Falling For The Man I Married

Gabriel's POV:
I noticed Dad called Madi to follow him out. And she did. I just can't follow them right away because my Mom keeps babbling
about my little fight with my sister.
When she talks like this, giving us her non-stop lecture on the fact that we are siblings, that we're no longer a kid, and Nancy and
I can never walk out unless she's done. We need to listen so that her speech would end soon.
When she finished, I rushed towards the veranda and there I found my father and Madi talking seriously.
"Dad!" I called him.
He turned around and smiled at me.
"Son. I'm just talking to your girlfriend."
"I can see that," I said in a serious tone. I don't know what they talked about and I don't know what he told Madi about me.
I looked at Madi but she turned around and now her back is facing me.
"Take care of her, Son." Dad patted me on the shoulder and I looked at him. "She's one of a kind. Even if you look for another
like her in this world, you can never find someone like her again. Try to love her son."
I can't find a word for that moment. It seems that Dad has a clue and I just nodded. He went back inside and I walked to where
Madi was. She didn't notice me. She's lost in her thoughts. I sighed before I asked her.
"Are you okay?"
She looked at me and nodded.
"Can I ask you something?" I asked not looking anywhere but at her eyes. And she nodded.
"Earlier in the kitchen, before I kissed you, did you, uhmm... already know they were watching? Was that why you said I love
you---"
"Yes," she answered smiling. "I've already seen them that's why I said I love you."
I don't know but her honest answer somehow gives me an uneasy feeling.

"Hmm," I said nodding and turned to look out of the garden.
"Why? It's part of the deal, right? So, I just played my part." She shrugged.
"Yes. That's only a part of the deal and it's a good job, Madi."
Yeah, all of these were just a part of the deal... part of my game. I glanced at her and she did the same. She smiled but didn't
reach her eyes and looked back at the garden.
-'I'm sorry Madi. For taking you to my mess. I promise after I finish this plan, I will let you go. But this time, I need you to stay next
to me to continue my plan. I need Stacey back, I need to show her how much the pain she has given me from the past.'-
I turned my eyes away from her and watched the white butterfly sipping the nectar from the red rose. And I sighed before looking
in her face again.
-'I hope we can stay like this until the end of this deal. I'm sorry Madi, but you can't fall in love with me. You can't fall in love with
this man who still bears grudges from the past. I can't give you my heart, because I don't know where I lost it. And I'm not sure if I
still really have it inside me.'-
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hey dude, what are you thinking?" Phillip patted me on the shoulder. I was sitting at a barstool, sipping one of Dad's favorite
brandies.
"Nothing... just thinking about something," I said before drinking the remaining content on my glass.
"Oh, something or someone?" It's Justine's question from my left side. "You know what, I'm glad you've already moved on from
your ex----"
"Justine!" his brother cut him off immediately. And I just sighed.
"What? What's wrong with that? Isn't it true, Gab?" he looked at me before turning back to his brother. "He already moved on,
can't you see? He now has a Madi in his life."
"Well, in that case, I agree. You're lucky with her, cousin. I can feel that. Don't let her go."
I smiled and shook my head. "Don't worry, I won't let her go. I'll tie her on my hips if it's needed."

"That's my man! Fight!" they shared a high five.
And then we heard some laughter from the kitchen. We all shared a look with scrunched eyebrows.
"That's our Mom," Phillip said shaking his head.
"Come on, maybe they're were throwing nasty jokes again. Good luck to your girlfriend, Gab."
And I remembered that Madi had been dragged by Aunt Morgan to the kitchen earlier. I agreed with the two and walked towards
the kitchen. We're still a few steps away from them when I heard Nancy's laugh. We just stayed standing on the door frame and
watched the girls along with 'my girlfriend'.
They were now preparing for dinner.
"Sissy, do you know that Gab is allergic to peanuts and any food with peanuts?" Nancy asked Madi while chewing peanuts from
the bowl.
"Yeah," she answered and I frowned. How did she know? I didn't remember mentioning it to her.
"Nancy, why don't you slice the carrots and cabbage?" I bit my lip when Nancy frowned.
"Ma, you know I can't!"
"Then how would you learn if you don't try it?"
"But Ma---"
"It's okay, Nancy. I'll teach you." Madi took the knife from Nancy's hand together with the chopping board.
"Alright," Nancy said smiling at her. "Sissy, do you know how to cook?"
"Uhm... yup." she also smiled at her and then whispered something in Nancy's ear. I couldn't help raising an eyebrow when
Nancy nodded excitedly.
And then she started chopping the vegetables with Nancy holding her cellphone. And my eyes couldn't believe how she chopped
all the vegetables around her.
"Oh goodness! How? How did she...."

"How did she chopped those veggies so fast?" Phillip continued what Justine supposed to ask.
When I looked at them, they have the same expression as mine.
"Wow, Sissy! How did you that?"Nancy asked our silent question. But Madi shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
"Maybe because I always cook and I love to cook".
"Gabriel is so lucky of you, Madi."
Justine and Philip patted my back when they heard their Mom's voice.
"And you know what the old sayings say? The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." that was Aunt Cindy.
"My Gabriel is so lucky to have you," Mom added.
"Yeah, and you know what? Stacey can't even lift a pan and---"
"Nancy!" all three women, our mother and our two aunts shouted at her.
"Oops! Sorry... I'm sorry, Madi."
But Madi didn't say anything, she just smiled at her. And I swear, if I could just break my sister's neck, I did it since the moment
she opened her mouth.
"Well, I agree with Nancy. Your ex can't even wash a single spoon, what more in cooking?"
I glared at Justine.
Aunt Cindy suddenly changed the topic and after a while, they laughed as Madi and Nancy continued their chopping lessons.