Chasing After Destiny

by Emma Easter

  Soon she was asking about his family and more serious questions. He shied away from none, answering every one of them. He also asked her similar questions. When he began to ask about George again, she grew slightly uncomfortable. She was even less willing to tell him that George was married now that she knew him better than when they had first met. She had not been exactly sure why earlier, but now she knew. She liked him a lot and she wanted him to think well of her. Knowing that she had dated a married man would probably not put her in his good books. It surprised her that she thought this way, especially since she had never really cared what anyone thought about her relationship with George, not even Lily.

  She looked up when a full-bodied, kind-looking older woman walked up to them and told them hesitantly that she had to close up the place. Sofia looked around and blinked in surprise. Everyone had cleared out. She and Jude were the only ones here. She looked at him and he looked just as surprised as she was. She said to the woman who she was sure owned the place, “We are sorry. We will be on our way now.”

  The woman gave her a warm smile. “No problem. We close everyday by seven p.m., but we will be open tomorrow, and you are both welcome then.” She walked away, and Sofia looked at her watch.

  “It’s seven o’clock already!” Jude said.

  She nodded. They stood up, and she grabbed their basket of berries from the floor. A waiter had been kind enough to help them pack the berries into plastic boxes and wrap them with clear plastic before placing them in the basket again.

  Jude took the basket of berries from her as they left the pie place. They walked through the farm together in silence, heading toward the gate. The place was mostly empty now except for a few people who were walking out of the gate. Once they were outside the gate, she reached out and hugged him. When she pulled back, he took her hands and stared into her eyes. Once again, her heart skipped a beat as his eyes searched hers. Without meaning to, her gaze settled on his lips and her mind filled with a picture of them kissing. She immediately pressed the image out of her mind and silently chided herself.

  “Thank you, Sofia,” he said, still staring into her eyes, his hands in hers.

  “Can I ask when exactly you want us to get married?” she asked without thinking, and then hid a groan. Just days ago, she was dreading this arrangement, now she could not wait to marry him, an almost complete stranger. She had only known him for a few days. What was wrong with her? And what would Jude think of her?

  He smiled broadly. “Whenever you want, Sofia.”

  “And do you want a big wedding ceremony so we can invite some friends, or should we just go to the court house alone?”

  He answered, “We will do anything you want. You can choose a date you want us to get married and the venue, too.” He smiled. “I’m just happy you want us to do it now.”

  “No, Jude. You choose the date.”

  He shook his head. “No, I want you to. It’s your right, Sofia.”

  “Okay, then,” she said. “We can get married next Friday.” She inwardly winced. That was just a week from now. Would he think her too forward? But then, she wanted them to get married as soon as possible to keep him here in this country; to keep him safe. She hoped he would see that was why she wanted them to get married as soon as possible and not for some other reason.

  Like the fact that you are falling for him?

  She frowned and dismissed the stupid thought from her mind.

  “Thank you.” He smiled, still looking into her eyes. He lifted both her hands to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers. “Thank you, Sofia,” he said again.

  For a long moment, she did not know what to say. Her heart pounded as she gazed at him. Finally, he let go of her hand, and she sighed.

  “So, can I see you again tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said, and then added, “But we should apply for a marriage license now.”

  “Okay. We can do that tomorrow or the day after.” He reached out and touched her cheek lightly and then turned and walked away.

  She watched him as he strode away, her emotions roiling. His spicy scent surrounded her, and she could still feel the imprint of his fingers on her cheek. Get yourself together Sofia. She exhaled, turned around, and walked in the other direction.

  Chapter 12

  “Jude, stop lying, man!” Samuel said, as he sat on the sofa and shook his head.

  “I am not lying,” Jude said. “I’m getting married in a week, Samuel.” Jude plopped down beside his friend and sighed. “Why would I make up something like this?”

  Samuel glared at him. “Who are you marrying? How come I have never met her?”

  “You have been too busy partying and drinking to care what I’ve been up to,” Jude grinned.

  “So, tell me what you have been up to, Jude!” Samuel said. “I want to hear it all.”

  “Okay, but it’s a long story. Do you want the long or short version?” Samuel narrowed his eyes, and Jude put his hands up. “Settle down, Samuel. Fine! I’ll give you the long version.”

  He started by telling Samuel what Ben had told him at the party last week and then the call they had made. After that, he told him about meeting Sofia, the dates they had gone on, and the decision they had made on their last date to get married quickly. He left out the personal parts and folded his arms when he finished.

  “You’re crazy, Jude,” Samuel said.

  “You know I’m not. I am only doing what I must since I have no choice.”

  “I guess you don’t really have a choice, but still...” Samuel gazed at him, his expression full of surprise and amusement. “Well, do you have a picture of her so I can see if she’s pretty?”

  “What does the way she looks have to do with anything?” Jude said. It occurred to him that he did not have a picture of Sofia. He had to change that when they met up today.

  Samuel laughed. “You don’t have a picture of her, do you? That means she’s as ugly as they come.”

  Jude smiled. “She’s the very opposite of ugly.”

  Samuel arched his brows. “So she’s gorgeous then? At least that counts for something. It would be doubly awful if the complete stranger you had to marry to get a Green card was also ugly.”

  Jude shook his head. “Samuel! Are you going to lend me your car or not?”

  “And where exactly did you say you were going?” Samuel asked. “And what did you say you were going to do there again?”

  Jude sighed exasperatedly. “I just told you. I have to pick up my fiancée from her apartment, and then I will drive us to the courthouse to get our marriage license.”

  “You are going to court to get legal documents? That means they will ask for your personal info. Won’t that be a little risky, Jude, considering you’re trying to avoid getting deported by the government?”

  “I’ll have to be careful. Hopefully, I will soon be married to Sofia and able to get my Green card.”

  Samuel’s eyes searched his, and Jude frowned. “What?” He glowered at Samuel.

  Samuel shrugged. “For someone who will soon be married to an almost complete stranger, you don’t look particularly troubled about it. In fact, you look quite happy. Ecstatic, even.”

  Jude eyed him. “What are you going on about?”

  Samuel laughed. “Well, don’t tell me you have fallen in love with this girl you only just met?”

  “Boy, what are you talking about?” Jude glared at him. He held out his hand. “You know what, don’t bother answering that. Just give me your car keys.”

  Samuel was still staring at Jude. He finally looked up at the ceiling and said, “That girl has to be knock-down gorgeous for my man Jude to have fallen so hard already.” He faced Jude again. “Tell me, does she have luscious curves like your ex, Keziah? Because I think she…”

  “Stop it!” Jude frowned, annoyed. “Don’t mention Keziah’s name!”

  “Okay, okay! I’m sorry.”

  “Samuel, are you lending me your car or not?” Jude as
ked, and glanced at his wristwatch. He still had some time to get to Sofia’s and pick her up before they went to get their license, but he had to get going now, or Sofia would think he had a habit of being late. Samuel was still sitting on the sofa, and Jude sighed. “Well, I guess I’ll have to take a taxi,” he said, and began to head towards the door.

  “Wait, Jude!” Samuel called out. “Let me get my car keys.”

  He left the living room, and Jude waited at the door, tapping his foot impatiently. Less than a minute later, Samuel appeared again and handed him his car keys.

  “So, when am I going to meet this fiancée of yours? Because I have to meet her before you actually marry her.”

  Jude turned around without answering Samuel’s question and walked out the door. As he drove to Sofia’s friend’s house to pick her up, he thought about what Samuel had said. Had he really fallen in love with Sofia? And why did Samuel believe he’d fallen in love with her?

  He grunted and then dismissed Samuel’s words. His friend and housemate had a habit of over-exaggerating. He definitely hadn’t fallen in love with Sofia. He hardly knew her. Yes, they had shared a lot between them the last few days, and he knew a lot about her life and she about his, but that did not mean they really knew each other. More than that, neither of them could afford to develop feelings for the other. He had to keep reminding himself that this was a temporary arrangement and that Sofia’s heart still belonged to her ex. He would be getting into a world of hurt if he allowed himself to fall for her. And it would not be fair to her if she started to have feelings for him when he had not totally gotten over Keziah.

  Involuntarily, he pictured Keziah clearly in his mind and groaned. Maybe he would never get over her. She and Sofia could not be more different in appearance, but they actually had a lot of similarities when it came to their personalities. They were both vibrant and exuberant.

  You have to put Keziah out of your mind now, Jude. He was going to meet up with the woman he would marry in a week’s time, and it was wrong to still obsess over his ex. He focused his thoughts on Sofia again and was surprised how easily he managed to put Keziah out of his mind as an image of Sofia replaced hers. He and Sofia had a lot to do this week before they got married on Friday, even though they were just going to have a court registry without guests.

  He finally got to Edith’s house and knocked on the door. Edith immediately opened for him and smiled at him.

  “Come in, Jude,” she said. “Let me go and get your fiancée for you.” She left the living room while Jude settled on the couch. He looked around the tiny, sparsely furnished living room. Sofia had not told him, but he was sure she had not lived in this house for long. He was certain she had lived in luxury for a long time before circumstances had reduced her to living in this tiny house with her friend. She needed the money he would pay her to marry him, but he didn’t have the money now. She had said it did not matter, but it did.

  Guilt tore at his heart. She was fulfilling her end of the bargain by marrying him — even more so because she wanted to marry him sooner than she needed to. But he could not even make enough money to fulfill his part.

  He looked up as she stepped into the living room and embarrassment washed over him. And then his embarrassment was replaced with an intense attraction that took his breath away. She looked breathtaking.

  He stood up and, without thinking, went to take her hands. “You look gorgeous,” he breathed as his eyes swept over her. She was dressed in a white dress with gold trim that went down to her ankles. Her hair was up, showing off a pair of dangling gold earrings, and she wore a bright red lipstick.

  He gave her a teasing grin. “Wait, is today our wedding? Because I have probably forgotten. You look like a radiant bride while I,” he looked down at his black pants and short sleeve blue shirt, “look like this.”

  She laughed. “I guess I just decided to wear something that will put me in the mood for the upcoming wedding,” she said.

  He linked his elbow with hers, and they walked out of the house together. A thread of pride ran through him as they walked to the car. He couldn’t believe she was soon going to be his bride.

  Calm down, Jude. Remember what this is really about. He pushed the thought away. That did not change the fact that they were soon going to get married and she would be his wife in just a week.

  They chatted about mundane things as he drove them to the courthouse. They had to wait for about ten minutes and then went into an office, where a middle-aged woman in glasses sat behind a desk. She looked up at them and then told them to sit down. She asked for their IDs, birth certificates, and passports, which they gave to her. Sofia handed the woman her social security number.

  She looked up from Jude’s passport and said, “You’re here on a visa?”

  He nodded and his heart began to race. What if she said they couldn’t get married? What if she called ICE and they came here and bundled him out to be deported?

  He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. You’re being paranoid, Jude. Everything would be all right.

  But his heart did not stop racing as the woman began to ask them other informal questions. She handed them several forms to fill out, which they duly did. Jude paid for the license, which left him with only twenty-five dollars to his name. His anxiety increased, but he pressed it away. He would have to put in another extra shift at the factory to get more money. He’d been so consumed with the dates with Sofia this week, he’d done no extra jobs and now was low on cash.

  He took a huge sigh of relief when, five minutes later, the woman told them they would get their license in a few days. For the first time in a long while, he said a prayer of thanksgiving to God, though not a long one as he had done in his teenage years, when he still was religious. He walked out of the office with Sofia, and then they grinned at each other in the middle of the hallway that led to the front doors of the courthouse.

  “Thank God we have scaled through that,” he said to her.

  She tilted her head and looked at him. “What did you think was going to happen?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I was afraid that something might go wrong and maybe ICE would storm in and take me away.”

  She laughed, and he said, “I don’t know why you’re laughing. It’s not funny.” But he soon joined in her laughter. “Okay, so I was feeling a little paranoid in there. But you can’t blame me.”

  She stopped laughing. “I know. That is why we are getting married as soon as possible. So you can get your permanent resident card quickly and finally stop worrying.” A sober expression appeared on her face, and she said thoughtfully, “Why are we waiting a week to get married anyway? Why don’t we do it now? I mean we are already here, and nothing prevents us from getting married now.”

  He stared at her, surprised. “I would love to get married now, but aren’t you forgetting something, Sofia? We haven’t gotten our marriage license yet.”

  She shook her head and then burst out laughing. “What is wrong with me?” she said as he laughed along with her.

  “I really wish we could get married today though,” he said.

  She took his hand, a huge smile on her face, and began to skip happily to the door. He chuckled as he watched her, feeling lighthearted and happier than he’d been in a long time. Her happy, carefree mood was infectious, and everything that had troubled him moments ago fled.

  As they neared the entrance to the courthouse still holding hands, a brawny man that looked about his age opened the door and walked in. Jude blinked as the man came closer, and then his heart began to pound. The man looked like Felix, a friend of his from his country. But it couldn’t be. Because he’d been told that Felix had been killed when the violence started a year ago. How on earth could he still be alive?”

  The man’s eyes grew wide as he approached, and then recognition lit up in them.

  “What is it, Jude?” Sofia asked.

  The man hurried up to them and put his hands on Jude’s shoulders
. “Jude? Jude Daniels!

  “Felix!” Jude stared at his friend in wonder. “How is this possible? I heard you were… you were dead.” Jude felt Sofia squeeze his hand as he continued to stare at the man before him.

  “As you can see, I am certainly not dead,” Felix said.

  Jude’s eyes flooded with tears. He had believed for over a year that his childhood friend was dead, and now here he was, alive and well. He reached out and hugged his friend fiercely.

  Felix pounded his back good-naturedly.

  Jude pulled back again and shook his head as he stared at Felix. “I feel like I am looking at a ghost,” he said.

  Felix laughed. “You know I am definitely not a ghost.”

  “I cannot believe this.” Jude put his arm around his friend’s shoulder. He felt Sofia’s hand on his arm and then turned and smiled at her. “Felix, this is my fiancée, Sofia. Sofia this is my childhood friend, Felix, back from the dead.”

  Felix smiled and shook his head. “Back from the dead?” He turned to Sofia and greeted her warmly. When she held out her hand, he shook it.

  “I’m so happy to meet one of Jude’s friends from his country. Do you live in the United States now?”

  “Yes, I just moved here,” he said.

  Jude put his hand on Felix’s shoulder. “My man, how did that rumor that you had died spread? I’m not the only one who believes it, you know.”

  “It’s a long story, Jude.”

  “I cannot wait to hear it.” Jude punched his friend’s arm playfully. He hugged him again, overcome with emotion and unable to stop himself. “What about your father and brother?”

  “Like I said, it’s a long story. We have a lot to talk about.”

  Sofia put her hand on Jude’s back, and he turned to her. “I should leave both of you to catch up. You definitely have a lot to talk about.” She smiled at Felix. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”