64

3 months later ;

Waiting for today's conversation, I sat at the table with Mandy, Odran and Chiara while Esme played with Nero and a ball in front of us on the dark floor.

"So," we then heard Rian, who had just come down the stairs in his new, tailored suit and looked dazzled again.

No wonder. Keeva took better care of him than he did himself, and now that he was busy as mayor, he felt important and needed again, which he had lacked before.

He bent down to Esme, gave her a loving kiss on her cheek and then took a seat at the head of the table. Keeva also came down the stairs with her baby bump and took a seat right next to him.

"Well, Keeva said you've already discussed the topic and you have split opinions," Rian started the conversation, adjusting his red tie and finally taking a sip of his coffee.

"What topic?" Odran asked confused and continued munching his muffin.

"The living situation."

He frowned at Keeva and didn't seem to understand at all what was going on.

"They want to get rid of us," I explained the situation to him a bit unnerved and immediately got an angry look from Keeva.

"We don't want to get rid of you!", she defended herself and looked back at Odran with a smile. "Only we're expecting a second child. It's a bit cramped with all of you here in the house."

"I understand that," Chiara gave her opinion and took Odran's hand to demand his attention, which she got immediately. "Bear, I want children too. Not now, but someday and I want to have a nice, big children's room."

"Of course you will get that too," Odran replied and now I was apparently the only one who didn't agree with that.

Mandy looked over at me sympathetically and was about to take my hand, but I got up and looked at Rian.

"I don't want all that! My life has always been pure chaos and as soon as things are going well, you demand such big changes! I'm not in the mood for it!"

"Sit down," Rian said, but I showed him the bird, which caused him to get up and hit the table a little harder. "I said sit down!"

"It's okay!" I raised my hands in surrender and sat back down like a stubborn child with my arms crossed.

"We don't need to discuss it any further. I found a really nice villa for the four of you. A large dining and living area overlooking the beach. Plus 2 floors with 3 rooms each."

"Oh yes?" I wanted to know bitingly and looked at him angrily. "And then we'll see each other when? On Christmas and St. Patrick's day?"

"Or every day at the mailbox," Keeva threw up, smiling so we all stared at her in irritation.

"The villa right next door has become vacant. It will be renovated and as soon as the work is finished, you can move in," Rian explained and Odran's eyes widened in disbelief.

I knew why, because this villa was just huge. The old couple that lived there were filthy rich, which made me wonder why they wanted to move out.

"What about the Jensons?" I asked Rian, who took aim at me and put on a slightly sad look.

"Mrs. Jenson passed away last month. Her husband is moving to Boston with his son."

"That's great," Odran interjected with a grin and was immediately looked at by Chiara admonishingly. "Well, I mean that the villa is free," he excused himself and put on a mournful face.

"Can you live with just moving up one door?"

Rian looked at me questioningly and the others were also waiting for my answer, so I nodded in satisfaction and was more than just enthusiastic about this solution. With the villa next door we would all get what we needed.

I would have my whole family close to me. Odran would finally be able to set up his own gym. Chiara had resigned as Rian's secretary and wanted to work as a childminder until she became pregnant herself and Mandy wanted to work from home as a therapist, which she could now do.

"Well then. The problem would be solved. I have to go to an event with some journalists soon and I would be happy if you would accompany me."

"Oh Rian," Keeva whimpered, rubbing her stomach next to him. "I'm really not well. I'd rather wait here.

"Of course. Rest," he smiled at her and put his hand on her stomach, causing her to stare at him dreamily.

"We're coming with you, aren't we?" I turned to Mandy, who was just finishing her cup.

"Yes, I'd love to," she nodded to me and then buttoned her light-colored cardigan, under which she wore a loose T-shirt from me.

"We'll accompany you too," said Odran, but Chiara shook her head and looked at him apologetically.

"I'm not leaving Keeva here alone. Especially not, after all your horror stories I was allowed to listen to at the barbecue. Go ahead," she turned to the three of us and then looked over at Keeva. "We're both having a chill girls day out, aren't we?"

"Oh yeah, with cocoa and Ariel," Keeva giggled and I just rolled my eyes to get up from the table with Mandy.

"We'll meet there then. See you later."

______

1 hour later ;

"You're probably just late," Mandy said to me as I nervously paced backstage. There was only one microphone behind the curtain and there were probably 100 journalists sitting in front of the stage, all just waiting for Rian.

It was his first public appearance after the Fiore incident and these vultures were all really excited to hear the latest news from them.

"I hope so," I replied to Mandy, sitting next to her on a metal staircase leading up to the stage.

She took my hand, smiled at me reassuringly and my pulse slowed down again until suddenly my cell phone started ringing loudly.

I reached into the pocket of my gray sweatpants, recognized Rian's number, and frowned in irritation when I finally took the call.

"Ja?"

"Senan?"

"Who else?" I replied and slapped my forehead lightly. Why did people always ask that when they dialed someone's number?

"There was an accident. The road is closed. You must answer the journalists' questions, please!"

"Do you still have them all?" I threw in, stunned, getting up from the stairs in a hurry to look up at the cloudy sky. "I'm definitely not going on that stage!"

"You have to! What do you think it's going to look like if I just don't show up and the interview gets canceled entirely?!"

"What do you think it'll look like if I go on stage in my gray sweatpants and faded Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt and replace the mayor?!!!"

"Will look good! So watch and see you soon!"

Hung up!

He just hung up!

Slightly panicked and angry, I looked at my cell phone with wide eyes and winced slightly when Mandy touched my shoulder.

"Did something happen?" she wanted to know and I immediately nodded and looked at her desperately.

"Rian is even longer late and I'm supposed to go on stage! Can you imagine that?"

"Well," she said and I stared at her like she was already as crazy as Rian. "I mean, you only have to answer people's boring questions until he gets there. You'll manage."

"Oh yeah?" I replied and she just put on an encouraging smile. "Then why don't you go on stage?"

"Me ? I don't know Rian at all! How am I supposed to answer private questions? Let alone which ones about his career? I'm a loser when it comes to politics!"

"Don't you think me? I don't even know the duties of a mayor!"

"Neither do I!"

We got louder and louder in our discussion until I had to smile at her rising panic and she elbowed me lightly in the side, laughing.

"You'll do it. Just close your eyes and go for it. Be brave for once and don't regret it."

She gave me a soft kiss on my lips, gently stroked my cheek and disappeared around the corner of the stage. She would probably sit in the front row and watch me directly as I went down.

Taking a deep breath, I turned around to face the stage and got really weak knees, but I still walked very slowly up the stairs and then opened the curtain to immediately stare wide-eyed at the many people who were waiting impatiently there.

The park where it all took place looked beautifully green and the chairs, as well as the stage and decorations, were all blue.

I concentrated on the desk in front of me, stepped close to it and quickly put my sweaty hands in my pockets to at least hide my nervousness a little.

"Hello," I whispered into the microphone and immediately heard the whispers from the reporters, but I ignored them and looked down at Mandy, who was really sitting in the front row, watching me lovingly.

"Are you Odran Gallagher?" came from a woman in the second row and I shook my head in the negative, moving my face closer to the lectern again.

"No, my name is Senan Gallagher!"

"Cathan Gallagher's illegitimate son?" someone asked, but suddenly everyone got so loud in their conversations that I could barely hear individual questions.

"Is it true that they-"

I just looked at Mandy, hid myself in her gaze and by God, all these ignoramuses didn't give a damn. I was only interested in her...

You, the beautiful sky above us and the sea, which could be seen to our side a little further away.

Without answering any more questions, I pulled out my phone, tapped it, and then turned on a really nice Irish love song. I put the cell phone on the desk, the microphone next to it and I was enjoying it when suddenly everything went quiet and I was just listening to this song.

"I love you," I spoke out loud and immediately I noticed how all the reporters followed my gaze and looked at Mandy, who blushed so much that you thought she was going to sink to the ground, but I didn't care.

"And so much so that I would like to show my feelings to the whole world. It's not enough for me to even tell it here in front of all the people. I want to tell every human soul and it still wouldn't be enough. You got me showed what life really means and that it doesn't give a damn where you come from. It matters where you go and also with whom."

She looked up at me with wide eyes and I suddenly recognized Rian and Odran, who appeared in the back row, but they didn't come closer, but waited anxiously, just like everyone else.

A reach into my pocket and I was holding the ring in my hand that I had been carrying around with me for weeks.

The right situation never came up, but here, in front of all the witnesses of my love and the mild wind blowing pleasantly through my hair, I realized that the place didn't matter at all. Only we counted...

"Somebody told me not long ago that you should just be brave without regrets," I repeated, slowly walking down the stairs at the side of the stage to stop in front of her.

The reporters must have taken thousands of photos, but I didn't care. Sure of my love, I got on my knees in front of the woman of my dreams on the lawn and held out the beautiful ring, which she stared at with tears in her eyes.

"Please say yes," I whispered, really scared that she would reject me again. Especially because I attacked her like that, but she just nodded vigorously and held out her trembling hand to me.

"Is that a yes?" I asked and she immediately slapped my arm lightly, rolling her eyes with a smile.

"Of course my idiot. I want to marry you! So yes!"

My eyes widened, I felt my heart beating against my ribs, and I slipped the ring on her, which to my relief, fitted like a glove.

"I love you," she breathed, and when I got up again, I immediately pulled her tightly into my arms while some of those around clapped.

"Congratulations," I then heard Rian behind me, who was now standing at the microphone and turned the music down.

Odran also came forward to us and immediately picked me up.

"Congratulations you stray," he smiled and rubbed my hair with a smile, only to pull Mandy into a hug afterwards.

What a day ....

She said yes....