"To Sarah and Jared, for more years together," everyone said and clinked their glasses. Astra took her glass of water and drank it.
The dinner was over but people were still talking together. Astra looked at the couple and saw how much in love they were in. She remembered thinking it was too fast and too early for them to get married at first. They barely just met each other and Jared did say he was in love with her not too long ago, but then she looked at them and it seemed like love was enough.
Looking at them made Astra long for more, for companionship, for a full family, for what she had with Nicholas before. Maybe she was being too scared, and maybe it was time that she stopped being scared and just faced what was in front of her.
"Astra," Nicholas said. He was behind her seat. It was as though he was reading her mind.
"Nicholas," Astra replied, she stood up and looked at him.
"We need to talk, please let's go outside," Nicholas said and Astra nodded. She took his hand as they went outside his house. Some of the guests were already taking their leave and some were talking with Sarah and Jared.
They walked around his compound. There was a garden, and enough space to have a walk at night, it was one of the things that she enjoyed about Nicholas' house. She had thought it was too extravagant at first, but then with time the house had grown on her. The owner had grown on her too. She was crazily in love with Nicholas at first, and for some time she thought that the love will die, but the love grew on her, she loved him more than the first day, their love seemed to increase over time.
Astra and Nicholas walked around the garden in silence. It was enough for the moment, to just walk and hold each other's hands.
"Astra. I have something to tell you," Nicholas said after a while. Astra dreaded those words and she hoped that they could continue to walk in silence, but she nodded, she would have to hear what he wanted to say.
"Astra I want to get back with you. I want us to be together again like we were during the beginning. I want us to grow old together with our children by our side, and even when they grow up and start their own lives, I still want them to be together," Nicholas said. He was not looking at her, he was looking forward and they were still working. Astra looked at his face, but he refused to face her, she could guess that he was afraid of her answer.
"I don't know Nicholas," Astra said, and Nicholas looked at her then.
"You do not have to answer. You do not have to say anything at all. We can just take each day as it comes, we can start from now. I am not asking you to marry me again, even if I really want you to, i am asking that we start again, that a fresh beginning is what we need, I am asking you that we should start being friends again, that we should get to know each other again, and then if you want we can get to date again, and take each step with you by my side," Nicholas said. His voice sounded so sincere that Astra felt her heart ache. Tears began to fall from her eyes because she was not sure how to react.
"Don't cry Astra," Nicholas told her, he then wiped the tears from her eyes.
"It is the hormones, it's the baby, that is why I am crying," Astra said and Nicholas nodded before hugging her.
"I am so scared Nicholas, I am scared that we are not meant to be with each other, but I want to try, I want to try and be with you," Astra said and Nicholas hugged her tighter.
"We should do this. We can start by being friends. We can forget that everything happened and pretend that we just met," Nicholas said and Astra laughed a bit.
"We have a child together, and in four months, we would have another one. That is not a very good plan," Astra said with a smile.
"Says who?" Nicholas said. He looked so cheeky. It reminded Astra of how she found him so funny when they had first met and that was one of the reasons she fell in love with him.
"Oh, good evening. I just saw you walking by and I was in awe, such a beautiful lady, I said to myself that I had to meet you. My name is Nicholas, and you are," Nicholas said to Astra, he took her hand in his and kissed her fingers. Astra felt like butterflies were erupting in her stomach like the first day they had met. She felt like he was so handsome then, just like when they had met, a little more than seven years back.
"My name is Astra, I love your smile," Astra said. She did love the way he smiled. She remembered that was one of the things that attracted her to him in the first place.
"Thank you, Astra. I am sure nothing compares to when you widen your lips in a smile," Nicholas said and Astra laughed. It was a loud and free one. It was an easy laugh. The type that she did not know when it left her.
"Where did you get this sweet tongue from?" Astra said. She was still looking him in the eye. He was starting at her so intently that she could not tell what was going on in his mind, but the air was so intense. She could feel the electricity between them.
"I think I have always had it," Nicholas said. He was moving closer to her. Astra's heart was beating faster in anticipation she could barely wait. She wanted him to close to her. Astra moved closer and sighed when she felt Nicholas' arm around her. She moved closer to him and melted in his embrace.
"This is too fast. We are moving too fast," Nicholas said. His hands were still around her though, he was not pushing away.
"Friends can hug," Astra said, she was still in his arms, she felt safe and she did not want to leave him. She felt like she was home.
"Friends don't hug for this long," Nicholas said. He was removing himself from her, albeit slowly. Astra still wanted to stay with him, but she understood his fear, she had the same fear too. Maybe she would feel that she had enough, or too much and she would back off from his life too.
"We should have dinner tomorrow, as friends," Nicholas said, and Astra nodded.
"We should, it will be nice. I hope Stephanie will be free to baby sit," Astra said.
"Brian is with me at the moment, Sarah will help baby sit," Nicholas said. Astra did not feel that the newly engaged woman would be baby sitting, but she knew that they would figure it out eventually.
"I don't think we can be friends for long though," Astra said, she moved closer to him again. She wanted him to hold her.
"We have to at least try," Nicholas said and she pouted.
"I will see you tomorrow then," Astra said with a huff. She did not know why Nicholas was being so high handed.
"I will see you tomorrow Astra. Dream of me, I am already missing you," Nicholas said and Astra smiled back at him. They both started walking out of the garden together. She could not even be angry at him when he was being so lovable. She put her hands through his and they walked back to the house together.
"Do friends do this too?" Nicholas asked. It was clear that he was joking, but she glared back him. Nicholas then laughed. It was a long and full laugh. Astra's stomach tightened at the laugh. She loved listening to him laugh.