Page 14 of Viktor at Sea

“What exactly did he say?”

“Well, he wasted a lot of time at first, refusing to meet my eyes and fumbling over his words. When I told him to spit it out, he finally managed to confess that he was trying to ask for my blessing for Astrid’s hand in marriage.”

My eyebrows shot up, and my heart hammered loudly in my chest. I was planning on asking for Astrid’s hand in marriage this evening during dinner, but it appeared someone else had beat me to it.

But who?

“He’s the same age as her.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“No, but that means he’s got the maturity of other boys her age, and you know how Astrid always rants about immature boys her age. For Goodness sake, she finds Viktor immature and annoying, and he’s several years older than her!” My eyes widened, and I didn’t know whether I should be disheartened that she thought of me as immature or chuffed that she spoke of me at home.

“Viktor is only immature and annoying when he’s around Astrid because he likes to rile her up,” Daewon laughed. “But back to the proposal. You don’t think he’s a good match for her?”

“No,” Katarina was quick to deny. “What do you think?”

“I think that he’s a smart, sensible boy…though Astrid probably has a better head on her shoulders than we do combined.” Daewon paused, and I faintly heard Katarina hum in agreement. “I think we should tell Astrid about this and let her decide for herself. It is her life. She should have a say in it.”

“She’s going to say no.”

“Perhaps.”

“I don’t know how you’re so cool about this. Someone has just asked for your little girl’s hand in marriage. What happened to never letting her get married so she can live with us forever?”

“You know that if I could, I would never have Astrid leave our family home. I would keep her with us forever,” Daewon sighed. “But our Astrid is not a little girl anymore. She’s twenty-two. I want her to be happy. I want her to have all the things that she wants and live life on her own terms. I want her to have a family of her own and just…be happy. I only want our daughter to be happy.”

“I know that Daewon,” Katarina tutted. “But there’s just something about this that doesn’t feel right to me.”

“But what if it feels right for Astrid?” He countered, his words making me feel sick to my stomach.

As far as I was concerned, no one was right for Astrid but me.

“I know Astrid, and that boy isn’t right for her.”

“But what if he feels right to her?”

“He doesn’t feel right for her,” Katarina repeated, stubborn, but her husband was just as stubborn. If not more.

“That’s for Astrid to decide.”

“I don’t see Astrid here.”

“Katarina,” Daewon sighed, but I could hear the smile in his voice.

“What, Daewon?” Katarina huffed, evidently not happy with her husband’s nonchalant attitude. “I can’t believe you right now! You can’t possibly think that boy is a good match for Astrid!”

“I think we should leave it up to Astrid to decide.”

“And what if she decides wrong?”

“She won’t,” he spoke with the utmost confidence. “She’ll do what she feels is right.”

“And what about our job as parents to help her decide what’s right?”

“We won’t need to exercise that role as I’m confident that Astrid will decide what she believes is best for herself and her future.”

“And what if she agrees to marry him?”

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