In a world were there are fewer weddings and less people starting families, the Government decided to implement "Arranged Marriages". Jensen doesn't want to get married to someone he doesn't know and neither does his future wife. Will they make this...
The week had flown by and before they knew it, it was time to go home. Malia was nervous about that. Afterall, she was now going to live in a house she had never seen or been in before. She knew all her possessions had already been sent there by her stepmother, but she didn't know how things would work between her and Jensen. Malia knew he didn't expect her to have sex with him but was he expecting them to sleep in the same bed? She needed to ask him before they got to the house.
- "Jensen?" – She started, while still on their way to the house.
- "Yes?"
- "Can I ask you something?"
- "Of course, anything." – Jensen slowly pulled the car over to the side of the road so he could give her his full attention.
- "It's about the sleeping arrangements."
- "You don't need to worry about that. I instructed our housekeeper to set one of the rooms up for you, right across from mine, so you can have your privacy. I told you, Malia, only when your ready and comfortable will we take the next step." – Jensen answered, with a reassuring smile, knowing he should've told her sooner about it.
- "Thank you. I really appreciate that."
Malia was relieved. It wasn't like she wasn't attracted to him, he was a very handsome man, there was no doubt about it, but she wasn't ready to share her bed with him, not yet anyway.
Soon, they pulled up to the house. Malia stepped out of the car and looked up. In front of her was this beautiful white house with black roofing. From the outside it looked simple and that was perfect for her. She didn't like those big, lavish houses that everyone seemed to just have to have. Yes, the house was big, no question about it, but it felt homey, and she was only seeing the outside.
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Malia felt someone standing at her side and she knew it was Jensen.
- "So, what do you think?"
- "I like it. It's big but simple. I really like it."
- "I'm happy you like it. Ready to see the inside?"
And with a nod, Malia followed Jensen inside.
Once they walked through the front door, they were greeted by the house staff. A housekeeper; two house maids; a chef; a gardener and a driver. Malia greeted them all with a smile. She was used to having staff and treating them like family, so she made a mental note to get to know all of them better and their stories. It was something she enjoyed, getting to know people's stories, it fascinated her how different and, at the same time, how similar they could be to her own story.
She was led by the housekeeper, Julia, to her new room, followed closely by Jensen and one of the maids, Nora, who was carrying her small suitcase. Once in her new room, Julia and Nora left to allow Jensen and Malia a moment alone.
The room was spacious, with a big king size bed, walking closet and private bathroom. It also had big windows that gave her a beautiful view of the garden in the back of the house. It was painted in light colors and every piece of furniture matched with each other.
- "What do you think?" – Jensen asked her, trying to read her expression.
- "It's beautiful. I like it. A lot."
- "I'm glad. Listen, if there's anything you would like to change, and not just in your bedroom, throughout the house as well, feel free to do so. This house is as much mine as it is yours. I want you to feel at home here, so if you want to redecorate, be my guest. Make it your own. Alright?"
- "Thank you. But from what I've seen, there's no need to redecorate. The house looks stunning and it feels homey. I think it's perfect as it is."
Malia saw Jensen smile at her words, before excusing himself to take a shower and change before dinner. She meant what she said, but it was nice to know that he trusted her to turn the house theirs. This had been his home long before it was hers as well, so to know he was giving her his blessing to turned it into "their" home, it meant that he was really trying to make things work between them. And that made her feel more confident in the future.
Time flew by faster than they realized. Slowly things between them started to shift. They talked more, always ate together and they both made sure to always have time for each other. Soon, and without even noticing, Jensen started calling her by a pet name, "sweetheart", which surprised them both at first, but quickly became the norm.
Soon, it was time for the traditional six months dinner party for the family. It was a tradition that was created so the families could analyze the couple's marriage and give out helpful tips to the newlyweds.
Malia wasn't looking forward to it. Not because she didn't want to see her father or Jensen's family, but because she had no idea what to do as far as planning went. The last few days she had been stressing about it and she was sure that Jensen had picked up on it.
It was late afternoon, and she was sitting at the dinner table, trying to plan the dinner and failing miserably, when Jensen walked in the room having just arrived from work.
- "Still no ideas?"
- "I have everything under control, thank you very much." – Malia lied through her teeth. She heard him chuckle and only then did she looked up to see him leaning against the doorframe smiling at her.
Jensen walked over, sitting down next to her and holding her hand in his, caressing it with his thumb.
- "No, you don't. And that's okay, sweetheart. Look, why don't you call my mother and see if she can help you. I'm sure she won't mind and, besides, it's okay to ask for help every once in a while, you know?"
- "I know, I just really wanted to do this on my own. But you're right, I need help. I'll call your mother and see if she can come over for lunch tomorrow so I can ask for her help."
- "Don't worry about the dinner. I'm sure you'll do great." – Jensen said, before standing up and placing a kiss on the top of her head. Another thing he had started doing and something that brought them closer.
Malia smiled and stood up as well, making her way to the parlor to call Jensen's mother, Donna. They had met at the wedding and hit it off right away. Donna made her feel at ease and made sure that she knew that if she ever needed anything, she could call her, going as far as, over the last few months, becoming a mother figure for her.
The conversation was quick. Five minutes later and Malia was letting the staff know that the next day Donna was coming for lunch. Donna had been more than happy to help her with the planning and said she was looking forward to knowing how they were doing.
Lunch with Donna the next day was a success. Between them both, they planned everything from the table set-up to the menu that was going to be served. Malia told her how much things had changed since their wedding day and how her and Jensen could see a future different from the one they had envisioned that first day.
Malia could see that that made Donna happy. It was clear to Donna that they were a good match, all it would take for them to see the same was time. Malia was happy as well. She knew Donna was right, time was what they needed to become closer and throw the walls both of them had up, down.
Now, she needed to focus on the night that she had been dreading and that had been stressing her for so long. She had no idea how it was going to go, all she could do was hope and pray that, by the end of the night, they would all still be on talking terms with each other.
