"When the dust settles and all the crowd is gone, the things that matters are faith, friends, and family."
HAPPY READING!!
~ XANDER ~
"Mom, for the millionth time I am saying this, stop setting me up with your friend's daughter. You know I don't like it." I grumble as I took a seat near my eldest cousin Aiden who was busy on his phone.
"Hello to you too my dear son. I am glad you could make it this weekend." Mom smiles and hits swiftly on the back of my head, making everyone else in the room laugh.
It was one of the usual weekends in our house where mom has prepared a family and friend dinner as she does every other weekend.
Aunt Stella and Aunt Kiera were sitting on the couch beside mine along with grandma Lily. Every older male was probably in dad's study discussing politics and business with a glass of whiskey.
Although mom specifically arranges these dinners and lunch to gather everyone for a family and friends time, I sometimes can't make it due to work or had to travel abroad.
"To answer your previous rant, this is for your good, Ok? You're already 32, you have to stop messing around with random girls and try to settle down." She pointed out flatly, passing a plate of cookies to Aunt Stella.
"But mom, I am not ready yet, I am too young," I complain, stealing one cookie from Aunt Stella's plate, popping it into my mouth.
"32 years is old enough Xander. At this age, your dad and I were already been married for 3 years." She scolds. Aunt Kiera nodded agreeing. "Your mom is right Xan, you should already start dating."
"But I do date," I argued, leaning back on the couch huffing in frustration.
I heard a bunch of scoffs across the room. "Banging a bunch of girls and buying them expensive gifts to get off your back isn't dating brother." Said my smart ass cousin Aiden, which got him a glare from Aunt Stella to watch his words. He just shrugged.
"And you know about dating? Oh, that reminds me of how's Delilah? I heard she is seeing some Daniel guy." I raised my eyebrow, smirking. His unamused, pained expression sends peace to my heart.
She is the only woman who my brother ever wanted, but the former just have a hate-y feeling for him. I don't blame her though. Aiden is an insecure jerk, he did put her through hell before, and now when he realized his true feelings for her, it's too late. He has been chasing her for the past 2 years and she won't budge.
She drives him crazy.
And I just love the TEA.
I heard a low whistle from Jason, Aunt Kiera, and Uncle Caleb's second born. "That must have hurt." Emerald, my favorite cousin whispers, taking a seat beside me. She the firstborn of Aunt Kiera and Uncle Caleb. She is just a couple of months older than me and two years older than Jason.
"Shut your trap, shitface," Aiden in a low voice, which is supposed to sound scary.
"Shitface? Me? Did you not see the Vogue yesterday? I was on the cover page, Dumbass," I smirked.
He glares at me. "With the Asshole of the year title? Yeah, I saw that."
"See, that's why education is important. If you had gone to school, you would have been able to read better." I roll my eyes, then I remembered something. "Oh, Em, isn't Deli a teacher?" She nods in confirmation suppressing her laugh. " Ah, good. Can you ask her if she can tutor another manchild?"
"Would you stop bringing her into the conversa-" He stopped when we heard my little sister scream.
My heart stopped. Eva!
Everybody stopped whatever they were doing and ran upstairs to her room.
When we reach there, I saw dad, Uncle Caleb, and Uncle Levi was already standing there, breathing heavily while shaking their heads. "Evangeline Crawford, you nearly gave me a heart attack." I heard my dad yell.
I walk through them to see my sister biting her lips, looking sheepishly at dad. "I am sorry papa."
"What happened?" I asked, sitting beside her. "Are you hurt anywhere, little one?" I frown staring at my little sister.
"No, I was just too excited and didn't realize I yelled that loud." She said grinning at me, her eyes gleaming with mirth, definitely not regretting that she gave everyone a mild heart attack. I chuckle ruffling her hairs, no one in the entire universe can resist her cute little face.
"What were you so excited ab-" My question was cut off in the middle when the twin, Ace, and Blake ran inside her room screaming their lungs off. "Did you see sis?" They said at the same time, to which she nods rapidly. They held hands and jumped up and down screaming.
"Ok, would anyone tell me what's happening?" Em piped in from the crowd that was gathered inside her room.
"I hit 10Million subs on my channel just now. Can you believe it?" Ace said or may I say screamed.
What's the big deal? I was about to asks when Em, along with my mom, Aunt Kiera, and Aunt Stella just pushed passed everyone and started screaming along with them.
They literally huddled and screamed together.
What a bunch of six-year-olds.
~~~~
"We had 3 kids when I was your age, Xander," Dad said when mom started the previous conversation at the dinner table.
I wipe my face with my hands exasperatedly. "Not you too dad."
"What? I am not getting any younger son, I want to see my grandkids before I go- Ow, shortcake, that hurt." Dad frowned when he got hit by mom.
"Serves you right, dad, why do you always talk about dying?" Eva complains jutting her lower lips out angrily.
"Sorry, princess, I was just trying to convince your brother." His eyes soften looking at my sister.
She is the little princess of our house. Everyone in our family loves her endearingly and why not? She is the most precious little thing in the world, such a pure, kind-hearted person, it makes my heartache.
"Oh, everyone's here." Matthew Crawford, one of the triplets yawned sitting between me and Christian. He was born a minute before Eva and 10 minutes after Christian, who is the eldest of the three.
"Wow, you are a-alive." Amelia, Aunt Stella's daughter, gasp faking horror. She is the youngest of all of us, a supermodel at the age of 26.
"Don't worry little sister, I won't go without you." Matt grinned at her.
"Nah, I am good." She said making disgusting faces.
"You don't have to make those faces sis, you are already ugly." He teased, shaking his head.
She scoffs and flicks her hair, full-on diva style. "You should thankful that I am not charging you for seeing my beautiful face. I am quite pricey you know."
"And that is why my belief in people is shattering day by day. I mean if your poop face is popular-" That's when Mom hit his head. Wow, mom is on a roll today. "Enough of you two."
Thank god mom stopped them, they always bicker like no tomorrow. He is a year older than her and they have been always competitive since middle school.
"Yes, stop teasing your cousin Amy." Uncle Levi said. "But dad, he started it first." Amy pouts.
"No. You did, Amy." Aunt Stella glared at her daughter and sit beside her husband pecking him on the lips.
Matt looked at Emma smugly while she glared, mumbling something, probably curses?
"Anyway, where was I?" My mom said. "Yeah, you, Xander Crawford, are going to meet her, and bring her to the party tomorrow. She is an absolute darling, and so pretty. She is exactly like the girl you wanted, smart, sophisticated, well mannered, she even started helping her father in the business after retiring from modeling. She is perfect for you." I sighed, knowing I can't win her.
"Ok mom," I started only to be cut off by her excited squeal. "- but, in one condition." I ended.
"Accepted." She said without even listening to my condition.
"Would you hear me out first?" I ask.
"Ok, Shoot."
"The condition is if I didn't like the girl, you will stop forcing me to go on dates, for a year." I proposed.
"What? A month? Ok, darling." She smiled, pretending not to hear me like she always does.
Bewildered, I almost shout. "Mom, I said a year."
"What? 15 days? Sure." She bargained again.
"Mom!!" I screamed frustrated.
"What? A week?" She continued her bargain, knowing I can't win her I gave in.
"A month. Ok. A month." I begged. I swear she should be handling our business.
Satisfaction. I saw her face lit up with a small smile of victory. "Ok, darling. A month it is." She announced proudly. Everybody in the table including Grandma Lily and Granpa Nick laughs at my mom's tactic.
Yeah, yeah laugh at my misery. I thought, huffing in annoyance as I stab the lettuce on my plate with my fork.
"I miss my godmother." I cry out. Aunt Daph is the only one who understands me, even sometimes saves me from going to these forced dates.
She is the only one who loves me truly.
Why the hell did she have to go to the damned family trip?
"Yeah, thank god she isn't here. She would have killed me knowing I am setting up her dear godson again." Mom shook her head, probably remembering the lengthy lectures from my dearest Godmother.
~~~~
After dinner, I said goodbye to everyone, it was nice meeting everyone after a long time.
I heard my phone ring while returning back to my penthouse. It was, mom. I picked it up. "Yeah, mom?"
"I forgot to tell you something, hon." She said. "Yeah? What is it?" I asked rubbing my forehead, I can feel a really bad headache coming up.
"Slyvia needs something to wear for tomorrow night, so I promised her you would take her to shop." She informed.
"What? But mom-" I freaked out, yet again she cut me off. "Tomorrow noon, I will send her address and time. Don't worry hon, you would do great. Thanks, bye." She said hurriedly before hanging up.
I pull my phone away from my ear and stared at the black screen.
I am a freaking 32 years old man, how can she treat me like a kid?
This wasn't the first time she did this to me though. Soon after I turn 30 she has been clinging on my back to get married. But I don't want myself to tied down just yet.
I cursed myself for being so soft, but what can I do? She is my mother. She and my sister are my biggest weakness. I can't say no to anything they want, and she knows that. Hence she takes advantage of my weakness. ALWAYS.
This is one of the reasons I don't want to get married. I don't want to add anyone else to the list. I hate being weak.
I mean everyone around me talks about love and how beautiful the journey of falling in love with someone is. But come on, I saw my dad, uncles, cousins, and hell even my friends succumb to this hapless and pitiful thing called love.
I have watched them suffer from its side effects like jealousy, possessiveness, being all clingy and needy, and how they have surrendered their hearts to a single woman for the rest of their lives.
And man, the effect these women have on them is hopeless to witness. These women have them wrapped around their little fingers, always keeping them in their toes.
They became pathetic.
And I don't want to become one of them.
Although my mom and dad explained that I am like this because I haven't met the one yet, and how my father and uncles used to be like this too.
But I don't think that's the case. I met every type of woman shy, cute, sophisticated, sultry, and whatnot, but no one has ever captured my attention. Even if someone did successfully catch my attention the passion burns out within a few weeks.
It's not fun anymore. I sighed in dismay.
Well, what can I do anyway? Even though I know I am going to reject her at the end of the day, I still have to go and meet the woman mom is forcing me to.
I breathe out closing my eyes feeling an enormous headache.
We will just have to see how tomorrow goes.