We're going to need more than five minutes

I do!

„He is not my husband, and this was not a wedding, hence, there's no wedding night", said Lana, „And please don't forget: you ambushed us with your shenanigans, he was never supposed to stay the night. I already told you, he's at a friend's birthday party. An event I wouldn't want him to miss out on just because my friends are crazy."

Antoinette smirked: „Awww, come on, Lanushka, don't tell me you didn't like it, I know you did!"

Lana, who had been absentmindedly playing with the heart pendant of her necklace, looked down at it and couldn't avoid a dreamy smile. „Maybe... but still. You had no right to meddle in our relationship like that. You didn't even know where we stood with each other after Hawaii? Maybe we had a horrible disagreement and decided to never see each other again? And you drag us out into the open, in front of all my friends, complete strangers to him, to possibly be humiliated like that?"

Trish shook her head. „We knew you didn't. We knew you'd gotten closer during your trip."

„How? I never told you?"

„Well, maybe you should have! But either way... we just knew. We know you, honey, and we know that all you want, all you've wanted for a long time now is that man. So we knew you'd make up your mind eventually during your trip."

Lana scrunched up her nose and raised up her chin just a little bit too high. She was a complex woman and not that predictable... or was she?

„Whatever", she said, „But just so you know: we actually had our first big fight today. We were right in the middle of it when you started this whole charade. Which also means that we didn't even get the chance to properly talk it out and make up."

Antoinette waved it off. „You can have your make up sex tomorrow, I'm not worried about that."

„Still! We were both really, really upset, and all that on our first day as a real couple! And I'm not sure I like how you just don't seem to care about that."

Trish leaned over and took her hand. „You're right! We're sorry. Do you want to talk about it? What were you fighting about?"

She shrugged. „No, I actually don't want to talk about it, not with you anyways. With him, yes, but he's not here. It was just... well, things you fight about when you're a biracial couple with fifteen years of age difference. Probably stuff we'll now be fighting about all the time, so might as well get used to it."

„Or you'll get the hang of it and learn to accept and live with that reality, every day a little more. I've seen you today, both of you. And yes... while in the beginning Jordane looked like a bull being led to the butcher... and eventually we shall apologize to the poor guy, no worries, you looked so happy, both of you! So in love. We have rarely ever seen you like that, Lana, certainly not with Fred, ever. Not even on your wedding day?"

She looked over to Antoinette for a confirmation which she received via a convinced nodding of the head.

„On paper, and objectively speaking, the odds aren't exactly in your favor, we're aware of that. But still... why did you decide to be together in the end? Was it... yesterday, was it?"

She nodded. „Yes, yesterday. We did a cruise around the island and had a heart to heart. We talked about everything. The future, about getting older... having a family, or rather not having a family, even money. He told me right away that he wanted to be together with me, but I was terrified. In the end though, we agreed that, as scary as the age difference is, if that's the only reason then it is not a good enough reason to not be happy. Let's face it, we'd be completely miserable! We wouldn't be able to let go of each other anyway. So we might as well... even though all this is probably a terrible, terrible idea, but..."