Love Includes Everything - Chapter 30

Riya....

After Prissy was gone, I was relieved as if my heart was placed back into its place. Even Dan confessed that he didn't accept the baby at first but now did. When he said OUR baby, I wanted to kiss all over his face to let him know how happy I felt when he said that, but I just hugged and cried. Another progress was, he hugged me back and soothed me like before. When we said our goodbyes to my in-laws, they were all surprised that Dan was ready to go with me too. Dan was placing all our bags in the car when his mom walked to me.
"I didn't know Prissy was such a thing in your life. Julia told me everything yesterday. Am sorry Riya" she said placing both her hands on my cheeks.

"Nothing's your fault mom. No need being worried now. All's fine" I said smiling at her and we hugged.
"Have a happy life honey. I can see Dan's started to accept you" His dad said and I smiled looking at Dan who was busy doing something inside the car.
"And you are welcome to ask any help for the baby" mom said and kissed my forehead. Then I hugged dad, Kevin and Kate goodbye. Little Noel was crying since he was very fond of Dan and Dan was saying something to him when I walked to the car.

We rode in silence and it didn't feel any awkward.
"Can we stop by the church?" Dan asked and I looked at him nodding my head. We went to the church and I had a good reason to thank god, because I was getting my Dan back. I prayed that everything should go fine at my parents' house for Dan.
"Something wrong?" I heard Dan and opened my eyes turning to my right to look at him.
"No. why?" I asked him confused.
"You afraid about this weekend with your parents" he didn't ask but said my fear out loud and I gulped nodding my head. He slowly took my hand in his and stared at it. "There is nothing to worry Riya. Everything will be fine, ok. I promise I'll behave" he said and I chuckled though there were tears in my eyes.
"I love you Dan" I said smiling through my tears and he just smiled back.
"It's time for us to leave now" he said leaving my hand and got up.

"Hey wait" he said catching me by my elbow and turned me to look at him.
"What?" I asked confused.
"Don't you feel something is missing?" he questioned me in return and I thought for a moment before shaking my head. He wagged his left ring finger at me and smiled. "My wedding ring" he said and till then it didn't occur to me that he wasn't wearing it.
"Oh yeah. thank god you remembered" I said pulling out the chain around my neck to take out the ring. I put it there since the chain and the pendant were his gifts for me. I wanted it to be close to my heart. When I removed the ring and looked at Dan, he was frowning and his eyes were fixed on the pendant.

"It was your first christmas present for me" I said looking down at it too. "And this chain, you wore it around my neck yourself on our wedding night" I said and looked at him and smiled. He smiled too, a smile that didn't reach his eyes and looked uncomfortable. I took his left hand in mine and put the ring back in its place. He still was frowning and didn't look at me after that. "Let's go" I said not sure if we going to my parents' house was a good idea.

"Riya, one sec" Dan again held me by my elbows when we were standing on the front porch of my parents' house. "How do I call your parents?" he asked.
"Mom and Dad of course" I said smiling at him and he took a deep breath before we entered.
"Mom.. Dad" I called out as we entered and no one was there. "Andy" I called out to my brother. "I suppose they a..."I started to tell Dan but something burst on top of us and there were colored papers falling on Dan and me.
"Congrats" everyone shouted coming into the room and I kind of felt shy, in the very house I grew up.

"Am so happy you both could come" My mom said hugging Dan and he was casual with them. I was tensed for a few hours and as the day progressed, I felt like I was worrying unnecessarily. Dan was in his usual ways with my family but sometimes looked uncomfortable.
"Is everything fine with you both?" my dad asked with a confused look over dinner.
"Y-yes daddy. why do you ask t-that?" I said giving a fake smile as my nervousness was building up and looked at Dan who was mirroring my feelings.
"I've always seen you both holding hands under the table or kissing every time you get a chance and it's missing now" he said arching his eyebrows which meant he wanted to know whatever it was. now.

Daniel.....

I could see that Riya was well accepted in my family as Kate was. I always wanted such a wife and I had her now. But the big problem was I didn't remember her. Though I had accepted Riya's dad's invitation, I was a bit scared to face them. I remembered them from Pat's wedding and her dad was easy to talk to then. But if he came to know how happy his daughter is with me, I wouldn't be able to answer him. But still I decided to go with meeting them since I wanted Riya to have some happy time. She had already done so much for me. As we headed out, we stopped by the church. I assured her that everything would go fine when she looked worried.

"I love you Dan" she said again and I felt helpless unable to say those words to her. Only when we were about to leave, it stuck me that I wasn't wearing a wedding ring. When I asked her, she took it from a chain around her neck and when I noticed the little pendant hanging from it, an image of me putting that pendant in a chain and wearing it around her neck flashed in my mind. My head was hurting a little and Riya was saying the same thing as in the image.

Before my mind came out to the present clearly, she slid the ring into my finger and a likewise image flashed in my mind again. My head was hurting again and before I knew, we were in the car driving to her parents house. I didn't tell her about those images now thinking that she may start worrying about it too much. I would have time for that later. Her family gave us a warm welcome and everything went good. But when her dad said something over dinner, neither of us didn't know how to respond.

"We should look like grown ups hereafter, and not like teenagers I guess" I said trying to ease the situation and most importantly Riya. "If you don't have any objection, then it's fine with us" I said and grabbed Riya's hand and squeezed it a little for assurance.

"I was just kidding Dan. We all know how much you love each other" he said smiling and winced at Riya while her brother Andy grunted from beside him.

"To Dan and Riya and... to the unborn" he said raising his toast and everybody clinked glasses.
"What?" Andy looked at Dan confused.
"What?" his Dad said again looking at him.
"I thought we toasted already for Al's unborn. right?" he said looking at Riya.
"Yeah Andy. This toast is for your sister's unborn" Riya's mother answered him and his jaws dropped to his chest.
"Really!! nobody tells me what's going on in my family. And it's not my fault that I came a little late after your daughter and son-in-law" he said looking angrily at his mother and I saw Riya smiling at him shaking her head.
"Andy..." her mother ruffled his hair and he was frowning at his food, then smiled.

"Am I gonna be an uncle?...omg, I can't believe it. I still remember pulling Riya's hair and irritating her. Congrats both of you" he said looking at us. "Wow! uncle Andy...when some of my friends are dads already" he said faking a disappointed face and everybody laughed.

"Andrew Nicholas" her mom shouted at him.
"Oh! Andrew Nicholas... know your ground rules... you are not supposed to do this, do that, say this, say that...ooff!..common mom. See am all grown up. I honestly know what to do and what not" He said acting cool. "Please save me daddy" He then whispered to his dad looking like a cry baby. It was so much fun as his dad tried to support him and her mom was trying hard to get the upper hand.

When we went to sleep for the night, it stuck me that I had to share the bed with Riya.
"You can sleep here" she said arranging the pillows and the mattress.
"No. It's not like a gentleman to take the bed when a woman sleeps on the floor" I said taking the bed sheet and spreading it on the floor.
"Am sorry about that. The bed is big, you can sleep here" She said looking concerned patting the space beside her.

"That's ok" I said and switched off the lights. I couldn't sleep and tossed and turned. "Riya" I called her to know if she was awake.
"Yeah" she said and I saw her that she was sitting on the bed looking at me in the dark.
"I never knew your family was so cool" I said thinking about all the conversations I had today with them.
"They always liked you. a lot" She said and I was sure of the smile in her beautiful face. we talked about how both the families are and then drifted off to sleep.

"Dan" I heard Riya waking me up and opened my eyes.
"Something wrong?" I asked her as I sat up fast and she sighed.
"Is something has to be wrong always when I talk to you? Go sleep on the bed" she said throwing my pillow on it before going out of the door. I sighed smiling to myself and landed myself on the bed and slept again. I woke up again to the sound of laughter and constant sounds from downstairs. I saw my watch and it showed that it was ten past eleven. I cursed myself for sleeping so long in someone else's house. I brushed my teeth, took a shower and went down. A nice aroma was filling the kitchen and I searched for Riya everywhere.

"Congrats man" I stopped now and then when someone greeted me and there was my cousin pat too. It had been long since I met him.
"Pat. How are you?" I asked hugging my cousin.
"Am all tired being a Dad. Joan is a hand full. well you'll be like me very soon too. Congrats" he said patting me and laughed.
"I better get a training from you" I teased him back and laughed easily with him. "Hey did you see Riya?" I asked Andy who was playing with his cousin's son in the psp.
"She's at the back I guess" he said looking at the back porch and I headed towards it. I stopped before stepping into it when I saw Riya with a small girl in her hands. She was baby talking to her and something hit in the back of my mind watching it. My head was throbbing like anything now, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

Am image of Riya baby talking flashed in my mind and she was with Julia and Kate. My head was hammering like anything that I doubted if I had shouted out loud. When everything was clear inside me, I opened my eyes slowly taking heavy breaths. I was sitting on a chair and Riya was kneeling in front of me with her hands on my shoulders. Nobody was around and all seemed quiet.

"We'll talk in the room" she said and took me upstairs. I could sense the whole family was looking at us as we ascended the stairs but I didn't dare to look at them. "Nothing to worry. you all carry on" Riya said to them behind her shoulders.

"I saw you again" I said as soon as she turned to me locking the door. Her lips curved into a smile which made her look too beautiful. "You were with Julia and Kate with Amy in your hands. I now saw you like that again and..." I said smiling at her. I could see the tears shining in her eyes.
"And.." She said coming closer and I gulped. She was looking so beautiful and I wanted to kiss her very badly.
"And...yeah... I even remember me putting that pendant around your neck even before you said that. I had asked you to wear it always, right?" I said and the tears rolled down as she nodded happily. "So..." I shrugged my shoulders. "You happy?" I asked and she nodded again with a sweet smile. This time I couldn't resist my urge to kiss her and pulled her to me. When I lifted her face to kiss her, she was frowning deeply clutching her head in her hand.

"Riya" I shook her and she didn't open her eyes. "Hey... look at me" I called her again and her hands dropped to her sides and her frown was gone. But still she didn't open her eyes. I scooped her in my arms and placed her on the bed. I unlocked the door and descended the stairs two at once.

"Dad" I called to her dad and he came towards me from somewhere.
"What's wrong son?" her mother asked from behind him.
"I - I think Riya fainted. Please call your doc" I said tension building up inside me.
"Ok don't worry. I'll call" he said, but his voice was shaking a bit. Her mother ran upstairs and so did her aunts.

When I went up, her mother was looking worried sitting near her and I looked at Riya who looked so lifeless.
"Everybody please give her some air. Dan you stay. Come darling" Her dad said when he entered the room. He kissed his daughter's forehead before going out. I went and sat near her on the edge of the bed and took her right hand in mine and kissed it. A tear rolled down my cheek and only then I realized that I was crying. This was one thing I hated to do or see, but now I was crying, for Riya. I didn't bother to wipe it and kept looking at her. Suddenly, Riya was lying as lifeless like this, but she was in a beach. As I tried to place the situation then, there was knock on the door.
"Hello am doctor Chloe Charlie" the doctor said
"Hello. am Daniel Rickson" I said and shook hands with her. She then went to check on Riya while I walked out.

It seemed like hours before the doctor walked out.
"Is everything fine with her?" Riya's dad asked in an urgent voice.
"There is nothing to worry. She's pregnant and I guess she has been stressing herself lately. She's very weak and that's the problem. She has to eat properly since she's eating for two. Take good care of her" She said and my heart ached for Riya. Her dad looked at me sadly and I was washed over by guilt. I got angry at myself and walked straight to the room after thanking the doctor. Riya was blinking her eyes as I entered and turned to me when I sat near her.

"Hi. you ok?" she asked smiling weakly.
"We both are not ok" I said and hugged her. "Don't do this to me please. I feel more and more guilty Riya. The doctor said that you had been stressing yourself lately and you are so weak" I said into the crook of her neck. I leaned back to look at her. "Am sorry it's all coz of me" I said and a tear dropped on her cheek from my eyes.

"Don't cry dan. please" she said crying herself wiping my tears. "I was too much worried and I cried a lot when you didn't remember me. I couldn't feel alive and am sorry am not taking good care of your baby" she said smiling lightly and I did too.
"Promise me you'll not go weak like this again" I said wiping her tears.
"I promise" she said and hugged me tight. I kissed the top of her head and we stayed like that for sometime.
"Can we come in?" I heard her mom say and we both pulled apart. I helped Riya sit on the bed and sat beside her placing my arms around her. She nestled on my shoulder and looked at her parents.

Riya.....

All my cousins had come for the day to celebrate with us. It was mostly like a get together and I was having a lot of fun remembering our childhood. When I was in the back porch playing with Joan and talking to Susan, Andy came running saying that Dan was having some sort of headache. I gave Joan to Susan and ran to him. Everybody was there and I was afraid if something would happen to him.

"Leave us alone please" I said to everyone and they did. When Dan opened his eyes, I took him to the room after assuring everyone that nothing was wrong. He said he remembered me again and also he remembered about the pendant too. I just stood there nodding my head unable to control the happy tears knowing that Dan was remembering his past with me again. He then pulled me to him very fast that it made me dizzy and everything under my feet was circling. Then all blacked out and when I gained my conscience, I was in my room lying on the bed. Dan was sitting near me with a worried face and when he looked up he was crying. He hugged me and cried hard saying that he felt very much guilty. After we calmed down my mother interrupted us by knocking the door.

Dan helped me to sit on the bed and circled his arms around me. I felt well protected after a long time and I placed my head on his shoulder and smiled at my mom.
"You still keep us on the edge as usual" my dad said and smiled at me.
"Yeah. I need to remind you that am here always" I said smiling back.
"How are you feeling now?" my mom asked with a worried expression.
"Am fine mom" I said smiling at her too and entwined my right hand with dan's.
"The doc said you were stressed about something and what happened to dan earlier?" dad asked looking at him.

"It was just coz of my work daddy" I said avoiding the question about dan but my dad didn't look like it.
"She was well occupied with you people and I just wanted to get her attention. Some habits don't fade away you know" Dan said winking at my dad as I looked up at him.
"That was rude of you Dan. You both are a perfect couple" My dad sighed and patted Dan hard on his shoulder. "Take care of my daughter or else.." He said faking a threatening look.

"Am scared when you look like that" Dan faked fear and we all laughed.
"Enough of your antics. Out now" My mom pulled dad out of the room. "Take some rest both of you" She said before closing the door behind her. I looked up at Dan and he was looking down at me. We then started laughing and he hit his forehead against mine.

"Anton's going on a date this week" Andy said to everyone during lunch.
"It's just a first" Anton said going red.
"Anyway a date is a date. Give me details" Andy said to him. They both were close friends in the family like me and Susan. Andy kept on teasing him throughout the day and it was laugher and happiness as usual. It was time for Dan and me to go home and said our goodbyes to everyone. I was remembering the happy moments and smiled to myself as Dan drove towards out apartment. I even remembered how close I had been with Dan after a long time and turned to look at him. He was smiling too which made me wonder what he was thinking about.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked happy to see him like that.
"I was just wondering about the date" he said looking at me.
"What date?" I asked puzzled as I didn't catch what he said.
"Our first date and.... our first ... kiss" He said smiling the crooked smile that made him look so cute. The hair in his front was waving sideways as the wind was blowing through the open window.
"You really want to know" I asked as I felt my cheeks turning hot in the cool climate.
"Yeah" he nodded
"Then I better show you where we went for our date" I said planning quickly to take him there.
"And the kiss. what about that?" he asked and I blushed.
"Will tell you later" I said turning to face the scenery.
"Tell! won't show it, huh?" he said poking my ribs
"Nope" I said poking his and turned back.

"Dan" I called him after there was a long silence.
"Mmm" he said looking at me and his eyes were smiling.
"Do you wanna go on a date with me tonight?" I asked half afraid that he would say no.
"Shouldn't it be the other way round?" he asked smiling at me and I relaxed.
"Just answer my question" I was unable to wait for the answer.
"Yes" he said in a seductive tone. I then asked him to stop the car and went away a little saying I was booking the table in the same place and he shouldn't know till we reached. I called the restaurant and booked the same table overlooking the sea and went back to the car.
"All set?" he asked and I nodded. "Happy?" he asked again to which I nodded again. And when we were on the road again, I was anxious for the date tonight and couldn't wait to get there to share everything with him.
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@regina... tks a ton dear...your wait is over as d net chap is here...waiting to reader comments again.

@me... prissy got what she deserved from Dan wen she said those words... Hope you like tis chap too.

@chillipeppa15.... first thing I want to know is how you came up with such a name.. hehe... it sounds funny...as you wish prissy is going away n enjoy it...do comment again.

@maira... true love always ends well waterer difficulties come in the way... tks for commenting again.

@arriel... am sure you would like to slap her d 3rd time if it was real...enjoy tis chap n comment.

@kiran... u n your lover boy... y can't you c each other...tats rude I would say...n tks kiran...i waited for tis job for a long time n am super happy abt it...tks for commenting again..

@stephanie.... wow girl..u so mad at prissy...he he..its how sum girls r around nowadays n I hate it..hope you like the new chap n comment again.

@asad...tks again for all..kiran is one lucky girl...hey, I would not start my services for free...lol...

@ria...dan swetie is back in tis chap too...read n do comment..

@mary143...prissy is not gonna die n tks for liking my story n d comment too...:-)

@melodicangel...tks again...here is d net chap n I promise to post d next chaps whenever I can..:-)

@noor...thank you thank you thank u...for everything...hope u'll enjoy tis chap too...

@mahak...hey new bride...all the best for your married life...n tks for wishing me to get my heart man...i still haven't seen him or may be don't know its him..:-(...anyway tks a lot for your wishes n am happy tat you couldn't stop reading my story...:-)