We walk into the house and I tell him to cover his eyes.
"Why?"
"Do it, please." He covers his eyes and I lead him to the backyard "Open them." His eyebrows lift as his eyes widen and his face retracts to softness "I wanted to thank you for being so good to me then you upstage me by proposing but I still want to thank you and show how much I appreciate you for everything you do." I stand in front of him
"Thank you." He places a kiss on my forehead "What are we watching?"
"Your favourite movie."
"Purple hearts?"
"Uhm, no, that's my favourite movie."
"The proposal?"
"Yes." He does not like the movie but he likes to pretend that he does so I do not feel guilty about wanting to watch it a billion times. We are actually going to watch The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
As the movie starts he looks over at me and I just smile before taking a bite of my chocolate. Khanyi is asleep in between us.
We watched the movie before I took Khanyi to bed and we stayed outside, enjoying wine and vodka with snacks.
"You know, more than anything, you have made me a better man."
"No, I don't deserve the credit for that."
"Oh but you do, I was an arrogant piece of shit when I met you. I was hotheaded, I bottled up my emotions because I thought that is what it means to be a man, I felt entitled to you, to your time and presence. You taught me to look in the mirror and see beyond my projections. You helped me gather the strength to define what being a man is to me. In my eyes, your support helped me become the man I am today, a man worthy of marrying you."
"Whatever has you in this confessional mood needs to happen more often. I love you, Kai, I always will and in anything you do, I will always support you and I hope you will do the same for me." We got out of the pool and headed for our bedroom. We slept in each other's embrace.
Waking up and noticing the ring on my bedside is the most surreal experience. I always knew I would get married but parts of me had given up hope that he would be the one to get down on a knee for me.
I feel his hands wrap tighter around my waist. He strokes my neck with his nose, he is so horny in the morning.
"Good morning, husband-to-be." He smiles before placing a kiss on my forehead
"Good morning, wife-to-be." What luck can it be to have an amazing person such as Kaiser. He heads to the bathroom, I take a moment to take it all in before I head to the shower.
We talked, we will wait until I am done with school to have the wedding ceremony. I will not have my degree reflect his surname.
"What is that?" Sue asks sitting next to me,
"What? Do I have a bug on me?"
"No, on your finger, it is so nice."
"Oh, Kai proposed last night." She screams and comes to hug me
"Congratulations! How do you feel?"
"Excited, scared, happy and so many other emotions but the winning emotion is happiness."
"I can see why you have that glow on you."
"No baby, that's just me every other day." We laugh and she looks at the ring
"So when are you getting married?"
"Why are you getting married?" Thato asks as she sits down in front of Sue.
"He proposed." I lift my hand and she covers her face with her hands
"What? Oh my, congrats girl, I better be invited."
"I'm getting after graduation so no rush."
"Yeah, graduation is only eight months away."
"So soon?"
"Yeah." The teacher walks in and sets his bag on the desk and connects his laptop to the projector.
The rest of the study group finds out about the engagement. We are meeting today at the house so we will be spending our break gossiping.
As I head to my car to go home, my phone rings.
"Hello?"
"Ma'am, Mr Kaiser said to tell you that he will be going on a business trip for a few days but he will be back, until then, his friends will be around to keep you safe."
"Thank you for telling me, Thati, where is Khanyi?"
"With her grandmother."
"Okay, thank you Thati." I hang up and get in the car. I notice Chris walking towards my car and I put the car in reverse and leave, I am not talking to him, in any capacity.
I got the groceries delivered because Kai did not get them and I can't send him. When I walk into the house, Greta is in the kitchen, Khanyi in her playpen.
"Hey, Greta." I greet her before going to hug her, she allows me to wrap my arms around her
"Hey, Kamo, how was school?"
"It was great. When did you get here?"
"A few minutes after you left, I was supposed to be here the day before yesterday but I had to go to the doctor."
"Oh, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I am okay, just a check-up."
"Where is Hilda?" She looks confused
"He didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"She passed away, a few days ago, I buried her then he told me it was best if I lived with you guys for a while."
"Oh, I am sorry for your loss."
"It hits different when it is your mom."
"Tell me about it but you will get through it." I pat her back before heading upstairs for a bath.
While I am in the bathtub, my phone rings, I pick it up from the edge of the tub. Baby Daddy,
"Hey, baby."
"I am sorry I left so abruptly."
"It's okay. I heard about your grandmother, I'm sorry Kai."
"It's okay. She got to see her great-grandchild, I am sure she was happy to go."
"Yeah, so how long are you gone for?"
"I am in Russia for a week maybe."
"A week? That is a long time, you better be safe."
"I always am, I will be back as soon as I can, give Khanyi a kiss for me."
"I will and come back to me okay?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, I love you."
"I love you." I hang up and put the phone back. My mood is a bit dampened, missing him feels foreign as I have not done it in so long.
"Mama! Mama!" A crying Khanyi runs into my room
"I'm here, what's wrong?" She points to her knee, which is bruised "Were you playing outside without an older person?" She doesn't look at me "It's okay, you will be okay." I pull her into my arms and hold her before taking her to bathe.
"Where is Dada?"
"Uhm, work, Dada is at work, he will be here as soon as he can." After her bath, I get the dining room ready for study group.
Greta went to my dad's house with Khanyi, she wanted to give me space and I appreciate that. We are preparing for our last exam of the year.
"I think it's time we take a break."
"Why?"
"I just read this entire page and I remember nothing." Laughter erupts and I head to the kitchen to fetch more snacks.
"So where is Khanyi?"
"Her grandmother took her to my dad's house."
"Your mother-in-law," Thato interjects
"Yes."
"How did that happen?"
"After therapy on Monday, we went to the store and he got me the red roses you see there-" I point to the roses on the counter-"so I wanted to thank him for being the sweetest man ever and so I planned a movie date, we watch his favourite movie while in the pool. He went to his friends and when he came back he said to close my eyes, which I did. He then drove for a while before asking me to get out and he led me away from the car and told me to open my eyes to a picnic he made in the back of the car."
"This is getting interesting."
"We talked, ate, laughed. All the mice things when he asks me to close my eyes, which I do then when I open them he had the box in his hand."
"That is sweet, so where is he?"
"Work." They nod
"Well, Congratulations!"
"Yeah, Congratulations!" The rest of the group join in.
"Thank you guys now let's yet back to work."
********
Are you excited about the wedding?
Will it happen?
I am currently writing the epilogue😭😭😭