Over the next few weeks she learned how this arrangement was
a win-win for her parents. This guy, Kris, was going to move in, help run the
business so her father could retire. They needed a man at the helm, her father
explained, and he was getting old and tired. Anaya could run the place, but a
man needed to manage the business and her fiancé was a perfect choice, her father rationalized. He had
experience running businesses, he didn’t mind moving in with them, as both his
parents had passed away, and his sister was happily married off, leading a life far away. Above all, her father elaborated, Kris
liked Anaya, and will not mind her continuing to run the store as she always
did.
In the private corner of her mind she disappeared, to entertain some
ideas, but came up with no solution. She had no one to turn to, no family she
knew of, or friends who could even vaguely understand her predicament. She had
no money or any outlet she could reach out to, or even if she did, how could
she leave her parents, especially as they looked so much older and weaker and
had no one else in the world left to take care of them. She couldn’t just
abandon them in their twilight years, so alone. She returned to the reality and
with her eyes dimmed, her shoulders slouched, she quietly listened to her
parents as they put this new man on a pedestal. He seemed just too perfect, too good to be true.
The wedding day arrived, a simple affair with few friends,
some regular customers, a handful of neighbors, and even smaller group with the
groom. Her mother gave her a red garb, the nicest clothes Anaya received from her
parents since their arrival to their new homeland. After the ceremonies, Anaya
and her new husband drove off to a beach town for a weekend getaway. He was
charming and gentle, and Anaya enjoyed his company. They became friends and
became comfortable with each other. The question of love never
entered her mind. This marriage, she knew, was a partnership and as partners,
they got along fabulously.
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