Page 56 of A Million Shades Of Love and Betrayal

"Probably stewed peas and white rice," Yasmin replied after a moment of thought. "It's such an underrated dish, but there's something so satisfying about getting it right."

"Stewed peas," mom mused, nodding appreciatively. "You have to make it for me sometime."

Yasmin smiled. "Of course."

As the evening progressed, the conversation moved from cooking to stories from my childhood. Yasmin listened intently, laughing at the tales of my youthful misadventures and adding her anecdotes when prompted. It was a seamless blend of sharing and connecting, each story a thread weaving us all closer together.

"Rafael was always such an active child," my mom recounted, her eyes twinkling with fondness. "He once tried to build a treehouse by himself when he was eight. We found him halfway up the tree, completely stuck."

"Mom!" I groaned, though I couldn't help but laugh. "I was trying to be independent."

Yasmin giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "I would have loved to see that."

"It was quite the sight," Dad added, shaking his head. "But that's our Rafael. Always ambitious."

"Still am," I said, grinning at Yasmin. "Just a bit more careful now."

She smiled back, and I could see the warmth in her eyes. It was in moments like these that I knew bringing her here was the right decision. She fit in perfectly.

After lunch, we moved to the sitting room. My mom brought a tray of coffee and pastries, and we all settled into the comfortable sofas. Yasmin and I exchanged a glance, and I gave her a reassuring nod. It was time to bring up the wedding plans.

"So, we've been talking about the wedding," Yasmin began, her voice carefully measured. "And my father would like us to have a ceremony in the Middle East."

My parents exchanged surprised glances. "The Middle East?" my mom echoed. "That's so far away."

"I know," Yasmin said, nodding. "But it's important to my family, and we'd like to honor that tradition."

My dad leaned forward; his brow furrowed. "But we're paying for the wedding here. We can't afford to pay for a second one so far away."

I felt Yasmin tense beside me, and I gently patted her hand before taking over. I never asked them to pay for the wedding so I wasn't sure what their aim was with telling her that, but they would surely pass out from what I had to say. "We’re planning to have two weddings."

"Two weddings?" Dad asked. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"

Yasmin's fingers curled into a tight fist. "Like Yasmin said, it's a tradition that we would like to uphold. Yasmin’s father has graciously offered to cover all the expenses for the wedding there. He insisted on it. Also we’re not asking for additional financial help."

My parents looked taken aback, but they remained calm. "We just thought we'd pay for it since our only child is getting married" my dad spoke slowly. "We didn't mean any harm by it."

"I know," I agreed. "But it’s important to both of us. We want to celebrate with all our family and friends, and this seems like the best way to do that."

There was a moment of silence as my parents digested this information. Finally, my mom spoke. "Well, as long as it's what you both want and everything is taken care of, we can support that. Let us know if it's too much and we'll pick up the slack."

"Thank you," Yasmin smiled widely.

"I guess this would be a bad time for us to bring up the prenup?" my dad mumbled, but he was loud enough for us all to hear him.

Yasmin burst out laughing and I knew why. "Don't worry I've agreed to sign it." What they didn't know was the prenup would protect her a lot more than it would me.

-39-

Yasmin

I stood at the window, watching the sun cast a golden glow over the garden. The flowers were in full bloom, their vibrant colors painting a picture of perfection that felt almost too ideal for my nervous heart. I had invited Amirah over to help with a few wedding decisions, but as I glanced at the clock, I realized she was late. Typical of my sister.

Just as I turned away, the doorbell rang. I hurried to the door, my nerves on edge, and swung it open to reveal Amirah's beaming face. She looked effortlessly chic, as always, her dark curls bouncing around her shoulders.

"Hey, Yasmin! Sorry I'm late. Traffic was a nightmare," she said, stepping inside and giving me a quick hug.

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're here," I replied, relieved at her presence.

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