Reflections of Dependence
When family is the shadow she's under. (Part II)
Fiction | Romantic Suspense | Grip of Family
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Ruth’s phone buzzed, pulling her out of the moment with Anthony. She glanced at the screen — Annie-Lin. Her younger sister’s name flashed brightly, along with three missed calls. She groaned, knowing exactly what was coming next. Sure enough, the phone rang again seconds later.
“Sorry, I have to take this,” Ruth muttered, looking over at Anthony with an apologetic smile. He nodded, and his thick lips parted into a stunning grin. Her stomach flipped. Whoa, what lovely teeth.
Stepping away, she raised the phone to her ear. “Hey, Annie.”
“You were supposed to meet me thirty minutes ago! I’m already at the boutique, and Mom’s asking if you need a ride back later. I told her you’d probably say yes, because, well… you always do.”
Ruth clenched her jaw, heat prickling at the back of her neck. She loved her sister, but Annie-Lin’s voice had a way of making her feel like she was still sixteen. And the constant babying from their mother? Always hovering, always offering rides, always assuming Ruth couldn’t manage on her own.
Just because I’m a high-functioning autistic woman does not mean I’m helpless.
“I don’t need a ride, Annie. I’ll figure it out. I got here on my own didn’t I?”
A pause, and then, predictably: “Are you sure? I mean, last time — “
“I’m sure,” Ruth cut her off, her voice a little sharper than intended.
She was tired of the assumptions, tired of the helicopter care. Her family had always treated her like the fragile older sister who needed constant supervision, and she had let them.
But things could be different now. Couldn’t they?
She glanced at Anthony, who was scrolling through his phone, giving her space. I don’t want my family to take care of me anymore. I want…him…to.
The thought made her smile and look away, embarrassed. She already felt safe around him in a way she hadn’t felt with anyone else. He seemed solid and dependable — everything her family thought she lacked.
“I’ll meet you soon,” Ruth sighed into the phone, trying to smooth the tension. Annie-Lin said something about meeting at the entrance, but Ruth was only half-listening. Her eyes drifted back to Anthony, to the calm, grounded energy he seemed to radiate, like the promise of an anchor in the chaos of her mind and life.
After hanging up, Ruth returned to the table, shaking off the interaction.
“Everything okay?” Anthony asked, his voice warm, a hint of concern in his eyes.
“Yeah,” Ruth said, her pulse settling a bit. “Just my sister, Annie-Lin. She’s… well, she’s always checking in, you know?”
Anthony leaned back, nodding. “Family can be like that sometimes. Protective.”
Ruth scoffed softly. “More like smothering.” She paused, looking down at her hands, the chewed edges of her nails. “I guess I’ve always let them take care of me. It’s just… easier that way.” Her voice felt smaller than she intended, and the vulnerability of that admission left her feeling exposed.
Anthony reached across the table, gently covering her hand with his, patting her gently. “You don’t need them to take care of you, Ruth.”
His touch was grounding, but instead of comfort, a nagging tension crept back in with each touch of the pat.
Should I really rely on you? Or am I just trading one form of dependence for another?
She let out a big breath, trying to release the weight of her thoughts. “I don’t want to always need help. But sometimes… I don’t know how to stop.”
Anthony’s eyes softened. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now.”
Ruth’s smile faltered as a quiet ache stirred in her chest. He’s wonderful, she thought, but is this too soon?
As much as she thought that maybe a man could be a better safe space, a part of her whispered to her gut, Change yourself, Ruth—you are enough.
Her automatic response was to shake her head back and forth at that thought.
The arrival of the café’s waiter interrupted her mind’s chatter. After a quick exchange and the sound of Anthony tapping his card to pay, Ruth realized she needed to meet Annie-Lin.
“I should probably go,” she said reluctantly, standing up.
Anthony nodded, standing as well, offering her a casual hug. The embrace startled her though, waking something new inside her — a warmth she wasn’t sure how to process. His scent — dark and earthy, like bay leaves and a hint of paprika — made her dizzy for a second. She closed her eyes.
“What the hell is going on here?!”
Ruth jumped away from Anthony, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest at the shrill voice that cut through the air. Annie-Lin’s voice was sharp, almost jagged, slicing.
Ruth's head snapped up to look at Anthony; she noticed he barely flinched.
“Ruth-Ann! Come here… NOW!” Annie-Lin screamed, her hand clamping down on Ruth’s arm, yanking her from Anthony’s side.
Ruth’s pulse spiked as she looked across at her sister’s twisted face, eyes wild with something more than anger — something almost… murderous.
“Annie, what’s the — ” Ruth’s words faltered as she stared at her sibling. A chill ran down her spine with a stunning realization at that moment: The darkness she had been trying to escape had been there all along — in her sister’s grip, in her family’s suffocating care.
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