Many say that the first year of marriage often brings trials. As a result, many choose to give up. But there are also those who make it through, including Andreas and Vlora. They have shown the world that nothing is impossible if you stay together and support each other.
Days have passed. Countless rainy seasons have made them sick together, and countless droughts have made them thirsty together. In essence, they have gone through these seasons together.
Like that night, exactly five minutes before the clock struck seven, a car drove through the gates of the Sanders’ house. The car drove on and stopped in the driveway.
The driver had a handsome face, and upon closer inspection, he might have been about twenty-four years old. His appearance was stylish, but his expression was irritated. He let out a long sigh.
“Oh, really? Are you really serious, Gerrya?”
A young and beautiful woman sat in the passenger seat. She nodded as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Of course, I’m serious, Nick. You don’t know this, but my mom is very strict. My curfew ends at seven.”
“Seven?” Nick asked incredulously. “Seven can’t be considered night.”
“Whatever you say, but I don’t want to take any chances. The last time I broke it, I was punished by having to take cooking classes, and I hate cooking oil.”
“Oh, come on. You’re an adult.”
“I may be an adult, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have parents.”
A mischievous smile appeared on her beautiful face. She scooted over and planted a quick kiss on Nick’s cheek before getting out.
Gerryana Sanders didn’t wait for Nick’s car to completely leave the area of her house. She decided to go inside and made her way to the dining room. There, a sarcastic remark greeted her arrival.
“Oh, God. Thank you. I thought I was going to starve tonight.”
Gerrya sneered. She pulled out a chair and sat down, then replied, “You’re not going to die just because you’re a few minutes late for dinner, Dallen. Besides, for your information, I got home on time.”
To emphasize her point, Gerrya raised her left hand and pointed at her watch. She smiled with a victorious expression, while the other party felt the opposite.
Dalleno Sanders smiled sarcastically. “Oh, thank you, sis. Maybe I should thank…” Dallen frowned, feigning confusion. “… um, who escorted you home? Jacob? Will? Or Liam?”
“Sorry. All your guesses are wrong. I went with Nick.”
Dallen stared in disbelief. “Don’t you realize that dealing with them is just a waste of time?”
“Even without spending it, time will pass, so what’s the harm? Besides, this is a choice. Little kid like you won’t understand.”
“Little kid? I’m about to graduate, sis. I’m twenty-two years old, and back to the point, you’re wasting your time on useless things. All your candidates are just based on their looks. You should broaden your criteria. One of them is reliability.”
Gerrya was shocked, her mouth open and her eyes wide. “I appreciate your concern, but relax. Besides, why should I choose someone less handsome when I can get a handsome and reliable man?”
“Well, then you’re going to be disappointed, sis. Because there’s only one such man left in this world, and that’s me.”
Gerrya stared in amazement, planning to reply to her brother’s words, but suddenly laughter broke out. Both she and Dallen turned to their parents, who had been enjoying the debate with amused expressions.
“I guess we used to be like that, honey.”
“You think?”
“Well, maybe the gender roles are just reversed now.”
Andreas and Vlora exchanged sweet smiles. They seemed to enjoy the sight of their two children fighting, perhaps reminiscing about the past.
Gerrya sighed. “I’m not late, Ma.”
“Of course not,” Vlora nodded. “You’re right on time. Now, how about Nick?”
Dinner began. They enjoyed a delicious meal as usual, accompanied by various conversations. There were many topics to discuss and Nick became the starting point.
“Nick is handsome.”
“That’s because you saw him at night,” Dallen replied. It seemed he was still a little upset about having to wait for Gerrya’s return that night. “Inadequate lighting can make the retinas unfocused.”
Gerrya snorted, ignoring Dallen’s teasing. “He’s funny too, but I don’t think I’ll be contacting him again.”
That answer made Vlora look at Andreas. They exchanged glances, communicating in a language only they understood.
Vlora turned her attention back to Gerrya. “Why?”
“He is indeed handsome and funny, but our conversations didn’t connect. So, I think I’ll stop communicating with him. He doesn’t meet my criteria.”
“What criteria do you have?”
“Handsome? Definitely, I don’t want to be teased by Dallen for the rest of my life.”
Dallen, who had chosen to remain silent, finally choked under Gerrya’s sharp words and look. He sneered, and Andreas shook his head while smiling.
“Of course, he must also be clever. I don’t want to be teased by Dallen again and again. Fortunately, that’s the minimum standard, so I shouldn’t have any trouble finding someone.”
Dallen’s eyes rolled dramatically and he stared at Gerrya intently. “I told you, there aren’t many men like that. Besides, men like that are going to be picky.”
“I am confident, Dallen. I can’t ask for what I don’t have,” Gerrya replied with a raised chin, full of confidence. Once she casually tossed her long hair over her shoulder. “I am beautiful. I’m smart. I can even go thirty-six hours without sleep when I volunteer at a natural disaster center. I can do anything. My only flaw is that I can’t cook, but that just makes me a normal person. A person with no faults is certainly abnormal.”
“It seems you’re right. You are indeed beautiful, intelligent, and capable. Uh, in that case, all I can do is pray. Good luck.”
Gerrya sighed. Dallen’s prayer, instead of uplifting her, made her feel disheartened. To the point where she wondered if her request was unreasonable.
“Uh, actually, I’m not asking for the impossible. I just want to find a handsome and perfect man. That’s my dream man.”
Andreas was surprised. He turned to Vlora with a furrowed brow. “Do Gerrya’s words sound familiar to you?”
“It seems so,” Vlora replied with a broad smile. “I heard the same thing about twenty-five years ago.”
Andreas was instantly stunned. He let go of the pair of utensils in his hands and fell silent for a moment. He watched as Vlora enjoyed her dinner and chatted with her two children about many things.
Twenty-five years, that was how long it had been. The number kept turning in Andreas’ head until he could hardly believe it. Was it true that the time had passed so quickly?
Andreas wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen the beautiful proof right in front of him: Gerrya and Dallen. Both were undeniable facts that had been tied together by marriage for years.
It felt like yesterday when Andreas had pushed Vlora in the elevator. He cornered Vlora and forced a kiss that opened all the veils between them.
It felt like yesterday when Andreas asked Vlora out on a date. He proposed marriage and kissed Vlora on the cheek.
It felt like yesterday when Andreas made his vows to Vlora in front of God and people. He threw a lavish party and they spent a passionate wedding night.
It felt like yesterday, but it seemed like so much time had passed. A lot had happened in their lives. Andreas and Vlora only needed one sentence to describe it: they enjoyed it.
Everything came one after the other. Not only happiness and laughter, but also pain and tears. But they never gave up. On the contrary, they stayed together and supported each other. Now they were reaping the fruits of this long journey, a family wrapped in warmth and peace.
Andreas took a deep breath, blinked once, and watched Vlora continue her conversation with Gerrya and Dallen. He didn’t care about the topic of their conversation. The most important thing for him was that the smile and the joy had lasted until now.
Vlora had changed considerably. The woman who hardly ever smiled before now always had a big smile on her face. Didn’t she have reasons to smile? She had a husband who was always by her side, children who adored her, and a family she had always dreamed of. Including Thomas, who was always doing well.
Now Andreas could confidently say that Vlora’s smile was no longer an oddity; they were an inseparable unit. She was always the first course to start Andreas’ day and the dessert to end it. That’s how Andreas’ days passed for twenty-five years, and he hoped it would be the same for the next twenty-five years and beyond.
Because when Vlora looked at him with those happy, sparkling eyes, Andreas realized that all he wanted was more time to spend together. Inseparable in a real marriage.
Forever.
*End*