18. Mustaf

"Let's get you back inside," I say, offering her my hand.

Meiko takes it, letting me pull her to her feet, and starts down the path. I walk behind her as we head out of the garden, eyeing her frame in a moment of relief. She said yes. She isn't going to try to keep me out of her life or our child's life.

After her acceptance, she told me about how her last engagement went. It's somewhat comforting to know the bar hasn't been set very high.

This is my chance to be a provider and father to our baby and a good husband to Meiko. To be the man she deserves. Despite the tension following our reunion at the wedding, I still have that gap in my heart she carved when she left. Only she can fill it.

I follow her into the hospital, keeping a casual distance as we head toward where I presume her grandmother's room is. She stops outside the door, turning around to face me. Her golden gaze melts me in place, vulnerable and unsure, while her hand comes up to tuck some hair away.

"Can you wait here?" she asks softly. "Let me prepare them before you just waltz in…"

Her expression is tense and she shifts with uncertainty. I'm sure the prospect of introducing a man to her family who she's now engaged to that nobody knows about is stressful.

I nod, watching as some of the tension leaves her shoulders. After she slips through the door, I stick my hands into my pockets and wait.

As I wait outside the hospital room, I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves. I know that Meiko"s parents might have some reservations about me, especially since I"m an orc.

I run through different scenarios in my head, trying to anticipate how they might react. Will they be shocked? Angry? Disappointed? I don"t know, and it"s making me anxious.

But then I think about Meiko and how much she means to me, how much our child means. I can"t control how her parents will react, but I can control how I present myself. I can show them that I"m a good person, that I"m capable of love and kindness.

I take another deep breath and remind myself that I have nothing to be ashamed of. I"m proud of who I am, and I refuse to let anyone make me feel otherwise.

After a few moments, the door opens and Meiko pokes her head out. "You can come in now," she says with a small, nervous smile.

I take a deep breath and follow her into the room. It"s a small space, with a single hospital bed taking up most of the floor. An elderly Asian woman with short, white hair lies in the bed, her eyes closed. A heart monitor beeps softly in the background.

Meiko"s parents are sitting in chairs by the bedside, their expressions tense. They look up as we enter, and Meiko"s mother stands up.

"Mom, Dad, this is…" Meiko says hesitantly. "This is Mustaf."

I step forward and extend my hand, trying to project confidence and strength. "It"s a pleasure to meet you both. I know this might be a bit of a surprise, but I hope we can get to know each other better."

Meiko"s mother hesitates for a moment, then takes my hand and shakes it. "Nice to meet you, Mustaf. I'm Keiko. I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when Meiko told us she was seeing an orc."

I nod, understanding her reservations. "I know that orcs might have a bad reputation in some circles, but I assure you that I"m not like that. I"m a hardworking and responsible person, and I care about Meiko very much."

I step forward and extend my hand to Meiko"s father. "It"s nice to meet you, sir. I"m sorry to intrude like this."

"Alton Fanning." Meiko"s father shakes my hand, his expression guarded.

Meiko interjects before I can answer. "Mustaf and I have known each other for a while now. And... Well, like I said, we started seeing each other and…"

I clear my throat and put her out of her misery. "I've asked Meiko to be my wife."

There"s a heavy silence in the room as Meiko"s parents process this information. Finally, her mother speaks up.

"Meiko, is this true?" she asks, her voice shaking.

Meiko nods, looking down at her feet. "Yes, Mom. It"s true."

Her father looks at her, expression controlled in every aspect but his eyes. "And do you really think that's the best choice?"

Frustration courses through my veins and I step forward, putting my arm around Meiko protectively. I can feel her trembling slightly, and I tighten my grip on her, trying to offer her some comfort.

"I understand if you have reservations," I say, addressing Meiko"s parents. "But I promise you, I care about Meiko very much. And I would never hurt her."

Meiko looks up at me, her eyes shining with gratitude. I can see the fear and uncertainty in her gaze, and I wish there was something more I could do to ease her worries. I caress her side, squeezing it gently.

There"s a moment of silence, and then Meiko"s mother speaks up. "So, how did you meet, the two of you?"

Meiko"s parents look at me expectantly, waiting for me to explain how Meiko and I met. I take a deep breath and launch into a somewhat exaggerated version of our story.

"Well, it all started when I was on vacation in the Maldives," I say, trying to sound as casual as possible. "I was sitting at the bar when this beautiful woman sat down next to me." I gesture towards Meiko, who blushes at my words.

"We struck up a conversation and hit it off immediately," I continue. "There was just something about her that drew me in. Her smile, her laugh, the way she lit up the room."

Meiko blushes even deeper at my words, and I can"t help but smile at her. I remember how I felt when I first saw her, the way she seemed to glow in the dim light of the bar.

"When we ran into each other again on the beach… It was no coincidence," I say, letting my gaze linger on the beautiful caramel of her skin. I remember how stunned I was to see her again, how I couldn"t believe my luck. "We spent the rest of the vacation together, exploring the island and getting to know each other better."

Meiko"s parents are sitting in stiff-backed chairs on either side of her grandmother"s hospital bed, their expressions unreadable. I can see the lines of worry etched into their faces, and I know that this is not the way they expected their day to go.

As I speak, I can see the skepticism in their eyes, the way they glance at each other and then back at me. I can hear the doubt in their voices when they ask about our relationship, and I know that I have an uphill battle ahead of me.

But I also see the love in their eyes when they look at their daughter, and I know that they only want what"s best for her. That"s why I"m determined to win them over, to show them that I"m not just some random guy Meiko picked up at a bar.

"I know it might seem sudden," I say, looking each of them in the eyes. "But I"ve never been more certain of anything in my life. Meiko is the one for me. And I"ll do whatever it takes to make her happy," I insist. "Her and the baby."

There"s a collective gasp in the room, and I can see the shock on Meiko"s parents" faces. Her mother"s hand flies to her mouth, and she looks at her daughter with wide eyes.

"What! When did this happen? How could you not have told us sooner?" she asks, her voice filled with disbelief.

Meiko looks down at her feet, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She fidgets with the hem of her shirt, avoiding eye contact with her parents.

"I"m sorry, Mom. I didn"t know how to tell you. And I was scared of what you would think," she says softly.

Her father is silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on his daughter. Then he speaks up, his voice gruff but not unkind. "Well, this changes things. We need to talk about what"s going to happen next."

I can see the fear in Meiko"s eyes, and I take her hand in mine. "We"ve already talked about it, and we"ve decided that we want to raise this child together. And as we said, I've proposed to her."

Meiko"s mother covers her mouth with her hand. "But you barely know each other!"

I look at Meiko, and she nods, giving me the strength to continue. "Again, I know it might seem sudden, but we know it"s the right thing to do. We love each other, and we want to be a family."

Meiko"s parents look at each other, and then at us. I can see the uncertainty in their expressions, but I also see a glimmer of hope.

Her father stares at me for a long moment, then nods. "Fair enough."

Wrapped in my arm, my fiance's body relaxes into mine. I rub gentle circles into the back of her hand, hoping to lend her some support. Then I start to fiddle with the ring on her finger– the one that I put there. The possessive sense that this woman is as much mine as the child growing in her womb is too strong to ignore.

My heart swells as I close my eyes, pulling Meiko closer and pressing her into me. I missed this, but I also notice how much it calms the storm inside of me. I realize then and there that I don't just want her - I need her.