Stew was Anakin's favorite dish, but favorite person took precedence. He was missing her four days and three nights. That had to be made up for.
Afterwards they sat at the counter and ate stew, although it was getting pretty late. Anakin was hungry...as always.
"Now tell me everything about your work, what did you have to do again, what was wrong?"
"I don't want to bother you with details, that's not your specialty."
"Anakin, I'm interested in everything you do."
"OK. The programming was not wrong, it wasn't the fuel either, it was a jet, a little thing... with a great effect. Luckily, the defect was quickly discovered and corrected, so I was able to run through all the prescribed series of tests that my supervisor had specified. Now I can integrate the results into the dissertation and then sometime in June I have the third series of tests to work through. In between I have various courses, workshops and colloquia, so I have to prepare for it. If the third test runs smoothly without any problems and I have incorporated the results, the dissertation can be printed at the end of this year…so around seven hundred pages. Then I submit it to the university's examinations office, which goes to the supervisor and assessor...you know how it works."
"When do you think when will dissertation defense take place, whether it will be a disputation, colloquium or rigorosum, or can you choose?"
"If my supervisor and the reviewer take their time, it will be after the spring semester 2022 and I still have to prepare and if I could choose, I would choose the Rigorosum...I want to finish with summa cum laude. Some things are communicated to me, now I don't know that much exactly."
"Summa cum laude, WOW, Ani, no less?"
"You've always been a nerd, always the best of the year, that rubbed off." He winked at her and she laughed.
"I would want to be there if I could."
"You know this is not a public event."
"Yes, unfortunately, I know...Anakin, I wanted to talk about our honeymoon."
"I hear."
"I googled, looked for private flights, this company, what was it called again..."
"Call a jet."
"Yes, that one. Acapulco round trip, almost a hundred thousand dollars, OK. without Corona...but that's a lot of money and you paid for the flight to Las Vegas and now to Cleveland...can you afford it without touching the capital, I mean, I could too..."
"You're right, it's a big expense, but we can't risk getting sick, and it's far too far by car. Next time I can drive to Cleveland, long distance but possible. We'll sit down tomorrow and discuss our finances... and now we're going to try to sleep."
She cleaned up, they went to bed, snuggled together...
"I love you, Anakin Skywalker."
"I love you more Padmé, still a few days, Naberrie."
...and they actually fell asleep.
Padmé got up early and let Anakin sleep. She wanted to put bagels and croissants she bought, to bake in the oven. The smell of fresh pastries tickled his nose and he woke up. Wearing only a robe, his hair disheveled, and yawning, he stretched in front of the kitchen counter.
"Good morning, Angel. What smells here so delicious?"
"I've got bagels and croissants in the oven right now, they'll be ready in a few minutes, sit down. A cappuccino?"
"Not yet. What's first?
"Omelette, ham, butter, tomatoes."
When the pastry came out of the oven, Padmé spread butter on the warm bagel and ate the ham omelette with relish. Anakin watched her, satisfied as she slowly regained her old form, her weight.
"You're looking better and better, Angel. You actually look the same now, I mean your figure, but your beautiful face has become even more beautiful."
"You flatter me."
"Oh yeah...because you let me sleep and make the breakfast." He laughed..."I've had it better than I've ever had in my life and now I appreciate every second of it."
"I'm so glad to have you back after four long days and three lonely nights...I missed you so much."
"Now you have me and...um...how many times you want."
"OK. …" she grinned.."...but after that we'll discuss our finances and see if we have money left for two paintings."
"Did Mama understand my wish correctly?"
"I think she thought you were joking."
"Too pity. On this wall..." he turned and pointed to the wall on the window's right side .."...an Andy Warhol would look really good."
"Yes, but it doesn't have to be. Now a cappuccino?"
"Yes, please."
He took a croissant, it was still lukewarm.
"Mmmm, a treat almost as good as Paris Baguette. Grab one quick while there are still some left."
"Yummy."
After they finished breakfast, she cleaned up and Anakin went to get dressed, loose sweatpants and hoodie, just like her. Then they sat down in his study, each with their MacBook in front of them, to discuss their finances.
Padmé said she had about five million before the inheritance and showed him the portfolio and how she had invested the money. The tax was about a third on the forty million, she had twenty-seven million in her account at the moment. They weren't invested yet.
Anakin showed her how he had invested his capital of fifty million. It was well scattered; vario us stocks, funds, precious metals, real estate, forex trading too, etc...etc. Everything averaged two percent, and when the tax is paid, there's about six hundred and eighty thousand dollars left.
"Not bad Ani. What do you suggest?
"If you want, Mama can invest your capital, she's really good at it, Angel."
"Fine, I'll let her do it. If I do the math like you do, after taxes... wait a minute, let me do the math... yes, I should have four hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars in income. Not bad either."
"If we combine that income that would be our money we can live on, can live on very well."
"But that's a lot more of you."
"I wouldn't see it that way, Angel, I don't put it on the gold scales and count in grain. When we get married there is only us and ours...even now it's like that, that's how I see it."
"You're right, Ani, that's how I see it too. I'll talk to your mother when she comes...or later. What do we have to do today?"
"We must buy some clothes on Newbury St. I'm sure you need something for Acapulco and so do I. I have to book the flight and get in touch with my supervisor. I still have to go to the Order. Have you been there?"
"Yes and I did even more than I should, you weren't there, I didn't want to be alone. I've been to Newbury St too, but I didn't buy everything I needed, couldn't decide...without you. Also, we have to go to Boylston St, I need something at LaPerla."
"So-so, LaPerla huh? Alright, I'll call Dr. Preston, then Mr. Windu, and then I'll arrange the flight."
"Great, after that we can go shopping, Contessa opens in the late afternoon and we could have a little something to eat...or we can cook too?"
"Let's have a good time and go to Contessa. We still have about two weeks until the wedding and...do you have a wedding dress yet? I know I can't see it, but I'm curious..."
"I have everything, my mother brings it when they come by car, so does Sola and her family. I want to be curious too, do you have everything?"
"Yes, Angel. I went shopping with Ben and… one afternoon. We're going to be presentable...in grey."
"You will definitely look stunning. The wedding planner even hired two photographers."
"Just two, will that be enough?"
"Anakin! You're joking, you're in a good mood."
"I'm happy Angel. In two weeks, I may call you my wife, my intelligent, loving wife, the most beautiful in the galaxy."
"...and not in the whole universe?"
"I haven't been all over the universe to be able to compare."
"...but across the galaxy..."
"You know your way around deep core, core worlds, colonies, inner rim, mid rim, outer rim..."
"Oh oh oh, like Star Wars, huh?"
"You're a fan of Star Wars too, aren't you?"
"Am I as beautiful as the Senator from Naboo?"
"Much more."
"I love you, my Jedi Knight." Kiss.
"Only their love was forbidden, ours is not."
"...and they got married anyway."
"...and they died, but we shall live and be happy." He held her in a hug.
"...and maybe we'll have twins too..."
"They would be welcome and not just twins, we will have more children."
"More? Do you have a number in mind?"
"Three, or even better four."
"Oh god, I'll never get out of the pregnancies, I'll get fat and ugly...Anakin, seriously, there won't be more than three children."
"I'll take as much as you want to give me and even if you weigh three hundred pounds I'll love you, I promise."
"Oh Ani, thanks, but it won't come to that, I promise you."
"So, now I'm going to make a call."
When the phone calls were done, they went shopping and went out to eat. Contessa was a lovely restaurant and they plan to come back more often in summer, the roof terrace had fantastic views of the area, the food itself was just to their liking. Both were fans of Italian cuisine.
They spent the fortnight before the wedding talking to the wedding planner, who always found something that could be done better, something extra, a little more expensive. Anakin didn't want to save money, nothing should top their best day.
Padmé was in contact with Dormé, who was now on cloud nine. Anakin used to talk to Cody and told Padme what Cody told to him, he seemed to be in love. Padmé passed on Dormé's secret to Anakin, namely Dormé told that she loved Cody and that it's pretty serious.
Rex was still in New York and met regularly with Sabé. The status of the relationship was unknown, nobody wanted to reveal anything further. Padmé had a hunch Sabé wasn't his type, or rather, Sabé thought she wasn't Rex's preferred type. What neither Padmé nor Anakin knew, Sabé was exactly Rex's type, relatively tall, slim with long blond hair, she was also intelligent, educated, well off and out good family. Both parents were lawyers, as were Dormé's. Well, most children have their parents as role models.
At Kenobis everything was as usual, Ben was working and Satine was taking care of their daughter Serena. She was preparing to find a job in the fall, Serena was supposed to start crib…..so they thought.
They also spoke to the parents, Sola and Owen. Everyone wanted to travel by car, even Dormé and Cody decided to fly on a private jet. Yes, Corona was omnipresent, everyone protected themselves as best they could.
As the days passed in preparation, Padmé and Anakin decided exactly when to go to their relatives' two hotels. They wanted everything to go smoothly and there was also the wedding planner, who got a lot of money for it.
The big day when the parents came had come. Padmé's family went to The Langham Boston, a little later Anakin's family was there too and Anakin accompanied them to the Boston Harbor Hotel.
They spent the evening separately with their families.
On Saturday the friends will come, there will be orientations at the church around noon and the evening will be, oh yes, the bachelor party.
Some were looking forward to that.
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Best regards from Germany. Thank you for reading.