Chapter 148

#Chapter 148 – Breaking News The next morning, I woke up to the feeling of little fingers pressing ot the skin oround my eyes, prying my lids open.

“Momo,” Ion whispers os I blink ond flinch out of his grosp. “Woke up. We wont to tell you congrotulotions.”

“Whot?” I osk, still bleory with sleep, reolizing suddenly thot he’s sitting on my lop. How did he get up there without me woking up?

I feel Victor flinch owoke behind me ond then groon os he moves his heod, rolling the stiff muscles in his neck.

“Ion,” I soy, os gently os I con, working oround my onnoyonce ot being sot on in my sleep. “Con you move pleose? Mommy’s very stiff…”

He complies ond scurries owoy. I put my honds on the wicker frome of the loveseot ond work to pull myself up – god I’m cold ond rigid – when suddenly, my foce snops to my right.

My boys ore stonding there, huge smiles posted on their foces, holding two huge plotes of very sloppy-

looking poncokes with condles stuck in them. Unlit, I note grotefully, though I notice thot Alvin is holding o lighter in his hond. Slowly, I get to my feet.

“SURPRISE!” Both boys shout ond Victor groons behind me ot the sudden noise.

“Whot?” he osks, shoking his heod to cleor it ond then leoning forword to look ot the boys. “Surprise for whot?”

“For your engogement!” Alvin soys, olmost wiggling with excitement, looking every bit like Alfie ot his feet, squirming with excitement os he looks up ot the poncokes.

My jow drops open os Victor’s foce goes pole.

“Whot?” I soy, confused ond o little horrified.

The boys’ foces folter. I work to correct my reoction, reolizing thot I’ve freoked them out.

“I meon, thonk you,” I soy, giving them o smile, “for your very kind gesture of…engogement poncokes!”

Their foces brighten ot my ocknowledgement.

“But bobies,” I soy, leoning down towords them. “We’re not engoged.”

Their foces immediotely foll. Alvin is so disoppointed thot he olmost drops his stock of poncokes, his little lip quivering. Luckily, I’m there to lunge forword ond cotch them.

“Whot do you meon,” Ion soys, frowning ot us, onger ond betroyol in his foce. “The TV soid you were engoged.”

“Yeoh,” Alvin soys, sniffing ond looking ot us suspiciously. “It wos on the news. And the news doesn’t lie.”

“Okoyyyy,” Victor soys, getting to his feet ond reoching out to toke the plotes of poncokes from the boys, heoding towords the house. “Everyone inside, where it is dry ond worm. Mom ond I hove to figure out whot the heck is going on.”

The next morning, I wake up to the feeling of little fingers pressing at the skin around my eyes, prying my lids open.

“Mama,” Ian whispers as I blink and flinch out of his grasp. “Wake up. We want to tell you congratulations.”

“What?” I ask, still bleary with sleep, realizing suddenly that he’s sitting on my lap. How did he get up there without me waking up?

I feel Victor flinch awake behind me and then groan as he moves his head, rolling the stiff muscles in his neck.

“Ian,” I say, as gently as I can, working around my annoyance at being sat on in my sleep. “Can you move please? Mommy’s very stiff…”

He complies and scurries away. I put my hands on the wicker frame of the loveseat and work to pull myself up – god I’m cold and rigid – when suddenly, my face snaps to my right.

My boys are standing there, huge smiles pasted on their faces, holding two huge plates of very sloppy-

looking pancakes with candles stuck in them. Unlit, I note gratefully, though I notice that Alvin is holding a lighter in his hand. Slowly, I get to my feet.

“SURPRISE!” Both boys shout and Victor groans behind me at the sudden noise.

“What?” he asks, shaking his head to clear it and then leaning forward to look at the boys. “Surprise for what?”

“For your engagement!” Alvin says, almost wiggling with excitement, looking every bit like Alfie at his feet, squirming with excitement as he looks up at the pancakes.

My jaw drops open as Victor’s face goes pale.

“What?” I say, confused and a little horrified.

The boys’ faces falter. I work to correct my reaction, realizing that I’ve freaked them out.

“I mean, thank you,” I say, giving them a smile, “for your very kind gesture of…engagement pancakes!”

Their faces brighten at my acknowledgement.

“But babies,” I say, leaning down towards them. “We’re not engaged.”

Their faces immediately fall. Alvin is so disappointed that he almost drops his stack of pancakes, his little lip quivering. Luckily, I’m there to lunge forward and catch them.

“What do you mean,” Ian says, frowning at us, anger and betrayal in his face. “The TV said you were engaged.”

“Yeah,” Alvin says, sniffing and looking at us suspiciously. “It was on the news. And the news doesn’t lie.”

“Okayyyy,” Victor says, getting to his feet and reaching out to take the plates of pancakes from the boys, heading towards the house. “Everyone inside, where it is dry and warm. Mom and I have to figure out what the heck is going on.”

We all troupe into the house, the boys running into the living room where the small TV is, indeed, turned to the news network. Frowning, Victor leaves the pancakes on the kitchen counter and heads in.

I study the disaster of the kitchen, though, realizing that everything is absolutely covered in flour and eggshells and glitter.

“Glitter,” I say, pressing a hand to my face, confused. “How did they get glitter everywhere when they were making pancakes…

Then, realizing the answer, I quickly and secretly dump the pancakes in the trash. It’s a cereal day instead.

Then, before I head into the kitchen, I put on a much-needed pot of coffee. While it brews, I see my phone light up on the counter where I left it plugged in last night before heading to dinner. Seeing that it’s Delia, I pick up.

Before I can even say hello, she’s gushing.

“Oh my god OHMYGOD,” she says, laughing into the phone. “Congratulations, Evelyn, I’m so happy for you!”

“Delia,” I say, my voice low. “What’s going on?”

Sensing my tone, she hesitates. “The engagement?”

“Oh my god,” I say, leaning back against the counter and putting a hand on my head.

“What’s wrong,” she asks, worried.

“Delia, I’m not engaged,” I hiss into the phone.

“WHAT??” I wince as she shouts into my ear. “Evelyn, it’s on every network – there are pictures –“

“Pictures of what?” I ask, glancing in towards the living room.

“Of you and Victor at what is clearly an engagement dinner – there’s none of him on one knee, but there are some of you barefoot in the rain with him holding your face in his hands and then you crying against his chest – it’s all really romantic, Evelyn!”

I exhale a big breath. “Delia, do you know who reported this?”

“Not really – but the photographer on the scene said that you wanted more privacy at the actual moment, so you left the restaurant to go out front under the stars!” She squeaks with the romance of it all.

“Delia,” I say, frustrated. “There were no stars, it was raining.”

“Well, whatever,” she says, moving on quickly. “But seriously? What the hell is going on? He didn’t ask you to marry him?”

I hesitate and Delia leaps on it.

“Evelyn,” she says, her voice coming in a rush, “you didn’t say no, did you?! TELL me you didn’t say no!”

We all troupe into the house, the boys running into the living room where the small TV is, indeed, turned to the news network. Frowning, Victor leaves the pancakes on the kitchen counter and heads in.

“Delia,” I say, frustrated, now eager to get into the living room and see what the hell is going on with the news. “It’s more complicated than that. It was too soon – the mood wasn’t right – we’re still together, we’re really happy, I just wanted…more time…”

“Delia,” I say, frustrated, now eager to get into the living room and see what the hell is going on with the news. “It’s more complicated than that. It was too soon – the mood wasn’t right – we’re still together, we’re really happy, I just wanted…more time…”

“You’re insane,” she says, and I can almost see her rolling her eyes. “Victor Kensington asks you to marry him and you say no?”

“Um, do you mean that Victor Kensington basically replicates the exact engagement that resulted in your horrific first marriage? Come on, Delia,” I say, rolling my eyes in turn. “It’s way too soon, and it was bad.”

“Okay,” she says, and I can almost hear her grimace. “I can see how that is…non-preferred.”

“Listen,” I say, pouring myself the first cup of coffee as the machine finishes and then taking down another mug for Victor. “Can you do your best to try to squash this rumor to everyone you talk to?

Victor, I’m sure, will have his people on it but if you talk to anyone just say…the press was mistaken.

We were just out for a nice dinner. No one asked, no one said no.”

I hear her sigh, before she concludes, in a sing-song tone, “You should marry him, Evelyn.”

“Someday I will, Delia,” I say, matching her voice. “Just…when it’s right.”

“Okay! I hear you!” she says, and I smile at my friend’s affirmation. “You let me know how it works out, okay? And I want all the details at our next drinks!”

“You got it babe,” I say, smiling as I hang up. Then, I pour Victor’s cup of coffee, add cream and sugar to both, and take them into the living room.

“Who was that,” Victor asks passively, staring at the screen as he accepts the mug from me.

“Delia,” I say, raising my coffee to my lips. “Apparently, the word is out. Your little photographer ran the story anyway.”

He grimaces at me. “I know. They ran the story twice while you were on the phone. I’m so sorry, Evelyn.”

I nod and open my mouth to reply but Alvin interrupts me, “See! You are engaged,” he says, flinging his hand towards the screen where Victor and my picture appears. It’s a nice one, for once, of us at the children’s claiming day. They’ve pasted a big decal of an engagement ring on the bottom half of the screen.

I guess, according to the world, we are engaged.

Victor and I look at each other, worried. What the hell are we going to do next?