Chapter Five

They settled down to eat at the table, Brooke piling up food on the plate of her son's girlfriend, Ava had predicted this.

Against all of her protests, Kris and his mom quickly picked up teasing her for her almost fall at the parking lot of the jewellery store, Ava pouting.

“Come on, Sugar, back me up.” She implored to her cat who was still snuggled in Brooke’s arms.

A sleepy meow greeted her, Sugar turning his back to her to fall asleep, snoring softly.

“This is exactly why I don’t bring him over.” She complained in a peeve. “He takes one look at Brooke and turns against me.”

Brooke laughed at this, smiling widely.

“Oh,” She exclaimed when she had put herself back together. “I wanted to ask about the parking lot you took the video in.” Brooke furrowed her brows looking thoughtful while Kris and Ava shared a panicked glance.

“It looked awfully familiar, where was that?”

“At the cinema, you know, the one down Fifth Avenue…” Kris blurted.

“W-we just stopped for ice cream.” Ava was also saying at the same time, they both stopped when they realised that they were both talking at the same time and saying contradicting things.

Kris winced at the suspicious look on his mom’s face but Brooke figured out that they didn’t want to talk about it and chose to let it go.

She would find out where it was on her own anyway. “Okay then!” she chirped cheerily, trying to dispel the tense atmosphere. “Come on, eat up.” She encouraged them, absently petting a sleeping Sugar’s fur.

Kris shared another glance with Ava, this time their expressions were slightly guilty even as they continued to eat.

It was such a rare occurrence because there was no need to hide anything from Brooke and she did not mind if they chose to hide things from her, they were grown ups and they were allowed to.

As long as it wasn’t detrimental to their relationship, she didn’t even care, everyone was allowed to have secrets.

Kris and Ava were however battling with internal guilt for lying so blatantly even though it was for a very plausible reason and she would find out the truth pretty soon enough.

“You know what would make for nice plans?” Brooke blurted out the idea that had been bouncing around in her head for a while but she had been waiting for the perfect time to come out with it.

“What?” Kris looked up from his plate at her face, curious.

"A camping trip, just the three of us, Lord knows I wouldn't mind the freedom, we could even drag Niall along so that you two can have more time to spend together." She suggested, moving the food on her plate from one end to the other.

Kris and Ava shared a glance, conversing silently with their eyes, that doesn't sound like a bad idea.

"I would look forward to that." Ava supported with a warm smile.

The meal was finished up quickly and Kris excused himself while Ava and Brooke held small talk as they cleaned up the table.

Ava threw subtle glances over at Brooke's direction, wondering if the older woman could tell that something was up.

She did not seem to notice however, distracted with wiping down counters and generally bustling around while Ava washed up the dishes.

They would have something of a game night in the day time, was that possible? Or maybe they would end up watching movies again.

She was not worried about what they would end up doing that day because she would enjoy every bit of it regardless, absently she thought about Kris who always was on the back of her mind and realised that they hadn’t made any concrete plans on how they would tell his mother about their engagement.

Were they even engaged yet? Sure, they had bought rings but she was not wearing hers yet and neither was Kris.

“Don’t leave the tap running, child.” Brooke said to her.

She had been so distracted with her thoughts while washing her hands that she hadn't even noticed the tap running, clear water gushing over her already clean hands.

“I’m sorry.” She apologised nervously.

Brooke gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s alright, Ava, here, take.” She offered her a hand towel.

Ava gratefully accepted the hand towel, starting to look around in earnest now for her boyfriend, it just occurred to her that she hadn’t caught a glimpse of him ever since he excused himself earlier.

“Do you know where Kris is?” She asked Brooke with a frown as they drifted to the living room.

“I was about to ask you the same.” Brooke replied, slowing down.

Kris was waiting for them at a corner of the living room with a shit eating grin on his face. “I have a surprise for the both of you for today.”

Ava and Brooke shared a glance, shrugging.

“What is it?” Ava asked curiously, unable to get any read off him if this was about their engagement, she wasn’t worried though because she knew that he would definitely tell her.

“That’s why it’s a surprise baby, I’m not supposed to tell you.” Kris tsked at her, coming over to them with blindfolds.

“Is it a game?” Brooke asked curiously, watching intently as Kris carefully blindfolded a giggling Ava.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” He answered patiently.

Soon they were both blindfolded and being led through the house, Kris carefully directing the two most important people in his life so that they didn’t trip or bump into something.

Ava took in a deep breath when they made it through the porch doors. “We’re going to the gardens? Is there a pinata?” She perked up.

“Or pin the tail on the donkey?” Brooke was quick to add.

“I prefer a pinata, Brooke, I really hope there’s one.” Ava murmured with seriousness, already licking her lips in anticipation of candy.

Her eagerness was making Kris start to wish that he had gotten a pinata for his adorable girlfriend instead.

He made silent gestures to the other person who was present in the yard, gently hoarding them through the uneven ground.

He finally stopped their journey, making his mother wait, while he guided Ava up a couple steps that she could not recognise.

He shushed her when she was about to make comments on it knowing that his mom could be really perceptive at the most unlikely moments.

“Are you ready for the surprise?” He asked, tampering his voice so his excitement and nervousness didn’t show.

At this point, Ava and Brooke were sporting slight frowns, it was too confusing to figure out without their vision.

“As ready as we’ll ever be.” They shrugged.

Slowly, Kris went down on one knee, the smile he had been struggling with breaking out in stark relief on his refined, handsome features.

“Alright then, you can take off your blindfolds.” He allowed them, waiting patiently, his eyes fixed on Ava.

The cameraman, who was the other person in the yard with them, was prepared to catch their reactions.

Their blindfolds came off at roughly the same moment but Ava’s attention was caught by the platform underneath her feet while Brooke caught on to the entire thing immediately.

Her eyes went wide, her hands coming up to cover her gaping mouth even as she teared up, a happy smile breaking out on her face.

“Baby?” Ava had still not gotten over the dais that she was apparently standing on. “What’s this?”

“Look up, love.” He urged her with fond exasperation.

“Why… oh my…” She trailed off speechless when she saw her very perfect boyfriend kneeling down with one of the rings that they had both gone out to get together.

“Will you marry me?” He asked reverently.

Ava rushed forward to throw her arm around his neck, squealing happily. “Yes!” she accepted happily.

Kris got up to his feet to properly hug her, slipping the ring onto her outstretched finger.

Brooke cheered happily for them, waiting for them to come down from the beautifully decorated dais. She couldn’t  imagine that her son had been hard at work setting this up and neither of them had noticed.

But they didn't. Instead, Ava stepped away from Kris’s hug and put out a hand. 

“It’s my turn now.” She said in a teasing voice.

Brooke frowned, confused - her turn to what?

Kris didn’t look confused though although he was pleasantly surprised, he didn’t think that Ava would want to do it the traditional way, he meant, it was a big of a deal enough that she even chose to get him an engagement ring.

He handed her the ring, his eyes prickling, man, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was tearing up. His heart felt like it would pop from all of the love it was trying to contain.

Theatrically, Ava swept her dress to one side and dropped to one knee, a slanted grin on her face as he offered the ring up. “Kris, will you marry me as well?” She asked in turn, managing to sound serious even with the big smile on her face.

Brooke burst into tears at this point where she was standing beside the dais, Sugar had heard the commotion which interrupted his nap and he had wandered out into the yard, Brooke picking him up to comfort herself, and also so he wouldn’t interrupt them.

“Yes.” Kris half whispered, his voice failing him.

He couldn’t blame his mom for bawling out her eyes, with Ava kneeling there with one of the biggest smiles on her face, stars in her eyes as she looked up at him, it was a miracle he wasn’t in tears yet.

He leaned forward to pick her up, disliking the fact that her tender knee was against the hardwood floor.

He waited till she slipped the ring on before claiming her lips in a heady kiss, camera shutters going on in the background while Brooke cheered for them, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief she produced from nowhere. Sugar was not left out, meowing as well.

Ava did not mind the number of persons present for her engagement to the love of her life, it was perfect because all the important people were present.

“You both have a lot to explain but that will be after cake!” Brooke announced when they were all done with taking pictures and sharing hugs.