In the End

62: You’ve Got A Lot To Be Proud Of

“Are you sure that we can’t call my mother and cancel?” Ariella asked, her blue eyes peeking back at Gerard via the mirror which stood ahead of her. It had been a while, after they’d talked about the prospect of them getting engaged, a few weeks had passed, and with Estella and Stefan’s tenth wedding anniversary having arrived, the couple were headed to a party that Estella had arranged to celebrate it, something Ariella wasn’t necessarily looking forwards to.

She was happy for her mother, after the mess that was her parents’ marriage, Stefan had been a welcome arrival into Estella’s life, and whilst she was thrilled that they’d made it work for so long, a small part of her wanted to avoid the party, not wanting to spend the afternoon with Imogen who she knew would be at the party. It had been a while, after Imogen’s wedding, encounters between the two of them had been few and far between, but still she was slightly tempted to avoid it, even if she knew how much the party meant to her mother. The last thing she wanted was to spend the afternoon listening to Imogen’s irritating boasting.

Gerard, who was buttoning up his shirt, lifted his head slightly, offering her a smirk via the mirror. “You could try it” he quipped “But I think we both know it’d only end with your mother showing up at our front door and dragging us to her party. She was pretty insistent about us being there when she called” he added impishly.

Ariella merely rolled her eyes, something which made Gerard chuckle before he stepped closer to her, his arms gently wrapping around her waist as he pressed a light kiss against the top of her head. “It won’t be so bad” he mumbled into her hair “I mean, I know Imogen can be pretty insufferable, but we only have to go for a couple of hours before we can make an excuse and leave. I can’t promise that she won’t bother you, but I still think we ought to go. Today’s a big deal for your mama and I am sure that you want to celebrate that with her, no?” he posed as he leant back slightly, meeting her eyes via the mirror.

Ariella held his stare for a second before she let out a soft sigh, nodding her head gently. “You’re right” she mumbled.

“I know I am” Gerard retorted with a smirk.

Ariella shook her head before she gently shifted her arm, nudging him in the ribs. “You don’t have to look so smug” she muttered as she turned around to face him, a slight hint of a teasing smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth.

Gerard shrugged nonchalantly, something which made Ariella roll her eyes before she moved to step past him, mumbling something about her shoes.

Gerard watched her take a couple of paces away from him before he gently wrapped his hand around her arm, pulling her back towards him slightly. “I know that Imogen’s boasting bothers you” he mumbled “I mean, I’ve only met her a few times and it annoys me, but you ought to remember that you’ve got a lot of things to be proud of too. You’re an amazing mama, Ella, our little boy is the most adorable little guy ever, and then there is me. Some people would say that I am quite the catch” he added, his voice caught between encouraging and playful.

Ariella quirked an eyebrow, trying, and failing, to distract him from the blush which had been quick to spread across her face. “They would?” she quipped.

Gerard breathed out a soft laugh before he shook his head, taking a step closer to her. “Are you saying that you can do better than me?” he played along, his hand gently cupping her cheek.

Ariella feigned thought for a second, a playful expression dancing across her features, before she gently turned her head, pressing a soft kiss to his palm.

Gerard smiled a little at the feel of her lips against his skin before he took half a step forwards, pressing a soft kiss against her lips before he stepped back, mumbling about them needing to get going. Ariella nodded her head in agreement before she laced their fingers together, an assured smile on her face.

~#~
Resting back in his seat, Gerard quirked a small amused smile, his blue eyes settled on Ariella who stood a little away from him, giggling at a joke that one of her relatives had told her. It had been an enjoyable day, even despite a couple of run-ins with Imogen who had been proudly flaunting her baby bump, the party that had been thrown to celebrate Estella and Stefan’s anniversary had been an enjoyable one for both Gerard and Ariella, and the defender had to admit that he was pleased, even if he did feel a little awkward about being in a room full of Ariella’s relatives. He was merely relieved to see that she was having a far better time than she had been expecting that she would. He knew that she hadn’t been looking forwards to it, with the prospect of spending the day with Imogen, he knew that a small part of Ariella had been dreading the party, but he was pleased that they’d gone, even more so that Ariella looked as though she was having a wonderful time.

Smiling to himself, he moved to take a sip of his drink before he heard someone sit down beside him, causing him to turn his head, his eyes settling on Estella who sat beside him, a grin on her face. “Gerard” she greeted enthusiastically “Are you enjoying yourself?” she asked.

Gerard nodded. “It’s a great party” he enthused “What about you? Is it everything you hoped it’d be?” he asked.

Estella glanced around the room briefly before she nodded, her grin widening. “I don’t like to boast, but I think I did a pretty great job” she fussed.

Gerard just about refrained from scoffing and quipping back a comment, instead opting to offer her a warm smile, allowing a brief moment of silence to pass between them before he shook his head. “So” he breathed “You and Stefan have been married for ten years?” he asked, trying to start a conversation.

Estella, who’d moved to pour herself a glass of wine, nodded her head, a fond smile on her lips. “We have” she confirmed “And they’ve been a pretty wonderful ten years. Don’t get me wrong, I am forever grateful to Jacob for making our wonderful daughter, but things with Stefan...they’ve felt pretty right since we met” she added, sparing a brief adoring look towards her husband who stood a little away from them, talking animatedly to a few of their guests.

Gerard admired the expression on her face for a second before he turned away, sparing another look towards Ariella. Watching her for a couple of seconds, he felt his smile pull at the corner of his mouth before he shook his head, turning back towards Estella who watched him with a bright smile. “I...uh” he stumbled out “I...I need your help with something” he added.

Estella lifted an eyebrow, but couldn’t stifle her expectant grin. “You do?” she asked.

Gerard nodded hesitantly. “I’m not in a hurry” he noted “I mean, me and Ella, we’ve talked, and she’s not expecting anything soon, but I...uh...” he trailed off timidly.

Estella smiled, slightly amused by how timid he looked, before she gently reached her hand out, patting his gently. “Say it” she mused encouragingly.

Gerard hesitated for a second, taking in a breath, before he shook his head, smiling at his girlfriend’s mother. “I’d like your help to plan a proposal for your daughter” he breathed “But, before you say anything, I need to know that you won’t tell anyone. I know that you let slip to Ella about me asking for Jacob’s blessing but...”

“You have my word, Gerard” Estella interrupted “And my help. I’d be more than happy to lend a hand” she insisted.

Gerard offered her a slightly hesitant glance, searching her face for any sign that she didn’t mean what she had said, before he let out a small relieved sigh, a slight grin on his lips. He wasn’t in a hurry, neither of them were, but the more days that past, the more certain he grew of them. He was crazy about Ariella, he had been for a long time, and he knew that she felt the same way about him, even if they had had their moments. As far as he was concerned, they were supposed to end up together.
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Thanks to FootieJo for the comment :)