Parents

ALANA

Settled into my cosy, new apartment, I cooked some ramen I'd grabbed from a grocery store nearby and dug into it while watching some baking videos.

Halfway through, my parents called and I got busy talking to them.

"I have got the most wonderful proposal for you!" was the first thing Annem, my mother, said to me.

A noodle got stuck in my throat and I had to constantly thump my chest to rid off the coughs. Thankfully, Baba took over the call and I smiled at them while they fought over who got to talk to me.

After what seemed like ages, Baba's wrinkly face came into view, his salt-and-pepper hair chopped off at the forehead in such a way that informed me he'd cut it himself. This man. I loved him more than anything in the world.

"Kızım," he said, 'my daughter'. "Don't listen to your Annem. You can get married to whoever you like."

Thank God. I had seen Annem's choice in boys. That wasn't the kind of guy I was looking for. Some people argued I was only twenty so what was the point of marrying? I just wanted to. I wanted to look after my husband and children and cook them delicious meals every day. I wanted to be a typical housewife who was also independent in the sense that she owned a restaurant.

"Leave this topic, guys. Tell me how things have been. Baba, how's the shop?"

My father owned a small grocery shop in a small town in Izmir. Annem helped him with the calculation side of things. And I? Well, I used to be a cashier until I had to leave for Istanbul.

His nod came off as a little unsure and worry clogged my throat tightly. "It's good; you just focus on your work. We're handling it fine here."

"I'll send you money as soon as I can, okay?"

He shook his head with a glare. "I am not taking money from your hard work. Save it for later."

I wasn't going to debate with him on this issue. Tomorrow, I'd ask for a pre-payment and send it over to my parents, keeping only some for my needs here.