Chapter Forty-seven
After dinner, Harry and I went to the meeting venue with other fundraisers and donors. It was a garden designed with Christmas lights, and there were many children playing around.
"Mr. Harry Will?" A man in a black suit asked.
"Yes," Harry replied.
"I'm Keane Smith, the vice president," the man in the suit said, shaking hands with Harry. "We've received your email. You said you want to collaborate with the ChildCare Foundation?"
"Yeah, that's right," Harry replied, slipping his hands inside the pocket of his pants. "I and my future wife want to become donors for your next project. We've seen a lot of poor children in the street, and we want to help them."
"Thanks for coming, Mr. Will. Please come inside. Other fundraisers and donors are there. We are talking about our next project, which, as you said, as what we've published in our blogs, involves scooping out young children from the streets," the man said.
Harry and I followed the man inside the flower entrance. There were chairs and tables upholstered with white satin, and foods, most of which were fruits and veggies, and other people.
"Come, have a seat, Mr. Will," the man said.
"Thank you," Harry replied.
Harry and I sat down next to each other. The founder of the ChildCare Foundation and the vice president had a speech on the stage. They talked about their projects, including building a new orphanage.
"In advance, we appreciate everyone's help, especially the donors who will make this project come true," the president concluded.
Everyone clapped their hands, and then we had a toast with champagne. It was like a pre-celebration of the ongoing project. The president and his vice president approached us and shook hands with Harry. The president seemed to know Harry.
"I'm sorry about what happened to your mother, Harry," the president said. "Mrs. Hellen was such a good woman. She has been one of our biggest donors, and we were shocked when we heard the news about her death."
Isn't it weird for someone to bring up such a topic? We're here for the charity, not to talk about Ma'am Hellen's death. I looked at Harry. I could see the sadness he was hiding behind a friendly fake smile.
"Thank you, Clark," Harry said.
"No, I must be the one to thank you, Harry. Thank you for continuing your mother's legacy. We thought you'd cut off the ties between the wills and the foundation," the man said.
Harry didn't say anything. He looked at me with a weary smile as the founder and the vice president of the ChildCare Foundation went away to greet other visitors.
"Shall we go home?" I asked.
Harry nodded. He put his glass of champagne on the table and held my hand. We walked side by side out of the garden venue and rode in a taxi back to the mansion.
It was already 9:06PM when we arrived. Harry was silent beside me. He didn't speak and just got to bed. He seemed so sad. Thanks to that man for talking about his mother's death.
The next day, I woke up earlier than Harry. He was cuddling a pillow and looked so cute when he slept. I love the way he breathes like a baby. I didn't wake him up and went to prepare something for breakfast. The kitchen is wide and spacious. It makes me feel uncomfortable.
I made coffee with a machine. Even doing this feels different. I love making my own coffee by hand, and relying on machines was never my thing even though they made our lives easier. I also made pancakes with veggies and eggs for breakfast, a very good complement with chocolate coffee. With the help of the machines, it's quickly done.
"Morning babe," Harry greeted as he approached me. He kissed my cheeks. "Smells good. What did you make?"
"I made pancakes with veggies and eggs for breakfast. I also made you a coffee," I said.
"Oh, thank you so much, my beloved future wife," he said, wrapping his arms around me. He clasped his hands on my belly. "I love you. You don't really have to do that."
I knew he'd say that, but "I know you want my life to be easy, but I can't live without doing anything. I wasn't born a princess, and chores are a normal part of my life."
"Not anymore, babe. You can live however you want from now on. You can do whatever you want. You can stay in bed all day if you want and watch Netflix. No need to force yourself to do things you don't want to do anymore," he said.
"That doesn't sound so good, Harry. I'd rather be poor than live like a sloth."
"Depends on you. I'm just telling you this so that you won't pressure yourself with so many tasks. Remember, everything can wait. The sun and the moon have their own time to shine, and so do you."
"Thank you."
Harry took his hands off me and went to the faucet. He splashed water on his handsome face, dried it with a white towel, and sat down on the chair beside the table. He tasted the pancakes and sipped his coffee. "Delicious," he said.
"I'm glad you like it."
Harry enjoyed my pancakes so much that he asked for another plate, so I made him another. After breakfast, we hit the gym together. I've never been to a gym before. This is the first time, and I love doing my first times with Harry. I wish I could give him my first time having sex too.
"Your smile is sweeter than caramel," Harry said. "Would you mind sharing with me what's on your mind?"
"It's a secret," I replied.
"Oh come on. I wanna know."
"Then tell me about your secret too," I said.
"I can't. It's not done yet. It's a surprise."
"Then there's nothing to share."
Silence. That kind of silence that feels awkward, as both of you are hiding something from each other. "Okay, fine." I gave up before it could turn into a silent treatment.
"What?" he asked, putting down the dumbbells and wiping the sweat from his forehead.
I moved closer to him and whispered, "You look so hot."
Harry was silent for a while as if he were shot by something. "Really?" He held my waist and carried me.
"Wait! What are you doing?" But he didn't listen. Harry brought me home. He laid me down on the couch and towered over me, putting me in a dangerous position.