Reconciliation

"Amina?"

Her grandmother gasped as she walked in and shut the door. Slowly, Mina approached the bed with her head lowered and her hands clasped in front of her. Once she reached the bed she forced herself to lift her head. Mina was worried she would see anger in her grandmother's eyes, or hatred even. She wasn't sure which she preferred.

Instead, her grandmother's eyes only looked surprised. She waited as her grandmother gave her the once. Hoping that she doesn't disappoint her. She noticed the exact moment that her eyes landed on Mina's wedding ring and stopped. Mina could see her grandmother's body sag almost as she had deflated.

"So, you went through with it then?" she asked, almost to herself.

Mina looked down at the ring and smiled.

"Yes, I did get married but not to who you think."

Her grandmother's shocked eyes rose to meet hers.

"Who?" she gasped.

"His name is Aiden Danvers, his grandmother is Elle Danvers. Together they run the hospital, I run the administration department."

"When did you leave that fool?" she asked grabbing Mina's hands.

"Unfortunately, not when I should have. I thought he really loved me, thought that what I had sacrificed was ok as long as we were together, as long as we were partners. Unfortunately, he didn't think the same. Almost a month ago, we had planned to get married and on the night before our wedding, I found out he was having an affair with his secretary. You all warned me, told me he was no good and I didn't listen."

A tear slipped down her cheek and her grandmother wiped it away whilst gripping her hands urging her to continue.

"Anyway, I still was going to go through with the wedding, after all, I felt it was what I deserved for being so stupid. I was waiting for him at the courthouse and he messaged saying he was running late, I laughed. Aiden was in the room I was waiting in and asked me what I found so funny. He was also there to get married but his bride was running late."

She chuckled at the memory, not quite believing it was only a few weeks ago.

"When I learned that his bride wasn't coming either I made a joke about us getting married and he, in a very serious tone, agreed. He told me because of who he was he had to check out the people getting married around the same time as him. Aiden knew of my family and a little of me. Since we both seemed to be missing our partners he suggested we get married and stay together for a year. If by the end of that year, neither of us are happy then we end it amicably."

Mina blushed as she thought about their nights together and knew, at least for her, ending it in a year would be difficult. With a little hope in her chest, she assumed it would be the same for Aiden, however, she didn't want to say it out loud.

"At first I was going to refuse, after all, I didn't know him except who his grandmother was. Then Ben texted and said he couldn't make it and to asked me to see if we could change the day. So, I turned to Aiden and agreed. We got married and I moved into his home. Ben doesn't know. He still thinks we're together," she said.

Her grandmother looked confused as she patted the space next to her.

"Why? Why not just break it off with him?"

"He made a fool of me Grandmother, used me and expected me to stay with him. Ben only wanted me because of my family, he was stringing me along because he thought we would reconcile eventually. Then he could use our family connections. So, I want to get back at him, I want to make him feel like he is getting what he wants and then at that moment, I am going to break it off with him."

"My new husband wanted us to live like husband and wife and that wouldn't be possible in my apartment. When I moved I told Ben that my family had bought a home for me on Lorcan street. He was instantly overjoyed and wanted to move in right away. Before when I had said about living together he had said that he didn't want to live with me until we were married so that I had my own space. At the time, I had loved how considerate he was towards me."

"However, the look on his face was priceless when I said that my family had stipulated that only my husband could live with me and since we hadn't gotten married he couldn't move in. I really enjoyed seeing that. Ben was stupid enough to try and come to my house to see me later that night. I don't know how he found out the address but luckily we have a great security man at the gates."

Her grandmother chuckled whilst Mina smiled at the memory of his sour face.

"I had always wanted to go back to work and had hoped after we married I would have been able to. When I met Elle Danvers I had told her I wanted to work and she gave me a job. ON the day of meeting her Ben had managed to get a day for us to get married. So, I did to him what he did to me. I made it seem like I was coming and then sent my assistant Clay to say that I was having an impromptu lunch with my grandmother. Then after a little while, I told Clay to say I couldn't make it and to try and book another time."

She pulled out her phone, waited whilst her grandmother retrieve her glasses and showed her the pictures and the video Clay had taken that very day.

"Well done, my girl," praised her grandmother.

Mina felt warm inside. 'My Girl' had been what her grandmother had always called her, ever since she had been little. After her mother left her grandmother had moved in and looked after her whilst her father worked. Mina's grandmother had made her son stop working so many hours and actually get to know his own daughter.

"He tried coming to talk to me that night at three in the morning. Ben had been angry but the minute I mentioned getting back in touch with my family his mood lightened."

Mina was then pulled in for a hug and she gasped.

"I am so happy for you, Amina," she said as she pulled back. "Do I get to meet my new grandson?

Mina nodded and messaged Aiden to come in. He had told her that morning that he will introduce himself to her grandmother and text him when he can come in. Aiden was certain everything would go smoothly, but he still waited at the nurse's station just in case. When his phone ping, he smiled and made his way over.

Aiden lightly knocked on the door and opened it. Two sets of eyes were on him as he made his way over. He held out his hand to Mina who took it with a smile and allowed herself to be pulled towards him. Aiden smiled before kissing her lightly on the lips. He then turned his attention to the smiling older woman in the bed and held out his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Aiden Danvers."

She met his hand and looked him up and down. Aiden remained still as he waited for her to finish. Then she smiled at him and he knew he had met her approval, at least in looks.

"It is wonderful to meet you, I know your grandmother of course, though we have lost touch in recent years. She always had wonderful things to say about you. Please call me Diana."

Aiden nodded and squeezed Mina closer to him.

"Amina has told me about how you two met and I must say that I was surprised. Mina has never been one to be spontaneous and take risks but I am glad she did. You seemed to be in the right place at the right time to help my granddaughter. In more ways than one," she said.

He nodded and beamed down at Mina.

"Yes, it seems like it. I am just glad it has worked out for both of us. Unlike Mina, I was not in a relationship with the woman I was to marry, however, I do feel as if I have also dodged a bullet," he chuckled which caused Mina to as well.

Diana raised an eyebrow at him in question and he cleared his throat.

"I, with my grandmother's help, had arranged my marriage. She wanted grandchildren and I wanted to take over the running of the business so she could relax. It was the only stipulation she had to me taking over. We had spent weeks trying to find a suitable bride and we thought we had succeeded. However, all that woman was interested in was my families bank account. We learned her family had been strict about her spending so she saw me as an ATM."

"On the night before our wedding she decided to go shopping, spending thousands, and then getting so drunk she couldn't make it to her wedding. I knew who Mina was before I met her because I had checked on who else was getting married to make sure there wouldn't be any problems."

Diana nodded and smiled. Seemingly satisfied with what she heard. Mina sighed in relief as she moved to sit back down next to her.

"Grandmother, can you keep this a secret for now. I don't want to risk Ben finding out just yet. You could even help deceive him if you want," Mina asked and her grandmother smiled devilishly.

Aiden and Mina both chuckled as she eagerly started coming up with all kinds of plans. Soon they had plans for her grandmother to visit their home after she was well from her surgery. Mina slept peacefully that night in Aiden's arms, as he held her to his chest.