Chapter 30

Zach's POV

'Love' It's an emotion that can bring the best and worst of you. The worst day of loving someone is the day you lose them. I never understand the depth of it before Maria. The day she left me, I got to feel the agony of Love. If anyone had said I would love someone after Maria, I would have laughed about it, but then Anna happened. That girl didn't just take care of Chase but heal my heart too. She is caring, honest, beautiful, and many more. Her being in my life is one of the best things that ever happened to me.

"Sir, we have arrived," Mike's voice broke my chain of thoughts.

"Buddy, let's go," Mike walks to my side of the door to open it. Taking Chase's hand, we got out of my car.

"Why are we here, daddy?" the little curious man said, looking up at my face.

"As you know, our precious Anna is in Boston. I didn't want you to stay at home alone," After dropping Anna at the airport, we came straight to my office tagging, Chase along with me.

"Daddy," I hummed at him, "I miss Anna." He said with a long face. It's not even an hour, and he NO, we are missing her already.

I signed and picked him up, walking inside the lobby, exchanging the greetings with my staffs, I headed inside the private elevator carrying Chase in my arms.

"I miss her too, buddy."

"Can't we go meet her, she will be so happy," His eyes twinkle with excitement.

"We can't, she is with her family, and she needs her space too, and don't you worry, she'll be back before you know it," I made him understand, to which he gave me a single nod.

The door to the elevator opened, and we got out of it. I walk ahead, pushed open my office door, and place Chase on the black couch beside my desk.

After knocking twice and with my permission, my assistant came inside.

"Mr. Knight, your today's schedule is on your left on the desk, I brought you Mr. Smith's file, you asked. Anything else you want me to do?"

He places the file on my desk and waves a hello to Chase, to which he cutely replied, waving back.

"No, that would be all, just carry on with your daily routine," I said, flipping the pages of the file. He left to resume his work.

I picked a drawing book and some colored pencils and passed them to Chase, "here, draw what you like, and at the end of the day, you will have a present waiting for you," he came forward to take those from my hand and starts his drawing.

I picked my schedule and roamed my eyes on it, work and no Anna, it's gonna be a hell of a day.

Anna's POV

I took my luggage and rushed to my old room, opening the door, feeling all nostalgic. I am home after two years, and it's still the same. I dropped my luggage on the side of the bed and made my way to the bathroom to get fresh.

"Mom, I'm home," Ava's cheerful voice made me rushed down to the hall. Mom, Dad, hasn't told her about me, wanted to surprise her myself.

Tiptoeing, I made my way to the kitchen, where she was placing the groceries.

"BOOO!!!."

"AHHHH!!!" she screamed, stumbling to her right.

I laughed, holding my stomach, "Oh god, look at your face."

"ANNA!! You stupid older sister, you scared the shit out of me," she said in between her deep breath.

"Awww, I love you too," I said, holding out my arms for a hug, she chuckled and came forward to give me a big hug.

"I missed you, Anna."

"And I missed you too."

"You didn't tell us about your arrival for Thanksgiving," Ava said, putting her hands on her waist.

"That's how surprise works, Ava. And I wanted to tell you guys something."

"Oh my god, you have a boyfriend," she almost screamed. I quickly placed my hand on her mouth to shut her up, thank god mom and dad were in the living room.

"Ava! shut up, I don't want mom and dad to found out like this, much less the neighborhood," I whisper yelled, after she gave me a nod, I put down my hand.

"So, you do admit about having a boyfriend," she wiggled her eyebrows at me with a mischievous tone. I blushed, not able to hide the feelings I have for Zach. "You are blushing, tell me the details. Who confess first, Did you guys kissed? Oh! what a silly question, Of course, you did."

"Will you slow down a bit. I will tell you everything, but not now. Mom will be here any minute, so don't you dare act suspicious. I will tell them properly, okay," I said.

She made a sealed lip sign, and throw the key. "I promise."

"How my two precious doing?" Mom said, entering the kitchen.

"Nothing!" Ava and I said at the same time.

"Oka...y," she dragged the word, looking back and forth from Ava and me, her voice a little unsure. "Let's start baking the cake," mom said, clapping her hands like a little kid.

We laugh, catch up and, played while baking the cake. It almost 5 in the evening, and mom and Ava are cooking dinner while I'm inside my room. I haven't got a chance to call Zach ever since I landed in Boston. Roaming my eyes around the room, searching for my phone but no luck, "Where the hell I misplace my phone?" I said to myself.

I pick my handbag and look inside, the phone was there all the time. Pulling it out and found it switched off, holy crab. I had switched it off when I was inside the plane.

I take a seat on my bed and switch it back on, and god help me, I encounter all the missed call and messages from Zach. I'm in deep shit now, he must have been worried about me. "Stupid Anna," I scolded myself.

I was about to dial his number when Zach beat me to do it. Chanting a small prayer, I answered it.

"Hello," I answered slowly.

A sign could be heard, from the other side, "Thank god!" his tone was calm and soft. "Why the hell your phone was off? You have any idea how worried I was," I spoke too soon.

"I'm sorry, my ph--,"

"Sorry? that's it. I was waiting for your call, and when I didn't get any, I called you myself only to hear a stupid voice note telling me that you have switched off your phone, that too for all day," Zach interrupts me and starts yelling. I feel terrible now.

"Zach!" I said out loud. When he stopped talking, I continue, "I am sorry, when I was on the plane, I switched it off, and with all the excitement about coming home just made me so, careless that I forget about my phone. I was with mom and Ava in the kitchen baking cake, I just came into my room to call you. I was about to call you, but then you beat me to it." I completed my part and, take a deep breath.

"I miss you," my eyes got moist after hearing him.

"I miss you more."

"Not possible," I stated. "How was your flight? and How are you?"

"The flight was good, and I'm fine, coming home after two years, it feels great. But I miss you and Chase very much."

"We miss you too, this place feels so empty without you. You did do some spell on us, Miss Brown," Zach said, making me chuckle.

"Oh, really," he hummed in response, "How is Chase, I wanted to talk to him?"

"Well, he was with me all day in the office, he was so tired, get to bed early, you just missed it," Now, I'm feeling even worse.

"I'm bad, ain't I?" I asked, disappointment dripping from my voice.

"Hey, you are there to enjoy after so long, you deserve a break, he was a bit low without you, but it's not your fault, but don't you dare be careless with your phone again Anna, I'm telling you," he said, switching from loving to grumpy boyfriend.

"Okay, Okay, I got it. Mr. Bossy pants." I tease him.

"Have you told your parents about us?" he asked.

"Not yet. I will tell them, before Thanksgiving." We talked some more about stuff, and when mom called to have dinner, I hang up the call after saying tons of, love you, and miss you.

The dinner went super well, Dad and I decided to do the dishes after that, I went inside my room to witness a laying Ava on my bed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked hands cross across my chest.

"You promised to spill the details," she said in a duh tone. Rolling my eyes, I jumped on the bed. "Start."

And I begin to tell her everything precisely. She was happy for me, I showed her some pictures of mine with Chase and Zach, which were on my phone.

"He is so hot," she almost drolled on my phone. I pushed her away and kept my phone on my side table. We end up sleeping on my bed just like old times.

I woke up with a heavyweight on me, pushing Ava away, I got up from my bed. She was sleeping like a kid, her dark blond hair all messed up, lips slight ajar. She has inherited most of the features from Mom, like her blond hair, and grey eyes, where my brown hair and eyes came down from dad.

Completing my morning routine, and changing into blue jeans and turtle neck white top, with a long cream color coat, I made my way, downstairs to the living room. Ava was not in my room when I came back from the bathroom, she must have gone to her room.

"Good morning Dad," I greet him, kissing his cheeks.

"Morning honey." The delicious aroma of pancakes hit my nostrils, I walk to the kitchen where mom was making breakfast.

"Good morning mom, it smells amazing." I hugged her and start making coffee.

"Morning dear, call your dad, breakfast is ready."

"Okay," I called dad from the kitchen, he and Ava came together. We take our seats and start having the food.

"You are looking lovely, Are you planning to go somewhere," Mom asked, siping her coffee.

I nod my head, "Yes, I was thinking to have a walk around the neighborhood, catching up with the changes, and I'm taking the bakery's keys. Today, I will open the bakery, and you guys can come a bit late, what say?" I asked.

"That would be great, I have some work to complete as well. Jen, you could use this time for your shopping as well." Dad asked Mom.

"Yeah, that would be nice, thank you, Anna," Mom said.

"Mom, I'm your daughter no need to thank me," I said and rose from my seat, washing my plates, I picked the keys from the counter and left home.

"Good day, everyone," I said before leaving.

"You too," the three of them said at the same time.

The weather was chilly, but the walking made it bearable, walking for eight minutes, and I reached the main road, between two years, this place has grown big, with more shops, cafes, and so on. Our bakery was fifteen minutes walking distance from our house. Some of the customers were already waiting outside our bakery, which made me change my plan to roam around.

"Hi, Welcome to Brown's Bakery. Sorry, we are a bit late today. Just wait for ten more minutes, and we are ready to go." They gave me a "it's all right" look.

I open the door and rushed inside, One of the old staff, Nikki came running, inside.

"Anna!, Welcome back, So good to see you," she said, shocked and breathless with all the running.

"Hey, Nikki. Me too, but we don't have much time, the customers are waiting," she nodded her head and rushed to change into her uniform inside the locker room. I adjust chairs when Nikki came with cleaning tools.

After all most ten minutes, we were ready to switch the sign from close to open.

Other two staff, one girl and a guy came, they must be recruits when I was not here, Soon we all got busy with customers, I was on the counter taking orders, My back was facing the door when the bell rings indication of new customer.

"Welcome to the Brown Bak---," the word got stuck in my mouth when I saw him.

"ZACH...."