A/N: I've realized the chapter title of the last chapter is a bit misleading.. And it is definitely not the end just yet!
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Gao Seng came over for a visit with Va and Tina one weekend. All of us girls were piled into Chia and Sophie’s room. Even Kaelyn was over. Bee was staying far away from all the girls, and Gabe was hiding in his own room.
“There’s something different about you, Luna,” Gao Seng noted, “What happened to you?”
We were having a casual conversation, and somehow it turned to me. Kaelyn was showing some videos to Tina and Va, but they all focused on me when Gao Send started her questioning.
“What?” I looked at all of them, “There’s nothing. Nothing happened.”
“I have to agree with Gao Seng. Bee is my brother, but something happened. You guys act differently around each other now.”
“No, no. No. Do you really think so?” I scrunched up my nose in curiousity. Had I changed that much since that night?
“Something IS going on between you two!” Sophie said loudly.
“Keep it down will you,” I shushed Sophie, “He’s right down the hall!”
“Oh right, yeah. Sorry about that. Tell us!” Sophie continued.
“Yeah, Tell us what is going on?” Gao Seng joined in. They all came closer to me, expecting a story.
I sighed and blushed at the memory. “We kissed.”
“That’s it?” Gao Seng said as if she was disappointed by what she heard.
“Are you serious?” Chia said.
“There may have been more..” I shrugged, unwilling to give everything away.
“Just say it already. It’s not we keep anything secret between us. Did you guys have sex?” Gao Seng said exasperated.
“Kind of, not really,” I said scrunching my face again. “We never got that far...”
“Foreplay was as far as you guys went?” Gao Seng said, throwing her hand in the air. “Finally you are doing something. Is it going to take another year for you guys to have sex though? When will you ever have a child?”
“Yeah, that is all we did. I don’t want to move that fast, and he’s okay with it. But I really don’t think thinking about children already is necessary. Bee is still in school. And he knows I’m not ready yet. How about you? When are you going to have kids?”
Now Gao Seng was smiling.
“She’s pregnant!” Sophie yelled.
“You’re pregnant?” I asked her.
Gao Seng’s smile only grew wider and she nodded.
I smiled too, but on my insides I felt something else. My younger sister was pregnant. For a while now Gao Seng and her husband had been trying, but I never thought it would be this soon. Would people expect me to have any children? Even after Bee’s older brother having kids, would his parents expect me to give Bee any kids? We’ve stepped into a new territory, one that still scares me, and now another problem arises.
“Congrats, Gao Seng,” I tell my sister. “This is wonderful news.”
“Thank you. But honestly we have time to talk about me and the baby. Tell us about you and Bee. What happened?”
“Nothing. I rather not talk about me and my relationships. It’s already as strange as it gets.”
“Fine. It’s not like you won’t be writing about it anyway,” Gao Seng said.
My eyes shot wide opened and I hoped Chia and Sophie wouldn’t get what Gao Seng implied. But I had no luck, Chia is too smart and didn’t miss a beat, “What do you mean? Luna writes, but why would she write about the thing that happened between her and Bee?”
“Nothing. She meant nothing,” I tried to settle it.
Gao Seng looks towards Chia, “You mean you don’t know.” Next she looks to me, “You didn’t tell them?”
Chia looks to me, “Tell us what?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Then it won’t be a big deal to tell us. We’ve known each other for almost a year now,” Chia started out saying. But as she continued, she slowed down and turned her thought around, “If you don’t want to, I can understand. You shouldn’t feel pressured.”
And I already knew it was time to share another secret. “It’s no big deal. Nothing to be fussy over. It’s just that I tend to be quiet about these type of things. My blog, and my story I write for it, they are my stories. I am Cari.”
“Cari’s story is your past?” Chia asks.
“You had an Adam in your life?” Sophie said at the same time.
I sighed, and started to tell them, “It happened such a long time ago. Adam was my first and last boyfriend. I’m sure he doesn’t even know I turned everything we did together into a story. I haven’t seen him since.”
“Wow,” Sophie said, “Everything I knew was a lie.”
“No, Sophie. I never lied about anything. I’m surprise you didn’t catch on sooner. With the story progressing, it is starting to show who I really am in the story.”
“I know. I kept telling myself it wasn’t you. It couldn’t be you. Why would you write about yourself like that? I can’t believe it really was you.”
“I’m sorry. I tend to not tell anybody anything,” I said.
“It’s true,” Tina said, “Luna doesn’t talk to anyone about anything. We learnt through her story of what was going on.”
“Writing was my way of getting my feelings out. I wrote out of stress and soon enough I had people wanting to know what happened next.”
"Honestly, it's fine," Chia said, "I knew already. I'm just a little upset it took this long to tell us personally."
"What? You knew?" I asked in shock.
"Bee told me. We weren't sure if you wanted me to know, so I haven't brought it up."
Sophie is more shocked now, "Even Bee knew before me?"
“Yea,” I nodded, “He does. I told him the first time we meet. I married the guy, he might as well know what he was getting into. When did Bee tell you?”
“He was angry. Around the time when you posted about Adam not coming to get you?” Chia said.
“He was angry? When we talked about it, he didn’t seem that mad,” I replied.
“I’m sure he was faking it. Cause when I saw him, he was ready to pound the guy. Gabe and I had to talk some sense into him. I was confused since I thought Adam was just character, he told me I wouldn’t understand. And when I wouldn't leave him alone about it, he told me.”
"Do you think I should talk to him about it?"
"What do you feel is right to do? It's time you guys figure out your issues together."
"Yeah. I know."
***
"Luna, " a quiet voice beckoned me awake. "Luna."
I was laying in bed on a bright spring morning. Since it was a Saturday I wanted to sleep in, and after a long night of writing I wasn't ready to be awoken like this.
Kisses trailed from my fingertips up to my shoulder, and those taunting lips found their way to my neck. I shivered at his touches and whined to be awoken in such a way. Underneath my ear, nibbles and kisses were placed. And as they stopped, he raises himself off of me to go near my ear, "Wake up. Luna. Sweety. Honey. Princess. My queen. Baby."
Ugh. Did Bee need me to be awake that bad? "Why are you doing this? You know I hate those nicknames."
"No, you hate baby. You don't mind the others," Bee said still whispering to me.
"Get off of me."
Bee rolls away from me to his side of the bed. He looks over at me and smiles, "I do have plans today, and you are in them. Come on."
I huff and pout, "Can I at least read for some of it?"
"Yea, that's fine. Let's get ready."
As much as I wanted to keep whining, I was curious to see what Bee had in store for us. Getting up, I change my outfit and take my turn in the bathroom. The whole house was still asleep and I hoped they would be fine without me for the day. Bee had told them of our little outing a few days ago, and decided not to tell me about it till today.
I didn't know what I would need to pack, and Bee tells me I won't be needing much. I get myself together with a small satchel, holding my wallet and book. And we are off on another adventure.
Bee drives us not far into the city and stops. We arrive at the park. I had yet to come here and the size of it surprises me. The whole place was larger than I could've imagined. Already there were others walking around the place, even in the early morning.
"What are we doing here?"
"Taking a stroll. Just you and me."
"Just me and you?"
"Yup."
And true to his words, we were walking through the park hand in hand. Although, before we could set off, Bee surprises me once again with a camera.
"It's time to film something new." Bee tells me as he faces the camera in our direction.
"Tell me," Bee said, "How are you feeling today?"
I thought about it and settled with, "Outrageously and utterly tired. Stupidly and foolishly happy. Upsettingly and furiously vulnerable."
"I love it when you get wordy. Should I use my medical terms too?"
"Maybe later when you I need a nap," I chuckle at the thought.
"Why vulnerable?"
"Because of you."
"I can make you, Luna, feel vulnerable?"
"Two words: this morning."
Bee smile devilishly. "Really? Should we continue later?"
I laugh at him and run away, letting go of his hand. I skip ahead, turning to walk backwards to watch him. Bee faces the camera towards me. Feeling content with myself, I turn back to the trail and go on without him. Bee must have stopped filming. I could hear him rushing after me. Hands come around my middle and pulls me close to the owner's body. "Don't go too far. I don't want to lose you."
Bee spoke into my hair, leaving a kiss on top my head. We walk this way for awhile longer, enjoying the view and being together. I ask for the camera and Bee brings it out to film once again. The park starts buzzing and people shows up more frequently.
The tiny trail we walk on came to an end, and the sight of what welcomed us back to Bee's car surprises me. His whole family were there. It was a family picnic. Already, near the picnic area, Gabe and cousins were setting up. Elders were instructing, women cooking, men helping with heavy objects. Kids ran about after one another, and teens crowded.
I could see Chia with Sophie and Kaelyn taking rice out of its pot, Matt along with Gabe were getting a grill ready.
"What is going on? How come I didn't know about this?" I ask Bee.
"Chia and Sophie didn't want you to worry since you've been doing almost everything around the house."
"I'm gonna look like such a bad wife.." I shake my head.
"It's fine. Let's go converse with these people known as family."
Going up to the girls, they feign shock, thinking Bee and I would be hiding out longer. Food is being cooked, laughter is in the air, everything is going well and nobody says anything about our disappearance from the beginning. One of the older ladies calls every one in for food, and kids come scrambling up. Mothers tend to their children, teens help with the handful of kids who are rushing. I stand back and wait for them to finish, along with most of the others who are not in a rush.
After getting my plate full of food, I join Sophie and Kaelyn at their table.
"How come I wasn't in on this event?"
Sophie finishes chewing and swallowing her food before she answers, " Bee and Chia told me not to."
Chia and Matt joins us at the table as well. I decide to direct the same question to Chia.
And she tells me, "Bee didn't want you to worry, and I agreed. He paid for all of this, and asked us to set it up."
From behind Bee comes up, and said, "Thanks for not telling her."
Chia shrugs, "Luna was bound to find out anyway."
Bee sits next to me. I look to him, "Why didn't you want me to worry. Was it because of what I said that one night?"
"Kind of, sort of," Bee shrugs. "I'm just trying to keep everyone happy the best way possible."
"You didn't have to."
"But I did. Look at mom and dad. All of us are busy with our own lives. We try to be around for them, but they need conversation, they need interactions with someone else other than us."
I look at his parents, and Bee was right. They were laughing and enjoying themselves. A smile was on not only their lips, but their eyes, a scene none of us had witness for a long time now. Bee's mom feeds one of the nephews and laughs at his expressions.
Once again I am caught up in my own thoughts of what is expected out of me. Bee’s parents may be glad to have me, but they want children, Bee’s children.