로그인Anna's POV No one comes over to help, but I don't mind. It's the least I can do to help on this trip. When the dishes are clean, I walk into the other room to see Phoebe watching something on TV with Ethan. "Come on, Phoebe. It's getting late. Let's get you in bed," I told her. She nods at me and stands up to follow me to her room. She wipes at her eyes when she crawls into bed, clearly tired from all of the traveling done today."Can we go back to the beach tomorrow?" She asks in a yawn."I thought you hated the water." I tease, tickling her side. She giggles and then pulls the covers up to hide her skin from me. "I do," she laughs. She doesn't mean it, but she is going to continue to claim that she does."Yeah, we can," I tell her."Is Ethan going to come in and tell me a story?" She asks sleepily."Not tonight, baby. He's tired, too," I reply, not even really knowing if it's true. "Okay. Goodnight. I love you." She tells me and then rolls over to go to sleep. "I love you, too
Anna's POV"At least she has a job, Gwen. You haven't gotten off your ass in the last three years." Garret laughs, defending me. I smile over at him thankfully, and he winks. Ethan tenses in his seat, seeing the entire exchange. "Okay, well, I have been in college for the last three years, which is more than what you can say," Gwen says, rolling her eyes."You know, Anna is also a full-time student. She's studying business," Lizzie tells the table. "Oh, Anna, that's amazing! If you haven't been able to tell, business kind of runs in the family." Johnny tells me, laughing at his joke. Ethan laughs along with him, no doubt just so he won't be alone. I kindly help but laugh, too. He is charming. That entire family is charming. Conversations flowed between everyone at the table. Everything seems to be going well. Ethan seems to relax as the minutes pass. He enjoys his plate of food that contains all of the things Lizzie made just for him. I can tell that being a vegetarian in this fami
Anna's POV"She's beautiful. You both are. Is she yours?" He asks, waving down at Phoebe. She smiles shyly and waves back. I can already tell that Phoebe is going to be swooned over by him, and she's four. "Yeah," I mumble, not wanting to explain anything to him. I don't want to explain my situation to any of them. I don't want anyone to tiptoe around the subject with me."Well, I'm Ethan's cousin. It's lovely to meet you. Mom and Aunt Lizzie are making something great in the kitchen. It smells amazing," he smiles."I can smell it from here. Lizzie always makes such amazing food," I replied."Oh, just wait until you have my mom's chicken noodle casserole. It's amazing," he laughs."We'll meet you inside, okay?" Ethan says to him, bringing all of the conversations being had to an end."Will do, boss," Garret says with a little salute. He walks back into the house, and Ethan rolls his eyes."He seems nice," I say, trying to stay positive."Of course. You think everyone is nice, Anna."
Anna POV "You see the ocean?" Ethan asks Phoebe as we approach the seashore.She nods her head and looks towards the waves with awe. Despite hating the water, she sure does seem to be amazed at the large body of it in front of her."We're going to go out there, okay?" Ethan tells her. She shakes her head furiously, not wanting to get too close."You have these floaties, remember? It will be fine, baby. I won't let go of you." He assures her. He picks her up and begins to walk into the water. I watch as Phoebe moves her legs up so she won't touch the water, but it becomes inevitable as Ethan walks further out into the sea. He stays standing in the same spot as Phoebe looks around at the water. "It's cold." She says with a giggle, laughing as the waves come up and hit her gently."See, it's not that bad." Ethan laughs with her, smiling widely.If I could freeze time and stay in any moment forever, it would be this moment right now. Standing in the ocean with Ethan and Phoebe, laughing
Anna POV "I keep saying that so you won't be cursed with your father's shortness forever." His uncle laughs, letting Ethan go and pulling Dee in for a kiss. I watch the couple embrace one another and look away."Hey, we aren't short. You're just freakishly tall." Dee laughs. She isn't lying either. Eth's uncle is probably 6'5. He is towering over everyone in here. "Hey, I'm Johnny, Ethan's uncle," Johnny says, extending his hand toward me and greeting me with a bright smile. "Anna," I smile and shake his hand."Ethan, is this your girl?" Johnny asks him."It is. Isn't she beautiful?" Ethan asks, pulling me into his side. "She is. Now tell me, what are you doing with a loser like him? He asked me. Ethan playfully pushes him out of the bathroom, and they begin to wrestle. This is what I wish Ethan and Dane were like. I can tell that Ethan likes his uncle, and I'm glad to see this kind of interaction."I'm going to start unpacking," I tell him and walk into the other room. I am confli
Anna POV "There you kids are! We were beginning to think that you would never show up!" Lizzie says, walking towards us with her arms spread open. Phoebe runs over to her and hugs her. "Are you excited to be here, sweetie?" Lizzie asks her, to which Phoebe nods her head in reply."I didn't know we turned this into an entire family reunion," Ethan mutters to his mother but leans over and hugs her. "Oh, I didn't know either. Your father did all of that on his own." She sighs, shaking her head."Aunt Dee is here? And her kids?" He asks, already knowing the answer."Yes. Your uncle is going to be here later, too." She informs him."Johnny or Ricky?" He asks."Both. That will be a joy, won't it?" She asks, giving him a very sarcastic smile and kisses his cheek. "Anna, come here. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." She says, opening up her arms for me to hug her. I adore Lizzie. She is as close to a mother as I have had in a very long time. "I know! We all need to have dinner soo
Ethan POV"Okay, but I'm just as guilty as she is! I'm the one who had a girlfriend! I'm the one who cheated! She doesn't have any obligation like that. She is single." I add."Yeah, and now you are too. Look, cut Haley off because she is nothing but trouble. She fucked you over. Do I have to remin
Anna POVAs I began to wipe down the tables, I thought about what Pam said and how she might have a point. Ethan might have just had a moment of weakness. He was just too deep in his own emotions to think about what he was doing. I mean...he stopped her, didn't he? He stopped her because of me. He
Ethan POV"You don't have to be. He's in a better place. I promise." "Eth?" "Hmm?""I'm sorry for everything. I mean it this time. I'm so sorry." She cried. "It's okay, Hal," I assured her. I think I've said this fifty million times to her. But this time, I mean it. "Do you think if you hadn't
Anna POVWhen we got home, Ethan made the two of us some hot chocolate and we all watched some Christmas movies. It was only the beginning of November, but all of the Holiday movies were already starting to play. They seem to be starting earlier and earlier each year. I remember when my Mom was ali







