Chapter 8

Detective Tomayo's number did not go through. She cursed under her breath. Frantically, she dropped the phone and hurried to where Kevin was lying. Tears poured out of Gina's eyes as she stared at Kevin lying in the pool of his blood.

"Kevin! Kevin, please wake up! Please, don't do this to me!" She held his face with teary eyes."

Kevin laid there unresponsive and almost lifeless. He was losing blood really fast, and she was too panicked to do anything about it. She held him in her hands as she bawled out her eyes, calling his name. She didn't care about getting stained with his blood. Her eyes were getting heavier with every second; she couldn't stop the tears from flowing even if she tried.

Her head was spinning, and she still had not wrapped her head around the situation. She couldn't believe what just happened. How did Hell Razor find them? How did she not know he was following them all along? It was Kevin’s idea for them to get a hotel room to spend two had a vacation. Maybe if they had just stayed at home and spent the night watching a movie in each other's arms or doing something else, this wouldn't have happened. But she couldn’t blame him. She had enjoyed every moment she had spent alone with him. Fear and anxiety seeping through her body, she moved away from Kevin and went to the telephone again. She dialled the hotel’s emergency number with trembling hands and told them the situation, and they promised to be there as fast as they could. She hung up and called detective Tomayo again. This time, the number went through. He picked the call on the third ring.

"Dad," she cried into the phone.

"Gina, what happened? Why are you crying?"

She couldn't find her words; the only thing she could do was cry.

"Gina, you're scaring the hell out of me! What happened? Where are you? Are you home?" He jolted up from his seat.

"Dad, its Kevin…"

"What happened to Kevin? Where's he?" Her father was already panicking. The thought of his daughter in danger scared the hell out of him. He was pacing around his office in a panic.

"Dad, Kevin got shot. Hell, Razor shot him!" She wailed.

"What?" He grabbed his car keys, and he was out of his office in a flash. "How the hell did that happen? Where are you?" Tomayo asked; there was so much worry evident in his tone.

She gave him the address of the hotel, and he arrived some minutes later. The ambulance arrived immediately after he stepped into the hotel room. Gina was busy crying that she couldn't even say a word as her father kept asking her how it happened.

They wrapped Hell Razor’s lifeless, stiff body in a body bag and took him away. They placed Kevin on a stretcher and wheeled him out of the hotel; Gina followed them crying her eyes out.

Gina kept blaming herself. How was she so careless? How did she let this happen? How did she not sense he was following them? She had come a long way protecting him from Hell Razor, and the one time that she let her guards down, he had attacked him.

She felt she was the one to blame for this, for being careless and letting her guards down. She joined them in the ambulance as they drove to the hospital. She remembered the good times they had had together while she was protecting him. She remembered the look on his face when the bullet went through him; she remembered the pain in his eyes before he fell helplessly to the floor. Tears poured out of her eyes, and she prayed that Kevin would make it; he couldn't die and leave her all by herself. She held his hands throughout the ride to the hospital. Kevin didn't squeeze her hand like he normally did any time she held his hands; he didn't give her that cocky, boyish smile or say how much he loved her. The sight of lying almost lifeless shredded her heart to pieces.

"Ma'am, you can't come in," the nurse told her as they wheeled him into the emergency ward.

"Please, let me be with him. He needs me. Please," she begged and tried to force her way in.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. You can't be here." The nurse shut the door, and she was on the verge of banging on it.

Her father pulled her back and made her have a seat. "Gina, you need to relax."

"I can't relax, Dad." She was up in a flash. "How can I relax when he has a bullet in him? He lost a lot of blood, Dad!"

"Calm down. The doctors will do everything they can to make sure he is fine. Have a seat. You are going to pass out from all this panicking."

Gina paced the hallway while they treated Kevin. So many thoughts were racing through her head. What if he wasn't going to make it? What if the bullet hit a vital organ and destroyed it? What if he lost a lot of blood because it was too late? What if he dies while they try to remove the bullet?

Some wild thoughts were running through her skull. All these negative thoughts made Gina fall on her knees crying; her father pulled her up and made her seat. Gina knew she was being hysteria. She knew she should be in control. His that not the army had trained for. To always be in control of any situation. But at that moment, Gina did not care about the training or the army. All she cared about was Kevin.

"It’s okay, Gina. Kevin will be fine," Detective Tomayo assured as he patted her back.

Her father didn't understand her pain. Kevin was the love of her life, but he didn't know that yet. He didn't know how much joy she felt while protecting him from harm, how much joy he had brought into her life; he treated her like a queen. Gina had never felt this loved by any man before.

"This is my entire fault," she cried.

"No, it's not, Gina. It's not your fault, okay?" Tomayo didn't seem to understand why his daughter was crying so much. Had they bonded so tightly over the weeks? He wondered if something was going on between them. He wondered why they were both in a hotel room in the first place. Did his daughter fall in love with the man she was supposed to protect from a killer? He shoved the thoughts away; Gina knew better than that, she was a professional at what she did, and there was no way she had fallen in love with a man she's supposed to protect. He wanted to think she was crying because she felt guilty, and she had failed her task. One thing he knew about his daughter was that she didn't like to fail any task she was given. It had to be guilt and the fact that she had failed her task that was making her cries and like this.

"It's okay," he assured her again as he patted her back.

Gina began to have a headache from crying too much, but the tears wouldn't stop pouring out no matter how hard she tried to stop them. She noticed dried blood on her hands; the fact that it was Kevin's made her heart ache more.

"I need to use the bathroom," she told her father and stood up. She went to the bathroom and washed the dried blood off her hands and face. There was blood on her clothes too, but she couldn't do anything about it. She looked into the mirror and assured herself that Kevin was going to make it. He was a tough guy, and he was going to fight for his life; there was no way he was going to die and leave her all by herself.

Gina returned, and her father was not in sight. Tomayo returned with a bottle of water and handed it over to her.

"Here. Your throat must be so dry from all that crying," he said.

"Thank you, Dad," she said and gulped down the water. Her father was right; her throat was indeed dry from all that crying. She gulped down the entire liquid and didn't realize how thirsty she was. She felt a bit better afterward; somehow, she had managed to fall asleep. She woke up to see a doctor talking to her dad. She couldn't hear what they were saying, her dad nodded, and the doctor walked away.

"Oh, Gina, you're awake," Detective Tomayo said as he took a seat.

"Is he okay?" She jolted up.

Detective Tomayo sighed, and she knew something was wrong. "Is he alive?" She was beginning to panic.

"He is. He's just unstable; the doctor said he's in a coma."

She sat back down and palmed her face. The tears were out before she could stop them. Her Dad patted her back as she had a mini breakdown. "He will be fine. He's going to stay alive," her Tomayo assured again.

She couldn't help but blame herself for putting him in this situation; no matter how many times her dad said it wasn't her fault, she knew deep down that this was all her fault.

"You need to go home, Gina," Detective Tomayo said finally.

"No, I have to stay here with him."

"You need to get some sleep, or you'll end up in the hospital too."

"I don't care. I want to be with him."

"You will come back tomorrow, okay? Come on, let me take you home."

As much as she wanted to stay with him, she also needed some sleep. She could barely keep her eyes open. She was weak to the bones; all the energy in her had been sapped out of her body, and her eyes were heavy from crying too much and lack of sleep. Her head was aching so badly, and she realized that she needed to be well to be with Kevin. Her Dad drove her home and made her dinner, but she could barely eat anything. She went to bed with a heavy heart, hoping the love of my life would stay alive for her. They had a beautiful life ahead of them ***

Gina woke up the next day, and it was already noon. She didn't know how she managed to sleep that long, but her body needed that much sleep. She took a shower and headed straight to the hospital. The doctor informed her that Kevin hadn't gotten out of the coma; he assured her that he was going to be alright. The nurses allowed her into Kevin's room. The sight of him in a hospital bed, almost lifeless, made her burst into tears. Yes, he had made mistakes, but he didn't deserve to be in this situation.

"Kevin," she cried. She walked up to him and held his hand. "I'm so sorry; I let this happen; this is my entire fault. I should have protected you; you shouldn't be here," she cried.

The door opened, and Detective Tomayo walked in. "Gina, how are you?" He asked.

She cleaned her tears and replied, "I'm fine, Dad."

"You don't look fine to me. Do you want some coffee?" Tomayo asked.

"Yes, please."

Detective Tomayo left and returned a few minutes later with two cups of coffee. "Here. Just how you like it."

"Thanks, Dad." She sipped the coffee, and all her senses came back to life. She sighed, "I needed this."

"You sure do. Did you get any sleep last night?" He asked.

She nodded. "Just a little, though."

"Gina," her father called. "Is there something you aren't telling me?" He asked as he took a seat.

It was high time she told her father what was going on between her and Kevin. He deserved to know that he would find out sooner or later, and it was better he heard it from her.

She sighed before she began, "Kevin and I had a thing going on."

"What thing?" He raised both eyebrows.

"I never meant for this to happen, but I'm glad it happened anyway. I fell in love with Kevin, I tried so hard to fight the feelings, but I just couldn't help it."

"Gina, that's so unprofessional. Kevin is a womanizer; that's why you were sent out to protect him from a killer who was on a revenge rampage, all because of Kevin’s libertine life. How could you fall in love with him?"

"He has changed. He's not like that anymore; he loves me with all his heart, I know that for sure."

Detective Tomayo sighed. His hunch was right, and there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn't going to stop his daughter from being happy. "When did this happen?" He asked.

"I don't know exactly. It just happened. Naturally, we were always together, and we got caught up in the moment. He's a good man, Dad. He really is."

Detective Tomayo sighed. "Well, as long as he makes you happy."

"Thank you, Dad." She turned to Kevin and held his hand. "I just hope he wakes up soon. I don't like seeing him like this."

"He'll be fine. Everything will be alright; he's going to wake up for sure." He assured her.

Detective Tomayo left later; he had to go back to the office to attend to some pressing issues. Gina spent a long time watching Kevin fight for his life; she fell asleep while holding his hands. A nurse came in and woke her up, telling her that they had to attend to him. She left the hospital and went straight to Kevin's house.

She opened the door to his house and turned on the lights, and a wave of nostalgia hit her. She remembered the wonderful time they had here. She remembered them snuggled up with a blanket while they watched a movie. She remembered them making passionate love on the couch or anywhere in the house. She went to his room and put everything in order; there wasn't much to do anyway. Everything in here reminded her of him. Words couldn't describe how much she missed him; she missed being in his arms, she missed his laughter, she missed everything about him. It wasn't even up to three days yet, and she was already a mess.

She changed into one of his T-shirts. Tonight, she was going to wear his T-shirt, watch their favorite movie and sleep in his bed. She wanted to surround herself with his smell and pretend like he was right here with her.

***

Three days later, Kevin still hadn't gotten out of the coma. Gina was becoming so worried. The doctor assured me he was responding to treatment, and he would be out of the coma anytime soon. Every day, she would go to the hospital, sit beside him, and watch him breathe. She would tell him how much she missed him even though he couldn't hear her. She would tell him how her day went, what she did, where she went, or what she ate for breakfast. She had spent the past few days in his house; that was the only way she could console herself and maintain her sanity. Being engulfed in everything that belonged to him, especially his clothes, provided comfort to her.

"Hello, Gina," Dr. Alonso greeted her when she walked into his room. He and a nurse were checking him and changing his drip.

"Good evening, Doc. How is he?" she asked him.

"As I said before, he's responding well to treatment. He will wake pretty soon."

She nodded and thanked him. They left later, and she was left with him.

"Hey," she said as she touched his hair. "You need a haircut and a shave," she said with a sad smile. "Stop playing games Kevin, wake up, please. I miss you so much." The tears threatened to pour out, and they eventually did. "Stop making me cry. Just wake up already. These past few days have been hell without you. Please, wake up, Kevin."

She laid a kiss on his forehead and held his hand. "I love you," she whispered. She squeezed his hand and brought out her phone to go through her feeds. She didn't remember the last time she went through her social media apps; she would spend all day worrying about Kevin.

Tonight, she came prepared; she brought a hoddie, a pillow, and a blanket. She was going to spend the night with him. If he sensed her presence, even in his coma, he would wake up.

Her phone rang in her pocket; it was a call from her father. She knew he was worried sick about her.

"Hey, Dad."

"I just stopped by your house; you weren't there. Where are you? Are you with Kevin?" Detective Tomayo asked.

"Yes, Dad," she replied.

"How is he?"

"Well, he is…" she looked at him, "alive."

"He'll be fine. How are you?" Her father asked. She could hear the worry in his voice.

"I'm fine, Dad. Don't worry about me. I'm fine, I promise."

Detective Tomayo sighed. He knew his daughter was far from fine. "Alright. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay."

"Make sure you eat something too. I'll see you tomorrow." He ended the call.

It was getting pretty dark already. Gina decided to watch a movie to clear her head and stop worrying. She was convinced that Kevin would wake up very soon. She was already feeling sleepy halfway through the movie, she tried hard to fight the sleep, but it overwhelmed her. She held his hand and kissed him goodnight and fell asleep.

While she slept, she had a dream, Kevin kept reassuring her that he was fine. She woke up and looked over at him. Her face fell when she realized it was just a dream. She fell back asleep, hoping that dream would become a reality.

"Gina," a voice called. "Gina," the voice called again. She woke up, and her vision was blurry for a second; she looked around and wondered where she was until everything became clear. She looked at Kevin, and he was staring right back at her with a big smile on his handsome face.

"Kevin? Oh my God, Kevin, you are awake!" She hugged him so tight that she was afraid she would break all the bones in his body.

"Of course, I'm awake. It's going to take more than that to kill me." He reached to touch her face but cringed in pain.

"Hey, don't try to move, okay? Do you want me to get the doctor?" She asked, her eyes gleaming with happiness.

"No, I'm fine. How are you?" He looked at her with worry in his eyes. "You look like you haven't been sleeping well for days."

"I'm fine. I'm so glad that you're awake. I was worried sick about you." Her eyes began to tear up.

"Stop crying, babe. See, I'm fine now." He said, smiling warmly at her.

"I thought I was going to lose you," she wailed.

"That's never going to happen, okay? Stop crying; if I keep seeing those tears, it can send me right back to another coma," he joked. "Clean those tears off, baby. They don't look good on you."

She wiped off her tears and smiled at him. "Are you saying I look horrible when I cry? You look horrible in hospital clothes," she joked.

"Haha, very funny."

"You need a haircut and a shave. I'll do that for you when you get discharged. But it's not for free, though," she smiled.

"Sure. I'll pay you for your services." He smiled back.

She stood and kissed him on his lips. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too. By the way, your hair is a mess; it's all over the place flying around. When was the last time you combed your hair? My gosh, Gina, did you turn into a cavewoman while I was asleep?" He joked.

She laughed, "I was too busy worrying about you that I hardly had time for myself. How much of a mess do I look?"

"A beautiful one. I'm sorry I made you worry and cry. Your eyes look puffy; it's obvious you've been crying non-stop for days." He said firmly.

"It's okay. I'm so happy to hear your voice again." She held his face and caressed it. "I need to go and get the doctor."

As if on cue, the doctor walked right in. "Ah, Kevin. You're awake. How long has he been awake?" Dr. Alonso asked her.

"I can't say. He woke me up." Gina replied to him.

"That's good to know. How do you feel, Kevin?"

"I'm fine, just a little bit drowsy and kind of weak."

Dr. Alonso examined him, a nurse came in and did the necessary things. Gina heard her phone ring in her bag.

"Hey, Dad. Kevin is awake!" She almost screamed into the phone.

"Finally. I told you he'd be fine. I'll join you guys very soon; I just need to attend to some things here in the office. In the meantime, go get yourself a cup of coffee and take a shower, Gina. I'm sure you look like hell right now."

"Dad," she whined. "You're right, though; I do look like hell." She said, laughing sheepishly.

They ended the call, and Gina left to go and get coffee for herself. By the time she returned, the doctor and nurse had left, and Kevin was fast asleep. She kissed him on the forehead and smiled. Kevin was back, hale and hearty, and she couldn't be more thankful.

***

"Kevin can be discharged today." Dr. Alonso announced after running all necessary tests. Gin had waited so long to hear those words. Kevin was back to being Kevin. Her Kevin.

"Thank you, Doc." They said simultaneously.

"Can we get a burger on the way? I've been having a weird craving for that." Kevin asked as they walked out of the hospital. His arms were slung around her shoulders, and she held his body to herself with one other hand.

"I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to have that for now." She opened the car door for him, and he got in.

"Who said I'm not allowed to?" He asked.

"The entire doctors in the hospital." Gina teased back.

"Whatever. It feels so good to be out of that place. I'm never going to hospitals again," Kevin said as she pulled out of the parking lot onto the main road.

"That place kept you alive," she reminded him. "You should be thankful."

"I am, but it doesn't mean I want to go back there."

"I think the coma made you a lot more whiney," she said amidst laughter.

"No, it didn't." He whined. "Just drive and stop trying to annoy me." His face creased with a fake frown.

She drove to his apartment, and Kevin kept talking about wanting to get a burger throughout the ride. They finally got to his house, and Kevin couldn't contain his joy.

"It feels good to be backing home," he said.

Gina helped him out of the car and into the house. "Thank you," he said when she helped him sit on the couch. "I missed my couch."

"Pretty sure your couch missed you too. What do you want to eat?" She asked as she dropped the car keys on the table.

"Anything." He switched on the TV and went through the channels. "Let's watch a movie, babe."

"Now? You have to eat something and get some rest."

"I'm fine, Gina. How many times do I have to keep saying that I'm fine?"

"We'll watch a movie after you're done eating. I'll make you some bacon and eggs, would you like that?" She asked as she began to walk to the kitchen.

"Sure."

"Would you mind moving in with me? I want you to be with me every day," Kevin hollered from the living room.

She laughed and hollered back, "I already moved in while you were gone."

Gina prepared his food, and they watched a movie together. Kevin kept on talking about how much he missed her, and he couldn't wait for them to go on a vacation together.

"Let's go to the Maldives when I get better, okay?" He said as he caressed her face.

She nodded. "Of course, I wouldn't miss that for anything in the world."

They were snuggled up watching a movie, and soon enough, Gina fell asleep. She had been stressed out the entire time Kevin was in the hospital. Kevin looked at her as she slept; he was thankful for being alive to spend his entire life with this woman. He was strong enough to carry her to the bedroom and laid a blanket over here, leaving a kiss on her forehead. Gina stirred in her sleep and went back to it right after. Kevin pulled off his shirt and joined her in bed. He pulled her closer to himself, and she stirred again; this time, she slowly opened her eyes.

"Did you carry me to the bedroom?" She asked sleepily.

"Yeah, and before you complain, you have a lightweight, so it's easy to carry you around," he smiled.

"You could have just woken up; I would have come here myself."

"And ruin your sleep? Nope. Go back to sleep; you're so tired."

"No, I'm not." Her eyes were slowly closing as she was falling back to sleep. Soon enough, she dozed off again, and Kevin followed suit.

***

Gina had officially moved in with Kevin. He was getting better and back to how he was. They were like a married couple on their honeymoon. They did almost everything together, doing grocery shopping together, cooking together, and having long sweaty nights of sex. She gave him a massage every time he asked for it, and that massage would turn into something freaky.

Gina returned from the grocery store one evening and walked into the living room, and was graced with the sight of rose petals, candle lights, and wine. Kevin stood in the dining room with a big bouquet of red roses and a big smile on his face. "Welcome home, babe."

"Oh my God, Kevin! Did you do all these for me?" She began to walk to the dining area.

"Yes. You deserve all these, even more." He handed her the bouquet.

She sniffed the flowers and held them to her chest. "It smells so nice. You're so sweet, babe. Thank you, I love them."

"This is just the tip of the iceberg, babe. I haven't even started spoiling you." He pulled her into a warm hug and kissed her forehead.

"I need to go take a shower," she said.

"You smell nice, though."

"I still need to shower. I'll be back in ten minutes."

"Don't waste so much time shampooing your hair," he joked.

"Whatever." She ran up the stairs and hurriedly took off her clothes. She walked into the bathroom and was graced with another sight. Kevin had already run up the bath and added some rose petals. The sight melted her heart. She dipped herself in, and a wave of relief mixed with pleasure hit her. It was just the perfect temperature; Kevin knew all the ways to please her.

She tied her robe and wrapped her hair in a towel. "Babe, what should I wear?" She asked from the staircase.

"Anything. You could even wear lingerie or nothing at all, I don't mind, as long as you're comfortable," he grinned boyishly, and he looked more handsome than ever.

"You want me to come to our date butt naked?" She asked unbelievably.

"Works fine for me." He licked his lips.

"How can I be comfortable being naked? On a date?"

"It doesn't matter. Believe me; I love you more when you're naked than when you're in clothes. Clothes are so overrated," he smiled like a freak.

"This conversation is getting weirder by the second," Gina said, smiling.

She rolled her eyes and went back into the room to change into shorts and a tank top; Kevin said she could wear anything she was comfortable in, and these were the only comfortable clothes that came to her mind. She tied her hair up into a messy bun and went downstairs. "Is this a bad choice?"

"Nope. I would have preferred you butt naked, though."

"How about you go butt naked?" She teased.

"Oh, you want me to strip?" His hands were already on his buttons.

"No! You can save that for later, though." She bit her lips seductively.

"Your wish is my command." He pulled out a chair for her to sit.

"Thank you." She smiled at him.

He opened the wine, and it made a pop. He poured out the red wine for both of them. "Cheers, baby."

"Cheers." Their glasses clinked, and they took a sip. Kevin uncovered the food and the sight of all her favorite food made her hungrier. "Aww, you ordered all my favorites," she cooed.

"Anything for you, babe. I'll feed you till you feel like a stuffed animal."

Gina threw her head back in laughter. "Feed me till I feel like a stuffed animal? What does that even mean?" She asked amid laughter.

"You'll be needing a lot of strength, babe. This doesn't just end with food," he teased.

"If we eat too much, we'll be too full to do anything."

He nodded, "True."

He dished out her food for her while she watched her man being an absolute gentleman. As they ate, he told her about the plans and surprises he had set up for her when they go on a vacation to the Maldives. Gina had never been there before, and she couldn't wait.

"I'm full," she said as she chewed on the meaty crab marinated in some kind of sauce.

He snickered, "It doesn't seem like it, though."

"It tastes so good that I want to let go. My stomach is saying no, but my mouth keeps saying yes." She replied.

"You should listen to your stomach." He poured out more wine for himself and Gina. "Do you still have some space in your stomach for desserts?" He cut out a small piece of cake for her and placed it on her plate.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" She said, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

They finished eating and washed the dishes together. Kevin offered to do it himself, but Gina wasn’t having it. She hugged him from behind as he dried his hands with a piece of cloth.

"Thank you for tonight."

He caressed her hands on his chest before he turned around and pulled her into a warm hug. He untied her bun and ran his fingers through her hair. "I like your hair down."

"I don't like it in my face," she pouted her lips.

"It's better this way, though." He put her hair back into a bun and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "I love you." He said softly.

"I love you more." She tip-toed and sealed her lips with his. His lips tasted of the red wine they just had. Their tongues moved in synchronization as they explored each other's mouths. Every time Kevin kissed her, she would melt in his arms like it was their first time. She heard a moan and realized it was hers.

Kevin raised, and her legs were wrapped around his waist. How Kevin was able to walk up the stairs, still kissing her in his arms way beyond her.

They got into the room, and he took off his shirt in a second. Gina tugged on the button of his cargo shorts before she finally opened it. Kevin stripped her faster than the speed of light, and she was left butt naked, just like he wanted. He took off his briefs and placed her gently on the bed as he feathered kisses all over her face.

"I know this sounds weird, but do you use birth control pills?" He asked. She nodded as her tongue had already disconnected from her brain.

"Good." He sealed her lips with his and, at the same time, teasing her entrance. Gina moaned, and her eyes rolled back in pleasure. "Kevin," she moaned softly in his ears. He slowly entered her as he nibbled on her ears. "Oh my God." Gina could swear that she saw colours. Her moans intensified with each thrust. He was on a steady pace that was sending her to cloud nine, and she matched his rhythm. Pleasure began to build in one part of her; it took a few more thrusts before she was riding the horse to climax, screaming his name throughout the entire ride. A wave of massive pleasure erupted throughout her entire body, and Kevin followed.

He laid there, both of them panting and basking in the aftermath before he rolled over and pulled her closer to himself. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she kissed him before she closed her eyes, and sleep slowly overwhelmed her.

***

Gina woke up the next morning, and Kevin was already out of bed. The sun shone violently in her eyes; she rolled over and closed her eyes for a few more minutes before she stood up and walked slowly and sleepily to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take a bath. She put on a pair of joggers and a tank top.

"Kevin?" She called as she walked down the stairs.

"In the kitchen." He hollered.

She walked into the kitchen and saw him microwaving the leftovers from yesterday. "Good morning, babe," he greeted.

"Good morning."

"How was your night?" He asked with a knowing smile.

"Awesome. When did you get up?" She asked.

"About an hour ago. You must be so hungry right now," he pulled her toward him and placed a kiss on her forehead. The microwave dinged, and he dished the food into two plates while she stood there waiting for her food like a toddler.

They spent the entire morning doing nothing in particular, talking about everything and anything. It was a Saturday, and they had nothing to do.

Gina heard a knock on the door and went to get it.

"Hey, Dad." She stepped aside for him to come inside.

"Hey, baby girl." He ruffled her hair as he walked in, knowing how much she hated that even as a kid.

"Dad," she groaned, "Are you ever going to stop ruffling my hair?" she wailed. It has been long since Tomayo showed her that kind of affection.

"I'll stop when you stop being my baby girl, which is never," he took a seat. "Where's Kevin?" He asked.

As if on cue, Kevin walked into the living room, cleaning his hands with a piece of cloth. "I was in the garage when I saw you walk in. It's so nice to see you again, sir."

It's so nice to see you again too. I stopped by the other, but you two weren't home. I can see you're getting better, that's good. I heard you two are dating." He pointed to both of them. Gina rolled her eyes, and Kevin rubbed the back of his neck nervously. So, this was what it felt like standing in front of the father of the woman he loved? The few friends he had had while back in uni days have always talked about this before, but he couldn't relate because he declined all requests of his conquests to go see their fathers. He wasn't ready for commitments, so he thought there was no need to meet their fathers when he would be dumping them when he got tired of them. Kevin looked at Gina and asked her, "you told him?" with his eyes. She just shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. It was a big deal to him, this was the father of the woman he was madly in love with, and he wanted to make a good impression. It was the first time they were meeting unofficially.

"Umm…I was going to tell you that myself before all these happened." He laughed nervously.

"Well, she beat you to it. I'm okay with it, but don't you dare hurt her, or I'll send you right back into another coma." His face turned serious immediately, and he burst into a fit of laughter when he saw the look of shock on their faces. "You should have seen your faces," he said amid laughter. "I was kidding. Or not." He turned serious again, and Kevin almost pissed himself.

"Dad," Gina whined. "You sounded so scary." She admonished.

"I was just kidding. See," he pointed to Kevin, who stood there being calm like Detective Tomayo didn't scare him when he said he would send him back to another coma, "Kevin gets the joke," he pointed to Kevin, who had a smile on his face just for a show. Truth be told, that took him by surprise.

Detective Tomayo and Kevin kicked off the road of friendship; Kevin instantly knew that he would be a great father-in-law. Part of the reason why they were going on vacation was so he could propose to her. He had bought a ring already and did a successful job of hiding it even with her in the house. He was sure that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Gina. He was done playing games and womanizing. Gina had walked into his life and showed him how amazing it was to have somebody love you unconditionally despite his ugly pasts. He loved her with every bit of himself, and he was thankful that their paths crossed. Gina was the light he needed all along; she came into his life and brought the light with her. He never believed in true love and sticking to one woman until he met her. In some kind of weird way, he was thankful to Hell Razor because if he didn't try to kill him, Gina wouldn't have been sent to protect him, and their paths might have never crossed. From the very first time he saw, he was certain that this was the woman he wanted to spend forever with and have his kids and grow old together. He wanted to wake up by her side in the morning and go to bed at night, cuddled in each other's arms. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he was determined to hold on to her for the rest of his life.

By the end of the day, Kevin got their tickets for their trip to the Maldives. Kevin told her to pack only a few clothes as they would still go shopping over there. Gina was beyond excited; she was eager to see all the surprises he had planned for them.

***

Gina and Kevin arrived in the Maldives, and they went to the five-star hotel that Kevin had booked reservations for. The hotel room was an executive suite that had a nice view, and it was nice waking up to a view of blue waters and palm trees. It was the most beautiful place she had ever been to; the hotel they stayed in was a beach hotel, the water was a nice shade of turquoise blue. The Maldives was nothing short of beautiful; the place was as beautiful as she has seen in some pictures.

In the afternoon, they went on a shopping spree. Kevin told her to pick anything she liked, from designer bags to shoes to the native Maldivian attire; the Maldivians were conservative people, so they wanted to dress like them.

Even though Kevin said to pick anything she liked, she still didn't want to spend too much. Kevin had already converted a good amount of money to the Maldivian rufiyaa.

They were walking out of the boutiques with a lot of shopping bags on both of their hands. Gina had bought two Michael Kors watches, two Louis Vuitton bags, two Gucci stilettos, and lots of Victoria's Secrets body spray. On the other hand, Kevin bought some Calvin Klein tee shirts, Marks and Spencer slacks and Salvatore Ferragamo belts, a Christian Dior dress shoes, and two suede pump loafers. He put all the bags into the trunk, slammed it shut, slid behind the wheel, roared the engine to life, and sped away.

"I feel so hungry from all that shopping," he said. They went back to the hotel, and she changed into a summer dress and a straw hat before they headed to the restaurant.

She stared at the menu, not knowing what to pick; everything seemed strange to her; there were names she couldn't pronounce. She turned to the waiter, who was dressed in an immaculate white, a warm smile on his Asian face.

“Recommend something for me, please."

"You could have French fries and any sauce for starters, and Garudhiya and rice for the main dish, and Gulab Jamun for desserts."

"Thank you very much," she smiled at him.

"You're welcome, ma'am. What would you like, sir?" He turned to Kevin.

"What she's having," he replied.

The waiter gave a slight bow before he walked away.

She turned to Kevin, who was looking at her with a frown on his face. "What?" She asked with a smile. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Don't be smiling into everyone's faces like that. Some people might get the wrong idea."

That was jealousy speaking.

"You're jealous because I smiled at a waiter?" Gina lifted an eyebrow.

"He was flirting with you," Kevin said slowly.

"He wasn't! He was just doing his job. Come on, don't be such a baby." Gina fired at him.

"Why didn't you ask me for recommendations? I'm familiar with their food." Kevin said tightly.

Gina studied his face for a long moment. A sudden realization hits her. Kevin was jealous. There was no denying about that fact. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "I'm sorry. Next time, I'll ask you for recommendations.

Are you happy now, you big baby?" She said, her eyes flashing at him playfully.

He nodded with a childish smile. She shook her head; Kevin was such a baby with her; he was different from the man he was in the business world.

Their food arrived a few minutes later, and the sight and smell of them were heavenly.

They dug in right away, and the food tasted just as good as they looked.

They headed back to their hotel and spent the evening walking on the beach, talking about anything and everything.

"Did you forget to apply your sunscreen?" Kevin asked when he noticed sunburns on her skin.

"I didn't. I'm very sure I applied some sunscreen before we went to the restaurant."

"Come on, let's go back to our room. This sun is doing you no good. You should always carry your sunscreen everywhere you go. The weather is very different here." Kevin said, his eyes roving over her.

They headed back to their room, and she took a cold bath in the jacuzzi. She felt better and cooler afterward.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" She asked.

"If I tell you that would ruin the surprise."

"Just tell me already; I promise I'll act surprised when I see it."

"No, you have to wait till tomorrow; just be a little patient. Come here," he beckoned. She walked to the bed, and he engulfed her in his arms.

They were sprawled on the bed, kissing and groping. Kevin rolled them over so she could be underneath him. He took off her tank top and fondled her breasts. He kneaded the nipples in his hands, and then he bent his head and took one hardened nipple into his mouth. Gina shivered violently as she held his head to her breasts. He sucked on the nipple for some time then; he lifted his head and slid down to the inners of her thighs. He buried his face in between her legs, then, slowly and deftly, he parted her vagina with his hands and began to suck hard on it. By now, Gina was moaning loudly. After a while, Kevin lifted his head and kissed her hard on the lips. They held onto each other, straining against each other, the flames of intense desire engulfing them. Then Kevin lifted her hips and slid his swollen penis into her wet crevice. He moved slowly at first; then, he began to pound hard and fast into her. He pounded and pounded while Gina held onto him, meeting his thrusts. Kevin thrust into her until he brought them to a vigorous crescendo.

***

The next morning, they had a breakfast of Mas Huni. Gina figured out that the Maldivians like fish and coconut a lot. Everything they had eaten since they got here had fish, coconut, or both in them.

She changed into shorts, a shirt, and a straw hat and took her sunscreen with her before they headed out. They were doing boat trips and snorkeling today.

Gina had never had so much fun in the water before, watching the colorful fishes and every creature under the sea. She felt like Ariel, The Little Mermaid, as they explored the underwater world. They headed back to the hotel and took a bath together. They didn't have plans till evening, so they watched a movie and snacking on BisKeemiya and Gulha.

Kevin's phone rang as they were halfway through the movie. It was a call from his guardian, who had taken him in when his parents had died. He and his guardian hadn't been on good terms since he was younger. Before their death, his parents had taken care of his guardian so much. But when they died, the guardian had been so aloof and uncaring to him. If not for the fact that his parents had prepared a will before their death, Kevin knew he might have ended up being poor. He had told Gina all about this during those times when they had had a long conversation about their pasts.

"You're lucky you still have a woman in a mother’s form that cared about you. I don’t have anyone to care for except for my dad. My mom is still angry with me that I left her for my dad. Worse still, she did not like the fact that I joined the army. Kevin, I believe whatever it is your guardian mother did, just let it go and forgive her. She’s still your mother whether you wanna believe it or not" she had once told him all these things when they talked about their pasts.

His phone continued to ring multiple times as he ignored the call. Gina looked up at him with questioning eyes. "Aren't you going to take the call?" She asked.

"It's not important," he said.

She sat up immediately and paused the movie. "Kevin, that's your mother!"

"Please, can we just go back to watching the movie?" He begged. “And please stop calling her my mother. She’s not really my mother. She just took me in and took care of me. “

"We'll go back to watching the movie when you take that call. Can you just give your mother another chance to make things right?"

"Gina, stop calling her my mother, “Kevin said tightly. “And I don't want to talk about this, please. You know how much I hate this topic."

"You can't keep avoiding the topic," she told him.

"Gina, please," he palmed his face. "Not now. Let's go back to watching the movie, okay?" He pleaded.

"I don't want to watch the movie anymore; you can continue without me if you want," she stood up and left.

Great! His guardian mother had ruined everything again. Just when he was going to ask her to marry him, this had to happen. He followed her into the room. "Why are you even mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you," she said calmly.

"Then what's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing. Can we not make this an issue?"

"Make this an issue? You're the one who's mad at me because I refused to talk to my mother." He snapped, then he cursed himself when he remembered he had just used the word mother for his guardian.

His phone rang, and he stared at it and looked at Gina. "Take it. Hear what she has to say," she told him.

"Gina. I love you, but you have to stay out of this." He said through locked teeth.

"Wow! Okay," she raised her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry for intruding into your private life. It won't happen again, okay?"

She put on a dress and stormed out of the hotel room Kevin didn't follow her; there was no need to. His phone kept ringing, and he finally picked it up. "What do you want?" He asked with venom in his voice.

"Kevin," his guardian said. "Please, can we talk?"

"We don't have anything to talk about," he said with gritted teeth.

"Please, Kevin," she begged. Her voice was faint, and she sounded like she was weak. Was she sick? Kevin wondered.

He sighed and agreed to meet up with her when he returned to the states; he was only doing this because of Gina. He put on a T-shirt and went to look for Gina. He found her at the lounge.

"Gina," he called. "I'm sorry." He took a seat and reached out to hold her hand.

Gina sighed. "There's something I need to tell you, Kevin."

The serious look on her face made Kevin worried. "About what?"

"Your mother."

"Gina…"

"No, listen to me; this is very important. Your mum reached out to me a few days ago. I don't know how she got my number or how she even knew we were dating, but she called, and she was begging me to help her talk to you."

"What? What are you talking about?" Kevin asked with a frown.

"Kevin, your mum had an accident and just got out of a coma. She was in a critical condition and almost escaped death."

"You're kidding, right? This is a joke. What do you mean?"

Then, he remembered how weak she sounded, and he had heard her cough over the phone. He resented his guardian, but he didn't want anything bad to happen to her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried to. Believe me, I did, but you didn't want to hear anything about her."

"Oh my God," he palmed his face. He was on the verge of tears, he resented his guardian, but there were times when he thought of her, wondering if she was okay wherever she was, even if he didn't want to speak to her. But now, he knew he had loved her as if she was his birth mother along. He was just stubborn to face that fact. His mother was dying all along, and he was here being a selfish jerk. He couldn't be mad at Gina; it wasn't her fault that she got wrapped up in this.

"Did she tell you where she is?" He asked.

Gina saw that his eyes had gotten red, and it broke her heart. She knew what it felt like to lose a mother. "She's in a hospital in Manhattan."

He nodded and stood up. "Let's go back to our room."

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

"I'm fine," he replied. He was far from fine; he was devastated and angry at himself. They went to their room, and he pulled off his shirt. He sat on the couch and palmed his face. Soon, Gina heard him sob. She joined him on the couch and hugged him, not saying a word to him as he cried. She had never seen him break down before; she had never seen him this vulnerable before.

He cleaned his eyes and stared into space. He finally looked at her with a sad smile, "We still have to go on the date that I planned for us."

"Babe, we don't have to go if you don't want to," she said.

"I want to, okay? Go get dressed."

"Do I have to wear a dinner dress?"

"Wear anything you're comfortable in. It doesn't have to be fancy."

"Do you want me to go butt naked?" She joked.

"No. There'll be people there. You can save that for later."

She got dressed, and Kevin took her to a yacht where they were going to have a date. The place was decorated with rose petals and corals on the deck. There were small candle lights that formed a heart shape. Three men were playing soft music, one playing the harp and the other two playing the violin.

"Wow, did you do all these?" She asked in awe.

"Technically, yes. I paid people to do it. Do you like it?"

"I love it."

"I'm glad you do. Wanna dance?" He stretched out his hand.

She took it. "I should have worn a dinner dress." She said as they moved their bodies to the soft music.

"I would take it off your body in a split second; in the end, it doesn't matter," he teased.

"You're such a pervert."

"Only for you." He smiled and pulled her closer. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too."

Slowly, he began to prop down one knee and opened a red box to reveal the most beautiful, shiny, yet simple ring Gina had ever seen. Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She gasped and palmed her mouth as her eyes began to water.

"You know I'm not so good at the speech thing. So, I'll just go straight to the point. Gina, will you marry me?"

She nodded vigorously and said, "Yes! Yes, Kevin. I'll marry you."

He placed the ring on her finger and kissed it. He stood up and locked her lips with his. "I can't wait to spend forever with you," he said when he broke the kiss.

"Me too." Her smile was fur biggest and brightest. He kissed her forehead and led her to the table where they were going to have dinner. Gina couldn't wipe the smile off her face all night.

************

Gina and Kevin returned home after spending a week in the Maldives. She couldn’t stop gushing about how much she loved the place, and Kevin promised to take her back there. He was already planning their destination wedding in Monaco, another island she had never been to. He was going to take her around the world to all the beautiful islands that existed. She deserved that and many more.

She walked into her father's office and placed her right hand on his table with his smile. He stared at the ring but didn't look surprised. "Is this your way of telling me he proposed?" He asked.

"Yeah, but you don't look surprised," she said.

"He already told me before you both went on a vacation."

"Oh, he beat me to it this time. We are having our wedding in Monaco," she smiled.

He shook his head with a smile. "What?" She asked.

"He spoils you too much, way more than I did. I'm so happy you finally fell in love again. For a second, I thought you turned gay after Patrick cheated on you."

"First of all, his name is Martins, not Patrick. Secondly, you thought I turned gay?" She burst into laughter. Martin was the name of the boy she had been having a fling with before joining the army.

"Oh well, I guess I'll be expecting grandchildren very soon."

"Dad, we haven't even gotten married yet."

"Well, be fast about that."

"Yes, boss." She gave a mock salute before she walked out. Detective Tomayo stared at his daughter as she walked out; his little girl wasn't so little anymore.

***

"I'm here to see Sophie McCain," he told the nurse at the reception.

"Who are you to her?" She asked.

He paused for a while before he said, "Her son."

The woman gave him a weird look. There was no resemblance between the man standing in front of her and Sophie. She pressed a button, "Ma'am, your son is here to see you."

"Really? Let me in."

"Okay, ma'am. You can go in, sir, Ward 15," she said.

"Thank you."

He located her ward and knocked on the door. "Come in," he heard her say. He slowly turned the knob, he hadn't seen his guardian mother in years, and now he was going to see her on a hospital bed because of his stubbornness.

He opened the door and saw his mother looking so frail. "Mum?"

"Kevin," she cried.

A man was seated on a chair close to her bed. He recognized him as the man who was always visiting his guardian mother when he was still young. His name was Curt Donnelly. Unlike his guardian mother, he had always treated Kevin like a son. And in return, Kevin had always called him Dad just for the sake of having a father figure in his life. As young as he was, he knew Curt and Sophie were having an affair then even though they had tried to hide it from him. A few years later, Curt and Sophie had married each other. Then after so many years together, they had separated due to a reason known to them. Kevin didn’t know what had caused the separation, and he never bothered to ask.

"Dad?” What are you doing here?"

"Here to see her just like you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

"I told you your mum was in town, but you wouldn't listen!"

"Why didn't you tell me she was dying?"

"I just found out she was in a coma. All I knew was that she was in town; I didn't know she had an accident!"

"That's no excuse, Dad. You have no excuse at all."

"Please, stop arguing. Don't make this an issue. I'm fine now; that's all that matters."

"When did this happen?" He asked.

"About a month ago. The doctor said I was in a coma for twenty-two days."

He sighed; suddenly, all the anger and resentment he had for her flew out the window.

"Are you okay now?" He said, his voice shaking.

She nodded. "Please, forgive me for everything." She held his hands with tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, mum. I forgive you," he said and hugged her. He didn't think he was ever going to forgive his mum; he kept telling himself that he would never forgive her no matter how much she begged but seeing his guardian mother in this situation moved him to tears and pity. No matter what happened in the past, this woman was still his mother, whether he liked it or not.

"I want to meet Gina," she said. "Why didn't she come with you?"

"She had to go to work; I'll bring her next time," he told her.

Kevin left about half an hour later; he had to return to work. He promised his mum he was going to come with Gina the next day.

*************

"I went to see my mum today," Kevin told her as they prepared dinner together.

"Really?" Gina's face lit up immediately.

"Yeah. She asked to see you," he told her.

"Aww, it's good you finally made peace with your mum. See, that wasn't so bad, was it? You should always listen to me."

"Aye aye, captain," he gave her a mock salute.

The next day, he had picked her up from work, and they stopped by a grocery store to get a fruit basket before they went to see his mother.

"Sophie McCain," he told the nurse. It was a different woman at the desk. She pressed a button and told him to go in after confirming with his mother.

He opened the door, and his mother was sitting up. She looked better than she did yesterday, and he wondered how that happened. Was she on some fast-recovery pill?

"Kevin," her face lit up immediately.

"Mum," he walked to her and kissed her on her forehead. How things went back to normal in such little time was so surreal.

"Good evening, ma'am," Gina greeted.

"Gina, I'm so happy to meet you finally," she opened both arms for a hug, and Gina went in. "You are so beautiful." She held her face and strengthened her hair.

"Thank you, ma'am," she smiled. "We brought you this," she placed the fruit basket on the large cupboard.

"That's so thoughtful of you. Thank you very much."

"Your Dad said you two are getting married."

"Yes, mum," Kevin replied.

"When's the wedding?" She asked.

"There's no date yet, but it will be after you get discharged," Kevin told her.

"I can't wait to get discharged, then."

They spent the evening catching up on the things they had both missed in each other's lives. There was a lot to tell and hear. He told her about how he was always getting in trouble with his dad. He told her about how he threw a party on his seventeenth birthday party without his Curt Donnelly consent. His father had returned home from his business trip earlier than planned and sent everyone home. They had broken a few things in the house; he was grounded for a month, he was not allowed to go anywhere, he went to school and came straight home. His father made him clean and cook for the entire month since he suspended the maid so he could serve his punishment.

He told her about the time he brought his friends over, and they had broken a very expensive porcelain vase that his father had just bought from his business trip to China. He had to graze his skin with a broken piece so his father would think he got into an accident. His father didn't believe him anyway because he was already used to his tricks. His punishment was to go to his dad’s office from school every day to shred millions of papers in the shredding machine. His father had caught him checking out his young Latina secretary, and he had gotten into more trouble as he always did. His father got tired of him getting into fights and trouble and threatened him that he would send him to military school if he didn't behave himself. No one had to tell him that his father was not joking.

Sophie had gotten discharged a week later, and Kevin offered her to move in with them.

She and Gina had bonded so fast, and they would make dinner together every day even when Kevin and Gina objected. Curt dropped by occasionally. Kevin was sure that his parents would eventually get back together.

"What are you two laughing so hard about?" Kevin asked when he entered the kitchen. He had them laughing so loudly from the living room, and he wondered what the two women were talking about. He was glad that his mother and fiancé got along so well.

"Girls' stuff," Gina replied as she put the last batch of chicken breast in the air-fryer.

"That smells nice," he reached to take a piece, but Gina slapped his hands off.

"Come on, just this tiny piece," he pleaded like a toddler.

"Wait till they're all done, then you can get a piece."

"You're not nice." He pouted, and his mum burst out laughing.

he was happy that her non-biological son had found happiness. She was thankful that he met Gina because Kevin wouldn't have spoken to him if not for her. She promised that she was going to be a good mother and mother-in-law to her. As for her marriage, she hoped it wasn't too late to fix it. She spent years regretting why she let her family break apart; the years without her nonbiological son and husband were lonely and filled with regrets. But she was going to get her family back; she didn't want to lose them ever again.

***

Gina checked out herself in the mirror; she was clad in the most beautiful wedding dress ever with little stone diamonds on the upper part and a big bow at the back. The stylist straightened out some little creases with a pressing iron while the makeup artist did some final touches. Her hair was styled in a French twist with decorations here and there. The make-up artist laid the veil over her face and handed her the bouquet of white roses.

"There. You look amazing," she told her sincerely.

"Thank you."

Her best friend, Shay, came in with the bottle of water she had earlier requested.

"Oops, I came late. Aww, you look so beautiful." Shay cooed. Both Gina and she had met in the Army and had become best of friends ever since then.

"Thank you. To be honest, I'm so nervous. What if he doesn't show up?"

"Then we'll track him down and beat up his ass. He wouldn't do that, though; he loves you a lot; I know that for sure. It's too late to have cold feet baby, go get your man! If you don't, I will."

"You're married."

"That was just a threat, but I see it didn't work." She laughed.

Her father walked in and was pleased to see his baby girl in a wedding dress. He remembered her running around in diapers and disorganizing everything in the house. He remembered the first day of preschool, he and her mother had taken her to school, and she cried her eyes out. They told her she was going to make new friends, learn to draw, and do fun things. She returned home that day saying that she had finished school; they couldn't explain to her that she had to go tomorrow, and she still had an elementary school, high school, and college. He remembered when she first brought her boyfriend home in 12th grade; he had freaked out saying she was too young to have a boyfriend, she went on to date him anyway. His little girl has always been so stubborn.

He remembered her fussing about what to wear to prom, she had a mini breakdown over that issue, and it took a lot of talking and shopping to calm her down. There was a sad smile in all her college graduation pictures.

He remembered her awful breakup with Martins; she had bawled her eyes out and swore never to love again. It didn't seem like she was going to love again, and it got him worried.

Looking at the woman she had become, he was proud of himself and raised her right. Her mother would have been so happy to see the woman she had become.

Seeing his little girl in a wedding dress brought tears to his eyes, she had grown so fast, and he wished he could go back in time, that time when she liked to stay on his shoulders.

"You look so beautiful, baby girl," he pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead through the veil.

"Thank you, Daddy."

"Come on, let's get you to your boo," he joked.

"Don't ever say boo again, Dad."

'Why? I sounded so cool, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't!"

"Well, I'm still the coolest pops in the world."

"I can't deny that. I love you, Dad."

I love you too, my little girl," he smiled and held out his hands, and they walked out.

They were having their wedding at the beach with only a few guests.

Kevin's jaw almost dropped to the floor when he sighted his bride walking down the aisle with her father. She was the most beautiful bride he had ever seen. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to spend forever with the woman who stole his heart at first sight. He remembered when they first met; she was different from every other woman he knew; she was real, his tricks didn't work on her. He had tried flirting with her, but she made it clear to him that she didn't find him attractive, and she was looking for a relationship, and she was doing her job. Her feisty spirit spiked something within him; he found her interesting. She was one of the very few women who didn't bow at his feet, and he found that amusing and interesting.

Her father handed her over to him and patted his shoulder. "I trust you to take good care of my daughter and treat her like the queen she is." Then, he whispered, "I know she can be a handful sometimes; just try to live with it."

He laughed, and she rolled her eyes. They faced the priest, and the ceremony began. They said their vows and exchanged rings. The priest joined them in holy matrimony, to be one now and forever.

*********

Kevin took her to the Maldives again for their honeymoon. He had bought a beach house since she loved the place so much. They were going to come here every time she wished. Being married felt so amazing. He was finally using the "I will check with my wife" card. There was no decision he took without informing her first; he knew that was the right thing to do in marriage. He had seen his friends get into trouble with their wives when they didn't inform them about a decision they were taking. He had learned from their mistakes and promised to make that mistake in his marriage. Gina was not just his wife but his partner too.

Gina couldn't have asked for a better husband. He was her best friend, her confidante, her knight in shining armor, and lots more, all in one package.

Kevin stared at his wife as she came out of the pool.

"I wish we could go on a vacation for six months," she said as she wrapped the towel around her body, which distracted him way more than he expected, and he began to have dirty thoughts.

"Have you ever had sex in the pool?" He asked out of the blue.

"You're such a pervert. I was standing here innocently wrapping a towel around my body, and you were busy having dirty thoughts."

He threw his head back in laughter, "You can't blame me. You have no idea how hot you are. I can't help it."

"You need to bathe your mind and soul in holy water."

"I will if you go in with me," he teased. He stood up and began to slowly remove the towel from her body while staring so intensely into her eyes. She was melting under his touch, and he had barely started touching her, and she was a moaning mess. My bikini was off in a split second; Kevin had a way with his hands.

His phone rang, ruining the moment. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, "Who the fuck is that? I told my secretary no calls," he picked the phone and realized that it was his mother. "Oh shit, it's my mum."

Gina burst out laughing, seeing that he was on the verge of cursing the caller before he realized that it was his mum.

"Hey, mum."

"Kevin! We have great news for you!"

He raised his brows, "We?"

"You’re Dad and I," she replied.

He already knew what it was about. "Oh. The great news is that you two are back together, right?" He asked, and Gina's eyes widened.

"How did you know?"

"I kinda already figured out that you would."

"You ruin the surprise, Kevin!"

He burst out laughing; he knew how much his mum hated getting her surprise ruined.

"So, are two having a wedding?" He asked.

"Not really. Just a simple court wedding. How's Gina?" She asked.

"Hey, mum," Gina said into the phone. She was still standing butt naked.

"Hey, sweetie. How's Kevin spoiling you?"

She looked at him and her naked body. "He's spoiling way too much," she winked.

His mum was about to say something else, but he interrupted her; he was becoming impatient.

"Hey, mum, we'll talk later, okay? I have to attend to some pressing issues." He winked back at her.

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too." He ended the phone call and dropped the phone. "So, where we're we?" He asked with a seductive smile before we lifted her and jumped into the pool.

***

Gina rushed to the bathroom and poured out her guts. This was the second time this morning, and she wondered what she ate.

She had been feeling nauseous these past few days, and she didn't know what was going on with her body. She was getting tired easily and having weird cravings.

Kevin advised her to take a test. She didn't want to so as not to get her hopes up and get them shattered afterward.

She was on her way to get some groceries, so she decided to get the pregnancy kit on the way.

Gina stared at the pregnancy kit, waiting for it to show the results. Her heart was beating very fast, and she didn't want her hopes to get shattered.

The test came out positive, and she couldn't contain her joy. Kevin was out on a business trip, he was coming back the following day, and she couldn't wait to tell him the great news. She knew how much Kevin wanted a child; he was always talking about how nice it would be to have someone call you daddy. Although she said she wasn't ready to have children yet, after seeing the positive test, she was more than happy to become a mother, to have a little one running around the house and destroying things just like Shay once told her.

She was looking for ways to tell her husband; she didn't just want to announce it the normal way; she wanted to add a bit of flair to it.

She had read a romance novel where the woman announced her pregnancy to her husband in an extraordinary way. She decided to copy that.

"I have a surprise for you," she told Kevin when he got out of the shower. He had just returned from his business trip.

"Really? What's the surprise?" He asked as he dried his hair with a towel.

"I got you something." She brought a box and handed it over to him. "Here."

"What's in here? Shoes?" He asked.

She shrugged, "Open it."

He unwrapped the box and opened it. He brought out a pair of tiny Nike Air Force. He gave her a weird look, "You got the wrong size dummy."

She smiled at him. "They aren't for you, dummy."

He frowned and looked at the shoes before looking at her, and his eyes widened in realization. "We're having a baby?" He asked elatedly.

"Yes!"

"Oh my God!" He lifted her and spun her.

"You're going to make me dizzy!" She said amid laughter.

He put her down carefully. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

She looked at him like he had grown two heads. "Honey, we can't know that yet."

"Oh, that's true. I'm just so happy. When did you find out?"

"Yesterday."

"Wow!" He breathed. "We're going to be parents," he grinned. He was even more excited than she was. He held her face and kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

"For what?" She asked.

"For making me the happiest man on earth. You have no idea how much joy you've brought into my life."

She smiled, and her eyes began to water. "Consider yourself very lucky," she told him.

"I'm so damn lucky to have you. The child is going to look like me," he boasted.

"No way the child was looking like you when I carried him or her for nine months."

"Wanna bet?"

"No, thank you."

She put the shoes back into the box and kept them in the closet.

Kevin stared at the love of his life; it felt like a dream. How he was able to get her to fall in love with him was beyond him. No one had ever had him smitten like this. He knew that even in their old age, his love for her would never fade. She was the only woman that made him run after her, the only woman his tricks didn't work on.

He was happy to start a new chapter of his life with her; he hoped they would get through the bumps and hurdles of marriage and remain together. He could not imagine a life without her in it.

THE END.

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