Matt ignored him and started the engine of his car. Without giving Jason any heads up, his car dashed into the busy street. Jason followed him behind while hitting the accelerator.

By the time they reached Matt’s home, it had become dark. The single bungalow stood in the middle of a beautiful French-style garden. He parked the car in front of the house and jumped out.

“You lost this time!” Matt declared proudly.

“It’s because you started earlier than me and did not give me any indication. Anyways, from tomorrow onwards, I belong to my wife and I am her property. I have to take care of my body so that I would get to sleep at home every day.” Jason said with a wicked smile.

Matt rolled his eyes and climbed the stairs. Hearing their voices outside, his wife, Layla rushed near the door. She opened the door in a hurry. That made Matt’s car keys slip down from his hand. He had bent down to pick it up while Layla also tried to help him. Their heads knocked against each other. Matt held his wife tightly to prevent her from falling back.

“Careful, you are expecting our baby! Why are you even trying to lift the keys from the ground? You need to take care of yourself and our baby now. You can’t keep running around the house like a small kid anymore.” Matt instructed and hugged his wife who is now five months into her pregnancy.

The bump was now clearly visible. Matt bent down and kissed his wife’s slightly protruding belly. Jason watched the scene with twinkling eyes. He imagined Amy with a big tummy. His heart was filled with happiness.

When Layla saw Jason behind Matt, she pushed him away. Then she hurriedly walked toward her cousin. Jason had not come to their home for a long time now.

“Lala be cautious! How many times do I need to remind you that you should walk slowly…” Matt said.

“Yes, I am pregnant but I am not a patient. I can take care of myself and the baby just fine. I am hardly five months into the pregnancy now but your friend keeps on reminding me like every five minutes.” She whined about Matt to Jason.

Jason laughed and looked at Matt with a knowing look.

“Jason, long time no see. Where were you all these days?” Layla asked.

“I am busy as usual with my work. So how is my little niece doing?” He asked with a smile.

“She is doing very well. She had started to move around a lot nowadays. Also, she misses her uncle a lot who never visited even once till now.” She said while rubbing her bulging tummy.

“Are you both going to come inside or keep on standing there? It’s will be dark soon and the wind is getting slightly cold.” Matt said.

He walked towards his wife and draped his coat around her body.

“We are coming, coming…” Layla shouted while shaking her head in disapproval.

She then put her tongue out and said, 'Oooooo..'

After Matt came to know about her pregnancy, she had been under strict house arrest. He did not let her go anywhere much other than the monthly appointments with her doctor.

Even for that, he would have asked the doctor to do a house visit. But the medical equipment would be difficult to transport all the time. So he let her go to the doctor's clinic. Moreover, Layla had warned him that, if he did try to make it an in house visit, then she would go and stay at her parent’s house until delivery.

So left with no other option, he agreed to her request. He would always come with her for all the visits. Till now, he did not miss even a single one. More than her, whenever the doctor asked her a question about her health he would answer them before her. There was a time when the doctor asked him if he was a pregnant lady or his wife?

Jason held her hand and helped her climb the stairs.

“So when is the due date?” Jason asked.

“In four months' time,” Matt replied before Layla could.

“Are you still having nausea?” He asked.

“It has gotten better in the last two months.” Once again Matt replied.

“Are you for real? Let me talk with my cousin alone for some time. Go away, husband.” Layla said while pulling Jason towards the living room.

Matt still followed them, much to Layla’s disapproval.

“Sometimes, I wonder if I made a mistake by marrying so early. I lost my freedom and I got a free bodyguard with me almost twenty-four by seven.” She pointed at Matt and complained.

“Isn’t he the love of your life two years back? You even said it's never early to get married to him. Also, you stated to me that if there was no defined legal age, then you would have married him long back. I have a recording of that, do you want to hear it?” Jason mocked.

“I said that when I did not understand what marriage was and all the responsibilities involved in that. As an elder brother, you are supposed to guide me on the right path. But what did you do?” Layla asked.

“What did I do? I supported all your decisions as a good elder brother like you said. I spoke to your parents and arranged for your marriage. Are you now going to blame me for that as well? I already warned you before about how Matt is… Still, you stood on one leg like a crane and married him.” Jason complained.

“You are right! I am the one who did not listen to you… I should have actually made him suffer a little before easily accepting his proposal.” Layla agreed with him.

“Cough… Cough… I am still here…” Matt announced his existence.

“That’s why I asked you to leave us alone. It had been a while since I saw a new human being around this house. I am too bored and everything here is too old. I want something new.” Layla argued.

“Matt, you should teach your wife properly. Look at how she is calling you old.” Jason poked his best friend.

“When did I call him old?" Layla argued and turned towards her husband.

"Are you even listening to what he is actually saying? Darling, do you think I will call you old? Even when all your hair turns grey, you will always be my handsome hero who is as young as when I first met you.” Layla moved near her husband and hugged him from the sides.

“Really? Maybe as you said earlier I am just a boring, old bodyguard who always follows you around.” Matt said with a sad face.

“Yes, you are right! She did say that…” Jason commented.

“No.. no.. Baby… You are my husky husband who always follows me… And I definitely love it.” Layla kissed his cheeks and nodded her head up and down.

She had just thought that she succeeded in calming him down when Jason opened his mouth and said,

“She called you a dog indirectly…”

“What are you saying? I did not call him dog…” Layla fought with Jason.

“She did... She did… She called you a husky... Siberian husky,” Jason pointed at her and said.

“Stop it, Jason. That’s enough. Do not agitate my baby and my wife. Even if she calls me a dog, I am happy with that. I will always be faithful only to her.” Matt looked down at his wife and kissed her lips.

“Me too, baby… Let us kick him out of our team...” Layla declared.

“I don’t even want to be on your team. Anyways, I am planning to make my own team from tomorrow onwards, so who will care about your lousy team?” Jason proclaimed.

“What team? Are you going to sponsor some football team once again?” Layla asked.

“No, he is getting married,” Matt said.

“Marriage? When? With Whom?”

“Tomorrow, with his long time crush, Amy,” Matt announced the news.

“Wait, ‘Amy!’ The one he was searching for almost, I lost the count, how many years, dear?” Layla asked Matt.

“For almost fifteen years…” Matt said.

“You finally found her? How?” Layla asked.

“By chance, I was about to acquire her father’s company. Our deal almost went through, until when some shareholders started to raise some questions. He invited me to his house as he could not go out because of his illness. There I saw her photo in their house. He is not well, so the marriage had to happen by tomorrow. I am sorry, I could not inform you all earlier. As nothing was fixed, I was not sure if she would agree to the marriage in the first place. But she did and it’s tomorrow. I am nervous, I have not selected a ring for her yet. I thought I would find one at Matt’s shop but I did not like any of them.” Jason uttered.

“Wait, I have a ring with me… You will definitely like it…” Layla said and walked inside the room.

After ten minutes she came out with an old fashioned jewelry box. She kept it on the table and opened the box.

“This is…” Jason could not believe what he was looking at.

“Yes, you are correct. This is our family’s heirloom. Grandma gave it to me…”

“No no… I cannot take this… If this is given by Grandma to you, then you should keep it.”

“Listen to me Jason, Grandma did not give it to me but to your future wife. This belongs to your family. After Uncle and Aunt passed away, there was no one who will be able to handle all these at your home. You were single and grandma thought… you were gay… So she asked me to take care of it until you meet your wife… That too if you ever reconsider changing your gender preference. Or else, it would belong to my daughter. Since I am going to get a sister-in-law now, I think I should hand it over to her. This is her responsibility from now on.” Layla said.