“Do kids of nowadays get engaged before having their families’ support?” President Han wiped his mouth with a tissue and looked at Mason who settled beside Marlie.
“Dad, we’ve been dating for seven years,” Marlie closed her eyes and sighed.
“How old are you? You’ve been seeing a guy for seven years?” President Han raised his brows.
“Dad,” Marlie shook his head.
“How are you, Uhm… Mason?” President Han turned to look at the guy.
“I’m very well sir. It’s an honor to meet the president of U. S. A,” he bowed deeply with a wide smile.
“Woah, my brother-in-law is very humble,” Tiffany cheered.
“What? Brother-in-law? We haven’t approved of him!” Declan half yelled.
“Hey, do you want to dîe! Since when do we need your approval or something?” Tiffany retorted.
“Come on, kids. You don’t need to get on each other’s throat, you know that” President Han exhaled.
“You should tell that to Tiffy. Why must she always interfere in whatever I say?”Declan hissed.
“You interfered first!”
“That was because you called him brother-in-law,” Declan glared.
“Then what is he? He’s been dating Marlie for seven years, will they break up now because you’re not going to give your approval?” Tiffany asked.
“I never said I wasn’t going to give my approval!” Declan gritted frustratedly.
“Then, what?”
“You…”
“Hey!!!” Marlie banged the table loudly, stood up, and blew the hair that fell on her face angrily.
“What?” Tiffany mouthed with a frown.
“Do you two have to fight today of all day?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“Do we need a day to fight?” Declan raised his brows.
“I wonder,” Tiffany shrugged her shoulder.
“God, see who’s agreeing with each other now,” Zoey laughed.
“I hàte these two so much,” Marlie shook her head.
“We love you. More than you can ever imagine,” Tiffany grinned.
“Can you sit down already?” Martha exhaled.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Don’t let what you witnessed get to you, Mason. This is just the tip of the iceberg. It is their way of showing their love to each other, trust me,” President Han smiled at the young man.
“I can totally relate. My brother and I were like this,” he smiled.
“Oh, you have a sibling?” President Han asked.
“I had a brother, Jason. He passed away two years ago.”
“Goodness, I’m so sorry.”
***
After a while of knowing Mason, Tiffany raised her hand slowly.
“Everyone, I’ll be using this medium to announce to you that Zoey and I will be convocating in two months.”
“Woah, for real?” Theodore raised his brows.
“Yes, father,” Tiffany grinned.
“I’m just hearing this,” Aiden leaned closer and whispered in her ear.
“It was meant to be a surprise,” she giggled and whispered back in his ear.
“Well, I’m not surprised,” Aiden shrugged his shoulder.
“Fûck you,” Tiffany stuck her tongue out and Aiden laughed.
“How about you, Marlie?” President Han asked.
“I’m just rounding up the first semester. So, it’s not now,” Marlie answered.
“How about Mason?”
“Dad, Mason is a graduate of Oxford university. He’s handling his dad’s business at the moment,” Marlie answered proudly.
“Really? What business is that?”
“Donald Airline,” Mason answered.
“Wait, you’re Donald Alfred’s son?” President Han widened his eyes.
“Yes, sir. Do you know my dad?”
“Not exactly, but… Yes,” he smiled.
“So, you are the new CEO? No wonder I thought your name was familiar.”
===
Seven months later.
Tiffany rested her back against the wall, waiting for the door to open, deep in thought.
The door opened after a while, and Zoey stepped out.
“Since when you do press the bell before you come in? You know the passcode the last time I checked,” Zoey creased her brows.
“My bad,” Tiffany sighed, pulled the door, and brushed past Zoey, entering the house.
“And, why the fûck do you look like this? Did someone snatch Aiden from you?” She mocked her friend who packed her hair in a rough bun and wore a huge pullover and baggy trousers.
“Don’t get me started,” Tiffany yawned.
“Are you okay?” Zoey asked as she settled on the floor in front of her system.
“No,” Tiffany shook her head.
“Why? Is something wrong?” Zoey asked, pressed the enter key of whatever she was doing, and looked at Tiffany.
Tiffany dipped her hand into her pocket, removed a paper, and threw it in her direction.
“What is this?” Zoey asked and opened the paper cautiously.
“I am pregnant,” she answered, and buried her face in her palms.
“Fûck, what?!” Zoey screamed and glared at the paper in front of her.
“You are three weeks pregnant?!”
“Yes,” Tiffany nods her head.
“Fûck! Jesus! Woah, this is… Tiffy…!” Zoey stood up, dashed towards her friend, and fell on her, hugging her as tight as she could.
“When did you find out?” She asked after she disengaged from the hug.
“Today. I’ve been feeling sick, so I thought of visiting the hospital,” she answered.
“Why are you giving this vibe? Don’t you want the baby?” Zoey frowned.
“I fûcking want it! You have no idea how much I cried when I found out. The thought that I was going to become a mother felt surreal and I loved it! But…”
“But?” Zoey raised her brows, as she stared at her already crying, friend.
“I don’t know if Aiden wants a baby now. I haven’t even received a proposal ring from him!”
“So, you think Aiden doesn’t want a baby because of that?” Zoey frowned.
“I don’t know,” Tiffany shook her head.
“Snap of out this, Tiffy! You know more than anybody that Aiden would love to have a baby with you. He became the head of Wesley’s group three months ago, so he has things working out for him. You know that!” Zoey snapped.
“What if he doesn’t want a baby?” Tiffany sniffed.
“You have watched too many movies to be thinking that way. Tell him first. You can’t have yourself thinking the way you are,” Zoey scolded.
“Zoey,” Tiffany pressed her lips together, trying not to tear up again.
“Come here,” Zoey sat on the arm of the chair and pulled her to herself.
“I am happier than anyone right now. You’re carrying little Anny already,” Zoey patted her.
“It’s going to be a boy,” Tiffany cleared her throat.
“Oh, okay,” Zoey chuckled.
The sound of Tiffany’s ringing phone made them disengage from the hug.
“It’s your prince charming,” Zoey smiled and stood up.
Tiffany wiped her tears hurriedly and picked up the call.
“Sweetheart,” came the deep voice of Aiden.
“Babe.”
“How are you?”
“I’m good, how about you?”
“I’m fine. Where are you?” he asked.
“I’m at Zoey’s.”
“Alright. I dropped something off at your place. Let’s meet tonight.”
“Aiden, can we meet now? I have something to discuss with you, and it’s very urgent,” Tiffany gulped.
“We will discuss that later. I’ll send my chauffeur to come to pick you up at eight,” Aiden said.
“Can’t we just discuss it now? It’s urgent, Aiden.”
“Baby, later. It can wait, right?”
“Whatever,” she frowned irritatedly.
“I love you,” Aiden said and she ended the call instead.
“What’s wrong?” Zoey asked.
“He wants us to meet tonight, blah blah blah,” Tiffany hissed.
“So, are you angry?” Zoey creased her brow.
“He could have fûcking listened to what I have to say!” Tiffany yelled.
“Oops,” Zoey shook her head.
“So, when are you meeting him?” Zoey asked.
“I’m not going!” She snapped, adjusted well on the chair then closed her eyes.
==
Tiffany stared at the shopping bag that was on her bed for the umpteenth time and sighed.
She glanced at the wall clock and sighed again at what the time said.
7:32.
She stood up grumpily, poured down whatever was inside the shopping bag, grabbed the grey dinner dress, and then glanced at the silver heels.
*
Noticing that she had three more minutes before the chauffeur arrived, she walked to her dressing table, she toss on some mascara and nude lipstick.
As she prepared to grab her bag, she heard a loud honk, grabbed her bag, wore perfume, and then dashed out of the room.
==
Tiffany closed her eyes as they arrived at their destination, and shook her head.
Why go through all this hassle if he was bringing her to a beach?
As the chauffeur opened the door for her, she stepped out slowly and looked around.
“Where is he?” she turned to look at the Chauffeur.
“I have no idea, ma’am,” he answered.
“Is this supposed to be a hide and seek?” She removed her heels angrily as they wouldn’t allow her to walk on the beach well.
“I’ll find my way,” she said to the Chauffeur and walked away from him.
“I swear, I’ll kîll him when I find him,” she gritted her teeth as she walked further.
There was no single light around and the only way she could see was the half-moon in the sky.
She stopped walking, unzipped her bag, and removed her phone.
As she tried to switch the light on, a notification that indicated a low battery popped up and she hissed in frustration.
“Fûck!” She screamed as the phone went dead.
*
Her eyes caught the sight of something like a tent from afar and increased her pace.
Why the fûck is he staying there alone in the dark?
Wait, what if he hasn’t even arrived?
That made her remember when they were to go on a date and Aiden didn’t show up till an hour had passed.
God, it better not be it tonight, she’s not in her best mood as she is.
*
“Aiden?” Tiffany sighed as she stopped by the tent.
There was no sight of anyone.
She wouldn’t want to trespass as it could belong to someone else, so she only called out his name.
“Aiden?”
“God, he only stood me up,” she exhaled in frustration and covered her forehead with her palm.
As she turned to leave, the sound of the guitar made her stop walking and she turned to look at the person who walked out of the tent.
That’s not Aiden.
She thought to herself and then turned to leave.
As she took a few steps further, the lights switched on which covered the entire beach.
She turned to look around slowly and creased her brows in confusion as she saw the decorations.
She especially bore her eyes into the huge decorated word above her.
Please, marry me.
Slowly, dressed in a white t-shirt with two top buttons undone, revealing his chest, and black pants, Aiden stepped out of the tent slowly and walked towards her.
“Aiden?” She whispered as her eyes trailed to the next person that walked out of the tent.
Declan?
And then Zoey, Marlie, Mason, and the rest of the families.
“What…”
“Do you remember when I first saw you? It was in the cafeteria at western high school. I felt attracted to you watching you put Declan to shame in front of everybody. I was like, damn, what a girl. Right there, I knew you were the one for me. You will always be my one. You are my heart and soul. Throughout our journey of love, I have never regretted loving you. I always hail myself for summoning the courage to come to you. I am glad you are mine. Baby…”
He went on a kneel and opened the long triangular box, and another small box in his other hand, “I don’t deserve you, I know. But I will always try to be the perfect guy for you as long as I live. Here is a necklace that has our initials, and on the other hand of mine is a ring that invites you to join me on the journey of life. Tiffany Han, Accept the necklace on my left hand and accept my world. Accept my ring, and be my woman. Anny, please marry me.”
Meanwhile, Tiffany was crying profusely as she listened to Aiden’s confession.
Here is the love of her life, giving her the proposal she had always dreamt of.
“Yes,” she whispered, words failing her.
“Damn me if I refuse your proposal. I love you very much, Aiden and I will dié without you by my side. I will marry you!” She cried.
TBC…