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.

the front row of chairs, stood up to face the door, as

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

Melody chose started to play, as

people who only came to see what the mysterious woman he was going to marry looked like. No one knew Melody, and that made him happy, because in a way, all that month they spent together,

touched her or tried to

not arrive at the penthouse and see

He really wanted her.

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

That was all the marriage was going

house of her own, money in the bank to support herself and her unborn

he shouted as she opened the door of the limousine, she had arrived in. “Clark! Don’t you dare start the damn

stepped away from

listened as Melody called out to his driver. It was an annoying, different, frightening

door where Melody entered

there was nothing more

a

he, despite her turning her face away, could see her

be normal, she had gone through many disappointments in

occasions. 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 her

might be many things, but she

that? You can’t leave. You can’t... Melody... you

in her voice. She has been this defeated,

writer Gabriel García Márquez, he knew that dinner would

he agreed to

causing

couldn’t blame her for wanting to forget everything and go. Even he, with all the money and comforts he had at times wanted to just disappear off

day, that was what he was doing with

need me. God! The press must be going crazy!” he looked up at the

was so focused on Melody; he didn’t

the limo shut.

approach this car. Not my cousin,” he immediately thought of Hamlet, who always had worried about him, even

redhead was something to

the call and refocused on Melody, who was wringing her

learned to read her in those days together. When something bothered her, her eyebrows 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

Was it too soon to marry?” he didn’t want to rush her, he couldn’t. Melody was the kind of person, who, if he badgered her

her eyes, just as he imagined, were full of tears to be shed,

just can’t. I saw myself standing there in the entrance,

do you say Melody? Where

I don’t care if I have to beg Doyle for a new job, I even know that, if I talk to my father,

wedding to Melody.

mother...I don’t know if she came,” she said wiping away tears, “I ruined

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 hands were sweating, and the suit

a white shirt; he wore his suit handkerchief in his pocket and

there