Aya stepped on the red carpet strewn with red rose petals. Her trembling hands held a bouquet of hand held picked roses carefully tied with a silvery bow. It is her wedding day, the most waited moment of her life yet she wanted to cry and bawl out like a child. Amidst the people, in front stood her future husband dressed in immaculate black which suited him well. Aya continued to march forward as the monotonous sound of the wedding song hung in the air. She smiled for she could hear the muffled whispers, she’s beautiful, people say.

 

“Hey you’re dreaming!” Someone told her which made her turn flashing a look of disappointment to that person.

 

Snapping out of her trance, Aya came face to face with the person who swept the rose petals away. It was Tuesday. Oh! Tuesday, she was scheduled to meet one of the richest clients for a unit in the subdivision. Only then she fully realized he was really there, wearing the same smug look he always wear on that arrogant face.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry Mr. Kamenashi” she started

 

 “I was thinking of your arrangements and as you see-“

 

“Really?” he flared, his gaze drifted off to the books and magazines on her desk.

The look of disgust on his face burned Aya’s cheeks. She was fascinated with those books. Books which spinsters-to-be commonly have, baby names, wedding magazines. What a shame but she gathered her composure as a ‘great’ idea flashed on her mind. She flashed on her mind. She flashed on her mind. She flashed him a genuine smile that she mustered a long time ago.

 

“Aren’t these books interesting?” she asked, tracing a title with her slender fingers.

 

“Very interesting for those who wished they had babies at age 28” Kazuya answered, his voice thick with sarcasm.

 

Aya laughed, her practiced glee was almost convincing. She already knew handle clients like this, it’s in their bloodline. Handling sarcasm was their usual thing in their family business. She had worked with her mother since the age of twenty one. Their father left them when she was five, Tomomi was only two. She didn’t hate their father for that and she didn’t hate men. Girls her age would usually become man haters and promised themselves not to marry given the reason that their fathers left and concluded all men were like that.

 

“For your information, mister. These things were not mine. My sister asked some advice for her baby’s name.” she said coolly

 

“Then why are there wedding magazines too? Anyway I’m here to discuss about my house” he said

 

“Yes, I know” she answered, resting her chin on her folded hands.

 

“You can move your things in the unit this week”

 

Boy! You can imagine how their discussions tire her out but she had to try her best not to yell though she saw how satisfied he was when his sarcasms colored her ears and cheek bright red. He loved teasing her but she always had things in her hand before she burst in annoyance.

 

Kazuya knew she doesn’t have a fiancée and she did not deny though she boldly declared she was dating someone, of course that was a lie.  Aya wanted to marry and have kids but that was only number two on her priority list. She had to do business and taking care of her sister and her future niece would be enough.

 

Tomomi finished college, put up her own resto business and married Yaotome Hikaru who was the sole heir of Yaotome Toy Company. They married a year ago and was expecting a baby this month. She loved Hikaru for loving her sister. He handled her tantrums well enough to make her sweet again and snuggle close to him which she admitted she was jealous of. But then she was already twenty eight and no one ever dared to date her, and that’s why Kazuya often of being a spinster.

 

“Women your age are prone to being old maids” he said one day while in the middle of discussion.

 

“How dare you say that!” she hissed

 

“I’m dating someone and who knows? I’ll be marrying this month? I’m not like you”

 

“You bet I don’t have a fiancé?” smirked.

 

She was used to it —their bickering, arguments, nonsense fights about marriage and family life which was way too far from her railroad now Kazuya said. Nonetheless, Aya sometimes enjoyed these things, she liked the way he stitched his brows in a frown and pull his lips in a thin slit when he was annoyed. Yes, she admitted she approved of his looks, his lean build, not too muscular and always shaved his face clean of unwanted moustache.

 

Then there came a time where Aya went to her favorite fast food chain with Tomomi, she saw he was with someone, a pretty woman with a soft curls dresses in a dainty brown ruffle skirts. She figured out she was much younger than she is, prettier, more outgoing and a woman whom men would long to have.

 

Walking up to the counter. She shoved the thought of Kazuya dating away. Aya remembered how her heart fluttered at the sight of him and how her insides flipped when she saw the girl. Was she jealous?

 

“Of course not!” she flared, loud enough to make people look her way. The attendant before the counter shot her a confused look afraid that the manager would accuse her of not doing her job well.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry” Aya apologized, biting her lip, “I would like to have some cotton candy”

 

“Pardon?” the girl asked her, holding back a chuckle.

 

“Nevermind” she exclaimed. Seized Tomomi by the wrist and went out.

 

Confused Tomomi stopped her and looked at her sister’s face red with embarrassment. It was the very first time her sister acted that way because she knew Aya always handled things business-like, relaxed and laid back. But now she seemed like a teenager who had a fight with her best friend.

 

“Seriously, what’s with you today?” Tomomi asked.

 

“Nothing…” she answered, fumbling for her car keys.

 

“Okay” Tomomi shrug, “Anyway, I saw Mr. Kamenashi and I think he and the girl look good together”

 

“I don’t care”

 

“Are you mad?”

 

“No”

 

“Why? Don’t you like Mr. Kamenashi?”

 

“How would I like him when he’s arrogant as a monkey clutching a bunch of bananas?”

 

“Exaggerations”

 

“It’s true, you don’t know him that much Tomi” Aya said opening the car door for her sister.

 

“And you think you know him that much?” Tomomi said, a gleeful expression painted on her face.

 

“Of course I do, he is our client” she said

 

“Even his personal life?” her sister teased

 

“No!” Aya flared, stepping hard on the accelerator making the engine speed up  “Sorry”

 

Silence stretched long between the sisters. Aya was fuming and she doesn’t know the exact reason is. On the other hand, Tomomi sensed Aya’s annoyance and preferred to keep quiet. They reached the subdivision later and stopped at the Tomomi’s unit before heading to the main office. Tomomi reached for her sister and gave her a warm hug. It made Aya’s feature soften for she could feel Tomomi’s belly on her side. She smiled, touched Tomomi’s tummy and gave her a wary look which did not escape Tomomi’s intelligent eyes.

 

“Would you like to stay for awhile?” Tomomi asked

 

“No thanks, I have to meet a few clients now” she said, “I guess the subdivision units will be fully occupied this week.

 

Upon reaching her office, Aya threw herself on a red velvet couch which was the biggest “coloured” thing on her office except for a painting and some books. Her office was gray matched with dark mahogany furniture. She threw a look at her “nonsense” books and magazines on her desk and Kamenashi’s face flashed before her mind.

 

What she felt these past few days were quite confusing. She knew she hated Kazuya but somehow enjoyed his presence. Books revealed how a person acts when he/she is in the peak of being inlove. She didn’t promise herself not to fall but it was a bit surprising it came now, she knew was inlove but books never taught her how to handle such a thing. She wanted to have a family of her own and she thought the years marked by her age wouldn’t help a lot. A child is enough———really?

 

An Idea flashed in her mind, the silliest idea in the world perhaps. It is always possible that people you like don’t like you back but then she wanted to have a child of her own, desperate enough. And she doesn’t know why things like these are happening to her now all of sudden. A few minutes ago she accepted the fact that she’s be an old maid and in a blink, that thing went away, replaced by a chaos of idea, almost impossible to happen. God knows how she looked longingly at Tomomi’s bulging belly as she touched her flat one.

 

Maybe looks had affected her way of life. Now she was seeking desperately for marriage, family and babies at the age of 28! And the idea of being inlove almost wrecked her sanity. What if Kazuya doesn’t love her? He wouldn’t marry her and they wouldn’t have kids! What was she thinking now was beyond crazy. And the idea she had awhile ago was the only chance she gripped tightly into.

 

Three knocks and the door opened slowly enough not to disturb the raging things in Aya’s complicated mind.

 

“Hi, you look pretty flushed today” he said

 

Before Aya knew it, her hear almost escaped out of her ribcage. She was now facing the man who caused a lot of brain damage, not heart damage of course, for she knew it was the hypothalamus that is responsible for this insane thing.

 

“Have you applied a lot of blush on?” he teased

 

Aya’s eyes narrowed into slits and you bet Kazuya liked this. Nonetheless, she just kept quiet, handling him this and that, exchanging papers for signatures and discussing over a few things. Many times she had caught him looking or staring at her but gave no meaning. She knew a man like him wouldn’t prefer a woman like her. Time passed so slowly, she felt uneasy in her chair.

 

“Thanks for your time Ms. Oomasa” Kazuya said, his voice was soft, unlike past meetings.

 

“Mr. Kamenashi” she stood up, her fingers nervously entertwined, “Can I ask you a favor?”

 

Heavy silence

 

“What is it?” he asked, a sly smile curved on his lips

 

“Can you give me a son?” she said pointedly, bravely meeting his gaze. Her lips tightened into a thin line and sanguine color painted her face

 

“You’re insane…” he hissed and left.

 

Aya weakly slumped on her seat. Stupid! She scolded herself. The look on Kazuya’s face was degrading and she felt herself shrinking into a raisin. Bitter tears welled her eyes, she was mad at her own image. How come an intelligent woman like her would be looked down by a man? She wouldn’t have the courage to face to him since there would still be two meetings with that man. Shame and hatred washed away the foolish things in her mind.

 

Friday came, another meeting with Kazuya at 10 AM. It was only 7:30 and Tomomi was in the office. Aya kept on glancing on her wall clock, her wristwatch, even asking her sister what time is it already. She clumsily knocked on things around her.

 

“Seems like you’re very nervous” Tomomi noticed but kept her face behind one of her sister’s magazines. She knew how desperate her sister is, to have a family of her own, but husbandry is not that prioritized as having a child. Aya was very easy to read but Tomomi never asked her what really happened few days ago.

 

“I’ll be meeting at 10 AM or maybe earlier” she said, sipping her coffee.

 

“You don’t like him?”

 

“Yes”

 

“Why?”

 

“I simply hate him!” she snapped, recalling the look of disgust on his face. Tomomi never knew about the silly thing she did.

 

“Ooh~” Tomomi said and hid a teasing smile. Her sister was inlove, she knew it. Red burned her cheeks when his name was mentioned. Though she wanted to about it, seems like her sister would burst in total fury when she’d open the topic.

 

“Love is in the air~” Tomomi sang when she slipped out of the door. Her face was that of a child’s happiest look, for her sister was in love. She had shut the door before Aya could yell.

 

Aya straightened her back when she heard a knock and bravely looked at the person before the door.

 

“Have a sit” she gestured for the dark gray chair.

 

“Why so polite?” he asked

 

“I should be…” she said with an air of dignity about her.

 

He could sense that Aya was playing. He could almost see her face, begging, a few days ago. But now her eyes bored a whole as if nothing happened. It was like the first time meeting her before their arguments started. She was there before him, talking business with him without a hint of anything that he could use to . He loved doing that for he knew Aya lied about those dates she told him.

 

He laughed one time when he saw her with a guy. She saw him and clung at the guy without hesitation. Of course Kazuya knew the guy was her brother-in-law. He looked at her fondly as she tried to make him believe Hikaru was her date. Unluckily, a pregnant lady came out with a shocked expression but then laughed when Aya whispered something to her.

 

But something confusing hit him hard and he wondered why he was looking forward to meeting her. He seemed pleased to see Aya darted stake looks at the girl he was with when they were at the fast food chain. Then there were times her image would just flash in his mind. He thought of asking Aya out but his pride shot high up his head. He was too afraid Aya might laugh at him since he boasted he had a fiancée, no one had meet his standards until this pretty damsel wrecked his mind list.

 

Awkward silence remained until Kazuya had the nerve to talk.

 

“Are you mad?” he asked

 

“Why would I?” she answered him with a question, her expression almost blank.

 

“Because I didn’t give you what you wanted” he mutted.

 

Aya smirked.

 

“I know I was so stupid, I didn’t hold my tongue for I wanted to have a child that much. That was not the very right thing to do, was it Mr. Perfect? And since I did it, I expected you to laugh at me, threw me looks of disgust. Then I thought it would be alright because I know how to handle sarcasms and often turn them down in a minute. But that was only what I thought because after that…” she paused

 

“After what happened my dignity shattered because of my foolishness” muffled sobs escaped .

 

“Damn you Aya” he snapped. He hated to see her cry.

 

“Damn you for being so naïve, so close that sometimes I can’t almost hold back when you’re unconsciously tempting me to death Aya! I used sarcasms hoping to block you out but the more I do it, the more you drive me crazy!”

 

His chest was heaving as he stood in front of her.

 

“Kazuya——” she mumbled

 

“Yes Aya! And you didn’t even know how it made me happy to hear you ask for that favor. But then I was so surprised, I didn’t even know how it made me happy to hear you ask for that favor. But then I was so surprised, I didn’t know what I said exactly.” He said leaving two inches or so between them. He cupped her tear-streaked face and lifted her face.

 

“Do you love me, Aya?” he asked “Because if you don’t I still have to say this to you. I love you”

 

She stared at his eyes then nodded “I love you” Kazuya sealed the space betweeb them with a kiss.

 

A year passed yet the couple hadn’t decided to marry yet. Kazuya had just come back from a business trip from California and surprised Aya with a back hug.

 

“Can I ask you a favor?” he asked, still hugging

 

“What is it?” she smiled

 

“Give me a son” his voice sounded demanding. Aya shoved his arms away. Those were the lines he often used to , but it was totally different not. Aya was beaming.

 

“How many?” she sounded proud then shot an eyebrow.

 

“I said ‘only A son’ but then you are too kind to ask how many. How about a dozen?” he challenged

 

“Too few…” she answered and laughed.

 

Kazuya just hugged her and kissed her hair. He then took out something from his pocket; a dark red velvet box which contained a diamond engagement ring.

 

“Marry me” he demanded. Aya laughed and reached out her band “Put it on, now”

 

“Not unless you promise to give me a dozen of kids”
 

“I promise…”