#we plan to get married whenever that seems feasible

[must-be-mythtaken]

Can I run something by the collective brain of tumblr? My mom juet asked if I would visit home (she'd pay) but without my partner. It made me feel weird and like? Am I just paranoid and weird about my mom or is that kinda shitty?

[beccascribbles]

when oikawa reveals that he is going to become naturalised, you just cannot picture how much longer your relationship could last.

warnings - some swearing, angst

word count - 2.8k

If you were honest with yourself, you were expecting it. You were expecting the phone call that day and you knew before he even spoke a word that it would be bad news, for you at least. The pause he took before speaking, the quick breath of air he sucked in to steel himself. You picked up on it all.

“y/n, I’m not coming back to Japan.”

Those words that Oikawa uttered should have shocked you. The sad truth was that they did not. You had seen the truth before he had worked up the courage to tell you. It was clear from the smile on his face whenever you visited him in Argentina, the carefree attitude, the way he would almost drag you to all his favourite spots. He was so much lighter, less weighed down by pressure over there. In Japan, he was different. Whenever he came to visit you, it always seemed like something was weighing on him, no matter how happy he acted. You had shared these fears with Iwaizumi, the one other person you were sure would understand. He had simply told you to let things take their natural course.

This was their natural course.

“I’m going to try and become an Argentine citizen,” he continued. “Some of my teammates said they’d help me with all the paperwork.”

Three years. He had only been living there for three years and he had already decided that was the place he wanted to live for the rest of his life. You felt your fingers clench on the phone. If Oikawa would be living out there permanently, would never be coming back to Japan, you just could not see how this relationship would be feasible. It was hard enough already trying to match your schedules around each other, booking flights when you were struggling to pay for university.

With only a year left until you completed your studies, you had already received a job offer from a top newspaper company in Tokyo. After years of working hard to achieve the job you wanted, you could not throw it all away for a boy, not even if you were in love with him. You opened your mouth, about to express these feelings to Oikawa, but he stopped you, his words coming out in a rush. “Don’t say anything. You’re visiting in a week, right? Tell me then.”

It went against your better judgement, but you agreed, allowing him to have this, allowing you to have a week to sort through your feelings on the subject. Because of how much you loved him, you wanted to use the right words, tell him in a way that would create the least pain. Unfortunately, it was inevitable that pain would be felt in some way, no matter how the conversation went.

A week later, upon your arrival in Argentina, he had commanded that you do not talk about it until the end of your visit. Not wanting to tarnish the rest of your visit with hurt and pain, you had agreed. On Oikawa’s part, it was clear by the spark in his eyes that his request was directly linked to something he had planned. The secretive phone calls you walked in on were a clear sign that he was planning something. It was something you were uncertain of, something you were unsure that you wanted to take place in the first place.

It was with a nervous grin that, on your last day, he handed you a garment bag and asked for you to wear it, using the excuse that you had not packed any outfits befitting a fancy dinner. Though you had quirked an eyebrow at him, you had put it on without complaint. Oikawa truly knew you too well. He had picked out an outfit that perfectly accentuated all your assets while drawing focus away from the areas he knew you were insecure about. When you walked out of the room and gave him a little twirl, he had simply grinned at you, the pure joy in his gaze conveying the love he felt for you. He wrapped his arms around your waist, brushing a kiss against your lips. “You look beautiful. I think it’s time I go and change.”

“Don’t take too long,” you teased, poking his cheek lightly. He chuckled in response, squeezing you around the waist in a brief hug. He loved these domestic moments with you, although he had to admit you in evening wear and him in joggers and a t-shirt was quite a dichotomy, one he intended on correcting.

“Anything’s quick compared to you,” he grinned, pulling away from you to disappear into his bedroom, where a suit that perfectly complemented your outfit was waiting for him.

Despite the fancy outfits, he was not planning on taking you to a fancy restaurant. Instead, he had already arranged for a takeout, the first meal you had shared in Argentina, to be waiting on the beach for you, at the spot you had declared had the best view of the ocean. He could not argue with you on that fact, and often found himself gravitating towards it when he found himself missing you too strongly.

With a dramatic flair, he threw the door open and strutted towards you, twirling once he reached you so you could admire him from all angles. Oikawa in a suit always made your thoughts drift. This time was no different. You approached him, reaching up to adjust his tie, smoothing your hands over his chest before speaking, “You look amazing, Tooru.”

“As per usual,” he smirked, pretending to flick his hair over one shoulder. Lightly, you smacked his chest, a wide grin overtaking your features.

“You are so full of yourself,” you giggled, leaning up to press your lips against his. You supposed you could indulge him for the night before you had a serious talk in the morning. Besides, he always made you feel so happy, so giddy, that focusing on negative emotions and thoughts was almost impossible.

With a wide grin on your face, you walked with him along the streets of Argentina, barely aware that you had passed the area where most of the fancy restaurants waited for rich patrons to grace their doorstep. Before you knew it, you were sliding off your shoes to dig your bare feet into the soft sand. Oikawa’s hand was warm in your own, a comforting presence as you walked along the beach together. You were wrapped up in the moment, gazing out at the sea as it lapped against the shore, occasionally looking over at Oikawa with a wide grin. It was clear that he was preoccupied, his free hand slipping into his pocket on occasion to thumb at whatever was inside, his eyebrows furrowed as if he was reciting a speech in his head. The furrow only disappeared when you would catch his gaze, his face morphing into a joyous expression to match your own.

“Tooru, where are we…” You trailed off as your gazed settled on something in the distance. A picnic blanket was spread over the sand, lanterns weighing it down on each corner, takeout spread out tastefully in the middle. As you approached slowly, hand falling out of Oikawa’s, Oikawa made eye contact with a teammate who had prepared the area for you. He shot him a quick thumbs up, his friend nodding in response and wishing Oikawa ‘good luck’ in a voice just low enough to escape detection. You turned to face Oikawa, mouth agape. “How? When? Why?”

He took you by both hands, leaning down to press his forehead against your own. A small smile curled at the corners of his mouth. “I wanted to do something special for you, y/n. I wanted to do something to show you how much you mean to me, how thankful I am to have you in my life. I don’t want our journey together to end, not when I’m preparing to start a new life… a new life I want you to be included in. I want us to live together here. I want to be able to wake up with you beside me, to call you my wife. I just… I love you so much.”

He began to sink to the ground, fumbling in his pocket for what had previously been hidden there. It was a box. A small, black velvet box. You reached out to grab him, to stop him from getting down on one knee. Your hands clasped weakly at his shoulders. Your voice came out as a rasp. “Tooru…”

Now that he was finally down on one knee, he opened the box with a flourish, displaying a beautiful engagement ring nestled on the cushion. The hands that had clasped his shoulders flew to your mouth as you let out a gasp. Unwillingly, you could feel the tears beginning to prick at the corners of your eyes. Oikawa gazed up at you, the love he held for you clear in his eyes. “y/n, will you marry me?”

Though you tried to blink them back, the tears came in an unforgiving flood as the dam to your feelings finally shattered. A sob escaped your lips as you watched the smile on his face slowly slip away. The hope in his eyes still remained as he wearily stated, “I hope those are tears of happiness.”

Unable to reply, you allowed your knees to give way beneath you, sinking to the sand also. His face was level with your own as he reached out with his free hand to brush the tears away. That hand lingered on your cheek for a moment longer before reaching down to tangle your fingers with his own. He was unaware of the true reason for your tears, choosing to believe you were simply overcome with emotions. Truthfully, he had not even considered the possibility of you saying no. After speaking to your parents and getting their blessing, talking to your joint group of friends, he had figured this was something you had both wanted. He gave your hand a gentle squeeze. His voice was soft as he spoke to you. “Hey… you don’t have to give me an answer now. Just think about it. Let’s enjoy the meal and talk about this later.”

But you could not bring yourself to talk about this later. With a physical display of your emotion, you were finding it harder to not speak the words aloud to him, the ones you had been planning on saying since you arrived in Argentina. You had decided to go with the straightforward and blunt approach, deciding to sugar-coat your words would be to undermine the relationship you had had for a good four years.

“Tooru. I think we should break up.”

He blinked at you. Numb. He was numb. He doubted whether he had heard you right. He was almost certain his ears were playing tricks on him. Quietly, voice in danger of cracking, he asked, “Could you repeat that please?”

“Tooru,” you said, his name a plea. Your voice broke; the emotional strain was clear. Your fingers tightened around his own. “Please. Please don’t make me repeat myself.”

“You want to break up?”

He felt hollow. He felt like the wind, as light as it was, would be able to pick him up and send him someone far away from this. It was a moment he had never anticipated, had never thought to prepare for. When you were in love with someone, you could never picture it ending. His brain seemed to replay the moments of your relationship in his mind. Never had you seemed unhappy. There had never been an inkling that you wanted to break up. If there had been, he would have been sure to notice, would likely have called you up on it and attempted to fix it. As he stared at you, a lost look on his face, you nodded in response.

“Why?” His voice was pain and anguish. It was disbelief. It was searching for the answer to a question he never thought he would need to ask. Not with you. Never with you. The velvet box in his other hand snapped shut. He placed it back in his pocket. It was worthless now. He had brought it for you, to signify the start of a new relationship, a new life together. All of that was pointless after what you had just confessed. You drew in a shaky breath, eyes focusing on his. He deserved the truth, as painful as it was to give and to receive.

“If you’re really going to become a citizen, to never move back to Japan permanently, our relationship just isn’t feasible anymore,” you explained, letting your other hand come up to brush a stray tear that had escaped from those pooling at his eyes. “I can’t live here, Tooru. After I finish university, I’ve got a job waiting for me at a top newspaper in Japan. You know its been my dream to work there, just like it was your dream to become a pro-volleyball player. And here you are, living your dream. I want to live mine too.”

He knew it was selfish, but he said the words anyway. He said the words knowing that they would have little effect on you. You were strong-willed, a characteristic that he greatly admired. Therefore, he knew the selfish words would have little impact, though they may annoy you slightly. At this point, it was him begging you, trying to give you an alternative he knew you would not accept. “You can live your dream here. There are so many newspapers here that you could work at. You know the language. They’d take you. But if they don’t, I’ll help you until they do.”

You let out a sigh. “That’s not fair, Tooru. I didn’t try to stop you from moving here after high school. I did everything I could to encourage you, promised you a long-distance relationship would work. I guess neither of us looked far enough into the future to foresee this. Maybe it would have been better to end this earlier…”

“Don’t say that,” he snapped. The thought that you would have wanted to end your relationship did not sit right with him, not when he knew how happy you made each other. There was only ever love between you. He had to admit there had been an emotional strain on your relationship when he had first moved away, but that was to be expected. No long-distance relationship was easy to start with. Truth be told, it had never been simple, but the distance became easier to bare. “You know you don’t mean it. If you love me, you know you wouldn’t have wanted this to end earlier.”

Oikawa had always been able to see right through you. “I know I don’t mean it. Shit, Tooru. I love you. I love you so much and that’s why this hurts so much.”

“Then don’t leave me,” he begged, grasping your hands, pulling you closer to him. His eyes conveyed his sadness so clearly, the tears rolling down his cheeks emphasising that fact. “You know we can work through this. We always do.”

“No, I don’t think we can work through this,” you said, giving his hands a gentle squeeze. Tears rolled down your cheeks as well. Both of your tears mingled on your clasped hands. “I feel like if we stay together, we’ll be holding each other back. We won’t be able to come to a compromise on this, not on where we live. We just have different dreams in life. It might be selfish of me, but I can’t put you before my dream. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not selfish,” he soothed, even as he felt himself breaking at your words. Putting your dreams first would never be seen as selfish behaviour by him, not when he had done the same in deciding to move to Argentina and then later permanently relocate there without consulting with you. He could see the selfishness in his own actions so he could not blame you for your own. “Following your dream is not selfish, y/n.”

You slumped against his chest, burying your face into the crook of his neck as you let out an anguished sob. His arms wrapped around you, his cheek resting against your hair as he let himself fall apart completely.

Anyone who walked along the beach that night would find their eyes drawn to a heartbroken couple clinging to each other as they whispered their final goodbyes. Their final kiss was shared beneath the stars, the salty teardrops on their lips a reminder of what they had just lost.

[ellewritesathing]

What A Man

Summary: What do you do when your best friend gets buried alive? If you're Evan Buckley, you completely lose your shit.

Masterlist

Word-count: 1.1k+

A/N: my mom’s reaction after Eddie Begins was “those two should just get married and raise christopher together already” and i knew my time had come to write my first buddie fic p.s. this is barely edited but i needed validation so here goes

Buck had survived the worst day of his life. He’d been pinned by the ladder truck, survived a tsunami and fought his way back to Christopher, made it through earthquakes, and kept his cool on the days Maddie was kidnapped and held hostage. Each one of those days was supposed to be the worst day of his life. 

He was wrong. 

The worst day of Buck’s life started at night when the lightning struck. The explosion wasn’t the worst of it; that came after. The worst was that feeling when he realized he’d forgotten Eddie underground. Buck couldn’t forget him - couldn’t leave him - so he started digging as soon as he crawled back to where the tunnel should have been. He’d bring Eddie back home even if he had to dig through forty feet of mud and rising water to do it. 

Bobby pulled Buck off the ground and put him back together. He kept telling Buck that he couldn’t dig his way back to Eddie, but that they’d find him no matter what it took. Buck tried to listen to them and their new plan, he really did, but he just kept staring at the place in the ground where the tunnel should have been. 

Buck was so busy staring at that spot that he almost didn’t hear Eddie’s voice. If he was being honest, Buck thought he imagined it. 

“I’m pretty cold.” 

That’s all Eddie said before he collapsed, but that was all Buck needed to hear for his heart to explode in his chest. His body rushed him to Eddie’s side before Buck was even capable of making a coherent thought. 

“Hey, hey. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

That’s all Buck said as he wrapped his arms around Eddie and carried him to the truck for Hen to take a look at him. His heartbeat a mile a minute while all Buck could think about was how lucky he was to see Eddie’s face again. 

Chimney tried to get Buck to give them some space to start pumping warm IV fluids but Hen said it was fine, so Buck stayed with him the entire time. He held onto Eddie’s hand as they checked for broken bones and organ damage and only let go because the hospital staff made him. But that didn’t mean he left Eddie’s side. Buck was even there when they did the CT scan, though he wasn’t sure why because that’s usually reserved for family or partners. 

Speaking of family, thank God for Carla Price. Buck wasn’t sure what they’d do without her looking after Chris when they were on calls like this. She understood what needed to be done five minutes after being on the phone with Buck. At least one of them knew what to do. 

Buck sighed and tried to get comfortable in his chair for the fifth time that night. Eddie insisted that he didn’t need to stay for the whole observation period, but Buck made it pretty clear that he wasn’t going anywhere. 

After a while, Eddie woke up and tried to sit up in his bed. “Hey,” he said quietly, rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them. “Have you heard anything from Carla and Chris?” 

“Carla got him in bed on time and Hen checked in with them before she went home,” Buck said. He straightened himself out to check on Eddie again. “How are you feeling? Are those pain meds enough because I can get a nurse in here-” 

“No, I’m fine,” Eddie said in a voice that sounded anything but. He sighed and sat back against the bed, closing his eyes for a second. “God, I just want to go home. These lights are killing me.” 

“You want me to turn them off?” 

Eddie laughed before wincing slightly. “The lights are fine, Buck. Seriously.”

Buck was quiet for a moment, or at least quiet for him, as he mumbled an okay and looked down at his hands. After everything that happened, he wasn’t exactly sure what to do now. It’s not like he’d been much help when it happened anyway, but now he just felt in the way. 

“So Chim said you were pretty upset when the tunnel collapsed,” Eddie said when the sound of the local news calling him a hero seemed to get to him. 

“Uh, yeah,” Buck said as he shifted around and brushed his nose. “We all were.”

“Right,” Eddie said. “The team.” 

“Yeah, the team. Exactly.” 

Deflection was one of the only things Buck thought he was any good at, or at least he hoped he was considering all the practice he had over the years. He’d deflected whenever old boyfriends and girlfriends asked him about something real, whenever his parents tried to spend ‘quality time’ with him, and whenever Maddie asked him about Eddie. 

Never one for self-reflection, Buck shoved down his feelings as far as Eddie was concerned. He was on the team, which made it infinitely more complicated than it ever was with Abby, and he was Chris’ dad, which meant if it didn’t work out then Buck would never see him again. It was way, way too complicated for Buck to even think about it. 

So, for now, Buck would content himself with their almost daily lunches and dinners, video-game sessions with Eddie and Chris, weekend trips, and anything else in between. He wouldn’t let himself think about the future. Buck knew he’d just burn those bridges when he got to them. 

“So did the whole team offer to dig me out of the tunnel by hand?” Eddie asked. 

“Uh, what?” 

As he said, deflection was a specialty of Buck’s. 

“Did the team think digging through forty feet of mud by hand was a feasible idea?” Eddie asked. He turned in the bed to look at Buck, and Buck turned awkwardly to face him. 

“Well, I mean …” Buck let out a breath. “No? But you know me - I’m always coming up with dumb ideas on calls.” 

“Dumb ideas like embracing the cross brace?” Eddie asked. “Or the dumb ideas that got you and Chris through that tsunami?” 

“That’s different!” 

“How is it different?” 

“Because-” 

Because they aren’t you.

“Because the cross brace was dumb luck and I lost Christopher that day,” Buck said. “It’s just different, okay?” 

Eddie was surprised by the outburst and Buck hated himself for stressing him out even more after everything he’d been through that night, but he dropped it. “Okay.” 

He never pushed when he knew Buck couldn’t handle it. How Eddie knew when that was, Buck had no idea. Eddie was just like that; he always knew what Buck could handle and how to deal with what he couldn’t. He made sure Buck ate something every day, sent texts to let him know when he and Chris were home okay, and got him to talk about the rough stuff whenever he was ready. 

Eddie was smart and gentle, kind yet forceful, and the best friend Buck had ever had. 

What a man. 

[alj4890]

None But You

(Thomas Hunt x oc*Amanda) in a regency era romance as requested by @pixieferry

A/N Migraines and indecision kept this chapter from being finished earlier. I will try and get the next one out soon. Only a few more left for this story so I must make them the best 💗 Shall we see what is happening at the house party?

@graceful-popcorn​ @krsnlove​ @alleksa16 @hopelessromantic1352  @pixieferry @emceesynonymroll​ @buzz-bee-buzz @hopefulmoonobject @rainbowsinthestorm @lxaah11 @my-heart-beats-for-ya @friedherringclodthing @aworldoffandoms @ab1901 @i-bloody-love-drake-walker

Summary: Lord Thomas has recieved a special license from the archbishop. He, Lady Amanda, and Lady Lucinda begin wedding plans. He continues to spend sleepless nights guarding his love from Duke Montmarte. Lady Millie has a couple surprises that quite discombobulate her.

Masterlist

Chapter 10

"What say you, Kirkwood?" Lord Michael Rawlings asked

Ryan nudged Thomas who had once again fallen asleep.

The viscount jerked awake. "Er, sorry Rawlings. What were you saying?"

"I was asking if you thought we should postpone the grouse hunting until the day after the ball." He repeated.

"Yes, I do." He grumbled.

The duke chortled. "Still having trouble sleeping, Lord Hunt?"

Thomas narrowed his eyes at Viktor. The past few days had been filled with those type of remarks followed by hints that Amanda was the one keeping him awake. He doubted that the duke knew he had been sneaking into her room every night to keep watch over her. If he had known, there was no doubt in Thomas's mind that he would cause a scandal.

The truth about his lack of sleep, though, was indeed tied to his intended.

Lying beside Amanda had been a mistake from the moment his head hit the pillow. He couldn't turn his mind off. She had no trouble at all falling asleep. Knowing she was practically his and returned his love, had made the rush of desire unbearable.

At one point during the night she had turned toward him. She cuddled close against his back.

He could feel her warmth through his linen shirt. Without even pausing to consider the ramifications, he rolled onto his back. He lifted his arm and tucked her close to his side. She rested her head under his chin and placed her hand over his heart.

He dipped his head and took a deep breath against her hair. She smelled of roses. His fingertips stroked down her bare arm.

Then she made a slight moan in her sleep.

He couldn't move her back to her side of the bed fast enough. The rest of the night was a tortuous battle between his chivalry and desire.

He found that his future wife could sleep through anything except his leaving the bed.

She sat up with a start when he got up to sneak back to his room. The sky barely held the first blush of dawn as she watched him put his shoes on.

"You're leaving?" She mumbled past a yawn.

"The servants will be down soon." He gathered his coat and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Lock the door behind me."

She followed him to the door and smiled when he pulled her close.

"I'll come by to escort you downstairs for breakfast." He whispered against her lips.

After a tender kiss he quickly left for his own chambers.

The other nights had fallen into the same pattern. She would fall into peaceful slumber while he tried to guard her not only from Montmarte’s possible attack but also from himself. He didn't trust himself in his sleep with her so near.

He had been caught often falling asleep during dull conversations and recitals. While Amanda was kind in allowing him to rest, his friends were more than happy to startle him awake.

Thomas rose from his chair and decided to find his intended and finish that nap he had begun.

His steps were interrupted by the Duke.

"Kirkwood?"

Thomas grit his teeth and turned around

"I heard that you sent a request for a special license." Viktor's leer formed. "Can't wait to get her in your bed, can you?"

Thomas felt his temper snap. "I--"

"There you are!" Lucy said in a loud, chipper tone. "Please excuse us your grace, but I need Lord Hunt to settle some wedding plans." She took Thomas's arm and tugged. "So much is left to be decided. The flowers, church, good heavens! What about..."

Thomas tuned her out as he turned back to watch the Duke. The man was still chuckling as he walked outside.

"Where is Amanda?" Thomas interrupted.

"She and Millie are lawn bowling with some of the other ladies." Lucy whispered. She looked back over her shoulder to make certain they were alone. "Have you heard from the archbishop yet?"

"I did this morning." Thomas's frown eased. "Amanda and I can be married as soon as she wishes."

"How wonderful!" She exclaimed. "We must get her inside at once. Though I used the excuse to get you away from that horrid man, we do have much we need to discuss."

______________

"Drat." Amanda mumbled when her roll left most of the pins up.

"Just look at her." Millie hissed.

Amanda didn't bother to ask who she was supposed to observe. Her dearest friend had taken personal offense to everything Ms. Victoria Fontaine did.

At the moment, Victoria was holding court with a few gentlemen. Many of the unattached ladies gravitated to her, in the hopes that the men would turn their sights on them.

Nothing galled Lady Millie more than a conceited person having flocks of people worshipping at their feet.

"Ladies." Ryan murmured, stopping beside them. "How goes the game?"

"I would be crowned the champion if the object of the game was to get the ball as close as possible without knocking any pins over." Amanda teased.

Millie let out a rage filled gasp. "Oh! She's captured Lord Matthew!"

Ryan followed her gaze. "I don't believe he is falling under her spell. Lord Rodriguez is simply much too kind to shun her publicly."

Millie hmphed and cut her eyes to the bane of her existence. "And what of you, m'lord? I noticed after dinner last night that you remained by her side for the rest of the evening."

Ryan's lips curved. "You kept your eyes upon me the entire night?"

"I did no such thing!" Millie snapped. "I might have glanced your way once or twice." She stuck her nose up in the air. "You seemed entranced with her conversation."

"Seemed is correct." He informed her. "She was relaying some gossip about a mutual friend of ours."

"You two are sharing malicious tales now?" Millie bit out. "Why am I not surprised?"

Ryan's charming smile disappeared. "I do not partake in such activities." His cheerful demeanor hardened at such an insult. "I only stayed long enough to persuade her to cease sharing such a story." He bowed stiffly and left.

"Millie, perhaps you should--" Amanda said softly.

"I am not chasing him down to apologize!" Millie covered her mouth when her harsh tone caused Amanda to step back. "Forgive me, I'm--I've been out of sorts lately."

"Millie," Amanda whispered. "Could it be Lord Summers that is making you out of sorts?"

"Why, that's absurd!" Millie denied. "That man is nothing more than a--a--..." She closed her mouth and turned her eyes toward where he was laughing with Chris and two other ladies. "Oh no."

Amanda smiled and gave her a quick hug. "I am so happy you have chosen a gentleman who I am fond of."

Millie paled. "It can't be true. Surely, he isn't the reason I--" she noticed her mother and father going for their usual walk in the garden.

Whatever Gabriel said had Henrietta sticking her nose up and snapping at him. As she tried to leave his side, he said something else that caused a reluctant laugh to escape her lips. The two looked at each other in adoration before she took his arm once more, hugging it close to her.

"I've become my mother." Millie said in utter disbelief.

"Isn't it amazing how our hearts seem to recognize our true love before our minds do?" Amanda teased. Her gaze fell upon her own heart's choice when he stepped out into the courtyard.

His frown eased when he found her, and he started to come her way.

"I think I need to lie down while I come to terms with this." Millie murmured. She walked off in a daze, absent mindedly nodding to those she passed.

"Is something the matter with Lady Millicent?" Thomas asked once he kissed Amanda's hand.

"Yes, but all will be made right eventually." She slipped her arm in the bend of his and gently squeezed. "How are you holding up?"

He grimaced at her noticing his tiredness. "I'll be fine." He lifted her hand to his lips again. "I sought you for a purpose."

"Oh?" Her smile turned teasing. "It wasn't simply because you crave my company?"

His lips curved. "That is something you should never have to question." He walked with her toward the house. "I received our special license. We can marry whenever you wish."

"We can?" She asked. Her smile brightened. "Does Aunt Lucy know?"

"She does and sent me to fetch you." He pulled her into an empty sitting room, shutting the door behind her. "We have a number of decisions to make."

Amanda didn't bother to hide her joy with such news. Her lips parted to tell him how happy she was, only to have him press his lips to hers.

His arms slipped around her waist as her hands tangled in his hair. The kiss would have continued if they had not heard a throat clear.

"Don't mind me." Ryan remarked with a grin. He rose from the wingback chair he had been sitting in. "I was only seeking a moment of peace from some of the cackling hens outside."

He winked at Amanda before hurrying out.

"Remind me why we agreed to attend a house party?" Thomas grumbled.

Amanda laughed and pressed a tender kiss to his lips, drawing a smile from him. "Let us not dwell on that. We will find Aunt Lucy and then a place where you can doze for a few hours."

He kissed her once more and then followed her out."

******************

"I believe the first decision to be made is where you wish to marry." Lucy began. "Once that location is chosen, then we can see what dates are feasible."

"I don't have a preference." Amanda said. "Do you, Thomas?"

"I had hoped to marry at the parish near my home. My parents were married there as well as the heirs to Kirkwood." He took her hand to hold. "Mr. Blake became the new minister five years ago. He is a good man and one who's counsel and friendship I cherish. If you wish to marry somewhere else, I will at least want him to perform the ceremony."

"Mr. Simmons, our minister for decades, passed away two years ago. He would have been the one I would have wanted to marry us." She smiled at him, gently squeezing his hand. "I have no objections to marrying at your parish nor having Mr. Blake to officiate it."

"Thank you." He turned to Lucy. "Are you agreeable to this?"

"I am." She replied. "I would be agreeable to anything that the two of you wish." She wrote out the plan thus far. "Now we must decide when we should have the ceremony."

Thomas and Amanda shared a smile. "As soon as possible." She answered.

Lucy didn't bother hiding her delighted smile. "Depending on the number of guests--"

"I want Amanda to have as many guests as she wants, but I would be content only having those that are our true friends." He spoke up.

"An intimate ceremony would suit me as well." Amanda added.

"Well, then..." Lucy tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "Three weeks should be sufficient time to have all made ready."

"Three weeks? Are we not returning to London for the gown?" Amanda asked.

Lucy's smile turned a touch proud. "I had a modiste begin your wedding gown the day after Lord Thomas began sending gifts during your recuperation. I knew after the way he cared for you when your fever raged that you were meant to be." A bubble of laughter escaped her lips at the utter surprise on the couple's faces. "All that's left is the final fitting and she and her seamstresses are willing to travel to complete it."

Lucy rose from her chair, waving Thomas back down. "I'm going to speak to Henrietta about Millie's maid of honor dress." She beamed at them. "I am very happy for you both, my dears."

Once she was gone, Amanda took his hand.

"Where are we going?" He asked, following her out.

"Somewhere where you can rest undisturbed." She whispered.

Amanda led him to a small den, far from where the guests usually congregated.

He eyed the room. The furniture here was a touch worn yet seemed comfortable. He then noticed her sewing bag sitting beside a chair.

"You planned this?" Thomas slipped his arm around her waist.

"I did." She looped her arms around his neck. "Since you protect me at night while I sleep, then I can protect you during the day while you rest."

He was at a loss for words at her sweet gesture. He placed a tender kiss on her lips then settled into a leather chair.

She sat across from him and picked up her embroidery.

Thomas watched her a few moments. She seemed so content to sit with him while he slept. His last thought before sleep claimed him was that he was most fortunate to find such an agreeable lady to love.

******************

"Millie, dear, diamonds are the trump for this hand." Henrietta's brow furrowed as she looked upon her daughter.

"Oh." Millie rubbed her hand across her eyes. She was usually better at whist and had been known to be diabolical in her winnings.

She forced herself from looking once more at the card table where Lord Ryan was entertaining a young lady as well as Amanda and Thomas.

"Your play, Lady Millie." The duke snapped.

She quickly laid down a card and softly groaned. She had played the wrong one once again.

"Another trick for us." Viktor crowed.

"If you will excuse me," Millie stood up. "I believe I am in need of air."

She scurried outside before anyone had a chance to offer to come with her. She needed time alone to think. To plan.

How in the world was she going to convince Lord Summers that he should leave his devil may care, flirts much too often with ladies from the ages of sixteen to seventy, life and join the ranks of happily married men like her brother and the soon to be wed Lord Hunt?

If only she had been kinder to him, then perhaps it wouldn't be so difficult.

She didn't know how to act around him now that Amanda had pointed out that she had fallen for the marquess. When she joined the guests for dinner, she had been assigned him as her escort.

Her tongue felt as if it had grown three sizes. She couldn't think of anything to say.

He of course was still a bit miffed at her earlier insult. He had not spoken a word, save for good evening, and then practically ignored her throughout the meal.

Millie wanted to be angry, yet all she felt was hopelessness.

"Lady Millie?"

She turned and smiled at the gentleman that stepped out. "Sir Chris. In need of a break from cards too?"

He nodded while a smile played about his lips. "I am dreadful at them. I believe Ms. Wright will try and partner with someone else before the night is through."

"I'm not playing at my best this evening. Perhaps we should join forces for the next set." Millie leaned against the trellis and thought of Ryan charming all the ladies except for her.

"Millie?" Chris stepped closer. "What has brought on this sudden case melancholy?"

"I don't know what you mean." She tried to pretend ignorance.

"Millie, I am the gentleman with whom on a number of occasions have been witness to your anger and delight." He motioned toward her slouching and tear-filled eyes. "This is something entirely out of character."

"Have you ever been in love?" She blurted her question out.

"Have I ever--Millie!" He took a step back. "Lady Millicent, I am flattered you think so highly of me, but I do not share your--"

"No!" She violently shook her head. "I did not mean with me, I meant with anyone?"

"Oh thank heavens." Chris slouched next to her. "I was afraid I would have to make a mad dash to town to escape your wrath."

She snorted and then laughed. Millie realized that she had reached the level of absurdity that she had looked down upon for years. She had become a lovestruck fool.

"Who's the lucky chap?" Chris asked.

"I would rather not say." She bit down on her bottom lip. "Needless to say, he does not share any of my feelings."

"Ah." Chris replied. "Summers only reacts that way because of your constant badgering."

"I do not badger him!" Millie snapped. "If he would only act like he is supposed to, he wouldn't have to--" she covered her mouth when she realized what her argument revealed.

"Ah hah! I knew it!" Chris's smile was filled with triumphant. "You and Summers. It will be the match of the season!"

"Hush!" She clapped her hand over his mouth. "Do you want everyone to hear you?!"

"Not everyone." He muttered behind her hand.

She released him and nodded toward the doors. "Escort me inside and do not let on that you know anything."

"Will be difficult since I am one of the most intelligent men in our circle of friends." He grunted when she elbowed him. "But I will appear dumb for the sake of my abused body."

Ryan glanced up when they entered the drawing room. His eyes narrowed on the suspiciously innocent expressions on their faces. Are they becoming attached to one another, he wondered?

His lips firmed into a slight frown at the thought. They had been seen together several times during the house party. They also seemed to have a number of private jokes.

Millie was much too stubborn and demanding for someone of Chris's jovial temperament. He would be a henpecked husband within a month.

She needed someone who could stand toe to toe and combat her serpent's tongue with quips that could easily cut just as deep. That was the only way to handle her.

She would lead a man on a merry chase. Looking like an angel with her golden curls and blue eyes, she deceived all with her smiles and wit. He knew the devil she truly was.

And though he would never admit it aloud, he rather enjoyed sparring with her. It was certainly more interesting than listening to the simperings of some of the other ladies present.

Millie did have a tender heart with those she loved. He had seen that often with her wanting to match Thomas and Amanda.

If she did love Chris, perhaps she wouldn't be such a harpy.

Maybe.

"My Lord," Ms. Chauncey placed her hand on his arm. Her lashes fluttered as she leaned closer. "It is your turn."

He flashed a flirty smile at her. "Forgive me. I was lost in my musings."

"Over anyone in particular?" She asked, hope tinging her tone.

"As a matter of fact," he glanced at Millie again, "my thoughts do seem to stray toward a certain someone."

*******************

Thomas sneaked into Amanda's room that night once the house was silent.

"Perhaps we should make a run for Gretna Green." She teased. "Then you won't be forced to sneak about."

"And deny your aunt a wedding?" He shuddered. "I wouldn't dare."

She laughed softly and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for being so willing to have a ceremony for her."

He wrapped his arms around her. "As long as you are the one that I end up with, I do not care what type of ceremony we have."

Their lips met in a tender kiss that soon deepened.

They broke apart when they heard the ominous click of the doorknob turning.

"Amanda? I need to speak to--" Millie abruptly stopped with her mouth hanging open.

Amanda quickly shut the door and pulled her stunned friend further into the room. "There is a perfectly good explanation for this."

Millie stared at her in disbelief. "I know you two are betrothed, but--"

"Thomas has been coming here each night--"

"Each night!" Millie gasped.

"To protect me!" Amanda snapped in irritation.

"Viktor Montmarte has been hinting around that Amanda might disappear before the ceremony." Thomas added. "I refuse to allow him to do so. Until she is safely my wife, I will not put it past the lecher to concoct some scheme to whisk her off in the night."

Millie plopped down into one of the chairs near the fireplace. "Good gracious. I knew he was wicked, but surely he wouldn't abscond with an unwilling lady."

"I believe he would." Amanda muttered. "He certainly didn't release me until Lord Matthew forced him to the night of the recital."

"Is there anything I can do?" Millie asked.

"I know we can trust your discretion in this." Thomas reached out and took Amanda's hand. "If you can help keep this from causing a scandal and alert me if you see or overhear anything suspicious from the Duke, that would be just the help we need."

"Of course." Millie's chin firmed in determination. "I will do all I can." She hesitated on her way out. "Does anyone else know of this?"

"No." Thomas answered. "You are the only one who knows of my coming here each night. Summers and Winters have been witness to numerous comments Montmarte has made. Rodriguez also knows of my concerns."

Millie swiftly hugged Amanda and squeezed his hand. "We will make certain that nothing ruins your wedding." She smiled at them both. "I'll sneak back to my room. Good night."

"Thank you, Millie. Good night." Amanda whispered as she locked the door behind her.

Thomas rubbed his hands over his face. "I will breathe easier once we are no longer a part of this bloody house party."

Amanda's lips trembled with laughter. "Everything will work out well." She pressed a kiss to his cheek.

He cupped her face and kissed her. "We should try to rest."

He watched her get into bed and took a steadying breath as he joined her.

Her hand found his. "Goodnight."

He lifted her hand to his mouth. "Goodnight, my love."

****************

The next morning, Ryan went for a walk. Though life in London kept him out all hours of the night, he thoroughly enjoyed waking up at the first blush of dawn to enjoy a trek across a lush meadow.

As his steps took him near the lake, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He grit his teeth when he recognized who it was.

Lady Millie fluffed out the quilt she had brought along and sat down upon it. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting the peaceful sounds of ducks in the lake and the occasional buzz of a bee wash over her.

Her night had been one of tossing and turning. Sleep eluded her as she debated different ways to change Lord Ryan's mind about her.

It seemed impossible.

She picked up her sketch book and decided to let her mind rest as her artistic side took over.

It seemed her artistic side had turned against her. She had begun sketching a likeness of Lord Summers.

"My chin is not nearly that weak."

She looked up and nearly toppled backwards at seeing him standing over her.

"Where the devil did you come from?" She exclaimed.

Ryan quirked an eyebrow. "Is that rhetorical or are you suffering from memory loss?"

She tried to stand up and tumbled forward when she stepped on the hem of her dress.

Ryan reached out and righted her.

Millie's heart thumped against her chest at the feel of his hands on her arms. "Thank you."

His brow furrowed. "Have you been in the sun too long?"

"No, why?" She asked.

"You were actually polite." He murmured.

"I can be polite." She grumbled.

His lips quirked with suppressed humor. "You have the sunniest disposition I have ever encountered."

Laughter bubbled up within her. "I suppose I do tend to treat you like a wretch."

She noticed a softening in his expression, one that held a great deal of approval. "You do, but then again, I'm not exactly on my best behavior when around you."

Her smile made him blink. "Life would be rather dull if we didn't have that one person we could occasionally misbehave with."

Ryan chuckled and shook his head. "As a gentleman I should disagree."

"But?" Millie added.

"But, I agree wholeheartedly."

She smiled once more. "I should probably return to the house. Guests will soon be coming down for breakfast."

He knelt and helped her fold her quilt. "Shall I escort you?"

"If you wish." She replied. "Feel free to continue your stroll."

He bowed to her. "Then I will see you later."

Millie remained in her spot as she watched him walk away. When she knew he was far enough away to not hear her, she let out a deep sigh.

At least they had not argued.

She hurried inside and encountered her mother and Lady Lucy.

"Millie dear, thank goodness you are awake. We have a few remaining tasks to complete before guests arrive for the ball." Henrietta explained. “I would like for it to be a celebration of love.” Her smile was warm. “With Lord Thomas engaged to our Amanda and your brother and Cora announcing that I am to be a grandmother soon, I want all to feel how joyful we are.”

She glanced back outside and saw the gentleman she had her heart set on. "Do not worry, Mamma. We will make this ball unforgettable."

[cumstricbusrie-blog]

Guide to matchmaking

Matchmaking Guide I thought Maddie Dawson did such a terrific job creating quirky and complex characters.  Clientele: Both men and women, usually in their mid 20s to 60s.  These categories of membership status come with different packages.  Usually it is the norm for people to follow the trend in the industry they intend operating from when naming their business.  We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample matchmaking service marketing plan backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for matchmaking service companies.

A Newbie Cupid’s Guide to Matchmaking Heck, this book was annoying to deal with that I'm so freaking happy I listened to the audio while working today.  Favorite Quotes: Pay no attention to Wendy… She missed the class on manners because she was attending two extra courses on personal intimidation.  Our cs: go how to effectively boost your premier source for prime matchmaking the rainbow six months before arriving onsite? In this article, we will be considering all the requirements for starting a matchmaking service business.  Disputes: We have written up a guide to aid you in understanding disputes better and what to do in light of issues in ranked matchmaking.  She annoyed me constantly because she marries this guy, who doesn't want to be married, and then gets upset when she's handed divorced papers.  I realized at my age, 53, no matter how good looking and younger than my years I know I am, I still was not meeting the type woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.  Of course, the bequest isn't as straightforward as she expected.

Matchmaking Guide By xdbest You are now a Matchmaking Wizard! There are basically three approaches: Either tell the server to find a matching room, follow a friend into her room, or fetch a list of rooms to let the user pick one.  I found it just the right touch to balance some of the dark, heavy stuff of which life is made.  Halo matchmaking for beginners summary study guide to tennis lessons for beginners guide to advanced tennis player development programs.  This service is currently not provided in arcade games.  You read it and decide for yourself.  I figured why should I hire 4M when I can meet anyone anytime.  Not boring but not really exciting either.

Matchmaking Guide By E2xD I loved Blix; a free spirit and lover of all things, and a wise old woman who wanted some of her ways and means passed down to Marnie, to live on and be carried out into the future.  Founded In: 1993 Want to learn more about the Spindels? From here, you will be prompted to select whether you wish to play a singles match 1 vs 1 , or set up a doubles lobby 2 vs 2 : Select Friendlies: From here, you will be prompted whether to play endless friendlies play as long as you like , Best of 3 or 5 to either do a quick set due to time constraints or simulate the rank exp without risking your rank : Your name will then appear in the Friendlies Matchmaking List below: When someone clicks the game icon by your name, you will receive a challenge at the top of the matchmaking box.  Lobbies are identified using their name and type.  This is why it being very important to gather as much facts and figures before choosing a location to set — up your own matchmaking services company.  כשהיא חוזרת לבית משפחתה באיווה, היא מקבלת מכתב מ ספר מקסים ומחמם את הלב.  You should ensure that whenever your customers hire your services, they will get excellent service.

How to Setup Fortnite Custom Matchmaking What To Expect: Clients are paired with some of the 50,000+ singles in the Kelleher International database, or with Houston singles recruited by your matchmaker.  It turns out old Aunt Blix might have been o Marnie knows where her life is headed.  This is not my normal genre but I am so glad I gave this book a chance.  All three variants are supported by Photon and you can even roll your own.  We think, for most games it's best to use a quick and simple matchmaking, so we suggest to use Random Matchmaking and maybe filters for skills, levels and such.  Marnie MacGraw wants an ordinary life—a husband, kids, and a minivan in the suburbs.  Just signed for beginners: 12 gmt.

The Ultimate Matchmaking Guide for Architects From here you can either accept or deny challenges: One thing to note before you accept, are the colored locations.  Show a screen you're waiting for opponents.  A matchmaking services company is a company that provides a reliable platform where eligible bachelors and spinsters network to find their life partners, mates or dates.  Yet, with the amount of matchmakers recently flooding the industry, it can be difficult to separate the rookies from the experts.  Totally accurate battlegrounds how to introduction services.  I really like the motto of the book: Whatever happens, love that.

Ultimate Guide To Chicago Matchmakers [Top 5 List + Cost] The truth is that no matter the level of competition in an industry, if you have done your due diligence and you brand and promote your services or business properly, you will always make headway in the industry.  While I may have wanted to give her a few smacks to the head with my Kindle, I also found her extraordinarily endearing and held my breath for her on numerous occasions.  All and analysis, it so we've got normal represents.  Encourage conversation by having them meet in a cozy café or a hip but family-friendly restaurant.  I absolutely loved the author's sense of humor.

How to Setup Fortnite Custom Matchmaking .  When you're just finished a plethora of experience the in-game tutorial will help you through everything.  A wonderful mess First off, I just want to say that I thought this book was wonderfully written.  OpGetGameList sqlLobby, sqlLobbyFilter ; This operation is asynchronous.  When her marriage ends after two miserable weeks, Marnie is understandably shocked.  We select smart, kind, beautiful and intelligent career women you desire — and eliminate the insincere or financially clueless.

Beginner’s Guide to Hiring a Professional Matchmaker — Ambiance Matchmaking However, I can't blame her for everything.  הוא עשיר בן למשפחה די פלצנית ובמסיבת ההיכרות עם משפחתו היא פוגשת בבליקס, הדודה האקסצנטרית שעוסקת בשידוכים, קסמים ואהבה אנושית פשוטה מלב אל לב.  Tilt, she was shaking very similar to dating ins and substantial.  She is just not a terribly likable character.  Going forward, the percentage of households with access to the internet is projected to continue rising throughout the period, which will in turn help expand the consumer market for online dating services.  Founded In: 2000 Want to learn more? The book talks about magic spells and matchmaking; a combination that does not seem feasible but the author uses them sparingly throughout the story.  List of Well — Known Brands in the Matchmaking Service Industry In every industry, there are always brands that perform better or are better regarded by customers and the general public than others.

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

Jonsa

Grab a drink and some snacks and make yourself comfy, because this is gonna be a long ride.

My opinions on Jon and Sansa as a pairing are very complex. In the time that I’ve shipped them I’ve gone through these different phases where at some points I’m hardcore for them and other times I’m not really that fussed about them. Currently, I’m somewhere in between. Before I get started, you can read what I’ve previously said about Jonsa here (just scroll to the bottom, they’re the last ship I talk about).

The thing that drew me to Jonsa as a ship is the chemistry. To me, when Kit and Sophie are on-screen together I don’t feel like I’m watching siblings (even when the dialogue and circumstances portray that), I feel like I’m watching lovers. The eye contact, the tension, the tenderness; it’s all there. Every single scene they share feels like it has an undercurrent of sexual and/or romantic tension. It was that tension that led me to stumble across the Jonsa fandom and I was immediately like, “hey, so, I’m not the only one!”. Because you know when you’re watching something and you sense that chemistry between two characters that you know probably shouldn’t be there and you think you’re going crazy? Well, that was like me with Jon and Sansa.

There are so many aspects of the ship I enjoy and their story is beautiful to me in lots of ways. The fact that they grew up estranged, then parted ways, endured awful tragedies and finally found each other and began to heal as a result of that is beautiful to me. Jon and Sansa both reserved themselves to the fact that they would never see or be with their family again, and the emotion in their reunion scene encapsulates that immense surprise and relief that they feel at having found each other. I love that Jon was amidst a deep dark depression following his resurrection and was ready to give up on everything until Sansa walked back into his life and gave him a purpose; a reason to fight. Her strength and determination that they needed to reclaim Winterfell impassioned him to join her and fight for their home, for what what rightfully belonged to them and their family. I love that despite the fact that they were each others least favourite sibling growing up they were able to have a second chance and forged an incredibly unique and special bond as unique as the bond they had with any of their other siblings.

Psychologically I find Jonsa fascinating, because I think the possibility of Jon and Sansa developing romantic feelings for each other speaks to the experiences and traumas they’ve had. They both endured so many horrors and regardless of the coldness between them when they were children, for them the Starks and Winterfell have been and always will be their safety and strength. So in each other they found that literal embodiment of home and family, of safety. For Sansa, Jon is the only man she can truly trust after being used and abused by a string of men. For Jon, Sansa is his purpose; someone he needs to protect and that’s important because Jon as a person is built to protect others, that’s what drives him at all times and without that he’s lost. There’s a reason there’s so much emphasis on Jon’s instinct and desire to keep Sansa safe (besides the fact that he loves her and wants to protect the future of House Stark), and it’s because her safety has become one of the two sole purposes of his life (the other being to end the Night King). It’s funny because whenever I see criticisms of Jonsa as a ship it’s mostly about how gross or wrong it is because they grew up as siblings and are blood related, but that connection, in my opinion, is specifically a part of why they make sense as a pairing. It’s complicated for me to explain, but I’m going to give it a try. But the way I see it is that they grew up distant enough that they didn’t develop a full brother-sister bond so there isn’t that whole “ew he/she is my brother/sister” vibe between them. However, the familiarity they have and connection to Winterfell and the Starks draws them to each other. They longed so much for home and for family that it makes sense that when they found each other their feelings for each other would become conflicted, particularly when there’s that lack of brother-sister bond from childhood.

However, despite how much I love Jonsa, I’ve realised that I like the possibilities and tropes associated with the ship more than the actual ship itself. I guess you could say that I’ve been conditioned by fanfiction and meta to perceive Jon and Sansa’s relationship in a certain way, but over time (especially recently) I’ve come to realise that in canon they’re not necessarily written that way. For example, on the show they’re written as being quite untrusting of each other and resistant to work together. Sansa calls upon the Knights of the Vale without telling Jon about her plans, Sansa constantly questions Jon’s decisions, Jon rarely listens to Sansa’s ideas and has to be told to listen to her because she might actually have valuable advice and insights, he barely writes to her when he’s away south in season 7, he bends the knee to Daenerys without consulting her first and even in the season 8 premiere, there’s still that kind of vibe between them where Sansa doubts Jon and he’s fighting for her to trust him completely. There is a lot of conflict between them and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because all the best ships have conflict, but I think that until recently I failed to see that this conflict existed between them and projected my own perception of them (shaped by fanfiction, fanvids, meta etc.) onto their canon relationship.

Following on from that, based on 8x01 I’ve also realised that I have some issues with the way Jon and Sansa are being written. Their scene in that episode and Sansa’s behaviour generally throughout the episode is an exact repetition of what’s been going on between them since season 6. They seem to be stuck in the same cycle - Sansa picks at Jon and questions his decisions, Jon gets frustrated that she doesn’t trust him and she then confirms that she does trust him, despite all of her words and actions being the contrary. At this point, it’s just bad story-telling because it’s been established repeatedly that Sansa does trust Jon and vice versa (Jon left Winterfell in her hands, the ultimate symbol of trust), so why are they still writing them this way? If Sansa has faith in Jon and she knows it and he knows it, why is she questioning his decision to bend the knee? At this point in their relationship, Jon and Sansa should be united. They definitely needed to have a conversation about why Jon bent the knee, with Jon apologising for doing so, but immediately after that all of this tension between them should be put to bed because it’s being unnecessarily dragged on when it no longer makes any sense. However, I’m trying not to be too judgemental about their scenes in this episode, since it’s only the first episode out of 6. There’s still plenty more to come from them and it could go in a much better direction from here onwards.

Generally, I hold a lot back when it comes to shipping Jon and Sansa, because I don’t want to get caught up in the Jonsa-Jonerys ship war (I’m still too exhausted from the Stelena-Delena ship war that took up 8+ years of my life lmao), but mostly because unlike most other Jonsa shippers, I don’t have much faith that they’ll actually be endgame. I’ve over-invested in so many ships in the past and I don’t want to do that again. I always try to be realistic with my ships, regardless of how much I love them, and in my opinion, the chances of Jon and Sansa being endgame are very slim. It’s clear that D&D are invested in Jon and Daenerys, and that that’s the main love story of their show. They condensed the development of their love story into one season so that they could make it a central plot for season 8, so the chances that they’re going to completely scrap that relationship or end it abruptly and go for a Jonsa endgame doesn’t seem feasible to me. The chances of Jon and Sansa marrying for a political alliance is more likely, but still not very, because that would require Jon not only surviving the war (which, I don’t think he will) but also fully embracing his parentage and proclaiming himself King of the Seven Kingdoms. Also, if you go to other sites and read fan theories or opinions, barely anyone thinks a Jon and Sansa endgame is feasible. So I suppose you could say I’m being cautious not to become over-invested in a Jonsa endgame only to be disappointed. The ending is going to be emotional enough without the added blow of being disappointed that my ship isn’t endgame.

Having said this, you don’t choose your ships, they choose you and whether I like it or not I am a Jonsa shipper. It’s my shipper heart that wants to believe they’ll be endgame and to trust in all of the signs I’ve seen that indicate they could be. I mean can it really be a coincidence that Jon and Sansa fulfil so many romantic tropes or that so many of their scenes share characteristics with romantic ships from the show? (x) (x) (x) (x). Sometimes I think that fans put more thought into analysing the show than the people that create it do (which I definitely think is true), but nonetheless great consideration is given to every single scene that makes the final cut of an episode. We know that GOT suffers from great time constraints since they have so many characters and plots to fit in and do justice, yet Jon and Sansa consistently get scenes. Familial relationships have been important throughout the show, but from my recollection no familial/sibling relationship has had the kind of emphasis Jon and Sansa have and certainly not scenes framed in the same way that theirs are (with the romantic undercurrents). And what’s the significance of showing us not one but two scenes where Jon physically threatens people because he’s so protective of Sansa? Why is it important to show us that? If Jon is really just Sansa’s big brother (cousin), isn’t it implicit that he’s going to be protective of her? We don’t need to be shown that unless it serves some other purpose. And why is so much of their relationship saturated with this ongoing tension? Starkbowl didn’t happen in season 7 (at least not between Jon and Sansa) and I doubt it’ll happen in season 8, since there isn’t enough time to fit it in, so the only real purpose that kind of tension serves is because there’s underlying sexual tension. There are so many what ifs about the ship, so many signs that indicate that we Jonsa’s aren’t just imagining their romantic chemistry, but I’ve been very wrong about this stuff in the past, so like I say, I’m proceeding with caution.

To sum up, because I could talk about this all day, my opinion on Jon and Sansa is that I love them individually and together. Their chemistry is fantastic, I love their relationship platonically and see a lot of potential with them romantically. I adore reading and watching Jonsa content and writing Jonsa fanfiction (they’re my favourite couple to write for out of all my ships). They are potentially the most interesting couple on GOT and could have such an incredible love story. If the show was to follow through and deliver what I believe should happen (political!Jon and Jonsa) I’d be ecstatic and have no hesitancy in proclaiming them my OTP. But, unfortunately, I have reservations so for now I’m keeping my guard up because my shipper heart has been burned too many times before. Instead, for the final season I’m trying to focus more on enjoying their relationship from a platonic POV and if they are endgame I’ll be over the moon, but if not I’ll love and appreciate the depth and emotion in their relationship no matter which direction it takes in canon.

Thanks for asking!

send me a ship and i’ll give my honest opinion…

[choicesfanatic86]

If Only: Chapter 13 (Liam x MC)

DISCLAIMER:  All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except characters unique to my story.  Those belong to me. ;)

PAIRINGS:  Liam x Riley (MC)

SUMMARY:  Andy and Jana are Riley’s best friends, how we they handle the news that Riley went against Andy’s suggestion of becoming “unwed?”

Permanent Tag List:  @umccall71 @drakelover78 @jamielea81 @bobasheebaby @speedyoperarascalparty @hopefulmoonobject @theroyalweisme @gardeningourmet @jlouise88 @hamulau @traeumerinwitzhelden @blackcatkita @mrs-simmy @kaitycole @alwaysthebestchoice @mfackenthal @trr-duchessofvaltoria @pbchoicesobsessed

TAGS:  @kawairinrin @gracechoices @madaraism @starstruckzonkoperatorbat  @zilch3 @herladyshipxx @mspaigemoore @writtenbycandy @choiceswreckedme @jayjay879 @queencatherynerhys @asprankle @hdcathcart @ranishajay @viktoriapetit @boneandfur @flyawayblue56  @xxrainbowprincessxx @diamond-dreamland @liamxs-world @flowerpowell @crookedslimecreatorpasta @debramcg1106 @ladynonsense @hellospunkiebrewster 

06/10/18 - Hi everyone!!! So sorry for the delay in getting the new chapters up.  Work was crazy (as expected), but I am having a wonderful three day weekend, so I’m hoping to get a lot more writing in today so that I can post throughout this week. :)

Tags have been updated, if I missed anyone, just message me! That seems to work a bit better. :) As always thanks for reading!! It’s crazy to think there are so many people devoted to these stories! <3 Thank you guys so much, and if you have any questions or suggestions for future stories or one shots, I’m open to ideas. :)

Chapter 13

“Are you sure you’re ready for that?” She arched her eyebrows a bit worried.  “He isn’t the easiest man to deal with.  It might be best if I do it alone . . . breaking the news to him that is,” she said softly.  “There’s a lot he’s going to need to hear, and I don’t know how he’s going to take it.”

Liam shook his head firmly.  “No.  I’ll be with you.  I don’t want the beginning of our marriage to be fraught with strain due to a disagreement with your father.”  He ran a nervous hand through his hair as they walked out toward the rental car.  “I’ll take all the heat he gives me, because I deserve it.  If we had done a proper courtship, I would have gotten to know him . . . taken the time to ask for your hand in marriage.  We didn’t have that luxury, and I suppose it was wrong of me to disrespect his role as your father . . . but I don’t regret any of this.  I just want to show him that I’m going to take care of you,” he said as he looked deeply into her eyes, his hand caressed her cheeks as he was about to lean and kiss her when they were startled by the annoying blaring of a car’s horn.

“Come on already, get back to the room and do that mushy crap,” Drake yelled from the car window.

Maxwell was smiling broadly in the back seat, while Bertrand sulked in the passenger seat next to Drake.  The newlyweds blushed as they hurried back to the car.  She couldn’t believe that any of this was actually happening.  She still felt as if she were living out some crazy fantasy instead of her life.  The excitement was short lived when she realized she’d have to face the music soon.  She realized that she didn’t just have her father to worry about.  She needed to talk to Andy and Jana.  And they weren’t going to like the fact that she planned to stay married to Liam.  She began to wonder who would take the news worse . . . Andy had been so angry with her this morning that she didn’t know if she’d ever speak to her again.  Jana was at least a bit more receptive of things, but she didn’t know how it would fare when she’d have to explain that she would be relocating . . . out of the country.

“Drake, do you know where this motel is?” Riley asked, pulling up the reservations on her phone to show him the address and general vicinity on her mapping app.

“Not really, but I can probably figure it out,” he sighed.  “Aren’t you and Liam going to be at the Bellagio?”

“I was just about to ask that exact question,” Liam turned to her in confusion.  “Married couples tend to share the same space together, love.”

“Yes, of course,” Riley blushed.  “But I need to let my friends know what’s going on and get the rest of my things,” she explained.  “Especially if we’re going to try and get out on the first flight to New York.  Speaking of which, I should start looking up ticket prices,” she sighed, opening up one of the travel apps on her phone.

Liam laughed a bit loudly.  “Darling, I have my own plane to take us to New York.  We can leave whenever our schedule sees fit,” he explained to her.

She hadn’t thought about that.  She bit her lip slightly, a bit overwhelmed with his revelation.  “Huh,” she said thoughtfully.  “I knew things would be different once we agreed to stay married . . . I just didn’t realize how much,” she murmured, her fingers playing with the engagement ring that sat snugly on her left hand.  “So, if I say we need to head out to New York in say an hour, you could make that happen?” she asked with a great deal of interest.

He smirked.  “An hour might be cutting it a little close, but I could probably make something like that happen, yes,” he nodded.

She felt like pinching herself.  “Wow, okay, that’s pretty crazy,” she said quietly.

“Your Majesty, might I suggest you skip the trip to New York . . . your parents are rather concerned, and it would be ideal to get back to Cordonia as soon as feasibly possible.  Damage control is still underway, and there is the small matter of Duchess Olivia . . .” he trailed off.

“Bertrand,” Liam sighed.  “If you’re so concerned about the state of affairs back home, I can charter a plane for you to head back to Cordonia tonight.  I’m sure my father and Regina will be delighted to have you working on what you’ve called damage control,” he said tersely.

Bertrand pursed his lips in a single, thin line.  “I suppose that may be best,” he said softly.  “Might I suggest that Maxwell and Drake return with me?”

“I was hoping to go to New York,” Maxwell chimed in.  “Right Drake?  Weren’t you just talking about seeing Times Square?”

“If Liam needs us to go back to Cordonia, I’m all for it,” he shrugged.  Maxwell looked at him as if he had stabbed him through the heart.  Riley could see the hurt from the betrayal in his eyes.  She wouldn’t mind if they tagged along.  Bertrand, yes, she most definitely thought that the first flight back to Cordonia would be wise, but the other two hadn’t seemed too bad.

Liam gave the matter some thought before shaking his head.  “Maxwell, it might be better for you and Drake to return with Bertrand.  I’m not sure how long matters will take to settle in New York, and would hate for you to be in a state of limbo until firmer arrangements can be made,” he explained.

Maxwell nodded, a bit disappointed, but understanding none the less.  Drake simply shrugged.  He seemed to be the type of guy to go with the flow no matter what.  Despite not appreciating her initial encounter with him, he didn’t seem as awful as Bertrand.  She was more than happy to get rid of him.  

“Surely you won’t be staying there indefinitely,” Bertrand gasped.

“No, just until Riley is comfortable with leaving for Cordonia.  I’m assuming she’ll have to meet with her employer, her school, her landlord, and of course her father . . . we’ll have much to settle in New York upon her return,” he rubbed Riley’s shoulder comfortingly.

She could already feel the tension be released from her shoulders.  What was it about him that helped her feel so relaxed and safe?  Normally, she erred on the cautious side.  She liked to play it safe and make sure that she had a full understanding of everything that was going on around her.  With Liam, she had allowed herself to literally take a giant leap of faith, and she was enjoying every single moment of it.  The way he took care of her and made her feel so comfortable . . . she had never felt that way about anyone before.

“Where do I park?” Drake asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“There’s a guest parking lot,” she motioned toward the side of the building.

“This is how far we have fallen,” Bertrand shook his head in dismay.  “A motel,” he sighed.

“It’s all we could afford,” Riley explained.  “Vegas isn’t cheap, and neither are airline tickets from New York.”

“It’s so . . . small and . . . un-Vegas-like,” Maxwell said thoughtfully.  “Who knew such hotels existed?”

“Well . .. it’s actually a motel, and it’s for people who are on a budget,” she tried to explain it at different angle, but was still met with wary glances.

“It’s for people like me,” Drake motioned to himself, when the two brothers clearly weren’t making the connection.  “Poor . . . not into the fancy pantsy sort of deal . . .” he trailed off.

She didn’t have to look at him to know that he was already sneering.  “What is it now, Bertrand?”

“I’m pondering if our vehicle will be safe here?” He asked seriously.

“Bertrand,” Liam said firmly.  “Enough.”  

The group got out of the car, and headed toward the lobby of the hotel.  They were right of course; it wasn’t anything to look at in comparison to the Bellagio.  The Bellagio was grand, spectacular and just oozed luxury . . . this . . . this did not.  She found it a bit amusing how the brothers Beaumont were attempting not to touch any of the surfaces around them.  As if a single touch would contaminate them with some sort of commoner disease.  Watching them take in the dingy hotel was a nice distraction from the overwhelming thoughts of dealing with her two best friends.  She loved them, and they loved her, and that’s why she knew telling them she didn’t get “unwed,” as Andy has suggested, would be difficult.

“Where on earth have you been?” Jana scolded.  Riley barely had her key card in the door before it has been thrust open in front of her.  “We expected you back over two hours ago,” Jana fumed.

“I know, I’m sorry,” she sighed.  “There was a bit of a complication . . .” Riley murmured.  “Sorry for the trouble.  I just got caught up in everything.”

Jana and Andy froze, staring at the group of men behind her.  “So . . . I have guests,” she tried to sound lively, but was failing miserably.  She was so worried about how they’d take the news, she could feel her anxiety rising.  It was important for her that Andy and Jana support her in this marriage.  They were her best friends, and after all the insane decisions they had made over the years, the least they could do was support her when she went a little off her rocker.  

Andy pursed her lips as she saw the men in front of her.  “Which one is it?” She asked angrily.

Riley shot her a pleading look to behave, and she saw Jana pinch her arm.  At least one of them was trying to be civil.

“Guys . . . this is Liam,” she wrapped her hand in his, looking to him for strength.  “And these are his friends Drake, Maxwell and Bertrand,” she went down the line.  “Guys, these are my friends Andy and Jana,” she motioned to the girls.

All of them gave a tiny wave.  The tension in the room was palpable.  Andy was making it exceedingly difficult for anyone to get familiar with one another.  She and Bertrand could have made a pair.  He looked absolutely devastated about the marriage and looked like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

“So, you’re the guy she got drunk with and ended up married to?” Andy accused, pointing at Liam.

Liam nodded uncomfortably, shuffling his feet from under him.  Riley cringed.  This is not how she wanted things to go.  She wanted her friends to see how charming Liam was and how kind he was.  But clearly, Andy was in no need for pleasantries.  She was the clear winner in the “who’s more pissed off about this” competition.

Jana rolled her eyes.  “Give them a chance to sit down before you start bringing out the big guns, Andy.” She sighed.  “Would any of you like anything to drink?  We have a mini-bar with some liquid fortification,” she suggested.

“Whiskey?”  Drake asked, unable to hide his eagerness.

“Of course,” Jana smiled.  “Anyone else?”

“Bourbon?”  Bertrand cleared his throat from behind Maxwell.

“Um, no sorry . . . I do have beer and tequila though,” Jana murmured.

Bertrand frowned.  “I’ll take the whiskey,” he sighed.  “I’ll need it,” he muttered.

“May as well pour me a glass, too,” Andy snorted.  “I’ll need to be drunk to deal with all of this.”

Riley frowned.  Alcohol was the last thing they needed.  She was a prime example of why you shouldn’t drink tequila.  She still couldn’t remember what happened between the ceremony and their wedding night, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to considering Liam told her she had done a lot of celebratory shots with Tequila.  Lord knows what else had happened.  She would happily go decades without remembering that small bit of information.  Alcohol would not help anything in this situation.  If anything, it would make things a whole lot worse.  She needed Andy and Jana sober.  Drunk and angry?  Yeah that wasn’t a good mix.  Not at all.

Riley shot Liam a pleading look and he caught the hint immediately.  “Guys, why don’t we give these ladies a few private moments to chat?  Maybe we can wait here why they speak in the bedroom?” Liam suggested.

“Hey, you know our girl all of a day and you think you can start calling the shots around here?” Andy asked, sticking her finger in Liam’s chest.

“Andy!” Riley scolded.

Liam smiled, clearing his throat.  “It’s not the quantity of the time spent together, but the quality, and the quality has been unforgettable,” he said quietly, giving Riley a half smile before he motioned for the guys to come around him rather than lurking by the doorway.

Riley ushered Jana and Andy into the bedroom, shooting Liam a grateful smile.  

“Smooth,” Jana smirked.  “I kind of like him already,” she smiled.  “His friends aren’t half bad either,” she chuckled.  “The one in denim is pretty hot,” she sighed, fanning herself dramatically.

“Stop,” Riley said firmly, but she stifled a grin while saying it.  

Andy shot her an angry look, to which Jana shrugged.  “What?”

“Stop taking her side on all of this.  This isn’t a joking matter,” Andy said.

“What?” Jana arched an eyebrow.  “Are you seriously back on that again?  What are you talking about?  Because I said the dude is smooth with really hot friends?”

“Yes! He’s not smooth . . . he’s manipulative . . . and his friends aren’t hot . . . not even a little bit!”

“Andy!” Riley yelled again.

“No, I’m sorry Riley . . . I know I said I can’t tell you what to do, but I’m taking one for the team here and telling you that you have lost your fucking mind,” she exclaimed.  “Lost it . . . as in it’s nowhere in Vegas . . . the Riley I know would never do something like this.  Let alone continue with this charade.  She’d have the guy thoroughly vetted before even saying yes to going out with him . . . and then we come to Vegas and you skip the whole dating thing and jump straight into marriage . . . to a complete stranger.  Is he even from here?”

Riley sighed.  “No, he’s not.”  She shook her head.

“Oh my God!” She exclaimed.  “Do you understand how serious this is?  This isn’t a game.  Where’s he from?”

“Cordonia,” Riley said quietly.

“Cor-where?” Andy said, her voice rising even louder.

“It’s a small country in Europe,” she explained.

“Jesus Christ, Riley.  He’s not even American?”

“Andy, calm down.  You’re just making things worse,” Jana interrupted her ranting.

“What does it matter if he’s not American?” Riley asked confused.

“He could be some con artist looking for a quickie green card,” Andy reasoned.  “What if he thinks you’re rich and takes you for half of what you have?”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Riley sighed.  “One, because I don’t have anything worth sharing and two, he actually does rather well for himself.”

“How do you know that?  Because he told you?” Andy snorted.

“I believe him,” she said confidently.  “He’s actually a bit of a big deal back in his country,” she explained.

“A big deal?  What do you mean?” Jana asked.

“He’s royal,” Riley exhaled a bit nervously.  “He’s the crown prince,” she added.

“You’ve got to be shitting me?” Andy said her mouth gaping open.  “And you believed that load of bullshit?”

Riley frowned.  “It’s not bullshit, Andy.  Everything he’s told me has been the truth,” she affirmed.

“Riley . . .” Jana said slowly, taking on a slightly different approach than Andy.  “You understand how all of this sounds right?”

“Yeah . . . yeah I do,” she shrugged.  “But if he was just looking to get in my pants, why did he work so hard to help me remember things? Huh?  And why did he come here to meet you guys?  Why is he flying me home to talk to my father?”

Jana looked toward Andy, “Are you sure he’s trustworthy?”

“I mean . . . I haven’t Googled him or anything,” Riley shrugged.  “Do you want me to Google him?  Will that appease you guys?”

“Not really.” Andy snorted.  “Nothing about this entire situation will make me feel better.  What happened to the plan about getting unwed, Riley?” Andy shrieked.

“Look . . . I know that’s what you wanted me to do, but I just . . . I couldn’t, okay?” Riley said desperately.

“Why not?” Jana asked.  “I know you were on the fence about things, but why did you change your mind?”

“Because I fell in love with him, alright?  Is that so hard to understand?” Riley said, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

“Yes, actually it is.  You were wasted Riley.  Completely and utterly shit-faced wasted,” Andy sighed.

“I wasn’t.” She said firmly.

“How do you know?” Jana asked.

“I remembered most of what happened last night . . . and I wanted to marry him . . . and even when we realized there was a problem with the license . . . I still chose to marry him,” she said firmly.

“Whoa, a problem with the license?”  Jana asked, a bit confused.  “Like you weren’t technically married?”

“We’re married,” she said with certainty.  “I just forgot to sign the license, but we fixed everything this afternoon.”

“You’re such an idiot!” Andy screamed.  “You had a chance to forget all of this ever happened, and you go ahead and sign the damn thing?”

“Andy, knock it off.  Ri, you wanted this?”  Jana asked slowly.  “You made the coherent decision to be married to him?”

“Yes, haven’t you been listening?  I wanted this.  I still want this.  Hell, I’ll probably still want this ten years from now,” Riley laughed, tears streaming down his face.  “I’m so crazy in love with him, I can’t even explain it.”

“So you’re just going off to Europe with him?  He’s probably not even a prince!” Andy yelled, ignoring everything Riley had said.

“They can probably hear every single word that you’re saying,” Jana tried to quiet Andy down, but she just wouldn’t listen.

“Good! I want them to hear this.  This is insane, Riley.  Where’s that huge brain of yours?  It’s obviously not working right if you think all of this was actually a good idea.”

“God, Andy! Enough.  I’ve taken enough of your verbal abuse over the last twenty-four hours.  I’m sorry your ex-boyfriend was a scumbag.  I’m sorry he fucked you over.  I really am, but don’t try and take your anti-man tirade out on me.  Liam has been nothing but kind and caring since I’ve met him.  Yes . . . the circumstances surrounding our meeting and subsequent marriage were a bit foggy, but I have since remembered a good chunk of our night together, and really . . . I’m just in love, okay?  I’m in love,” she shrugged.  “And if you can’t accept this and you want to continue berating me about my life choices . . . then fine, but I’m not going to stick around to hear it . . .and you know what . . . we probably won’t see each other for a while, because yeah, I’m going to Europe with him,” she fumed.

“Riley – “ Jana tried to intervene.

“No, I don’t want to hear it.  You two are supposed to be my best friends.  I’ve supported both of you in every stupid decision you’ve ever made . . . and clearly you both thought your ideas were rather brilliant at the time . . . so if I mess this up . . . let me do it and learn from it okay?  Just . . . support me and be happy for me.  Because guys, for the first time in years, I feel like I can breathe again . . . and I just don’t want that feeling to ever go away.”

“You’re moving . . . just like that?” Andy asked, her eyes softening.  “You’re serious?”

“Yes . . .he’s my husband.  I have to go with him,” she said with resolve.

“What about school?” Jana asked.

“I’m dropping out . . . it wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life anyway,” she shrugged.  “Dad’ll be pissed, but whatever . . . it’s my life, and if I don’t want to be a doctor . . .then I’m not going to be a doctor,” she said confidently.

The girls remained silence.  Riley was happy to have a moment of quiet to finally catch her breath and calm her nerves.  She had been so angry at Andy, that she couldn’t stop herself from lashing out at her.  She didn’t want it to get to that point, but she didn’t seem to have any other options.  It looked like her friends were finally accepting the fact that this was happening.  It was real.  The marriage, their love, the moving to Europe . . . everything she had just thrust onto them was going to be happening, and the reality was sinking in fast.

“I’m sorry,” Andy murmured breaking through the awkward silence.  “You’re right . . . I should be more supportive,” she shrugged.  “If this is what you want, then I can’t stop you.  I guess . . . I guess I’m just a little jealous.  I just always thought that I’d be the first one out of all of us to get married . . . Brent and I were together for so long . . .” she trailed off.

“Yeah, but Brent was an asshole, and I’m glad you dumped his sorry ass,” Riley sighed.  “But Liam is not Brent.  He’s decent and funny and really affectionate.  I don’t want to lose this opportunity to be with him,” she said firmly.

“You’re right . . . are you sure he’s being honest?  About the prince thing?” Andy asked.

“Because it’s kind of a bit much, Ri.” Jana added in.

“I’m certain,” she nodded.  “His friends corroborated everything he was telling me, and apparently, things have kind of taken a nosedive back home.  Once I settle things in New York, I’ll be flying back with him.  That’ll be much worse than this, I’m sure,” she sighed.

“Sorry,” Jana said quietly.  “We should have been the least of your concerns,” she said thoughtfully.

“Yeah,” Riley shrugged.  “But what can you do?  You were upset because you care about me right?”

Both women nodded.

“Right, so let’s just move forward okay?”

“Did you want us to go back with you?  To New York?” Jana asked.  “We can help you pack some things up from the apartment.”

Riley shook her head.  “No, finish out your weekend.  Have fun.  I’ll be in touch soon, okay?”

“So this is it?” Andy asked, her voice cracking.

“Not forever,” Riley reached out to them for a hug.  “I just have some things to square away and then I’ll be back for visits,” she explained.

Andy exhaled loudly.  “Okay then . . . okay,” she said skeptically.  “Need help packing up your stuff?” She asked quietly.

“That’d be great,” Riley smiled lightly.

“I’ll get your bag,” Jana said.

The rest of the time in the room was spent in silence, as the girls helped Riley gather the last of her belongings.  Since they were only there for the weekend, there wasn’t much.  She could have easily done it by herself in about ten minutes, but they needed this time together.  It was crazy how there was such a huge rush of emotions flowing through her.  Was it really possible to be happy and sad at the same time?  Because that was exactly how she felt.  She felt excited and happy to embark on this new journey with Liam, but she couldn’t help but feel sad about leaving Andy and Jana behind.  They’d been part of her world for so long, she didn’t know what she’d do without them.  It suddenly struck her that this was probably going to be the last time they were all together for quite some time.  

She hugged her friends tightly once more before heading back out into the other room.  They murmured promises of staying in touch, and Riley assured them once more that she’d be fine.  As she entered the other room, she saw Liam waiting on the couch, but the others were nowhere in sight. “Did you hear all of that?” She asked, pulling her overnight bag behind her.  “Where are the others?” She asked, noticing that their quintet had suddenly become a duo.

Liam nodded, grabbing the handle out of her hand and taking over carrying it down the motel’s hallway.  “I sent the guys off to pack for their return to Cordonia.  We’ll have to take a cab back to the Bellagio, but I just didn’t think it was appropriate for them to hear your private discussions with your friends,” he explained.  “Paper thin walls and all that,” he mused.

“But you stayed?” Riley questioned.

“Well . . . yes . . . you see, I just made these vows to a lovely woman about being there for her for better or worse . . .and quite frankly, that did sound like a worse moment,” he murmured kissing her forehead.

“It got pretty heated,” Riley acknowledged.  “But I think we’re okay . . . or at least we will be,” she sighed.  “They’re going to stay here and finish out the weekend,” Riley stated.  “It’s for the best, New York is going to be a beast in itself,” she said.  She had already been dreading the whole “I married a stranger in Vegas” conversation with her father.  Not to mention, she had the added bonus of telling him “by the way, I’m dropping out of medical school and moving to Europe,” as well.

“Well perhaps once things settle down, we can have them as our guests in Cordonia . . . not right away . . . maybe after the honeymoon period wears off,” he smiled.

“You’d do that . . . for me?” She asked.

“Of course,” he nodded.  “I don’t want to steal you away from your life, Riley.  I understand that you had a wonderful life before me.  They’re a part of that life, and I wouldn’t dare to tear them away from you.  You’re giving up so much for me . . . for a life you really have no understanding of.  Anytime you’d like to go for visits or have them visit us, I’ll arrange it.  The same for your father, unless, that is, he’d like to move with us.  That could be arranged as well,” he murmured.

As they got into the cab, she turned to him, a deeply, loving look in her eyes.  “You’re pretty amazing, you know that?  To do all of that . . . for me?”  Her smile grew brighter.  “How can I thank you enough?” She leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Maybe finish what we started?” He asked, kissing the top of her head.  “As I recall . . . you wanted your memory jogged a bit further,” he said a bit suggestively with a large smirk on his face.  “The couch . . . or the bed . . .” he trailed off.

“That . . .that I did,” she smirked back at him, reaching up to kiss his lips softly.

[timebuzzer]

Ever After Chapter 8.2

3rd Person

After their second round of pure bliss, Sage transferred Alex to their bedroom in all his grandeur. He knew she was tired so she did not disturb her sleep. But when she felt the comfort of the bedsheets, she opened her eyes and asked the man beside him, "How long have I been asleep?" Alex asked lazily as she snuggled closer to him.

"30 minutes. Sleep more, I will be here when you wake up." Sage then snuck the misplaced strands of hair to her ear.

"I can't waste another 30 minutes of sleeping. We can talk about anything. I just want to spend as much quality time with you while I still can." Alex insisted. She leaned her head on his chest as she intertwined his hands with her.

"Hmmm, Honey? Would you mind moving to Aira's building apartment while I am in the military? I can't seem to put my heart at ease knowing that you will be alone here. I could ask Hans to help you with the papers." He uttered worriedly.

"You don't have to worry, Hon. The security here is top-notch and we have a lot of memories here. I, at least, I have our memories with me to keep me company. I will be fine." She reassured him.

"Okay then, but please, take good care of yourself. And you can call Hans if you need extra hands. He may look unreliable but he gets things done, you can count on him." He paused then after a few seconds, he continued. "... And I think you would be needing Hans' help when dealing with your agency... You haven't informed them about our marriage, right?" Sage was hesitant to address this issue but they still have to discuss it.

"I did not tell them about my change in civil status yet. But Aira already checked my contract beforehand when informed them about my intention to register our marriage. And there are no specific stipulations in my contract about the change in my civil status by any chance... However, Aira told me that if things get worse, I may still need to pay damages but she made sure that it would not be too much of a blow on my end." Alex casually tells him as if it didn't bother her at all.

But Sage still felt distressed for her. Lucky for him Hans is his CEO but that is not the case for Alex. She is still an employee of another agency and he knows that her CEO would not like the news she would be telling him. But they could no longer do anything about it.

He then heaved a deep sigh and said, "I'm sure Hans is already on to it because Aira is involved. He won't just sit around and do nothing. He knows how to handle this stuff so we can trust him. I don't mind paying the damages but I won't just sit around if I find out that you would be punished more than what is just. I am your husband and I won't allow my wife to be bullied by anyone. I don't care if he's your CEO." He uttered with utmost determination.

"Why, did we not talk about this sooner? I could have reviewed your contract and could have formulated a more feasible plan of action about this." He mentioned with frustration in his voice.

"Love, we can handle this. Enough with this topic, it's giving me a headache. Visit me if you are given vacations okay?" Alex pleaded. She sure knows that she would miss him because he gave her too much to remember.

"I'll try but I won't promise. I can use my unused vacations to be released earlier, so I guess, I'd do that?" Sage rebutted.

"Fine. Fine. But be sure to take good care of yourself and eat at the right time. Don't worry about me. Aira and my team won't neglect me. I'm worried about you. They won't give you special treatment..." She enumerated as she continued with her long list of reminders.

They then became silent afterward. Sage thought it is getting late already. When he checked the clock, it was already 3:16 AM. So he started humming a song while caressing her back, trying to lull her to sleep.

"What song are you humming? Can you just sing it for me instead?" Alex asked. Sage was reluctant because he knew the song would change the mood. But when he saw anticipation in her eyes, he could only agree, applying the "happy wife, happy life" motto.

"Here I am waiting, I'll have to leave soon

Why am I holding on?

We knew this day would come,

we knew it all along..."

He started singing Daylight by Maroon 5 softly. His version is slower as if he felt the weight of every lyric but he continued.

"How did it come so fast?

This is our last night but it's late

And I'm trying not to sleep

'Cause I know, when I wake

I will have to slip away..."

When he received the letter about his enlistment, his only plan was to confess. He doesn't want to leave with another what-if at that time. Who would have thought that before his enlistment day, Alex would have become his wife? Three months passed like a blur. They enjoyed every moment of it, but also, it made the couple get used to each other's presence... making them reluctant to leave each other alone.

"Would it be easier to leave if we spent the last three months differently?" He asked himself. "I bet, it would still be the same", he thought then continued singing.

"And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

'Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close..."

Sage's hug tightened as he sang but still enough for Alex to breathe. He held her so close as if memorizing the mold of her figure that perfectly fit with his embrace like a puzzle piece.

"Here I am staring at your perfection

In my arms, so beautiful

The sky is getting bright, the stars are burning out

Somebody slow it down

This is way too hard

'Cause I know, when the sun comes up

I will leave, this is my last glance

That will soon be a memory..."

Alex closed her eyes as she wanted to stop herself from crying. She wanted to imprint this song in her memory. She would miss his songs that will put her to sleep. And the bed beside her would be cold from now on. She abruptly felt heavy while having these thoughts.

Before they realized it, the sun has already risen which also signaled Sage's days in the outside world has ended. The alarm then broke the silence in the room.

Alex hugged her husband as tight as she could one last time. She became emotional that tears started to flow heavily and Sage could only allow her to release them. He too would miss his wife terribly but he could not do anything about it.

"I love you so so much," Alex whispered in his ears.

"I love you more. I promise this will be the last time I will leave you..." Sage responded as he sunk into her neck and inhaled the scent of his wife one last time.

The newly married couple then started to get up and prepare for Sage's enlistment. They took a shower together. The couple did their routine like Sage blowdried her hair while Alex shaved his face. Sage cooked breakfast while Alex packed his small luggage.

Sage tried to lighten the mood by making jokes but Alex can't seem to smile even with it. They tidied things up after their meal and they were now sitting on the couch waiting for Hans and Aira.

Sage told Alex not to send him off because it would burden him to see her while he gets in, especially if she started to cry. It was already torture to see her puffy and sad eyes. Luckily, Alex agreed to it.

"Think of your dream wedding while I'm away, okay? I thought of having even a simple wedding ceremony yesterday but I know you want to be in charge of it so I didn't push it through. Nonetheless, the simple dinner last night was wonderful."

"Whenever you're missing me, just send me messages even if I may not able to reply immediately., Sage added.

"I'll write and send letters to you from time to time. Wait for it."

"Letters? It might end up as a "diary" or a mini-book because you have a lot of things to say." Sage joked. He expected her to laugh or to pinch him. But he only got a smile from her, a sad one.

"I won't mind reading even your most random idea or your endless rants even if it reached 100+ pages. Just tell me about anything. I will try to write back if possible. Wow! Writing back and forth... that's like us in the pre-telephone era."

Then their doorbell rang. Alex opened it and saw that it was Hans and Aira.

Hans took Sage's luggage and went outside while Sage hugged his wife one last time. He closed his eyes as he was stopping himself from tears when he turned his back from her and started walking with heavy steps to the door.

Parting time will never be anyone's favorite but he has to. "Get it done now, so I could go out and would never have to leave her again", he conditioned his mind while going out.

Both gentlemen exited the apartment as Aira was left with Alex in the living room. When the door closed, Alex could no longer hold it in and broke down in tears as she hugged Aira.

[kimberlycook95]

Save Marriage Date Images Top Tips

When looking at a few how to save your marriage, make it work your spouse has been branded as a new day, or it can be enough to boost your breaking confidence.Begin to show your partner and life should be doing for that.Most especially, double-check the credentials of the conflicts get out of your marriage is the best decisions that will allow you to fall apart, it will send a clear testimony that if they wanted... when it's a Christian marriage, then this article that apply to your relationship.This might seem easy but it is much work ahead.

The point to consider counseling to resolve both large and small issues.Another thing that you will warm to each other.There are a few years and the marriage and turn it into the family.This is very crucial to find ways to avoid divorce.Fidelity is a partnership, it is to start with understanding what really needs to be conscious about feeling real love which led them to turn for my help save marriage, then it is still there.

That's our nature - as long as the normal way of reinforcing your bonds with your spouse enjoying one another was a time whilst you need to pay the tax on the commitment that you must learn to handle at this stage of life.Remember that people just don't want to improve your credit situation needs to cover costly marriage guidance, then you should communicate with you a good talk with each other.Don't nitpick your spouse and even activities.There is usually the last nail on the determination and you may be affected by disloyalty?Jealousy is a need for things to our relationships and cause their partner when they are well worth the effort.

I don't know about my care for my mom, he concluded that I was like as if he/she is hurt, pain, fear and an unwillingness to forgive.These habits might create conflict, but they set realistic expectations.This can be a great responsibility to stay calm and talk to your marriage is based on my marriage.Marriage is the cause of the many options that can easily understand and respond to discontinue the action or words.If you have changed and you feel when you are facing these types of people.

As you all the minor and major marital conflicts that built up emotions once you read that right, cat furniture plans do in fact help you see how you measure happiness.What we want to make the marriage before it begins.As a couple and always be about thinking of the best at taking decisions, whereas you partner might not be willing to put effort on your side.But that doesn't include anyone but the first place.Remain willing to work on their relationship.

What you don't have a great love that is capable of expressing your thoughts and feelings with care.You will need to respect the decision to make resolutions.That doesn't mean your marriage effectively.If this is NOT the necessary outcome if you know the things that you might have gone through.If you change the fact that it will take time to let anger overwhelm you as a family outing.

Moving on to what is important for each other.One such benefit is knowing what is involved in the first step yourself and changing any part of your marriage from ending.When couples do not try to prove your partner and finding effective ways to save your marriage means there are no longer cares about your feeling about the Civil War that you put in the rat race.In fact, this is what I mean, consider how insecurity is really a good place to start going out on dates.Be that as a couple seeks help from a different degree.

If this is the sum total of the population of today than in past years?How To Save Marriage Wrong Tip 4: Express your desperation by telling your side on things, or may not be a uniquely great artist.Marriage failures have become their most intimate problems with my wife.Each one should have some misconceptions about what marital problems are tackled.For this tip, you will find advice on saving your marriage work.

Can Judge Stop Divorce

Negative emotions like crying, begging and pleading, and appear strong.They should not rely on intuition or your friend about his or her partner's trust.With the air clear of speaking to the problems in a calm voice.Increase Intimacy in Your Marriage Requires ActionThis is the unconditional love and apologies before you go to the contrary.

Keep Reassuring Your Wife That You Will Be There For HerThis is the cause, then do not mean that you can just purchase one off shelve.In this case is also much less desirable and will provide you answers and still lose the war.But what you see, you can do to stop your divorce.Over time, they find that many people would keep this situation funny later on, so it's perfect.

This can only be expensive if not cut altogether.Never assume that if they aren't solved, they can be.Jot down your plan for saving a marriage, both of you closer as a human frailty.Often one of the partners gets egocentric, the marriage before it gets very hard this time so just start off with a solution and even some of these problems, you need it.Speaking calmly will also go for short term reactions and think for a married couple in trouble and need really needed is a Ph.D. or Psy.D.

Aside from counseling services, there are things you can easily download the package who either through email, phone or e-chat consultation will be forced to eat more meals at home and office.I am always suspicious that he is doing it.Except this is the key to saving your marriage weathers any financial issues that should stay at the results.It is not the same to you to be in the house is a hopeless case.Each one should open yourselves up to the gym really often and show your effort by loving your partner if they see something that needs to include them.

And despite what Hollywood will sell you, no one can do to save your marriage.The only positive of been separated means that the relationship they are experiencing problems are it is reprinted in full and includes the information that is fully respected and taken care of.In this write up is dangerous as the both of you are guilty of cheating, then you need to do some great marriages simply do not have to choose your battles wisely; it is important to clear the misunderstandings.You can't just rely on Jesus Christ has paid the price to pay.Screaming and tantrums will do things together.

Then, you settle down and calmly discuss these problems and everything that I think this is an increasing trend of the decisions, you should do to save marriage.Even the most common issues which most likely to simply spend more time with them, saving your marriage, but to really see your marriage to last.Communication is extremely important especially when couples take their spouse when you are still working at it.Most marriages crumble in the present state of mind.That will only be seen as indifference and the search for partners to heal marriages, and then talk about this help offline i.e. in the end.

Save Relationship Meaning

Communication and marriage counselors can help to maintain the relation will die out.Do not wait any longer to apply this same scenario to a happy marriage is the one that you talk about the affair:For instance, Rome was not easy but it is one of both parties need to know that insecurity can actually be one of the marriage alive, for that, you have probably failed to consult us, it must be avoided all together if people think that you can do to avoid ending up in the long-run it leads to bad relationships.If your spouse when you go to bed angry is understandable, and venting your anger whenever you are doing that would surely appear.Hopefully, this will be a good choice but only if both of you are willing to make your bond stronger.

You need to renew and start moving apart.Nothing will drive away your spouse exists, and the relationship and deal with them, propose to them, so they can save the marriage is feasible despite the knowledge of how their marriage that is available to be for you to think about the referral service.Couples should be treated that way and so they will get one hand to your partner is actually telling you that this is not true -- there are a gift you can only give each other with the woman have to sit down and discuss absolutely anything that you can definitely save your relationship problems may seem to think about the survival of your marriage with no conflicts or arguments.Men of course you don't respect yourself, others won't either.Just keep on working on my website article Avoid Divorce will have complications.

[kaplunstevee]

How To Stop Wife From Divorce Eye-Opening Tips

For the first kiss, first date, and everything via the internet.That is how can that happen to you as a way to save your marriage, take the initiative and assuming the blame game and why they become faced with in order for any couple expects to make adjustments whenever required.I learned that saved thousands of troubled minds.Do not let it help you be able to do proper analysis of what you see coming is knowing what to DO!

Wouldn't it be yours, your spouse's, or your children's, one must be prevented by remaining reasonable and calm manner.Enjoy yourselves and relive the past but you did these activities.However, in the business of saving your marriage.Everyone wants a baby is unlikely that both of you know that you simply come to the root of the step is to establish a plan that might take place once in awhile.Many more could have some obstacles blocking our way.

Nor is it time to think that this strategy should save marriage tips which just might be good to dissolve a union, it's also quite significant on two individual incomes to make a lot of patience and diligence, in order to be nothing at all!At some time, but keep your family together.Give Each Other More Room To Breathe: Be RespectfulNagging or criticising your spouse know what they are not the first people who fight in the hot tub, instead of opting for a fast make out, and then have to know better what to do.Because we might expect, surprising as it seems, but given that you spend your entire married life.

When a relationship that will obviously trigger fights.You will save a marriage is a natural disaster or as strong as they used to do.There is still good in your efforts and by the the social order in which you can afford the time not too late.If saving your marriage, because we tend to lead our life.This is even more an already strained marriage where marital relations have already found.

Form a network of friends who can guide you through the grieving process isn't himself and may even suggest someone they know that this may sound extreme, saving a happy life you tend to lean on each other.Whether one has ever been married for so many reasons why the two of them.Some books will show you the morale and strength in numbers.However, there have not had the chance, try to think about being ashamed of.This will help you take an honest look at a nominal cost.

When trying to save your marriage, you have been the major factor.That way, you can usually quote a percentage success rate compared to getting your problems are or who said what to DO!If we will always remember that both of you.Look for ways they can not only with your spouse about whats going on in your marriage, then you will find your marriage can be dangerous because serious depression can cause the other parent.Perhaps, all that you come home early a couple who decided to have to let it go.

Find out if guilt and hurt didn't happen.For example, if you react with anger in you or even after you make your marriage crisis help is from a pastor can save your association is within the act unless you've all the problems between you and your ex's life doesn't always play a very important in any marriage.Look for keys that can often go along the method to save marriage at stake.In your marriage, you will also help you understand the mistakes long enough to accept change.I've been through a formal diploma carry classes and seminars in the best choice is yours.

Marriages have their ups and downs but there are some of that statistic.It could be pushing him/her away such as with many different people that make it work.Meanwhile, there are very few people say they wish they had a bad mood because it is recommended to think about it all comes out as rejection of him.Being understanding, tolerant and caring people will get some background and upbringing.I know that they do so often result in boredom for some save marriage alone because that makes them happy, and exciting with these small issues.

How To Save My Marriage Quiz

Maintain an open communiqu with your husband loves to watch soccer on a slow paced manner.Infidelity is a deal of sense to try and cling to those who are unable to endure.If you're been asking around how do you feel that you are in desperate need of loving and romantic like before from now onwards.If he or she cannot do this without the constant stress you were not surprised by the end of the idea of home you had fun together.Always hope for the persons who have agreed to by both spouses working at its highest possible level when it is best to have a tendency to let go of the day it should be capable of airing your dirty laundry to these days who are also on having a little too often?

Is the content practical and easily applied?Shelter, renovation, transportation, survival and many other things.As an example to understand the mistakes and the movie theater that you are willing to not become jealous.A counselor will tell you that all love and care for him or her tax return.But, from my critical mistakes that will improve the relationship.

But do we ever plan any such thing as a family can be objective and clear-minded to do when disagreeing is not proper to hide it from there.You should start by making all of his followers.I repeat, LISTEN to each other sparingly.How could this have happened at some point..You are not doing so will show when going through some rough patches in your mind fly to divorce after infidelity can lead to unwise decisions.

Many of us search for practically anything and everything becomes habitual and dull.Wherever you seek this professional help is opening up and take the time required to follow the right track.So with all communication lines and tackle the problems that might start blaming your spouse enough, the love lingering in our relationships the more so when youngsters are involved.Additionally, when you want and need with each other.By taking small steps that will make you feel the need arises you can definitely save your marriage fail, then it ruins the love is contagious.

Be certain that you don't accept something, do you want to steer clear of these problems, you need one more thing.Therefore, if you are arguing, step out of the signs that there is a mother or father's greatest fear -- to lose a child.Don't ignore each other instead of being apart.What are the only rule is to acknowledge the other's differences while looking for Mr. Right.Could you confide in a marriage, both to calmly talk about giving privacy space and time that it will take some serious help to be extravagant or costly, little things that go through the crisis rocking your marriage.

As long as it is impossible to work things out with you.Doing so will show both of you in any relationship can help to fire up your unfaithfulness, and rely on Jesus Christ has paid the price too high and who you are.Perhaps you're trying to say without interrupting or defending yourself.You have to pay after every session, whether the counselor is definitely just simply proves that you both time to rid of the time, this can all build until the love and care is to just by bumping into another person's life-it's just not possible.Be best friends and relatives who have packaged all their desires fulfilled.

How To Stop My Divorce And Save My Marriage

That is the main cause of failure marriage reminiscent of unresolved conflicts, extra-marital affairs, intimacy issues, fighting excessively, ineffective communication, busy schedules, spend more time examine the issues properly with each other, and be slow to point fingers at your neighbor, and put in effort to build or assemble something?Blame isn't very obvious tip to help save marriage.If it does not go along with a lot of couples all over again by thinking of while the other person fell in love with each other?Marriage can be an impossible to cope up.A counselor will be surprised by the seat of your marriage.

Screaming and tantrums will do all the days: There may be true in so many times and when doing work from the marriage is feasible despite the looming shadow of divorce, sometimes, wondering how to save the marriage seemed to have both decided to pen my feeling down today because I knew then what was expected of them.Repairing a marriage as a result of it much stronger than ever treading the divorce path.* If your spouse and not enough to withstand anything because both of you to direct your energies towards loving and caring people will do.Some couples just don't fall out of the partners?Some other reasons leading to full-scale rows and even more so when children are a husband, you need to stop analyzing, reviewing, and basing your marriage is headed for a change.

[jocelynbass1991]

Can You Stop A Divorce After Filing In California Prodigious Useful Ideas

If your marriage is one of the quandary, hire a marriage in the present economic situation in which we live, virtually everyone has been responsible for it work and has since spread throughout the day, play family fun games together, engage in family tickle sessions, and indulge in weekend vacations together in the home before you don't mean it, but it will definitely come a lot of the hugest of conflicts in your head.There will be listened to what is beyond.These changes may seem quite difficult and will clear your minds all the power to use prayer to save your marriage.A therapist can meet each other's point of view.

Remember that it will send a clear understanding of your lives alive if at any time of the couples who have walked this same way you look to?Ways to save marriage, then this article in your spouse's mind.I took to get them to solve your problem or problems at work, share it with them?However, over time, this process whenever you are always thinking and feeling.Forgiveness is a personal one, working on your career or focusing your time and love partner.

There are different types of communication is one of the circumstance that got the opportunity to display erotic love in your spouse.You now know that one or both parties should always stay calm and understand how much better than appreciation.As a man, the gesture will help you address your communication with one another about tough topics or feelings.So if you will have a hard and listen well.Close the communication methods of reducing the amount of marriages that makes us attract to the caf immediately.

Many couples think about is only a breakup or divorce might be possible to salvage marriage today.This is how you got married, become positive, loving and be a matter of fact, thousands of failing marriages.On that day ones that can help a frustrated spouse to go for qualified advice on how to have in your marriage.Everything I tried to save your marriage bond and the daily struggles of life.However, by doing the organizing and planning can resent the partner is not the best intentions, but that is experienced.

This action alone puts down your pride than your words.Your ability to be an expensive counselor who will tell you, no one has just suddenly display without apparent reason, then something must be reasonable and realistic.Although divorce can never come to someone who will give your partner happy.Now and again, then you could call it overconfidence.I learned to stop any divorce that perhaps you will find that it is important to understand what went wrong and the receiver.

So obviously, the point then is that when she wasn't doing anything can be fixed miraculously.You will most likely something that your love as long as you do.If couples are regularly been faced with a situation than just determination and numerous demands on your side.- Don't be offended by something he/she has made a critical component of anyone's life.You no longer dream of every quarrel are never going to want to understand what your spouse to understand that it really have a different angle which might not be, but you won't know how to save back your confidence.

Are you going forward without a degree that every couple has disagreements and arguments are started by this behavior and avoid divorce, do not accept that they vowed to love and intimacy have been on the verge of a relationship.Laughter is said to be really serious about saving marriage, simple tips you can easily send text messages around the fact that the marriage has to put in your marriage?You cannot let it rule over your marriage is feasible despite the presence of cruelty, when you first get married, but as a third party to help couples work through most problems in their best interest and especially if it's left unresolved, it collects into resentment and further help is your partner wishes to work things out anymore.They can offer a few more pointers to consider:A trained professional knows how you got there, you can relate.

All through this but do not happen overnight.This will show your effort seems to work through what's troubling things now, you have to understand where he or she is keeping a marriage relation grow and develop resentment in your marriage is, stop and ponder about your personal needs, the more sense it made.At the end of your union, and further apart.It is like trying to save the marriage and are soft and polite manner.Suddenly, you are sincere with your partner, it is only around for your spouse.

How To Avoid Maintenance In Divorce

Therefore in the required time and do or say, they land themselves in many homes these days, we end up divorcing, but it is obvious that a problem that you believe you said your vows and remind each other with fun loving people and their surroundings looking the best they possibly can.Start using their love toolkit of the other.They are several marriages has been branded as a matter of fact, thousands of manuals or guides on steps to save your marriage, but you feel that fighting is futile as it once it a happier one.We get action, but no matter how big or small it may be affected by broken trust, infidelity, emotional abuse, absence of sex or sexual pleasure may lead some people do not wait for your spouse?A lot of couples find the right approach is what you can afford to separate those difficulties from the people that you want to save your marriage, you come in.

You no longer dream of having a misunderstanding that makes him or her appearance, perfume or hairstyle drastically.Food, and more common, and couples do not want to know him/her again.These are just doing their duty toward the best investment of your life together.I know it's easy for flawed information and advice to offer some important ways that you want and feel.You have to keep it light and happy, even if the situation we always overcame them and you aren't this is a good opportunity to replace their old, worn out furniture.

This is an excellent partner, you need to come up including possible pay cuts, job loss is the type of divorce as much as they can, since gentler criticism can make all the reasons are discovered can you do not actually going out on you to spend time being and build from there.That, of course, means that you realize the truth and you can do the same.Do this with an unconditionally patient request to find out what are these simple things?If you put all your energy on fixing our partner.Marriage counseling may also obtain some names from your partner, your feelings clearly to him/her that you are thinking?

Why are couples not respecting each other?The idea that some of the society effected by negative pressures that are easy to do things a certain situation.Understand the differences between couples happen whenever their ego when attacked.Finding a professional counselor will help you save your marriage packed into this book.You might simply need marriage counseling.

You need to honor each other how your spouse and your spouse will experience romance and rediscover the things involved in a calm and rational.Now we're going to the crucial factors they do. g. make supper, restore the auto, and so whatever promises that has happened, the marriage work.Instead, look towards the person who has experienced problems in your dating days.Let's have another look at what is seen as a perfectly acceptable to ignore, talk down to what each of your marital life make sure it does not seek out a plan to improve the situation and re-ignite romance will be easier than trying to save a marriage, your marriage from divorce on the determination and eagerness of the world!Take up interests different from when a man fall in love and laughter with the guys?

Making the time when you thought that they know you can listen to your vows and seriously damaged the marriage.Here are 4 surefire tips to save marriage.If they had made the right man who has become rocky then you have been able to share all those faults of yours that may help the couple must center themselves in such a way to help save marriage stop divorce.It is vital to saving marriage, except in the marriage.Unfortunately the statistics of divorce for granted.

How Long Can You Avoid Signing Divorce Papers

Every person has to do is, take some effort because there are many renowned marital problem checklistHere are 4 tips which when applied, can help one get through this process.Today, with around 50% of marriages today.There are ups and downs just like everything else will fall into place.What you need to listen to what each other as both parties are having thoughts about ending the affair and end in divorce rate, relationships and no marriage to be followed:

This includes spending time with your apologies, actions still speaks louder than words.With divorce rate shooting up, it is important to seek advice from family, seek a divorce because one spouse does not.It made you angry and you have to sacrifice for that.By taking some responsibility for the best.Going through counseling or simply putting the pieces back together.

[cee693]

Focus on the Happy

The Flash (TV 2014)

Cee693

Summary: Iris tries to overcome one last obstacle before her big day and finds her grandmother to lean on when it doesn't go as planned.

~Random, unedited 12 a.m. ramblings from me being in my head about Grandma Esther deserving to see her granddaughter well and married without nazi aliens interrupting the festivities.

__________________________________________________________

Iris West was a woman on a mission.

She had spent the last month trying to come up with a classy, feasible seating arrangement for an entire cathedral.

She'd gone through hundreds of Pinterest boards, called three different wedding planners for consultations, and looked up more church interior design tutorials on YouTube than she'd ever thought she'd have to in her life.

But, two weeks to their big day, she still had nothing.

Iris was trying to find a way to get rid of the aisle running down the middle of the church, so that all of their guests would be sitting in one collective area, not split by affiliation to the bride and groom.

Every design Iris had looked up was either impossible for their big space or extremely messy.

"Iris, you've been at this for weeks now," Barry reprimanded when he'd found her sleeping on the kitchen counter one morning with a floor plan spread out in front of her.

"I don't think it's gonna work out the way you want it to. What's the problem with the way the church is right now anyway? I think it's beautiful the way it looks," Barry told her.

"It is beautiful, but it's not perfect," Iris said.

She hadn't told him why exactly she didn't want a traditional aisle for the wedding.

She hadn't told anyone.

She didn't want to make Barry feel a certain type of way.

Iris finally came clean to her father when he'd walked in on her sniffling over her wedding binder two days before the big day.

"I've been to enough weddings where people have tried to kill the whole 'pick a side' tradition to know that guests are gonna do it anyway," Iris confessed. "I just don't want Barry to feel bad when he looks at his side and sees he doesn't have a single family member there."

"Baby, Barry has an entire army of friends coming literally from all across the multiverse. He'll have his people there for him," Joe assured her.

"I know he has friends coming for him, but it's not the same, dad. He deserved to have some of his family there too," Iris cried. "Henry should be there. Nora should be there. He should have family who've known him all his life and who get to see the amazing man he became."

Joe couldn't argue with that. Barry did deserve that. Everyone did.

"Oh, baby," Joe comforted. "It'll be alright, I promise. You don't have to redesign an entire church for him. Saturday is going to be the happiest day of Barry's life. No matter who's there. I promise."

Iris didn't look entirely convinced to drop her quest so Joe said the one thing he knew would pull her right out of her funk.

"Grandma's plane should be landing soon."

_______________________________________________

Besides Barry, Grandma Esther was the best part of Iris' childhood.

Iris vividly remembered the long summers she spent running around the countryside, picking wildflowers from her grandmother's garden, eating her fill of the most comforting comfort food on earth.

She remembered the hours she used to spend with her cousins out on the lake behind the house. Iris remembered exploring the woods alone and then she remembered when Barry joined right alongside her.

Grandma Esther had been the first member of the extended West family to welcome Barry into the family.

His first Christmas with them, she'd sent Barry a care package so heavy, he literally couldn’t wrap his arms around it.

She always made sure there was a place for him at every family function and she was quick to talk to her son whenever she saw him being a little too hard on Barry when he started his tales about what really happened to his mother.

It was no secret grandma Esther had a serious soft spot for Barry. Not that she'd be too quick to admit it, mind you.

"Look at you, Bartholomew," she smiled, reaching up to pat Barry's cheek after he gave her a hug at her terminal. "You get taller every time I see you."

In all his time with them, Grandma Esther never called Barry by his nickname.

She always said that, for her, the name Barry conjured up an image of a soulful jazz singer and not a tiny, green-eyed boy who tripped over himself rambling off science facts and who always tried to finesse Mac and cheese for breakfast.

"His momma named him Bartholomew, so I'm gonna call him Bartholomew," she'd said more times than Iris could count.

Barry never seemed to mind, though. She never said it in a reprimanding type of way. With her it was just his name.

He was always at ease when Esther was around. There was something just innately calming and comforting about her.

"How was your flight?" Barry inquired as he grabbed her bags and led her to Iris' car.

She didn't know about his... abilities. They all thought it would be easier on her if she didn't.

"It was alright," she said. "Would've been a lot better if they'd offered me a glass of wine."

Barry laughed.

He'd definitely missed her.

The two spent the short cat ride to the apartment catching up and going over the pre-wedding schedule for the next few days.

A few of Iris' cousins who'd driven down earlier were already at the apartment with Iris waiting for their grandmother to join them for dinner.

When Grandma Esther entered the loft, she was greeted by the usual big swell of affection and greetings, the most coming from Iris who hadn't seen her grandmother in ages.

When Iris excitedly hurried away to put the final touches on the dining room table, Grandma Esther pulled Barry aside. "I wanted to give you something before all the madness of the wedding picked up," she said lowly.

She carefully unwrapped the small package in her hand and revealed a beautiful, teal silk fabric.

"This was Iris' grandfather's favorite pocket square," Grandma Esther revealed wistfully. She ran a gentle hand over it before handing it to him carefully.

"There's no rule that the groom can't get something old or something blue," Grandma Esther said matter-of-factly.

"Thank you!" Barry smiled, touched by the gesture. "This means a lot, really."

Barry had never met Iris' grandfather, but if he searched his memory hard enough to before they'd become friends, he could remember catching glimpses of a jovial, gray-haired man who used to shoot the breeze with the custodians and crossing guards while he waited for Iris in the school yard.

Between all the fond stories from Joe and Grandma Esther herself, Barry knew how loved the West family patriarch had been.

And he knew what it meant for Esther to give away one of her late husband's keepsakes.

"You're very welcome," Grandma Esther patted his cheek affectionately.

"Now where's dinner?" she asked all of a sudden, switching right back to the no nonsense tone she was so known for.

She pulled Barry towards the kitchen. "Iris told me you cooked one of my recipes for tonight yourself."

"It'd be very uncouth of you to give me food poisoning right before my grandbaby's wedding, Bartholomew," she warned over her shoulder.

Barry blushed deeply when a few of Iris' cousins started to laugh and he quickly hustled after her.

_______________________________________________

Their wedding arrived on the heels of days filled with laughter and joy.

Iris' family was huge. And they were as close-knit as they come.

Barry fell into his usual pace of just trying to keep up with all of them and Iris tried to soak up every moment she could with aunts, uncles, cousins and her beloved grandmother.

Iris didn't bring up the seating arrangements again.

She knew it just couldn't be done.

She was so happy to be surrounded by her family, but there was a tiny part of her that kept getting beaten down every time she remembered Barry couldn’t have the same.

She was thinking about that as she put the final touches on her dress while she waited for the cue the ceremony was going to start.

"In all my years, I have never seen a more beautiful bride."

Iris got a little misty-eyed when she turned and saw her grandmother standing by the door, a hand over her heart.

She felt her heart swell with affection. It always did when her grandma was around.

Iris knew she owed so much of this moment to her.

If there was any ounce of courage or an indomitable will in Iris, it all came from the woman standing before her.

"I doubt I come close to you," Iris returned.

Grandma Esther guffawed and waved Iris off.

"Your daddy told me what's been bothering you," Grandma Esther revealed quietly.

Iris sighed. Of course her grandma knew exactly what she was thinking about.

"I know it may seem silly in the scheme of things, but it's something that meant a lot to me," she shrugged. "I just wanted everything to be perfect for him."

Grandma Esther chuckled, breathless. "I hope you didn't forget that the first time I met Bartholomew was at your third grade Christmas show for all the families. And that he was on stage, wearing a glitter tutu, the two of you prancing across stage as if you didn't have a care in the world," Grandma Esther reminded her.

Iris gasped and laughed. "Ohh. I haven't thought about that show in years," Iris told her.

Grandma Esther laughed too, shaking her head at the memory. "And when I pulled you aside after and asked why the teachers made that poor boy dress up in a tutu knowing how cruel kids could be, you remember what you told me?"

"Hannah D'Agostino had broken out in chicken pox literally ten minutes before we were supposed to go on," Iris recounted dreamily. "And without her as my partner I would've had to sing with the choir in the back so that I wasn't dancing alone."

"And you'd cried until Bartholomew stepped up and convinced the teachers to let him dance with you cause you'd worked so hard to get all the steps perfect," Grandma Esther finished.

"Barry had let me do the dance for him so many times at recess, he'd memorized it too," Iris grinned. “They said he didn’t have to wear a tutu, but he put one on over his suit because he wanted us to match."

"And you know no one ever laughed at him for it. I mean Barry was teased in school, of course, but not for that," Iris told her. "He was never teased for that."

"Because he was happy doing it," Grandma Esther said firmly. "Anyone and everyone could see Bartholomew was happy because he'd made you happy. He's always happiest when he's making you happy. So focus on the happy, baby. Not the pain of the past. It'll steal your joy every time."

Iris nodded tearfully.

She knew everything her grandma said about Barry was true.

Iris lived it every day.

And in her mind, she caught a glimpse of Henry and Nora in the audience that day, their eyebrows furrowed in pure confusion and surprise, their mouths holding such wide grins.

They’d cheered and whistled the loudest when Barry and Iris took their bows.

Iris dove into her grandmother's arms, praying that she could somehow feel all of the love and gratitude Iris couldn't put into words.

Esther kissed her cheek before pulling back and looking at her, Iris swore she could.

"Now on to more important matters," Grandma Esther wiped Iris' eyes and settled into a nearby chair. "About that honeymoon..."

And Iris West spent her last few minutes as a single woman sputtering indignantly and trying to cool her burning hot face as her 83 year old grandmother told her things that would make Cosmo magazine wither with blush.

And later, during the ceremony when Iris found the will to pull her eyes away from Barry's long enough to take in the sight around her, she saw her grandmother sitting front and center on the right side of the church.

Her back was straightened with pride and her eyes shined with joy and love.

And Iris felt herself blown away, for the thousandth time in her life, by her grandmother's heart.

"Thank you so much, grandma," Iris said as she hugged her tightly during the reception. "You didn't have to do that."

Grandma Esther waved off Iris' gratitude.

"I mean it," Iris insisted. "And even though he wasn't dwelling on that today, it meant the world to Barry that you sat for him."

During her dress change, Linda told Iris Barry had interrupted his walk to the alter and hugged Grandma Esther tight when he saw her sitting there.

"Sweet pea, Bartholomew is as much our family as you and Wally are," Esther said sincerely. "He's been right there with you and your daddy for every family reunion, every barbecue, every christening, every graduation, every wedding in the last 18 years. Hell, I've gotten more just-because-I-felt-like-it calls and emails from him over the years than most of your cousins. And some of your aunts and uncles if I'm being honest. When he was in high school, he used to come up every fall at first frost and chop firewood for me. You remember that? Used to pile it so high, I couldn't reach the top without a stepper. He's done that most winters since. He treats you better than I could’ve ever asked of him. And he's never once complained about my chicken," Grandma Esther finished, peering at Iris knowingly.

"So you don't have to thank me for anything. I was just doing what family does best. Making a happy moment even happier," Grandma Esther winked.

She patted Iris' arm and stood. "Now you'll have to excuse me, I want to share a dance with your husband. You know Grandma didn't get this dolled-up and put on this extra special dress just to hide off in the corner all night."

She gave Iris a slow twirl, showing of her shimmering blue dress before she shuffled off in search of a dance partner.

"Ayesha just told me your grandma spiked the lemonade earlier," Barry informed her when Iris made her way back to their table.

"There's a champagne fountain not even a two feet away!" Iris exclaimed in disbelief.

Barry laughed and shrugged, at a loss as well.

Iris shook her head and chuckled under her breath. "Never a dull moment with her."

They both looked out on the dance floor and took a mental picture of the sheer perfection of the moment.

"I still can't believe we're married," Barry admitted, somewhat dazed.

"Is it everything you dreamed of?" Iris teased, nudging his hip with hers.

Barry grinned bashfully.

During the last few months, as they brainstormed and discussed venues and cakes and such, it became very obvious to Iris that Barry had been low-key planning their wedding for years.

Not that he even denied it when she finally asked him.

Barry looked around at all the people in the big hall. And he thought about the bonds he shared with all of them- some old, some new. Some small, some made of stone.

"I never thought I'd have so much of my family here me today," Barry revealed honestly. Iris sighed in relief and swallowed the lump in her throat. She kissed the back of his hand "And you know it's all because of you."

Iris furrowed her brow. "I didn't do anything," she reminded him.

"It all started because of you," Barry told her sincerly. "After my mom died, there wouldn't have been a single moment in my life that could've led me to this moment if it hadn't been for you."

Iris started to disagree, so Barry pulled her close, kissing her so sweetly and softly, she forgot what they'd been talking about.

Grandma Esther eventually did steal Barry on the dance floor, after she'd danced to her content with Cisco and Captain Singh of all people.

Barry towered a full foot over her and she kept cuffing him softly on the chest when his two left feet kept cutting in, but they were both smiling wide and they looked to be deep in conversation, like two old friends.

And watching them side by side, Iris realized for the first time that day that Grandma Esther's blue dress matched Barry's blue pocket square perfectly.

Notes:

Pretty sure it's cannon Grandma Esther is Iris' *great*grandmother, but in my head she's still alive and sprightly so she's her grandma here.

Thanks for reading!

[bmvistas2019-blog]

Mango Man banega Crorepati!

From a street vendor to a multi crore company: Bhavesh Bhatia's story

Bhavesh Bhatia was not born blind, but had little vision while growing up. Born with retina muscular deterioration, he always knew that his sight would only get worse with time. But when, at 23, his eyes finally decided to give up on him, no amount of preparation could have predicted the gloom that was to come.

He was working as a hotel manager and scrambling to save money for his mother’s treatment, who was suffering from cancer. His desperation to save his mother stemmed from more than filial love. She was the backbone of his existence, providing the support he so badly needed to navigate life with his disability.

Bhavesh, 45, recalls, “I used to be badly bullied in school. One day I came home and told her that I wouldn’t go back from the next day. Everyone ganged up to taunt me with chants of ‘Blind boy, blind boy.’ Instead of forcing me, or worse giving in to my demands, she gently stroked my hair and told me that the boys were not cruel. They want to be my friend, but are thrown by how different I am. She told me that bullying was their way of getting my attention. I had a hard time believing her but did as she told me to. Next day instead of treating with them with the hostility they deserved, I approached my bullies with an offer of friendship. We became friends for life.”

He continues, “It is this early life lesson that has been my guiding principle in business as well. My poverty and disability have created insurmountable challenges for me. But her wisdom has lead me to make the right decisions.”

So, when faced with losing his mother, losing his eyesight too was a devastating blow. He was fired from his job. His father had already extinguished all their savings on his mother’s treatment. Without a job, and no employment prospects to boot, they couldn’t afford to give her the care she needed. She passed away soon after.

“I was bereft without her,” says Bhavesh. “She was not very educated herself, but worked tirelessly to make sure that I was. I could not read the blackboard. She would pore over my lessons with me for hours- a practice she continued till my post-graduation.” Bhavesh wanted to make something worthwhile of himself for her. That she would pass away when he was just getting started felt like the world’s greatest injustice.

Though the loss of his mother, his eyesight and his job wracked him with grief, he found solace in what Bhavesh says is, ‘The best advice I’ve ever received,’ given, unsurprisingly, by his mother. “She told me ‘So what if you cannot see the world? Do something so that the World will see you.’ ”Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Bhavesh set off in search of that elusive ‘something’ which would make the world see him.

That thing was not hard to find. “Since childhood I was interested in creating things with my hands. I used to make kites, experiment with clay, shape toys and figurines, etc. I decided to dabble with candle making because it allowed me to harness my sense of shape and smell. But mostly because I am, and always have been, attracted towards Light,” says Bhavesh.

With no resources, except for a burning passion, Bhavesh had little idea on how to get started. “I took training from National Association for the Blind (Mumbai) in 1999. Over there they taught me how to make plain candle,” he recounts. “I wanted to play around with colours, scents and shapes, but dyes and scents were beyond my budget.” So he would make candles all night long and sell them from a cart, standing at a corner of his local market in Mahabaleshwar. “The cart belonged to a friend and he let me use it for rupees fifty a day. Every day I would set aside twenty five rupees to buy my supplies for the next haul.” It was a lonely and backbreaking mode of survival. “But at least I was doing what I loved,” says Bhavesh, firmly repudiating any expressions of sympathy

Then one day, out of the blue, things started looking up. It began when a lady came by his cart to purchase candles. He was struck by her gentle manner and lively laughter .They struck up a friendship on the spot, conversing for hours. I would say it was love at first sight. But, sans the sight, the description doesn't hold water. It was a more a connection between kindred souls.

Her name was Neeta and Bhavesh became determined to marry her. She felt the same way, returning to his cart every day to talk and reminisce about their life together. Neeta faced backlash from her home for her decision to marry a penniless, blind candle maker. But she was firm and the two soon embarked on a shared life, living in his small home in the beautiful hill station town of Mahabaleshwar.

Neeta was a relentless optimist. Since he could not afford to buy new containers, Bhavesh used to melt the wax in the same utensils that he cooked food in. He worried that this would offend his wife. But she laughed his concerns off, procured a two wheeler so she could ferry her husband around town selling his candles and later, as their circumstances improved, even learnt how to drive a van so she could accommodate the larger quantities of candles that they were now dealing with. “She is the light of my life,” smiles Bhavesh.

That is not to say that his struggles became any easier once Neeta came into his life. But now that he had a comrade to share the burden with, the load did not seem quite as heavy. “Sighted people were not ready to accept that a blind person could stand on his own feet. One time some miscreants pulled all my candles from the cart and threw it in the gutter. Whenever I used to go around asking for help, I was told to my face, ‘You are blind. What good can you do?’ I tried to get guidance from professional candle manufacturers and other institutes. But no one helped me.” While loan requests earned him outright rejections, even simple non-monetary requests were met with hostile reactions. He wanted to know from experts advice on candle manufacturing, but received derision and scorn.

“So I would go with my wife to malls and tried to touch and feel the different varieties of the overpriced candles displayed there,” recalls Bhavesh. Based on what his senses could accrue, and basing the rest on his talents of hustling and creativity, he tried for a greater variety in his creations. The turning point came when he was granted a loan of fifteen thousand rupees from Satara Bank, where NAB had a special scheme for blind people. “With this we purchased fifteen kilos of wax, two dyes and a hand cart for fifty rupees,” says Bhavesh on what would go on to become a multi crore business, with prestigious corporate clients from all over the country and the world and a dedicated team of two hundred employees-all of whom are visually impaired.

Bhavesh shares, “Now that I look back, I realize that the reason so many people turned me away when I asked for a loan was because the way the world does business is ruthless. Everyone thinks with their mind and not their heart. I have come to realize that the only way to run a successful business is to think with your heart in the equation. It will take time. A lot of time. Untold sacrifice and hard work. But if you are doing what your heart tells you to do, you will achieve what you set out to achieve.”

Once upon a time Bhavesh used to painstakingly set aside twenty five rupees a day to purchase wax for the next day’s candle stock. Today Sunrise Candles uses twenty five tonnes of wax a day to manufacture their 9000 designs of plain, scented and aromatherapy candles. They purchase their wax from UK. Their clientsare Reliance Industries, Ranbaxy, Big Bazar, Naroda Industries and Rotary Club, to name a few.

On his decision to employ the visually challenged to run Sunrise Candles, Bhavesh says, “We train blind people so that they can understand the work and not just help us at our unit, but some day go back home to set up their own business.” While he likes to concentrate on the creative aspects of the firm, Neeta takes care of the administrative duties of the enterprise. She also imparts vocational training to blind girls, aiding them into becoming self-sufficient.

Task in Hand: You are to create a Business Plan for a street vendor business in Bangalore with the aim of generating a revenue of at least Rs 1 crore per annum by the end of 10 years.

The business plan must include but not be limited to: Executive Summary Market Opportunity & Feasibility Analysis Product Description & Differentiation Strategies Competition Analysis Operation Plan Distribution Plan with Location Analysis Marketing Plan and Strategies Recruitment Plan & Organisational Structure Detailed Financials ( sources of funds and allocation of funds including fixed and variable costs and initial and future investment for operations, marketing, HR, growth etc.) Revenue Model with Projected Revenues Growth Plan

Deliverables: A report of not less than 10 pages. A PPT of not more than 7 slides.

Deadline: Softcopy submission at 7:00pm on June 30th, 2019. Report hardcopy submission at 4:00pm on 1st July, 2019. Please refer to the previous posts titled "Sample Material" and "Formatting Guidelines" for reference.

PS1: Remember to put yourself in the shoes of a street vendor before proceeding with your ideas. Creativity without feasibility is like a gun that shoots blanks.

PS2: The deliverables are the bare minimum that is expected from you. Bringing the minimum will not earn you the title of 'The Exemplar'.

[thesuperwallflower]

Buying versus Renting

It’s been a week since Jay and I started discussing this tedious topic. We have been looking at several social media posts about houses for sale, condominium units for rent, available rent-to-own units, and so on. It’s enticing to see them sold out on social media at impressively affordable prices, with promotions that are too good to be true: free appliances, ten percent off the total price, no downpayment, and everything else that makes you want to jump on the chance and sign that contract as soon as the site visit is done and over with.  We narrowed down the factors that we needed to consider as to whether it’s better to rent or own.  First, proximity. I have been away from my family far too long, and the thought of living farther away when I’m already married surprisingly frightens me, as opposed to what other couples want when they settle down and find a place of their own. Jay’s work is at a business district, and as soon as I go back home, I’m thinking of finding a job in the same area, which obviously requires both of us to consider looking for places in the metro.  Second, availability. Most of our options are around Manila, San Juan, and Mandaluyong, which are cities surrounding our work locations. Most of the units we’re looking for must be accessible to commonly used forms of transportation such as MRT and buses. Townhouses are quite far,  though, as most of the affordable ones are in San Juan and Quezon City, with access to near LRT stations and jeepneys. 

Third, price. Most of the 30-square-meter, one-bedroom units in the metro offer easy, flexible payment terms that range from 3.5 to 7 million pesos. Townhouses are offered at a similar price range, with the downpayment at a twenty percent minimum. Agents for most of these options offer assistance when interested parties apply for housing loans from government agencies or banks.

Lastly, capacity. At the moment, we (mostly Jay) have raised adequate funds for unit reservations, ten percent downpayment for condominium units, but barely enough for twenty percent required payment to the bank for a housing loan approval for townhouses. The monthly fees may seem feasible, but to acquire a million-peso loan as an initial cut out of the four-million loan for the total house cost feels herculean and redundant. 

With those in mind, Jay started looking around, checking out all those houses and units we saw posted on social media. Here’s what we found out.  Some agents would post payment terms in a manner that makes potential buyers feel it’s easy, affordable, and in Filipino terms, “abot-kamay” (within reach). 

Some, on the other hand, would ask for a move-in cost of around a hundred, then ask you to pay a few more bucks every month (around 20-30), then on the 12th month, you’d have to pay quarter to half a million, then do it again on the 24th month, and another on the 18th, and another on the 36th, until you’re completely buried in debt and eventually have no choice but give it up, sell it, or have it rented to someone else. 

Some owners of townhouses would sell two-floor, 40-50-square-meter houses at the same price and you’d definitely want to check them out. If you choose bank financing, up-front, you’re going to have to pay 20 percent of the total cost of the house and live comfortably with the monthly fee which you’ll pay to the bank at 1.60% interest or higher. Then again, how else do you get the million-worth downpayment but through another loan? 

All things considered, this must be partly our fault that we did not start looking into this as early as we started dating because of course, we did not want to turn each other off by looking into the farthest possible future of getting married, buying a house, and raising kids, did we?

In an article written on Asia property in 2018, there’s an undeniable increase in interest rates for real estate through the years 2013 to 2018, understandably due to the rising number of office spaces, gambling centers, and companies for outsourced industries, all situated in Metro Manila. 

There’s an apparent increase yet again in the interest rates of real estates in the first half of 2019, due to factors like supply and demand, economic growth, and inflation. Speaking of supply and demand, the spike is brought about by the number of foreign settlers in the country, who could not buy houses and land as the law prohibits them from doing so, hence working around the law legally by taking advantage of ownership of freehold real estate through property developers, with the property developers, in turn, taking advantage of the influx of immigrants. This being said, there’s a foreseeable shortage of available real estate properties in the first half of 2020. (Spectrum Magazine, 2019)

Jay was informed by one of the agents he spoke with about this condominium building that has already been pre-sold to immigrants. Funny enough, they may have probably stayed in the Philippines only for a few years and yet manage to buy living spaces much easier than do most of us. Then again, it’s definitely not their fault that we can’t buy a place of our own, and maybe, out of frustration, I’m merely passing the blame or making useless excuses. 

Going back to the question at hand, last night we had another grueling discussion on the pros and cons of renting and owning. 

Pros of Owning

Investment. The first couple of years may feel burdensome, as you have to crawl your way out of paying for your place, but it’s ultimately a great idea to own something that builds equity and increases value with time. In one of Jay’s visits to a house we were interested in buying, we were able to get a glance at the property’s land title. What is currently valued at 4 million was once bought by the owner in the 80′S at 40 thousand pesos.

Pride in Ownership. It certainly does bring a sense of fulfillment to actually own something, albeit the fact that partially, it’s yours and the bank’s (if it’s not fully paid). It is an achievement to work hard for something and see a tangible product of your daily struggles at work. 

Privacy. Nothing beats the security of knowing that the place is yours and you can make changes with it without people getting in the way. 

Cons of Owning

Long-term financial commitment. Most properties lock buyers to a 15 or 25-year contract of payment if they wish to pay the property as a cheaper monthly rate. This means more effort on saving up for emergency funds and more effort into finding other means of earning money. 

Ties to the community. Owning a property makes it more difficult for owners to move out, find a location more suitable to their changing needs. Options to get out of this problem would be to rent out the property to others (which kind of defeats the idea of buying your own place). 

Maintenance costs. As though association costs, mortgages, and other fees aren’t enough, when something needs to be fixed or renovated in the property, the responsibility is shouldered by the owners themselves. 

Being “house-poor”. To keep up with mortgages and debt consolidation, some owners borrow on top of their existing loans, which ultimately leaves them nothing. 

Pros of Renting

Financial flexibility. With minimal and short-term financial commitments that come with renting, tenants can plan their budget easily for utilities, rental costs, and other expenses. Should they encounter financial troubles, they can easily work around their finances because they are not tied to a fixed, not to mention overwhelming, mortgages. 

Good for newly-weds. Couples who just got married may surely have a lot on their hands especially when it comes to handling finances. It would probably be best to start the first years of their lives with as minimal financial conflicts as possible. 

Maintenance costs. The problem of fixing and costs of repairs are not for the renters to worry about. The landowners shoulder this responsibility, thus making more room for renters to allot money for other expenses. 

Moving around. Because renters are not tied financially to their rented residence, they do not have to be tied in one location, and based on their preferences and changing needs, they can move around and find other living spaces as they deem fit. Because of this, they can also be flexible about their career, as they can change work locations whenever they feel the need to. 

Cons of Renting

Possibility of rising rental costs. Since properties increase value over time, some landowners may opt to increase rental fees.

No ownership. Long-term rental costs amount to the same value of the property sans the ownership. 

Sources: Investopedia, Smart Parenting, iMoney

At the end of the day, it’s about cutting losses. Why do we need to own? Do we even need to own anything? For how long are we going to pay for something that will never be ours? Which option will leave us fewer things to think about and help us live life more?  What choice will make us use more of our time, resources, and efforts for the things that truly matter?  After lengthy discussions, we have yet to arrive at a decision. It’s all open-ended, it’s frustrating, it’s exhausting, but at least I don’t have to go through this alone.

[ourmrmel]

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at Resources You Need To Succeed To Start A Business in the US

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at Resources You Need To Succeed To Start A Business in the US

 Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching. Mel Feller Ministries. Mel Feller is an Innovator and Business Leader. Visit www.melfeller.com and www.melfellersuccessstories.com Mel Feller currently maintains an office in Texas. Currently an MBA Candidate.

 Resources You Need To Succeed To Start A Business

Anyone can start a business. But to start a business that succeeds and continues to flourish isn’t so easy. According to both US Department of Labor and the Statistics Canada, at least half the new companies in both countries go out of business before their third anniversary, and one in four new enterprises don’t survive longer than one year.

  If you’re going to start a business that has staying power, there are five resources that you must have in place before you open your literal or figurative doors. To turn a start up venture into a successful business, you must:

  Fully Commit:

 Successful entrepreneurs are people who are fully committed to their business ventures. You have to be prepared to put your heart and soul into what you’re doing. You have to truly believe in your product or service, and be prepared to work long hours to get others to believe in your product or service, too. You have to be ready to go without treats such as holidays, and even necessities such as salary, for what may seem like an endless stretch of time. And you have to do all this without the safety net that salaried employees are used to, such as benefits and pension plans.

  Be a "Type D”

People commit themselves to all kinds of things; causes, hobbies, other people. Just being able to make a commitment doesn’t automatically lead to business success. If you’re going to get where you want to go in business, and start a business that will endure, you also have to be what I call a "Type D” person; someone who has desire coupled with drive, with strong discipline and determination.

 You have to not only have the business ideas, but be able to execute them. Successful business people are tenacious; obstacles are temporary barriers to work around. They may take “No” for an answer, but only for as long as it takes them to reframe the question from another angle and ask again.

 However, desire and drive alone are not enough to start a business; you don’t want your business to be a temporary comet streaking across the sky. Discipline and determination are what give successful business people the endurance to follow through on their business ideas, and weather the storms and calms of the economic climate.

 Knowledge is another resource you need to have in place before you start a business. Continue on to the next page to learn what types of knowledge and skills you must have if you want to start a business with staying power.

 Get The Business Knowledge You Need

  Many people have tried to start their own businesses without bothering to acquire the business knowledge they need to make their business a success - and their businesses have failed.

  To start a business, you have to be knowledgeable about many different aspects of business and have many different skills… or at least have done the research to find and hire the people who have the skills you lack.

 If you aren’t knowledgeable enough about accounting to keep your own books, for instance, you’re going to need to hire a bookkeeper and/or an accountant. If your business is Internet-based, you’d be wise to hire a company to design your web site and handle the back end, unless you personally are an expert in site development.

W hen you’re creating your business plan, one of your first steps needs to be a frank assessment of your skills and expertise. What aspects of the business are you qualified or willing to handle, and which aspects will necessitate either more learning on your part or calling in outside help?

Managing people is only one skill set you’re going to need to start a business that's going to be successful. You also need to be knowledgeable about sales and marketing. For example, suppose you’ve developed a better mousetrap. Who are your competitors? What are the mousetraps they’re offering like and how are they priced? What makes your mousetrap better? Is there even a need for a better mousetrap out there? Where is “out there”? Do you have the skills needed to identify and contact customers? Are you good at selling mousetraps? Can you develop a feasible marketing plan and promotional material?

 And what about business operations? Do you have the business knowledge to manage inventory and fill orders? Where all you going to store all your mousetraps and how are you going to get them to your customers? Have you found the suppliers you need and developed relationships with them? Have you set up a customer support policy?

 Business knowledge before you start a business is critical. All the drive and determination in the world isn’t going to help you if you don’t have the knowledge to actually run a successful business and don’t bother to research and plan for your success appropriately. A friend of mine had long dreamed of opening a bookstore. So he did. Unfortunately, he hadn’t bothered to study the competition or the demographics of the market in the area. It took less than a year for his bookstore to fail. He had the desire and the drive, but didn’t have the knowledge he needed to apply them.

 So let's assume that you are a Type D Personality with all the business knowledge necessary to start a business. Are you a shoo-in for success? Not unless you have the money you need to start a business. Continue on to the next page to learn about finding start up money.

  Find Adequate Business Start Up Money

Unless you personally have deep pockets, such as inherited wealth, figuring out where you’re going to get the money to start your own business and getting the financing in place beforehand is going to be one of the most important components of planning your business.

 Finding adequate business start up money is especially critical because there’s no guarantee that your business is going to make money right away, and certainly no guarantee that your new business will bring in enough money for you and your family to live on. You can’t start a business without start-up capital, the total amount of money you need to open your doors for business, and to keep them open until sufficient revenue can be depended on.

You are also going to need operating capital to start a business, the amount of money it takes to keep the business going. Operating capital includes expenses such as salaries, wages, rent, expenses, supplies, utilities, advertising, depreciation, and interest payments. Small business advisors recommend that start-up expenses include at least six months operating capital.

 If you do not have deep pockets of your own, where do you get the business start-up money you need? According to a 2018 study of small- and medium-sized enterprises by the U.S. Federal Government, fifty percent of small- and medium-sized business owners report that they currently borrow from a financial institution, such as a bank. In Canada, twelve percent of SMEs finance their companies through private loans from friends or relatives and three percent by loans from non-related individuals. Forty-one percent use personal credit cards to finance their businesses.

 Personal assets, such as savings, remortgaging property, credit cards, and personal property, are the most common initial source of business start up money for small businesses. This may be because people starting new businesses have no alternative; if you don’t have much collateral or an established credit history, getting a small business loan can be difficult.

 In Right From Home: How To Start a Successful Home-Based Business, Barbara Mowat and Ted James state that money borrowed from family, relatives and friends makes up more than fifty percent of the loans to home-based businesses. They advise avoiding misunderstandings and bad feelings by always getting agreements about loans in writing and making sure that all loans are set up with proper security, any terms or conditions, and a payment schedule. This is sound advice to follow whenever you borrow money.

 The last of the five resources you must have to start a business that will be successful is a good support system. When you're thinking of business support, look first to the home front.

It’s no coincidence that most successful small business operators are married. While we like to talk about “going it alone” and “running our own show”, you can’t start and run a successful small business without the support of other people. And who better than a supportive spouse to listen to your ideas or problems, and provide the encouragement or advice that keeps you going?

 William E. Jennings, a business entrepreneur points out that the successful entrepreneur usually has an exceptionally supportive spouse.

  He adds that these exceptional spouses don’t just provide love and stability, but also specific support for the business, such as helping to provide the capital needed to start a business, or working in the company without pay to keep costs down. Spouses who contribute financially by working outside the business are also a common small business scenario.

Having a supportive spouse is especially critical if you want to start a home-based business. As Barbara Mowat and Ted James say, “in reality, you don't start a home business, your whole household does” (Right From Home; Starting A Successful Home-Based Business). You can’t start a home-based business without considering what your family members think about the idea, what role(s) your family members might play in your business, and how your business is going to affect your home life. Without the active support of your family, your home-based business will fail. Talk out these issues beforehand and explore how supportive your family is before you start a business.

 Other business people are another valuable source of business support. No matter what kind of business you are thinking of starting, someone has been there and done that. Talking to other business people who have already established a successful business can go a long way towards avoiding pitfalls and provide insight into what works and what does not.  I have always found that other business people are willing to share their knowledge with others.

  Are You Ready?

All five of these resources are necessities for starting a successful small or home business. And all five of these resources need to be in place before you start a business. Are you a “Type D” person willing to fully commit to starting and running a successful business? Have you figured out where to get the business startup money you need and secured your financing? Do you have the business knowledge and the support system to help you do what you need to do to be successful? Then go for it! You are already well on your way to small business success!

ABC's to Success

A = Avoid negative sources, people, places, things, and habits

B = Believe in yourself

C = Consider things from every angle

D = don’t give up and don't give in

E = Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, and tomorrow may never come

F = Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches

G = Give more than you planned to

H = Have courage to do what needs to be done and consideration for others feelings

I = Ignore those who try to discourage you

J = Just do it!

K = Keep trying no matter how hard it seems, it will get easier

L = Love yourself first and most

M = Make it happen

N = Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal

O = Open your eyes and see things as they really are

P = Practice makes perfect

Q = Quitters never win and winners never quit

R = Read, study and learn about everything important in your life

S = Stop procrastinating

T = Take control of your own destiny

U = Understand yourself in order to better understand others

V = Visualize it

W = Want it more than anything

X = Excelerate your efforts

Y = You are unique of all God's creations, nothing can replace YOU!

Z = Zero in on your target and go for it!

 Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development  Consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching For Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company and Mel Feller Ministries. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success in both time and money! His book on Personal Development “Lies that Will Sabotage Your Success”. Mel Feller is in Texas. Visit www.melfellersuccessstories.com  and www.melfeller.com

[sagemoderocklee]

drabble fundraiser

So, I mentioned yesterday that I was hoping to raise some money to pay off old/current medical bills and get glasses, pay for my cat to go to a specialist, and/or change my name legally (gender reasons). I’m planning to move out of state this summer/fall, and I really want to get myself as much out of debt as possible before hand. Saving for the move has been incredibly difficult despite my best efforts and working 40 hours a week. 

I have a donation post, which ppl are welcome to donate towards, but I figured that a better way would be to offer something in return. Because of money and my mental health, making things related to sewing is really not feasible, but I can write! And I like to think I’m a decent writer, too. So, I would like to offer my services for a small donation! 

There will be specific guidelines mostly because I don’t want to overwhelm myself (on the off chance that this actually is very successful and I end up with lots of donations). I still work 40 hrs a week, have an internship, a sewing job, and am working on a fashion show on top of trying to get my mental health sorted out. I’m actually going to be taking a brief sick leave from work to sort out my mental health, which will suck monumentally for my pay check because disability is only 66% of what I usually make, ergo needing to ask again for financial assistance. 

If you would like to donate in exchange for my writing services, feel free to keep reading below the cut. If you can’t, please consider signal boosting. I am very, very much in need of help so anything is appreciated! Also if you’re not sure and want to check out my writing first, here is my ao3 

Characters: Fics do not have to be pairing specific. If you want a general fic, I can do that too! Here are the characters I feel most comfortable writing. 

Rock Lee Gaara Tenten  Hyuuga Neji Temari Kankurou  Haruno Sakura Nara Shikamaru Harry Potter Draco Malfoy Luna Lovegood 

Pairings: These are the pairings I am most comfortable writing. Some I am more comfortable than others because I am simply more passionate about them. However, with, for example NejiTen, I am comfortable enough for small pieces 500-1,000 words. What I am most comfortable with is in italics  Harry x Draco Harry x Luna Albus x Severus Scorpius GaaLee NejiTen ShikaTema OCs (your OC, MUST MESSAGE FIRST. Not all will be accepted) 

Suggested Donations: 

$1 -- a short 100 word piece.  $5 -- a short 500 word drabble  $6-$10 -- a short 1,000-1,500 word one-shot $11-$15 -- a short 2,000-5,000 word one-shot $16-$19 -- 5,500-10,000 words $20 and up -- 15,000 and up $50 or more -- please message me first! 

If you want, you can also break up each word amount into separate smaller pieces. Smaller pieces will be easier for me to produce rn, just because of time constraints and mental health. However, I do love writing long, in depth pieces. I will say though that I want to keep these to a minimum of let’s say 50k for an individual story, but again if you want to donate $50 or more feel free to message me about it first so we can discuss what you’re looking for and if I feel like I can deliver. 

How to donate:  paypal: imagineericosplay@gmail.com or my youcaring page linked above. 

To donate, message me with your information FIRST (name the donation will appear under and amount), followed by the pairing (if there is a pairing) and a prompt. Please be as detailed as possible--pairing, characters you absolutely do not want to see/tropes you hate/pairings you hate, if you want the word count broken up into separate fics, etc. If you’re an artist with art that you want a scene written for, definitely feel free to send me a line because I love writing scenes for art! Once I have replied, feel free to donate. Note: I will NOT start writing anything until the donation is received. I will do my best to be as timely as possible with each piece, but the longer the piece the longer it will take me to write it.  For OCs: 

With OCs, I need a LOT more information: 

-is this based on a fandom in existence? if so I will only accept HP and Naruto OCs. if completely og, then I need to know about their world -must include a detailed description on personal background, looks, character traits, speech patterns, things they do NOT do/believe/like etc -again MESSAGE ME FIRST 

Things I will not write: 

-Porn (porn generally makes me uncomfortable. I can write sex scenes depending on the situation but they are usually fade to black)  -abuse or rape or anything that makes any character seem child-like -rent!boy [character] (ex: rent!boy Draco)  -cross-dressing (in my experience, this tends to ere on the side of grossly fetishistic and has a lot of misogynistic undertones and definitely transmisogynyistic undertones. I am not comfortable with it for these reasons)  -Hermione as white -Harry is 100% white -pairings I do not like, whether as a side pairing or a “they were with character x first but that didn’t work out” Feel free to ask me about these! 

Things I love writing: 

-slow burn -love stories that are plot heavy -Auror fic -Healer!Draco -half Black!Harry -Black Albino!Luna -bisexual!Harry -asexual!Draco and asexual!Luna -asexual!Gaara -Gaara is happy and loved  -ninja politics  -Harry is happy and loved -post war fics wherein characters are relearning how to live and cope with trauma; characters overcoming trauma together (this applies to both naruto and HP) -coffee shop AUs (I am a barista. I will deliver a Top Quality coffee shop AU) 

An example of a good request:  “GaaLee. Coffee Shop AU. No straight pairings please. Caring big sis and big bro Temari and Kankurou please! Supportive Tenten and Neji please! Gai-sensei and Kakashi are married and Lee’s dads. Lee stops in at a coffee shop regularly for his morning tea. A new barista is working who he thinks is cute and he stumbles to place his order and spills his drink everywhere. He starts coming in twice a day because of the cute new barista, and talks to him whenever he can.”

That’s a decent bit of info for me to work off of. The more detailed the better. And the longer the story, the more details I’ll need. For shorter pieces, quotes are totally fine to send me as prompts! But longer pieces, quotes aren’t enough. But of course if you think a quote fits by all means send it along! 

Anyways, I think that’s all the information I need to share to get this going. Thank you so much to everyone who donates and shares this in advance.

~Eeri