Chapter 8 Arezoo #2
Her mother's face went through a series of expressions. It started with understanding, which was good, then panic, which was not good, and then something that looked alarmingly like the precursor to a fainting spell.
"You want to—" Her mother pressed a hand to her chest, "so that you can—"
"Become immortal, yes." Arezoo completed the sentence.
Her mother's breathing had become rapid and shallow. "The transition is dangerous."
"Not for me. I'm young and healthy, and it's perfectly safe. Dozens of Dormants have gone through it successfully. It's not dangerous, Maman. It's just..." She trailed off, unsure how to finish that sentence.
"Two weeks?" Her mother was hyperventilating now, her hand still pressed to her chest, her face pale. "I understand and accept everything, but two weeks? My oldest daughter, the first to get married, wants to rush the preparation and have a miserly party like some pauper?"
"Maman, please calm down. It's going to be beautiful. I promise. Amanda arranged Syssi and Kian's wedding in two weeks, and it was spectacular. People are still talking about their wedding to this day."
"Calm down? You just told me you want to—" She couldn't seem to finish the sentence and leaned against a shelf of canned goods, her breathing ragged.
The storage room door opened, and Parisa and Yasmin walked in.
"What's going on?" Parisa demanded. "We heard—" She stopped when she saw her sister gasping for breath against the shelving unit. "Soraya! What happened? Are you all right?"
"She's fine," Arezoo said, though she wasn't entirely sure that was true. "She's just upset."
"She's hyperventilating." Yasmin pushed past Arezoo and took her sister's arm. "Soraya, look at me. Breathe slowly. In through your nose, out through your mouth."
"What did you do to her?" Parisa turned to Arezoo, her eyes accusing.
"Nothing. I just said that I don't want to wait months to get married. I want to do it in three weeks."
"You said two," her mother rasped.
"I said that Amanda can arrange it in two. I was thinking three."
"What's the rush?" Rana walked in. "Ruvon isn't going anywhere. I know you two are eager to start your lives together, but you need to be patient."
"I don't want to be patient," Arezoo said, frustration bleeding into her voice. "Every day I stay human is another day I could get sick, or hurt, or—or worse. I want to be immortal. I want to spend forever with Ruvon. Why is that so hard to understand?"
"It's not hard to understand," Yasmin said. "It's just hard for a mother to accept that her daughter is grown up and making her own decisions, especially choices that involve—" she cleared her throat. "Certain activities."
"I know about sex," Arezoo said flatly. "The mechanics aren't a mystery."
Parisa looked scandalized. "Don't talk like that in front of your mother." She moved closer to her sister, forming a protective flanking position with Yasmin. "Show some respect."
Arezoo watched as her aunts fussed over her mother, murmuring reassurances and rubbing her back. Slowly, her mother's breathing began to even out, the color returning to her cheeks.
"I'm fine," her mother said finally, straightening up and shrugging off her sisters' hands.
"I'm fine. I just wasn't prepared." She looked at Arezoo, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
"I just wanted so much more for you. I wanted a spectacular wedding, and since the store is doing so well, I could even afford it.
I had all of these wonderful ideas, but you went to Amanda and asked her to do it instead. Do you know how hurt I feel?"
The truth was that it hadn't even occurred to Arezoo that her mother's feelings might get hurt because she'd asked Amanda for her help.
"I'm sorry, Maman. I didn't know it was so important to you. If you can arrange everything in three weeks, I can tell Amanda that her help is not needed."
Her mother's eyes widened. "And insult Annani's daughter? Are you out of your mind, child?"
Arezoo threw her hands in the air. "What do you want from me, then? What can I do to make everyone happy and still be married in three weeks?"
Her mother started hyperventilating again, and her aunts rushed to fuss over her.
Arezoo lost her patience. "Instead of putting up this drama, you all should be doing what I'm doing. You all need to transition, and time is not your friend."
Her mother had gone silent, and her aunts stood on either side of her, a united front, waiting to see which way the wind would blow.
Finally, her mother sighed. "So, what would it be? Two weeks or three?"
Hope flared in Arezoo's chest. "Three, if it will make you less panicky. Two if you can handle it."
Her mother reached out and cupped Arezoo's face in her hands. Her palms were warm and slightly rough from years of hard work, and the touch was so achingly familiar that Arezoo felt tears prick the corners of her eyes.
"We will cook," she said firmly. "Your aunts and I will prepare the wedding feast, and I don't want to hear any arguments about it. The clan's fancy chef can prepare the wedding cake."
"Done." Arezoo hardly dared to breathe. "So, it's a yes?"
Her mother closed her eyes. "It's an acceptance of your choice.
This is your life, Arezoo, and I'm no longer running it.
" She opened her eyes again, and they were fierce despite the tears.
"But you will have a proper wedding. Not some rashly-thrown-together affair.
You will have flowers and music and a dress that makes you look like a princess. Understood?"
"Understood." Arezoo threw her arms around her mother, hugging her tight. "Thank you, Maman. Thank you."
Her mother held her close, stroking her hair the way she used to when Arezoo was a little girl. "Just promise me something."
"Anything."
"Promise me you'll be happy. That's all I've ever wanted for you. Happiness."
"I promise." Arezoo pulled back, wiping her eyes. "I'm already happy. Ruvon makes me happy. And being immortal with him will make me even happier."
Her mother nodded. "Then go. I know you can't wait to tell him the news." She chuckled. "Now I know why he's been avoiding the store for the past week. He knew this conversation was coming and was scared to show his face here."
Arezoo couldn't deny it because it was true. "Can you be nice to him when he comes by?"
"Of course." Her mother clapped her on her back. "I'm always nice to him. Tell him that I need his help this Monday with a big delivery. It will be twice the regular size."
"Thank you." Arezoo hugged her mother again, then her aunts, and then she was out the door, practically running through the village toward Ruvon's house.
The sun was warm on her face, the air crisp and clean, and everything seemed brighter, more vivid, more alive. She was getting married. In three weeks, she would be Ruvon's wife. And shortly after that, she would be immortal.
She reached Ruvon's home breathless from excitement and rang the bell.
The door opened, and there he was. Tall, slim, with gorgeous dark eyes that always seemed to see right through her. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, and his hair was slightly mussed, as if he'd been running his fingers through it.
He'd never looked more handsome to her.
"Arezoo?" His brow furrowed with concern. "Have you been running? What's wrong?"
"Everything's perfect." She threw herself into his arms, nearly knocking him backward. "I talked to my mother."
"You did?" His arms came around her automatically, steadying her. "What did she say?"
"She hyperventilated, but eventually she said yes.
" Arezoo pulled back just enough to see his face.
"We can get married in three weeks. My mother and aunts are going to cook the wedding feast, and my mother is going to order the flower arrangements, but Amanda can do all the rest. We're getting married, Ruvon. In three weeks."
For a moment, he just stared at her, as if he couldn't quite process what she was saying. Then a smile broke across his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes and making her heart flip in her chest.
"Three weeks." He pulled her inside and kicked the door shut behind them, then lifted her off her feet and spun her around until she was dizzy and laughing.
"I can't believe you did it," he said when he finally set her down.
"It wasn't easy. My mother nearly fainted, and my aunts had to calm her down."
"But she said yes."
"She said yes."
Ruvon cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs stroking her cheekbones. "I love you. Have I told you that today?"
"Not yet. It's still early."
"I love you." He kissed her forehead. "I love you." Her nose. "I love you." Her cheeks, one and then the other. "And in three weeks, I'm going to marry you, and then I'm going to love you for the rest of eternity."
He kissed her lips, soft at first, tender, but then her arms went around his neck and his hands slid down to her waist, and the kiss deepened into something hungry and urgent and full of promise.
They'd been careful until now, always stopping before things went too far. The wait had been excruciating, but necessary. Arezoo had wanted to do things right, to be married before they took that final step.
And now she was only three weeks away from having everything she wanted.
Ruvon backed her toward the couch, his mouth never leaving hers. They tumbled onto the cushions in a tangle of limbs, her fingers threading through his hair, his hands warm through the fabric of her shirt.
"Three weeks," he murmured against her lips. "And you'll be mine."
"I already am." She pulled him closer.