"I'm still thinking if I want to be a professor like mom or if I want to be a doctor," Aaron answered to mom's question of his dream job when he grows up.

Mom looked at my girlfriend, impressed. "You're a professor?"

Amayah nodded, smiling. "I am."

"Mom's a professor at Aide's school!" Aaron butted in, making both Amayah and I tense. Julius widened his eyes at me, signaling me to change the topic. Before I could even utter a single word, mom spoke again.

"I see, what are you teach–"

"Shit!" Julius exclaimed as he abruptly stood up, his beverage all over his pants. "I'm so sorry, I spilled it on me by accident. G-d, I just bought this jeans." He shook his head, sighing rather dramatically.

Mom immediately took wipes inside her bad. "Here, sweetie. Go to the restroom and fix yourself up."

Julius accepted the offer with a thanks and left, but not before giving me a side eye. I saw from the corner of my eye that the shorter woman sighed in relief, although still tense. Clearing my throat, I opted to start a new conversation. One that doesn't involve Amaya's career.

"So, mom, dad, how's life back at home?" I tried.

Unfortunately, it didn't work. "As if you don't know, we talk almost everyday, sweetheart. I don't want to talk about us, we want to talk about you and how you're doing."

"Right," I internally cringed.

"Talk about our daughter's life? You seem more interested talking to our little guy here," Dad teased, ruffling Aaron's hair.

"Oh, stop. You know I always wanted another one," Mom rolled her eyes. "But Aiden here wants all my attention that I didn't bother adopting again."

"Lies," I whispered which she heard, earning a glare from my mom. I grinned goofily then.

"Anyway, was Aiden a good babysitter to you, sweetie?" Mom turned her attention back to Aaron. "I'll scold her if she wasn't."

The kid nodded eagerly. "She's the best! Aide taught me all kinds of games and she lets me cook and cooks food for me too. We also study together and she's bought me gifts a few times now. We play game night with mom every saturday and sometimes we watch films." I held in a breath at his rumbling, hoping he won't spill anything suspicious.

"Aiden sleeps over a lot in our house so I get to play with her in the morning too!"

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"I-It gets late sometimes... so I sleep in the guest room, alone," I reasoned out almost immediately, subtly wiping my sweaty hands on my jeans.

This kid will be the death of me.

"Is that so?" Mom raised a brow, catching up on the waver of my voice and the obvious stutter. Even Dad and Vera stared at me with suspicion. What confused me tho, is Lexie's worried face. Why is she worried? Does she know something?

I kept in mind to talk to her later.

"Dessert! The dessert's here," Lexie suddenly blurted out. I then sighed in relief when the waiter arrived with our dessert, distracting both mom and Aaron. A few seconds in, Julius also came back, smiling.

As soon as my friend sat down, he began rambling and rambling about almost anything. I'm pretty sure he's doing it to divert mom's attention from us. Smiling appreciatively, I held Amaya's hand briefly under the table. Thankfully, mom didn't get to interrogate anymore.

When it was time for us to go home, I excused myself to accompany Amayah and Aaron to their car. Once the kid was seated and we're sure he wouldn't hear nor see us, or anyone for that matter, I took my girlfriend's hands in mine.

"Are you okay?" I asked apprehensively. "I'm sorry about my mom, she's a very nosy woman."

My beauty nodded. "It's fine, I just... hope she doesn't suspect anything."

"I'll make sure of it," I tried to reassure her, rubbing my thumbs down her hands.

"But... but if she does, do you think your parents would accept me and my son? Accept what we have?" I could see the worry in her dark brown eyes, her teeth biting her bottom lip in a nervous manner. It's not a usual look for her, Amayah always seemingly confident. I didn't like it.

I reached up to her face and used my thumb to touch her lip, effectively stopping her biting. "My mom may be nosy as fuck, but she's not judgemental and she's certainly not someone who would turn away the person I'm in love with. She will see how good of a person you are and will understand how much I love both you and Aaron. And she'll love you too, I'm sure of it."

"Really?" Amayah asked in a small voice, big, dark brown eyes looking up at me.

I leaned down to plant a gentle and soft kiss on her lips. "Really. So stop worrying because even if she doesn't, I won't let her affect our relationship."

Cradling her cheeks, I planted a kiss on her forehead repeatedly. "I love you, Amayah. So much."

"I...–" she hesitated, but I understood.

"You don't have to say anything back," I smiled full of sincerity. "I'm in love you, that's all that matters."

"You're too good to me," Amayah whispered, letting her forehead land on my chest as she grips my shirt with both her hands.

"I'm just treating you the way you deserve to be treated, baby," I muttered and slid my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me with a sigh. Closing my eyes, I planted one last kiss on top of her head and let the softness and warmth of her body engulfed mine.

"Are you sure you should be here? Shouldn't you be with your parents?" Amayah asked with her back to me, preparing our snacks for the film we're about to watch.

"They're staying at a hotel for the night, I'll be with them tomorrow," I replied mindlessly, focused on the game playing on the screen of my phone. "I'm all yours tonight."

"Just tonight?" She asked teasingly, making an involuntary smirk to form on my lips.

"I'm yours as long as you want me to be," I said without any ounce of shyness. Amayah makes it easy, she makes me feel comfortable day by day.

The beauty only hummed, letting the comforting silence fall between us. As soon my girlfriend finished up, I stopped playing my game and went to help her. Retrieving the food, I placed them down on the center table.

"Did you win already?" She raised a brow, knowing it should at least take between 15 to 20 minutes for me to finish playing.

I shook my head. "I quit in the middle of it."

Amayah smirked playfully. "Me over your game?"

"Over anything," I clarified, leaning over to press a kiss to her lips which meant to be short, but apparently Amayah had something else in mind as she pulled me closer by my neck and inserted her tongue, touching mine so passionately I couldn't help but moan against her mouth, my hand immediately going straight to her hips.

With a slight whimper, Amayah pulled away, breath fanning against me as our foreheads stayed touched and our eyes remained closed. A satisfied smile on my lips, I caressed her cheek with my thumb, enjoying the smoothness of her skin.

"You're making me fall in love with you way too much," Amayah whispered with a shaky breath.

My eyes widened at her words as my heart started beating erratically. I pulled away slightly to see her face, to see if she's saying the truth, if it was genuine, if I didn't mishear her words or if it was just my ears playing tricks on me, but my beauty's eyes remained close, preventing me from seeing those beautiful dark brown eyes that seemed to cause my breath hitched in my throat everytime she looks at me.

"I... what?" I stuttered like an utter fool that I am for her. "Amayah..." I whispered softly this time, noticing the slight shake in her hands and the way she's forcing herself to calm her breathing. "Baby, please look at me." I cooed softly as I cradled her face with my own trembling hands.

To my absolute delight, she finally allowed me to see her captivating eyes. They glisten with unshed tears and it worried me. Why is she crying?

"What's wrong?" I questioned as gentle as I can. Amayah shook her head as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Please tell me."

She chuckled lightly, wiping her tears away. "I'm sorry, I don't even know why I'm crying."

My eyes softened then. "It's okay if you don't, you're allowed to cry."

"No, no," Amayah shook her head. "I know why..."

"Why then, baby?" I asked, waiting patiently. Like she always is with me. Loving, caring, patient and many more in the list that made me fall deeper every single day.

Biting her lip, Amayah looked up at me. "I'm just really, really happy to have you in my life."

With that, the beauty practically threw herself to me. Although shocked, I managed to catch her but not strong enough as we fell onto the couch with her on top of me. She then crashed our lips in a searing but brief kiss, eyes staring at me in a way I can't explain.

"I never expected to fall in love again, but you came into my life so unexpectedly that I didn't know what to do. You slid your way into my heart with that innocent and pure smile of yours, with your words that never faltered in making me feel at ease, with your touch that made me feel alive, safe, and cared for. You made me feel again. And I just... I'm in love with you, Aiden. So much that I don't think I could ever see a future without you in it."

I swallowed down the lump forming in my throat as my vision blurred with tears. A whirlwind of emotions hitting me all at once as the person I'm in love with finally told me the words I never thought I would hear so soon.

Smiling through my tears, I pulled her face close to mine and let our lips touch in a kiss that almost took my breath away. It felt like everything around me ceased and all my wildest dreams felt possible.

She loves me.