Chapter 8

One year later...

"Nedia! Come on we are going to be late." Noah said.

"Okay Noah I'm coming." She said, as she walked into the living room. She looked around her, happy of what she had accomplished so far in his apartment, their apartment!

Noah was sitting on the couch with a book in his hands and on his lap was Nick half asleep and half trying to keep up with the rest of the story Noah was reading him. Seeing the two of them together like that made her sure of what she was going to do tonight.

"Oh... you look beautiful" Noah said the second he saw her. She was wearing a long green dress that matched her eyes perfectly, she wore her hair up but some strands escaped and fell down almost touching her shoulders, she didn't put on a lot of make up; just lip stick and green eye shadow which reminded her of her date with Noah five years ago.

"Thank you. You look good too" Oh he looked good! She thought. He was actually wearing a tux.

"Where is Kate?" whispered Noah impatiently.

"She's on her way." She answered smiling.

"Mommy" Nick said sleepily, raising his arms so she can carry him.

"Yes honey" she answered picking him up.

"Where are you and daddy going?"

"We are going out for dinner Nicky," Answered Noah, getting up.

"I wanna go with you" Nick said pouting.

"Honey you can't come with us, you are going to stay here with Kate and sally." She said their names joyfully in order to cheer him up.

"But I wanna go with you daddy." He turned to look at Noah ready to cry just to convince him.

"Sorry Nick, you're going to have to stay here with Sally. You both can play together, but don't drive Kate crazy please" Noah said knowing exactly what happens when they both get together.

"No. Sally never lets me play with her toys." Nick said, tears starting to gather in his eyes.

"Nick, you like Sally. You two..." She stopped talking as she heard knocking on the door.

Nedia gave Nick back to his dad and headed for the door.

"Hi Kate, hey there Sally" she said getting down on her knees to kiss Sally.

"Nedia, did you tell him?" asked Kate in a low voice.

Nedia got up, stepped out of the apartment and closed the door a little, "No. I'm going to do it tonight."

"Do what?" asked Noah who was now standing right behind her carrying Nick.

"Nothing honey, come on lets go we're going to be late." she said trying to distract him from what he just heard.

"Really?" he asked ironically.

"Yes." She said and turned to look at Kate "come in Kate." She let Kate pass her and followed her inside "You know where everything is... Ah... what else?" asked Nedia.

"Nothing. You two should go. I know what to do, and if anything happens I'll call you." She then turned to look at Nick who was clinching to his dad "We are all going to play together, right Nick?" she asked as she took him from Noah.

"Okay" Nick said finally surrendering.

"Okay, here's your coat Nedia." Noah handed it to her then Nedia said goodnight to Nick and they were gone.

"So... what were you two talking about outside the apartment with the door closed?" Noah asked while making a turn and parking in front of the restaurant.

"Well, nothing important; just girl talk." She said looking at the side of his face. I can spend forever just looking at him, Nedia thought.

She was the happiest person alive. All her dreams had come true. After they made up; Noah asked her to marry him but she didn't say yes. She said "I'll move in with you, but we'll wait a while." She never told him why she didn't agree, Even though he asked her more than 100 times. She never told him the truth. She didn't want to tell him that she wanted him to finish college first, she was afraid that getting married would distract him from concentrating on his studies. She wanted him to continue his career without any distractions.

Well tonight she finally made up her mind. It's his last year in college and he's starting to get recruited by some excellent firms.

But that's not it, there is something else, something else better than anything.

"Girl talk huh?" Noah asked after they were seated by the waiter, the place was quiet; with candles on the table and a band playing classics.

"Yes honey." She gave him a wonderful smile.

"Okay," he said looking deeply into her eyes. Noah had made it clear he was totally in love with her eyes; he once said "I love all of you more than anything in the world Nedia but your eyes! They just make me feel enchanted."

"There is something strange about you tonight." He continued.

"Strange? Why?"

"You look so happy, I'm not complaining or anything I love it when you smile all the time, it's just that; you called me earlier today, you asked me to make a reservation at one of the best restaurants in the city, the dress, I don't know. I think there's something behind all of this." He said suspiciously and turned to talk to the waiter who was standing beside them waiting to take their orders.

Nedia stared at him for a while, she loved him so much, and the love in his eyes, it gave her the courage to say what she wanted to say.

She took a deep breath, after the waiter was gone, and spoke.

"Noah..."

"Yes" He answered taking the hand she was putting on the table in his, it's like he felt that there was something she wanted to say but was scared to.

"Will you marry me?" She whispered.

Noah didn't seem to grasp what she just said. Just concentrate Noah, he ordered himself.

"Ah- would you please say that again" He asked her not sure if what he just heard was true or was it his imagination.

"I said will you marry me?" She said in some how a louder voice.

It wasn't his imagination then. The moment Noah realized what she was saying, he couldn't believe it.

He let go of her hands and got something out of his pocket. It was a small dark blue box covered with velvet; Noah put it on the table in front of her.

"I've been carrying this with me for a whole year," He said watching her expression change from anticipation, after she actually proposed, to a total shock "... I know I asked you to marry me before, and I know you never agreed. But today I decided to take it with me and propose at the end of the evening." He laughed a little from the way she was staring at him.

"Won't you open it?" he asked wondering why she didn't even try to look at what's inside the small box.

Nedia reached for the box with trembling hands and opened it slowly.

She gasped the second she saw it. Inside the box was a beautiful diamond ring.

"Noah... Th-that..." She wasn't able to think or talk or do anything except for looking from Noah to the ring which was lying there in the box.

"I can't believe you did this" She finally got her voice back.

"I can't believe you did this too." He said smiling.

Nedia couldn't believe it. She has been planning for this for a whole week, ever since she found out about...

"But," His voice startled her "I don't understand. I asked you to marry me more than once. And every time you would say it's still early or wait a while and stuff like that. Why did you decide to propose like that all of a sudden?"

Okay, the first part is over. You still have other things to say, tell him the truth, she thought.

"There are two reasons why I did so." She said "The first one is... ah- I didn't say yes when you asked me to marry you because I was afraid that if we got married, you'll be distracted and you wouldn't be able to finish college."

"What?"

"Noah please don't argue with me. You've always wanted to be a successful lawyer and I couldn't stand in your way."

"And the difference between now and last year is... ?" he asked.

"Great difference." Her expression changed immediately into a wonderful smile.

"Would you like to demonstrate that a little?" asked Noah wondering what made her face light up like that.

"Well, it's your last year in college and you're starting to gain a good reputation, and you are sought after by a lot of very good firms."

He stopped her saying "Nedia it has been like that for almost three or four months but still, I don't understand why today?"

"Ah... I haven't been feeling well for the last month and..."

"What? Why didn't you tell me? Did you see a doctor? Wh-..."

"Noah! Noah I'm not sick." She had to speak loud so he can hear her and stop his questions.

"You're not?" he didn't sound sure when he said that.

"No." she said trying to stop herself from laughing.

"Okay you are not sick, then what's wrong wrong?"

He seemed to understand what she was implying at. "Are you trying to tell me you're... ?"

"Three month pregnant."

"Pregnant. Pregnant?" he echoed more than once as if it was a strange word.

He then got up, looked around him and called for the waiter.

"Noah what are you doing?" She asked watching him as he asked for the check and paid for it, he finally turned to her.

"Let's go"

Nedia couldn't understand anything. He put a hand on her waist as they walked out of the restaurant and headed for the car. Noah started the car and drove home silently, not saying one word.

"Noah what is wrong with you?" She asked wondering why he was acting like that.

Noah parked the car out side the building. He got out of the car, walked around it and opened her door.

Nedia got out of the car and his hand was on her waist again.

"Wrong? There's nothing wrong." He said.

She preferred not to ask anymore questions. I'll wait till we get inside, she told herself.