It was late the next morning when they arrived in Hawaii for their honeymoon. Making their way to the Villa that Jensen had rented for the week, Malia spent the car ride watching the island rush by her window. She was tired, not having slept much the night before, and all she wanted was a little bit of rest.
Malia wasn't sure how it happened. One minute she's in the car, the next she's waking up in a soft and comfortable bed in a strange room a day after they landed. At first, she thought it had all been a dream, but when she opened her eyes, she quickly realized it wasn't so. Malia got up and went straight to the bathroom, taking a quick shower and changing into something a little more weather agreeable. Looking back at the bed, she noticed that his side hadn't been touched, which meant that he didn't sleep there.
Pulling her hair into a small bun, she toured the house a bit before grabbing a bottle of water from the kitchen and going to sit on a lounge chair by the water. Malia relished those few moments alone to get her head in order and tried to prepare for whatever it was that Jensen was gonna say to her.
She heard the slide doors open and she knew it was Jensen who was coming.
- "May I join you?" – Jensen asked, pointing at the lounge chair placed across from hers.
- "Of course."
They took a few moments to enjoy the silence and peace that lingered around them before it was time for an overdue conversation.
- "Malia, can we talk? Or do you want to wait?"
- "We can talk. It's better to just do it now."
- "Mind if I go first?"
- "Not at all." – Malia answered, adjusting in her chair as to give him her undivided attention.
- "Thanks. Listen, I think is important that we get to know each other, but, even more important than that, is what we both want out of this marriage. We have time to know everything about one another, but how we want this to go should be set from the beginning. Do you agree?"
- "Definitely." – Malia answered.
- "Good. Okay, so… First off, I want you to know that I don't want an "statuette" wife. I want a real wife, a partner, someone who isn't afraid to call me out when I screw up or when I'm doing something I think is right but isn't. I spent my whole life seeing my mother being treated like she or her opinions didn't matter, and I don't want that for you. If you want to tell me something, tell me. If you see me making a mistake, may it be in private or in public, call me out, correct me."
"There's one more thing. I don't expect you to perform your 'wifely' duties right away, nor do I want you to do so. I want us to build a relationship first before we take that step. To give this marriage a fighting chance. I know that we're expected to have kids right away, but I want to make sure we have a strong foundation first before we even start thinking about that. And I leave that decision to you. When you feel like you're ready and comfortable with that idea, you tell me and we revisit the topic, alright? That's it. That's all I wanted to say." – Jensen was adamant, and Malia could see he was being sincere.
She had been silent the whole time, listening to what Jensen had to say. She was expecting to hear some sort of outrageous demands, but instead she found that he basically thought the same way she did. Taking a moment to process everything, she took a swig of her water before talking.
- "I guess it's my turn, then. I don't want to be an "statuette" wife either. That's just not me. And I agree we need to build a relationship before taking the next step. All I ask is that you're honest with me, always. And I promise to do the same with you. There's no point for us to be lying to each other. And I'm all for giving this marriage a fighting chance. Let's see where this takes us."
Malia was satisfied with their conversation and felt more at ease now they had placed all on the table. Now they both knew what to expect out of this crazy thing called marriage.
The week flew by. Every morning, after breakfast, they would take a walk on the beach and got to know each other.
Jensen would tell her all about his childhood; how he was always close to his mother and how much he adored her and his baby sister; how he had a big fallout with his father and older brother because he didn't want to stay in the family business and instead wanted to create a legacy of his own; how he didn't talk to them both because of that. And how he saw their marriage as an opportunity to show everyone that things don't have to always stay the same.
Malia heard him intently, understanding now his reaction when his father interrupted them on the balcony at the reception. She told him how, until her mother's passing when she was fourteen, she had been raised to have her own opinions and a mind of her own; how when her father remarried, he slowly became distant with her, their wedding day being the first time they talked like father and daughter in a long time; how it was their housekeeper who basically raised her after that; how she didn't get along with her stepmother. And how she was hoping they could, at the very least, build a friendship between them.
By the time the week had ended, and it was time to go home, they felt more comfortable with each other. There was a feeling of trust that was building between them and that made them both feel like they had a chance.
