Anna’s father sounds like a real jerk.

“But this week without him here, knowing he won’t be walking me down the aisle …” She pauses to sniffle again. “It’s been really hard, and I don’t know if I can do it without his blessing.”

I nod, because I can somewhat relate. I dread my own wedding. I won’t have anyone walking me down the aisle, either. No father, not even my mom.

“Is your mother gonna be here?” I ask, taking a sip of water.

A small smile pulls at Anna’s lips, despite the sad look in her eyes, and she nods. “Yes, thank goodness. She arrives on Friday morning. But the thing is, Nash really can’t stand my mother.”

My brow furrows in confusion at that. It doesn’t seem right. I’ve never known Nash to dislike someone. Unlike me, who can barely tolerate most people, Nash actually likes everyone. There has to be a reason he can’t stand Anna’s mother.

“Why?”

“She once told him he needed to dress more appropriately, that sneakers aren’t acceptable outside of the gym. One time, when we were going to have dinner at my father’s members-only club, she made it so uncomfortably obvious that she didn’t like his outfit, he went all the way back downtown to his dorm to change, and then came all the way back uptown to meet us at the club. He was just trying to make a good impression, but even then she chastised him for not ironing his shirt.” She pauses with a shrug. “He says she’s too controlling, and overbearing,” Anna explains with a slight roll of her eyes. “And she is. Both my parents are, but they’re my parents. I can’t help how they are.”

Finally, the server appears with our food, placing an assortment of starters in the center of our table and stopping to top off our respective wine glasses. I take a sip of my rosé, watching as Anna almost gulps her Sav, and I know there’s a lot more to her frustrations.

“But you do love Nash, right?” I ask, selecting a shrimp chopstick from one of the plates.

“Yes, of course I do. Nash is everything I’ve ever wanted in a man. He’s my whole world …” She giggles, her eyes glazing over a little before suddenly snapping out of her Nash-induced daze. “But we’re fighting more than we ever have before.” She shakes her head, stuffing a bacon-wrapped scallop in her mouth. “It’s like he’s been different since coming back here,” she manages through a mouthful. “His whole attitude has shifted!” She splutters, morsels of food spraying from the corner of her mouth.

I press my lips together as my mind begins to wander. Could Nash’s shift in attitude have something to do with me?

“I’m just beginning to worry that perhaps we’ve rushed into this,” Anna continues before wiping her mouth with a napkin. “I mean, we’ve only known each other a few months. And we’re getting married!” Her eyes are wide with incredulity as she takes another unladylike gulp of her wine. “Nash hasn’t even finished medical school, yet. What if he doesn’t want to stay in New York after he graduates? Or, what if he gets a residency someplace else and has to move?”