Mr Rumming And The Teacher ✔️

•22

"Calm down, register what you are feeling and feel it. Are you happy your parents are here?" He nods. "Are you mad they bought Shanice?" Another nod. "Does Shanice being here bring up old feelings?" He tenses up. "Honestly, be honest with yourself, I won't be mad." He relaxes and nods. "We are going to get through this dinner then we can have ice cream and watch a movie."

"I want fries, not ice cream." I let out a laugh.

"See we can make fries and then watch movies and I will even let you pick, no horror movies please, I would like to sleep." He lets out a laugh. We nod and put our foreheads together.

"I love you."

"I know." He places a kiss on my lips before we go back to cooking.  "Okay. Hand me the knife. I liked how you said 'my fiancé' it sounded nice. I'm an entire fiancé, who would have thought?"

"I have been asking you for five months now, you could have been one sooner." Rolling my eyes, before going back to plating the food.

"Had to make sure you are not a soul-sucking monster first." We laugh and he goes and puts the things on the table.

I am seated next to Israel and we are opposite his mother and Shanice. His mother is a sweet lady, she holds strong beliefs and she carries herself with so much grace.

"Why did you not tell us about Paris?" His mother asks

"I told Nonna and I wanted everyone to meet her at home but you were not there like always." I put my hand on his thigh.

"You could have called, when did you propose?"

"That is a long story but I said yes on Christmas." They look shocked.

"How long have you guys been together?" His father asks.

"Well over five months." They nod and continue eating.

"What do you do?" Shanice asks, imagine that, Shanice Copper asking what I do.

"I am a pre-primary school teacher, I think it's kindergarten in America."

We are currently done with dessert. Israel's hand is on my back. "Yeah, Mom, Dad, where were you?"

"Bali. We just love it there, always amazing. Your dad is retiring after all these years so we are hopefully going to spend more time there and we might even start showing up for Christmas."

"Good, Nonna really liked having Paris there."

"Really, she never really took a liking to me." His mother mentions in passing. "I heard you hit Andrea, why would you do something like that to your older brother?"

"He had it coming Ma. I specifically said that if anyone says anything about my person, there will be consequences and you know what Andrea did, he invited fucking Caroline to the house, what kind of crap is that? He also called Paris a gold digger as if his husband isn't one. You better get your kids in line because I don't play about my wife, I'm not like my brothers who allow anyone to just say anything. You say something about me, I might let it go but about this woman right here, I draw the line." I place my head on his bicep, he can be dramatic about his approach but I understand he just wants everyone to treat me the way he does.

"How did you get him so wrapped around your finger?" I feel like Shanice is starting something with her question.

"I will never know. From the first moment, he just kept bothering me." She nods

"So where did you meet, you said you are a school teacher, right?"

"Yeah, we met at a bar in Sandton, I was celebrating a friend's birthday party."

"So you have friends with money, are you from money?"

"Shanice," Israel warns.

"It's okay, No, I don't come from money but my best friend does and I grew up with her during high school."  I smile to conceal the storm inside. I smile because what else can I do, I keep my cool so that the volcano next to me does not erupt.

"So do you two plan on having kids?" His mom breaks the conversation into a new tunnel.

"We have not spoken as to when we are having a child but we do plan on having three, about four years apart."

"I wanted two and ended up with eight." We all laugh at her statement.

"I get it though, I want to say whatever happens happens but if I have at least an idea of the family I want, it helps us make decisions easier..." Israel interrupts me.

"Like where we are going to live."  I scowl at him.

"No, I know what you are going to say and my answer is No."

"I was going to say like after the kids."

"No. Your son is work, he is a hand and a half-full." He kisses my forehead.

"So are you moving to New York soon?"

"Probably around next Christmas but I am not sure if it will be New York, I want to spend time working for myself and just give those kids my last year before fully becoming his wife."

"It is a lot, I tell you that. Rumming men are full-time jobs themselves." I stand to go to the kitchen to fetch more wine. Israel does not go with me, he stays seated, excited to be around his parents but annoyed at Shanice's presence.

"I am going to leave now, I have an early flight." She says as I enter. Israel's mother goes to hug her and she even hugs his father. She goes to hug Israel but he remains seated.

"No need for niceties, you know where the door is."

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