The Sunday Roast and the Secret Vows
[Jay's POV]
The Friday evening "Kidnapping" had gone exactly as Pappa Keizer promised. At 5:00 PM sharp, the black SUV had been idling at the campus gates, and the Squad had practically shoved us into the backseat with cheers and demands for "leftover Watson food" upon our return.
Now, it was Sunday afternoon—the golden hour of the weekend.
Keifer laughed, reaching under the table to squeeze my hand. "Mamma, after the week we just had, I don't even want to calculate the tip on a pizza delivery. My brain is officially on 'Airplane Mode'."
Pappa Keizer chuckled, carving the roast with practiced ease. "The University board called me yesterday, by the way. They didn't give me the official scores yet—legalities and all—but the Dean sounded like he'd just seen a miracle. Or a hostile takeover. Apparently, two students broke the curve so badly they might have to recalibrate the entire grading system for next year."
I felt a flush of pride. "We worked hard, Pappa."
"You worked like Watsons," he said, and the way he looked at me—with genuine, paternal respect—made the last of the 'Mariano' chill in my bones melt away.
The Post-Lunch Haze
After lunch, the "chaos" Mamma Serina loved so much took over. She had brought out a stack of heavy, silk-bound scrapbooks.
"Since the wedding is two years away," she said, pulling me onto the outdoor sofa beside her, "we don't have to rush. But... I thought we could start a 'Legacy Book'. Photos of you two at the university, your first apartment together after graduation, the planning stages."
I looked at the first page. It was a photo Mamma had snapped of Keifer and me sleeping on the sofa during the study holiday, our heads leaned against each other, surrounded by textbooks.
"You look so peaceful there," Mamma whispered. "I haven't seen Keifer sleep like that since he was five years old."
I looked over at Keifer, who was currently at the edge of the pool with Pappa, discussing something that looked suspiciously like a business strategy despite the 'No Work' rule. He looked up, caught my eye, and winked.
The Garden Walk
[Keifer's POV]
As the sun began to dip, painting the sky in shades of violet and gold, I managed to steal Jay away from Mamma's wedding scrapbooks. We walked down to the edge of the estate, where the koi pond reflected the darkening sky.
"Two years feels like a long time when I'm looking at you," I said, pulling her into my arms. The evening breeze was picking up, and she tucked herself into my chest, her hands resting over my heart.
"It's 730 days, Keifer," she whispered, her inner genius never truly turning off.
"730 days of me falling in love with you in every possible version," I countered. "As a student, as an intern, as the woman who's going to change the face of engineering."
I reached into my pocket. I didn't have another ring—the sapphire on her finger was already the ultimate seal—but I pulled out a small, old-fashioned brass key.
"What's this?" she asked, tilting her head.
"It's the key to the old boathouse on the lake," I said. "Pappa gave it to me today. He said it's ours to renovate. A project for the next two years. Our own 'Room 413'
but off-campus. A place where we can go when the world gets too loud."
Jay took the key, her fingers brushing mine. Her eyes were bright with tears, but she was smiling.
"A project," she breathed. "I like projects."
"I know you do."
I leaned down, capturing her lips in a kiss that tasted like the future. There was no pressure now. No exams, no brothers, no expectations. Just the quiet certainty of the weekend, the warmth of the family inside the house, and the man and woman who had turned a "Decree" into a destiny.
"I love you, Jay," I whispered against her lips.
"Calculations confirmed, Keifer," she replied, her voice steady and full of light. "I love you too."
.........
As we walked back toward the lights of the house, the sound of Mamma and Pappa's laughter echoed across the lawn. We weren't just two students going back to a dorm on Monday. We were the start of a new legacy.
The Marianos were a ghost story.
The Watsons were home.
And Jay and Keifer? They were the constant that made the whole universe make sense.