Evelyn
The morning came but my excitement didn’t fade. Overjoyed, I called Clara.
Sitting on the bed, I held my phone up for FaceTime, the ringing tone filling the room as I waited for her to pick up. My heart was still soaring, and I couldn’t help but smile, practically glowing.
I mean, come on! I was engaged.
This was no less than a dream, and I clung to it with everything I had, even though I knew Jacob would never let anyone or anything take it away. He was here-right here, beside me, forever.
“Why isn’t she picking up?” Jacob’s voice broke through my thoughts. His chin rested on my shoulder, his arms wrapped securely around me as he pulled me closer making me meet his body warmth. A frown creased his brow. “Do you think they’re, I don’t know… making babies?”
I gasped, turning my head to gape at him. “What’s wrong with you?!”
“What?” He shrugged, his smirk growing infuriatingly. “It’s a plausible reason. Your dad can’t be trusted, you know.”
“Excuse me?” I jabbed my finger into his chest, spinning slightly to face him. “The only untrustworthy person here is you. My dad is the innocent one! You are that devil in two bestfriends!”
Amusement flickered in his eyes before a hearty laugh escaped him. “Oh, baby, you’re so delusional,” he said, shaking his head. “Innocent? Your dad? Trust me, I’ve known him longer than you, and that is definitely not the case. You should’ve seen him in his college days. The only thing that straightened him out was you.”
I raised a brow, curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”
A soft chuckle slipped past his lips as he nuzzled my cheek with his nose. “Silly baby,” he murmured, his voice warm and teasing. Then, he continued, his tone shifting, “After you were born, your asshole of a father changed. It was like watching an entire transformation unfold. He went from being just a boy to a man, Evelyn.”
Suddenly, he wasn’t joking anymore. The humor in his words gave way to admiration, his gaze distant as if recalling a memory etched deeply in his mind. “He had no one by his side back then-not even me most of the time, since I was in Italy after graduation. But he didn’t give up. He wanted to be the best father, and he succeeded. I still remember something he said after his divorce from Danica. He told me, ‘I want to give my daughter everything I can so she never has to fill the void inside her by searching for love elsewhere. I want to be the kind of father who sets the standard so high that one day, when she looks at another man, she doesn’t think, What if he turns out to be like my father? Instead, she’ll feel safe because he’s just like her father.'”
Tears welled in my eyes at Jacob’s words, and he gently brushed my cheek with his thumb, his touch soothing.
“And I guess that asshole really did prove to be an amazing father, didn’t he?” This time, his chuckle was infectious, coaxing a small laugh out of me.
“Yes, he did,” I sniffled, my emotions threatening to overwhelm me. Then, without thinking, I swatted his arm playfully. “And he’s not an-”
Before I could finish, Clara finally picked up the call, her shrill voice cutting through. “Hello, lovebirds! Didn’t expect this view so early in the morning.”
“Hi, Clara,” Jacob greeted her with a smile, his voice calm as ever.
I turned my attention from Jacob to Clara, unable to suppress a laugh. “We’ll talk about that later, but where were you? It took forever for you to answer!”
“Well, I was making breakfast for your dad,” she said, exhaling dramatically. “He was starving, so I had to rush. My phone was in the living room, but I couldn’t just leave the bacon half-cooked. You know me-I can’t stand leaving things half-done. Anyway, here I am now.”
“Okay, but where’s-” My question froze mid-sentence as my dad’s voice rang out in the background.
“Who are you talking to?” he asked. Clara turned slightly, the camera shifting just enough to show him in the background.
“Hey, Dad!” I called out before Clara could answer. He strode over, quickly taking the phone from her hand.
“Hey, Princess,” he greeted, his expression instantly softening. “How are you? Is that piece of shit bothering you?”
A frown tugged at Jacob’s eyebrows, but he said nothing.
“No, Dad,” I laughed, shaking my head. “He’s not. Actually, we have some news to share with you!”
“What news?” Clara piped up, her excitement unmistakable.
“Wait,” my dad interjected, his voice dropping to a warning tone as his eyes narrowed at Jacob. “Before you share anything, I swear to God, if you’ve gotten her pregnant, Jacob, I will fly over there and kill you myself!”
Jacob stiffened, his face darkening. “What? What the hell are you even thinking?” he snapped, visibly irritated. “Why would I do that?”
“I don’t trust you!” my dad shot back, clearly unfazed.
Before the argument could spiral further, I jumped in. “Wait, Dad, no! He hasn’t gotten me pregnant!” I blurted, trying to contain the chaos. “It’s something else!”
“What is it then?! Guys, I’m still fucking waiting!” Clara interjected, her voice laced with impatience.
Dad opened his mouth, likely to offer another unnecessary comment, but Clara was quicker. “Oh, just shut up and let him speak, Samuel. God, you’ve been so annoying lately.”
“Me? Annoying?!” Dad exclaimed, staring at her in disbelief. “I can’t believe-”
“Samuel. Clara. Both of you-shut the fuck up!” Jacob’s voice cut through, sharp and exasperated. He glanced at me before addressing them both. “My fiancee is trying to say something, so let her speak!”
“Okay fine, let her-” Dad froze, his words caught mid-breath. “Fiancee?” he echoed, his expression shifting rapidly from annoyance to wide-eyed shock. Clara’s face mirrored his, her mouth slightly agape as they stared at us.
“What did you just call her?” Dad asked, his voice low with incredulity, one brow arching in suspicion.
A sly smile curved Jacob’s lips. He had done it on purpose, dropping the news so casually it left them reeling. His gaze flicked to me, his amusement evident.
“Well,” he said, his voice brimming with satisfaction, “I think the cat’s out of the bag.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing, looking at him with a mix of affection and exasperation. “Show them, baby,” he whispered, nudging me gently.
With a small nod, I held up my left hand, the phone steady in my right. The diamond caught the light perfectly.
“Tada!”
Clara gasped, her eyes going impossibly wide. “Holy shit!” she squealed, practically bouncing in place. “Evie! You said yes? You’re engaged?!”
“Yes,” I confirmed, my grin stretching wide. “I said yes! He asked me last night. It was perfect-just us, in the quiet of our room, while the world slept. It felt like a dream.”
Dad’s joy was, unsurprisingly, wrapped in gruffness. “You idiot,” he snapped at Jacob. “You were supposed to wait until the 14th! It was going to be special!”
“She asked me to make her my bride, and I couldn’t wait, Samuel,” Jacob replied smoothly, pulling me closer. “How could I ever deny her anything?”
“Dad, I promise, it was the most special moment,” I said, giggling as I leaned in to kiss Jacob. “He made it unforgettable, more than I could have ever asked for.”
Dad huffed, rolling his eyes. “At this point, he could hand you burnt toast, and you’d still call it special.”
“Samuel, stop it!” Clara pinched his arm, making him flinch. “Just congratulate them already.”
“Yeah, Dad,” I teased, snuggling into Jacob’s side. “He’s my fiance now. Better get used to it.”
Jacob grinned and took the phone from me, wrapping an arm firmly around my waist as he began peppering kisses all over my cheek, making me laugh.
“Never in my life did I think I’d call this asshole my son-in-law,” Dad grumbled.
“Guess what, Samuel?” Clara said with a chuckle, ruffling his hair. “You’re stuck with him. There’s no escape now.”
“Yep,” I smiled, looking at Jacob. “Nothing’s changing.”
***
Later that night, excitement hummed through me, persistent and impossible to ignore. My gaze kept drifting to the ring on my finger. It felt surreal, as though if I blinked, it might disappear.
When I emerged from the bathroom, my smile still lingering, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me. My steps faltered, and I nearly stumbled, but strong arms slipped around my waist, steadying me. Jacob’s warmth enveloped me as his voice broke through, laced with concern.
“Evelyn,” he said urgently, his hold tightening. “Are you okay?”
I rested my head against his chest, waiting for the spinning sensation to subside. Slowly, the world stopped tilting, and I looked up at him. “Yeah,” I said softly. “Just a little dizzy.”
“This isn’t normal,” he said, his brow furrowing deeply. “We should see a doctor.”
I chuckled, trying to ease his worry. “Jacob, it’s fine. I’ve been on my phone all day and barely had any rest. It’s just exhaustion.”
“But-”
“Enough,” I interrupted, placing a hand on his chest. “I’m sleepy. Can we go to bed?”
He sighed, reluctant but relenting. “Fine,” he murmured, lifting me effortlessly into his arms. He carried me to bed and settled us down, pulling me close until my face was nestled against his neck. His steady heartbeat soothed me, and I sighed in contentment.
But just as sleep began to claim me, a sudden thought pierced through the haze of exhaustion.
When was the last time I took my birth control?
And I didn’t know…this question was the start of a storm.