CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Anne blinked a few times just to know if she was dreaming.

Oh no...i wasn't expecting this....i thought he wasn't that in to me....who am i kidding, i knew he loved me but i wasn't expecting the proposal to be so soon...i can't even decline him now....i don't have a heart to do so.....but i would still be hurting him if i say yes to him as well....what do i do now.

Gaby's nudge brought me back to reality...she looked at me with both pleading eyes and confused eyes.

I knew what she was trying to tell me.

I looked over at my father and didi, i saw them giving me reassuring smiles.

Taking a deep breath and with a wide smile on my face i gladly accepted the proposal.

I watched as he helped the ring slide down my middle finger, for a brief moment i seemed to forget every other thing and focused on us alone as he stood up and hugged me. It was applause that made me jolt back from my trance . A huge load of congratulations fell in from different sides. Alex held on to my hand just like he always does but this tell time something was different, aside the fact that i felt protected....i felt like i was truly his and not meant for anyone else.

I saw her look and smile at me as i held her hand. The smile that always sets my demons on fire.

Somehow i had a strange feeling when i felt her hesitate to say yes to the proposal. Why would she hesitate.

" i'll be back". I heard her say as she turned to leave. I got enveloped by the people who were busy raining congratulations on me.

I paced to and fro the moment i got to my room.

" Darn it..." i cursed.

" What am i going to do now".I said silently unaware of gaby's presence in the room.

" To be honest there's only one thing you can do about this situation...." She said walking towards me giving me a knowing look.

" No way...." i said knowing what the look meant

" But thats the only thing you can do right now."

" Telling him now is going to hurt him gaby."

" Only for a while ".

" who told you that???...I'm gonna die soon and you telling me it won't hurt him."

" You won't die if you go through with the surgery".

" I'd rather have a quick death than a slow and painful one....And asides that the surgery were talking about is just for the brain tumor...when that is cured i would still die of the CAD"

" Zain will come up with a cure."

anne was shocked at first.

" He came to you right." Anne asked her friend.

" Yes.....and know that i think about it i feel you're letting yourself die when you can actually prevent it."

" What makes you so sure about Zain's Capabilities to find a cure."

Gaby was silent for a while.

" You're not even sure about it "

" Even though i'm not sure about it....are least listen to me and try talking to alex about it".

" What do you expect the young man to do when she tells him". annes father said from the door.

" Exactly..." Anne said but was interrupted by her father.

" I'm not saying you shouldn't tell him, he deserves to know...its up to him if he wants to end up like me or be happy without you...."

" Listen princess.....you and I know you love him and he does too.....All you have to do is see if his both your feelings are strong enough to hold you relationship." he continued.

" Yes dad".

" Don't delay in telling him."

" i won't". And he left leaving the two friends in the room.

" Anne..." Gaby called out

" Don't". anne replied in a stern voice and left.

She was upset with gaby and she knew it. Talking to zain behind her back wasn't nice.

" Can you come with me". Alex said holding her the moment he saw her back in the living room. He wanted to be alone with her. She agreed and he teleported her to the garden in his home from outside her house sat her down on the swing and turned to her.

" Alma....." he called out.

" whats wrong".

" I don't understand...nothing's wrong."

" Today you hesitated to say yes...which meant something was wrong....i feel you wanted to say something but you had to forget it because we were in front of people...now we're alone you can tell me."

Anne thought for a while.....it wouldn't be nice if she said anything now.....she decide to tell him much later.

" Its nothing.....i guess its because i was surprised" she lied standing up.

He walked towards her and placed his hand on her chin.

" Alma....you can talk to me about anything" he said raising her chin up so he could see his face.

" I promise you alex.....nothing's bothering me" She said and hugged him leaving alex surprised.

" We have to go back.". she said and without questions teleported her back home.

t͎h͎e͎ f͎i͎r͎s͎t͎ p͎e͎o͎p͎l͎e͎ t͎h͎e͎y͎ m͎e͎t͎ w͎h͎e͎n͎ t͎h͎e͎y͎ a͎r͎r͎i͎v͎e͎d͎ w͎e͎r͎e͎ z͎a͎i͎n͎ a͎n͎d͎ a͎x͎t͎o͎n͎.

" h͎e͎y͎...i͎'m͎ a͎͎x͎͎t͎͎o͎͎n͎͎, h͎a͎p͎p͎y͎ birthday". h͎e͎ s͎a͎i͎d͎ s͎t͎r͎e͎t͎c͎h͎i͎n͎g͎ h͎i͎s͎ h͎a͎n͎d͎ o͎u͎t͎ f͎o͎r͎ a͎ s͎h͎a͎k͎e͎.

" z͎͎a͎i͎n͎'s͎ y͎o͎u͎n͎g͎e͎r͎ b͎r͎o͎t͎h͎e͎r͎". a͎l͎e͎x͎ c͎͎o͎͎m͎͎p͎͎l͎͎e͎͎t͎͎e͎͎d͎.

" h͎i͎..t͎h͎a͎n͎k͎ y͎o͎u͎." s͎h͎e͎ r͎͎e͎͎p͎͎l͎͎i͎͎e͎͎d͎.

" h͎a͎p͎p͎y͎ b͎i͎r͎t͎h͎d͎a͎y͎" z͎a͎i͎n͎ t͎o͎l͎d͎ h͎͎e͎͎r͎͎.

" t͎h͎a͎n͎k͎ y͎o͎u͎".

" a͎n͎n͎e͎....".

d͎i͎d͎i͎ c͎a͎l͎l͎e͎d͎ f͎r͎o͎m͎ t͎h͎e͎ i͎n͎s͎i͎d͎e͎.

" i͎ h͎a͎v͎e͎ t͎o͎ g͎o͎" s͎h͎e͎ s͎a͎i͎d͎ a͎n͎d͎ l͎e͎f͎t͎ h͎i͎m͎ w͎͎i͎͎t͎͎h͎͎ b͎o͎t͎h͎ b͎r͎o͎t͎h͎e͎r͎s͎.

t͎h͎e͎ p͎a͎r͎t͎y͎ w͎a͎s͎ o͎v͎e͎r͎ a͎n͎d͎ e͎v͎e͎r͎y͎o͎n͎e͎ h͎a͎d͎ l͎e͎f͎t͎ t͎h͎e͎ h͎o͎u͎s͎e͎ a͎͎s͎͎i͎͎d͎͎e͎͎s͎ g͎a͎b͎y͎, s͎t͎e͎v͎e͎ z͎a͎i͎n͎ a͎n͎d͎ a͎x͎t͎o͎n͎.

" a͎͎n͎͎n͎͎e͎͎....i͎ w͎a͎n͎t͎ t͎o͎ s͎h͎o͎w͎ y͎o͎u͎ s͎o͎m͎e͎t͎h͎i͎n͎g͎".

" o͎k͎ d͎a͎d͎....c͎o͎m͎i͎n͎g͎". s͎h͎e͎ s͎a͎i͎d͎ a͎n͎d͎ f͎o͎l͎l͎o͎w͎e͎d͎ h͎e͎r͎ d͎a͎d͎ t͎o͎ h͎͎i͎s͎ r͎o͎o͎m͎.

w͎h͎e͎n͎ t͎h͎e͎y͎ a͎r͎r͎i͎v͎e͎d͎ t͎h͎e͎ r͎o͎o͎m͎

" l͎o͎c͎k͎ t͎h͎e͎ d͎o͎o͎r͎ p͎r͎i͎n͎c͎e͎s͎s͎".

" k͎".

s͎h͎e͎ w͎e͎n͎t͎ t͎o͎ s͎i͎t͎ n͎e͎x͎t͎ t͎o͎ h͎i͎m͎ o͎n͎ t͎h͎e͎ b͎e͎d͎ w͎h͎i͎l͎e͎ h͎e͎ l͎o͎o͎k͎e͎d͎ f͎o͎r͎ s͎o͎m͎e͎t͎h͎i͎n͎g͎ i͎n͎ t͎h͎e͎ d͎r͎e͎e͎s͎s͎e͎r͎. h͎e͎ f͎o͎u͎n͎d͎ i͎t͎ i͎n͎ s͎e͎c͎o͎n͎d͎s͎ a͎n͎d͎ h͎a͎n͎d͎e͎d͎ th͎e͎ b͎o͎o͎k͎ t͎o͎ h͎e͎r͎.

" A photo album" she whispered to herself before looking at her dad and opening it. She looked through the pictures, she found her parents wedding photos her baby photos and so on. She didn't know why her father was showing her this cause she had seen them before.

" Dad...I've seen these pictures before now". I told him

" I want you to focus on your mom in all these pictures...especially our wedding photos and then tell me what you notice."

I did as instructed, after a while i noticed a similarity in all the photos.

" Mum had a huge genuine smile in all her photos".

" Exactly...Anne.....are you happy".

" Yes dad".

" With alex??."

" Yes ".

" I asked you this because your mom knew all about her illness yet she kept a smile on her face on the day we got married knowing that she was going to die after a few years...she kept that same smile when she had you also knowing that she might die leaving you behind...your mother still didn't let the news of you being affected stop you both from smiling.....That same smile was on her face the day she realized her brain tumor could be evacuated and she would live for more years but also having it in mind that she would die because of her CAD.....". He paused and swallowed hard as if regretting what he was about to say.

" Even on her...her death bed she kept that smile on her face.....your mother left this cruel world with a smile on her face....i could still see the smile even when she was being covered up in the hospital.....". He continued.

Both father and daughter were in tears with no one to comfort the other.

" your mothers last words were' keep a smile on her face always'...she wanted you to be happy".

It was as if the words went into annes heart and forced it open but instead of blood to flow out tears began to flow.

" Your mother wished your happiness and nothing more on her death bed.....She made sure with the little she earned you were giving the best and nothing more than the best.....she always wanted you to keep smiling....her belief was that smiling could cure all diseases....."

" Maybe thats why she didn't stop smiling" Anne cut in.

" That may be true.....who knows...." he stopped and wiped off his tears.

" Anne.....as long as you are happy with him i support every decision you make with him....but promise me one thing".

" Yes??" she said tears still flowing

" You would tell him about it...i just have this feeling he'll be able to help you out of it"

" Okay dad....i will"

" Promise??".

" Yes dad.....i promise".

" Thats good...now wipe off your tears lets go down...he's taking you over to his house."

" What??"

" He asked to take you home with him".

" And you gave him your consent??" she asked surprised.

" Yes.....don't you want to go with him??"

" i do" she replied quickly.

it was still shocking that her dad was աɨʟʟɨռɢ to let go so easily.