STORY TITLE : MEN DON'T CRY

Men Do Cry (episode 1) We live in a society, where men are perceived as superhumans without the need to first verify if they have superpowers. There's so much pressure on men to be strong, perfect and fearless. Tears from a man's eyes is most often perceived as weakness and due to this, men try their best to always appear emotionless and tough. This was the reality of a ruthless lawyer named "Jaden". Back in the university days, Jaden was madly in love with a lady whom he gave his whole heart to. He made sure she never lacked anything and was everything she wanted him to be. She was his first love! Their relationship didn't last too long before hitting the rocks. Their separation shattered Jaden's heart into tiny pieces and left him deranged. He tried his possible best to get back together with her but all efforts was fruitless. Most times, he cried while begging her to stay but her mind was already made up. That breakup was Jaden's first and it left him devastated, broken and hurt. He hated "Love" and vowed to never be vulnerable or open the doors to his heart again all the days of his life. His hatred for vulnerability and weakness led to his decision to venture into law school. Jaden redirected all the anger from his broken relationship towards becoming the best lawyer there was. He studied 10× harder than his counterparts in law school and never looked at any lady twice. Jaden graduated as one of the best students and was called to Bar shortly afterwards. He had a record of not losing any case he puts his mind to winning. Jaden was one of the most sort after lawyers in his time. With all these victories, one would think that Jaden was a happy and fulfilled man, but it's sad that the reverse was the case. Jaden was still angry with himself for being vulnerable years back; he hated himself for letting his emotions show and for ever being dumped by someone. His title as an accomplished lawyer couldn't erase that one pain. His chosen profession made things worst because people began to perceive him as a superhuman who had everything under control. A lot of people feared and respected him due to his numerous court victories. Little did they know that Jaden was still human and had his own hidden insecurities, little did they also know that Jaden's career success was birthed from anger, fear and rejection. Little did they know! Year in year out, Jaden remained a bachelor and wasn't planning on letting any lady close to his heart anytime soon. He had few female friends but they never had the privilege of stepping their foot into his house. He lived an extremely private life and his house was out of bounds for women. Jaden hardly spoke to women and always tried to keep the conversation short whenever he found himself in an unavoidable situation. Everything remained the same but it wasn't for too long. Jaden had a tough case before him that had been in court for a long time. That case wasn't an easy one, as it was always adjourned whenever he thought victory for his client was near. Fortunately for Jaden, victory came at last and he was more happy that day than he had ever been all his life. The person whose case was won, threw a party at his house with Jaden as the guest of honour. They partied all evening till Jaden had to leave at around 8pm. It was a quiet ride back home but Jaden had to make a stop at a fast food to buy some snacks to take home. The fast food was about closing when he entered in a hurry. Immediately he set his eyes on the counter from afar, he couldn't help but look at the fast food attendant twice. His heart skipped a beat for the first time in many years; he comported himself and walked till he reached the counter. "Hello, please what can I get you?" the lady behind he counter enquired with a calm voice. Jaden kept wondering why he was drawn to her but didn't let his emotions show at all, "What do you guys still have?" He asked with a straight face, "uhmmm, we still have some snacks like meat pie, sausage roll, scotch egg and chicken pie?" She replied smiling. Her manner of approach got Jaden tripping but he didn't want to accept the fact that a fast food attendant could have the power to penetrate a wall alot of successful ladies with all their degrees couldn't. "I'll have 2 chicken pie" he said and it was given to him, "Have a great remaining hours of today" she said and walked out of the counter. As Jaden walked back to his car, he couldn't take the mysterious fast food attendant off his mind. He kept asking himself "Who is she?". End of episode 1 😉 Men Do Cry (episode 2) All through the ride home that day, Jaden couldn't get his mind off the beautiful and calm fast food attendant that had caught his attention. He kept questioning himself and wondering why he was drawn to her. Not in a thousand years would he had thought that a fast food attendant would make such impact on him. He was love struck but hadn't realised yet! "Of all the specs of beautiful women I see everyday, why this one in particular?" He asked himself but couldn't provide an answer. The more he tried to get the mysterious fast food attendant off his head, the more he thought about her. Finally, he arrived home and prepared himself for bed. He fought every thought of the mysterious lady, by reminding himself who he was and how he wasn't going to be vulnerable or give his heart to any woman again. "Jaden you've come a long way and can't turn back for a fast food attendant. Come on, no way!" He assured himself continuously before finally sleeping off. The next day, Jaden had to rush to the office earlier than normal because he had a client waiting for him. He arrived at the office and hurriedly attended to his client who was waiting. That day was a hectic one for Jaden as he went from one meeting to another without having any chance for breakfast or lunch. He was starving but held himself till he was done for the day. At around passed 4pm, Jaden closed from work and left the office in search for food to quench his hunger. As he drove, he slightly thought of the mysterious fast food attendant from the day before. He tried to shut down every thought of her but it was almost impossible. Seeing that there was little he could do to stop thinking about her, he decided to visit the fast food again in order to convince himself that she wasn't worth the stress. In no time, Jaden arrived at the fast food and gently walked in. The first place his eyes went to was the counter; at the exact place he saw her but she wasn't there. Jaden sighed in disappointment, "Was she in my dreams yesterday or is this whole thing real?" He thought to himself as he managed to walk down to the counter. "Goodevening, please what can I offer you?" The lady there asked and he hurriedly told her what he wanted so he could leave fast. Just as Jaden was waiting for his order, he heard someone from the other end of the counter say "The supervisor is calling you, don't worry I'll take the order for you". The voice sounded very familiar but he couldn't see who it was because they were behind the standing fridges that was at the counter. Just as Jaden was about to think further, the mysterious lady that almost drove him insane all night, was walking towards him with his order. His heart skipped several beats and his palms became sweaty, "ah ah! why is my heart beating so fast?" He asked himself as she walked closer. "Hi, here you go" the mysterious lady said, "thank you, keep the change" he said without making eye contacts but she rejected his tip, "I can't take it but thanks for being kind" she said and handed his order to him. Jaden wanted to start a conversation with her but his pride wouldn't let him. He didn't want to leave too soon again, so he ordered for a meal to eat there. "Can I just get something to eat here before leaving?" He asked, "Yes sure, what do you want to eat?' she politely asked, "give me anything you want to feed me with" he jokingly said and she smiled. The smile on her face sent chilled reactions down his spine but he concealed his emotions. "Don't worry, I know what to give you" she assured and he went to a corner not far from the counter and sat down to wait. While Jaden waited, he couldn't take his eyes off the lady that had stolen his thoughts. He watched her every move and was smitten by her graceful and charming personality. It was then that he noticed her long natural hair that came out of the cap she wore. He admired the way her uniform was beautifully fitted on her body, and he admired the way she smiled at every little thing her colleagues said. Jaden was going crazy! After a little while of waiting, she started walking close to him with a tray. He immediately put himself in order and wore a straight look on his face. "Here you go! So sorry for keeping you waiting" she politely said, "It's fine" he replied and pretended to be focused on the food. "Don't you think the air conditioner is too close to you? You might end up catching a cold" she gently said and turned to leave but Jaden stopped her by asking why she didn't venture in a career on consultancy, since she loves giving advice and making suggestions for people. She smiled and turned again to leave but he stopped her, "you still haven't answered my question" he said, "I graduated from the university 2 years ago so it's already too late to have a career in that field of study" she replied smiling. "What did you major in while in the university?" He asked, "I studied accounting" she replied. Jaden was impressed but confused at the same time because he couldn't connect why an accountant was working in a fast food. "Why are you here then, since you studied accounting in school?" He enquired, "Job search hasn't been easy so I decided to go for this job, so I can save up for my dream business" she replied, "What's this dream business?" He curiously asked but she didn't let the cat out of the bag. "You ask too many questions, I have to go" she said and was about leaving. Jaden stopped her one last time and said "I haven't gotten the chance to know your name, can you tell me your name?. She smiled and said "My name is Laura". End of episode 2 😉 Men Do Cry (episode 3) The fast food attendant's name reveal made jaden feel a type of way and it was a good feeling. Her name sounded like a beautiful melody in his ears. Jaden didn't need a seer to tell him that he was already falling for her because he could feel it deep in his soul. He didn't want her to go, but it was sad that she had to because he was interrupting her work. "Nice to meet you Laura, and beautiful name by the way" Jaden said, "Thank you! Can I also know your name?" She asked, "My name is Jaden" he replied, "Would you have bothered to know my name if I didn't ask you first" he added and she blushed. "I really have to go now, my supervisor wouldn't be happy with me if she sees me talking to you" Laura said and left in a hurry. As Jaden quietly ate his food, he kept thinking of a way to see Laura again without having to implicate her at her work place. "What am I going to do now? I can't possibly call her to my table again because she's back to the counter" he thought to himself as he ate. When Jaden was done eating and was about leaving, he stretched his hand and pick one of the fast food flyer that was close by, removed a pen from his pocket and wrote something behind it. When he was done writing, he walked to the counter and pretended as though he wanted to bid Laura goodbye. As she waved goodbye to him, he secretly put the flyer into her hands and winked at her before walking away. Laura immediately realised what he did and hid the flyer under the computer keyboard at the counter. After about 30 minutes, she opened the flyer to see what was written and it read "I would love to see you again and maybe help get you a better job, Call me on this number so we can meet up and talk better". Laura smiled and chuckled after reading his note, she kept the flyer in a safe place then continued with her work. That day was a busy one for Laura and as evening drew near, more people trooped into the fast food to make purchases. Laura was so busy that day and forgot everything about Jaden and his note. As night drew near, Jaden kept expecting her call but it wasn't coming forth. He kept expecting till the next day but Laura didn't call. Jaden became upset and angry with himself for letting his guards down, "You see why these women need to stay far away from me? what on earth is even wrong with me and why do I care? Urghhhhh!" He angrily said to himself as he drove to work. All through that day at work, he couldn't concentrate fully because half of him was with Laura. He thought about her and was constantly mad at himself for doing so. On the other hand, Laura was busy and occupied with work and had forgotten all about the flyer she hid in a safe place the day before. It was when a customer who came to buy food demanded for the food to be microwaved, that it dawned on her that she hid something underneath the microwave the day before. She was extremely surprised and made jest of herself for being forgetful of such an important thing. She immediately made up her mind to call him after the days work. At close of work that day, she picked her phone and dialed his number as she walked down to the bus station. The phone rang a little while before he picked, "Hi Jaden" she greeted, "Hello" he bluntly replied, "How are you doing?" She asked, "who am I speaking to?" Jaden asked without trying to be nice, "It's Laura speaking" she politely replied. Immediately Jaden heard Laura's name, his heart almost left his body. His hands began to shake and his breath ceased at any attempt to breathe freely. "How are you doing Laura?" He managed to asked, "I'm fine, thank you! Am I calling at a wrong time because you sound unhappy" she questioned, "Oh no I'm fine, it's just that I felt you would have called sooner" he said. As they conversed on phone, the conductors at the park were shouting the locations they were heading to. Their voices kept interrupting the call till Jaden had to ask where she was, "I'm at the park trying to get a bus home" she said. He asked of the park she was at and she told him, "can I come and pick you from there and take you home?" He asked but Laura turned down his offer, "Don't worry, I'm fine and besides it's late" she said. Jaden insisted but Laura refused at every attempt. After a long time of talking, Laura had to end the call because it was time for her to enter the bus heading her way. Before the call ended, Jaden reminder her about the job offer and told her to prepare her CV for an interview anytime soon. They said goodnight to each other before ending the call. After the call, Jaden laid on this big luxurious bed and placed his hand on his forehead. There was just something about Laura that made her a medicine to his hidden sickness of rejection and anger. Everything about her was peaceful and he wanted more of her badly. He stayed awake for a while thinking about his life before finally sleeping off. As the week went by, Jaden enquired from his friends who were hiring if they wanted an accountant. It was a tough one because he wanted to get a befitting and stress free job for Laura. Fortunately for him, he managed to secure an interview for her at one of his client's firm. Jaden happily reached out to Laura that evening and told her to prepare for the interview coming up the following day. Laura was able to take an excuse from her work place to be able to attend the interview. The interview day came and Laura killed it and was offered the job on the spot. She almost collapsed due to excess happiness and lacked ways to fully express the way she felt. Immediately she left the interview, she picked her phone and called Jaden to break the good news to him. "Yeeaaaah, I got it Jaden, I got the job!" She screamed when he picked, "Wow! Congratulations Laura, I'm so happy for you" he excitedly said. Laura became emotional and thanked him over again from the depths of her heart. Jaden was touched at how appreciative Laura was and wanted to do more just to hear her say those beautiful "Thank you" over and over. Jaden's heart started beating fast again and he didn't know when he said "Can I take you out tonight?". Laura was shocked at his request and said "Come again, what did you just say?". End of episode 3 😉 Men Do Cry (episode 4) Jaden's request came as a big surprise to Laura as she wasn't expecting it. She never thought an accomplished and successful man like Jaden would have eyes for her. Even though she was assured of her self esteem, she was still in doubt that he was into her and pretended as though she didn't hear his request the first time. "What did you just say?" She confusingly asked, "I want to take you out tonight so we can celebrate your new job" he repeated. Laura was a bit flattered by his request and told him she'll think about it, "Don't be scared, I just want us to celebrate your new employment that's all" Jaden said. For a second, Laura thought about this request and felt there was no harm in accepting his proposal, "after all, he has done a lot by helping me secure this new job" she thought to herself. After much plea, she accepted and the time and venue was agreed upon. Jaden was extremely happy that he would be seeing her beautiful face once again, he immediately started making reservations and preparations for the upcoming date. The time scheduled for the date finally came and Laura was still confused on what outfit to wear. She finally wore a beautiful jumpsuit with sandals and styled her long natural hair in a girly and cute way. On the other hand, Jaden wore a nice casual outfit and headed to the venue. He arrived before Laura and waited for her to show up afterwards. After waiting for 20 minutes, Laura walked Into the restaurant looking beautiful and simple. There was just this thing about her simplicity that drove Jaden crazy. His breath ceased as she walked closer to him with a cute smile on her face. Jaden was blown away, "You look beautiful, I must confess" he complimented, "Thank you" she replied. Jaden kept staring at her as she sat and couldn't take his eyes off her hair, "Is this your natural hair?" He curiously asked, "Yes! Why?" She replied, "It's beautiful on you" he said smiling and Laura thanked him afterwards. The atmosphere became a bit awkward as they were just staring at each other. Jaden broke the awkwardness by asking how the interview went and she told him everything that happened at the interview. He was impressed with how she confidently expressed herself and felt she was a good catch. "The conversation has been about me since we got here so now let's talk about you" Laura said, "I'm just a random guy, there's nothing to know about me" he said with a faint smile on his face. Laura found it hard to believe that there was nothing to know about him, "everyone has a life and story attached to it, so don't tell me there's nothing I can know about you" she said. Jaden kept trying to dodge the question but Laura stood her group regardless of what he said. "Ok fine, what do you want to know?" He asked, "Let's start by talking about anything you feel comfortable with" she replied. Jaden looked into her innocent eyes and said "I'm a lawyer by profession, an introvert and single". Laura smiled and jokingly asked him why he was still single with all his good looks, "I'm still single because I'm not a strong believer of Love" he said. "Why don't you believe in love?" She curiously asked, "Because love is the reason for so many hidden battles and tears I face everyday of my life" he sadly replied. Laura was a bit confused by what he said and needed more clarification. "I don't mean to pry but can you kindly tell me the meaning of what you just said" she requested but Jaden turned her request down. He quickly reminder her that they haven't ordered anything to eat yet so they dropped the conversation and ordered food to eat. While they ate, Laura was still a bit disturbed and concerned about what Jaden said earlier but tried to act matured and reasonable by not bringing it up again while they ate. They talked about other things but ignored the topic of love and Jaden's past life. Their little outing finally came to an end and it was time to leave. As they walked to the parking lot, Jaden wanted to hold Laura's hands but had to comport himself. They entered into the car and he headed towards Laura's destination to drop her off. While he drove, they avoided eye contacts as they talked about random things. Jaden finally arrived at Laura's destination and bid her goodbye. Before she alighted, she thanked him once again and said "I don't know about the battles you fight each day, but I pray you find peace and happiness because you're a very good man". Her words pierced Jaden's heart, he was dumbfounded and didn't know what to say. Before he could manage to utter a word, she alighted and walked away. All through that night, Jaden couldn't sleep properly as he kept tossing back and forth on the bed. People spoke to him on a daily basis but no body's words has ever ministered to his soul the way Laura's words did. He was going crazy for her and wanted her to be his, "I've just got to have Laura, she the only lady my heart yearns for" he thought to himself. It was a tough night but he managed to put himself to sleep afterwards. Laura had one week grace to resign from her old job in order to focus on the new one. She was busy the next day and couldn't reach out to Jaden through out that day. He missed her and wanted to see her but didn't know how to go about it. In on time, Laura started her new job and life became fulfilling for her. She spoke to Jaden once in two days on phone and hadn't seen him again since after their little outing. Jaden missed her so much but his pride wouldn't let him admit it or tell her. One beautiful evening, he secretly drove all the way to her work place to see her, but pretended as though he wanted to see his client. As he walked into the reception, he asked the receptionist of Laura's office and he was directed to her office. He didn't go to see her first but went to greet his client. As they talked, Laura walked in on them and almost collapsed when she saw Jaden there. He winked at her and smiled and she blushed all through till she left. It was almost closing time and Jaden waited in his car for her to come out. When he sighted her walking out of the office building, he beeped the car horn to get her attention and she smiled when she saw him. "What are you still doing here?" Laura asked when she got closer, "I'm here maybe because I miss your smiling face" he jokingly said. Laura laughed and Jaden told her to get into the car so he could take her out for dinner. "I'm not hungry" she said laughing, "you'll be hungry when we get there" he jokingly said. Laura got into the car and couldn't stop laughing as she sat. Jaden subconsciously joined her and started laughing too, "madam why are you laughing?" He asked but Laura ignored his question. He stared at her as she laughed and his heart skipped several beats as he looked at her. Jaden was lost in thoughts and didn't know when he said, "I'm madly in love with you Laura". End of episode 4 😉 [8/5, 10:02 PM] mercy: Men Do Cry (episode 5) Love is a force that can't be subdued or hidden. Never in a thousand years would Jaden have thought that he would fall in love again, not to talk of outrightly confessing his feelings to someone. He felt he was tough but love brought his toughness down to naught. He didn't see it coming at all and was surprised at himself for revealing his feelings to Laura. "I'm madly in love with you Laura" he unknowingly confessed. Laura was shocked and dumbfounded, she never believed that this day would come. "Jaden you can't be saying things you don't mean" she said trying to deny his feelings for her. "What makes you think I'm joking or being dishonest?" He questioned, "Because I find it hard to believe that you're in love with me. I mean look at me, you can't possibly be in love with an ex fast food attendant" she said looking into his eyes. Jaden was a bit confused and didn't know why she felt he wasn't being genuine. "Laura, I have only poured my heart out to two women all my life and you are the second lady I'm ever confessing my feelings to. Love has never been fair to me and I have always been afraid to try again but I'm willing to try with you. I want to try with you Laura" he said looking into her eyes. Laura was deeply in love with Jaden too but felt he still had some emotional baggage from the past and thought it would affect their relationship, if they ever have one. "I can't deny the fact that I like you too but I'm just scared of giving in to my feelings, because I feel you still have some grudge from your past and if you don't settle with your past, you'll end up hurting any relationship we venture into. I really like you and want to be with you too, but liking you isn't enough to want to go into a relationship with you" she said. Her words touched Jaden's soul and he admitted what she said within but that was not stopping him from getting her. "Laura I love you and I'm willing to make us work out. I'm willing to put in the effort to work on my past, I want you to help me too by showing me how beautiful and pure love can be. I want to try and I want to try with you" he said. The atmosphere was charged with so much emotions as they talked and Jaden got carried away. He leaned towards Laura and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Laura's body was covered with goosebumps as she kissed back. The kiss was filled with so much emotions and feelings for each other. Their breath ceased as they kissed passionately. After kissing for a while, Jaden redrew himself from her and said "I want you, please think about my proposal". Laura nodded and they set off to a nice restaurant for dinner and headed to their different destination afterwards. All through that night, neither Jaden nor Laura could sleep well as they thought about what had happened. Laura was in love with him and wanted him too but was scared that he was just too much a man for her to handle. She put in so much thought into Jaden's proposal and decided to give him a chance. On the other hand, Jaden prayed the little way he knew how to pray and asked God to touch Laura's heart to accept him. It was a stressful night due to excess thinking, but they finally put themselves to sleep. Laura woke up the next day thinking about Jaden and his cute kiss. She smiled at every thought of him and blushed afterwards. As she headed to work, she picked her phone and sent an SMS to him which read "I don't know what I'm getting myself into by accepting you into my life, but I'm willing to trust you with my heart and love. You are a good man and there's no other person I rather want to be with. I love you Jaden, see you later!". When Jaden received the SMS, he leaped for joy and couldn't contain his happiness. He texted her back and his message read "You aren't making a mistake and I promise to never make you regret this decision. I love you too!". Laura smiled when she got his message and couldn't stop smiling all through that day at work. Their relationship was enviable and they seem almost inseparable. After about a month of being together, Jaden was convinced she was the one and finally invited her to his house for the first time. Laura was excited due to his invitation because she had been secretly wondering why he hadn't invited her earlier. Jaden used the excuse that he wanted to eat home cooked meal to invite her over. During the weekend, Laura went to the market and bought some foodstuffs she will use to prepare the food Jaden wanted. He drove to her house to pick her together with the food stuffs she bought and they headed to his house. Jaden's apartment had a classy interior and was beautifully decorated in a suitable way for a bachelor, "Welcome my darling, you are the first woman asides my cleaners that has entered this apartment" he said as Laura walked in. She smiled and told him to stop pulling her legs but he assured her that it was the truth. They settled in and Laura headed for the kitchen. In no time, the meal was ready and they ate happily and talked while at it. After eating, they gist and laughed all through till something unexpected happened. Laura jokingly took his phone and asked him to beg before she gives it back. Jaden smiled initially and jokingly told her to return his phone, "I want you to say please before I give it back or can't you say please?" she jokingly said and before she knew it, Jaden shouted on top of his voice and said "I can't say please!". For a second, Laura couldn't figure what was going on as she was surprised. She held her heart and couldn't believe that Jaden could get angry over a minor thing like that, "did you just shout at me?" She asked in a shaky tone. Jaden finally realised what he had done and apologetically said "Laura please I'm so sorry". End of episode 5 😉 Men Do Cry (episode 6) Second-to-last episode There's a huge difference between physical and emotional wound. One heals faster but the other takes almost forever to heal. You can see one but can't see the other and that makes it difficult for healing to take place, as people can't tell they are wounded by mere looking at them. Jaden was suffering from an emotional wound known as Rejection! Laura was dead shock as she never believed Jaden could raise his voice at her. Jaden felt disappointed at himself when he realised what he had done. "I'm so sorry baby! Please I wouldn't do it again, I was just carried away" he pleaded but Laura remained quiet. He kept apologising but she couldn't utter a word due to shock. After a while of apologising with no response from Laura, he stretched his hand to touch her and immediately his fingers rested on her shoulders, she burst into tears. "What did I do wrong" she asked as she sobbed, "You did nothing wrong my love, I'm the one at fault" Jaden said with tears in his eyes. "I told you this relationship wouldn't work if you don't deal with your past but you told me everything was going to be alright and now see" Laura said sobbing. The sight of Laura in tears shattered Jaden's heart to pieces. He couldn't believe that he was the cause of her pain, he felt bad knowing that he raised his voice at her. "Laura, I'm trying to be the best I can but it isn't easy for me. I'm suffering within but have to put up a brave look all the time because everyone expect that from me. I might be a man but I have my own struggles and insecurities too. My ex did me bad, she rejected me and made me feel worthless, I wanted her to stay but she left; leaving me all alone when I needed her the most. Being a lawyer wasn't my initial dream but I had to take up this profession because I felt it would make me look tough and ruthless, I felt being a lawyer would never make me vulnerable again in my life, I felt it would make me sit above my insecurities but it's unfortunate that nothing has changed; I'm still the broken, rejected and vulnerable guy from years ago. I love you with all my heart and I don't want to ever lose you Laura, I could shut down any chance of healing if you walk away from my life. I accept the fact that I'm lonely and vulnerable, please don't leave me Laura" he said with tears falling off his eyes. His words pierced Laura's heart and she cried more, "Oh baby" she said and hugged him tightly. They cried together and Jaden rested his head on he shoulder sobbing, "I believe everything will be alright but you have to let me in. You have to let me into your insecurities and battles, with that way, I can fully understand why you do certain things you do and can help you heal. Please let me in" she said sobbing. Jaden moved closer and whispered "I love you so much" into her ears. Laura wiped the tears off his cheek and kissed his eyes. Jaden kissed her forehead and they hugged each other tightly as though their lives depended on it. Jaden apologised again and promised never to raise his voice at her again, she nodded and told him they will get through it. It was a beautiful sight to behold. It was time for Laura to leave but Jaden begged her to stay the night. "Baby tomorrow is Sunday and I have to get ready for church" she said, "We'll go shopping this evening to get you some new clothes for church tomorrow" he pleaded but Laura declined the offer. "I'll come around after service I promise" she said and pecked his cheek. Jaden smiled and went for her lips to kiss them and Laura willingly gave him her lips. "I love you" he said smiling, "I love you too" she replied laughing, "No, I love you more!" Jaden said and Laura blushed. After their little play, Jaden got his car keys and drove her home. Their relationship grew stronger than it used to be and they got to know each other better. Laura played with caution and avoided some things that might be sensitive to Jaden, he also worked on his mind and began to see Laura as a different person from his ex who hurt him. He loved her to a fault and didn't want to ever lose her. She was like his inhaler! Days turned to weeks and weeks to months and their relationship waxed stronger. Jaden started thinking of settling down with Laura but was scared she might say No. He thought day in day out on how to make his intensions clear but no good idea was coming forth. The perfect day finally came when Jaden's law firm threw a party to celebrate a major deal they closed. Everyone was allowed to come with a date so Jaden invited Laura. She dressed to kill and almost took the shine of everyone. Jaden was proud that she was his and didn't hesitate to show her off. Everyone was having a good time at the party and didn't suspect that Jaden had something up his sleeves. As the celebration went on, he told the DJ to stop the music and called for everyone's attention. "Can I get you all attention please?" He said, "they say you have never truly lived until you have loved someone completely. I didn't know what love meant until I met a lady who practically showed me what it meant. I could write a thousand words to describe you and it still wouldn't be enough to fully explain what a beautiful person you are. I'm referring to no other person than you, Laura! I love you from the bottom on my heart and want to spend forever with you" he added. As he spoke, Laura's heart raced as if it were running a marathon race. She didn't know when she started tearing up. Jaden walked close to her, looked into her eyes and said "Baby, I want you to do me a favour today by accepting to marry me. Will you marry me?" End of episode 6 😉 Men Do Cry (episode 7) Last episode! One of the beautiful things of life is spending forever with the one you love. Laura was taken by surprise as she didn't foresee Jaden's proposal. It was a dream come through for her and she couldn't help it but break down in tears. "Baby are you being serious right now?" She shockingly asked, "I have never been more serious for anything in my life" Jaden said. Laura smiled with tears in her eyes and screamed "Yes! Yes baby, I'll marry you". Everyone that was watching clapped and blushed for the cute to-be couples. Jaden felt complete for the first time in his life. He reached out for Laura's hands and gently put the ring on her finger. Laura lifted him up, planted a kiss on his lips and hugged him afterwards. The party automatically became an engagement party and everyone rejoiced with the newly engaged couple. The party finally came to an end and it was time for them to leave. On the ride home, Laura kept staring at her ring and blushing. Jaden smiled and playfully shook his head whenever he caught her staring at the ring. "Do you like it?" He asked, "I don't just like it but love it. Baby it's so beautiful" she complimented. Jaden's head swelled and he felt like a real man for being the reason for Laura's smiles. "Take me to your house and not mine, I want to spend tonight with you" she said. Jaden was excited within because that would be the first time Laura was staying the night at his place. "I honestly didn't want you to go to your house either because with you is where I'll rather be tonight" he said and Laura blushed. In no time, they arrived at Jaden's house and he carried her till they entered inside and Laura couldn't stop laughing. "Would you eat anything so I can quickly make it for you?" She asked but Jaden said he was filled from the party chops. Laura didn't want to take her ring off and took it to the bathroom to shower. "Should I join you?" Jaden asked and Laura laughed, "You'll join me the day we say I Do" she said. Jaden smiled to her words and waited for her to finish so he could take his own bath. They finish everything they had to do and prepared for bed. Laura laid her head on his chest and kept staring at her ring, "Thank you" she said. Jaden was confused and didn't know why she was thanking him. "For what?" He asked, "For loving me, caring for me, for protecting me and for not giving up on yourself. I'm so happy for the man you are becoming, I'm so glad our paths crossed, I bless your mum for giving birth to such a strong man like you. I know you have always had problems with self assurance, but I tell you today that you are the strongest and most hardworking man I know. You are great and wanted by me and everyone who loves you. I love you baby and you have done very well for yourself" she said. Jaden's head almost exploded due to her words. Indeed, words are life and is a food to the soul. At that moment, he could do anything for her, because she had penetrated his heart with her words. "What do you want?" He asked, looking into her eyes, "What do you mean babe" she confusingly enquired, "ask me of anything within my capacity and I'll give it to you" he said. Laura smiled, moved closer and kissed him. "I just want one thing and it's for God to keep you alive for me. I don't want to ever lose you" she said with tears in her eyes. Jaden kissed her passionately and didn't want to stop anytime soon. He was burning with emotions and feelings for Laura and didn't want to be away from her warm embrace. As they kissed passionately, Jaden tried to take her clothes off but Laura stopped him and smiled, "Be patient a little more baby, I'll be all yours soon" she said and kissed his forehead. Jaden kept imagining everything he would do to Laura on their wedding night and wished the wedding could happen the next day. After much romance, they finally cuddled eachother and went to sleep. They remain engaged for a while before finally tying the knot. Their wedding night finally came and Jaden was excited to finally have Laura to the fullest. They got into the hotel room already tired from the day's activities. The room was beautifully decorated with roses for the newly wedded couple. Jaden took his bath first before Laura did, but little did he know that she had something up her sleeves. After bathing, Laura was completely naked and the only thing covering her was a revealing robe she wore. She walked into the room to the sight of Jaden already on the bed with his shorts. One look at her whole body on the robe made his heart race. Laura walked closer and sat on the bed; she looked into his eyes and said "Everything you have always wanted to do to me, you can start now because I'm all yours". She pulled her robe off her shoulders and revealed her beautiful body. Jaden didn't know where to start from because Laura's body was to die for. Their wedding night was blissful and unimaginably great. They took each day one step at a time and did lots of exploits together. Pain isn't a respecter of person, gender, class or personal accomplishment. Everyone has a secret battle they are fighting so it's good to always be kind to anyone you come across. The people that seem the toughest in life are mostly the ones with the biggest battles and injuries. They only put up a tough front because that's the only way to never let people into their insecurities. Be nice to people because you never know what they are going through. End of story! 😉