One Wild Night

979  Welcome Back

Tom and Lucy sat in his office, enjoying lunch as usual as the afternoon sunlight streamed in, bathing the room in a soft golden glow.

The sound of clinking cutlery filled the comfortable silence between them as they both savored the homemade meal.

Tom glanced at Lucy, who was focused on her plate, her gentle smile making his heart swell.

He couldn't believe that Christmas Eve was only a week away now, and soon he would be able to publicly declare his love for her and ask her to be his wife.

Over the last three months he had seen even more telltale signs that showed him she was ready to be his wife and was thinking of having kids.

Apart from the fact that she had finally moved all her personal stuff from her apartment to the mansion and was adding personal touches that made the place more and more like a home for them, she had also started to ask him serious questions in subtle ways.

Just the other day she had asked for his take on marriage, and if he thought marriage could change their relationship if ever they did get married.

"What are you thinking about?" Lucy asked, breaking the silence when she saw the smile on his face as he watched her eat.

Tom grinned, "I was just wondering how everything is coming along for the party. Are you still excited, or is it starting to feel like too much work now that the day is fast approaching?"

Lucy's smile widened, her eyes bright. "Oh, I'm so excited! Everything's going smoothly, and I can't wait. The decorations are coming together, and the caterers have been great. Plus, the music list is finally settled. I just know it's going to be wonderful."

"I'm sure it will be," Tom said with a nod. "By the way, my parents called earlier today. They will be arriving on Tuesday."

Lucy's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Oh, that's perfect timing. My parents will be arriving on Tuesday too. Who knows? Maybe they are all coming together."

Tom grinned. "We are going to have a full house soon. I have been looking forward to it for months."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, her smile turning playful. "Tired of just my company already? I always thought you enjoyed having me all to yourself, but now you're excited for a full house?"

Tom chuckled, shaking his head. "Not at all! I love having you all to myself, but it'll be nice to have everyone around, you know? That way way I can show you off. How else will I do that if no one is there to see," he added, leaning in slightly.

Lucy laughed, the sound light and warm. "Now, that is a very good line," she teased, giving him a playful look.

Tom shrugged, his grin still in place. "It's not a line. It's the truth."

They continued eating for a moment before Tom spoke again. "By the way, have you bought yourself a dress for the party yet?"

Lucy shook her head as she took a sip of water. "Not yet. I was thinking I'd wear something from the clothes you got me the last time. There's no need to buy something new when I'm yet to wear almost everything in there."

Tom leaned back in his chair, his eyes thoughtful. "How about you let me handle that? I want to get you a dress myself," Tom said, thinking that he needed her to have the perfect outfit for their engagement.

Lucy laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "As long as you don't bring a whole truck of clothes with you, I suppose you can buy me a dress. Just one dress though, Ace."

Tom put a hand over his heart, feigning innocence. "One dress. I promise."

Lucy shook her head, still smiling. "You can't be trusted."

"With your heart, I can be trusted," he said with a wink, and she giggled.

"I suppose. So, yesterday was my session with Doctor Julia," Lucy said, and Tom raised a brow.

"And?" Tom asked, knowing she brought it up for reason since they both knew that he knew she had been meeting with her therapist every Thursday for months now.

Lucy grinned, "We went through my file from the beginning and all of that, and she said she thinks it's time for us to terminate therapy," Lucy said, and Tom raised a brow.

"Really? Do you feel ready for that?" Tom asked, she nodded.

"Yes. I feel so much better about myself and everything. I'm in a good place mentally," she said, and Tom smiled.

"That is wonderful. We should celebrate tomorrow," he said, and she giggled.

"We are decorating the Christmas tree tomorrow," she reminded him.

"That won't take all day. Or all night for that matter. Besides, since we can't go on a date today because of Mia's party, we have to do that tomorrow, remember?" He asked, and she grinned.

"Yeah. You're right," she said with a nod.

They ate in silence for some time, and then Lucy looked at him again, "Thank you, Ace," she said, and he raised a brow.

"What for?" He asked, and she shrugged.

"For accepting me with all my baggage. For pushing me to go for therapy. For staying by my side through it all. You know, as we went through my file yesterday, I couldn't believe all the changes I have undergone. I owe it all to you," she said, and Tom grinned.

"I hope that change includes our future together? I've been trying not to ask you this for some time now, but I'm just going to ask now to clear any doubts in my mind. Have your mind changed regarding marriage and kids?" He asked, wanting to be absolutely sure that she was ready and he could proceed with the proposal.

"Maybe. Who knows?" She asked with a giggle. "Amy must have seen Lucas by now. I wish I was there to see her excitedly," Lucy said, changing the subject smoothly since she didn't want to give him any clue of her plans.

She had not kept it to herself all this while to expose everything now when she had only a couple of days left to execute her plan.

They continued their meal, chatting about the upcoming party and their families. The air between them was warm and easy, filled with laughter and teasing as they shared this quiet moment together.

After lunch with Tom, Lucy returned to her office, and just as she sat down, Amy walked into her office beaming.

Lucy grinned as she met her gaze, "I guess you had a lovely lunch?" She asked, and Amy giggled.

"I can't believe you knew and kept it from me," she said, and Lucy grinned.

"I'm sure it was worth it, wasn't it?" She asked, and Amy laughed.

"It definitely was. I've never been happier," Amy said, still unable to believe that Lucas was back for real.

"Well, I'm happy for you. Let's wrap up. I'm looking forward to the break from work. This is going to be the best Holiday ever," Lucy said, and Amy couldn't help but agree.

Away from there, Bryan kept his hands on the steering wheel, his gaze flicking to Sonia sitting beside him, her seven-month pregnant belly slightly protruding under her loose floral dress. "I really don't see the need for you to go pick Mia up from the airport. You should have stayed at home," he said, glancing over at her.

Sonia rolled her eyes dramatically. "Bryan, we've been through this before. And honestly, you're beginning to sound like a broken record. There is no reason I can't go to the airport to welcome a friend. I'm just going to stand there and welcome her, then we'll drive her back home together for her surprise party. Besides, the doctor said I needed exercise, remember? Think of this as exercise for Ryso," she added, patting her belly affectionately.

Bryan shook his head, sighing. "I hope he takes after me and not his stubborn mother."

Sonia let out a laugh, her eyes twinkling. "Oh, I hope so too," she said teasingly, patting her belly once again, "But seriously, babe, I took care of myself all the while that you were away. So, why are you fussing?"

Within the last three months Bryan had resumed working fully, and as a result had had to travel a lot and far away from Ludus on most occasions. As a result, Sonia had spent most of her time at the mansion with Tom and Lucy, and she had also given more time to her writing and had caught up on all their stories.

"That is more reason why you need to take things easy now that I am…"

"Wait!" Sonia yelled, startling Bryan who promptly stepped on the brake.

"What?" He asked as he watched Sonia sniffing the air, her expression shifting.

"I think we just drove past a bakery. Can you turn around? I want some pastries," she said, pointing at the bakery they had just passed.

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "Pastries? You said you couldn't stand them two days ago," he reminded her.

Sonia waved her hand dismissively. "That was two days ago. Now, I want pastries. Ryso wants pastries," she said with a sweet smile.

Bryan glanced at the time, "Mia will be…"

"Turn around, Bryan. Now!" she said, and Bryan sighed, but turned the car around without another word.

When they pulled up in front of the bakery, Sonia looked over at him. "Can you go in and get them for me? I can't stand the smell of bakeries right now."

Bryan let out a dramatic sigh, shaking his head. This was his fate and he had accepted it. "What exactly do you want?"

Sonia shrugged. "I don't know. Just get me anything. Surprise me."

Rolling his eyes, Bryan stepped out of the car and made his way into the bakery. After a few minutes, he returned with a bag full of pastries, handing it to her as he got back into the driver's seat.

Sonia opened the bag and immediately wrinkled her nose. "What's wrong with the filling in this donut? I would've preferred something plain."

Bryan shot her a look, somewhere between exasperation and amusement. "What do you want me to do about it now?"

She shook her head. "Just focus on driving us to the airport safely. I'll take care of my problem myself?"

Bryan sighed again but did as he was told, turning his attention back to the road. The drive to the airport wasn't long, but the moments of quiet between them were filled with a familiar ease as she ate.

When they finally arrived, Bryan pulled into the parking lot directly opposite the airport and glanced over at Sonia again.

"Remind me again why Jeff is not the one doing this?" Bryan asked thoughtfully, as he parked the car.

"Because Jeff told Mia he's spending time with his family, so she's not expecting him to be in Ludus. He's part of the surprise. And we, we are her family, so we have to welcome her back," Sonia said without taking her eyes off the entrance.

While they were still talking, Sonia spotted Mia walking out of the airport, her suitcase rolling smoothly behind her as she made her way through the airport doors.

Before Bryan could say a word, Sonia screeched in excitement and bolted out of the car, practically running toward Mia with her arms wide open.

"Sonia, wait!" Bryan called, his eyes widening as she hurried off. "You shouldn't be running!"

Sonia reached Mia before he could stop her, enveloping her in a big, warm hug. "Mia!" she squealed, beaming.

"Oh my God! What are you doing here?" Mia asked, laughing as she hugged her back tightly.

"I'm here to welcome you, silly. It's so good to see you again," Sonia said, pulling back to look into Mia's smiling face.

Bryan walked up, shaking his head. "You didn't need to run like that. It's not like you were never going to get to her," he muttered as he approached them.

"I didn't run, Bryan," Sonia said, rolling her eyes again. "I just walked really fast. Besides, stop nitpicking and focus on Mia!"

Mia giggled, shaking her head at the familiar exchange. "Now I really believe I'm back. It's good to see that you both are still blowing very hot," she said with a giggle.

Bryan smiled as he pulled Mia into a warm embrace. "I missed you, Mia. It's good to have you home."

"It's good to be back," Mia said, feeling genuinely happy.

When she left months ago, she had thought that coming back wouldn't be so easy but here she was now. Although she had expected and hoped that Jeff would pick her from the airport, she was happy to see Sonia and Bryan.

Sonia looked her up and down, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Is it just me, or you look different?" she said, tilting her head slightly as she narrowed her eyes.

Mia grinned, stepping back with a playful glint in her eyes. "That's because the person standing in front of you is Vanessa, not Mia."

Sonia giggled and waved her hand dismissively. "Whoever you are, Mia or Vanessa, you're welcome back. Now let's go. You're spending the night at home with us and you're telling me all about your vacation," Sonia said, so she wouldn't suspect anything.

Mia giggled as she let Bryan take her luggage while Sonia led her to the car."Doesn't this remind you of the first time we met? Bryan and I picking you from the airport?" Mia asked as they got into the car, and Sonia giggled.

"Sort of. I'm so glad you're back," Sonia said as she fastened her seatbelt.

"Have I mentioned that pregnancy looks good on you?" Mia asked from the backseat and Sonia giggled.

"No, you haven't. Feel free to say it. I can never get tired of hearing compliments,"Sonia said, and Mia grinned.

"Well, you look amazing," Mia said and Sonia flicked her hair playfully.

As they drove away from the airport, Sonia chatted excitedly about Mia's return. "So, how was your trip?"

Mia launched into stories about her travels, unaware of the surprise awaiting her.

As they approached the house, Sonia smiled to herself, eager to see Mia's reaction to the surprise party.

"Let's get you settled in, and then we'll catch up some more," Sonia said casually.

Mia nodded, oblivious to the excitement brewing inside.

I’m sorry for the irregular updates. Aside from my personal issues, I’m also battling with writer’s block right now. Writing is a real challenge for me. I’m trying however to make sure it ends this month. Thanks Miss_Behaviour

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