Love Will Prevail

by Emma Easter

  “That’s okay, Malik,” she smiled at him, touched by how considerate he was. His eyes looked bleary with sleep, and as he rubbed them, her heart did a flip. He looked so adorable that it took everything in her not to lean in to kiss him. She took a deep breath and said, “I have something really important I need to speak to you about.”

  He gave her a nervous smile and said, “I also have something very important to ask you. But you can go first.”

  Leila lifted her brows as she looked at him. He looked anxious and she wondered why. What she had to talk to him about was really important, but she was itching to know what he wanted to ask her. “What do you want to ask me, Malik?”

  “No, tell me what you want to speak to me about.”

  “No, you go first.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  He looked back and then led her to the couch. They both sat down and he said, “Wait here. I’ll be back in a second.” He stood up before she could say anything and left the living room. Less than a minute later, he came back again and sat down next to her. He took her hands and wove his fingers through hers. His eyes searched hers and he said, “Leila, I haven’t known you for too long, but I fell in love with you the very first time I laid my eyes on you and knew I wanted to be with you forever.”

  She smiled sweetly at him, her heart filling with affection for him.

  He continued. “The more I know you, the more I love you,” he said. “I love everything about you. I’ve fallen deeply and totally in love with you. You’re beautiful, kind, selfless, and the best woman I’ve ever known.”

  She beamed at him. “I love you too, Malik. With everything in me.”

  He smiled. “Leila, you have become my world. You and my daughter, Fanta. I never want to let you go.” He knelt on the floor, put his hand in his pajama pocket, and then brought out a box.

  Leila’s mouth dropped open as he opened the box and showed her a small engagement ring inside. “I’ve known that I wanted to marry you for a long time and immediately when you came here and told me your husband had agreed to dissolve your marriage, I sent someone to Bamako to buy an engagement ring for you. The man came back two days ago and I have been waiting for the right moment.”

  He squeezed her hand and went on. “I know the ring is not as expensive as the one you have on, but it was all I could get now. I promise to get a better one soon, but I just want to ask — will you be my wife, Leila, and the mother of my daughter?”

  Leila covered her mouth and swallowed the sob rising within her. They had talked about marriage a lot, almost from the first day they met, and she knew without a doubt that they would get married one day. However, this gesture of Malik’s, buying her a ring when he didn’t have much and proposing to her now, was such a surprise. It was very romantic. She felt overwhelmed with joy and love for him. Tears fell down her face as she gazed at him.

  Malik grinned. “Leila, you haven’t answered my question. Will you marry me, my love?”

  Leila laughed and said, “Of course I will marry you, Malik. You know that.”

  He slipped the ring on her finger and stood up again.

  She wrapped her arms around him and began to weep. “I love you so much, Malik,” she said.

  He ran his fingers through her hair and said, “I love you too, Leila. I can’t wait for the day when we can finally get married.”

  She pulled back from him and looked into his eyes. If only she could kiss him now, she thought. From the way he was looking at her, she knew he was thinking the same thing. But it couldn’t happen now. They had to wait until her marriage was dissolved. Still, that did not dilute the joy she felt now. This made everything so real.

  But you know you can’t marry him. Not until he becomes a Christian.

  She shut her eyes in alarm. She still hadn’t shared the gospel with him. She had to speak to him now.

  “What is it, my love?” Malik searched her face.

  She shook her head and said, “Nothing. I am so happy!”

  She sighed and brushed away her concerns. She didn’t need to talk to him right now. This was such a happy and emotional moment. She didn’t want to spoil it. She would speak to him soon, but right now, she wanted both of them to enjoy the moment.

  Malik reached out and hugged her tight. He kissed her forehead and then quickly drew back.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  She smiled sadly. “It’s okay,” she said. She wanted to kiss him the way she had been dreaming of ever since they were separated at Nira, but she couldn’t. When would Dauda come to Nira so their marriage could be dissolved? The earlier he did, the sooner she could marry Malik.

  You still have to share the gospel with him. He might not even accept the Lord.

  She shuddered at the thoughts in her mind and, once again, brushed them aside. This was not the time to worry about that. For now, they needed to celebrate their engagement.

  “Let’s go out and celebrate,” she said.

  He lifted his brows and asked her where they should go. “We really have nowhere to celebrate in this place,” he said to her.

  “Well, let’s go to Hauwa’s. We can tell her and her grandmother that we are officially engaged. I’m sure Hauwa’s grandmother will cook something delicious for us.”

  He grinned. “Well, that sounds like a great idea.”

  They left the house holding hands and walked leisurely to Hauwa’s grandmother’s house. Leila’s heart was full of joy; more joy than she had ever felt, except for the day she came to Christ. This was everything she had dreamed of for years — getting married and starting a family. Actually, it was much more than she had ever dreamt of, because not only was she getting married, she was marrying someone she loved with all her heart. There was nothing better than that.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Nick finished preparing the food in the restaurant kitchen and smiled at Leon, Frank’s sous chef. Leon had assisted him in preparing the food. Nick had told Lauren he would cook for her, but he did not realize how much pressure that would place on him. He liked her much more than he thought and that was why he had called her even after he’d decided it was best to go their separate ways. After he invited her on another date and promised to cook, he had panicked as he wanted to impress her.

  Why did I tell her I was going to cook for her? he had scolded himself. He owned a restaurant. He could have told one or two of the chefs to prepare something nice for both of them. Instead, he had bragged about his culinary skills. Since he told her he would cook for her and didn’t want to lie to her, he had come to the restaurant today after buying the ingredients needed for the dishes he planned to make. However, knowing that he would need help, he had invited Leon to assist him. He had still not told Frank he was seeing Lauren again and therefore couldn’t ask for his help.

  He thanked Leon and then covered the dishes he had prepared. He had also enlisted the help of one of the waiters for the private dinner. He glanced at his watch. It was a few minutes after six. He was supposed to pick up Lauren in less than an hour. He had to go and change quickly so he could go pick her up at her house.

  He went into the room where some of the staff changed before and after work and shed his jeans and T-shirt. He put on the white dress shirt and pants he had hung in front of the closet and pulled on his black dress shoes. He glanced at the full-length mirror near the door, buttoned his shirt, and quickly brushed his hair.

  He found he was a little nervous as he got into the car he’d rented when he first arrived in Rosefield and began to drive to Lauren’s. She had given him her address after he invited her to go on this date with him. His heart beat with excitement and nervous anticipation.

  He whispered harshly to himself, “Why are you so nervous? It’s just a date. You’ve been on tons of dates.”

  But this felt slightly different. For the first time in a very long time, he felt like he could be in a full-fledged relationship. Actually, he ached to be in a relatio
nship with her. However, he still wasn’t sure it was the best thing to do. But it was what he wanted.

  The drive to her house was a short one. He pulled up to a small bungalow and walked up to it. Ringing the bell, he waited for her to open the door. He took a deep breath, looked down at himself, and once more, scolded himself for being so nervous.

  You are acting like this is your first date. Get yourself together, man.

  The door opened and Lauren beamed at him. His heart did a flip as he gazed at her. She looked so beautiful. She was dressed in a knee-length black dress which showed off her slim but curvy figure. Her blonde hair was down almost to her waist, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at him with the most enchanting smile he’d ever seen on a woman.

  “You look absolutely amazing,” he said to her.

  “Thank you,” she said, still smiling at him. “You look great yourself.”

  He was surprised when she took his hand and pulled him into her house. She pointed at the sofa near the door and asked him to sit down. “I’ll be out in a minute,” she said.

  He nodded and smiled as she quickly left the living room. He looked around the place. It was small but cozy. He loved the center rug on the floor the most. The other furniture was plain, but the center rug seemed expensive and lifted up the entire room. He leaned back on the cream sofa as he waited for her to come out.

  He asked himself if he was sure about this. He was committing himself now to a new relationship and yet he still had to leave this small town in about a week. Lauren was worth giving up his single life for, but would the distance affect the relationship? Could he be faithful to her with the distance between them? He was used to having a string of one-night or several night-stands, as Frank called it. He had not been in a committed relationship in a long time. But he wanted to be exclusive with Lauren. He would do everything in his power to stay faithful and committed to her. He had to explore this relationship.

  She walked out of the living room and once again he was taken with her beauty. He could truly say that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever dated, and he’d dated quite a few beautiful women.

  “I’m ready,” she said to him with a smile.

  He stood up and went to open the door.

  They both stepped out of the house. After she’d locked the door, he took her hand and they walked to the car together. Once they were in, he buckled his seatbelt and turned to look at her, his heart racing wildly. He resisted the urge to lean in and kiss her. She definitely would not welcome that as she wasn’t like most of the girls he had dated in the past.

  He looked away quickly and started the car. As he drove to the restaurant, he intermittently inhaled the enticing scent of her perfume. She smelled like roses and something else that made his head spin.

  He got to the restaurant and parked right in front of it. Quickly, he opened his door and went to open hers. She looked at the restaurant with wide eyes and an uneasy look crept into her face.

  A knot formed in the pit of his stomach. “What is it, Lauren?” he asked, trying to hide the worry he felt.

  “Umm . . . nothing,” she answered. “I just didn’t expect you to bring me to such a nice restaurant. I thought it would be a more informal place.”

  He looked her over. “But you are dressed for a nice restaurant, Lauren. And yes, I run this nice place with my partner.”

  The uneasy look returned.

  He smiled to put her at ease and breathed a sigh of relief when she smiled back at him and the worry disappeared from her face.

  He took her hand as she came out of the car and held on to it as they walked into the restaurant together.

  He led her to the table he had reserved. Not that anyone was in the restaurant, but he liked this part of the restaurant because of how secluded it was. The lights were low but not low enough that they could not see each other. He’d asked one of the waiters to light candles and everything had been set on the table for both of them.

  Unlike the other tables in the restaurant, this one was more like a booth. It was specifically for couples who wanted a measure of privacy on their date. It had a single chair so a couple could sit side by side rather than facing each other. That was another reason why he had chosen this particular booth. He wanted her right beside him. That way, he could take her hand whenever he wanted to and maybe, just maybe, she would want to kiss him some time into their date. But if not, he still wanted her right beside him.

  They sat down and he was happy when she slid close to him. When he took her hand, she smiled sweetly at him, causing his pulse to race.

  Mike, the waiter he had asked to help out with their dinner today, came and began to list the dishes on the special menu that Nick had given him. Lauren turned to him with a smile and asked, “Did you cook everything on that menu?”

  “Most of it,” he said. “Obviously, I did not make the desserts.”

  The waiter went away and then Lauren said, “I am glad you asked me out again, Nicholas.”

  “I am glad I did, too,” he said.

  During the starter, they talked about random things, light topics. They talked about her job as an elementary school teacher and his work at the restaurant. By the time the main course arrived, the conversation had moved to more serious things like what their future plans were and what they wanted in the relationship. Nick told her that when he pictured his future, he had always pictured himself single, until the day he met her. “I told myself that I would remain single unless I met the kind of woman that would make me want otherwise. When I met you, I knew you were that kind of woman.”

  She beamed and took his other hand on the table. She wove her fingers through his and his heart began to drum. He liked that she was just as touchy-feely as he was. He had not known her for long, but he could see that she felt the same way about him that he did her.

  They talked late into the night, and after each course, she complimented his cooking, causing him to smile broadly with pride. He always reminded her that he’d had help from one of the chefs but she still insisted he was a great cook.

  At about midnight, they finally stood up to leave. His hand found hers easily and once again, she threaded her fingers through his. Her hand felt so natural in his. To him, it was a sign that they belonged together and could make this work even though they lived in different cities.

  On the drive home, they continued their conversation about the future of their budding relationship. When he finally pulled up in front of her house, he felt an aching sadness. He didn’t want this date to end.

  They both got out of the car and he walked her to the front of the house.

  “I had a great time,” she said.

  “I did, too,” he told her, looking deep into her eyes.

  She made no move to open the door as they both stared at each other. Finally, she said, “Do you want to come in?”

  Her question took him by surprise and he blinked. He couldn’t speak for a long moment as he fought with himself.

  She said, “Just for a night cap.”

  Again, he stared into her eyes and knew it would not be a great idea for him to come in. He would feel no remorse if one thing led to another and they became intimate. However, she was religious. He knew she would feel terrible afterward. It was not the right thing to do, at least right for now.

  He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. “I should get going, Lauren. It’s really late. I have to be at work early in the morning.”

  She looked disappointed, but there was a slight look of relief on her face also. She said, “You are right. I have to be at work early in the morning as well.”

  For a few seconds more, they stared at each other, neither of them wanting to move away. Finally, he let go of her hands and said, “I will call you tomorrow, Lauren.” He leaned in, kissed her cheek, and walked back to his car.

  He got in the car and stuck his head out the window. She was still standing in front of her house, looking at him. He waved at her, started the car, and drove awa
y.

  At his room in the bed and breakfast, he sat on the bed. He couldn’t stop the huge smile that took over his face. He’d had a great time with her. Without a doubt, he knew he wanted to see her again… as soon as possible. He would call her tomorrow and set up another date, probably for the coming weekend.

  Suddenly, his heart sank as he remembered he was leaving Rosefield on Friday. The reality of the situation crashed down on him. Their relationship was going to be a long-distance one. He couldn’t imagine how hard it would be, especially for him. He loved physical contact and being able to touch and hold the person he was with.

  How will this work?

  He sighed. It had to work. You didn’t meet women like Lauren every day.

  He couldn’t resist reaching for his phone and sending her a text message, telling her how much of a good time he’d had on their date. After that, he lay on the bed and then worry filled his mind again as he thought about leaving Rosefield on Friday.

  He had to find a way to see her before then. He could call her after work tomorrow and try to set up another date before Friday. Of course they would have to talk about how the relationship would be handled once he left Rosefield. But somehow he knew they would make it work, because he really liked her. And from the way she had looked at him throughout the evening, he was sure she really liked him, too.

  It will all work out, he thought to himself as he stretched out on the bed. It had to.

  *****

  Lauren walked to Trisha and Frank’s feeling exhilarated and nervous at the same time. She’d just left work, but rather than go straight home, she was going to see Trisha. Frank would still be at the restaurant. And so would Nicholas. He had called her just as she closed from work and asked her on another date, this time on Wednesday after work. He had said it was just a casual date and that he would pick her up. She couldn’t wait to see him again, but she could not forget what had happened on their last date when they had first arrived at the restaurant.