Is this destiny?

~ Chicago, Kiani family villa ~

Saturday, late afternoon…

Party noise is dying down on the main floor as the people are trickling away while upstairs in Jasper's room Jasper and Ellie are in the world of their own.

Jasper is holding Ellie in his arms and enjoys the feeling of her snuggling next to him close, like skin-to-skin is not close enough. Because that is how he feels about her, it's never close enough. And he is confident that they are made for each other because that is where she belongs, right there, in his arms, as if they were molded at the same time to fit perfectly when they embrace one another.

"You look happy.", Jasper said while tracing the edge of her smiling lips with his index finger.

She confirmed. "You make me happy."

He is pleasantly surprised that she openly said it. "How much happy?"

Ellie thought for some time, finding the right words to describe her happiness which is radiating from within. "I feel like… you fill me up with sunshine."

Jasper spoke in her ear: "Sweetie, that was NOT sunshine." He lifted the cover and glanced downward suggestively.

Jasper laughed at her outraged expression. "I love you, Ellie. You make me so happy that I want to freeze this moment in time because I'm confident that the next one can't be this good. But then you prove me wrong, because every next moment is better than the previous one. You do that to my life."

Ellie exhaled and pushed with her hand playfully against his bare chest. "How can I be angry at you if you say things which melt away my fighting spirit?"

"It's simple. Don't be angry at me.", he cheekily said.

Jasper's phone rang and he checked the caller ID. "It's my mom."

He answered by putting her on the speaker: "Yes, mother?"

"Do you plan to come downstairs?", Lisa asked impatiently. Jasper said that he will show Ellie his room. How long is that taking? It's only one room!

"Did the guests leave?", Jasper asked back.

"Few more left.", Lisa responded immediately.

Jasper rolled his eyes. He does not want to go downstairs. This is his cuddle time with Ellie! "When is the dinner?"

"Seven."

Jasper checked time. "There is more than an hour until then! We will be down for dinner."

Jasper's finger was dangerously close to the 'end call' button when they heard Lisa yell from the phone's speaker: "Jasper Kiani, don't you dare hang up on me! I want to talk to Ellie also! If you don't come down, I will come to your room!"

Jasper and Ellie exchanged looks.

Jasper slowly pulled his hand away from that 'end call' button while Ellie frantically gestured that they should go down.

"What made you think I want to hang up? Don't get so excited. We will be down shortly.", Jasper pacified Lisa.

"Good. I want to talk to my future daughter-in-law."

Jasper chuckled at Ellie's shocked expression.

"You like her so much?" Jasper asked with glee unaware that his mother's response will throw dirt at him.

"Yes! Considering your horrible history with dating, you have no idea how happy I am that you finally found a decent girl who is willing to accept you. And Ellie is more than decent. I will not allow you to mess this up!"

Jasper wanted to ask her (again) if she still remembers that he is her son, but then he got an idea. "Maybe you should talk to father. I believe that he gave Lilian some hints that she might be a good daughter-in-law."

Lisa snorted. "Lily? Not a chance. I will talk with Norman about that. Don't selfishly keep Ellie to yourself. Come downstairs. You have five minutes!"

Lisa ended the call without giving Jasper time to come up with more excuses to delay.

"You want Lisa to handle Lily?", Ellie asked when Jasper kept his phone away.

"Do you disapprove?"

"No. I think it's a great idea." Ellie does not believe that Lily will give up easily, but the more people keep an eye on her and suppress her, the less damage she can do.

Ellie glanced toward the bathroom door. "I can use that bathroom to freshen up, right?"

Jasper pouted and pulled Ellie closer to him. "What's the rush?"

"Lisa said five minutes. What if she really comes and we are like this?"

…

Ellie and Lisa are in one of the sitting rooms.

"Don't worry, he will get over it.", Lisa comforted Ellie who looked at the door with a troubled expression.

Ellie sighed. She knows that Lisa is right. After all, Jasper is a grown man. But they came here with a goal to be together and if he knew that his mother will snatch her from him (and shoo him away), Jasper would probably not come.

Ellie remembers Jasper's childish expression when he asked: "What am I supposed to do?"

"This is your house also! You will manage!", Lisa responded while taking Ellie away from the family room where they were supposed to have drinks and appetizers before dinner.

Back to present…

"Don't get me wrong. I don't want to separate you two.", Lisa explained herself. "But no matter what I say or ask, Jasper is glaring at me. We can talk freely here."

"You want to talk about something specific?", Ellie guessed.

Lisa didn't deny it. She is burning from curiosity to find out how serious are Jasper and Ellie about this relationship. "I want to thank you for giving Jasper a chance."

"He is a great guy."

"Yes, yes he is.", Lisa confirmed. "Thank you for seeing that."

Ellie felt uncomfortable. "Please, stop thanking me. It sounds… weird."

"True. But that is how I feel." Lisa paused and clarified: "Grateful, not weird. I'm watching him since he was a kid. And this is the first time in years that I see that he is really happy."

"You think so?" Ellie was flattered at the thought that she can change him so much that others notice.

"Yes. Over the years he developed a forced smile. Today I saw him smile from his heart when he is looking at you. He loves you."

"And I love him.", Ellie said in a soft voice. She was embarrassed to say it, but she feels that Lisa needs to know.

"Good. You will need that when you face whatever is coming."

Ellie gave a small nod in response.

"I heard that Lily gave you a hard time today." In truth, Lisa got the details that Ellie handled Lily like she is a child, and even made others present think badly of Lily. Lisa is impressed.

"She is not a problem. As long as she does not have support from someone who is influential."

"You mean Norman.", Lisa guessed.

Ellie confirmed.

Lisa is aware that Norman never concealed his hope that Jasper and Lily will end up together, but she is surprised that Ellie knows about it.

"You don't have a positive opinion of him.", Lisa voiced her observation of Ellie's body language.

Ellie shrugged. "Other than the encounter from last weekend when he assumed that I'm a promiscuous woman as soon as he laid his eyes on me, I didn't interact with him."

"I see." Lisa understood that if that was their only interaction, it's inevitable that Ellie has a bad impression of Norman. "He can do that. If you tell him who you are, his attitude toward you will change."

Ellie shook her head and smiled. "You know that I prefer my privacy. I don't want people to form an opinion about me based on what I have. If that is a requirement for someone to be polite toward me, that says more about them than about me."

"I understand. If that is your wish, I will respect it. But know that it might delay Norman accepting you. He puts importance on the benefits a person can provide him.", Lisa gave a friendly warning.

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