Fate at Work: A Love Compelled

I was expecting the world to come crumbling at my feet with Tees' next words. I held my breath and willed myself to expect the worst at that point. My heart was racing as I waited to hear what Tee would say next.

"Ehem! the thing is........." Tee's voice trailed off dramatically, and I could almost picture the mischievous glint in her eye which had me sighing out loud before she could continue. Ray turned towards me immediately.

"Are you okay babe?" He asked moving towards me.

"I'm fine Ray. Don't worry" I said.

"Are you sure?" He asked, unconvinced.

"Yes" I said but he was giving me a doubtful look. Clearly didn't believe me.

I waved my hand dismissively, trying to appear casual. "It's nothing Ray. I just ate something earlier that didn't agree with my stomach. I'm fine now."

"Okay, if you say so" He's said taking hold of my hand and leading me to the table.

"You worry too much Ray" Tee said. "Scared she'll turn into a vampire?"

There was a moment of stunned silence before Ray burst out laughing. "What? A vampire?"

I took that as my cue to sit, rolling my eyes at Tee. "Very funny, sis. You're crazy, you know that?"

"Can we just eat in peace, please" I said

"Sure, if Mr boyfriend will quit watching you as if you're going to drop dead any moment from now" Tee said and I tuned to glare at her.

"Don't mind her Ray. She loves making jokes"

"Oh, it's okay. I'm not new to her behavior you know" he said laughing.

"Oh, hello. I'm sitting right here okay," she grumbled and we just laughed. The rest of the meal went by peacefully with our usual chatter, Tee and Ray doing most of the talking. The atmosphere light and cheerful.

"Now, weren't we about to have a movie night?" I asked after we were done eating.

"Yes, we are" Ray answered and began setting up the movie. Tee leaned in close to me, whispering, "Nice save, sis. But you can't keep this up forever."

I nodded slightly, acknowledging her words but not wanting to dwell on them. I wanted to live in this bubble of joy around me. Didn't want to jinx it.

We fell into our usual rhythm, chatting and joking as Ray scrolled through movie options. It almost felt normal, like nothing had changed.

Then, out of nowhere, Tee dropped another bombshell. "Oh, by the way, Jess, Mom wanted me to tell you she'll be hosting her 60th birthday party next week."

I blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, what? Mom's having a 60th birthday party? How come I'm just hearing about this now?"

Tee shrugged, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Maybe if you called home more often, you would know these things." She said.

"Hey, I call plenty!" I said in protest, feeling a mix of guilt and indignation.

Ray chuckled. "Sounds like someone's in trouble with mama"

I threw a pillow at him playfully, grateful for the distraction from my earlier nausea and the weight of my secret. As we settled in to watch the movie, I couldn't help but wonder how many more of these normal moments I would have before everything changed. The thought of facing my family, of potentially having to explain my situation, added another layer of anxiety to my already complicated situation. I was very sure going home next week is going to change the course of my life somehow. I just had a feeling it would.

But for now, sandwiched between my sister and my boyfriend, I allowed myself to pretend, just for a little while, that everything was okay.

The drive home took longer than usual. Each passing kilometer a step closer to the inevitable confrontation with my family and with the reality of my situation. It's been a week since I saw or spoke to Don. I didn't know what was up with him and that added to my list of worries.

Arriving home felt like stepping into a warm, familiar embrace. Mom was bustling around the kitchen as usual, her infectious laughter mingling with the aroma of her cooking. Dad was in his study, probably engrossed in some financial report, I was told, and Tee was sprawled on the living room couch, lost in the world of her phone.

Hey, sis!" Tee exclaimed the moment she saw me, jumping up to greet me. "You're finally here! I missed you."

"One would think you haven't seen me in months, when you just left my place few days ago" i said laughing at her behavior.

I still hugged her tightly, feeling a surge of affection. "Anyway, I missed you too, Tee. How's everything?"

"Same old, same old. Mom's been planning this party for weeks. She's practically vibrating with excitement." She said laughing.

"It's not everyday I turn sixty, girls. You'd understand my joy when you're my age," Mom said appearing from the kitchen.

"Yeah, right. Its become a mantra of sort" Tee whispered to me but I was sure mom heard her.

"You can come make yourself useful in the kitchen Tee, instead of talking gibberish all them time" Mum said.

"No way. We've got stuff to discuss with Jess. Right Jess?" Tee asked suddenly throwing me a pleading look I didn't buy at all.

"Let's go help mum out" I said and started heading towards the kitchen when mum stopped me.

"No Jess, you're definitely tired from the drive over here. Go get some rest." She said

"But you need help in there" I protested following her to the kitchen.

"No worries. I've got everything under control, just wanted that girl doing anything other than holding that phone since morning."

"I'm doing something serious with it mum, not just wasting time okay" Tee shouted from the living room.

"She's giving me a headache" Mum said and I just smiled. That's nothing new when it comes to Tee and mum. They're always arguing about everything, but it felt good to be around the familiar chatter. It's always good to be home.

The rest of the evening was filled with laughter and catching up. Dad finally left his study after I practically dragged him along with me while he teased me about being thesame when it comes to work, Tee regaled us with different tales. It was a comforting normalcy that I clung to. We shared stories, reminisced about old times, and enjoyed the delicious dinner prepared by mum. Mum's cooking has always been the best and I must say she went all out for this one. I enjoyed every bit of it while I tried to push aside the anxiety growing inside me, but it was hard to shake off. And as if on cue a voice disrupts our peaceful atmosphere.

"I can't believe you're all having a feast without me"