𝕯𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖘 𝖌𝖆𝖒𝖊 / Lodge Family

CHAPTER 12

"You two should go running again with me in the morning. There's nothing better," Hiram greeted his two daughters who were just about to have breakfast.
Anastasia just smiled at her father, it was too soon for her, and she had just had her first cup of coffee, and Veronica ignored the comment. Like a queen she sat in her mother's seat and pretended to read the newspaper.
"By the way, did you hear what happend at Leopold and Loeb?"

A question asked by the mobster, which could not have been more provocative, and the tension was unbearable for the 19 year old.
"Apparently some inmates tried to escape."
Ana watched her sister, who, to her surprise, was quite relaxed. 
But the young Latina had enough of the war between her father and her sister and stood up without paying any further attention to the conversation or rather the attack of her father.

Ana had more important things to do, after all, she also took care of the clubs in New York from Riverdale and she helped her mother with some certain things
Besides, the thing with Alice was something she couldn't let go of, and a lodge always got what she wanted.

Yet first she had to bring her mother some documents.
But the day didn't really go the way the 19-year-old had imagined it.
It had not been her intention to barge into her mother's office at a more than inopportune moment.
Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened and Ana had to watch Sheriff Minetta put his uniform back on.
"Hello Mother, Sheriff Minetta."

It took Hermione a few seconds to realize that her oldest daughter had just burst in. "Mija, you're early," whispered the Latina in shame.
Only when Sheriff Minetta closed the door behind him and the two women were alone did Hermione dare to look at her daughter.

"Ana, I'm sorry you saw that."

The mayor knew that Ana was much more mature than Veronica in this as in so many other cases.
Her eldest understood how their marriage went, and that sex didn't always have to be about love.
Ana, like Veronica, should have been kept away from the horrific things, but it was a law that the first-born followed soon after the parents. And Hiram lived by those laws, quoting them over and over when someone in the family seemed to forget them.

When the Latina sat down at her desk again and didn't let her daughter out of her sight, there was something that she hadn't really realized since she came back from New York.
Not only did Anastasia look completely grown up, her posture and eyes seemed strong and dominant, but the glimmer of her eyes was gone.
And unsuspectingly, Hermione was overcome by the fear that her daughter would one day become a monster like herself under the family pressure and the underworld.

"Here are your documents mom." said Ana and put the folder on the table for her mother.
A question was floating around in the 19-year-old's head, and she felt stupid when she asked but it had been too long since she had heard the words from her mother.
"You love me, Mum, right? Even though I'm gay and I prefer women your age?"

Hermione was surprised that Ana even asked this question. She had always been convinced that her eldest knew how much she was loved, no matter what gender she was attracted to or how old they were.
"Mija, I love you more than my life and that will always be the case."

The young Latina didn't need to hear any more.
Unlike her father, her mother knew that she would always accept her as she was.
The two women talked for a moment and then Ana went on to Pops to meet Betty.
Betty had called Ana immediately after her seizure and asked her for help. Although she had actually said that she wanted to stay away from all these weird Griffins and Gargoyles, one thing made her curious. When she heard the whole story from Betty, which included not only her parents but also Alice, she was immediately motivated.

So it didn't take them long to make all the invitations for the parents, and Veronica was busy with Archie anyway so she didn't need the speakeasy tomorrow night.
Devious as Ana could be sometimes, she had a completely different plan for tomorrow
which could only be accomplished after Betty had talked to everyone.

But tonight turned out to be a real nightmare. Anastasia was angry at her sister's stupidity. She had actually managed to free Archie from the underground fight club. Which meant for the lodge family, and especially for her mother, that there would be a war, and it would end in blood.

Every minute that passed, Hiram's voice became louder and you could hear him throughout the whole of Pembrook.
The 19 year old was aware of what her sister had done and that she probably had to straighten things out with her parents' capos, but she couldn't bear to hear her parents arguing anymore and smashed her rum glass a bit too hard on the table.
"Mom, Dad, please. I'll handle this."
A brave statement by the Latina, but she wanted to protect her mother and sister from all this as much as she could.
"No mija, it's not your job to clean up the mess your dad made. Oh my God Hiram, she should be thinking about college and not what kind of dirty work she's going to have to do next. This is all your fault."

"Mi vida, the situation looks worse than it is," Hiram growled and ran angrily across his face.
"Have you lost your mind Hiram?", Hermione yelled angrily, and Ana hadn't seen her mother this angry in a long time. She was about to say something to calm her mother down, but the angry Latina had just begun.
"I will be surrounded by social workers, they will breath down my neck. For God's sake. I took donations from Warden Norton."

Just as the angry mobster was about to answer, the front door opened and Veronica strolled in like everything was fine. Anastasia couldn't help herself and just rolled her eyes.
"Oh, and finally. She arrives. Do you have any idea what kind of mess you've made?", Hermione hissed at her youngest daughter and gestured wildly with her hands.

All this arguing tired Ana and when her mother started cursing in Spanish, she knew that it was better not to say another word.
Everything happened so fast and the angry mother stormed out of the apartment and loudly dropped the door behind her.
Veronica said no more, stormed into her room and Hiram disappeared into his study.

The next morning the whole town knew that Archie had escaped and cops were positioned everywhere to find him.
But that was the least of Ana's problems. It was just 7am when she was finally released from the hospital and couldn't wait to go to the shower and lie down. Shortly after her mother had left and she had just made herself some tea, it just happened without warning. She had a seizure, fell to the floor and thanks to the kitchen tiles she had bruised her elbow. It now had to be protected and she had to wear a rail. 

Hiram had not left his daughter's side, and Ana had the feeling he was doing it out of guilt.
Hermione didn't know about it yet, and Ana had asked her father to tell her when she was back home.
She didn't want her mother to worry about it and everything was fine again. The numbness from the medication would go away in a few hours and in the afternoon she and Betty were able to complete the plan.

Ana had hoped that her mother would not worry, but when the mayor found out where her husband and daughter were for the last hours, she couldn't help crying.
The 19 year old was happy when everyone had finally left the Pembrook to work, and she finally had some rest. She had slept for 6 hours, until Betty's call woke her up and she immediately got ready.
Before she got out of the car to enter the speakeasy with Betty, she checked her make-up that should cover the paleness once more in the mirror and whispered to herself. "Oh Alice, you can't get away from me now."