, though she desperately hoped he didn't.

[jason andrew irving]

Listening to their salesman talking about a custom order, he nodded his head, still studying Anabel’s face for any sign that the price was too much. She didn’t really have to pay for it, but he knew her well enough to know that wouldn’t happen. His eyes lingered on her as her gaze dropped back down to the selection of jewels before her before her eyes jumped back to him, a mixture of emotions on her pretty face and he had to hold back a laugh. As she looked away, tapping her fingers lightly on the glass, he thought she might have figured him out. Yes, he had been looking before, though he hadn’t expected her to question him about marriage. He hadn’t been sure how to bring it up or if it was too early to even be thinking about it. At least the two seemed to be on the same page when it came to their relationship.

He had to hold back another laugh at her expression when he suggested trying on the ring. Raising an eyebrow curiously, he watched her as she selected one of the sets to try on, trying once again to read her expression. The sight of the ring sparkling on her finger made him smile. He hadn’t imagined this moment would feel like. As she wiggled the small ring off of his finger, he nodded his head in reply to her ring size, letting her know he heard her, chuckling quietly as she seemed to approve of that ring. Sliding on the next one in the line, she seemed a little bit more excited, at least to him, and his smile grew. Once again, Jason’s eyebrows rose as she handed him the band that would belong to him. Grinning like a little kid, he slid it in place, putting his hand next to hers, goose bumps finding their way up his spine when he saw she slid the actual wedding ring on. After looking at the last set, Annie not nearly as thrilled about it, Jason saw her check the time, nodding in response and thanking the salesman, his hand on Annie’s waist as he led her out of the store.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get the rings, it’s that he was still debating what he should do. The platinum and white gold looked exactly the same, only the platinum rings would hold their shine much longer. The second set they had looked at seemed to make her eyes shine a little more than the other two sets and he hoped he had read her expression right. Unless the salesman had seen something completely different in her expression, that was the set he was planning on getting.

Only a few stores past the jewelry store, he pulled his hand from around her body, smiling. “Do you want to run ahead to that shoe store we saw on the way in? I promised you we could stop if we had time. I’ll catch up in a minute.” He turned around, heading back to the store they had just left. He wasn’t going to tell her to leave just like that. Besides, he didn’t want to leave her just yet. The site of the ring on her hand was still clear in his mind. Returning to the store, this time alone, he talked to the jeweler once again about the same ring, only upping the metal. It was a bit pricey, but he’d manage even if they had to wait a bit for the custom order. Placing the order, he left the store feeling incredibly excited as he made his way back to the shoe store, wondering what all Anabel had found that she wanted.

It didn’t take him long to reach the shoe store, the look in his eyes giving away where he had disappeared to. Pulling his wallet from his back pocket, he glanced at her, a teasing look in his eyes. “So, find anything you like?” Of course she did. It was a shoe store and there was a sale going on. He was half tempted to look around, though he knew they were short on time. Maybe he’d stop by when he went to pick up their rings. The thought brought another smile on his face as he waited for her to decide what she wanted so they could check out and head out to meet her mom. He could feel his nerves slightly growing, wondering what their lunch would be like. If worse came to worse, he’d have to ask what was good there. And that's wasn't that big of a deal; they seemed to have similar tastes

wearing; this
car; here

[ana isabel bailey]

Somehow he managed to fool her and she wandered off into the crowd of people, oblivious that he was going back the other way. She was really a bit sad he had decided against that set but oh well. She had told him she didn't want to pick, she should have expected the chance of ending up with a slightly less perfect ring than she wanted. At least she got shoes. Shoes could always make her happier. Turning into the shoe store and wondering how much time she had she began to stride down the aisle to the section with the seven and a halfs. Instantly she found a pair she liked, glossy red heels. Grabbing one of the little sheer socks she pulled her heels off and slid the new shoe on, holding her foot out and turning it this way and that. She smiled a happy little smile knowing Jason would love the sexy pumps.

By the time Jason found her the red heels had been joined by polkadot canvas flats and another pair of heels, these ones yellow. Annie looked up at him, a happy look on her face that could only come from shoes. She laughed when he asked if she'd found anything, "Let's just say it's a good thing you showed up when you did," she joked with a cheeky grin. She eyed him for a moment with a suspicious look, taking in his mischievous expression and tiny little smile. Turning and shaking her head with a smile that said she had him figured out, she picked up the boxes and headed up to the counter. All three pairs were already on sale and the extra seventy percent made it so the store was practically paying her to take them off their hands, something Annie was happy to do. Taking her bag she placed her hand in the crook of Jason's arm and smiled at him with almost a guilty look, ready to head out to the car.

Back in the car she pulled out her phone and quickly texted her mother to make sure they weren't going to be stood up or anything. The quick reply made Anabel's nose crinkle but she waved her hand at Jason's inquiry, "She's early. She's never early." It really was kind of questionable, but they'd figure it out when they got there. Annie went back to giving directions so they wouldn't get lost, thankful they were staying on the opposite side of town from Murphy's. "Have you ever had Spanish food," she asked him with a curious gaze as he parallel parked on the curb behind her mother's blue Volkswagen beetle. She'd had the car since they had moved to Salt Lake. Once the cars had stopped coming she got out and walked around to join Jason, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. She could tell he was a little nervy about meeting her mother, but it really wouldn't be so bad.

Wandering into a place she'd been more times than she could count was sort of like going back home. It was actually kind of weird to think Jason had never been here. Her mother glanced over from where she was sitting and hopped up quickly as though she hadn't been flirting with the restaurant's owner. Eligio and her mother had a long standing friendship that Anabel was pretty sure had its benefits. Still hand in hand with Jason she closed the distance, stepping in to exchange a kiss on each cheek with her mother and a few rapid words Jason wouldn't be able to understand before stepping back and placing a hand on his back where a lovehandle would be if he weren't so skinny. Switching back into English for Jason she giggled excitedly, glad two of her favorite people were finally meeting, "Mami, this is Jason. Jason, this is my mom." She held her breath until Mariana stepped forward, standing on tiptoe and kissing both of Jason's cheeks. Her first concern was Jason might be disturbed that she was being so intimate and second that Jason would make the mistake of calling her Mrs. Bailey. Lord help them all if he did that.

[jason andrew irving]

Getting the keys from Anabel, he bit his lower lip nervously as he climbed into the driver’s seat, sliding it back since his legs were much longer than hers. As usual, he left her in charge of the music as he focused on leaving Trolley Square in one, mentally stable piece. He did NOT want to be a wreck when he was introduced to his soon-to-be mother-in-law; that wouldn’t be a good first impression. What’s wrong with him? Oh, he’s just freaking out because he drove here. Yeah, that would be fantastic. He continued to chew on his lip as he drove, focusing on going the way that his girlfriend told him to go, relieved they were driving away from Murphy’s. Never again was he planning on going that way. Glancing over at her once when he stopped at a stop sign, he caught her scrunching her nose up. His eyes jumped back to the road as he questioned her, nodding his head as she explained. His family was the opposite; they always tended to be a few minutes early, though being doctors, he figured that was kind of understandable. Laughing, he shook his head when she asked if he had ever had Spanish food. “Not real Spanish food.” Still shaking his head slightly, he parked behind a blue Volkswagen, slightly irritated. Parallel parking wasn’t one of his favorite things to do. Well, driving in general was no longer one of his favorite things, but parallel parking was a pain.

Stepping into the new, well, new to him, atmosphere, he inhaled deeply, taking in the delicious scents. If the food tasted as good as it smelled, he knew he’d like it. He saw a woman glance in their direction and hop up from her seat, heading towards them. There was no doubt in his mind that she had to be Anabel’s mother; their looks were so similar, he’d be an idiot to miss it. The only thing that was majorly different was their hair color. As they spoke rapidly in a language he wasn’t very familiar with, he felt slightly awkward, not quite sure what to do and his dark eyes watching Annie curiously. As she stepped back, resting her arm around his back, he relaxed, smiling as she giggled. She switched back to English and he was glad he could finally understand her speech as she introduced him to her mom. He went to take a step forward, but Annie’s mom beat him to it, standing on her toes to kiss his cheeks. Surprised at first, it took him a moment to remember that it was traditional Spanish custom. Three years of Spanish in high school might not have taught him much of the language, basically one, simple phrase; No habla espanol, but apparently he did remember something of their culture. He smiled at her, wrapping his arm around her daughter’s waist. It’s nice to finally meet you Missu-uh Miss…? He shot Annie a questioning look, feeling like an idiot. He knew that Ana’s parents had split, but he wasn’t quite sure what to call her mom. Some divorced couples kept the same last names, others didn’t.

Still feeling stupid, he changed the subject, his arm tightening around Annie’s waist as he started to feel nervous again. “So, uh, where are we sitting?” Being led to their table, he looked down at his girlfriend, pressing his lips against her hair for a brief moment. Dropping his hand from her waist, he let her sit first before seating himself beside her. Exhaling a short breath, he glanced at Annie, not quite sure what to say. He wondered what her mom knew about their relationship. He assumed she knew that they lived together since Anabel had been living in a dorm previously, but he wondered if she knew why Annie had decided to move in. He sort of hoped not. And, obviously, she knew nothing of their marriage plans since it had only been brought up earlier that day and their, uh, sex life was the same. Speaking, well, thinking of marriage reminded him that at some point he had to bring it up and ask for her permission, making him slightly nervous. What if she didn’t like him?

wearing; this
car; here

[ana isabel bailey]

Annie almost giggled as Jason's eyes widened when her mother kissed his cheeks. She supposed it could be a bit odd; if Jason's dad smacked her on the butt or some other affectionate gesture she wasn't expecting she'd probably be rather weirded out too. He started to speak and slowly Anabel was coming to the realization that maybe she should have filled him in on a few things she hadn't thought of. At least he wasn't forward and said Bailey. It was no light thing to Annie's mom. She in no way wanted to be associated with her ex husband. He'd broken her heart, Ana couldn't blame her. Mariana cleared her throat before Annie could be of any assistance to her bumbling boyfriend, "Narvaez Villalobos," she filled in and then shook her head, "But Mariana works, Jason." Anabel knew what her mother was trying to do as she said his name, albeit wrongly but trying. Her mother couldn't say J's to save her life; it was just Jason's bad luck that his future mother-in-law would never be able to say his name. 'Haysown' he would always be, there was simply no point in trying to teach her the letter J now.

She could tell he was uncomfortable as his arm constricted a bit. Mariana clapped her hands, her bracelets jingling and a bright smile lit her attractive face that was much similar to her daughter's though darker and wrinkled, "Right here. I already have ordered. Eligio's treat," she replied, her accent thick over her English. Her forehead was creased as she concentrated on her English that she was fluent in, but it required effort for her because of her refusal to use it except for when she had to. Spinning she walked over to take her seat, her skirt swirling and Annie and Jason followed behind. She glanced up at Jason as he kissed her hair, "You are doing fine, my love," she assured him for his ears only. The strumming of a Spanish guitar from a radio set on the window sill and a few other tables of diners masked her words from everyone.

Settling into the chair Eligio had left, Annie was at a bit of a loss for words. She just didn't know what to say, which was odd because usually she could talk up a storm to her mother, but it was different when Jason was there and she didn't want him to feel left out or confused. Taking a sip of her Sangria, Mariana took care of starting the conversation, "Jason, what do you study," she asked, her speech definitely a bit awkward. Before Jason could reply a handsome young man Annie knew as Eligio's son by his slightly hooked nose and thick moustache appeared setting glasses of Sangria in front of the couple. Ana smiled, happily reaching for her drink and taking a sip. She hadn't had Sangria in ages, probably because it was really kind of illegal to be giving her a drink with wine, but she'd been drinking it since she was little. She just hoped Jason wouldn't say anything about her drinking. It wasn't like she was tossing back whisky or anything. It was just wine diluted with sprite and seltzer. Spanish cooking didn't taste right without it.

The waiter promised the tapas would be out soon and then the conversation was allowed to continue. Anabel's look was one of pride as she listened to his reply to her mother's question, her eyes on her face. Dr. and Mrs. Irving did sound rather nice. She really wasn't smart enough to ever be anything fancy like a doctor, but he was. Setting a reassuring hand on his leg she smiled at her mother, seeking her approval. She could tell though that her mother was satisfied so far. Jason was definitely a step up from the neverending line of guitarists and philosophy majors she'd gravitated to for a pretty long while. There had been a few decent ones in there, but that was sort of the trend she'd followed and now she wondered why she'd avoided the nice pre-med boys. Tipping her drink back and taking another sip she smiled to herself. She'd found Jason when she was supposed to because he was the one. She might have dug through a pretty big pile of losers, but she had found her prince and she was oh so close to being his princess.

[jason andrew irving]

He was slightly curious about what Annie’s mom had ordered, but he kept a positive attitude. How else was he going to find out if he liked it? A small smile crossed his face as Anabel told him he was doing fine, a small shrug shifting his arm around her. “We’ll see,” he murmured quietly, a nervous laugh following the sentence. He felt kind of awkward since he wasn’t too familiar with Spanish customs, or even the language for that matter. Settling next to Anabel, he rested one arm behind her, relaxing himself. He was always more relaxed when he was close to her. Opening his mouth to reply to Mariana’s question, he was interrupted as a young man appeared, setting a few glasses in front of him and Ana. He wasn’t sure what it was, but the kind of glass it was in told him there was some sort of alcohol in it. Hesitating, his gaze slid away from everyone, resting on the edge of the table as he asked for a water. Jason wasn’t about to drive home after having any sort of alcohol, it was something he was kind of paranoid about now. He was very sure his alcohol tolerance was low, only once in his life had he ever had alcohol. That had been the night he left New York. A few hours away, hurting, he had stopped at a bar, not quite sure why, but he had anyways. After taking one, small sip of the beer he had ordered, he nearly spat it back out and he had tossed it in the garbage can on the way out of the bar, still practically full. A questioning glance was shot at Annie as she sipped hers; legally, she wasn’t allowed to, but as long as she didn’t get completely drunk, he didn’t mind too much.

Smiling awkwardly at Mariana, feeling rude after turning down the drink and hoping he wouldn’t be questioned as of why, he finally answered her question, his hand that was behind Annie fidgeting slightly. “Medicine. Um, I’m going to be a children’s doctor.” Medicine was in his family, it just seemed appropriate that he did something in the hospital as his parents did. Though, if he was a surgeon as they were, he’d probably end up hurting himself instead of helping the patient. And, well, it could be a good thing that Ana wasn’t going into medicine. Things got kind of confusing at the hospital where his parents worked when “Doctor Irving” was called somewhere. It took quite some time for the nurses to realize they had to specify between Doctor Jacob Irving and Doctor Sophia Irving even though the two had been married a few years before they finished med school. He could only imagine what it would be like going home and there being three. Perhaps it was a good thing he moved out to Utah, for more reasons than one.

Feeling Ana’s hand resting on his leg, he looked over at her, his eyes shining happily, only a touch of awkwardness still there. He realized he had never had to go through anything like this before; he hadn’t been with his “first girlfriend” long enough to meet her parents and he had known his first real girlfriend for years before they started dating, so he knew her parents very well. He hadn’t really been with Dahlia long enough to ever consider meeting her parents, so this was something completely new for him. And of course, this wasn’t just “Oh, hey mom, this is my boyfriend” blah blah blah. He also had to bring up the fact that marriage was in the picture and it seemed like that could be a touchy subject with Miss Narvaez Villalobos. He could only hope she approved of him.

His eyes rested on his girlfriend again, biting his lip for a nanosecond as he saw her sip her drink again. No, alcohol wasn’t something he was fond of for multiple reasons, but as long as she didn’t get hurt, he wasn’t going to protest. His gaze moved back to Mariana, wondering what exactly it was that she had ordered. The waiter had mentioned something he had never heard of before when he dropped off the drinks. Tapas or something along those lines? This could be fun. The waiter returned, this time with the water Jason had asked for and his gaze dropped away awkwardly as he thanked him, taking a small sip from the glass. He felt disrespectful, turning down the drink, but it just wasn’t something he’d do even out on his own.

wearing; this
car; here

[ana isabel bailey]

Ana hadn't been entirely sure how Jason would respond to the drink he'd been served. Of course she knew he didn't drink, but to her wine didn't fall into the category of "drinking". It was a cultural thing she supposed. To her it was no worse for you than having a glass of milk, but she could acknowledge that Jason thought something more of it than that, which was fine. Even so her eyes slowly slid to her mother who hadn't caught the exchange between Jason and the waiter and was still having her drink and gazing around the room. Ultimately it was her that started the conversation by asking about his career aspirations.

A happy smile covered Mariana's lips when she realized her daughter was dating an aspiring doctor, a pediatrician none the less. It definitely was a change for the better. "So, you like children then," she said with a gleam in her eye. Anabel wanted to laugh. Her mother already wanted grandchildren when she'd just barely gotten rid of her daughter. It was really rather funny. Annie didn't even want to think about kids until she was done with college though and had a job and by then Jason would be done with med school. She had it all planned out and she hoped there weren't any surprises in the middle. Of course Jason had money, but actually raising children she'd prefer to do with their own income, not his parents'.

Jason was relaxing a bit, and the little bit of alcohol was calming Annie significantly. Everything was ok... and then the glass of water came. A perplexed look in her big blue eyes, Mariana's head tilted and she stared at Jason, "You do not like your drink?" Anabel let out a deep sigh, knowing the question was coming but not wanting it to. She jumped to answer, trying to save Jason the awkwardness. Well, more than he already felt. "He's driving," Annie said quickly, and yet her mother's face still had that strong look in it like it was not an acceptable answer. "I am too. It's not like a little Sangria will harm him," the older woman came back, her tongue quick and her accent heavy, not fighting to speak over it like she usually did. "Si, pero Jason no bebe," Annie came back in Spanish, now realizing she should have kept her mouth shut. Or maybe it was better it was her and her mother arguing and not her mother and Jason. Fact was her mother wasn't the kind to let things go even with strangers.

Suddenly Eligio was at the head of the table with the first plate of food, watching the two women continue to go back and forth, overwhelming Jason who Ana had almost forgotten was sitting beside her in her attempt to defend him. The handsome Spaniard laughed at poor Jason, "Villalobos women. Fiery, aren't they?" Mother and daughter turned at that, dropping their argument and staring at their respective mates before bursting into laughter. Eligio might be a man ho, but he was kind of like a father with his constant presence in Anabel's life since her parents' divorce. Eligio sat the food he was carrying on the table and went to Mariana, rubbing her arm and kissing the top of her head with a laugh, "And yet, we love them." Annie couldn't help herself from smiling as she leaned her head back against Jason's shoulder. Her and her mother squabbled and yet in the end they were still family. Jason would learn to love Annie's weird family of sorts, eventually at any rate.

"Ok," Annie said to her boyfriend, trying to ignore the fact that across the table her mother was kissing Eligio. She was blushing outrageously, quite embarrassed, "So these are tapas and they are... well they're a lot like appetizers only you eat them as a meal." She smiled and began to point out the dishes as their kiss thankfully broke, "Manchego cheese, it's really yummy, um, fried spinach balls, fried calamari, shrimp in bacon with creamy stuff, mushrooms with more of the creamy stuff, and clams in green sauce which is totally not as weird as it sounds."

[jason andrew irving]

A small smile crossed Jason’s face at Mariana’s statement about kids and he nodded his head, laughing. “I do, I love kids.” Dylan probably had something to do with that. Having a brother who was nearly a third of his age taught him a lot about younger kids and honestly, he loved babysitting for his parents. He was excited to have kids of his own, though he wasn’t planning on having any anytime soon. They were expensive, at least in his family and he didn’t want to spend his parents’ money on his own kids. Besides, Annie was only nineteen. She was too young to have kids, at least in his opinion. She still needed some time to be a teenager, to be a little crazy and have fun. Even though she was almost twenty, she was still a kid herself. Even he was at twenty-two. Then again, if he planned on keeping things child-free for a while, he’d have to be more careful than he was that morning when it came to the sexual side of their relationship.

Thanking the waiter for his water, he caught the bewildered look in Mariana’s bright blue eyes, so much like her daughter’s. His gaze dropped away at her question, knowing where it was going to go. Annie was quick to answer, cutting him off as he opened his mouth to reply. He sighed uneasily at Mariana’s response. Perhaps it would have been better if he hadn’t asked for anything, just left the drink sitting there. Awkward situations could have been avoided then. His dark eyes widened, unsure, as Ana’s quick Spanish slipped out. Three years of Spanish in high school and all he understood was si, no and his own name. Chewing on his lower lip uneasily, he waited for a short break in their rapid speech to try to explain. Maybe Annie already had, but Mariana didn’t shoot him a curious look as he would expect she would if her daughter mentioned the accident. He sighed before pushing his way into the conversation, the only one speaking in a language he actually understood, resting his hand on Anabel’s leg, attempting to quiet her down for a moment. “No, it’s okay,” his eyes switched from resting on his girlfriend to her mother before dropping to the drink sitting in front of him, a small, awkward smile crossing his face. As he spoke, his tone was awkward, uncomfortable; talking about the wreck was not something he ever wanted to do, even with the lack of details. “I was, uh, in a bad accident because of alcohol, obviously much more than this, but, well, it’s something I sort of avoid now.” He was unsure if he was heard over their bickering or if he had made any sense, but at least he had tried.

Blinking rather quickly, he saw the headlights as he had that night for a brief second and he started to nibble on his lip again, pushing the images away. Out of no where it seemed, the man he had seen Anabel’s mother sitting with appeared, a plate of delicious smelling food in his hands. The rapid language was starting to give him a headache as he tried to keep up, his dark eyes turning away from the two women to the laughing man standing beside their table. Nodding his head, he chuckled at the comment the man made, raising his eyebrows curiously as the two women burst out laughing. A real smile crossed Jason’s face at Eligio’s comment about loving the ladies and he turned to look at Annie as she leaned against his shoulder, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “That we do,” he agreed, moving his head to place a kiss on Annie’s cheek.

He saw the redness in his girlfriend’s face and glancing across the table, he saw her mother and Eligio kissing, knowing Anabel wasn’t crazy about showing that kind of affection in public. Glancing at the food as Annie pointed at the different kinds, he raised his eyebrows attempting to keep up. Finally, he handed her his plate, laughing. “Surprise me,” he said simply, not quite sure where to start. They seemed to have similar tastes when it came to foods, so he assumed she’d pick something he’d like. His eyes shifted back to Mariana as Annie put some of the tapas on his plate. What did she think of him now? As far as he could tell, she seemed to like the fact he was going to school to be a doctor and that he liked kids. But if she had heard what he said about the accident, what did she think about that? He knew Annie wanted him to bring up their marriage plans, but he wanted to make sure she approved of him first. Then again, it’s not like he was going to marry her daughter without her permission. He just had to hope that she could overlook the more traumatic part of his life.

wearing; this
car; here

[ana isabel bailey]

Ana would agree she was little more than a child. She still ate Lucky Charms for goodness sake. But perhaps worse than her innately child-like preferences was more her attitude, her behavior. Thinking of others before herself was not something she did especially well. Only recently had she begun to learn the skill. No one had ever had to rely on her until a matter of weeks ago when Jason had been in his accident and scarcely able to move around his own home for a week. Even after the first week he'd needed her for things, everything from unloading the dishwasher to taking his own shirt off had been too painful. This was not the kind of activity she'd ever done before without expecting something in return. Caring for Jason had been like caring for a child. She wasn't ready yet, not at all. Marriage she felt she could handle, after all they were practically married now, but she needed time to grow up before children came into the picture.

In the present though she continued to squabble with her mother, keeping the conversation in Spanish. It hadn't been intentional on her part to switch the tongue she spoke, it had just happened really, but once it had happened she'd not switched back. They were just continuing what they were saying before, her mother arguing that wine was not bad and Annie trying to make her mother understand that what was ok to them was not necessarily acceptable to him. It was really of no interest to Jason, just a mother and daughter's silly argument. She glanced over when he set a hand on her leg beneath the table, trying to catch a word in, his words difficult to understand after her furious conversation in Spanish. Her mother understood well enough though, her eyes wide as she looked at her daughter, "Es un borracho," she half exclaimed, turning a few heads in the restaurant. "No," Anabel replied, really rather insulted that her mother would accuse Jason of being a drunk. He was as he looked, a good guy, better than she really deserved. The conversation seemed unstoppable as Annie explained Jason had been the one hit and that drinking just really wasn't something he did anyway. The conversation then took a dangerous turn away from drinking Sangria in a restaurant to questioning if Jason took the sacrament.

Never had Annie been so grateful to Eligio for making one of his many flirtatious jokes as a laugh escaped her and ended the spirited conversation that was fast spinning out of control. It had never occurred to Anabel that religion would be an issue to her mother. Jason was Protestant but she'd never seen it as that big of a deal. So he was not Catholic like she, there was really no difference to Annie, they worshiped the same God after all. But to her mother the Catholic church was still the one and only true church, despite the fact most Catholics had dismissed the centuries old opinion. All Ana could picture was the impending occurrence of her own wedding turning into her big fat Spanish wedding. How much would he be willing to put up with for her? Resting her head back against him and feeling the warmth of his lip on her cheek and arm around her she decided they'd just have to see. It would be alright, it would have to be. They had love, did they not?

Annie's attention turned to the food on the table, eying the dishes as she tried to explain what they were. She giggled when he handed her his plate and she nodded, putting some of everything on the plate. As she put some of the cheese on Jason's plate she noticed that Eligio was now sitting at the table. Her eyes widened and she blinked, "Are you joining us, Eligio," she asked him, her brow furrowed. Of course she liked him very much, but she'd thought it would be just Jason, her, and her mother. Now how were they supposed to discuss such a difficult topic with her mother with her lover sitting beside her?! "Yes, your mother neglects me so. I must take my opportunities as they come," he said in his suave rolling tongue, looking genuinely rather hurt. Anabel knew he was not truly that lonely, but she put a smile on her face. Maybe he'd leave after they ate. There was still hope. Even so the look she gave Jason made it clear that she wasn't sure he should bring the matter up. It was up to him, but now with a philanderer like Eligio and her mother who beneath everything was still as crushed as the day Isaac had left her it would not be an easy thing to bring up. Her mother had decided love was just a lie and for that it would not be easy to tell her that her daughter still believed in it. It would take a lot for Jason to say he was committed in front of a man that didn't believe in commitment at all, though it was doubtful Jason had figured out that Eligio and Mariana were not a couple in the traditional sense of the word. They could come here alone on any given day and find him cooing over yet another woman with the same adoration. Even Annie didn't know how many women adored the handsome flirt who felt no shame.