THE ENGAGEMENT

PAULA

I looked around the room and I met my parents’ eyes. I am so close to bursting into tears right now because I had just come from the best and most peaceful vacation to this. My mother is quite smitten and won’t stop cheering, but as for my father, he looks like he had no choice in all of this. He cannot even keep eye contact with me.

Whose idea was it to organise this party? Steve or my mother? Did they do this because they knew that I would not dare try to embarrass them in front of people, or they did do this because they wanted to?

I can see all my friends are here, including Carolina. Her baby bump is getting very visible. Some of my work colleagues are also here; also family. This makes me wonder for how long everyone knew about this.

“Come closer to me, honey,” Steve softly pulls me and puts his arm around my waist as his other hand is occupied with a glass of champagne. We slowly move our bodies to the music playing.

I am really uncomfortable, and my body is stiff. I