To Delay Marriage

....

Annie led George to the ancestral hall. Her footsteps were fast.

George ran after her and held her hand.

"Annie."

Annie halted. Her shoulders were trembling.

George felt a painful squeeze in his heart. He hugged the silently sobbing Annie. He held her head against his chest.

"I am sorry. I ruined this meal. It is supposed to be my first warm meeting with them. Yet I failed to make a good impression."

Annie shook her head. "Don't comfort me. I know exactly what just happened. It is entirely my fault." She bit her lips bitterly. "Because I wanted to forget my grievances and sadness over my late husbands, and also to give them a father figure, I hurried to marry men without thinking about it carefully. I did not only hurt myself in the process, but I hurt my children even more. I was so foolish." Her voice choked at the end.

She and her daughters rarely fight. And whenever they fight, it was always at the topic of her marrying. Annie felt that she was an inadequate mother who failed her children.

George felt a warm wetness spreading on his chest. He hugged the shaking body tightly.

Annie continued to sob as she cried. "I chose the wrong men. Because of my stupidity and naive thinking, I made my daughters grow up in a strange environment. They all lost hope in trust and love. It is all my doing. Now, Alliana, she cannot even trust you..."

Her daughter Alliana could not even recognize someone who was kind and excellent, which was as clear as day to everyone else.

Because of their foolish mother, Alliana was blinded by prejudice and anxiety.

In all honesty, the one who did not deserve George was her, Annie Chu, all along.

George patted the woman's back comfortingly. He felt Annie's pain. He felt distressed.

In a soothing voice, he spoke to her. "Annie, trust is not something built overnight. I'm sure, as long as I am sincere enough, they will someday be able to see that despite our age and past experiences, we can still love and trust again."

"George..." Annie sobbed. The man's gentleness and kindness was the one that gave her strength the most.

She almost wanted to give up then she found George. But her daughters...

Annie continued to sob for a while. When she calmed down, she finally distanced herself. Her beautiful eyes were now slightly swollen. Her hair was in disarray. Her nose and her eyes were red.

However, her messy appearance looked lovely.

George could not help but lightly pinch Annie's cheek. "Have you calmed down, Annie?"

Annie nodded bashfully. "I apologize. I let you see many unsightly things today."

George smiled. "There is no need to apologize because I prefer to see it all."

Annie was touched. "George..."

"Annie..."

The two were like first-time lovers. They embraced one another.

George bowed down and kissed her.

It was a quick and gentle kiss.

Alliana leaned her head against George's chest. "What should we do now? Our marriage date is near, yet my daughters are still unable to accept this marriage. You are an excellent man. You do not deserve to receive this kind of treatment."

"How about we talk to her? I think you should talk to her first, then I can approach her next. I really want to let your daughters know why I am marrying you. If they still do not accept my explanation, then we can.... delay our marriage."

Even though George suggested that last sentence, it still felt bitter in his mouth.

He wanted to marry Annie soon and make her his. He wanted to be called his husband and to call her 'wife'.

But in order to make his soon-to-be stepdaughters understand and accept him as their stepfather, he was willing to delay their marriage.

He wanted to become their family in a true sense.

Annie looked up at him, her lustrous eyes shining. She was touched, yet she was also unwilling.

"However, if we delay our marriage then how can your brother marry soon?"