The Italian's proposal

Chapter Twenty-four

Timothy

Timothy saw her standing in the entrance and his heart began to try to escape from his chest and embrace her. She was simply beautiful in her wedding dress. She was without doubt the most beautiful woman he has ever seen and at that moment he was sure, that he chose the best person to be his wife.

Even if it was all a sham.

His parents had freaked out when they found out that she was pregnant by another man, for him, that was not relevant: even knowing that their union was nothing more than a means to an end, he did not feel uncomfortable because Melody was carrying another man’s child in her womb, the fruit of another relationship.

Jealous? Of course, he was. But after she confessed to him that she had never felt that way with anyone. He couldn’t blame her, he himself had been surprised when they made love, it was new, different, transcendental, and magical. He had no idea that he was so in tune with Melody, until that moment.

“You must be crazy!” his mother yelled at him that same night they came home from dinner at his parents’ house.

“Mom, please don’t overreact,” he grabbed the bridge of his nose and wanted to disappear as long as he didn’t talk to his mother that night.

“She’s pregnant! Pregnant!”

“I know mom, you’re not talking about a stranger. I know her. I...” saying anything else was still complicated for him. But he made love to Melody, it stirred something inside him, something in his heart, and he wasn’t yet capable of interpreting it.

“She’s a pregnant woman with another man’s child. I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish with this Timothy, I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

“Me? Am I getting at something? Mother!” once again he was raising his voice at his mother again. “I resent you talking that way about her. She’s not damaged by being pregnant.”

“I’m not saying that son,” she lowered the intensity with which she spoke to him a little, “I just don’t understand what the hell you’re looking for. This is not what your father and I want for you. You don’t understand what goes with marrying a woman who carries someone else’s child in her womb.”

He hadn’t thought about it, maybe he had, but he didn’t want to give it any second thought. To do so would mean, that he intended to be in the future with Melody, that he intended to bond with her and her child, that he would actually watch over her and be there.

Which was precisely what he promised her.

“Let’s not talk about the future, it’s still many months before the baby is born,” he also couldn’t tell them that the wedding was a complete sham.

They wouldn’t accept her son faking a marriage.

Giving Melody whatever she wanted was easier than eating a red apple at Christmas.

For her he would do anything, and after a month of living with her, of seeing her smile every day, even though her parents and her sister were not part of her life as she was used to, Melody was still looking for a way to smile at the world, at life, to be happy with her son and with what she had at that moment.

That’s why when he saw her looking at veterinary brochures, he thought of helping her to start her own, even if she didn’t graduate, she could start with the premises and then, without hurry, prepare it and get it ready to receive all kinds of clients.

That would help her for a long time, give her a job where she could spend all her time with her son and a better quality of life.

“Timothy,” Hamlet tapped him on the shoulder, causing his thoughts to focus on the now “What’s going on? Something’s going on with your fiancée,” his cousin prompted, looking toward Melody.

He watched her exchange a couple of words with her father, she looked at the chapel, but didn’t see him, it frightened him for a moment.

Then he watched as she turned around and walked out again.

He couldn’t believe his eyes, even what his instincts were screaming, shouting at high pitched voices.

She was getting cold feet.

She was leaving.

of chairs, stood

the argument he had with his mother, they would not show up. Instead, there they

to play,

transactions. He didn’t think about how many reporters and gossips were there, people who only came to see what the mysterious woman

he never touched her or tried to

desired her every day of his existence, thirty days of uncertainty of getting under the cold stream of the shower, of doing hours and hours of exercise, as long as he did not arrive at the penthouse and see her there, with her t-shirts without bra, with her loose hair

He really wanted her.

make love again, would be to dig his own grave, and what he least wanted, was for her to believe that he was taking advantage of her hospitality, that he wanted to cash in with her body, or that he simply wanted to take advantage of her involvement, without thinking of what they would both suffer when

was all the marriage was going

make sure she had a house of her own, money in the bank to support herself and her unborn child for several

of the limousine, she had arrived

stepped away from the driver’s

listened as Melody called out to his driver. It was an

walked over to the door where Melody entered and opened

doing?” there was nothing more

heart wanted to scream out a million questions, they held

she told him without looking at him, though he, despite her turning her face away,

would be normal, she had gone through many disappointments in the last

She slapped Devina when she thought Devina was setting her up. She defied her entire family by leaving with him, by choosing to leave home and have

Redford might be many things, but she

saying that? You can’t leave. You

I’m sorry Timothy. I thought I could, but I can’t do it,” she was broken, he could tell it in her voice. She has been this defeated, when she returned from his parents’ house, a chaotically silent dinner, a

the title of the famous writer Gabriel García Márquez, he knew that

he agreed

causing her to feel

at times wanted to just disappear off the map, to get away to

the day, that was

the inheritance; I know you need me. God! The press must be going crazy!” he looked up at the chapel, certainly reporters were scattered about and

on Melody; he didn’t notice

slammed the limo shut. Then he pulled out his cell phone and dialed

of Hamlet, who always had worried about him, even when he didn’t even want his help, “let

something to watch

on Melody, who was wringing her hands,

furrowed so much that she looked like she might have a worm over her eyes; when she was happy, her gray eyes sparkled with the same light that her smile cast. When she was anxious as she was at this moment, she would wring her hands and bite her lower lip until

he didn’t want to rush her, he couldn’t. Melody was the kind of person, who, if he badgered her with questions, insisting for answers

up at him then, her eyes, just as he imagined, were full of tears to be shed, and others furrowing her

you. I honestly thought I could, but I just can’t. I saw myself standing there in the entrance, heard

do you say Melody? Where do you

the benefits I was going to have with you, I don’t care if I have to beg Doyle for a new job, I even know that, if I talk

to Melody. Not like this. Not stuffed inside a

wiping away tears, “I ruined everything. My son unknowingly ruined

say, woman! Nothing was ruined. Everything is all right. My mother is there, in the chapel. She came, my father too,” he was starting to despair. His

shirt; he wore his suit handkerchief in

was cold outside, he should feel cold, but there was only a terrible