Marriage by Law (16 page)

I heard her say, "Is she still sleeping? Wake her, or she will sleep like that for all of eternity."

"I'm awake," I said, peeping out of the sheets.

"Well, get ready. We're heading back today," she said.

I frowned. Already?

But then it had been a week. Well, it would be a week but the journey itself took a while. I sighed, thinking about the routine back home. This week was near perfect, near, but going back would change things again. The ringing of Darius's phone confirmed that.

He was going to go back to work and I was going back to my 'housewife' duties by sitting like a porcelain doll.

"We're leaving soon. Hurry up, Ivory."

I closed my eyes as I heared her footsteps fade away and rolled onto my stomach, placing my head in the pillow.

"Whatever," I muttered. I planned to sleep at least another half hour. I mean, the sheets were so warm and so cozy and smelt like Da-

Whoa!

I sat up and hopped out of bed.

"What happened to sleeping at least that half hour?" he said and I looked over my shoulder. Did I say that out loud?

"Eh, I will, in the car," I said, grabbing my suitcase. Wait, wrong one. I walked out of the room to the guest room where my clothes still were.

Like I said, and I never broke my word, I slept in the car. Like a baby. Maybe worse since I did take up 2 of the 3 seats at the back and made Darius squish into a corner. But a girl needed her space to sleep. And then we were pulling into the driveway.

The only good thing about returning to this house again would be my orchids. I have to check on how they were doing. I also have to call Alicia and Rose and everyone. Which reminded me about that stupid cocktail party tomorrow. Do I have to go?

"We'll be back in a week to check up on you both. Goodbye," said my mother. I rolled my eyes at her and returned my dad's hug. Mother is not the one who would know anything about a proper goodbye.

'Take care," whispered my dad and I nodded, waving as the parents left. Thank god for that.

"Where are you going?" I asked as Darius called for the driver.

"I have things to do at work. You can have the day to yourself and go see Rose or something," he said, grabbing the files as Ma came out. Wow, how considerate. Or not.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. Yep, just like I thought. Back to normal.

 Wrapping the blanket around my shoulders, I lay down on my back looking up at the stars. Then I heard the door to the backyard open.

"Now why would anyone with a brain be out here when it’s warm inside?" 

I looked over my shoulder and saw Adrian walk up to where I was. He stood with his hands in his pockets.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. Adrian looked at the ground, kicking something away and sitting down and I sat up.

"I said I'd come by, plus I had to visit my favourite sister-in–law. Or Cousin-in-law."

"Darius. Isn't he-"

"I know, he's at work. He spends most nights there so if I were you, I wouldn't wait up," he said, looking up at the sky.

"I wasn't waiting up." I frowned and looked at the moon in the distance. Don't kid yourself, I thought. I was sort of waiting up, but thought I’d see the stars. So it wasn't really waiting up, was it?

"What are you doing?" Adrian was asking.

"Looking at the stars." I watched the fog come out of my mouth. It was freezing outside but there was something warm about being here.

"Why? They're probably dead and we just don't know because of the distance," he said. "They're so beautiful, though. They're in their purest elemental form."

"Elemental form?"

"Well, they shine, right? They shine not because someone shines a light on them or because of something we as humans did. They shine because of who they are, their true selves. It's just beautiful."

"That's...deep. But it’s warm inside, you know? With food."

I laughed and shook my head. "Do you know you can buy a star?"

"Why would you want to buy a star?" he asked, looking at me like I was crazy. I shrugged. For some reason the thought of having a star was warm and fuzzy.

"Well, you name a star after someone, not really buy it."

"And why would you want to do that?"

Another star in the sky twinkled.

"The thought that someone is trying to give you something so pure and far away, yet they try to reach for it. It's something that can never be captured yet they try so hard. It takes a lot of love and devotion to name a star after someone."

"It's damn expensive, I bet."

"But it's not about the money," I said, turning around to face him. "It's the thought behind it. It's like even when all of us die, the star will still be there."

I saw him open his mouth and I cut him off. "I know you're going to say, 'what if the stars are already dead and we don't know it?' Well, we're not going to find out till we die. But it's the thought that someone is trying to give you the impossible.

Just imagine looking up at a star and saying, ‘That's mine,’ or having someone give you that. No gift can beat something that will forever remain in history. A star named after you, one that will always shine."

"That's deep, babe, real deep," he said, swatting a fly away. "But imagine all the doughnuts I can buy with that money."

I shook my head and he broke out laughing. "I'm joking. Who put that crazy thought into your head?"

"No one. I just thought about it and apparently one can buy a star. I wanted to, actually, but it never worked out."

"Why?" he asked, looking much more curious.

"My friend didn't agree with me. She thought it was flaunting the fact that you have money," I said, suddenly getting angry. "She completely missed the point. And by the time I worked up the courage to buy her one, she was gone."

"Gone?"

I shrugged. “We had a falling out, a stupid reason. But we hadn’t spoken to each other in months. Pointless buying her a birthday gift.”

I looked up at the moon. It seemed bigger than usual and closer to the horizon, with a shade of orange. 

Every night as a kid I had looked at the moon, saying to myself that no matter who I missed, if I just looked at the moon, they would be looking back at me.

Staring at the moon right now, I wondered, is anyone looking back?

Chapte
r
TWENTY

"You should go to sleep."

"Hmm?" I looked away from the moon, realising I had probably spent a good ten minutes staring at it, so much that my eyelids were getting heavy and it was hard to focus. 

"It’s past two. Come on. He's not going to come home any time soon, anyway," Adrian said as he got up and offered me a hand. I yawned as I held mine out and he lifted me up effortlessly.

"Do you sleep in the master’s bedroom?" he asked.

"What?"

"I think I'll go in there, and then Darius can come and I can scare the shit out of him. Damn it, Adrian, why are you so smart?" he said, talking to himself and losing me somewhere. 

"Huh?" I asked sleepily, locking the door behind me. I felt his arms on my shoulder and saw him lean down. 

"It's okay, dear cousin-in-law. Go to bed. I'll take care of it."

"Whatever. Night," I said, yawning and walking toward the stairs. I didn't know how I did but I managed to get to my room, and without bothering to change, I flopped onto the bed. Too exhausted to pull the blanket and too exhausted to turn the lights off, I took a deep breath, then exhaled it along with my consciousness. 

I welcomed sleep.

 But it soon ended. I wasn't sure how long I had slept before I heard a commotion. I squinted at the clock, but my eyes were too fuzzy to notice the time.

"I'M GOING, MAN."

Automatically, I sat up upon hearing the voice. I walked to the door and opened it. I saw Adrian bend over to pick up a blanket and pillow from the floor.

"What's going on?" I asked, blinking to get my eyes adjust to the light. 

"Apparently, your husband doesn't like sharing a bed with his favourite man," said Adrian, sulking like a girl. I let out a laugh and shook my head. 

"There's other bedrooms, help yourself," I said. Adrian walked toward the other end of the hallway.

"Yep, going far away from the insane man," Adrian said.

I let out a sigh as I closed the door and walked back to bed. I should have probably switched a light on, but I didn't, andwalked right into the damn bed and yelped.

"Freaking hell," I swore, bending down to rub my knee as I climbed in. The bed heater was on, making it warm and cozy. I slipped under the sheets and grabbed the pillow, hugging it and feeling like something was missing. 

I closed my eyes and tried to get back to sleep.

 Morning couldn't come any sooner, I thought sarcastically as I felt the light on my eyes. I cuddled pillow and sighing. I can spend all morning just sleeping.

I felt the pillows fluffiness envelope me and frowned, since when did the pillow move? Opening my eyes I stared into a dark grey shirt and my eyes widened as I pulled back looking up.

"What the hell." I gave him a push. He took up three quarters of the bed, pushing me nearly over the edge. He opened his eyes and looked at me. "What?" he asked.

"What the heck are you doing here? And move over, you fat ass." I was trying not to fall over the edge.

"Adrian wanted the master’s bedroom ‘cause it was warmer. The idiot kept coming back so I moved here."

"There are other rooms, you know," I reminded him as I grabbed the blanket he was hogging. Darius closed his eyes, perhaps in exasperation, and grabbed the blanket, covering my face in the process.

"Go to sleep," he replied, turning around.

I frowned and pushed his back. "Move!" I said, moving a safe distance from the edge.

He muttered something I couldn't hear and I rolled my eyes. I turned around and pulled more of the blanket. I knew it was morning because the sun was. But I couldn't help it as sleep took over.

But not for long. The door burst open and I winced, opening my eyes.

"WAKE UP!" yelled a voice. I squinted and saw Adrian holding a bucket of water. 

"Shit," I yelled, sitting up. I looked behind me and realised the bed was empty. Was I dreaming? But the crinkle in the folds and the other half of the blanket creased meant I wasn't.

"What the heck." I ran a hand over my face.

"What do you mean what the heck? You slept through most of the day and we are now one hour late to the cocktail party or wherever we are supposed to go." 

I looked at the clock and swore loudly. Shit, why didn't anyone tell me? I noticed that Adrian was ready to go in a navy shirt over suit pants and a grey vest, somehow pulling it off well.

"I'm going," I grumbled as he warningly raised the bucket over me.