Being in bed all day was something I didn't like, and being guarded by two overprotective women, watching over me constantly, was terrifying. The only thing my mother-in-law and Paulina basically allowed me to do was breathe, because I couldn't even eat on my own. I always had to call someone to feed me, and it was usually Paulina who did it.
Only when Paulina went to get my medication was my mother-in-law the one who fed me. When it came to bathing, only Paulina did it. She always looked at my scar, but I constantly reminded her of the promise she made to stop blaming herself.
Four months have passed since my transplant, and Paulina still treats me as if I were made of glass. She hasn't even let me touch her, even though the doctor already gave his approval. I've tried to seduce her, but her iron will surprises me.
I thought she was weak to my pout, my just‑woken‑up voice, and my kisses on her neck, so I combined all of it to make her fall.
As soon as I woke up, I whispered her name in her ear to wake her, and as she stirred, I kissed her neck. She almost fell to the floor when she realized what I was trying to do.
She got up quickly and left without even looking at me. I didn't manage to pout, but next time, she'll fall.
"Why are you exercising?" she scolded me.
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at her as she walked in, clearly angry.
"Sweetheart," I pouted, "it's the only way not to lose my mind," I complained.
"You can't exercise. Let's go to bed," she said, taking my hand to help me up, and I followed her from behind.
"To bed," I said seductively, kissing her neck from behind.
"That's not why," she insisted. "You need to rest."
"And my mother?" I asked.
"She went to the hospital. She has to take care of some things," she replied as we reached the bedroom.
"We have time," I whispered into the hollow of her neck and bit her shoulder.
"Enough, we're not doing it!" she said firmly.
"Love, it's already been five months," I threw a little tantrum.
"It's only been four," she corrected me, sitting me down on the bed before sitting herself.
"It feels like an eternity, love. The doctor gave us his approval. You're a doctor—you know we can do it," I complained again.
"Your heart needs to be stronger. There are only two months left," she reminded me.
"Two months! That's too long, love. Or what—don't you like me anymore? I know I'm not in shape, but—"
"This discussion ends here, before you make me angrier than I already am," she said, frowning.
"Sweetheart, I don't see any other explanation. If it's not that, I know you told Mady you like my body…"
I fell silent because she stood up abruptly, clearly angry, and remained still with her back to me.
"I almost lost you because your heart stopped. So we're going to wait six months, until your heart is stronger. I won't risk it failing, do you understand?" she said firmly. "How can you think I don't want to touch you? I'm dying to be with you, but I won't do it until your heart is stronger."
I held her hand so she would sit back down.
"Look at me," I asked, and she did. "I understand, love, but you have to stop being afraid," I pleaded.
"I will after six months," she replied, getting up. But before she could leave, I pulled her back down, and she fell into my lap.
"You need to stop being afraid now," I said, hugging her and burying my face in the hollow of her neck.
I kissed her neck and felt her hands tremble. I stopped with the little willpower I had left because I didn't want to force her into something she didn't want. She got up from my lap, turned around, and kissed me, making me fall face‑down onto the bed. I could feel how much she had missed me—just as much as I had missed her.
"If I see the slightest sign of discomfort—or worse, pain—you will never seduce me again," she warned me.
"Alright, love," I said, biting her lip.
"And don't you dare act tough, or I swear we won't do it again until after a year," she threatened.
"I promise I won't do anything stupid—especially anything that would put me on a one‑year diet," I half‑laughed, biting her lip again.
She crashed her mouth against mine with such hunger that I could feel the superhuman effort she had made all this time.
......................
I woke up a little disoriented and extremely thirsty. I sat up and saw the figure with lion‑like hair beside me, still sleeping peacefully.
In the end, she got her way. She seduced me from the morning on, and I tried to hold myself back, but at night I couldn't anymore—I surrendered completely to her insinuations and her words.
I searched for my clothes, scattered all over the floor, and put them on. Before doing so, I noticed all the marks she had left on me. Sometimes she behaved a little aggressively, as if marking her territory. I don't know how else to tell her that I'm hers—short of tattooing her name on my skin—because in my soul, she was already deeply engraved.
I half-laughed at those thoughts, but I had to set them aside for the moment, climb into bed, and place a kiss on the corner of her lips. I saw her shift slightly, but she didn't wake up.
I headed to the kitchen island to prepare our breakfast. I was gathering all the ingredients when I heard the doorbell—it had to be my mother—so I left everything aside to go open the door.
"Hi, Mom," I greeted her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Darling," she said. "Were you still sleeping?"
"Yes," I replied nervously.
"Looks like you woke up in a good mood. And my other daughter?" she asked.
"She's still asleep; she was a bit tired," I justified.
"Tired?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," I responded, searching for ingredients I already had out.
"Don't make her exert herself too much," she said, worried. "You know what I mean, Paulina," she judged me.
"Mom!" I complained.
"No 'Mom,' even though Thompson approved you two being together, it's not an excuse to do it like desperate rabbits," she said, while I turned bright red with embarrassment.
"Mom, for God's sake," I whispered, complaining again.
"Don't tell me you're embarrassed now, Paulina, after all the indecent scenes you've given me," she reminded me.
"Mom," I kept complaining.
At first, talking about sex with my mother was a little uncomfortable, but later it became uncomfortable for her, because she never stopped talking about it.
"Daughter, I wanted to ask you something," my mother said, changing the subject.
"I won't talk about my sex life with you again, for the sixth time this week, Mom," I replied firmly.
"I wouldn't want to know either," she said with a grimace. "I'm not talking about that. It's about Shanti's family."
"What's going on with her family?" I asked, confused.
"I want Shanti to start talking to them again, to have them back in her life. But first, I'd like to know what they're like. Do you know exactly how their argument went?" she asked with interest.
"I thought I told you," I said, incredulous.
"No," she denied. "She finds it quite uncomfortable to talk about her family."
"I know," I confirmed. "She told everyone what her preferences were. Her father got furious and said some very hurtful things. Then, her second older sister left and hasn't spoken to her since. And finally, her oldest sister, although she didn't say anything at the time, gradually distanced herself to the point that it was awkward to even have a conversation with her."
"They're idiots. She's the sweetest person I've ever met," my mother said with conviction.
"I know, Mom. And honestly, I do want to meet my sisters-in-law, but I don't want them to hurt her."
"Do you know where they are now? I'd like to have a small talk with her family," my mother said.
"A year ago or less, her oldest sister, Gina, was in New York with her three kids and her current partner. Her second older sister, Johanna, stayed in Ecuador with her daughter and partner. Her father is in Ohio at times, but then goes back to Ecuador with Johanna."
"We'll talk later about how you know all that," my mom warned. "Now I have to catch a flight."
"Where are you going?" I asked, curious.
"Where do you think, Paulina? To New York. I need to talk to Shanti's sister," she said, grabbing her bag and heading to the door. "Send me the location," she requested before leaving without saying goodbye.
I stayed silent, confused. And why was she mad at me?
..........................
"Honey, where are we going?" Omar asked for the sixth time.
"To New York," I replied, checking my phone with the location Paulina had sent me.
"New York?" he asked, confused.
"Yes, we're going to have a conversation with my daughter-in-law's sister," I explained.
"Why now?" he still didn't understand.
"I want to do something for Shanti," I said, tired. "Omar, Shanti made us talk to our daughter again, and now we have to do the same, among other things," I added.
Omar was about to respond, but I gestured for him to wait, since we had arrived at the airport. After a long trip and another journey to Shanti's sister's house, we finally reached our destination.
I knocked on the door of the small house in a peculiar neighborhood. I noticed someone peeking through the window before opening. The door opened, and in front of me stood a tall girl, about 1.72 meters, with brown skin, wavy hair, wearing a T-shirt with a band logo, worn jeans, and sandals.
"Good afternoon," she greeted politely.
"Good afternoon. Excuse me, I'm looking for Gina Vega," I asked courteously.
"My mother isn't home at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?" she asked politely.
She looked very kind—apparently a trait she inherited from my daughter-in-law.
"Will she be back soon?" I asked, a little anxious.
"Maybe in 10 or 20 minutes," she replied uncertainly.
"Could I wait for her?" I inquired.
"I'm sorry, I can't let a stranger into the house," she responded kindly.
"Of course, and you're right not to let strangers in," I said with a smile. "I'll come back later," I informed her.
"Okay, see you later," she replied.
I heard the door close and walked toward the car.
"Honey, what happened?" Omar asked as he got into the car.
"She wasn't home, but she might be back in 20 minutes," I answered.
"When they arrive, I'll park in front," he told me. "Honey, are you sure about doing all this?" he asked, worried. "We don't know what they're like or how they'll react."
"We owe it to her, Omar. She didn't care about how we would react or how we would treat her. She only cared about our daughter's happiness," I reminded him.
"I know, honey, but I still worry about their reaction," he said thoughtfully.
"I just hope they've opened their eyes," I said with hope.
"I'm sure they have," Omar tried to comfort me.
After half an hour, I saw a woman arrive at the house. She was small, about 1.57 meters tall, chubby, and fair-skinned. She was accompanied by a sturdy man, about 1.70 meters tall with brown skin. They entered the house together.
Omar and I got out of the car and knocked on the door again. This time, the small woman opened it.
"Good afternoon, is Gina Vega home?" I asked, observing her.
"Who's asking?" she asked with interest, while the tanned man stayed behind her.
"You are Gina," I affirmed rather than asked, as she resembled my daughter-in-law a lot. "My name is Liliana Scott, and this is my husband, Omar Scott. We are the parents of Paulina Scott, your sister's fiancée," I introduced myself.
Gina fell silent, surprised. I don't think she could have ever imagined that her sister's fiancée's parents would come to visit her.
"You're the parents of my sister's fiancée?" she asked, confused.
"Yes, and we would like to talk with you. Could we come in?" I asked cautiously.
"Yes, of course, come in," she accepted, recovering from her surprise.
We entered, and I noticed the living room was small but very clean and organized. A young boy with slightly blond hair was sitting on the sofa along with a blonde girl. As soon as they saw us, they turned, got up quickly, and greeted us politely. I smiled at them and returned the greeting.
"Please, have a seat," Gina said.
"Thank you," I said as we settled in.
"Danny and Sofía are my children," she introduced them.
"And my husband, Dan," she said, pointing to the tanned man.
"Nice to meet you," they said in unison.
"Likewise," Omar and I replied.
"Would you like something to drink?" Danny asked.
"A tea or water would be fine, thank you," I responded.
"Me too, thanks," Omar added.
As soon as we finished ordering, Danny and Sofía went to what I assumed was the kitchen. Meanwhile, we sat across from Gina and her husband Dan, ready to talk about what had caused so much sadness for my daughter-in-law.
"Thank you for having us, Gina. We came here for one purpose: to talk about Shanti, your sister," I began.
"What happened to my sister? Is she okay?" she asked, concerned.
"She is now," I replied with a sigh.
"What do you mean 'now' she is?" she said, disturbed.
"Gina, first I'll tell you how we met Shanti. I don't know how to start because no matter how hard I try to find the right words, I won't."
"Excuse me, Mrs. Scott, but I don't understand anything you're saying," she asked, confused.
"The first time I met Shanti was at the hospital because she had an accident," I recounted, while her face turned to one of panic.
"What happened to her?" Dan asked, worried, taking Gina's hand.
"My daughter Paulina ran her over," I revealed bluntly.
Her eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.
"What?" Dan asked, disturbed.
"It was an accident," I quickly clarified.
I told them how the accident happened and how my daughter took responsibility for her injuries.
"How long was she like that?" Gina asked, pale.
"It took her about four months to fully recover."
"Oh my God," Gina covered her mouth with her hands. "And I wasn't with her," she murmured in a broken voice.
"My daughter took very good care of her," I tried to comfort her. "She cared for her so well that she fell in love with her," I smiled.
"How…?" Dan tried to ask, about how they fell in love.
"My daughter met her in London, and by chance, she had that accident. I think, in a way, it was a 'happy accident,' you could say," I commented, hesitating.
"Shanti is a very sweet, kind girl with a beautiful heart. Unfortunately, I didn't realize it from the first moment I met her. I will always regret my behavior back then."
"What are you talking about?" Gina asked, confused.
"Omar and I did everything we could to keep her away from my daughter, and it was the worst mistake we ever made. Not only did Shanti show us she was a wonderful person, but life itself punished us before we could fully get to know her. My husband had an accident and was severely injured. At that time, my daughter Paulina, whom I had forbidden to speak to us because of Shanti, came back with her father. Your sister, seeing my daughter's pain at being separated from us, didn't hesitate to talk to my husband to make him see reason, regardless of how we treated her or made her feel. And she succeeded, although I still disagreed and continued treating her poorly," I confessed.
Gina frowned; her annoyance was evident.
"But then we started living together, and I discovered she was the complete opposite of what we had imagined. I grew so fond of her that now I consider her like another daughter. What truly opened my eyes was her story. She told us everything," I paused, and she seemed to understand what I meant.
"It's been years since I've known anything about my sister, and because I couldn't accept who she truly was, I behaved like a fool and a terrible sister. I pushed her away, but when I tried to apologize, we couldn't find her anymore. My husband, Dan, sent some friends to her businesses, but they only told us she was traveling and that they didn't know when she would return. We spent four months asking around, but there was no sign of my sister. We even started to think she didn't want to see us."
"Maybe those were the months when she had the other accident," I said without thinking.
"What do you mean she had another accident?" Gina stood up, distressed. "Where is my sister? I told you, Dan, that she came to say goodbye to me in my dream!" she began to cry.
"Gina, please calm down. Shanti is fine. Right now, she must be at home with my daughter," I stood up, trying to reassure her. "If you want, I can call her so you can see that it's really her," I suggested.
"Could you call her?" she looked at me hopefully.
"Yes, I'll call her now," I took my phone out of my purse and dialed her number.
"She's fine, we promise," Omar said.
"Hello, sweetheart," I greeted and put the call on speaker.
"Hi, Mom," Shanti replied from the other side.
"Have you eaten yet?" I asked, slightly annoyed.
"Yes, we already ate, Mom. Pau told me you went on a trip. Is everything okay?"
"Yes, sweetheart, everything's fine. It's a procedure that required our presence, but nothing out of the ordinary," I replied, trying to convince her.
"Alright," she sighed.
"I'm not hiding anything from you, if that's what you're thinking," I assured her.
"I believe you, Mom. It's just that… don't you think you overprotect me a little too much? I'm already—"
"We already talked about that. I'll be back home in two days at most. Say hi to my daughter for me and stay on bed rest, understood?" I spoke threateningly.
"Are you saying that as a doctor or as a mother?" she asked, tired.
"Both, sweetheart. Don't even think about disobeying me. I have to go now. Take care. Goodbye, sweetheart, see you soon," I said as I hung up.
"Okay, take care. I'll see you here. Bye," she said, and the call ended.
"It was her," Gina said, tears in her eyes.
"I told you she was fine," I replied, taking her hand.
"Why is she on bed rest?" she asked, staring at me.
"A few months ago, she had a heart transplant," I tried to tell her gently.
"Oh my God…" she whispered, collapsing onto the sofa.
"She's recovering well," I sighed, distressed. "Gina, that's one of the reasons we're here. We want you to be part of her life again, but only if you accept her just as she is—without complaints, without reproaches, without prejudice or looks of disdain," I said, sitting beside her. "I know her life hasn't been easy, but throughout the entire story your sister told me, I could see that they only had each other," I added, holding her hands. She continued crying.
"Mom," called the girl who had opened the door the first time I came. "My aunt didn't do anything wrong; she just likes girls. It's not possible that everyone stopped talking to her because of that. She always took care of us when you weren't around, and she did it until she realized that your rejection hurt more than staying with us. And now we've just been told that she almost died, and you're not going to do anything?" she said angrily, while Omar and I remained stunned.
"Your sister has made mistakes, but liking girls is not one of them," I said, looking at Gina. "Shanti would be very happy if you became part of her life again," I finished persuading her. "Now we should leave. I know you will choose what's right." I squeezed her hand one last time before standing up to go.
"Thank you for your hospitality," Omar said.
We left without knowing whether my words had made any impact or if at least Shanti's story had moved her. Now all that was left was to wait. Before reaching the car, I realized I hadn't given them my card in case they decided to visit my daughter-in-law.
"Excuse me, ma'am," the young girl came up beside me. "Could you please give me my aunt's phone number?" she asked eagerly.
"Sweetheart, you understand that your aunt has had a heart transplant and cannot receive strong emotions," I reminded her. "If you call her, that would be very intense for her. But I'll give you my card so we can stay in touch," I said, taking out my card and handing it to her.
"But I wanted to talk to my aunt," she said sadly as she took the card.
"I promise that in a few months, when her heart is stronger, I'll bring her with me so you can see her," I tried to reassure her.
"Do you promise?" she asked hopefully.
"I promise," I replied. She returned to her house with a huge smile.
Today marks six months since my heart transplant. Since the morning, I've been undergoing constant evaluations, and the results have been excellent. My heart is strong; I have no symptoms or complications. Everything has gone perfectly. The happiness on Paulina's and my mother-in-law's faces said it all, while my father-in-law and I simply shared a quiet sense of satisfaction.
"We should go out to dinner," my father-in-law suggested when we arrived at his house.
"It's a good idea, sweetheart," my mother-in-law agreed.
"Yes, we should," I concurred.
We spent the afternoon at my in-laws' house planning trips for everyone. Although I didn't share the same destinations as them, I agreed that I needed to get out of that damn room where I had spent so much time. When night fell, we went to a restaurant and continued debating possible trips. However, that bright night turned dark when Valentina burst into the restaurant in a rage, looking for Paulina.
"Paulina!" Valentina shouted.
She was about a hundred meters away from us. As soon as we saw her, we immediately stood up.
"What's wrong with this crazy woman?" my father-in-law muttered as Valentina rushed toward us.
Without warning, she lunged at Paulina, trying to hit her, but my father-in-law stepped in front of her, and I positioned myself beside him.
"You're crazy, Valentina!" my father-in-law exclaimed.
"The only crazy one here is your daughter!" she shouted furiously. "I know what you did to her. She almost died because of you… twice!" she screamed hysterically.
Everyone in the restaurant stared at us in shock.
"No! This was your fault," my mother-in-law shouted. "You caused all of this with your lies, with your schemes!"
"Valentina, you need to stop right now," I said, trying to calm her down.
"Can't you see she almost died twice because of her?" she screamed again, filled with rage.
"I should talk to her," I whispered to Paulina.
Paulina looked at me, stunned, but soon her expression changed to one of anger.
"Valentina, we need to talk," I tried to calm her. "Can you come with me?" I asked, stepping aside.
We went out to the parking lot. Valentina followed me without objection. I stopped and turned to face her; she stared at me intently, as if trying to decipher what I wanted to say.
"I'm sorry, Valentina, for everything I did to you. I was the worst; I made a serious mistake with you, and that's why I apologize," I sincerely said.
"I have nothing to forgive you for, sweetheart," she said, coming closer and taking my face in her hands. "I love you, and that's why I have nothing to forgive you for," she leaned in to kiss me, but I stepped back.
"No, Valentina. I love Paulina," I said, holding her hands. She pulled them away abruptly.
"She almost killed you!" she reminded me angrily.
"No. I almost died from not being with her," I corrected her. "I'm sorry for not loving you. I love Paulina," I said softly. "Could you let me be happy with her?" I asked, almost pleading.
Valentina didn't respond. She turned and began to walk away without looking back. Fearful that she might do something reckless, I followed and grabbed her arm before hugging her tightly.
"Forgive me," I repeated sadly.
Then, she broke down crying. She sobbed inconsolably, with such deep bitterness that it made me feel worse than I already did.
"Why are you asking me for something impossible?" she sobbed. "You, more than anyone, know what it's like to be away from the person you love."
"Forgive me," I whispered once more.
But this time, Valentina pushed me away forcefully and looked at me with deep hatred before slapping me. The sound of the slap echoed in the silence of the parking lot.
"Listen to me carefully," she threatened. "The only way I'll leave you alone is if you come back to me. And I'll make sure it happens."
With that, she walked away without looking back.
"Shanti!" Paulina called from behind me.
"We need to go," my mother-in-law said, touching my shoulder with concern.
"Are you okay?" my father-in-law asked.
"Yes," I replied, accompanying my words with a deep sigh.
........................
Throughout the drive back, I didn't speak to Shanti. I was furious about her stupid action. How could she think of going off with that crazy Valentina? What if she had done something to her? Doesn't she see the consequences of her actions?
We arrived at the apartment, and I was still upset. I didn't even want to look at her.
"I'm sorry, love," she said, taking off her shoes.
I didn't respond and went straight into our bedroom.
She followed me and stood behind me, hugging me. I felt her arms wrap around my waist and a soft kiss on my shoulder, trying to calm me.
"Are you not going to talk to me anymore?" she asked, her voice hurt. "Are you still mad at me?"
"How do you expect me not to be?" I reproached her. "Didn't you see the danger you put yourself in by going with Valentina?"
"Love, I had to apologize," she defended herself, not letting go of me.
"She's crazy; she could have hurt you," I tried to pull away from her grip.
"It wasn't always like that," she said, trying to justify her.
I turned in her arms, facing her. My chin rested on her head; I always forgot that I was taller than her, though I also forgot that Shanti was stronger than me.
"And I know what I did was stupid," she admitted. "Forgive me, it won't happen again."
Her words sent a light shiver down my neck.
"A simple apology won't be enough," I warned her.
"Really?" she whispered against my skin. "I think I can pay the price," she said before kissing and sucking my neck.
"That makes me happy," I replied, unbuttoning her pants.
She loosened her grip and took off her shirt. Already in her underwear, I smiled mischievously and tossed her robe at her.
"Go take a shower, because you're grounded from sex for a week," I announced seriously.
"Wait, what?" she asked, confused. "That's not fair! Why?"
"And you still have the nerve to ask. You said you'd pay the price for doing something so stupid, didn't you?"
"Love, that's not fair," she pouted.
"If you don't go shower right now, I'll extend your punishment to two weeks."
"Love!" she complained again.
"Two weeks, then," I warned.
Her face turned to pure panic, and without further arguing, she went to shower, though she did so throwing a tantrum like a little child.
Half an hour later, she came out of the bathroom in a not-so-good mood. I was already lying on the bed, reading a book.
"Feeling better, right?" I teased.
"It's not funny. This is cruel, love," she complained again as she climbed onto the bed.
"So you won't do something so stupid again," I replied, not putting my book down.
"It's so unfair," she muttered.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her checking her phone, probably watching videos or reading something. Then she got tired, left her glasses on the nightstand, and settled in to sleep. Seconds later, I did the same and turned off the lamp.
She couldn't stop moving, tossing and turning in bed.
"Can I at least hug you?" she asked in a very tender whisper.
She was so sweet that I almost lifted her punishment.
"Fine," I relented.
She hugged me, burying her nose in my chest. It sent a sharp shiver through me, and then she placed her leg between mine, creating friction against my center. I knew what she was trying, and I wasn't going to let her seduce me so easily. I wanted to see how far she would go, but after twenty minutes, she stopped moving; she had fallen asleep. And now, the one who needed a cold shower was me.
I didn't sleep a wink all damn night. Miss Shanti kept rubbing against me unconsciously, and when I tried to push her away, she clung even tighter. My panties must have been a complete mess. When she finally moved and got up, I could see her pajama ride up slightly, revealing her abdomen.
"Good morning, love," she greeted, kissing my lips before leaving the bed.
"Did you sleep well?" I asked sarcastically.
"Yes, love," she said with a smile.
I smiled too.
"Good! Because I didn't. So take off your clothes right now," I ordered.
She didn't even ask if I was still mad. She stripped completely as I did the same. She threw herself on me, kissing me passionately and hungrily. She moved the sheets until we were completely covered. I didn't let her leave the bed until noon.
"Love, I need to get some water," she warned, trying to get up.
"I'm not satisfied yet," I said, grabbing her by the waist and dragging her back under the sheets.
.........................
We were at my in-laws' house, and everyone was dying of laughter at the way I walked. However, their laughter vanished when Paulina told them the reason for my awkward gait.
As always, my face was red as a traffic light, and I was mortified. The worst part about Paulina is that, even though she defends me now, she doesn't hesitate to embarrass me in the process.
We were in my father-in-law's study. Paulina and he were analyzing a complicated case, and while they were discussing it, I sneaked off to look for my mother-in-law. I found her in the kitchen, giving instructions for dinner.
"Love, I thought you were reviewing Omar's strange case," she said curiously. "It's quite unusual; I was very surprised when he told me about it."
"It's interesting, but I have something important to ask you," I responded nervously.
"Is everything okay, dear? How are your palpitations?" she asked, touching my chest.
"It's nothing related to my transplant," I answered quickly, and she immediately withdrew her hands. "I want to propose to Paulina," I whispered.
Everyone in the room fell silent, stunned, and then burst into applause and congratulations.
"Finally, girl! You're going to propose to Miss Paulina!" exclaimed Martina, the housekeeper.
"Do you know how many times a week she comes here complaining that you still haven't proposed?" commented Sully, the house chef.
"Really?" I asked, embarrassed.
"Yes, girl. We even suggested that she propose to you, but she refused," added Rebeca, Sully's niece.
"She refused?!" I said, shocked.
"Calm down, dear, it's not what you think. Now I'll explain," said my mother-in-law, looking at everyone in the kitchen. "My daughter thinks it's only fair that you propose because she's going to give birth to her children."
"Oh, I understand," I nodded. "Well, she's right, because it's not going to be easy..."
"Nor pleasant," interrupted Sully.
"It's going to be very painful," my mother-in-law reminded. "That's why Paulina doesn't have siblings."
"I want to ask for her hand, but I don't know how. I've had some ideas, but..."
"Forget it," my mother-in-law quickly denied. "If those are the ideas you wrote on paper, don't even think about it."
"How do you know about those ideas?" I asked nervously. "Wait, could it be...?"
"Yes, I read them," she nodded. "And no, you're not going to do any of them."
My face was so red from embarrassment that I wanted to disappear.
"I could ask what those ideas were so they don't happen again," intervened Ana, the kitchen assistant.
"Believe me, none of the ideas you suggest now will come close to what I read," sighed my mother-in-law.
"Now I'm curious," commented Rebeca.
"Well, what did you write, girl?" asked Ana with a mischievous laugh.
"You could propose to her at her favorite place," Ana suggested.
"Or take her to Paris, rent the Eiffel Tower for a romantic dinner, and propose there," Sully proposed.
"That's a great idea," Ana supported.
"But it's predictable," Rebeca commented.
"How could it be predictable to propose at the foot of the Eiffel Tower?" Sully said indignantly.
"Because the moment you say you're taking her to Paris, she'll guess it," Rebeca pointed out matter-of-factly.
"You could hire her favorite singer to sing her favorite song, and when it's over, propose," Ana suggested. We all looked surprised. "What about a romantic boat ride and propose there?" she added sarcastically.
"I like the boat idea," Sully approved.
"No matter how you do it, she just wants you to propose, Shanti. She doesn't care if it's in the car with a song playing; she just wants you to propose. And if possible, right now," said Rebeca, rolling her eyes with exhaustion.
"She's right, Rebeca. Love, Paulina only cares that you propose," my mother-in-law encouraged me.
"I understand. I'll propose right now," I said, determined, and got ready to leave.
"Love, wait! Not literally. Could you at least wait until tomorrow?" my mother-in-law stopped me.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I apologized, embarrassed.
"At least now I know Paulina isn't the only desperate one," my mother-in-law teased.
Everyone laughed at her comment, while I remained red with embarrassment.