Chapter 1
AMAIA
Have you ever wondered how you got to where you are today? In your life in general I mean. Well, I’ve been asking myself that question for the last two years. If I had decided to stay in France instead of going back to the States my life would be completely different. If I had chosen the second job offer instead of the first one too.
Sometimes I feel like I chose my path based on what was expected of me and not what I really wanted to do. But what did I really want? If you want to know, I’m 27 and I still don’t know.
I find myself in my car parked in front of my parents’ house waiting for my little brother to arrive. There are only the two of us left living in the United States. My twin brother, Luca, is a designer for a luxury car company in Italy, Julian is a physicist working in Copenhagen, and Jamie is still in high school. And then you think wow the Anderson kids are all really successful but what is she doing? Well, I, Amaia Anderson, am the head of the creative department of an advertising agency. My job is to get you to buy my clients’ products. I’m very good at what I do and I have a very good financial situation but most people only seem to care that I’m single. I know that most of my friends are already married and some even have children. But just because most of them are, does that mean I have to do the same? I don’t think so.
I see Jamie’s car pull up behind me and that’s my cue to get out of mine.
We greet each other.
“Been waiting long?” he asks me, as we approach the front door.
“No, don’t worry. Less than ten minutes.”
“I was in the library with a guy from my class, we were working on a project for class and we wanted to finish it tonight. I figured if you didn’t see my car you’d wait for me.” He explains.
“You know me well.” I answer as he opens the door.
My mom is quick to join us at the entrance and greet us. She’s 52 but most people think she’s much younger. We have the same dark hair but she has hazel eyes and she’s a little taller than me. She is French-Spanish, she came to the United States when she was 20 years old, she was a nurse in the hospital where my father worked. They fell madly in love with each other, got married and had us. Fifteen years ago they separated and we moved back to France with Mom and stayed there for the five years they were separated. This separation consolidated their couple and it is now indestructible. According to Luca, this is because now dad knows that she is really capable of leaving him if he crosses the line and that this is not just talk. It must be said that before we left for France, I have no memory of family weekends where we were all at home, dad was on call at the hospital and we rarely saw him. But since we came back, family has become his priority.
As mom leads us to the living room, dad appears and greets us in turn.
“So Jamie, have you finished the project?” My dad asks him as he pours him a glass of wine.
And yes I did say a glass of wine, Jamie is not 21 but for some things we live like Europeans, at least at home. My mother would tell you that it’s cultural.
“Yeah and considering how hard we worked on it I hope we get a good grade.”
“Amaia, can you help me in the kitchen, please?” my mom asks me.
I nod and follow her into the kitchen.
“I saw Mrs. Harris yesterday, I don’t know if you remember her son Connor, you went to school together”.
And here we go again.
“No, I don’t remember him.” I answer honestly as I pick up the salad bowl and lead her into the dining room.
She follows me with her lasagna dish.
“He works at the hospital, he’s a pediatrician. We talked and thought it would be nice for the two of you to get together. So he’s picking you up Tuesday night at 7pm in front of your place.”
“Wait, you’re not serious, are you? No, but you’re way out of line. This isn’t the 18th century. I don’t need you to meet anyone.” I reply annoyed.
“Oh, so you’re with someone?”
“No. Because I don’t feel like it.”
“Amaia, it’s just a dinner, you go, you chat with him. At worst you don’t have chemistry and you don’t see each other again and at best you get along and see each other again.”
I sigh as my dad and Jamie join us.
“Okay, I see you told her about Dr. Harris,” my dad says, throwing his hands up in the air. “I mean I told her you wouldn’t be happy.”
“Mom is still trying to set you up with a guy?” asks Jamie amused.
“You got it all figured out.” I sit back down in my seat. “She doesn’t think I’m capable of finding someone on my own and first of all who said I wanted to be in a relationship?“.
“You’re 27 and the biological clock is ticking.”
I open my mouth, shocked by my mother’s response. Jamie bursts out laughing and I give him a dark look.
“Seriously?! Seriously?! And Luca, he’s single too and we’re the same age. Have you tried to get him a date?”
“First of all he’s a man so it’s not the same thing and second of all he’s too far away for me to take care of but I plan to take care of him during the Christmas vacations when he comes back.” She answers me in the most serious way possible.
I roll my eyes in exasperation. I meet my father’s gaze and he shakes his head slightly, a sign to tell me not to go any further and admit defeat.
“Okay, I’ll go to the damn dinner with Connor but I’m warning you that this is the last time.”
She nods with a satisfied smile. I attack my lasagna with a fork and devour a bite before adding something I might regret. I’m the only girl in the family, so I’m used to being treated differently. And when I say the only one, I mean the only one, I only have boy cousins, not a single girl. And you can take my word for it, no one wants to go through that. I can’t wait for one of my dear cousins or brothers to give birth to a little girl. I’ll definitely be let off the hook after that, I hope.
At the end of the dinner, as usual my mother loads my hands with lasagna and Catalan cream and as usual she instructs me to send her a message to tell her that I arrived well. Even if she doesn’t need to remind me to do it.
