"Where are you taking me, Felix?" Stephanie asked as they were driving on the freeway. "I'm taking you to your favorite place," he replied.
"I don't want to go. Just take me to Jay. I'm sure he's wondering where we are."
Felix giggled. "I've told you that Jay is perfectly fine with his grandmother and aunties, so no need to worry."
Stephanie sighed and shook her head. Being next to Felix was not something she had expected after having a kid with him. Once she found out she was pregnant with Jay, their relationship ended. Felix was not a settler, so things just ended like that. She never thought that she could ever start developing feelings for him again, let alone have sex with him.
The silence in the car grew heavy. Felix glanced over at her, his usual confident demeanor softening. "Look, Steph, I know things were complicated before. But I'm trying to make things right now. For you, for Jay, for us."
"I want you to be committed Felix, I don't want Jay to be heartbroken." She added, "yeah co-parenting with you is great but, I don't want you to come and in Jay's daily life just to get up and live again." She remarked.
He smiled and gently grabbed her hand, "I promise you nothing more than happiness for you and Jay, your my woman and Jay is my child."
"Ha, your woman." She chuckled, "What, aren't you my woman?" He questioned, "I've stopped being your woman 5 years ago." She added, "ha your funny," "how can you not be my woman and you're the mother of my child." He laughed. "I'm the mother of child not your woman." She added.
"Don't worry sweetheart, after this date you'll be my woman." "In your dreams!" Stephanie bursted out laughing.
Felix smiled, unperturbed by her laughter. "We'll see," he said with a wink, his eyes twinkling with a mix of mischief and determination.
As they drove further, Stephanie noticed the scenery changing from the bustling cityscape to more serene, familiar surroundings. A hint of recognition flickered in her eyes, and she turned to Felix with a curious look.
"Are we going to the old cabin?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mix of nostalgia and surprise.
Felix nodded, a soft smile on his lips. "I thought it might be nice to revisit some good memories. It's been too long since we've had a chance to relax and just be ourselves."
Stephanie felt a mix of emotions surge within her. The old cabin by the lake was where they had spent many happy times together before everything got complicated. She wondered if this trip was Felix's way of trying to rekindle what they once had.
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Mary's POV:
After a few days of visiting my family, they were finally gonna come visit to meet David for the very first time.
This was the very first time I've ever seen David this nervous, I guess he was more scared of meeting my dad more. "I promise you everything is gonna be okay, my dad isn't scary." "His literally the sweetest person man you will meet." I assured him.
"I mean what is going to think of me, I got his daughter pregnant before marriage and to top that off I'm your boss!" He stated.
I smiled as patted his head, "Well you're just a guy sweetheart." "What is that supposed to mean?" He questioned, I smiled and shook my head. "You're just a guy." I kissed his cheek and headed out the room, "We both know that Intimacy was consensual from both parties!" He blurted out as he followed behind me.
"Right, but was unprotected intimacy consensual?" I teased.
"Ha, you're acting like you hated it." "You need me to remind you that you were the one begging for to leave it all in you." He added.
As we reached at the bottom of the stairs I turned and looked at him, "still not my fault, you're the boss who pounced on his secretary and screwed her recklessly. Now look at where we are."
"Did my secretary not like the sex?" He smirked, "Don't make me tell on you to my daddy." I said as I walked to the living room .
"Come on baby!" David's voice carried a mix of nerves and playful challenge as he followed me into the living room. Despite his anxiety about meeting my family, he still managed to inject some humor into the situation.
As we reached the living room, I turned to face him, trying to suppress my own nerves. "Look, just be yourself. My dad's a reasonable man. He'll see how much you care about me and the baby."
David nodded, taking a deep breath. "Okay. I'll try my best."
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. I glanced at David, giving him a reassuring smile, and went to open the door. My family stood on the porch, smiling warmly. My dad, with his gentle eyes and kind demeanor, stepped forward first.
"Mary!" he exclaimed, enveloping me in a big hug. "It's so good to see you, sweetheart."
"It's good to see you too, Dad," I replied, hugging him back.
"Everyone, this is David."
David stepped forward, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you, sir. I'm David."
My dad shook his hand firmly, his eyes appraising but kind. "Nice to meet you too, David. We've heard a lot about you."
"All good things, I hope," David said with a nervous chuckle.
"Mostly," my dad said with a teasing smile. "Come on in, everyone."
As my family settled into the living room, I introduced David to my mom and Liam. They were all warm and welcoming, which helped to ease some of the tension. My mom, always the caring one, immediately started asking David about his company and work, while Liam just threw in some stupid questions of his own.
"So like how many cars do you have?" Liam asked, "one car." I replied, "ah, You're rich and you only have one car?!" He questioned. "How many cars do you want him to have, 50?"
"Enough both of you, Liam stop putting stress onto your sister." Dad said as he came and sat next to mom.
He took a sip of his water and turned his attention to David. "So David, where's your family why aren't they here?"
"Umm, well they couldn't make it today but I'll make sure our next meeting they will be here with us." He replied.
"That's great, I wouldn't want to marry my one and only daughter to a family I don't know." Dad added, "come on dad, it's not like his family is a criminal organization." I chuckled, "Is it a problem for me to know what family my daughter is being married in?"
I smiled a shook my head. "Don't worry sir, I'll make sure our next meeting they will be present." David reassured him.
"Enough with the interrogation, let's eat and get to know our son-in-law to be better." Mom chimed in.
The atmosphere relaxed as everyone moved to the dining table. My mom had prepared a delicious spread, and the inviting aroma filled the room. We all took our seats, and David ended up sitting next to my dad, which I hoped would give them a chance to bond further.
"So, David," my dad began as he picked up his fork, "what exactly do you do at your company?"
David smiled, clearly prepared for this question. "I'm the CEO of a tech startup. We focus on developing software solutions for small to medium-sized businesses to streamline their operations."
"We also have a clothing brand, where we have the best designers and fashionistas. It's a very famous clothing brand."
My dad nodded, impressed. "That's quite an accomplishment. And you've been with the company since its inception?"
"Yes, I started it with a friend of mine, and It has been a great experience to see my dream come to life."
Liam, who had been listening intently, jumped in. "What's the coolest thing your company has developed?"
David chuckled. "Well, one of our most popular products is a project management tool that integrates AI to help predict project timelines and resource needs. It's been a game-changer for a lot of our clients."
"That's pretty awesome," Liam said, clearly impressed. "Do you get to travel a lot for work?"
"I do, but I'm trying to cut back on travel now that Mary and I are starting a family," David replied, glancing at me with a smile.
"We'll since we're about to be family, do you have any vacant positions in any of your companies for me?" "I've currently studying computer engineering and it will be a great opportunity for me to get an internship with your company." He stated
"Sure, that wouldn't be a problem."
"Thank you man!"
The conversation flowed easily, with my family asking David about his interests, hobbies, and future plans. David handled every question with grace and sincerity, and it was clear my family was warming up to him.
After dinner, we moved back to the living room for dessert and coffee. My dad, looking much more at ease now, leaned back in his chair. "David, I appreciate you taking the time to meet us and answer all our questions. It's clear you care a lot about Mary, and that means a lot to us."
"Thank you, sir," David replied. "Mary and the baby are my top priorities. I'm committed to being the best partner and father I can be."
My mom, who had been watching the interaction with a warm smile, chimed in. "David, you're always welcome here.
We're looking forward to getting to know you better."
David smiled, visibly relieved. "Thank you, Mrs. Johnson. I appreciate your hospitality."
As the evening wound down, my family said their goodbyes, expressing their happiness at meeting David and their excitement for the future.
My dad gave David a firm handshake, this time with a genuine smile. "Take care of my daughter, David."
"I will, sir. I promise."
After my family left, David and I sat on the couch, finally able to relax. I leaned into him, feeling a sense of peace and happiness. "See? That wasn't so bad," I said, smiling up at him.
David laughed softly. "You're right. Your family's great. I'm really glad I got to meet them."
I kissed his cheek, feeling grateful for how the evening had turned out. "And I'm glad they got to meet the man I love."
David wrapped his arm around me, holding me close. "I love you, too baby."
To be continued