Lina urgently said, âDad, the glass is full. Itâs spilling!â
Mr. Sweeney then came to his senses and quickly stopped.
The married couple looked at Hadwin Stephenson and asked in unison, âYouâre getting married?â
Hadwin Stephenson answered affirmatively, âYes, but Lina is too far along in her pregnancy. We canât have her be tired out by the wedding, so I plan to get the wedding license first. Weâll have the wedding after the baby is born. I wonder if youâre okay with that, Aunt and Uncle?â!
âYes, yes, of course!â Mr. Sweeney and Mrs. Sweeney said with a smile. Their daughterâs marriage had always been their biggest concern.
The married couple had wondered when to make a subtle mention of marriage, but Hadwin Stephenson just said it right away.
âDo you have any requirements? Iâll do whatever I can.â
âAll we want is for you to treat Lina well,â said Mr. Sweeney and Mrs. Sweeney.
Hadwin Stephenson gave a slight nod when he heard that. âOkay, Iâll play it by ear then.â
They had a peaceful dinner. Once it was over, Hadwin Stephenson took the initiative to clean up the dishes and carried them to the kitchen to wash.
Mrs. Sweeney looked approvingly at her future sonâinâlaw. Not many people with his identity and status were willing to do the dishes.
âYouâve found a good husband, so your father and I are relieved,â Mrs. Sweeney said to her daughter emotionally.
Lina smiled and said, âMom and Dad, Hadwin and I will be fine. You donât have to continue worrying about me. Iâll be good to you two. You can go anywhere you want, even around the world.â
âAround the world? Weâll have to look after your baby when theyâre born!â said Mr. Sweeney and Mrs. Sweeney. Although Hadwin Stephenson would find the best nanny for the child, they still wanted to take care of their grandson or granddaughter.
Mr. Sweeney also joined the conversation with a smile. âHadwinâs a good kid. He has never been arrogant with our family. Donât bully him after you marry him!â
âHow could I possibly bully him?â mumbled Lina.
âBully?â Hadwin Stephensonâs voice rang suddenly.
Lina looked in the direction and saw that he had already done 373 the dishes and was walking out of the kitchen.
âNothing!â she said quickly.
âThen take your household registration booklet and ID. Sleep at my place tonight and weâll register tomorrow morning,â said Hadwin Stephenson.
âWeâre registering tomorrow?â Lina was a little overwhelmed. âIsnât that a little too soon?â
âThen when do you want to register?â Hadwin Stephenson raised his eyebrows and asked in reply.
âItâs better to do it as soon as possible. Do you want to wait until the baby is born to register?â Mr.
Sweeney smacked his daughter on the forehead.
Mrs. Sweeney hurriedly took their household registration booklet and her daughterâs ID. She shoved them into her daughterâs hand and whispered in her daughterâs ear, âHurry and register. Weâll hold you solely responsible if you donât register tomorrow!â
Lina was speechless. âHow desperate is Mom to get me married?â