Arranged to Love

Chapter 1: Graduation Dinner

"I am done!"

Finally, I had graduated from high school with honors. Many parents were waiting for their children to take pictures. I didn't look for my parents. They didn't come to my graduation. Today, my brother, David, was graduating from Harvard Law School. They went there to see his graduation.

Growing up, I never got support from my parents since I was born. My brother was the precious child in my parent's eyes. He would go beyond their expectation in academics and athletics. They loved him dearly.

My parents planned to never have a child after David but, their plan failed eight years later. When my mother found out about being pregnant, she and my father wanted to get an abortion but, my grandparents didn't want them to get one. They managed to convince them to keep the pregnancy.

When I was born, my parents had thought of putting me up for adoption. My grandfather managed to convince them to not do such a thing. Instead, my grandparents would raise me as their very own giving me attention, love, and support. When I heard the truth, I was grateful for them. They became my guardians and my parents.

I had seen my parents over the years but, I never got close to them. I would tell them about my successes in school and athletics but, they never seemed to be interested in me. They would boast about my brother's success in front of everyone to hear. Sometimes, I wondered why they had me born.

My other relatives were drawn to my brother and my parents than me. They were never concerned for me and thought that I didn't exist in the family. I felt like an outsider. My grandparents were different. They tried to include me in everything. They were the only family to me.

As David got older and more popular, my parents became more involved with his life and fame. He appeared in magazines and the media. When he was in law school, I heard that he had was expected to become a top lawyer by his professors. I didn't care about his fame. I tried to live my own life.

As I grew up, I worried about my self and my grandparents. I accepted the fact that my parents were never going to be there for me. As for David, I wasn't too sure. I never had an relationship with him.

I took my diploma and walked to my grandparents who were waiting for me. My grandfather gave me a smile and opened his arms to me. I walked right into them. "Good job Vera. I'm very proud of you," he said to me.

"Thank you grandpa," I said to him and released him from my hug. Grandmother gave me a hug. "Our precious Vera. I'm so proud of you," she said to me. We took a few pictures together and made our way to the car.

"We should go out and celebrate," grandfather suggested to us. "I agree," grandmother said to him. {It would be nice.} "Do you have work today?" Grandfather asked me. I worked at a small cafe in our neighborhood. It was a way for me to help support my grandparents. "No. Not today," I told him.

"That's great," he said to me. "Where should we go?" I asked them. We were driving on a major street of San Francisco. "How about your favorite Italian restaurant," my grandfather suggested.

"Yes please," I said to him. My grandfather made a turn to another street to drive to North Beach. Soon, we drove into the parking lot of my favorite Italian restaurant, Georgio Italia. We got out of the car and made our way to the restaurant.

What should I order this time? I was walking a bit ahead of my grandparents. My grandparents walked slow due to their age. I slowed down a bit so that they could catch up to me. I turned my head to see a nice looking car driving into the parking lot. Nice car.

Once my grandparents were next to me, I walked with them in their pace. I opened the door for my grandparents and walked inside to see many people who were waiting for their seat in the restaurant. So many people. It's going to be a midnight meal at this rate.