Chapter 156 CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIX: LIVING EVER AFTER.

Chapter 156 CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIX: LIVING EVER AFTER.
ZARA
“I kind of find it insulting that you think I can't cook," I said, stirring the vegetables on the stove. 
In reality, I couldn't cook. I just looked up an easy recipe on the internet a few hours ago. I wanted to believe there was nothing I couldn't do. 
After all, how hard could it be? 
“Have you cooked before?” Aiden asked. 
I had successfully put him on the stool in the corner, but he was constantly straining his neck trying to see me. I turned to him and tilted my head. 
"No, but how hard can it be?” I shrugged with a pout. 
“Not hard at all." He shook his head. 
I purse my lips, a corner of my lips twitching. He smiled nervously and tried to get off the stool. I shook the wooden spoon in the air, and he sat back down. 
He chuckled nervously and cleared his throat. “You are so perfect; what is it that you can't do?” 
I smiled smugly and nodded. “At least you know the truth." 
I turned back to the stove, and his hand crept onto my waist. “You can't sit still, can you?” I asked, trying to hide how this moment pleased me. 
“I just want to hold my wife… where is the crime in that?” 
He nuzzled his chin in my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. His good hand wrapped around me and mine, stirring the pot. 
“About the dinner for family and friends…" he started. 
I sighed. Before Rylan unleashed his craziness, we planned to put everyone under the same roof and give an announcement. Alex knew now, but my parents still didn't know. 
It was time to go back to living our normal life. 
"Tomorrow night would be a good time," I murmured, and he nodded. 
\~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since Aiden was still in a sling and couldn't go to work, we both worked from home. I had to keep an eye on him. He had also insisted on my being on bed rest, even though the doctor said I was fine to go about my daily activities without worrying. 
Even though we had someone setting up the dinner, Aiden was constantly disappearing to ‘check on things,' but I knew what that code meant. 
"I am anxious and I don't want this night to end up a disaster." 
I had no idea what he was worried about. Everyone coming was family. They would be happy for us and careless about the aesthetics. 
“Do you think the chef would mess up the meal?” I raised my head from the laptop on my lap. He came into the room after being gone for a while. 
He said he wanted to get a glass of water but ended up coming back empty-handed. 
“Maybe I should have made the meal myself," he said, plopping onto the bed beside me. 
He pulled a cute puppy expression as if that were going to change my mind. 
“I don't know…” I said in a slow, teasing voice. “The chef has a degree and many awards, and you are just…” 
He sighed and shook his head. “This is not the time to play around, Zara." 
"Right." I nodded eagerly with widened eyes. "It's definitely not the time to play around, so tell me… why do you want to make a meal with your hand in a sling?” 
“Everything has to be perfect tonight." 
I grabbed his good hand and pressed it to my stomach. “The baby doesn't care about perfect. All she wants is a happy, living family. And as long as we are that to her, then that is all her world needs." 
“How do you always know what to say?” He murmured with his head down. 
I raised his chin so he could look at me. “Because I'm perfect?” 
He kissed me, taking me by surprise, and nodded, his breath fanning my cheeks. “You are." 
\~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The door bell rang. 
Amara hanging on her husband Noah’s arm, Leo, Henry, and Zoey stood there. It was almost as if they had come together. 
“How?” 
“We met in the driveway," Amara said as she pulled me into a hug. “We have a lot to catch up on," she whispered in my ear as she pulled away. 
“We do," I nodded with a mischievous glint in my eyes. Wait until she hears I somehow fell pregnant before her. 
“Come on in." I led them to the living room and panicked when I saw the bags of baby things still lying around. Aiden and I had not gotten around to taking it upstairs yet. 
I stopped abruptly and turned to them. "Let's go somewhere else. I dont think we can…” 
I tried to pull them away, but Amaar’s eyes caught the pile, and she smiled. “Are you…” 
“We just bought a few things early.  " The lie slipped before my brain could think about it. I guess my pregnancy brain was working overtime.
“But…” 
“This way," I ushered them away. 
I was still trying to get them settled in when my parents and Alexander arrived. Aiden, still in the sling, can barely do anything. We all gather at the dining table, and everyone is eager to hear what we have to say. 
“The suspense is killing me," Amara said, taking a sip from her wine. She was already suspicious and was waiting for me to just say it. 
“You won't die from suspense." I rolled my eyes at her. I took Aiden’s hand on the table and took a deep breath. 
“We would like to celebrate the success of our companies, but it can't compare with the news we have to share with you all today." 
Aiden and I shared a glance before turning back to everyone, looking at us with eager looks. Zoey and Alexander already knew, but still, they waited for us to say it first. 
“I am pregnant." 
From the moment the words left my mouth, I could see all the wheels in their brains spin. Amara was the first to recover. 
She jumped out of her chair, the wine from her glass spilling over the table. She pulled me into a hug. “I called it…” she chanted over and over again as she hugged me. 
My mom moved and hugged me. She pressed me into her body; it felt like I was ready to be mashed together with her. 
“Oh my darling girl…you did it," she said in a shaky, relieved tone. She patted my back before pulling away. 
She wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and then pinched my cheeks. “I am going to be a grandmother." 
“You are." I nodded, feeling tears well up in my eyes as well. 
Seeing all of them be happy for me did something to me. My father took his place beside my mother and pressed my hand. 
“You did it, Zara," he said like I had closed a multi-billion dollar deal. He hugged me as well. 
Everyone else at the table took turns congratulating us.
“This calls for a toast." Amara lifted her now-filled glass in the air. Everyone took one, and Aiden slipped a glass of grape juice into my hands. Everyone laughed at the sight. 
To one of the strongest women we all know and her wonderful husband who held back the froth. And most importantly, to the new life they are about to bring into this world." 
They clinked their glasses as I waited. “Because we know that he or she would be loved," she said after a sip. 
The rest of dinner was the warmest thing I had ever stepped into. Eveyrome was talking and gisting like old friends. 
Aiden squeezed my hands when I yawned fpr the third time in a minute. I was not bored of having them around. I just couldn't stop myself from wanting to sleep. 
“Zara must be tired…” Sera said, and everyone turned to me. 
“Oh no, it's fine…” I yawned, unable to finish the thought. 
"It's not fine," she gestured to Aiden. “Go on, get her to bed. We would see ourselves out.” 
She stood up. Aiden looked ready to protest, but she was not having it. She pushed us both from the dining room towards the stairs. 
“Have a lovely night, you both." She waved at us. 
For the first time, I finally understood happily ever after…. Because I was currently living it as my reality. 
This was my happily ever after.