I'll Be The One

ACT 19

ACT 19

The anticipated silence took over the three. Alkove blankly stared at his daughter, Ashe seemed to be quite calm about the situation and lastly, Katarina looked impassive.

Katarina may look as calm as Ashe, but inside, anxiety was eating her alive and she did not like it one bit.

Alkove straightened his posture and checked if his black tie wasn't too tight around his neck before speaking.

"I, ahem, may have misheard what you just said Ashe. Forgive me, my hearing must be...-!"

"No, Father," Ashe shook her head, taking a step closer to Katarina. "You heard right."

Alkove looked between them and seemed to be at a loss of words, so Katarina decided to be brave and to speak for herself.

"Mister Avarosa, I'm sure this may come as a surprise to you, a shock even, but,"

Alkove watched quietly as she reached to the side and entwined a hand with one of Ashe's own.

"I love your daughter more than anything life can offer me." She then gazed to her girlfriend, an adoring shine in her eyes. "She has become the center of my universe."

Katarina lifted Ashe's hand up and gave her knuckles a soft kiss. "She is my lifeline now."

Ashe found herself getting lost in Katarina's emerald eyes and it took her a few seconds before she managed to snap out of her little daze. She turned to her father to gauge his reaction, successfully suppressing a blush in the process.

To their utter surprise, Alkove had a small knowing smile on his face, and Ashe was almost convinced that her father had lost it.

"Umm, Father?"

"Your mother had predicted this."

Ashe was slightly taken by surprise at her father's words. "What do you mean?"

Alkove chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "When you were children, you had always been so protective of Leona."

Katarina snapped her gaze to Ashe, shock written all over her face. 'Did Ashe have a past with Leona?'

"Of course in that time, your mother and I were still not sure, but she had a hunch about it. You never did show any interest with boys." Alkove continued.

"Was I that obvious?" Ashe asked in a little sheepish manner, a light blush painting her cheeks.

"You were. But it was just a mere crush. This scene in front of me though," Alkove gestured at them for a moment. "I can see love between you both, and I will not even think of coming between you two."

"You... accept our relationship then?" Katarina finally asked.

"I give you both my blessing."

"What about the other people?"

Alkove sighed as he shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Do you care about what they think?"

Katarina and Ashe exchanged a brief look before turning back to Alkove. "No."

"Will you let them get in the way of your relationship?"

The two of them didn't need to look at each other to answer this one.

"Never."

Alkove smiled before turning away and walking back to the party, but not before saying over his shoulder, "Then, my work here is done."

It took a few seconds before the news registered to the two of them. Ashe is the first one to recover. She turned to Katarina and smiled.

"You have my father's blessing, Du Couteau."