When The Sun Sets In The East

029| Always be by my side

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"W-what?" she asked as she leaned her head away from his, staring directly into his eyes. He stared back at her and for a second, she believed she must have heard wrong until his gaze went subtle and he repeated himself.

"Will you marry me?"

Confused as she was, she let out a light scoff as she released herself from his arms, taking a few steps back as she looked away from him. "I don't think you understand the meaning of what you just said." She added and Elliot shook his head at her as he hastened his steps to where she was and took her hands in his.

"I understand and I know what I just said, but I meant it. I want to be your husband and I'm sorry I didn't make this proposal in a grand gesture."

"Why? Because I'm pregnant and you believe I'll be miserable as a single mother? What about your life? Your stay in the country isn't definite. You have a home back there, a life, family, friends... You don't really want to ruin everything you've built for someone like me," she expressed before lowering her eyes.

"Don't say something you'll regret tomorrow." She added, and as Elliot stared at her, he gradually let out a sigh. He wasn't sure about what to say to her, what to make her believe in his love for her. Gene was sure she wasn't a suitable match for him, but he didn't believe that.

He brought his hands to her face, cupping it in them. She lifted her eyes to meet his.

"I love you. I love you. Again, I love you. That is the main reason I want you to be my wife. I want to spend the rest of my life by your side, loving and protecting you. I don't want to lose you to someone else. So, please, stop thinking otherwise about my feelings." He explained without looking away from her eyes. He needed her to see directly into the fast that he meant every word he said.

Perhaps, when he woke up this morning, he hadn't planned to let those exact words roll out of his mouth, but it has always been a thought at the back of his mind. He'd never considered the idea of marriage with anyone from his past relationships, but with Gene, he was ready to keep her by his side and when he saw Kainye's call earlier, he realised he needed to make his vision come true before she swooned away from him.

Gene felt overwhelmed. She loves him, even enough to accept his proposal, but for his sake, she wasn't sure if this was a good idea. She lowered her eyes from his.

"My family... People are going to talk. They might say things about you..."

"Let them say whatever they want. As long as I have you by my side, I really don't care." He addressed, hoping to put her mind at ease, but he was yet to see that from her.

"What happens in a few years when you wake up one morning and you realize that I'm old and you want to be with a younger woman..." He softly locked his lips with hers, the rest of whatever else she had to say trailed into the air.

Barely, he let go of the kiss, staring into her eyes. "No younger woman can make me feel the way I do when I'm with you... please do me the honour of becoming my wife." He added, his gaze locked with hers, searching and hoping for an understanding from her. He expected her reply.

She knew there was going to be a thousand ways it might turn out, but he was ready to fight for her and she'd decided she was going to do the same for him. She was going to love and cherish him for the rest of her life.

"What about your family? Your parents." She queried. She needed every answer to her worries before she could announce her decision. She watched as his expression went sour just as he lowered his eyes from hers.

"I'll explain everything to my mum. I've never met my birth father and... I'm not on good terms with my stepfather. My younger brother is young, and he's nothing like his father." He lifted his eyes back to hers, a faint smile threatening to express on his face. "You're going to get along with them just fine." He assured her and Gene understood he was trying to be optimistic.

Back then, she'd always suspected that his father wasn't around, but so wasn't his mum, so she couldn't be sure. He'd lived with his grandmother and then she was late. She watched as his faint smile brightened up a little as he awaited her answer. He didn't want her thinking much about his family history.

"You don't need to worry about me. Now, I have you and our babies as my family. I promise, I'm always going to be there for you guys till my last breath."

"Yes." she replied, and he raised his brows at her.

"Yes?"

She wore a smile on her face. "Yes, I'll be your wife." She announced and his smile widened before a light laughter left his lips. He kissed her again, and the two relinquished in their joy. He bent and carried her into his arms. She wrapped her hands around his neck, smiling at him as he carried her into his room.

~ ~ ~

She dialled again the number whose caller ID she saved as 'my daughter' and kept it stuck to her ear. In peace, she listened as it rang and rang, yet there was no response.

"Ah ah, where did she leave her phone?" Mrs. Ukaji complained before sparing her husband a glance, who busied himself with watching the news. He spared her a look and, without saying a word, he returned his gaze to the television.

"She never calls to check up on us. Not even a visit." She complained some more while trying to redial her daughter's number. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind, and she clicked back. Instead, she dialed another number and brought the phone close to her ear, anticipating the voice that would respond from the other side.

"Hello. Good evening, ma." A male voice came up.

"Good evening, my son, Kainye." She accepted in a cheer as her eyes shifted to her husband once more from where she stood by the dining area. Slightly, he furrowed his brows at his wife. A clear sign that he wasn't in support of what she was doing.

Mr. Ukaji understood, but she wasn't about to stop, so she drifted her eyes away from her husband.

"How have you been, dear? How is work and the children?" She asked, and a light laugh on his part.

"They're fine, ma." He replied, and she smiled.

"Thank God... Um, how are things going between you and Gene? I hope it's great." She finally landed on her primary purpose for calling. There was a momentary pause on his part and his silence worried her.

"I haven't spoken to her since the last time we had dinner at your house."

"You mean Gene hasn't called?" She asked, puzzled by her daughter's nonchalant attitude.

"No, and she's not picking up my calls. I'm not sure... I don't think she wants to have anything to do with me."

"No oh! Genevieve does. Yes, she's a little reserved and slow, but... she wants this. In fact, I'm going to have a talk with her, alright? Don't lose interest. I'm going to talk to her and she's going to call." She addressed as firmly as she could to assure the man on the other side, everything was going to be alright.

His silence lasted longer than she would like, but relief only washed through her when she eventually heard his voice. "Alright, ma."

Mrs. Ukaji smiled one of her best. Soon, they said their goodbyes and the call got disconnected. She set the phone down on the table and turned to her husband, her hands on her hips. She shook her head.

"Why doesn't Genevieve ever listen? She won't find a husband for herself and now that I've found one for her, she's ruining the opportunity." She ranted and when she realised her husband hadn't spared her a glance, she called after him. "Kalu."

He lifted his eyes to her, confused by her call. He obviously hadn't been listening. Her hands dropped back to her side as she shook her head at him. "Sometimes I think you don't care about what happens to our only daughter." She declared, before walking away and he shifted his eyes back to the television.

He cares about his daughter, but he simply didn't have the same obsession as his wife with getting her married.