The Greatest Mind I Ever Knew

Chapter 31: Screw The Superstitions

The next morning Joshua slept in late, thankfully. Emma slept in too, and was still tipsy long after her morning coffee, but Mum and I were up with the sunrise. My wedding day was finally here!
               Mum and I were downstairs having a cup of tea and a chat about marriage when my phone buzzed with a message from Lotan.
'...Because men are always getting themselves into messes that they need us to pull them out of, bambina,' Mum was saying, 'whether it's to do with big things like money, or just little dumb things they say. And they'll never ask you for help directly, oh no. They're too proud for that! But they'll find a way to let you know they need you, and when you repeatedly help them, time after time after time, they'll only cherish you more and more -'
'Oh, hang on a second, Mum.' I interrupted, picking up my phone to check what the message said.

I like we should talk before wedding. I am outside if you awake bisous

'Oh!'
'What is it? Is something wrong?' Mum asked me quickly. 'It's not Nonna or Susie is it? They're still coming? - I knew I shouldn't have asked Susie to run that support group yesterday -'
'No, no, Mum, it's fine.' I quickly told her, putting on a smile. 'They're still coming. This, this is from Lotan. He's outside and wants to talk to me.'
'Oh! About last night?'
'Maybe.' I shrugged at the woman who was not very subtly craning her neck to get a glimpse of the message.
'Are you two alright?' she asked me as I slid off my stool, taking my cup of tea with me.
'Um, yeah.' I thought aloud, heading towards the front door. 'I think - I hope so.'
'Well don't let him see you, Olivia!'
               With an amused glance back at Mum, I took a deep breath and looked out through the peephole. Lotan really was outside the house, sitting on the front steps with his head down. That made my chest instantly pull tight. Why did he look so sad?
               I opened the door a crack and watched through the peephole as Lotan jumped up and turned to face me, then frowned.
'...Er, Olivia?'
'I'm here, my love.' I said. 'But you're not allowed to see me before the wedding.'
'Ah.' He lowered his head a little. 'Er, please, Olivia. Come out to me, please.'
'Why? What's wrong?'
               Lotan hesitated, then said,
'We are alone, yes, you and me?'
'Um,' I turned my head and saw Mum watching us from the kitchen doorway. 'Mum! Can we have some privacy please?'
'Oh.' She sighed. 'Fine. I'll be upstairs if you need me.'
               I watched her go, then turned back to the peephole.
'Now we're alone. How are you feeling? You look tired.'
'I'm not very tired. I, er, sleep some time last night, after you leave - maybe four hours. I am, er, very hungover, though. I feel sick.'
'I'll tell your best man off for that.' I said, frowning at the sight of Lotan's dark eyes. 'I hope Jack wakes up feeling as rough as you do.'
               Lotan nodded and said,
'Yes, I think he is very many hungover, from many drinks last night. Can we talking now?'
'Of course. About what?'
'Er, Olivia, I, I am very, really sorry of last night. This what I come to say to you. I, I was not myself, and -'
'Oh, babe, we don't have to talk about that!' I quickly reassured him. 'It's okay.'
'Really?'
'Really!'
               Lotan exhaled appreciatively.
'Okay. Thank you, my love. I, I was, er, embarrass, of things I said. About, er, er, demons, and I keep, er, hearing music, and I'm being scared of let you down.'
'Why?' I asked, looking down at my half empty mug of tea sadly. 'Lotan, I'm going to become your wife today. You shouldn't be embarrassed to talk to me about your feelings! I've told you that a few times now.'
               His head lowered again.
'I know. But I have very many of this 'feelings', Olivia. - I think, er, other men don't have, er, all this many as me.'
'Oh, Lotan. Stop being so cute or I'll have to come out there and kiss you.' I said with a pitying smile. (I may have still had some wine in my system.) 'You're very masculine, and very lovely, and I love you like mad.'
               Lotan raised his head a little and smiled at the door. It was such a bashful, adorable smile that my knees turned weak!
'I love you too, Olivia. And,' he paused, stepped closer to the door and said, 'I will be very good husband for you, dear lady. I promise, I am not, er, perfect, but I try always to making you happy.'
               I melted against the door at the sound of those words dancing on his beautiful voice. Lotan put a hand against the outside of it and added in a murmur, 'Because, baby, you always making me very, very many happy.'
               While I nibbled my smiling lip, lovestruck, Lotan slid his hand along the door and round the side of it, before gently pushing it inwards -
'Hey!' I giggled, pushing his fingers off the edge. 'You can't come in here! Go home, you cheeky man.'
               He grinned and replied,
'But you will kissing me first, yes?'
'No!'
'I close my eyes, Olivia!'
'The answer is still no!' I laughed, holding the door in place between us. Lotan leaned against it for a moment longer, but then backed off, and sighed.
'You are cruel lady, Olivia. Cruel, cruel.'
'You can kiss me at the altar in six hours, my love.' I told him, watching him hypocritically through the peephole still. Lotan sighed again, but smiled.
'Okay, sweet lady. Six hours, and I kiss you very much.'
'I look forward to it. Au revoir, Lotan.'
'Au revoir.'
               I closed the door after that and downed the last of my tea, trying to calm my nerves. This was getting real now! Six hours. That wasn't a very long time at all.
               I watched my fiancé linger outside the door a moment longer, clearly hoping I'd change my mind. I desperately wanted to! My Lotan-withdrawals felt like fire ants biting my lips now, so much so that I itched them with my white nails and turned to put my back against the door so I couldn't see him walk away.
               When I was finally ready to move away from the door, I looked up and saw Mum standing at the top of the stairs with her arms crossed. I gasped.
'Mum! How long have you been standing there? You nosy -'
'What are you doing, Olivia?' she asked me sternly. I checked myself over as if I'd walked mud onto the carpet or spilt tea all down my clothes.
'What's wrong?' I asked her. She tutted and shook her head.
'Go on, you muppet! Go and kiss him!'
'But -'
'Oh screw the superstitions, bambina! Your dad and I did, and look how happy we are! Listen,' she trod down a few steps, 'only you two can control whether or not you'll have a good marriage. If you want Lotan, go to him! It doesn't matter what tradition says - or you, Julie, so be quiet already.'
               With a hesitant stare at Mum, I shifted from foot to foot until she marched towards me and pushed me towards the door, barking again, 'Go!'
               That was when I finally smiled, handed her my mug, and flung the front door open. Lotan's car was roaring like a lion as it began to speed away from the kerb. He didn't see me at first so I quickly ran out in front of his car with my palms up, calling out,
'Wait! Wait!'
               Instantly Lotan braked, hard. I laughed at the ridiculousness of what I'd just done while he opened his car door and jumped out, staring at me all the while as if to say, 'Are you insane!? I could have hit you!'
               I didn't say anything. Instead I ran towards him, jumped up into his arms and felt our lips connect like magnets. He clutched onto me tightly, joyfully, while my fingers ran through his hair. It was a sloppy, wet, animalistic kind of kiss, unashamed and fun. The kind of kiss where afterwards you can only laugh and wipe each other's mouths dry.