‘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?