Married For Now

CHAPTER 34 - DASH

THE HUGE gates of Grandpa Fred's villa automatically opened when the sensors attached to the pillar of the gate sensed Phoenix's Aston Martin's arrival.

The scenery visible in the windshield of the car is filled with tall trees on the side of the pathway and the great view of the lake.

Jewel felt nostalgic upon seeing the view after how many years. She had not been here ever since she focused for college.

Phoenix's car circled around the fountain in front of a big three-storey house, which she did not know existed in the villa before. It was a wooden-vintage style vacation house with the outside walls looking like they were like made out of wood. It's a really big house, but it feels like anyone would be comfortable living in it because the atmosphere it radiates is humbleness.

Phoenix opened the door to his side and she opened hers. The warm summer noon breeze flowed across them. The closer she sees the house, the more she is amazed. Her eyes were still inspecting the house with her widened eyes when Phoenix took her right hand and led her inside.

This house was definitely not here before, she concluded.

A shrieking feminine sound made her jump a little in surprise and a running Aunt Margarette almost stumbled upon her after hugging her.

"Jewel! Oh my gosh honey! I can't believe you're here!" Then her eyes turned to his son and her eyes astounded seeing Phoenix with her. "And with Phoenix too! W-what...what...How come I wasn't informed about this?" She said kind of mad? She wasn't sure, but there was a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I didn't even prepare enough food for all of us." She said pouting.

"It's okay, Aunt Margarette. It's nice to see you again." She greeted the lady back.

"Mom...stop being a kid." Phoenix said which earned him a smack on his head from his own mother, making him wince. So did her.

"I'm not being a kid." She said. "I'm just really disappointed that nobody told me you were coming today."

Her brows furrowed when she heard that. "I thought Grandpa Fred already told you."

"Dad? What---No, he didn't. If he did, then I would have prepared a feast for the two of you. And I'm really surprised to see you together after so many years. I thought you were gonna stay strangers with each other forever after what happened years ago."

"Uhh...yeah, the thing is..." They both looked into each other. "Grandpa Fred brought us back together. And mom...Jewel and I...we're married." Phoenix confessed with an awkward yet proud smile on his face.

Aunt Margarette's expression remained stagnant for a minute, before she blinked a few times and looked down. Phoenix took her left hand in his and showed both their wedding rings. Aunt Margarette's mouth hanged open and an unreadable expression plastered her face. Jewel can't identify if she's happy or disappointed or angry or surprised.

"B-but...when....how? Why?!" She said, still flabbergasted. "When did this happen? How? What." She seemed hyperventilating so Phoenix told her to calm down, and thankfully, she did.

"It was all Grandpa Fred's idea. Ask him, we were just both forced into doing this because Grandpa wouldn't give me my inheritance."

"Your Grandpa?" Aunt Margarette asked as if she can't believe what she just heard. "Right..." Then a weird smile appeared on her Aunt's lips. And Jewel knows that even though she is smiling, along with her eyes, she is raging mad deep inside. Her Aunt Margarette is really scary when the wrong buttons of her patience are pushed.