Love, Curvy | 18+

T W O

✨Embrace the glorious mess that you are✨

"But daddy, please!" I begged my dad because I bombarded everyone about the vacation at dinner. Stupid me, because I wasn't alone. My siblings were there too.

Olivia said, pointing her fork at me "How will you be paying for a vacation, Alana? It's expensive." I nodded my head and before I could say anything else, Beatrice said "Alana, you don't have the money and neither do our parents. You can't go." Finn pitched in "Alana, you're staying home." His girlfriend, Alex, just stayed quiet as she ate her food with a smile. She doesn't talk much but I know she enjoys our bickering. Iris said "Finn is right. Stay home and think about what you wanna do."

See, everyone attacks altogether.

Mom said softly "Alana- sweetie, we can't afford this. And knowing that Jade always goes after luxurious things, we don't have the money to afford a five-star hotel room either." I crossed my arms against my chest and leaned against my seat "Jade is paying for everything. All I gotta do is buy bikinis and meet her at the airport." Beatrice and Olivia snorted at the thought of me in a bikini. Iris full-on laughing like a maniac.

Stupid Lana, can't keep her mouth shut!

Iris said "Are you going to let Jade pay for everything? Alana, you'll be under her control the whole time." My siblings think that Jade is the controlling type when it comes to me just because she is loaded. I shook my head "I will be taking the money I saved for myself too. The money that I saved after working two years in that god-awful sandwich shop." Beatrice said "And you're gonna spend all that money on one vacation? In fourteen days? Alana, don't be stupid."

"I'm not stupid. It's my money!"

"Yes, but you don't know how to spend it yet."

"You do? I'm not the one who bought the Victoria Secret lingerie with credit cards last year just for my boyfriend who left me before he could even see me in it."

Oh, shit. I said too much. After high school, Beatrice moved in with her boyfriend. It wasn't pretty actually. They always fought on the stupidest thing and one day, he left her without even telling her why. She refused to move back home with us and she refused my dad spending money on her. She got through college by herself and is working as an receptionist in the hospital my mother works at as a nurse.

Beatrice's nose flared with anger but she kept her voice calm but her blue eyes suddenly started darkening on me "You are not going. Spend that money on a gym membership or something."

"I didn't ask for your permission, Beatrice. I'm asking my father." I glared at my dad as he just watched us fight. He sighed, rising to his feet, and beckoned me silently to follow him. I looked at mom as she rubbed her temple and said "Go."

I followed dad to his study and as I did, he closed the door behind me. He said, "Are you aware of what just happened outside?" I sighed, calming down my anger "Yes, I do. I'll apologize to her later, daddy."

My dad's study always smelled like expensive leather and cherries for some reason. Brown was the whole theme. Dad used his study almost every day because he worked at the newspaper, wrote columns about being a writer, or actually about his poetry. He was a published writer too but the job was a side job to make more money for us. I loved the fact my dad was a reader. You take him anywhere and he'll go with you as long as he has a book in his bag.

He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes "Honey, sit." I sat on the leather couch that made fart noises whenever you move and reasoned with him "Daddy, I'm gonna move to college. And you know it's gonna be the busiest four years of my life. Don't I deserve a vacation?" He nodded "You can go on other vacations." I cringed "Spending a month in granny's farmhouse with granny is not a vacation!"

I hated when my parents used to send us off to granny's house. It was not a vacation when she made us clean her house every week with the bribe of making us lemonade. Which were less lemon and sugar and more warm water.

There was a knock on the door and dad went to open it. It was mom as she came inside. This is what I loved about my parents. Instead of letting us lash out at each other, they take us to a separate room to ask us what we want. And the best thing about it is that you don't have to share the conversation with anyone. What happens in the room, stays in the room. That's why his study always felt heavy because it was filled with our secrets and tears. All of us.

Mom asked "I know you wanna go. Just think about it. You'll be alone- it's scary, isn't it?" The softness in her blue eyes made her calm. The blue eyes I wish I had had instead of my dad's brown ones. I said "I'm turning nineteen in two months and I'm moving out in the last week of summer. And maybe earlier because Jade wants me to move in with her. I want this, guys, I do. Please, I need this."

I watched mom as she thought things over in her pink scrubs while dad just looked at her. The faint smile on his lips as mom chewed the inner part of her cheek- something she always does when she's thinking too hard. She sighed at dad "We can lend her some savings just in case." Dad nodded with a smile at her and then they looked at me. Dad said, "There are rules: FaceTime every two hours, you'll tell us where you're going- where you're eating, take it or leave it." I nodded my head "Yes, okay!" I jumped and hugged my parents. Mom kissed my cheek as dad kissed my forehead. She held my face and said with a smile "Now if you wanna go on a vacation, apologize to your sister."

"I know- I know."

X

Jade was at my place in twenty minutes as soon as I told her about my parents agreeing. She assured them that everything will be fine and that I'll be safe and that we won't drink- I won't, she will.

I didn't buy myself bikinis because I wasn't comfortable in showing anything. So I decided on linen pants that reach below my knee and loose thin shirts.

I was nervous because I've never been out of the country, so this was my first time. But I felt safe because I wasn't alone. I had Jade with me. That's all I needed.

Everything will be okay.

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