Chapter 1 A Crazy Idea

Deanna wasn't at all happy with what Harry was proposing. He had to be crazy to come up with such an idea.

"What you're saying makes zero sense. Did you hit your head before coming here?"

"I know, but we need your help. I don't know who else to ask."

Harry's girlfriend, Laura, wasn't saying anything, but she was getting more nervous by the minute.

Their situation wasn't good - they were still in school, they were young, madly in love, but they'd been careless. Laura had confirmed her pregnancy just three days ago.

"I get where you're coming from, Harry, but no one's going to buy it. Your family doesn't even know me."

"But I talked to my brother and he agreed. Please Deanna, help us."

Laura finally spoke up, her eyes full of tears.

"We wouldn't ask this if it wasn't so important to us. Our families are really strict about this stuff. They won't let Harry marry me if his older brother is still single. And my family won't let me keep the baby unless I'm married."

Seeing Laura so distressed made Deanna start to waver.

"I can't believe they still follow these ancient rules. But I've only seen your older brother in photos."

Their proposal was simple: for Harry and Laura to get married, Daniel, who had been widowed 5 years ago, had to remarry first. Deanna was Harry's best friend and their only option left.

"I can't believe it either, feels like we're still living in the Middle Ages. It's all I could think of to fix this, and Daniel's willing to do it too."

"But what will your family say? Will they agree? Am I just supposed to show up one day and announce I'm your brother's future wife?"

"We can figure that out as we go. The important thing is you two get married as soon as possible; then we can get married and have our baby."

Deanna had to be as crazy as Harry because this whole insane idea was starting to seem doable. She cared a lot about her friend, and seeing poor Laura so worried about her unborn baby finally convinced her.

"Okay, but-"

"Really, Deanna?! This is great!"

"Wait, Harry..."

"You've saved us, friend! You're the best! Laura, we're getting married!"

"HARRY!! Wait, please... At least introduce me to your brother first."

"Of course! I'll set up a dinner so you can meet him. Just the four of us."

Laura burst into tears, inconsolable with happiness. Harry hugged her and peppered her face with kisses, trying to comfort her. They really were deeply in love - it was touching. It was a shame they had to come up with such a crazy plan just to stay together.

This made Deanna think she'd walked right into the lion's den. What kind of family still has these traditions and follows them to the letter? But she couldn't say no to such a request. She'd known Harry since she started at the University of Arts; they quickly became classmates, partners in crime, and ended up good friends.

It took Laura a while at first to accept her as her fiancé's friend, but over time she realized Deanna and Harry loved each other like siblings. The three of them started hanging out a lot together despite coming from such different backgrounds.

Harry and Laura came from wealthy families, traditional elite with generations of successful professionals. Deanna, on the other hand, had been raised by her mother and grandmother, and she was the first in her entire family to set foot in a university.

In fact, she worked part-time at a clothing store to help cover some expenses and not burden her mother too much with the costs of sending her to study in the capital. Deanna had shown a natural talent for singing, perhaps inherited from the father she never knew, and both women decided to make an extra effort to give her the chance at higher education.

Unlike her, Harry and Laura didn't have to worry about trivial things like money; though it took Harry quite a bit of convincing to get his father to let him study music instead of becoming a lawyer, doctor, or businessman like his brother. But since Daniel was already handling the family business, he was more flexible with his younger son.

"My family can't find out," Deanna told them.

"Why?" Laura asked.

"It's just the three of us, I don't want them thinking this marriage will last forever and then see me divorced. I promised them I'd finish school first."

"Don't worry, friend, we'll keep it as discreet as possible."

The baby was due in less than 8 months, so they didn't have much time before it started showing on Laura. They needed to speed things up; once Deanna and Daniel had the wedding, they would "romantically" elope to seal their love. They'd return after the child was born and no one could say anything about it then.

Then Deanna and Daniel would declare they weren't compatible and separate, like nothing had ever happened. That was totally normal, right? Lots of couples split up after living together for a while because they discover they don't actually get along. Nobody would get hurt or damaged, and Deanna would gain a niece or nephew to spoil.

"I'll call my brother to tell him the good news and see when he can meet with us."

"Does he know who I am?"

"Well, he knows I was going to ask a friend from university. There was no point telling him it was you since he doesn't know you either."

"I see."

"But don't worry about that, I'm sure he'll like you. He's not as 'difficult' as everyone says."

"What do you mean by 'difficult'?"

"My brother-in-law is a bit... special. But Harry's right, he's not so bad once you get to know him," Laura tried to lighten things up.

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm getting myself into a huge mess?"

Harry and Laura looked at each other and smiled. It was true that Daniel was complicated in some ways, but he was good-hearted. Maybe a bit strict and completely opposite to Deanna's cheerful, carefree personality; he was willing to help them for his future niece or nephew's sake. Although he'd made a scene when he found out, he wouldn't let anything happen to his brother or sister-in-law, much less the baby.

"By the way, you know Daniel has three kids, right?"

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah: Ethan, Naomi, and Jonathan."

"Weren't those your sister's kids?"

"No, Susan's not married yet."

"Oh my God!"

"You'll make a great stepmom!"

"Don't push your luck, kid, or you might regret it."

"You can't back out now, you already said yes."

"Try me."

Laura was happy, really happy. She watched them bicker like little kids and couldn't help feeling incredibly lucky. Deanna was more than willing to do this for them, she was going to be a mom, and the man she loved would marry her. She just hoped everything would work out and Daniel would behave like a gentleman.

That night the three of them went out to dinner at their usual spot near the university, the food stand they frequented. Deanna and Harry were able to have some beers - too many, actually - because they ended up practically crawling to get Deanna back to her apartment before taking a taxi.

Back at her apartment, "Mighty Dean," as Harry called her, crashed like a rock onto her bed. She had no idea about everything she was about to experience just from trying to help her friends.