Chapter Twenty-Three

Bursting out laughing after she had swallowed the food in her mouth, Riana shook a finger.

"No, it is not. You could have some maid bring up your dinner for you hours ago. I only wanted to see what was wrong with you, not give you my food. Besides, you hate desserts."

Clicking his tongue, Nick tsked.

"Touché."

Sometimes he forgot Riana was a complete lover of food.

"So...what's the problem?"

Speaking as she placed more food into her mouth, Riana had an expectant look on her face.

Raising an eyebrow, Nick frowned.

"What gave you the indication something is wrong?"

"You, plus thinking about something besides work, equals a problem. Everyone in the family knows that."

Groaning, for he could never hide anything from his all-knowing family, Nick surrendered.

"Fine."

Satisfied with his compliance, she placed another spoon of food in her mouth, accompanied by a happy dance.

"I am getting married."

His next words, however, caused an uproar, and she abruptly spat the unchewed food into his face. Riana was beyond shocked.

"WHAT?!"

Bellowing, she stood, which caused the forgotten plate to fall and shatter on the floor. Again, she screamed, her eyes widening as she watched her precious food on the ground.

Nick sighed, his eyes slowly closing to collect his bearings because the pieces of food and spittle sliding down his face would make any sane man grow a red horn.

Disgusted by her lack of credibility, he was about to address her mess when the office doors were flown open by his mother.

"I heard a noise while passing...oh my god, what happened here?!"

She gasped as she accessed the mess and unfortunate incident.

"NICK'S GETTING MARRIED?!"

Riana screamed once again, the windows almost cracking from the intensity. Most likely, everyone had heard the commotion.

"Oh my. That was supposed to be explained over dinner...five hours ago. Where is the tissue?"

Evelyn sheepishly muttered while inquiring about something to wipe the food and saliva from both Nick's and Riana's faces.

"In the last drawer in the cupboard over there."

Pointing in that direction, Nick sighed.

"Everyone would come to know sooner or later."

Evelyn reassured as she followed his direction.

"IS IT THE SAME GIRL FROM LAST TIME?! THAT GIRL?! DON'T TELL ME...!"

Riana inquisitively asked, which gained a glare from her mother, who had returned from grabbing the box of tissues in the cupboard.

"Please calm yourself, Riana, and no, it is not," Evelyn scolded. Grumbling, she pulled out some tissues and gently wiped the food from Riana's. "Over my dead body. I would never let that scheming girl marry my son. And what is this, Riana? Aren't you old enough to learn that you should chew your food before you speak?"

Slapping her hand when Riana had tried to deflect the gesture, Evelyn continued to grumble, but that was the least of Riana's attention.

She was more interested in Nick's relationship info.

"Then who is this lucky girl?"

Able to calmly ask after receiving a pinch from her mother, Riana was dying with curiosity, her mind unable to wrap around the thought of her older brother getting married.

"Everyone will," Evelyn sternly spoke, her eyes falling onto frowning Cline and Victor, who had just stepped into the room. They had rushed upstairs when they heard the scream and witnessed a comical scene.

"Get to know everything, including you, Riana."

Cline's snicker gained him a glare from Riana, but another pinch from Evelyn made her wince and frown.

"First, call the maids to clean this mess up, okay?"

Riana nodded.

Quickly she left the room in search of the nearest maid, but not before sticking her tongue out for Cline, who rolled his eyes in return.

Averting her eyes and shaking her head from their silliness, Evelyn turned her attention to Nick. With a new set of tissues in her hands, she proceeded to help Nick clean his face.

"Do I even have to ask further?"

Victor asked with raised eyebrows, clearly amused.

"You will be ecstatic as me when you hear this, honey."

Evelyn answered with a smile in his direction.

"This is going to be hard to explain."

Nick groaned.

Hearing his whisper, Evelyn reassured him with a smile.

"Do not worry. Remember, I promised to help."

"Yeah."

Muttering, Nick was looking forward to telling the rest of his family or not.

--------

Meanwhile, Sharlene, Clarice, and Helena were in a bind. Upon reaching home, they had not bothered to turn on the light in the kitchen, the street light giving them sufficient light to see what they were doing. Silence enveloped them as they sat in their little world of thought.

"I am now facing the reality that you are pregnant, Shar."

Helena was the first to break the silence as she sipped on her cold glass of spring water.

"I mean, when I heard that you were, it came as a shock, but now, knowing that the father of the child you carry is my best friend's son, I am even more blown away."

Nodding, Sharlene sighed.

"I was shocked too. Who would have thought that Nicholas Ross, a man revered for his unstopping achievements and fame, be the father of my child."

She chuckled, but there was nothing humorous about the reality.

Silence soon surrounded them again.

"I'm home!"

AJ's bellow disturbed the silence of the house as well as the shutting of the front door.

"Hello! Mom?! Shar?! Is anyone home?!"

He called as he padded towards the kitchen. Shrugging his shoulders when he heard no response, a devious smile graced his lips.

Flipping on the switch, he shouted, "Rice and crackers!" when light flooded the room.

His eyes widened like saucers as his hand on the switch had slightly trembled from the shock.

"What are you all doing in the dark?!"

"Reflecting on today."

Sharlene murmured.

"I can see that."

Muttering, he walked towards the fridge to grab a carton of juice. His earlier plan was thwarted, and he settled for the cold drink.

"Where were you?"

Helena asked. She sounded like her spirit had left her body.

"I was out. I went to some game shop a small distance from here."

He muttered matter-of-factly, and she hummed.

Grabbing three empty glasses from the cupboard, he poured one for himself, Clarice, and the other for Sharlene, which he gave her with a small smile.

"Aw. That is unexpected. On your way to the game shop, were you abducted by aliens by any chance?"

Sharlene teased, her mood lightening with her brother's smile and presence.

"I thought I lost the quirky and child..."

Feeling his mother's stare gnawing through his skull because of his slight slip, he cleared his throat.

"...and funny sister today, ah, considering your condition."

Smiling while bringing the glass to her lips, Sharlene shook her head.

"No. I am the same old Shar, but just pregnant and getting married."

"Wow, congratulations."

Nodding, Sharlene sipped on her drink as she waited for the news to sink into AJ's brain. She glanced at him above her glass.

Soon after, the juice traveled back up his esophagus, and he spat.

"Oh, come on, J."

Clarice complained since his spit fell directly into the glass in her hand.

He began to cough.

The shock was inevitable.

Helena silently placed a glass of water in his hands to drink, and he drank it in one gulp.

"WHAT?!"

He bellowed after catching his breath.

AJ's eyes resembled the moon now.

"Your sister is getting married."

After hearing that, he slumped into a chair with a loud breath.

"Wow. Pregnant then married."

"Going to be married."

Clarice quickly corrected as she traded her glass for another.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, right, going to be. It is still the same thing."

Dismissively waving his hands, he was far too shocked to speak further.

"Are you okay, AJ?"

Helena asked.

Shaking his head, he placed the glass on the table. Placing a hand on top of his head, he remained silent.

Soon, everyone had reverted to silence.

"Welcome to the club."

Sharlene teasingly murmured a few minutes later, and AJ nodded.

"Now I understand the mood change from earlier. I cannot believe my sister is pregnant and getting married. Wow. Should I ask who the father is?"

"Me neither."

Murmuring, Sharlene sighed.

"The least you can get is his name, Nicholas Ross."

AJ nodded, but it spiked his curiosity.

However, these questions were postponed for another day when Helena suggested a reasonable point.

"Let us all go to bed and sleep on this. We have the park to go to tomorrow anyway. Lily will be disappointed if we cancel this trip."

With a chorus of yes, they all made their way to bed, but before Sharlene could stand and leave as Clarice and AJ did, Helena stopped her with a question.

"What did Evelyn's boy say to you before we left the hospital?"

Blushing as she remembered their awkward but interesting short conversation, Sharlene murmured.

"He asked if he could bring me out on a date next Friday."

"What did you say?"

"Yes."

With a heavy sigh, Helena lifted her hands.

"Are you comfortable with the whole month of this dating arrangement? I mean..."

Sensing her mother was sad that she would leave her so soon when she got married, Sharlene threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Yes, I am. He is the father of my baby, and you have taught us that marriage and creating a family is serious business."

Chuckling as she hugged her closer, Helena kissed her forehead.

"But I do not want to lose you."

Clucking her teeth, as she had suspected the fact her mother did not want to let her go, Sharlene murmured.

"I am not going to mom. You are overthinking things again."

Pulling away from her, Helena nodded.

"You are right. I am. Now off to bed with you."

Kissing her mother's cheek, she scampered off to bed.

Sighing, Helena remained in the kitchen to tidy up. After rinsing and washing everything, she padded to her room.

Closing the door behind her, she sat on the edge of the bed closest to an end table. On top of it sat a picture frame, a sweet-scented candle, and a beautiful gold watch.

Taking the picture frame and gold watch from its surface, she sighed. In the picture frame was a beautiful picture of a family of five. There were a smiling husband and wife and their three lovely children. Passing a finger on the face of the smiling man, she sighed.

"If you were here, you would have made this situation better. But I doubt you wouldn't have thrown hands for your daughter. You were always the spontaneous one between us. You're going to be a grandfather again. If you were there, you'd be a screaming mess."

Helena laughed before sadness overcame her, and her mood dropped.

"Ah, I miss you so much, Carl."

Looking at the man with longing for a few more minutes, she gave a defeated sigh.

Kissing the picture and watch, she placed them back on the nightstand. Burying herself in her covers, she cried herself to sleep.