Hopeless

Hopeless - 23

"How did you get here?" Henry hugged her tightly. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise, and I asked Shona for help," Acacia smiled at her dad's girlfriend. "Thank you for keeping it a secret by the way."

"I knew you would be ecstatic if Acacia came home, sweetie, so I begged her to come home," Shona gave her boyfriend a sweet smile. "Merry Christmas!" She laughed.

"Merry Christmas!" Acacia laughed as well as she gave her dad another tight hug. She then continued to hug my parents, my dad helping her get some food to eat. They all knew her favorites, so my dad was able to give her a plate after she finished talking to my mom.

She was really here, I thought to myself. Yet, she still looked beautiful as I remembered. I distanced myself from her, so I unfollowed her from every social media sites I had and never asked for her, knowing how she needed space. She was still mesmerizing, still the same care-free looking person there is. A smile graced my lips as I looked at her, hope filling my chest as I realize I could use the time I have with her to finally talk.

When she sat next to Anne, she was quick to hug her best friend. "We missed you so much!" Anne exclaimed.

"Yeah, she even called you a loser for almost not showing up," Neil snickered. "What have you been doing this whole time?"

Acacia laughed before she started to talk about college in London, meeting new people but always missing us. She apparently is still living with her cousin, and she is having an amazing time at London. While she talked, we noticed how she was starting to have an accent, and started using British slang. She seems to adapt to London so quickly, she was starting to change.

"You seem to enjoy London, huh?" Natalie asked, admiring Acacia. "You even started dressing like one. So sophisticated and classy, you look really pretty, Acacia."

"Oh, that's bullocks!" She rolled her eyes at Natalie. "I'm still the same Acacia you all know!"

"With a slight British accent," Parker pointed out.

"Well, how about you guys?" She looked at Lacy and Neil. "I heard you guys got together." They both looked at each other shyly, Neil scratching the back of his neck while Lacy blushed.

She then looked towards Jenny and Grey and Natalie and Xavier. "And you guys, when are you blokes proposing?" Acacia sternly looked at the boys. They all widened their eyes, knowing how early it was to get engaged. We all laughed at their off-guard expressions. Though she just laughed, crossing her arms on the table. "I was just having a laugh, guys, it's too early! Though, I was hoping to see rings once I come back."

"Speaking of rings," we heard Henry say as he and Shona stood up, nervous smile on their faces. "We have an announcement to make," he looked at his daughter with a nervous look. We all looked at them with puzzled expressions.

"I'm engaged," Shona breathed out before showing us a large rock on her left ring finger.

Acacia gasped, her eyes wide as saucers as she looked at her father and his new fiancé. "What! How long has this been going on?" She exclaimed, a shine of happiness in her eyes.

"He proposed a month ago, but we were waiting for the right moment to tell everyone," Shona laughed nervously. "But that's not all."

Henry smiled lovingly at his fiancé before he said, "Shona's pregnant."

Everyone gasped in surprise and excitement, Acacia getting off of her chair before giving both of them tight hugs, examining the engagement ring and rubbing Shona's belly. "Oh, Shona, you're going to be a mum!" Shona nodded as she cried silent tears, kissing her fiancé. Acacia then placed her hands on both her hips before giving her soon-to-be-step-mother a stern look. "No wonder you weren't drinking! I know how much you love your champagne." Everyone laughed before they started congratulate the couple. Acacia returned back to her seat.