The Better Place

"Lucy please accept my proposal," Adam pleaded. "I love you."

"Adam it's not like that," Lucy whimpered. "I love you as much as you love me, but you know our genotypes are the same, AS, and we can't get married." She cupped Adam's beauteous face in her hands amorously. "If we get married to each other, we're gonna have a sickle cell child or even more."

"I know about all that, Lucy, but I wanna be with you always," Adam cooed. "I love you and I'm willing to take the risk."

"Adam, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Lucy replied in a soft, quivery voice, meeting Adam's eyes. She managed to blink away her tears. "I don't wanna give birth to a sickly child. I'm so sorry."

Adam was imbued with bewilderment and laden with heartbreak, unable to bodily stop Lucy who spun on her heel and walked away seemingly reluctantly.

His eyes glistened with tears that all but began to trickle down. It seemed the rockfall of a love mountain. It seemed the love ocean had dried up.

"Why? Why did this have to happen to me and the one I love?" Adam soliloquized in a low voice. "Still I'm willing to take whatever risk for the sake of our love."

When Lucy got to her apartment, she went straight to her bedroom. Immediately after she sank onto her bed, she broke down in tears. Not only Adam was heavy with bitterness. Lucy sorrowed more, for she knew the pain behind losing a precious entity even willingly.

In the secret, in the quietude and in her loneliness, she wept and wept, and then it seemed as though there was neither tears nor voice left in her.

"Oh God, why me?" Lucy whimpered, staring overhead eoth her tearful eyes. "This is so unfair. Why me, Lord? What am I going to do now? I can't send Adam out of my life. I can't pretend to live him no more." She rendered her eyes downcast. "I can't sacrifice our love."

Lucy had eventually cried herself into slumber. It was already the break of day when she woke up the next day. She could feel the new situation with regard to her health as her head seemed a mortar to a dozen pistons.

A dire headache had befallen her. She neared the full-length mirror lazily, but when she saw her reflection in the mirror, terror impinged on her so that she cowered even as she screamed.

The willowy maiden in the mirror looked like a ghost that had escaped from the land of the dead. Her facial make-up was smeared. Her eyes were swollen because of the tearful weeping, and her long, ebony hair was tousled.

"Dear God," she breathed somewhat woefully, "I don't deserve any of these."

She freshened up and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. While eating, she heard a knock on the front door.

Pausing in her breakfast, she arose and went to the door. When she opened the door, she beheld her best friend, Rose. She seemed very surprised as if Rose was an unfamiliar face.

"Good morning, Rose," Lucy greeted.

"Morning, Lucy," Rose greeted back.

"What brought you here at this hour?" Lucy queried.

"Are you gonna let me in or not?" Rose asked unsmilingly, ignoring Lucy's question.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Lucy replied, moving aside so that Rose could go in. "You should come in."

After breakfast was over, the two friends ensconced themselve in the armchairs. Rose had motives for coming to Lucy's apartment, hence she spoke up.

"I heard about what happened between you and Adam," she said.

"I'm so confused and didn't know what to do," said Lucy sadly. "I love Adam. On the other hand, I don't want to give birth to a sickly child."

Rose had started a conversation which, early even, was a reminder that made Lucy's unhappiness deepen. Lucy had burst out sobbing tearfully.

"Hey, Lucy, stop crying," Rose consoled her. "Don't you worry, we'll find a way out of this."

"There's no solution," Lucy whimpered. "I don't know what to do."

Rose went close up to Lucy so that she sat on the arm of the chair, cheek by jowl with her friend. "Alright, calm down," she breathed with consolation. "Stop crying. Everything's gonna be okay."

Rose had been Lucy's best friend ever since their college days. When she heard about the situation, she had disagreed to believe at first. As she had seen that they were madly in love with one another, she appeared helpless.

A few days later.

Adam was in his room in deep thought dark circles were visible under his eyes he hardly slept since his and Lucy's Argument.

He was very worried about her but he knew he had to give her space to be alone and decide their fate

" Why did this have to happen to us Lucy? " he sighed

"Everything was perfect until we got the results, why why? " he mumbled

While he was still in deep thought he heard a knock on the door.

When he opened it he was surprised to see Rose.

" Hey Rose, how is Lucy? and what brings you here? " he asked

" Hey Adam, how are you? " she asked ignoring his question.

" Am still alive and kicking," he replied

" is it because of Lucy? " she inquired, though she already knew what his answer would be.

" Of course, she's the only one that can make me this sad you know " he replied.

looking closely at Adam, Rose noticed the large circles under his eyes.

" Adam when last did you sleep? " she asked.

" Well, to be sincere I hardly slept since me and Lucy Argument, she is always on my mind especially when I close my eyes It's her image that comes to view," he replied.

" Things we do for love " Rose sighed.

" So Adam what do you plan on doing? " she asked

" Marry Lucy, I guess " he replied

" But you know the implications right? " Rose asked.

" Yes, I do and I am willing to take the risk," he replied

" Can you please help me convince her? " he pleaded

" it's her choice not mine you will have to talk to her yourself " she said

" But I haven't seen her for days now I .... "

Before he could finish speaking Lucy's figure came into view, she was wearing an orange top and blue jeans and her hair was tied up in a messy bun, her eyes were still swollen.

Immediately Adam saw her in this state, he felt his heart ache for her.

He ran to her and pulled her into a tight hug just then Lucy broke down in tears.

Adam let her cry as much as she wanted he drew soothing circles on her back hoping that will help her calm down.

seeing them like this Rose could only shake her head.

' Why can't life be fair to people in love? , why do they always have to suffer? ' she sighed.

After Lucy had calmed down

" Adam Please don't leave me I can't leave without you , I love you Adam " she said.

" I love you too Lucy more than you can imagine," he said

Disregarding Rose's presence Adam placed a lingering kiss on her lips.

They were interrupted when Rose cleared her throat.

" So guys, have you decided what to do? are you going ahead with the wedding? " she asked.

" Of course we are " the duo chorused

" Wow !!! that's the spirit !!! " Rose applauded as she jumped like a Proud mother hen.

" So when is the date? " she asked

" We are getting our marriage certificates first thing tomorrow morning " Adam replied

" Adam !!! " Lucy called out surprised.

" NO buts, Lucy we can have a grand wedding later as for now that would do " he replied.

" Alright then so what about the arrangements? " Lucy asked

" You don't need to worry I will arrange it all, So all you have to do is arrive at the civil affairs office nice and early tomorrow morning " he said

" Oh! I love you, Adam," she said

" I love you more, Darling," he replied

" Hey love birds are you forgetting that I am still here? " Rose reminded, Feigning hurt.

" Sorry about that dear " Lucy teased.

" it's okay but Adam are you inviting your parents? " Rose asked.

" There's no need for that As they had already accepted Lucy as their daughter in law " he replied

" Oh! so Lucy are you going to inform your half brother and sister about this? " she asked.

" Nah, they don't care about me so it's useless informing them about it " she replied.

" Adam what time should we arrive and the address? " Lucy asked

" I dunno yet, I will inform you later " he replied

" Alright then " she replied

" At least every thing is settled for now " he sighed inwardly.

" Hmmmmn, Lucy I think we should go to the mall to get some dresses " Rose Suggested, Happily.

" That's not needed I can just wear some of my other clothes " she replied.

" Are you crazy, Lucy? let's go now! " Rose demanded as she dragged Lucy out of Adam's apartment.

" Aww, Such a caring friend " Adam sighed.

~~~~~~

The next day Rose and Lucy arrived at the civil affairs office nice and early.

Lucy insisted on Rose accompanying her despite the later's protest Lucy insisted in the name of ' Witness ' Rose accompanied her anyways.

Lucy was putting on an orange sundress which Rose chose for her and three-inch heels as she was not a fan of high heels.

Minutes later Adam arrived in his White Sports car he was putting on a wine suit with a designer shoe.

When Rose saw Lucy drooling at the sight of her groom she whispered.

" Hey Lucy your groom looks so hot, can I have him please? " she teased.

" Shut up! as if he will spare you a glance " Lucy snapped

" Hey, aren't you too mean, why won't he spare me a glance, am I not beautiful enough? " Rose pouted.

" Well That's because he only has his eyes for me! " Lucy said proudly.

" And how do you know that, uh? " Rose challenged

" Because I can see and feel it " she replied.

" Alright, I give up '' Rose surrendered.

" Better! " Lucy smirked

Just then Adam approached them

" Hello darling you look stunning " Adam commented as he pecked Lucy's forehead.

" You look stunning too " Lucy replied.

" Hey love birds, don't forget that I am still here so stop throwing dog food at me " Rose replied Feigning announce.

" Oh! Well, I thought you were invisible " Lucy teased

" What !!!!! how dare you? " Rose ranted

" Hey, hey stop being so childish let's head in " Adam interfered.

Soon they headed in

within forty minutes - one hour all the formalities were done.

They headed outside to take various wedding photographs.

After all this were done Lucy and Adam headed to their new home which was a newly purchased pent house.

While Adam was a CEO, Lucy was a fashion designer she also had her own boutique.

When they arrived home

" Lucy go take a bath first I will have mine later " Adam said

" Okay," Lucy replied.

After she was done she wore her night gown and dried her long hair

which she later tied up in a ponytail.

When Adam came out of the bathroom Lucy could not help but drool while staring at his sexy arbs.

" Stop drooling I am yours already " Adam who caught her said.

Just then Lucy snapped back out of her daze her face burned in embarrassment of being caught.

Adam chuckled seeing her reaction he moved closer to her and whispered.

" You know tonight is our wedding night " he said.

Before Lucy could even reply he covered her lips with his.

After their intense love making they cuddled in each other's arms as they slept.

The next morning when Lucy woke up she felt sore all over she couldn't get out of bed this resulted in Adam being her servant for the day bathing her , dressing her , feeding her.

Seeing Adam pampering her without complaints Warmed Lucy's heart, she felt like she was falling in love again.

In the evening while the two love birds were taking a nap on the couch Adam's phone rang seeing the caller ID he frowned as he picked up the Call.

It was his assistant Jackson.

" Why are you calling me? , Didn't I ask you not to? " H asked Annoyed.

" Boss, I am sorry for the disturbance but there's an emergency " Jackson Quickly answered.

After Adam left the house for the office due to the emergency call Lucy was left all alone at home even though Adam didn't want to leave but Lucy forced him to as she didn't want his company to suffer because of her.

Now that she was alone at home she felt quite bored she then decided to video call Rose.

Picking up her phone to video call Rose.

After two rings Rose appeared on the screen in a pink bathrobe her hair was dripping wet, Lucy knew instantly that she just came out of the shower.

" Hey Rose " Lucy greeted.

" Hey Lucy, wassup why are you calling suddenly, any emergency? , are you not supposed to be with Adam? " she interrogated.

" Why the questions? anyways Adam stepped out due to an emergency at work so I am stuck here all alone. " Lucy sighed.

" hmmmmn okay " Rose answered, Relieved.

" Wanna hang out with me? " Lucy asked suddenly.

" Good idea and that reminds me when are you going to check on your shopping mall and boutique? " Rose asked

" Probably on Wednesday as for now I am still on my honeymoon period According to Adam " Lucy sighed.

" Oh! Alright, when should we meet and at what time? " Rose inquired.

" In an hour or so, can you please come to pick me up, " Lucy asked feeling a bit embarrassed as she couldn't drive, she made a mental note to learn how to before the year runs out?

" Oh! No problem I'll be there" Rose replied cheerfully.

Throughout that day Lucy and Rose hanged out like always but the only difference was that Lucy was married.

Once when they were in the fun park licking ice cream and playing with the swings, they overheard some ladies gossiping.

" Hey Tina, did you hear the rumors? " the lady asked her friend

" What rumors? " Tina asked wondering what it could be.

" The rumors that the handsome and stunning CEO of moon Corp, Adam Standford is now committed " she replied.

" What!, when, how, and most importantly to whom? " Tina asked bewildered.

" Dunno, I just hope she is the perfect match for my idol and not some common gold-digger " she sighed.

" Yes, you right and I wonder who the lucky lady is? " Tina was still shocked about this news the CEO of moon Corp was a very strict man and was never seen with a woman so many thought he was gay but hearing that he was committed proved that he was not but this only made people curious as to who the lucky woman was that managed to steal their idol

Hearing this gossips Rose could only sigh as she whispered to Lucy

" Your hubby has a lot of admirers, uh? " she teased

" Yes, and I will make sure I chase them all away because he's mine only," Lucy said confidently

Discerning her friend's possessiveness Rose sighed.

' I guess Adam changed her a lot ' she made a mental note to thank Adam later because she noticed that since Adam came into their lives Lucy had always been happy and smiling unlike before when she was always sad and frowning due to lack of parental love and care as Lucy was an orphan her step-siblings didn't like her and made things difficult for her but despite all the trials Lucy fulfilled her dreams of having her own boutique and being a fashion designer.

Seeing Lucy only made Rose Happy and grateful to God for bringing light back into her Best Friends life.

Lucy looked at Rose and noticed the latter was in a daze she then gave her a light Pat on the Shoulder Which resulted in the latter Snapping out of her Daze, Rose looked up only to Be faced with Lucy's Questioning look.

" What's wrong? " she asked

" What were you thinking so deeply about, Uh? " Lucy asked.

" Well, it's nothing important, just some random thoughts " Rose replied.

" Oh? " Lucy answered not believing her

" hmmmmn, that reminds me how is your relationship with your Fiance going? , When are you guys going to tie the knot? " Lucy asked. curiously as Rose hardly talk about herself.

" Good, Soon, why do you ask? " Rose asked.

" I was just curious, you know " Lucy replied.

" Oh! "

" Oh? , what's that about what's going on, please talk to me. " Lucy Pleaded.

" Well, it's nothing new... So when is Adam coming home?" Rose asked trying to change the subject

" Stop It, Rose! don't change the topic, please tell me what's going on I care about you please tell me what's wrong alright? " Lucy pleaded, clearly Worried.

" I ... " before Rose could utter a word she burst into tears, seeing Lucy was confused she always knew Rose as a strong person she never saw her this vulnerable so she was curious to know what happened. helplessly she pulled Rose into a tight hug and tried to calm her down.

" Shhhh, it's okay tell me what happened alright? " Lucy whispered

After Rose had calmed down she spoke up.

" I.... love him, Lucy I do," Rose said

' Oh so it's about her fiance, I wonder what's wrong this time ' Lucy thought.

Lucy knew about Rose's Fiance Jeremy Peterson , Rose once told her that they were dating

she thought that the both of them were in love but who knows

" Alright calm down, can you please tell me what exactly happened? " Lucy whispered

" Well, he told me that his first love and ex girlfriend Dorothy Washington had arrived back in the country and she's trying to get him back and..... " she stuttered

" And what? " Lucy asked.

" And he said he's considering going back to her " she replied

" What! how dare he say that! You guys have been together for a year now doesn't he even care about your feelings? " Lucy ranted

" What happened next? "

" Well, he said that he has not made up his mind yet and will inform me of his decision soonest " Rose replied.

" Oh, that's it don't tbe sad okay," Lucy said trying to lighten Rose's Mood.

Just then Lucy's phone rang glancing at the caller's ID she smiled.

Picking up she heard Adam's voice at the other end.

" Hey sweetie, I am home where are you? " he asked

" Hey darling, do not worry I am with Rose and we are just nearby I will be back home soon " Lucy assured

" Alright then, don't be late I love you," Adam said

" I won't, love you more " Lucy replied.

" Okay, see ya," Adam said and hung up

Raising her head, Lucy stared at Rose and saw that the latter was in a daze with a faint smile on her lips.

She wondered what the latter was thinking about and as she was not a mind reader or a Witch she could only sigh.

After about five minutes Rose came out of her daze and found Lucy staring at her curiously

" What? " she Inquired

" What were you thinking? " Lucy asked

" Just random thoughts, by the way, why are you still here? '' Rose asked.

" Staying with you to Keep you Company. '' Lucy replied casually

" Are you crazy? don't tell me you want to keep Adam waiting " she asked.

" Well, I need to make sure you are okay first before I head home alright? " Lucy replied

" Alright, I am okay let's go," Rose said.

" Sure? "

" Of course"

" Alright, let's go " Lucy replied as they headed to the Car.