A Shotgun Wedding with the Mafia Don-Chapter 36: The dream was not the reality

"Mmm!"

The smell of freshly baked chocolate cookies wafted in the air, filling her nostrils with all its delicious sweetness.

"Mom, this is exactly how Grandma used to make it." She exclaimed happily, remembering the delicious treat that her grandmother loved to bake when she was still alive.

"Try it, Oliver." Her mother shoved the plate that was full of cookies in her boyfriend’s direction.

It was the first time she had brought Oliver home to meet her parents.

At first, when she suggested it to Oliver, she was a nervous wreck. Her palms were sweaty, her stomach was filled with butterflies, and her heart was working overtime. It felt like she was about to have a heart attack.

What if he said no? What if he didn’t want to meet them? What if this relationship was nothing but a game to him?

"Thank you, Ms. Clarke." Oliver politely smiled and took a cookie from the plate.

Although Oliver had kept her a secret from his family and friends, she could never hide him from her parents.

For some reason, he didn’t decline her invitation. On the contrary, he seemed excited to meet her parents. Something she didn’t expect from him.

"Just call me, Aunt Stella." Her mother said as she also offered a refreshing, newly squeezed orange juice.

Being kind and friendly, her parents had opened their home to him and welcomed him with open arms.

"This is absolutely mouthwatering." Oliver complimented her mother’s baking prowess. "I think this is better than anything I have ever tasted before."

Making a gesture of kissing his fingers, he showed how much he loved every bit of it.

"Well, maybe you should start learning how to make this for Oliver." Her mother offered to teach her, winking at her boyfriend as if they were already close and conspiring against her.

Even though she loved to hang around the kitchen, the only thing she could do was boil eggs and make coffee.

Usually, her mother did all the cooking. While she and her Dad did all the eating.

"Wouldn’t you like that, Oliver?" She tapped her boyfriend’s nose, enjoying their little banter in front of her mother. "Me cooking for you."

Suddenly, she could only imagine what it would be like to be married to Oliver. To cook every day for him. To live with him. To love him till the rest of their lives.

"Yes, Amelia." Oliver suddenly leaned down and captured her hand. "I would love that." Kissing each one of her fingers charmingly with his warm lips.

"Hey, OIiver..." Her father’s voice echoed behind them, forcing her boyfriend to snap into attention. "I heard that you’re majoring in business. What are your plans after graduation?"

As she had expected, her father would not let this opportunity to grill Oliver.

"Dad..." She called, silently warning and telling him to take it easy. Then, she shifted her eyes to her mother, signaling that Stella should also intervene.

"Edward?!" Her mother gave her father a knowing look that would usually give her the shivers.

"What? I’m just trying to get to know Oliver." Her father tried to defend himself.

"It’s ok, Aunt Stella, I don’t mind," Oliver assured them that he was more than happy to answer all their questions.

Fortunately, her father and her boyfriend had the same interest in numbers. Soon, they were discussing the stock market.

"I like him, Amelia." Her father gave his nod of approval. "I think you really hit a jackpot."

With that said, she was more than glad. She sighed, finally releasing the air that she had unconsciously trapped inside her lungs.

"I think you have a lovely family... and a lovely daughter," Oliver said. "If you’re gonna ask me, I think it is me who has been lucky to find Amelia."

"I love you, Amelia." Oliver continued, whispering those sweet words into her ear.

Out of the blue, he suddenly knelt before her, his face tilted upward, while his eyes never left hers.

"What are you doing?" She asked, surprised. Stunned. Shocked.

"Amelia..." He looked up to her with hopeful eyes as he pulled a box out of his pocket.

"Will you..."

"Oh, yes! Oliver!"

"Oh, yes!"

"Yes... a million yes!" She kept repeating, not needing to hear the rest of his words.

But before she could see anything, the lights turned dark.

"Oliver..."

"Oliver?"

"Sophia..." Then, she finally heard his familiar voice.

"Sophia?"

But something was off.

"Sophia?"

His voice sounded real, but something wasn’t right.

"Wake up, Sophia."

A light tap on her shoulder, the constant ringing of his voice in her ears, and the bright light that penetrated through her closed eyes, finally roused her from her unconscious state.

"Huh!" Confusion, followed by panic, jerked her up into a sitting position.

"Hey, I think you’d just had a bad dream." He tried to calm her down as his hands firmly held her shoulders, his fingers slightly digging through her flesh to keep her in place.

"Oliver..." It was his voice, but her mind was still too fuzzy to look at his face.

Of course, damnit, it was just a dream.

In what world would Oliver even think of proposing to her? She meant Amelia.

"Are you okay?" He sounded a bit concerned as his hand moved across her face.

His thumb brushed along her cheeks as if wiping an invisible tear.

"Yeah! I must have dozed off." She explained, thanking him for waking her up.

Maybe it was her hangover or her lack of sleep, but she remembered yawning several times before her body truly weighed her down.

With heavy lids, she fought hard to keep her eyes open, but she eventually gave in.

"Anyway, where’s everybody?" She asked, finding the pool and the surrounding area empty.

The last thing she recalled was lounging by the pool with Oliver’s family earlier. But now, it seemed everyone had gone inside.

It was just her and Oliver who were left.

"They just got in." He told her. "You look so exhausted. Nobody wishes to wake you up, but I don’t want to leave you here all alone."

Why was he still holding her as if she were a precious glass that would break if he let go of her?

Was that worry she saw in his eyes? But it quickly vanished in the blink of an eye as if she had just imagined the entire thing.

"Anyway, about Hazel?"

What was she thinking?

Of course, his concern was not about her, but all about the former Mrs. Morton.

Face it! Sophia.

Her dream was not her reality.