Aurelia and Jamie have just set a wedding date, March the 30th. The house was all hustle and bustle with decorations and plans. Both have been learning each other's native tongues as it proved a problem in the beginning. But Jamie improved his Portuguese and Aurelia her English, and soon they were inseparable. Jamie had recently found out that his first novel, Clean Blade, was published with some positive feedback. He named on of his main characters after Aurelia. It was only on paper that Jamie could describe her beauty: small, thin, delicate, almost baby bird-like in appearance, but with a real strength in mind and spirit. Her eyes, dark and warm, filled with the greatest passion imaginable. Jamie until recently had not known what love was. Yes, Jamie was sweet, handsome, witty, and mad, but he was certainly not lucky in love.
"Jamie, how your day?" asked Aurelia. Maybe she wasn't fluent but she was certainly understandable.
"I've got a hit!"
"Who hit you?"
" No, I mean the novel is doing well."
"Oh, that good!" Aurelia smiled and curled around the desk to pour herself and Jamie some hot cocoa. She bundled in a blanket, reaching her mobile and answering it. It was her father, and his tone of voice included worry. Jamie quickly translated what she was saying, but she was talking to fast and far too anxiously to decode every single word. Two words he did pick up vexed him greatly: arranged marriage.
Sam did not like Daniel's girlfriend. It had nothing to do with her personally, but Daniel pledged his life to Sam's mother before she died. The cycle occurred before when Daniel became Sam's new stepfather. He couldn't stand Daniel, but before long they were thick as thieves. Carol was practically perfect: intelligent, graceful, sensitive, and she had an uncanny resemblance to Claudia Schiffer. This vexed Sam even more, because there was nothing negative that Sam could hold against her. On Sam's twelfth birthday at the end of January, Carol was given an engagement ring. The occasion was far more memorable for Carol than it was for Sam.
"Hello, Sam, you need some help?"
"No," said Sam bluntly.
"Okay. Well, I made fish fingers. You want some?"
"No," Sam repeated. Carol shrugged. She knew that Sam wasn't her biggest fan, but she liked him. She knew that if she tried too hard Sam would hate her twice over.
"I could do with some Coke, though," Sam added, redeeming himself a bit. He wasn't the kind of kid to be disrespectful and although he didn't like Carol, he felt bad for reprimanding her.
"Good idea," Carol responded with an understanding grin.