The cottage was absolutely beautiful.
Elsa was enchanted as the car went through the metal gate. The nearer they got to the castle, the more enchanted she was.
It looked as if it had been created centuries ago; the structure and design seemed ancient and nostalgic.
From the front, it was small and simple, yet it looked rich, something a royal might stay in.
Call it a royal castle instead.
Now that she knew Jack was rich, it made sense.
But goodness, how rich was he?
Surrounded by tall, dark green leafy trees, the cottage seemed to be embraced by the forest. It looked breathtaking in daylight.
"And here we are at The Overlands cottage." Sebastian parked the car, and Elsa exited the vehicle, hypnotized.
Upwards, Jack stretched his arms, releasing the stiffness from sitting in the car for hours. "You will not be tipped today, Loki. You took too long to drive us here. My wife is tired."
Elsa glanced at Sebastian and indicated toward Jack. "I can see that. My wife does look tired."
"Hey, now!" Jack embraced Elsa from behind, and his eyes were gradually closing.
Noticing the slumber in Jack's eyes, Sebastian announced, "Mr. And Mrs. Overland, you should go inside. I'll leave your luggage outside your room."
"Thanks, Sebastian." Elsa had to hold onto Jack because he was weary and couldn't even walk straight. "Alright, now, Jack, let's get you to your room."
Yawning, he corrected her, "Our room."
Was she blushing? Yes. "Then let's get you to our room."
"Alrighty." Clearly, he was drunk on sleep.
Elsa had no idea which one was their room. "Jack, where is our room?"
He tightened his arm around her neck. "Second to the right, upstairs."
"Gotcha." Jack caught how Elsa struggled to walk toward the stairs with a sleepy Jack on her arm.
He paused and solidified himself so Elsa couldn't move him. "You know what I'm thinking?"
She asked, astonished by how easily he was now wide awake. "What?"
"This is the first time we've been in our house since we got married." He drummed his chin, hoping she caught on to his idea.
Curious, she stepped in front of him. "Yes?"
Within a blink, he had picked her up bridal style. "I have to carry you to our room."
She squealed and then squished his cheeks. "We aren't really married, you know."
Jack pecked her cheek. "We are Elsa." It might take a while for it to register in her brain.
"Right," She reddened. How did he hold the ability to make her flush by just saying her name?
Wanting to do something different, he seized a profound breath and ran up the stairs toward their room. "Hell yeah!" And kicked the door open.
She opened her eyes, with arms still around his neck, hanging onto him for dear life. "How in any universe is running with your wife in your arms romantic?!"
The words left his lips, which shouldn't have been "God, I love you."
Taken aback, Elsa got out of his arms, and he let her go as he was surprised himself. "Huh?"
Well, now came the stuttering, "I mean… I love you… umm… Love as a mermaid?" Heavens, he was exhausted and stupid.
"Mermaid?" She lifted her eyebrow, reasonably confused.
Scratching his chest, he changed the topic. "You know what, let's eat dinner."
Worriedly, she deadpanned and clasped his arm. "Jack, it's 1 pm. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I think I just need a little sleep." He pulled her gently to their bed. "Mrs. Jack, we should sleep for a while."
Without thinking, she lay down on the bed with her face inches from his. "Mrs. Jack?"
His fingers twisted her gorgeous platinum roots. "And I am Mr. Elsa."
If Jack didn't fall asleep soon, she might die of laughter. "Alright, Mr. Elsa, you must sleep now."
"M'kay, Mrs. Jack," he said, putting an arm around her—there was still enough space between them. "Love you, my mermaid." And then he was dead asleep.
She cupped his cheek. "Taking care of me tired you out, huh?"
Should she move or stay? Elsa was electrocuted and didn't know what to do. She had never been this close to any guy before—her husband. Oh God, that's not something to ignore.
This wasn't fake; this was as real as it could be.
They tied the knot.
They were married. Drunk or not. Shit they were!
Marriages change a lot and all at once. The words 'I do' hold such power. She didn't remember saying them, but their marriage definitely ignited the love she felt for him.
Elsa chose to stay in his embrace. In fact, she scooted a bit closer and set her arm around his waist. He was so warm yet cold at the same time. His warmth made her feel safe, and his cold made her feel at home.
Well, he sure was handsome, even more so up close. Her fingers played with his silver hair, 'The Old Goat' he was named.
The next prey was his jaw and ears. How can these features be so gorgeous? She traced them and felt his stubble. His ears were cold, and his jaw was sharp and smooth.
He looked like he had come straight out of a book. He was well-written and well-drawn by a woman.
He was perfect.
No, this was going too fast. It was a bit too much for Elsa, so she moved swiftly back and peeled his arm off her. Unhurriedly, she got off the bed so as not to disturb him and went downstairs to grab herself a glass of water.
"Are you alright, Mrs. Overland?" Sebastian questioned in his calm, fatherly voice.
Frightened, Elsa jerked, and some water spilled from her glass. "Oh, God!" she exclaimed. "Sebastian, you startled me. Please call me Elsa. Didn't I tell you to do that already?"
He chuckled. "Jack was right about you, Elsa; you are a really sweet girl."
She raised her eyebrows and wasn't sure how to take the compliment. "Thanks? Jack told you about me?"
Nodding, he stood in place, a smile gracing his kind face. "Indeed. Jack said he's fallen in love with you."
Groaning, Elsa rolled her eyes. Her heart was thumping fast like it was bouncing on a trampoline. "Love doesn't happen this fast," she declared. "It's only been two days, and we got married yesterday." She waited, then added, "I'm assuming, and I really, really hope Jack has told you about our situation… if not, I honestly am bad at keeping secrets."
The eyebrows danced on his forehead as he found a proper expression while digesting this information, then settled on one. "In the previous six years, he could never keep a secret to save a soul. He called me two days ago screaming over the phone that he has met 'The love of his life,' And I have to say he has fallen in love with you very hard, Mrs. Overland." This time, he signified the name, so Elsa didn't correct him.
Though this wasn't the answer to her questions, "But-"
He read right through her. "Love doesn't need time, Elsa. It just happens, and sometimes it happens at first glance when you meet your partner. I don't know about you, but I fell in love with my Allie at first sight, so I speak from experience. I can tell Jack already loves you from how he looks at you." A smile appeared on his face as he talked about his wife.
Never heard such convincing words: "Thank you for your words, Sebastian, but I'm...I'm scared of love." She twirled her glass and watched the water spiral.
He trembled his head and placed a hand over his chest. "Love isn't something to be scared of. If anything, love makes you feel safe and gives you warmth. This emotion isn't something to run away from or be scared of; instead, it's something to be embraced and cared for. Not everyone in this world has the privilege to find true love...but you do."
"Yes," she nodded, agreeing with his statement.
Explaining better, he boosted his fist in the air and grinned. "So now you grab it! And hold that immature boy, I had the pleasure to see grow before my eyes, close to your heart. I said the same to him for you."
It touched her heart, and she looked up with a tearful gaze. "Has he been scared of love, too?"
Sebastian sighed, his eyes closed as he drove back through years of memories. "As long as I can remember, and that's for him to tell you. But I think he has been taking my advice seriously. He cares for you, Elsa, and that foolish boy will wait years for you to reciprocate his feelings."
And the tears dropped to the floor as she took in his meaningful words. "He is truly one of a kind, isn't he?"
"And so are you." Unknown to her, the kind man had walked up to her and patted her back.
Shocking him, she hugged him. "Thank you, Sebastian."
He stood motionless but slowly patted her back. "You're welcome, kiddo." Elsa reminded him of his daughter.
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your history with The Overlands?" Curiously, she requested.
Sebastian closed his eyes, and an agonizing smile replaced his usual expression. "I was a taxi driver before I met Jack. I got fired under unfortunate circumstances, and I was having trouble and couldn't afford anything for my family. I had no experience in any job, so I was jobless for months. All my savings were spent, and I was on the verge of being homeless.
Her mouth formed an 'O', and she was taken aback. "Wow, I'm very sorry to hear that. It sounds like you've been through a lot."
"Thank you. Six years ago, a friend of mine recommended that I apply online, but it was difficult because I had never used social media. I mean, I was a taxi driver for over 20 years, and I'm 52. By accident, I applied for a job at this tech company. I don't know how, but I got an interview, and of course, the company did not hire me since I lacked the experience and qualifications for that position. The same went on for weeks."
She gasped with hope. "Please tell me Jack helped you."
Holding up a hand, he cracked up a bit. "Yes, after many failed interviews, I went to a cheap bar where I sat next to this boy and spilled everything to him. Who I thought was a stranger turned out to be Jack. So, he hired me as a personal driver for his mom. Since then, wherever he goes, I come along with him, and the pay is great. It's more than I could ever imagine. He gives me housing, medical and dental insurance, monthly bills, and paid breaks. Honestly, whatever I earn goes into our savings and is spent on leisure."
"I'm glad." This struck her heart like a bullet. Jack was such an admirable man.
Laughter filled the air as he remembered something. "Oh, one more thing. When I told Jack about my firing situation, he sued the company and won! I got quite a good amount of money from the company."
Elsa grabbed a napkin to wipe the tears forming from laughing so hard. "That sounds just like him," she acknowledged. Certainly, Jack had gone above and beyond in his description. To her, it sounded exactly like something he would do.
"He's a nice boy. If you don't mind me asking, what is your situation with your family? I didn't intend to eavesdrop; I couldn't help but overheard you both in the car." His face remained unreadable.
Quickly, she waved her hands, dismissing his guilt. "It's fine, I understand. Let's just say my family and I don't get along. That's pretty much it. And I don't have one single good memory in Iceland."
"I'm sorry, Elsa and thanks for sharing that with me."
Her eyebrows met in perplexity. "You both seem rather close. I mean, he did tell you he loves me." Blushing at her words, she averted her eyes. "He didn't tell you about our situation?"
Sebastian played with his wedding ring as he answered honestly. "Jackson only shares anything that concerns his life. But not once in my years with him has he ever told me anything about his family. He told me nothing about your life, and I highly respect that. All he said was you are his wife, and he needed me to offer my services to you both in Iceland. I'll be honest: the sudden marriage announcement did surprise me. That's all, Elsa."
Elsa finished her glass of water, and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered excitedly. "Astrid was right," she considered. "He really is one of a kind."
He only agreed since he had no idea who Astrid was. "If you say she must be."
"You'll agree with anything I say, won't you?" Elsa chuckled and nudged his shoulder.
He bowed slightly in respect. "I'm loyal to the Overlands, Your Majesty."
Stepping forward, she moved him up straight by his shoulders. "Please don't. Did Jack tell you to call me that?"
He thought twice and mumbled, "Yes."
"Sebastian, please don't call me that."
"As you wish." He nodded.
Elsa walked upstairs to her room. "Jackson!" She yanked the blanket off of him.
On his phone, Jack was wide awake under his blanket. "Oh, hi, Elsa."
"Did you tell Sebastian to call me Your Majesty?"
Betrayed, he gasped and suddenly got off the bed. "That Loki! How dare he tell you."
Twisting his arm, she stopped him mid-stride. "Oh no, no, no, Jackson, you need to stop torturing that poor soul."
His voice shrieked and squawked. "That poor soul! How dare you take his side over your handsome husband?" Clearly teasing now.
Nose to nose, Elsa frowned at him with a threatening glare. "I will."
Well, he was done for; he shook like a leaf in a blizzard. "Elsa, I don't know what he told you, but I promise I have been nothing but nice to him."
The control it took for her not to break into laughter was unimaginable. "Jack, I was joking."
In solace, his shoulders dropped. "Thank God, oh wait, hold up." He searched his pants for something.
"What are you doing?" She put up her brow as he typed on his phone.
Lost in his typing, he murmured, "Yes, I'm listening." It's a classic husband universal move.
So she snatched the phone from his hand. "Let me see," she was running around to read what he had written in Notes while Jack tried to catch up. "Our firsts? Jack, you literally typed down today's date and time and the first time you got scared of me."
Shyly and a bit embarrassingly, Jack pouted and crossed his arms. "So what?! Memories are precious to me. I write them down."
"I don't know if I should be touched by this or beat you up for being stupid?" Elsa gave him his phone back.
He took it. "It's up to you. But if I were you, I would be touched to have such a thoughtful husband." He fluttered his eyelashes dramatically.
Having no idea what had taken over her, she pecked his cheek. "I am."
Totally flustered, he was. "Oh, what? You are what?"
"Touched. I'm touched, you dork."
Bold move, he poked her cheek. "Dork? I prefer the word handsome or remarkable or exquisite or pretty or-"
Something she might be doing a lot now since she married a goof. Elsa raised both her eyebrows and cut him off. "Pretty?"
Head to toe, he pointed to himself, all of himself. "Don't tell me you don't find this pretty!?"
"Hmm." A secret.
He mimicked her. "Hmm." And rolled his eyes. "What do you mean, hmm? Answer me, Mrs. Jack."
Ok, time to change the subject, "Mr. Elsa, go and take a shower; you stink."
Offended, he sniffed his shirt. "Stink? I smell like flowers."
"Yes, the ones that were thrown in sewage." Deadpan.
In a cartoonish manner, Jack inhaled sharply and stumbled. "That makes no sense, Mrs. Jack," he added. "And might I add, I'm quite offended."
Not wanting to keep this foolish argument going, she pushed him into the bathroom. "Go and take a shower, Jackson," she ordered and then shut the door behind her.
"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied, knowing not to say anything else when she used her full title. "Now that you've banished me to the bathroom, could you please bring me my clothes and underwear?"
Underwear? She glared at him through the shut door. "You don't have to be so…blunt!"
He totally ignored her. "I need the SpongeBob SquarePants underwear please."
"Imbecile."
Was she starting to like him?
Yes, she was.