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When we were done eating, Jason dashed off to play with Alfred. Marie took her leave from her brothers and showed Selena to her room, which left me alone with her brothers in the living room.Clever.
Lancelot spoke first, “You’ve surprised us, Karl. It still makes us worry, seeing all the recentscandalsandcontroversiesmy sister has been in—because of you, I must add. I wonder if she’ll be safe with you.” He shrugged carelessly, but his words hit home. None of the others interjected or added anything. They were waiting for my reply.
Lancelot was blaming me for what had happened, but he was not wrong. What I said now would determine our relationship going forward.
“I understand your worries. I have dealt with this same feeling, intimately. I love Marie and would hate for any harm to come to her. Unfortunately, unwanted circumstances arose, but I dealt with them swiftly. This is what I can promise for the future. I will protect her no matter what, although I can’t stop bad things from happening. Lorenzo himself has had to face such himself, I might add” I threw the ball to Lorenzo.
They kept silent, and out of the blue Lorenzo laughed. “Oh, you’re quite good. Yes, we can’t fault you for unforeseen circumstances. However, what about your stream of affairs? One thing I won’t stand is my sister being cheated on. If I ever hear of that, well, that’s the end for you.” His voice suddenly turned cold, making me more tense.
“I don’t just love her; she is my world. I would never hurt her.” I responded and Lorenzo nodded.
Smiling, he said, “She should be waiting for you. Go get some rest. Welcome to our family, Karl.” He walked away. Lance and Igor shook my hand before they left. I let out a relieved breath.
Upstairs, I saw Marie pacing back and forth, waiting for me.
“Hey.” She jumped and spun to face me. Immediately, she asked, “How was it? What did they say?”
“Calm down. It’s all fine. Although they were quite tough, we have their blessings.” I put my hand around her waist and kissed her. She smirked, walking to one of the doors.
Inside the room, Marie took off her clothes. “I need a bath, come join me.” She winked, entering the bathroom. I took off my clothes and obliged her. It wasn’t sex, we just enjoyed the intimacy of the moment. Later, we left the bathroom and changed into more comfortable clothes.
“Your brothers are pretty fierce. I can see that they love you very much,” I said as I brushed her hair in front of the mirror.
“They are, and I love them as well. They see me as fragile, sometimes forgetting that I am older and can protect myself. But it’s great to know you have people who love you at home ready to protect and take care of you. And you, my love, are one of them.”
“I won’t fail you, Marie. I knelt in front of her, kissing her thigh.
Christmas was going to be in three days. I checked the box I wrapped in my luggage. It was a gift, a promise, and a proposal. I planned to give it to her that day. I heard someone knocking and quickly kept the box hidden.
“Yes?” I answered, opening the door. Selena had glitter in her hair. I saw Jason and Alfred running away with ribbons in their hands.
“What are you doing inside? Come on out. We’re decorating the tree. It is better than staying here brooding. You can form more of a connection with her family.”
“I know. I was just carried away. Come in first. I have to ask you something.”
I closed the door behind her. “The thing is that I want to take it to the next level with Marie. I want to know if she has expressed any discontentment?”
“She has been pretty chill and very happy. Where’s this doubt coming from?”
I didn’t want to jinx myself by saying it, so I switched the topic. “Is there anything she likes or prefers that I might not know?”
“You wanted to get her a gift? You should have said that. Marie has almost anything a woman could ever need. Sure, a few expensive gifts wouldn’t impress her, but she loves to have something unexpected yet unique to the person giving it to her. So, if there’s something dear to you, she’ll love and cherish it.”
I smiled. “Thanks. I’ll join you soon.” She nodded, leaving.Yes, something dear to me. Marie, I’ll be giving you my heart and home. I hope you accept it.
Chapter 25
MARIE
TheChristmascelebrationwasdying down. We had decided to stay home and have an intimate holiday. I genuinely enjoyed being in the company of my family with Karl and Jason around. I felt complete. Well...not as complete as I’d like. I wanted to marry Karl. I was sure in my heart, and maybe he was too. I looked at him from the corner of my eyes. He was sharing a drink with Lancelot, laughing at something. Maybe I was just being hasty, and things would fall into place. We loved each other. Little did I know that this day would bring the biggest surprise of all.
“Snap out of it. It’s about time. Come, there are lots of gifts here. I even left you something.” Selena grabbed my arm, leading me to the brightly decorated tree. The kids were running around it. Crystal’s twin girls sat comfortably on a couch, watching Jason and Alfred play. The gift boxes sat under the tree, and I was giddy imagining what Karl had gotten for me.
Soon after, Lorenzo danced over with Crystal while Lancelot arrived with Karl. Igor sat with the girls, smiling. “Come on y’all. What are you waiting for? Let’s open our gifts.” After Lorenzo said that the kids jumped up and snatched boxes from the kids' section. Everyone was busy with a box in their hands.
I got several gifts from my siblings, and we shared laughs, comparing them. I didn’t get anything from Karl, which made me upset. I looked around to catch his eyes. He was smiling.What for?I felt a new surge of hope; maybe he got me something special.
Amid the merriment, he approached with his hand behind his back. The room suddenly grew quiet. He stopped in front of me to present a beautifully wrapped gift. His eyes sparkled with anticipation. “For you, my love.”
