As he held her tightly like this, as she felt his breath so close, as she caught the scent of his masculinity, Lola felt a sense of security in the thought that this man was entirely hers.
And finally, she regained her peace.
“Lola, let’s get married.”
His sudden declaration, like a confession, sent huge waves crashing through her calm heart.
What did he just say?
It sounded like he proposed marriage.
Back then, he had casually brought up dating just like he would suggest going out for a meal, and it was the same this time.
Still wondering if she had misheard, Lola asked again.
“W-wait, marriage?”
She tried hard to appear calm, but she couldn’t hide her flustered expression.
“Why are you so surprised? Weren’t we dating with the premise of marriage?”
With Dylan’s remark, Lola was convinced she hadn’t misheard and hurriedly clarified.
“Ah, yes. It’s true that I’m dating you with the intention of marriage.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Even so, marriage is a significant matter in life, and such a bombshell statement felt too sudden.
Lola spoke seriously.
“It’s a bit sudden.”
“I feel comfortable and happy when I’m with you, and when I don’t see you, I’m curious. When I see you, I want to kiss you. You like me too, and you said you don’t care about anything when you’re with me, right? Then we should get married. If we marry, we can be together every day.”
His logical explanation left her with no room to argue. Moreover, when he said he felt comfortable and happy with her, Lola’s heart raced with excitement.
“Your mom is a generous person, so she won’t make you do housework. And when we get married, I’ll live separately, so you won’t have to worry about being uncomfortable or doing housework.”
“Yes. But…”
“I won’t force you, so think it over carefully.”
“Yes, Dear.”
Dylan, still holding Lola, stood up and gently set her down on the floor.
“You must be tired today, shall we head in now?”
Lola nodded. Dylan took her hand, and they walked together. Following Dylan, Lola walked quietly, her expression deep in thought.
After maintaining silence until they were almost at the hospital entrance, Lola finally hesitated and spoke up.
“Dear.”
“Why?”
“I… I’ll marry you. I’ll marry you, Dear.”
Her thin, trembling lips parted, and at last, words filled with conviction flowed out.
******
After Gia got married, Mariana rarely visited the hospital. So, when her mom suddenly called during lunch and said she would wait on a bench outside, Gia hurried out. She spotted Mariana sitting quietly on a bench in the distance. A smile naturally spread across Gia’s face.
“Mom…”
“Gia.”
Mariana waved her hand. Gia quickly ran over. As soon as Mariana saw Gia, she handed her a lunch bag.
“Share this with Lola.”
“Okay, mom.”
Seeing her mom after a long time made Gia forget to ask why she had come to the hospital and reverted to her childhood self, acting cute.
Lying on Mariana’s lap on the bench, Gia looked up at the blue sky and exclaimed in admiration.
“Mom, it feels so good lying like this.”
Mariana lightly tapped Gia’s shoulder as she burrowed into her embrace.
“Oh my! The child who said she loved her mom so much got married before Dylan and had a baby?”
“Not that again?”
“To be honest, I wanted to send you off to marriage later.”
“I should have never gotten married. Should I go back to you now?”
“Oh my!”
Mariana rolled her eyes and pinched Gia’s soft cheek. Gia hugged Mariana tightly. Mariana gently stroked Gia’s hair.
“But mom, what brings you here without any notice?”
Finally, Gia, curious, looked up at Mariana’s face and asked. Mariana, lost in conversation with Gia, suddenly remembered and directly asked.
“Gia, who is Aliza?”
The name that sent chills down Gia’s spine made her sit up straight.
“Who?”
As Gia asked back in disbelief, Mariana replied with a serious expression.
“Who is Aliza? What’s her relationship with Dylan?”
In an instant, Gia’s gaze turned sharp. Surprise and anxiety were evident in her voice.
“How do you know Aliza?”
“She came to our house.”
“What? Aliza came to our house?”
“Yes. She said she’s been with Dylan since high school. She even said she had lunch with you.”
Just the fact that Aliza suddenly showed up at their house was shocking enough. Moreover, Gia was appalled by the blatant lies she was telling.
This woman must be out of her mind.
“Dylan says she’s a woman who has nothing to do with him, but he seems bothered by it. Why would a woman who has nothing to do with him come to our house?”
“Because she’s a strange woman.”
