Rana and Shane stared at the spot Ethos left after he went out of the room without saying another word. A tense silence hung around the room after he left. Rana moved and took a glass of green tea.
"I don't believe that guy," said Ethiara as she picked a biscuit and put it in her mouth. "He doesn't even have the gall to congratulate you but rather opposed to your upcoming wedding. What an insolent man."
She shot a look at Rana but shifted her gaze to Shane.
"Do you have the date set already?"
Rana looked quizzically at Shane. Shane turned his gaze back at Ethiara and shook his head.
"We don't have a date yet," he informed her.
Helios took a drink before speaking. He put the glass on the table.
"When do you plan to hold the wedding?"
"We haven't talked about it yet," Rana said as she held the glass in her hands.
"We can hold it in a month," Shane suggested as he bit into a biscuit.
Rana looked at him.
"That's too fast, don't you think?" she asked him.
"Wouldn't it be better if we get married fast?"
Shane asked throwing back the question at her.
"What's the hurry, cousin?" asked Helios. He helped himself more to more biscuits.
Rana looked back at Shane and bit her lower lip.
"The preparation for a wedding could be taxing. It takes time. It usually takes a year to prepare it. We could hold it in six months."
She suggested.
Shane took a glass of green tea and drank from it.
"I don't mind if we prepare it in six months.
There's no rush really," he said as he looked at Helios. "But I don't mind getting married to Rana in a month."
"Enos. You really don't know women," Helios started, holding back his grin.
"What do you know about it, Helios?" asked Ethiara, interested in what he had to say.
"You're not the one who's getting married, Ethiara," said Helios brushing her off.
"Oh, really? And have you ever been a bride?" she asked throwing the question to his face.
"But you will never be a bride," said Helios lazily, shifting his sight from Ethiara to Rana. "Not to Ethos, anyway."
He drank the green tea in the glass.
Ethiara closed her hands on the glass she was holding.
"As if you are getting married," she said annoyed at Helios. "I doubt any woman will ever feel like getting married to you. Less, hitched to do it anyway."
"I'm going to marry one day, too, Ethiara. Not just today, yet."
"And whoever will feel that force one day to marry you must have really lost her mind, then," Ethiara said scoffing at Helios. "It would feel more like a funeral than a wedding when that day happens, Helios."
"And it'd be funeral, too, Ethiara, when one day you marry Ethos."
Shane and Rana just quietly watched as the two threw word punches at each other. It has been a while since Helios and Ethiara squabbled.
Helios turned to look at Shane once more.
"Imagine yourself a bride, Enos. Wouldn't you want to feel special on your day?"
Helios asked throwing the question at him.
Shane tried to imagine himself a bride but he had a hard time imagining himself as one. He's a groom anyway. Though, he wouldn't deny the fact that Rana would make a beautiful bride in a white gown. He looked at Rana for quite some time.
"I'm not a bride, Helios. So, I can't imagine that."
Shane said.
Helios sniggered.
"Oh, stop it, Helios. It's not that funny," said Rana in an admonishing voice but she had a smile on her face.
"Quit it, Rana. Even you are smiling about it."
Shane said. His tone was serious.
"Do I?" asked Rana in an amused voice.
Helios kept on laughing. Ethiara also joined in. Soon, everyone in the room was laughing except for Shane who kept his face passive.
"Shane in a wedding gown? I can totally imagine that. Ahahahahaha."
Ethiara said continuously laughing.
"Not you, too, Ethiara."
He said shutting his mouth at the sight of the three all laughing because of him.
"I wouldn't mind trading the tux for a wedding gown if Shane's wearing it."
Rana said with an evil smile on her face.
Shane stood up.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Home," Shane said turning at her. "We'll discuss the wedding tomorrow when you are all done laughing at me in a wedding gown."
He said with a sly smile on his face. He dragged Helios to the doorway.
"Come on, cous."
Shane and Helios went out of the gate of Rana's house.
"You had me there."
Shane said as they walked on the road.
Helios was still laughing but he was trying to stop himself from laughing anymore.
"Is it that amusing?" Shane asked tonelessly.
Helios still sniggered before answering.
"It's pretty damn funny to see you in a wedding gown. I couldn't get it out of my head, Shane. Even Rana had that evil smile on her face."
He said. His cheeks were red from laughing so much.
Shane scowled at him.
"Guess, you wouldn't mind wearing a bridesmaid gown then, instead," he said with a serious face. Then, a nasty grin appeared on his face.
Helios stopped walking. His forehead wrinkled at the thought. He on a bridesmaid gown? He looked sideways at Shane who was controlling himself but eventually burst out laughing holding his stomach.
"Hey, it's not that funny, cous."
Helios said still looking at Shane. He clapped his hands on Shane's back.
"You're hitting me rather strongly, Helios."
Shane said glowering at him.
"Did I?" Helios asked scratching his chin. "Sorry, I didn't notice that."
They continued walking.
"Do you think Ethos is really against me marrying, Rana?" Shane asked wondering about Ethos' earlier display of opposition.
Helios thought for a second before giving his reply.
"It might just be temporary. He asked Enara before for her hand but she refused him."
"Is he that against me marrying Rana?"
Helios looked sideways at him.
"Ethos loves Enara, Enos," he answered. "By the way, why do you keep calling Enara, Rana?"
"That's her name in New York."
Shane said in a brief reply.
"Aren't you supposed to keep calling her Enara still?"
Shane turned his face to look at Helios.
"Why does it matter? Rana is still Enara," Shane said musing. "Guess, the name stuck with me. Julienne calls her that name."
"Who is Julienne?" asked Helios suddenly.
Shane looked darkly at him.
"You don't remember her?"
Helios shook his head.
"She was with me and Rana at The Lake. She was a blond with golden eyes."
Shane said trying to make Helios remember. Helios had a thing for beautiful women.
Helios remembered a short sportsy blond hair that glowed under the moon sky.
"Ah, so that was her," said Helios rubbing his chin. "I thought she was a guy."
Shane looked at him with a wry smile on his face. Helios can be so like Ethos. If he didn't know his own brother, he might think Helios and Ethos are brothers. They're not good at remembering a woman who escapes their interest.
Shane shook his head slightly.
They reached his house. Helios parted with him at the gate. He lives next door to them.
Shane opened the sliding door and entered his home. He saw his father sitting at the side porch of their house. He crossed the living room passing by a big family photo displayed on top of a piano. There was also a solo picture of a young woman with long curly golden blond hair and a pair of sparkling hazel eyes in a gold frame.
It was the picture of his mom. Elia. She died when Shane was seven years old.
Shane went to the porch and sat opposite his father who was reading a book. Eron looked at him and returned his eyes to the book.
"Dad."
"Hmm…?"
Eron asked as he flipped a page of the book.
"I asked Enara to marry me."
Eron put his book down on the table in front of them.
"I'm glad to hear that, Enos. Congratulations, son. When are you holding the wedding?"
He asked as he picked the cup of coffee in front of him.
"We're still deciding when. Rana and I will talk about the details tomorrow."
Ethos appeared in the doorway.
"Ethos."
Eron said looking at his elder son. He sipped his coffee.
"You're back."
Ethos looked at Eron then at Shane.
With an impassive face, he opened his mouth. "I don't agree with Enos marrying Enara, Father."
Eron looked back at Ethos. His face was unreadable just like Ethos. He set the cup back on the table.
"Your brother is marrying her."
Ethos twitched his jaw.
"That's why I'm opposed to it," he said tersely.
Shane bore his gaze on Ethos.
"Why are you so against me marrying Rana, Ethos?"
A tense silence wrapped them.
Eron stood from his seat. Shane turned at his father.
"Where are you going, dad?"
Eron looked at him then at Ethos.
"You two need to talk. And I am not part of it."
Eron said and left.
Ethos remained leaning on the doorway.
"Why are you against me marrying, Rana?"
Shane asked breaking the silence between him and Ethos.
"She's Enara, Enos. Not Rana."
"It doesn't matter," said Shane brushing off the subject. "Rana or Enara. It's still her."
Ethos looked at him.
"Enara doesn't love you. Rana doesn't know you."
Shane stared at his brother. Ethos moved from the doorway leaving.
"Wait. Don't leave yet, brother."
Shane said calling him.
Ethos turned to face him.
"Clarify what you just said."
"I already said what I have to say, Enos."
"Rana is marrying me, brother. Whether you approve or not."
Ethos coolly looked at him, assessing his appearance from head to foot.
"You're not worthy to marry Enara, Enos."
Shane tensed his jaws and clenched his fist.
"Why do you say that?" he asked in a thick voice.
"Does my opinion matter?" he asked with a wry smile on his face. "I thought you said it doesn't matter if I approve of you marrying Enara or not."
Shane just looked at him. Ethos twitched a muscle.
"I love Enara, Enos," he said seriously. "More than you think you are capable of."
Shane seriously looked at him.
"I love her more than you think you are capable of loving her."
"Was it because I was not here when she was growing up?" he asked in a quiet voice.
Ethos crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"If you really love Enara, Enos, you should know when to let go when the time comes. I don't think you know her at all, anyway."
Shane lifted his eyes to his brother's gaze.
Ethos looked back at him.
"And you know her more than me?" Shane asked challenging him.
Ethos relaxed his arms to his side.
"Then, I challenge you in courting her, Enos. Enara will choose me over you," he said with confidence.
Shane looked wryly at his elder brother.
"Are you dreaming, big brother? She already refused you once," he said making Ethos remember. "It was marriage then."
Ethos bore his gaze back at him.
"It was a different matter, then, Enos."
Shane just looked at him.
"One you need not concern yourself with," Ethos said as he ran his gaze over Shane's head to his feet and went back upon his eyes. "One you need not know why. And if I win her over you, you're not marrying her. I will."
Ethos turned his back from him.
Shane was left looking at his big brother's retreating shadow.
Were there things he must know about Enara? Particular ones concerning her when he wasn't around? The twenty years that had passed between them?
He stayed on his chair as he pondered on those thoughts.