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“Livy”

“Hi Mom”, she wrapped her arms around me the moment I walked through the door and I appreciated being locked in her warm embrace. She withdrew from me to examine me from arms length, before her eyebrows ceased.

“You look tired honey, are you okay?”, she exclaimed worriedly, and I heaved a sigh as I closed the door behind me. “Are you even eating okay?”

“I missed you too mother”, I placed a smile on my face, and she sighed before she pulled me for a hug again

“I'm glad you're here”, she stroked my hair lovingly before kissing my temple. “It's always good to have you home”

“I come home as much as I possibly can”, I puffed as I slung my bag over my shoulder, and we walked to the lounge

“I know, but it's not the same anymore. One minute you were here the next you're were all grown up”, she pouted her lip and I entwined our arms together.

“You're really adorable, you know that?”, I teased, and she playfully pushed me away from her and we laughed

“So where is Rambo?”, I referred to my father because apparently after my mother told him what happened between me and Greg, he went to Greg's firm and punched him in front of his associates. Can't say I wasn't happy about it, but he could have at least waited for him in the parking lot or something, and then beat his ass.

“He's in the garden”, she led the way. “Nothing you say or do is going to make him regret what he did. To be honest, I don't either”.

“Mom!”

She laughed. “You know how your father is, nothing and no one hurts his little girl”

We found him watering his plants, the other one place he truly finds peace and happiness by doing what he absolutely loves, taking care of his garden. He was humming the sounds of his favorite jazz music that he didn't even notice us walking behind him.

“Dad”, I tapped him twice on the shoulder, and he jumped back from being startled before a smile spread on his lips when he saw me and engulfed me in a tight hug

“Pumpkin”, he picked me up and swirled us around before he placed me down again and kissed my forehead. “I'm so happy you're home”

I didn't show any emotion as I tapped my foot on the ground with my arms folded. He frowned before he turned to my mother.

“You told her about me hitting that boy, didn't you?”

My mother gave a helpless shrug, and he twisted his lip

“Pumpkin-”, I put up my hand, stopping him from explaining himself

“How could you be so irresponsible?”, he opened his mouth to talk, but I interrupted him again

“Greg could have pressed charges against you”

“Just because I've retired from the police force it doesn't mean I also retired from the connections I have there, I would have had my ways of getting out”, he smirked, and I heaved a deep sigh

“I'm very, very disappointed in you, Davis”, I waved my finger playfully at him, and he chuckled. He clearly detected the humor in my voice.

“At least one of us is”, he teased, and I wrapped my arm around him

“You shouldn't have”

“You know there's absolutely nothing I wouldn't do for my little girl”

“And for this stupid garden”, my mother folded her arms and turned her face away to mock disgust before my Dad cooed and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around us

“There's absolutely no reason for you to be jealous darling. You know you're my first love”.

“You're just saying that to make me less mad about you giving this garden all your attention”

He cooed lovingly. “You're so adorable when you're jealous, that little pout you do is so irresistible”

My mother heaved a sigh. “Can the both of you just stop with this adorable thing?”, she scowled and my Dad and I laughed as we fist pumped.

“It never gets old”, we chorused together and my mother rolled her eyes before she turned to look at me

“Livy darling, would you like me to fix you a snack before we leave?”

“I'm okay, thanks Mom”, I smiled, and she nodded her head before turning to walk back into the house. My father cleared his throat in disbelief, making a choking sound to get her attention.

“What?”, she shrugged as she turned back to look at him

“Aren't you going to ask me whether I want you to fix me a snack or something?”

“Well do you want me to fix you a snack, Arthur?”, she rose her brow at him

“No, thanks honey, I'm saving my appetite. Thanks for asking though”, he grinned and my mother sighed exasperatedly before narrowing her eyes at him then turned to look at me again.

“Livy honey, if you do decide to get married, don't marry a man like your father”

He scoffed mockingly. “And why not?”

“You're giving me grey hair, on purpose just because you're starting to grow a few strands on your hair”

My father chuckled as he walked up to her, cupped her face in his hands and looked her lovingly in the eyes

“Lizzy, when I told you I want to grow old with you...”, his lips spread into a smile that reached his eyes. “I meant it”

“I really hate that I'm still so in love with you, Davis” my mother laughed as she wrapped her arms around him, and he kissed her forehead, melting my heart as I looked at them. Their love was genuine and sweet. Even after being married 30 years, they were still very much in love with each other. They were each other's best friend and I loved what they had. They are what I envisioned as a happy, health marriage. If I found love as purely as theirs, I would surely would love nothing more than to keep it.

“Well I did tell you to run on our wedding day”, he teased, and she laughed again. “Look at you now, you're stuck with me”

“There's absolutely no place I would rather be than here with you”, she tapped his nose with her index finger, and he gushed red

“Aww”, he cooed. “That's the sweetest thing you've said to me all week”

“I'm beating you at your own game”, she smirked, and he placed both his hands on his hips

“Don't flatter yourself Mrs Davis”, they both laughed as they embraced each other in a warm embrace with me standing there like a third wheel, and then they wonder why I don't come home as much as I used to. They were just so cute together, I felt like I was just interrupting on their blossoming romance.

“I'm still here guys”, I waved my hands to get their attention, both snickering as they broke away from each other

“I think it's time we get ready for the brunch, we wouldn't want to be late”, my mother announced before she ushered both my father and I back into the house. I honestly wasn't looking forward to this brunch at Tristan's house, normally it was my favorite place to be when they hosted it every once a month on Sundays but today it was going to be different because it was sort of also a small pre-engagement party for close friends and family to celebrate the auspicious couple.

So exciting

“Are you ready Pumpkin?”, my father knocked twice on my door before I told him to come in. He stopped in his tracks as he observed me from the door dressed in a white printed off shoulder summer dress and my comfortable set of sandals, my golden brown hair tied in a messy high bun with a few curly strands hanging loose on both sides of my head.

“What do you think?”, I did a mini turn for him, and he gave an approving nod as he walked towards me

“Tu es vraiment belle, Citrouille”, he said and my eyebrows knitted in confusion, waiting for him to explain to me what he just said. One word stood out there though, in fact it was the only one I heard, belle....because you know...ahem ahem. Tony called me Bella and all that, must mean one and the same thing, right?

“It meant you're very beautiful”

“You added Pumpkin there at the end in French, didn't you?”, I narrowed my eyes at him and he laughed

“Is it that obvious?”

“You have this thing of lowering your voice when you say Pumpkin, it's kinda hard to ignore”

“It's the first word I learned actually”, he seemed quite proud by telling me this as he removed invisible dust on his shoulders

“I see you've even polished your accents”

“Your mother finds French accents sexy so hey”, he shrugged his shoulders. “The things we do for love”

“That's really cute”, I loosened his tie and took it off, and I could see he was about to formulate a protest and I quicky interrupted

“It's a brunch Dad, there's no need for a tie”

“It's just that I really look good wearing a tie. I look like I mean serious business”.

“If you were going to a boardroom meeting then maybe but were just going to a brunch, no need to look this formal”

“I guess you have a point”, he pouted his bottom lip. “You're starting to sound like your mother now, and I don't know how I feel about it”

“Is that so bad?”, I questioned, and he seemed uncertain

“I don't think I like it”, the humor in his voice made me smile as I fixed his shirt for him after he unbuttoned the collar button

“See?”, I cooed as we looked at our reflections in the mirror. “Now you look really handsome”

“Yep”, he gave an approving nod. “I'm still good-looking”

“Are the two of you ready?”, my mother appeared on my door and we both gave her a thumbs up

“Ready”, we chorused together, and she smiled at me

“You look beautiful, my darling”

“Thanks Mom”, I wrapped my arm around her. “You look dashing in this outfit”, I complimented, and she smiled widely as she thanked me. She looked really beautiful in her ankle length maxi dress and scandals, her shoulder-high brunette hair styled with barrettes.

“Doesn't she just!”, my Dad exclaimed as he kissed her on her cheek. “ J'ai beaucoup de chance de t'avoir comme femme” (I'm very lucky to have you as my wife)

“Ne l'oublie pas” (Don't you forget it), she smiled as she wiped crumbs on the side of his mouth. “You really helped yourself to the cookies downstairs for someone who wasn't hungry a few minutes”, she rose a brow at him.

“What was I supposed to do while I waited for the both of you to finish freshening up?”, he folded his arms in a playful protest, and she hummed in response as she threw him a glare

“We can go now”

***

Hey There!

I just Google Translated the French words 😅 I'm sorry if they're not accurate