STEVE’S FEELINGS

A few hours later, Carla understood everything. Steve had been a frequent visitor at her house since she left home seven years ago. He was always buying her grandma groceries or having someone else buy them when he was not in town, calling to check on her, taking her to the town clinic for a checkup, and taking care of her.

In other words, he had been performing her role as grandchild for the past seven years, and her grandma saw him as one. The moment she stepped into the house, she wanted to take her luggage upstairs but her grandma refused. Instead, she dragged her to sit and relax in the living room while telling her, “Leave it there. Steve would help take it upstairs later.”

This left Carla more confused, she glanced at Steve and saw that he didn’t mind at all but her surprise then was nothing compared to her surprise when she saw him actively helping her grandmother in the kitchen as they prepared dinner. He had rolled up his shirt revealing his strong muscular arms and had allowed her grandmother to offer him an apron.

“Come help him put it on,” Her grandmother had instructed her, snapping her out of her shock. She obeyed and tied the apron behind him while taking a glance at Steve, to see his facial expression.

She didn’t understand, she was surprised at Steve’s action of taking care of and accommodating her grandmother, she didn’t understand why he would even do this. It was not like they were friends in the past or anything. He only asked her out and she responded in the harshest possible way anyone could ever respond. 

“What are your future plans?” Was the first question she asked him after his confession.

“I’d like to get married to someone I love, have a few children, and get a job to take care of my wife and children. My wife can be in charge of all the family finances if she wants, I just love to have a few more children, girls to be precise” He had responded while flashing a dreamy smile at her.

That smile didn’t work on her then, she had given him a disgusted look in response. What a moron! She still remembered her thoughts very clearly. Boys his age, dreamt of achieving big things and he wanted to get married? A guy who had absolutely nothing other than his family’s few cattle, wanted to get a wife and build a big family? What an ambitionless guy.

What happened to going to schools like Stanford, Oxford, or Yale? She then asked him, “Don’t you plan to go to the university?”

“Oh, I plan to, but after that, I would like to open a small car shed here in town. I have always been interested in repairing cars.”

What?!

Yeah. That was what she thought, what? Then she said, “Sorry I can’t date an ambitionless guy like you.”

What she wanted was a guy who wanted to have a job as an executive director, or who saw himself as a CEO in the future, not some car shed owner in this small town.

And don’t look at how polite this sounds, she was really harsh when she said it to him, so there is no way he would like or still be here taking care of her grandmother because he still liked her.

After all, a guy with his dreams was probably married, seeing he had a Porsche and had his car shed already, she just didn’t remember seeing a ring in his hand.

If it wasn’t that he dreamt of having many children, she’s sorry, but she would have thought he was into her grandmother. After all, he’s too nice and patient for someone who didn’t have someone of an age similar to her grandmother at home.

As surprised as she was by his actions, she was grateful. If there hadn’t been him keeping her grandma company, perhaps the old woman who had been worried sick about her might have even died of worry already.

God knows that if the old woman had called that she was ill, she might not be able to attend to her or even pick up her calls.  She gave Steve an appreciative smile as she set the dinner table with her grandma because other than the fact that he had helped her watch over her grandma, for some reason him coming here with her made her grandma think he brought her back home for vacation.

Why she would think that Carla was not sure.

Dinner ended quickly, with Steve and her grandma doing most of the talking while all she did was eat quietly and listen to them as they filled her in on all the gossip about everyone in the town since she left.

At first, she thought Steve would be bored but was surprised to see him sitting there silently as he ate, chirping into the conversation once in a while. It seemed like a normal thing to him, like he had sat here like this, discussing with her grandma and listening to her tell her stories so many times.

Carla couldn’t help but be surprised again, that a young man like him, who had so many places to be would patiently spend time with an old woman like this. How could he do it? She couldn’t help but admire him.

His eating etiquette was also superb, it was almost as if he had been trained by a professional and had been practicing it for many years.  Tsk, what a shame, a man with his standing and looks would really look good as a CEO if you asked her. Too bad he had no vision.

But with his gentleness and attentiveness, his in-laws must be really proud of him. Wait, wouldn’t his wife be worried that he didn’t go home for dinner?

“So… Steve, any partner yet? Spouse? Girlfriend?” She finally voiced out her curiosity and almost immediately, the table fell silent. No one moved their cutlery anymore and everyone was staring at her.

“What? Did I ask something wrong?”

“Stupid.” Her grandmother murmured making her even more confused, she turned to Steve who smiled at her.

“No, no one yet.”  He said.

“What? What are you waiting for, I remember you wanted to get married early and have a few kids. What happened? Why don’t you even have a girlfriend?” Carla asked innocently.

“The woman I like hasn’t agreed to date me yet.” Steve smiled sadly as he stared at her, making Carla feel embarrassed.

“Is there someone like that? What is she waiting for?” Carla asked again.

“She’s stupid, that’s it. Nothing more.” Grandma Joan answered, eyeing her, making Carla even more confused. 

What did she do wrong? Why does it seem like she annoyed her grandma? 

“She’s still sorting out some things,” Steve added.

“Oh, that’s necessary.”

“How is that necessary? A girl needs to grab a rare opportunity when she is young, one might never find such young and sweet love again.” Grandma Joan stressed wanting to educate Carla.

Carla’s eyes dimmed at her grandma’s scolding, her mind already straying off-topic. Her grandma was right. There was a time when she and Zak were so in love. How sweet it used to be then but now they were enemies on a narrow path.

How exactly did they end up like this? She wondered.

“Carla, are you even listening?” Grandma Joan called snapping Carla out of her thoughts again.

“What? What did you say?” Apparently, she had been lost in thought and had not heard a single word her grandma had said.

“Grandma, leave Carla alone. It has nothing to do with her.” Steve pleaded and Grandma Joan stared at him for some time before letting the matter be.

What the matter was exactly, Carla wasn’t sure but she knew her grandma was unhappy now. She shot the gentle Steve another grateful smile again and hurriedly finished her dinner, just in case the reason for her grandma’s anger was why she hadn’t come home in the past seven years. 

“I’m done eating,” Carla announced and quickly left the dining table with her empty plate.

“Leave it in the dishwasher, I’ll run it when I’m done eating,” Steve called after her.

“Oh, thanks.” She replied before doing as he said, it felt like they were a family from the way Steve sounded so natural, she thought as she went upstairs.

When Carla was out of sight, Steve turned back to see Grandma Joan staring at him intently. “Grandma,” He called.

“How long do you plan on doing this?” She asked.

Steve bowed his head saying nothing.

“You really don’t plan on telling her? What if she brings a man home as her boyfriend or better still gets engaged. She has been gone for seven years Steven and we both don’t even know if she already has a boyfriend. If she does, what are you going to do? Are you going to continue staying here guarding her silently like an angel when she can be yours? Are you a saint?” The old woman mercilessly dismantled him.

“Grandma, Carla doesn’t like me that much.”

“Who cares if she doesn’t like you now? I didn’t like her grandfather when I first met him either but I still like him now even though it’s been so many since he died. Keep pursuing her until she sees your sincerity. By the way, wasn’t the rejection seven years ago? What about now? Have you asked her now?”

“She just arrived.”

“And so what? She’s already asking about your wife and children? Can’t you ask her if she has someone too?” She sighed, “It doesn’t matter, even if she has one, you’re the future son-in-law I support. You just need to propose and I will make my stand and support you.” Grandma Joan stated her stand and Steve smiled gratefully.

 But only he knew that in the past seven years, Carla had a second-generation rich boyfriend who was everything she wanted. He remembered how mad and frustrated he felt when she used to post lovely pictures of the two of them on her social media accounts. He also knows that the reason why she came back here is because she had gone through a terrible breakup with that bastard which is about to even cost her, her career as a model.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t happy when Carla posted on her social media account about her boyfriend’s cheating and their break up. He was not just happy with the way things escalated after that, with her getting into a lot of drama.

 But even now that she wasn’t in a relationship was not the time to talk about his feelings, Carla didn’t like a man like him and she wasn’t in the state to step into another relationship at the moment, so in the end, the only thing he can do is guard her silently.

“Thank you, grandma. I would talk to her.” 

“Then don’t waste any more time, you waste too much time. When am I going to see my great-grandkids at this rate? Go ask her to go out with you tomorrow and find time to tell her how you really feel and officially pursue her. I don’t know what is wrong with you young people these days.” Grandma Joan nagged as she stood up from her chair and began to pack the plates, Steve hurriedly stopped her and wanted to help her but she smacked his hand.

“Leave this and go do what I told you to do. The only thing you know how to do is house chores. What are you? A houseboy? Hurry up and leave!” She shouted at him.

“Okay Grandma, I’d go after her now.” Steve smiled and went after Carla.