HAPPY TIMES

      Nora stared at him in askance.  "What's going on?" she asked. 

     Danny sighed.  "Is the police." 

      "What have they got to do with our wedding?" 

     "Come, come sit down," Danny said.  "Don't worry about it, we are not postponing the wedding." 

      "Did they ask you to postpone, why?" Nora went and sat beside him. 

      "Something about the incident that happened. He said the motive of the culprit was to stop our wedding. I don't get it." 

      Faith went over and sat with Ethan. 

      "But who would want us not to wed? We have not wronged anyone, " Nora said. 

        "I don't know. But I can assure you one thing, this wedding is going to hold. I am not listening to anyone," Danny said. 

      "No, babe, listen, you don't have to prove stubborn. We are shifting the wedding." 

     Danny looked sharply at her.  "What?" 

       "Did you know how scared I got when you were stabbed? I can't bear something else happening at the wedding. Let's just wait until the police get clearer with their investigations." 

      "I think I agree with Nora... I mean if you would ask me. You can always have a wedding but once you lose your life, you won't have it back," Faith said. 

    Danny sighed and remained quiet for a while.  "I really..." 

      "Babe, it's okay, I'm not complaining." 

       "This is the second time we are shifting this wedding. People would think we are not even serious." 

     "Babe, the first time, most people were not even aware. It doesn't matter what people think, the same people would still blame you if they get to hear that you were injured at your wedding after being warned about it." 

     Danny stared at her.   "Are you sure about this?" 

      "Yeah. I'm sure about it." 

     "Alright!" Ethan said trying to lighten the mood.  "What do you all say? Let's have an impromptu party, who is in?" 

      "Me!" Nora raised her hands cheerfully. 

      "I don't want to get high on alcohol but, I am so in!" Faith said. 

      "Yeah!" Nora yelled. 

  They all turned to look at Danny. He looked from one of them to the other.  "Bring that party on." 

      "Yeah!" they chorused. 

     They started the party with music blaring from the home theatre. Nora went to the kitchen and brought more drinks and some cookies. They danced to different genres of music, Reggae, dancehall, rap, R&B etc

    Nora started to twerk on the dance floor and they all cheered her. It reminded Faith of Charlotte. It reminded her of the party where she and Nora had done a dance competition at the club. They partied for a while and played some games. Then they made a toast to Nora and Danny and they settled down for dinner. 

     They finished later in the night and were very exhausted. Then Ethan and Faith decided to go home, Danny who was sombre at first was cheerful now. They walked their friends to the door. 

     "Thank you for coming," Danny said and shook Ethan. 

     "Thank you for hosting us," Ethan replied. 

     Danny hugged Faith, Nora hugged Ethan and hugged Faith too. 

      "We look forward to more of this," Nora said. 

      "Why don't we go on a  beach picnic?" Ethan suggested. 

       "Get out!" Nora said.  "That's so cool!" 

       "Yeah," Faith agreed and looked at Ethan.  "Why haven't you shown me this part of you?" 

       "I am showing you now." 

      "Tomorrow?" Nora asked. 

      "I would be busy tomorrow," Ethan said. 

      "Next tomorrow then, it's a Saturday and everyone would be free," Danny said 

         "Saturday is the date then," said Ethan. 

           "Ciao Faith, Ciao Ethan," Nora said. 

            "Bye!" Ethan and Faith chorused and left. 

        The next morning, Faith woke a bit later than usual, Ethan was not beside her. She sat up and stretched herself, wondering where he went to. She wore her red rose robe and slid her feet into her flip flops beside the bed. She saw his note on the nightstand. He had gone to take care of some business. She wondered what business it was. 

     She stood up and walked toward the bathroom. Although she has cancelled all her appointments for that week? She needed to go to the office and run a few things. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she felt dizzy. She got scared. She had drunk a bit too much last night, not enough to intoxicate her but enough to get her tipsy. 

    What was wrong with her? Was the ulcer flaring again? She went over to her medicine cabinet and took Maalox liquid, although nothing was wrong with her stomach. She was just making sure. She felt better after having her bath. She left a note for Ethan and left for work. 

       When she got back in the evening, she was surprised to see Nora and Danny at her place and Ethan was serving them drinks. She looked at them in askance. 

      "What are we celebrating?" she asked walking over to Ethan and kissing him. 

       "It's party after party. Today's your turn, tomorrow is our turn," Danny said. 

       The doorbell rang, Ethan answered it and Charlie came in, with a bottle of champagne. 

      "I heard that there is a party here?" Charlie said. 

       Faith and Ethan greeted and welcomed Charlie. 

   Faith was astonished.  "Now, someone really has to tell me what's going on," Faith said. 

      Ethan placed small kisses all over her face. "I took a huge step today, so I'm throwing a party to congratulate myself." 

     She leaned closer and whispered in his ear.  "You even invited Charlie." 

      "That's because I didn't want only my friends to be here. I want your friends too." 

      "That's so thoughtful of you. I would like to go upstairs and change into something more casual." 

       "No, babe, it's a party. I have a surprise for you too." 

       "A surprise?" 

       "Yes." He held her hand we need to go down the stairs to see it."  He turned to the others.  "Hello, everyone. We are about to start the party. I would like everyone to accompany me downstairs, I have something to show us." 

      "Alright," the others said and got up. 

     Ethan led them downstairs to the garage while covering Faith's eyes with his palm.  "I hope your eyes are closed?" 

     "Yes," Faith said excitedly. 

     Their friends followed them curiously.  Ethan led Faith to a red Porshe Panamera and removed his palm from her eyes. 

      "Oh, my God!" Faith clutched her chest and turned to look at Ethan who was beaming with smiles. She hugged him.  "Oh, my God! This is my dream car, how do you know that?!" 

      "I know things. You always talk about Porshe." 

   Their friends 'hooed' and 'wowed' behind them. 

     Ethan handed her the keys and she took them excitedly and unlocked the car. She went in and pressed the horn, her friends cheered, and she came out and hugged him again. 

      They had another party upstairs that night, Faith was so overwhelmed and felt a little sad when the party ended. Ethan and Faith saw them off after the party, and everyone was happy. 

      That night, when they were done taking their baths and had changed into their nightwear, Ethan dragged Faith to the bed and they fell on the bed with him on top of her. He kissed her lips, kissed her nose, kissed her eyes, and kissed her forehead while Faith kept giggling. When he was done kissing her, Faith stared into his eyes. 

       "Thank you," she said. 

       "I don't want you to stress yourself." 

        "Thank you for everything." 

         "Let's just get married."

    Faith chuckled.  "You are obsessed." 

      "I won't deny it." He kissed her neck.  "From now henceforth, it should be enjoyment galore. I have everything planned out."

     She wrapped her hands around his neck. "I never knew you were the partying type." 

        "I am the enjoyment type. Now, you know me. I can't wait to take you to all the places I want to take you to." 

       "Oh, my God." 

       "How about we go to Miami next week?" he asked and kissed her lips.  "I have a beach house, we can relax there, just the two of us." 

        "And make beautiful babes." 

  Ethan paused and rolled off from her lying by her side. She turned to face him. 

       "What's the matter?" 

       "No babies for now Faith. Let's enjoy ourselves first." 

        "We could still enjoy and make babies." 

    Ethan turned to face her, looking straight into her eyes, she put her leg in between his legs, and he reached for her face and stroked her cheek.  "I hope you are taking those birth control pills." 

     Faith had missed them a few times but she didn't want him to get upset, so she nodded her head, smiling at him. 

      He smiled back at her and leaned closer, she snuggled closer and lay in his arms, she felt so small lying there. He rubbed her back, inhaling her sweet smell.   "We will have babies, Angel, but no babies for now, alright." 

      "Babies are adorable," Faith whined. 

        "I said no babies, for now, Angel. Don't prove stubborn." 

      Faith jerked her head up and looked at him.  "You just called me Angel twice." 

      He smiled.  "It sounds better to me." 

       Faith giggled.  "That's Joshua's special name for me." 

         "I want to make it my special name for you too." 

         "You have Joshua to contend with." 

         "For you, I will fight the whole world." 

        "Okay, you are flattering me now." 

        "Yeah, that was flatter. But I will fight Joshua for you." 

    Faith burst into laughter and hugged him tighter. He kept rubbing her back. 

        "Good night, Angel." 

         "Good night, Adonis." 

     He smiled and held her tighter to him. 

          The next day, Faith went over to Nora's to help her prepare for the beach picnic they have talked about. Ethan was about going to get the drinks they would be needing when the doorbell rang. He strained his ears for a while to be sure since he wasn't expecting anyone. The doorbell rang again and he went towards the door, but the mental picture of Danny's wound came to his mind and he stood by the door for a while. 

      "Who is there?" he asked. 

       "It's Douglas Foster..." 

    E than didn't believe it. He kept mute for a while.  "Step away from the door, will you?" 

     "I am away from the door," Douglas said. 

   Ethan opened the door and came face to face with Faith's elder brother.