It started with arranged marriage

Chapter 31

- Eric William Miller  -

After Lily left from the room, I was checking and replying to all the emails. I was absent from work for almost three weeks due to the wedding and I needed to get back to work this coming monday. So I needed to review the tone of work for the week that I missed. After following and catching up all the work, I went downstairs to chill with Lily. Then I found Lily at the kitchen, talking with the maids. She was convincing the maids to let her bake. But the maids knew who was the boss in the house so they didn’t let her do it because of my order. Even though the maids wouldn’t let her do anything, still it seemed like Lily wouldn’t give up too. So I decided to go and took her back. 

But then when I was there, she was pleading to me to allow her to cook or bake sometime. I wasn’t convinced at first but she started negotiating with me and my mind changed. She told me that she would do anything that I want and I knew she would regret it later on. Who wouldn’t agree on that too when she was begging me with her puppy eyes and acting cute. 

But for me there was no losing point, and I gave her permission to cook and bake from time to time. After that I left her with the maids in the kitchen and I headed to the living room. 

I heard she was jumping and screaming couldn’t even hide the excitement after I gave her permission. Even when I was reading a book in the living room, I couldn’t hear her laugh and the maids from the kitchen. She might be really happy about it. 

After an hour, she came out with a tray of the fresh baked goods that she just made and two cups of coffee. She made brownie and scottish shortbread cookies. Then she put the tray and sat next to me. 

“I don’t remember allowing you to carry the food tray by yourself,” I frowned my forehead and gave her a warning glance. I didn’t understand her, most of the girls must be happy to the moon, if they got a life like her. I arranged for her to have a really comfortable life that she didn’t need to worry about housework and money. But she still insisted on doing housework. 

“It’s not a big deal. Kate and Sarah were cleaning the kitchen that’s why,” she said. 

“Try this,” she said, placing a cup of coffee and the baked goods in front of me. Then she took her coffee cup from the tray and she was blowing the coffee to cold down. 

Right before she took a sip, I took her coffee cup and put it down on the table then I called Sarah. 

“Here, take this coffee and give her tea,” I handed Lily’s coffee cup to Sarah while ordering to give her tea. She pouted at me because I took her coffee cup.

“But I want coffee___” she looked like she was about to cry. And her hands were trying to get back her coffee cup from Sarah. 

“Ah! Ah! Not too fast lady. You already drank two cups of coffee this morning so enough for today,” I grabbed her hands right before her hands reached for the coffee cup. Sarah left to go and get tea and then she came back with a cup of tea in a minute. 

“Start from tomorrow, inform everyone, don’t let her drink more than two cups of coffee per day,” I gave instruction to Sarah. She couldn’t say anything back because she knew it would be useless. She was still pouted at me as she started drinking tea. And she was murmuring  herself how she liked and good the coffee was. I was just leaving her alone to complain by herself. 

The time passed really fast , I had been staying at home the whole day with Lily. I never stayed alone the whole before but somehow I didn’t even notice that the time passed really fast. Spending time with Lily, never got me bored, her short mood swing, brightness, and talkativeness always made me enjoy and kept me busy. Here we are now at our two families dinner. 

As soon as we got to Lily’s mom's house, I was her brothers, Nick and Steve, drinking beer and waiting for dinner time. Lily was spending time with her grandma. I knew she was the last stage of cancer but today she looked in a good condition today and she was so happy that me and Lily came for the family dinner. According to Nick, after his father passed away her mom was taking care of all of their family business and didn’t have that much time to take care of kids so they grew up with their grandma. Lily was especially close to her grandma. That’s why when her grandma got diagnosed with cancer, they all came back to stay with her and spend time as much as they could. That was also one of the reasons that she agreed to marry me too.  

Every time when I was with the Collin family, I felt like I found my inner peace. All of the family members were so humble, warm and down to earth. That’s why I was always jealous of Nick that he got siblings that I didn’t have. Even though my parents were really good loving parents growing up alone without any siblings was lonely. The whole house was filled up with laughter and joys. Lily and her granny were having a really fun conversation, my parents and her mom were also enjoying their time at the same time me and her brothers were also enjoying our own boys time. 

“Hey! Mom said dinner is ready,” Lily informed us as four of us headed to the dinner. Tonight dinner was at their glass house garden that Lily and her mom’s favorite place at their house. At first I didn’t know they had a glass house garden at home. 

“Wow! It’s amazing!” I awed in the garden's beauty. There were various kinds of flowers in the glass house and also there was a wooden swing beside a man made small waterfall too. 

“It was a gift from my dad to mom and Lily, when she was born,” Nick explained. From that fact I could tell Nick father was a family oriented person. 

“Oh! Really!” I just amazed how sweet her father was. A few moments later, dinner started and all of us were enjoying delicious dinner. 

“Eric,dear, how is the honeymoon plan going?”mom started the conversation. I was almost choked with food because of mom's question. Then Lily passed me a glass of water. Honestly, I didn’t have any plan or not even thought about going on a honeymoon. 

“Sorry mom, what did you ask?” I pretended not hearing what she just asked. 

“Honeymoon! Son! Don’t tell me you don’t have a honeymoon plan,” she questioned me. 

“Oh no mom, I have it. Actually I was about to tell you all at the end of the dinner. Good that you bring it up first,” I quickly answered her. But actually I didn’t have any plan. Now I was in big trouble. Lily was kicking my leg under the table and then pitching my thigh because of my answer. 

“Oh really! I’m so excited for both of you. ``Always honeymoon is the best part of married life,” Lily’s grandma stated. 

“So when and where are you planning to take Lily,” mom threw me with another question too. I knew mom did it intentionally. She knew I didn’t have any plans for the honeymoon part. Now I was in a big mess. 

“We are leaving tomorrow and we are going to France, Paris,” I said. Lily was so surprised and mad at me at that moment but she was trying her best to act along with me. Because she didn’t want her granny and mom to find out that she didn’t know about the plan too. 

“I hope we will hear good news after the honeymoon trip,” Lily’s grandma said and everyone agreed on her. 

“Granny!” Lily quickly stated. “I just wish to see my great-great daughter or son before I passed away,” her grandma added. At the moment the atmosphere was a bit timid because of her grandma's statement. Everyone from this room was sad and we all knew she didn’t have much time left. 

“Mom! Don’t say that your health is getting better and you will stay longer with us,” her mom said. “Oh! Eric and Lily have fun and enjoy the trip,” her continued. I just said thank you to her but my brain was occupied with how I was gonna plan a trip for tomorrow and also why the hell did I tell it was tomorrow. I needed to act quickly for tomorrow's plan so I excused myself for a moment and called Jimmy immediately. I asked Jimmy to plan my honeymoon trip for tomorrow and also instructed him to make my private jet ready for tomorrow evening. 

When I came back to the dining table after making a call, all of them were saying they were so happy and excited for us. I was drinking wine and listening to the conversation about Collin’s sibling childhood memories.