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“I’m sorry,” Gabriel frowns. “Super Vigo to the rescue.”
“Come on. Don’t tell me you’re jealous,” I hold back my laugh before clinging to his neck. “You should be happy somebody loves me as much as you do. But in a different way, of course.”
Gabriel stops pouting and teases my lips with kisses. He pulls away and points to something on the couch near the bed. My heart leaps with happiness when I see a huge box.
Uncle Vigo called me yesterday, and after telling him my plans, he filled the rest of it. He promised to find us a hotel and to take care of our wedding outfit. I never thought he would be so generous. He also swore to do everything to come. It sucks to walk down the aisle without my father, but Uncle Vigo is a terrific substitute. He wouldn't care about who Gabriel is. All he wants is I'm loved, and I'm sure he knows Gabriel loves me.
‘Where did he get this?” I almost can’t breathe after a beautiful wedding gown appears before my eyes. I take it out of the box and show Gabriel. His eyes light up like the crystals on my expensive dress.
“Looks like he doesn’t want you to have a wedding unfit for a princess,” Gabriel pouts again.
I put down the dress to console him again, but I notice a card in the box. Gabriel shrugs his shoulders and walks to the bathroom. I laugh a little at his cute jealousy. But my laugh quickly fades as I open the card.
“Papa,” the word slides out of my mouth.
A mix of emotions shakes me. I'm excited to receive a gift from my father again, but I'm panicking, knowing he knows of my plan. I turn the note to check the back, and a phone number appears with an order to call him. I rush to the front door to check if it is locked.
"Gabriel!" I run back to the bathroom and knock on the door loudly. Gabriel steps out, confused by my panic. He becomes more puzzled when I hug him tight. "I forgot you're in there. I thought…"
“Nothing will happen, Sasha. Relax,” Gabriel gently scratches my back to calm me. He flashes a boyish smile and asks, “I’m taking a shower. You want to join me?”
I twitch my lips at him and push him back inside. "Just hurry and return Professor Mallows' car. And quickly come back."
Gabriel nods and caresses my cheek to relax me more. I smile and walk back to the box. I look at the note for a while before taking out my phone. "Papa," I start. Tears spring down my cheeks when my father greets me with a worried voice. He bombards me with questions. From asking if I have eaten to, "When will Papa see you?"
"Papa, I'm in love," I declare after he stops asking questions.
He chuckles like a happy man and answers, “About time, my malyshka.”
My whole body vibrates with shock at his reaction. I look at the bathroom, wanting to tell Gabriel about it. But I became suspicious of my father. I know he loves me so much that he'll want to give me everything I want in this world, but he also adheres to what the organization wants from him. Uncle Vigo said Papa promised me to Dmitri Fador. How can my Papa be okay with me being in love with another man?In love.Of course. I didn’t say I’ll marry Gabriel.
No.Papa knows! He's the one who sent me the wedding gown. I close my eyes and try to clear my mind. If my father didn't want me to marry Gabriel, he could have just come here and forced me away. Why would he surprise me with a wedding gown?
“I want to meet the man, Sasha,” Papa finally demands.
“So you can harm him?”
“Harm him? My malyshka, why will Papa harm the boy who loves my daughter?” This is the father I know! The sweet man who spoils me. Can it really be that he's okay with what I have with Gabriel? "Papa can even force the Earth to be flat for you."
His cliché line always gets me every time! His laugh resounds in my ears, filling me with the security he has given me all these years. I look at the wedding gown and smile. Nothing will make my wedding more perfect than having my father walk me down the aisle.
“Let’s have lunch together. Just the two of us,” Papa’s invitation makes me suspicious. "It's been a while since we had one. We'll have dinner with the boy and your Uncle Vigo tonight."
“You knew that Uncle Vigo knew about us?”
“He knows I’ll kill him if he walks my daughter on her wedding day instead of me,” Papa kiddingly answers. “So, he told me. So, of course, I ordered everything to be perfect for Daddy’s true love.”
I wipe the tears and nod as if my father can see me. "Where should we have lunch?"
I walk to the bathroom and consider telling Gabriel about my plan. But I hesitated. I'm scared I could be wrong about meeting my father. I'm also worried that Gabriel might panic and choose that we should run away instead of getting married here. I can't miss out on having Papa walk me down the aisle. I take a deep breath and return to the couch.
Gabriel has to go and return the car. I should see him leave first. So, he won't be here if my father plans to abduct him. I can leave him a note to wait for me. I might return to Gabriel with happy news if Papa remains true to his words.
#
“Papa!” Like a child, I run to him. I brush his beard and hug him tight. "You look old."
Papa laughs – the one thing I love the most about him. Growing up, I didn’t need a Santa Claus to make me feel it was Christmas. Papa's laugh was better than Santa's. People say I have his eyes and everything else from my mother. But I actually have his laugh, too.
