Chapter 17: Her Forgivness

Plan all the way through the end.

A lesson i learned in the 48 Laws of power. I didn't anticipate the amount of wisdom the book contained when I read it for fun. Some might even be borderline psychopathic while some, like this one, were a good rule to live by.

The plan i set out had 2 requirements. One was the USB i requested from Ryan. That enough was already half of the plan i made and without it, the plan wouldn't work. The USB was something i needed at all costs, for it contained information i needed to bring them down.

The 2nd retirement was something much simpler, but out of the two. It was the hardest to acquire. To be honest, i don't need it for my plan per se but it would be nice to have it. With the USB and some little things i need to do, the place has a very good chance of succeeding. But with the 2nd thing, it ensures it.

But now i got a bigger problem on my hands and it's more troublesome to deal with then with the 2nd regiment. If i don't deal with this problem, it won't bode well for me. It's an upset Lorelai.

"Lorelai, look, I'm sorry for leaving you alone. I truly mean it."

I said, pleading for forgiveness. Lorelai didn't seem to mind what i said as she continued painting the eye with an indifferent expression plastered on her face. But to be fair to her, it was my fault that i left her all alone in my house without telling her.

After a while she turned back to me, and thinking that she was about to stop ignoring me. She didn't even look at me. She moved past me and picked up a brush beside me and continued painting.

"Lorelai please…"

Pleading once more, yet it seemed that it didn't work. She continued brushing back and forth, painting the other half of the iris red for some reason. I thought that we weren't painting it red anymore yet i guess not.

And so i waited. If trying to seek forgiveness anymore through words, won't work, then the only thing i can do is wait. So pulled a chair from the kitchen and sat down, watching in silence as Lorelai painted with gentle strokes. The atmosphere, despite the faults i made, was serene.

Peace like to sitting by a lake, fishing as you watch the sunset on the horizon. Yet its sight cannot compare to the sight of Lorelai painting with utmost precision and elegance. I gaze at Lorelai with tenderness in my eyes and also guilt, guilt at the fact that i left Lorelai all alone out of my own volition. And guilt in hiding what i was planning. It felt wrong.

After what seemed like a beautiful eternity along with Lorelai, she finally finished painting the irises. Despite the painting not being finished yet, as there were till other parts left with no color. It already looked like it was all coming together in one piece. The outcome of this painting will be beautiful from what i can tell.

Lorelai turned to me and looked me in the eye. Her eyes were no longer cold and indifferent, replaced with only sadness in her eyes. The guilt i felt magnified under her gaze.

"Malik…"

We did not need words since i can feel what she wants to say. As i was about to apologize once more for what i did, Lorelai came rushing at me and hugged me, burying her head unto my chest. I embraced her in my arms, trying to make up for the mistake i did.

"I'm sorry."

Lorelai didn't respond and gave a simple cry of agreement. In what seemed like our little world, i felt the subtle warmth of Lorelai leaning against my body. I began stroking her head as always to calm her down and make her happy, and it did indeed work as i felt that she was burying deeper and deeper into my arms.

"Malik, don't do it again, don't leave me alone…"

The pangs of guilt came back within me. I should have never done that. I should have gotten into the drive tomorrow. But i knew it in myself that regretting the mistakes i have done won't do anything. And so what i can do is not repeat it once.

"I promise i won't leave you Lorelai."

I did not say it because i thought that it would make her feel better. I said it because i truly meant it. I would never leave Lorelai again, no matter what happens to me.

"Okay…"

…

"And done."

I said as i finished the final touches on our project. The eye painting became life like as we finished the final touches. Red and blue irises with a dark pupil. Along with it were the eyelashes and eyelids. After hours of work and painting, we were finally done.

"See, it would be amazing. Told you so, Malik."

Lorelai responded with an air of playful arrogance to it. She looked a bit cute with the way she said it.

"Yes, yes Lorelai is right."

I said as i patted her head. She seemed to have enjoyed it with her cries of joy.

Noticing that me and Lorelai were in a mess, paint covering our arms and fingers, as well as our clothes being covered with red and blue. I invited Lorelai to clean up after ourselves, but first we went to my room to put the painting in a safe place.

After cleaning up, we both sat down on the couch in front of the T.V. I look outside and saw that it was already dawn, the sun was setting and it was getting dark. I wanted to spend a few more hours with Lorelai but i guess it's not possible.

"Malik, I'm home."

Mom came in the room with grocery bags in hand, i come up to help her to carry it, but then i notice that she brought people with her. And these two people happen to be another one's parents here.

One of the two people dashes past me and assaulting Lorelai with a big hug.

"Hi honey! How was your day?"

"Um, it was fine mom, now can you let go of me? It's a little tight."

Her mother didn't seem to pay any mind to words and hugged even more tightly like a boa constrictor suffocating its prey. Not a good analogy for this situation but seeing that Lorelai's face was turning blue by the second, I'm not that far off.

Mr. Adam gave me a simple greeting and walked past me, trying to stop her wife from suffocating her child.

"Now, now honey, let go. We're still in another family's house, you know, let's not be rude."

He said with a smile reminiscent of Lorelai's own smile, yet it had a mature tone to it. Yet Mrs. Luna still refused to listen and continued hugging Lorelai. It was only when my mom stepped into the situation that it gradually calmed down. When Lorelai was free from her mother's clutches, she came to me and hid behind my back.

I gave a slight sigh at Lorelai's behavior, but it was understandable, to say the least. After a light scolding of Mrs. Luna by my mom, did began to calm down enough for us to sit down at the living room.

Despite Lorelai's silent pleas, she went back to her parents and this time, there was no boa constrictor, safeguarding its prey, and only the gentle care of a parent. Lorelai's family sat on the side while me and my mom sat at the opposite.

I don't know why, but there was a strange proverbial silence in the atmosphere. Both of our families started to gaze at each other, and it filled the gazes of me and Lorelai with confusion, to say the least. Mom did break the silence after a while and said.

"I'm not giving you, Malik."

Mom said with apparent seriousness in her voice. What she said dumfounded me since didn't understand why she was like this. I remember that just this morning she allowed me to hang out with Lorelai in our house, and now she was straight up banning our relationship? What the actual fuck.

"Likewise, i won't be giving you Lorelai."

Mrs. Luna responded. Maybe because of what both of our mothers said, Lorelai was about to start crying and i was about to start a verbal battle to defend our relationship. But it didn't have to go that route as Mr. Adam cleared the misunderstanding.

"Okay, let's all calm down. The kids are about to throw a fit, as you can see. They're misunderstanding the situation, thanks to you two."

Mr. Adam dispelled the serious atmosphere in the situation, but there was still apparent confusion on both me and Lorelai's face. What the hell is happening?

"Oh my, ah, it seems so."

Mrs. Luna said as she began soothing Lorelai. As she looked like she was about to burst into tears. I looked at my mom, raising an eyebrow at what she said. Mom gave a subtle nod and said.

"Don't misunderstand kids. It's not that we are against the relationship. In fact, we do support it, but there is a slight problem."

"And what is that?"

I asked with some anxiousness in me. I don't understand. They support it but at the same time they are saying things that are counterintuitive to what they previously said. This is becoming a huge misunderstanding by the minute.

Mrs. Luna interrupted what mom was about to say and said.

"We weren't sure where to hold the wedding."

"Yup, she is suggesting holding the wedding in another state, said it's because they have a beautiful sea side view while i was suggesting holding the wedding here."

Shock and dumfounded ness washed over me. My spiked heart rate did lower, but the feeling of numbness was growing within me. I gaze towards Lorelai and notice that she was hiding her face with a pillow she found on the couch. Apparently, that embarrassment overcame her, unwilling to even peek at the ongoing argument between my mom and Mrs. Luna.

"Out of state? Luna, are you insane? Why do you want to hold the wedding out of state? I know it's because of the damned beach, but it is not even necessary."

"Necessary? It definitely is necessary! Do you not want the children to marry in such a grand and beautiful place?"

"Of course i want to, it's just that-"

I didn't pay any mind to the situation any longer. It's obvious that it was hopeless, and that there was no saving the eventual cat fight between the two. Mr. Adam didn't even try to break the two apart, he just sat there with a calm temperament and a smile on his face, drinking coffee. He somehow got god knows.

Sighing, i get up and move towards Lorelai and gave a subtle pat on her shoulder. Lorelai held her head up a little, and the overwhelming redness on her face was outstanding. One would think her face was a tomato.

"Lets go, this will be awhile."

Concluding, as it was apparent in the situation. I looked at Mr. Adam once more and saw that he gave a nod. I nodded back and pulled Lorelai, bringing her along with me as we went outside. She made no resistance to what i was doing, realizing that there was no saving the situation.

Outside, we took a gander to the various houses outside. I lived in a suburban neighborhood, so it was pretty peaceful here. The air was filled with a hint of coldness to it while the sun was setting on the east.

I held Lorelai's hand as we admired the tranquil scenery outside of my house. Gazing towards her, I saw that her hairy was a little messy from all the ruckus inside. Grinning, i brushed some of her hair with my hand, trying to put it back into place.

"There's no need, Malik."

She said as she held the hand i was using to brush her hair. She clasped both of my hands with hers and i did the same. What followed was a serene silence between us, gazing at each other's eyes, trying to peer into one another's soul.

"My mom… Please forgive her. She sometimes says words that make people misunderstand its meaning."

"Its fine, i hope you would forgive my mom too. She can be a little extreme at times."

We both smiled at what we said, feeling the ridiculousness of the situation. Letting go of both of our hands yet still holding each other, we took a stroll around the neighborhood. The situation inside might take a while, so we might as well kill some time.

Walking hand in hand, side by side, i felt that the world was once again disappearing. It was once again our own little world as we walked. Sometimes, we would talk about the most random stuff like what would happen if sentient pickles invaded the world.

Despite it the topic being so absurd, we talked about it as if we were preparing an invasion of the pickles. What weapons worked best against the green menaces, what's their strength? What's their weakness? And where do they even come from? In the middle of the conversation, i stood to wonder how and why in the hell we were talking about it with so much seriousness.

But i then saw the bright smile and laughter of Lorelai. And so the thought became a puff of smoke in my mind. Focusing on considering whether diplomacy would work with the green menace. The thing we talked about maybe weird, yet her weird sense of humor was what i loved about her.

Noticing that the sun was no longer seen, i pulled out my phone and saw the time. It was about half an hour since we took a stroll and we didn't even notice that time was moving so fast. I looked at Lorelai and said that we should go back, and she agreed.

On the way back, we walked with apparent slowness. We took our time making our way back to my house, as we talked and talked about anything as long as we get to both talked to each other. In the middle of it, we talked about our mom fighting on where the wedding will be held.

"Our moms can be a bit ridiculous at times noh?"

"Yeah, like, there already talking about the venue of the wedding when we aren't even engaged yet. It's absurd."

"I know right lol."

The situation is indeed a bit of a mess. We aren't even engaged yet so i believe that the talk of the marriage venue was still early. It's not time yet, i still haven't even got the ring ready.

But i then stopped dead in my tracks. A bubbling thought rose within my mind and the idea of it seemed feasible. The risk factor of it is indeed high, but heck, what the hell. Since the conversation came up, i might as well.

"Malik, something happened?"

Lorelai said, as she had a quizzical expression plastered on her face. I smiled and went up to her. I looked into her eyes and the past came up in my mind, playing like a movie rolling past in my head.

I remembered the first time i met her. She was on a bus and i was almost late for class. That morning i did not realize my fate was about to change forever. Changing in ways i could have never even imagined. Yet to this day i never regretted it.

It was the day i sat beside Lorelai on that bus. We both greeted each other, saying hi and introducing ourselves. Not knowing the future that held for both of us. We only said hi yet that greeting was one of many in the subsequent events that followed after.

The following things that happened were interesting to say the least. Every time i go to school, Lorelai was there sitting in that seat. That specific seat in the bus and every day, she never failed to be there. Even when the weather was scorching hot, she was there.

Even when i was hospitalized, she was there right beside me. She was there when i healed from the pain. She was the one i had my first date. She was there whenever i needed her most. Yet sometimes i felt like i was not doing enough, sometimes i felt unworthy being the shmuck that she chose to be with.

But every day, every single moment, every hand held, every gaze held, every little thing that we did together, she never once made me that way about her. It was because of me i felt that way and not her. That i do understand.

Her Name. Her Scent. Her Kindness. Her Hair. Her Fingers. Her eyes. Her gentle nature. Her feelings. Her tears. Her Insecurities. Her disheveled hair. Her brightness. Her Nature. Her Personality. Her lips. Her cute embarrassment. Her smile.

Her.

She is the one who i want to spend my life with and no one else. She is the only one for me and no one else. No matter what anyone says on this planet, for the opinions of others about our relationship aren't worth a grain of salt. For as long as she is with me, i am complete. I am whole.

I am in awe of her. I am in tune with her. I want to be with her. I am hers for the taking. I am hers. I will never leave her. I want to be with her every single moment of the day. I Love her.

"Lorelai."

"Yes?"

"I love you Lorelai Hopper. Let's get married."