Apartment No.4

Part 49: Engagements

A chapter a day keeps the doctor away!!!

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"Two words... first word..." Aunty Edith was given a new game of a charades for her birthday from Kate and much to my delight that had become the entertainment for the afternoon until dinner time.

"I don't know that one!" Complained Amy at every second card causing most of us to laugh but her to hmph in annoyance.

I found it difficult to concentrate on the festivities what with Carol's premonition stuck in my mind.

Mason and I shared a small couch with his arm resting on the back of the chair behind me. He was laughing and joining in on the game and truly enjoying himself with that smile that usually only I get to see plastered on his face.

"Princess Grace of Monaco!" Called someone and was met with applause.

"This is fun isn't it?" Mason turned to me and pressed his lips to my cheek. I nodded in response but felt his eyes linger a little longer on the side of my face in concern.

Cut it out, Ashley. If anyone has reason to worry it's your boyfriend and look at him, he's perfectly happy. Yeah, he also looks like he has no idea what's goi-

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban!" Called out Mason to my dad who was running about the room with a blanket over his shoulders trying - emphasis on the word trying - to be a dementor.

"I'm gonna go get a drink, do you want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good thanks baby." Said Mason, his attention still focused on the game of charades. I made my way to the kitchen to get a glass of water. While I was filling my glass from the tap the door opened and Aunty Edith strolled in with a motherly smile on her face.

"Hey Aunty Edith." I smiled at her, taking big gulps from my glass and popping some painkillers once I'd finished, refilling my glass.

"Hello, honey. How are you? You seem distracted." She rested against the kitchen counter, picking up an apple from the fruit bowl and turning it over in her hands.

"Yeah I'm fine, I just had a voodoo session with Aunty Carol, that's all." He laughed, her smile crinkling her eyes.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that; she once predicted my cat was going to die..." she leaned in close to me. "I've never owned a cat."

We giggled together and I felt a weight fall off my shoulders. We stood in comfortable silence for a little while longer. I looked around the kitchen and noticed that the walls as been painted since last time, rather than white they were now a cool grey that matched the appliances on the counter.

"How do you feel about Pamela?" She chirped all of a sudden and I turned to her shocked.

"You know?"

"Well, he hasn't told me officially but I've noticed how close they've gotten for a while, I was wondering when something would happen between them."

I deliberated for a bit truly thinking about it for the first time in a while.

"I think he should do whatever makes him happy. Sure, I've known Pamela since I was little but I guess that makes it easier to welcome her into the family."

Aunty Edith nodded, her lips pursed and contemplative.

"And Mason?" She asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

"What about him?" I couldn't deny the smile that sprung to my face at the mere mention of his name.

"He seems pretty special." She nudged my hip with hers causing me to smirk at her.

"Yeah I think he might be special," I started, "in more ways than one." I winked at her and she snorted. So that's where I get that from.

"No but seriously? He suits you and you him. I was a bit wary of thinking it since you're so young but I have a hunch you guys are for real."

I sighed a big gust of air and nodded along with her thought process.

"Well, even though we've only been dating for a short period of time we've been through years of torment I reckon."

"Well, if that's so and you're still together I'd say it's a pretty serious gig." She mutteredHe , placing the apple on bench and making her way over to the door. "Coming?"

Half way through dinner dad stood up and clapped his hands together once. Oh god, this was it.
I found my gaze drifting towards Pamela who was staring up at dad with love filled eyes. It was then I knew that it really didn't matter what I thought even if I was happy for him, this was about two people who felt that they were done with that side of their life connecting again.

"I'd just like to announce to you all, my closest family that Pamela and I are engaged to be married."

There were gasps around the table along with cheers from Colin and David. My aunties and cousins stood to congratulate and hug Pamela and dad though Mason and I stayed simply grinning over to the two of them hand in hand.

"When's the wedding?" Asked Kate as she returned to her seat.

"Well," began Pamela, beaming over to her fiancé, "probably not this year, we have so much work to do with the business we really don't have time and we've been saying we'd like to take a holiday before hand so I suppose it really depends on when we're all free!"

Chatter filled the room with wedding plans and excitement. Just as I'd begun a conversation with Kate about current wedding trends - naked cake or doughnut wall - Mason whispered in my ear.

"Hospital's calling, I'll be back."

I watched him leave and felt my heart drop.

Could this be Aunt Carol's prediction? My head started to swim so I drank my glass of water faster than you could say Usain Bolt.