After their marriage was arranged by a business agreement between their parents, Jason and Aria had no choice but to get to know each other quickly. Within a few months, the couple was expecting their first child. But now that Lily is seven months old, Aria is beginning to wonder if Jason is truly happy…
I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping. But maybe it was meant to be.
There is something about family gatherings that always feels familiar. Warm. Chaotic. Comforting.
Today was no different from any other day.
Our daughter Lily turned seven months old, and every time we visited Jason’s parents, she was the centre of attention. Jason’s mum fussing over her, her aunts and uncles cooing and gushing.
I sat on the sofa by the door and watched them, feeling a sense of satisfaction wash over me.
‘She’s so beautiful, Aria,’ Jason’s aunt said. ‘Look at those eyes!’
I smiled at her, thinking about how different things could have been if Jason’s family hadn’t accepted us for who we are.
Jason was in the kitchen with his mother, helping to prepare dinner and getting everything ready for the barbecue outside. At moments like this, he always seemed so relaxed, effortlessly slipping into the role of devoted son, loving husband and caring father.
It wasn’t always like this. At least, not at first.
We got married young. I was only 20, and Jason had just turned 21. Our marriage was arranged by our parents to strengthen a business deal.
At first, I hated everything about it. After all, Jason and I were given only two months to get to know each other before the wedding.
I wasn’t sure that love could grow in such a short time. Especially between two people who were practically strangers.
But we tried.
And day by day, we learned each other’s quirks, built trust, and began to build a life together.
‘I know our relationship is based on our parents, Ari,’ Jason said one day as we ate ice cream together. ‘But we’ve both decided this is for the long haul. Right?’
‘Right,’ I agreed, adding chocolate sauce to my ice cream.
‘We can be happy, Aria,’ he said, taking a cherry off my ice cream.
After that, everything happened quickly. We got married at my father’s vineyard. And just a few months after the wedding, I found out I was pregnant with Lily.
The news came as a surprise to us, and we both wondered whether we should keep the baby.
‘What do you want to do?’ he asked me one morning as I sat staring at the pregnancy test.
‘Keep her. I think it’s going to be a girl,’ I said.
And that was that.
None of us were prepared for this, but Jason rose to the occasion in a way I never expected. After the business deal went through, my parents moved to another state, leaving me alone to live out my marriage with a child in tow.
Instead, Jason talked to his parents and decided to take a year off from his father’s company to support me.
From that moment on, he was by my side, going through every bout of morning sickness, every doctor’s visit, and every sleepless night.
I leaned on his support, but deep down I wondered if he ever felt the full weight of it. Jason was good at many things, but emotionality was not one of them. He rarely talked about his feelings or what this new life together meant to him.
But today, surrounded by the noise of the family, I couldn’t help but think about how far we had come.
I got up and quietly made my way to the hallway, planning to check on Jason and Salma, my mother-in-law, in the kitchen.
But halfway there, I heard his voice.
I paused, not wanting to interrupt him. He was speaking in a tone I had never heard before.
‘I don’t know what I would do without Aria and Lily, Mum,’ Jason said quietly.
I froze in place, my heart pounding. I wasn’t going to eavesdrop, but something about the way Jason said my name captivated me.
His voice lowered.
‘She changed my life, Mum. Before, I was only interested in parties and yachting. And now? I wake up every day and think about how lucky I am. I mean, I never imagined such happiness.’
I hid behind the corner of the kitchen archway, straining to hear every word. My head was spinning as I tried to comprehend the depth of his emotions.
Jason wasn’t the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. And to be honest, I had already begun to doubt whether our little life was good enough for him.
We had gone from strangers to spouses and parents in less than a year. Everything had happened so fast. That’s why I doubted that his feelings for me were real.
But now? After hearing that?
I wasn’t so sure anymore.
‘Without her, I wouldn’t be half the man I am,’ he continued.
There was a pause, and I could hear something being chopped.
‘That’s wonderful, darling,’ said Salma. “I’m glad you feel that way. You know, when Dad and Aria’s father came to an agreement, I wasn’t sure about it because of your age. I thought we were setting you up for divorce or failure. But you got along great and created something wonderful.”
‘I don’t tell Ari often enough, but she means everything to me. And Lily, my God! That little girl has taught me more about love than I ever could have imagined.’
‘It’s parental love, my boy,’ says Salma. ‘And that feeling you get when you love someone and feel secure in your relationship.’
Tears filled my eyes, and I pressed my hand to my mouth, trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to escape.
Jason had no idea I was standing nearby, listening to the most beautiful confession I had ever heard. I wanted to run into the kitchen, hug him and tell him how much those words meant to me.
But I just stood there, overwhelmed by the weight of what I had just heard.
Instead, a few minutes later, I went outside to join the rest of the family playing with Lily.
I sat down, pretending that everything was fine. Which it was, but it was also much better than that. The world seemed brighter.
I was worried about our future and whether we even had one. We were young, I knew that. But part of me always felt that we were doomed from the start.
And I always knew that he cared, but I didn’t know he felt it so deeply.
How could I have missed that?
Had I become too absorbed in my role as Lily’s mother? Had I not noticed Jason?
That evening, when we got home and put Lily to bed, a heavy silence fell between us. Jason sat next to me on the sofa, his hand on my knee, eating the leftover dessert we had brought home.
‘You were quiet,’ he said, his voice soft. ‘Is something on your mind?’
I bit my lip, not knowing how to start.
I wanted to tell him everything I had heard, but I didn’t know how Jason would react.
Finally, I took a deep breath.
‘I overheard you today… when you were in the kitchen with Mum.’
Jason’s eyes widened for a moment, then he looked down.
‘What did you hear?’ he asked.
‘You said… you said that without me, you wouldn’t be who you are. You said I was everything to you.’
‘You heard that?’ he gasped.
I nodded.
‘I came to see if you needed any help. Lily was with the rest of the family. Jason, I had no idea. I mean, I knew you loved me, but to hear you say that…’
‘Aria, I’m serious,’ he said quietly. ‘I don’t say it enough. I know that. But it’s true, Aria. You make me better, and I can’t imagine my life without you. Without Lily. You two are everything.’
The next day, I wanted to show Jason how much his words meant to me. I spent most of the day cooking his favourite meal and decorating the house with candles and notes detailing everything I love about him.
When Jason walked into the house that evening, his face lit up.
‘What’s this?’ he asked, smiling.
‘This,’ I said. ‘This is my way of saying thank you. For everything.’
We put Lily to bed and had our romantic dinner. And at that moment, I realised that whether it was a marriage of convenience or not, we were happy. And we loved each other.
And we had made it work.
What would you have done?
