SECRET LOVE NEST '22

Version One

We are in my hometown to celebrate my birthday but its not our only agenda. We are also here to check out the venues for our wedding, make a decision for the final designs on each venue, and take advantage of the fact that we are here to give out invitations to my relatives in person and of course, greet them as well.

We will be inviting eight of my uncles and aunts and ten of my closest cousins. I told them to bring a plus one, and I asked my married cousins to inform me if they need to bring along their kids so we can make arrangements. Although, I think in the ever modernizing cultures, bringing kids to weddings are a hassle no parents desire to have so most are opting to leave their kids with sitters or relatives as they attend weddings.

But I told my relatives that if it can't be avoided and that they had to bring kids to our wedding, to give us a heads up so we can have a clear plan to make it safe for kids to be there.

My single cousins has a different issues on their minds. Especially the females.

Cousin 1: Can I bring my bestfriend to your wedding as my plus one?

Me: Absolutely.

Cousin 1: He's a male though...and I cringe to think our relatives will tease us together but we are just simply friends. Ugh! Being single in a wedding is fucking hard.

Me: I'm sorry. You want to...decline to attend. I'll understand.

Cousin 1: What? No! (hugging me) I want to see you and Qing in your happy day. Its gonna be wonderful. Its gonna be magic and I want to be there. To support and bless your union.

Me: Thank you. And please bring your male bestfriend. If people start teasing you both or make you both feel uncomfortable, I will tell them off. Its my wedding, I want everyone to have fun and celebrate with us.

Cousin 1: Thank you.

Cousin 1 is not alone. I have another cousin who feels tired already since she's older than me and still single.

Cousin 2: I'll probably bring a friend, they are also a coworker. But if someone, probably Auntie LuLu, asked me when I will get married or why I let you get married before me, I'm out of there.

Me: No. Stay. Please. I'll sit you and your friend as far away from Auntie LuLu as possible.

Auntie LuLu is my Mama's cousin and a busybody. Nosy. She's whatever stereotype you can think of about that one aunt of yours who seems invested in gossiping about other people's lives instead of turning the attention to herself because she's actually miserable. In truth, I want to skip inviting her but my Mama and GrandMa actually like Auntie LuLu.

I don't know. Maybe she's not that bad. But truly, she asked the cringest questions about a person's weight, status, and aspirations in life. Its funny because when Auntie LuLu first met Qing, she said; "What do you like about our Dayu, he's someone like me?"

Qing was confuse until I explained to him how Auntie LuLu usually behaves.

Qing: Ah, she's curious about lots of things and ask lots of questions to the point that its uncomfortable?

Me: Yes. That.

Qing: Then what she said was right. She's just like you in that sense. At least she is self aware.

I didn't talk to Qing for two hours because of that. He didn't mind. He knows I could be the sulky kind.

Anyways, I told my cousins to not stress about who they will bring as their plus one to my wedding. I told them what I told our friends during that lunch in our bachelor party weekend.

Me: You don't need to feel pressure to take a lover or a date on my wedding. You can take anyone, as long as you like them as persons. Heck, take a pet, just give us a heads up so we can designate a safe space for them. There'll be no fireworks on my wedding anyways so I think it'll be safe to take your pets. Plus, our own fur babies will be there.