Mr. and Mrs. Maringo had shared a light-hearted conversation about their daughter. The open display of affection between Megyn and Benjamin—so evident—was something they had never witnessed before.
"It looks like our flower has been discovered," Mr. Maringo remarked.
"Yeah, I think that's true," Mrs. Maringo agreed as she emptied the contents of her bag onto the table—new clothes her husband had gifted her. She counted five dresses and five pairs of shoes.
After folding and putting away her outfits, she picked up the red card again and read it one more time.
Looking over at her husband with a smile, she said, "Every woman deserves to experience the kind of love you give me. And I pray Megyn finds that too. That has always been my prayer for her."
"I've been praying for the same thing," Mr. Maringo replied softly.
Mrs. Maringo scooted closer to her husband as they sat together on their bedroom love couch. He held her in his arms, and for a moment, they sat in comfortable silence.
"James," she whispered.
"Mmm?"
"What do you think of Benjamin?"
"I think the young man has been enchanted by our daughter's beauty. Did you see how he looked at her?" Mr. Maringo said, a knowing smile forming.
"And why would you say that?" she teased, just to see if he still remembered how it felt to fall in love.
"I'm a man, my love. I married you, and I know how I feel whenever you're near." His smile widened. "And I see how you look at me."
Martha smiled. "And how do you feel?"
He kissed her lightly on the lips. "That's how I feel. And more."
Mrs. Maringo chuckled and gently pulled away from his embrace.
"That reminds me—there's something I need to do," she said, standing up. She winked at her husband and stepped out of the bedroom.
Mr. Maringo trusted her completely—he knew she'd do the right thing.
Mrs, Maringo walked down the hallway and knocked on her daughter's bedroom door. From inside, she could hear Megyn talking to someone.
As she knocked, she heard her daughter quickly say goodbye to the caller. Martha waited a minute before Megyn opened the door and welcomed her in.
Looking at her daughter, Martha's heart swelled with emotion. It was hard to believe the beautiful woman before her was the same little girl she had given birth to twenty-two years ago.
She wanted Megyn to know that dating wasn't a sin, and more importantly, that she was of age and free to explore love.
She had seen the way Benjamin looked at Megyn—and the way her daughter's face lit up in his presence. He made her happy, and that was what every mother wanted for her child. Happiness—but happiness with responsibility.
To give her that, she had to let go. She had always meant to ask Megyn if she had a boyfriend, but she never expected things to move this fast.
"Goodnight, Mum," Megyn said softly.
Martha closed the door behind her and walked to Mellissa's room. The lights were still on. She knocked and entered. Mellissa was already fast asleep.
She turned off the lights, then checked on little Mex, whom she had tucked in earlier. He too was sound asleep, with his bedside lamp still on. She switched it off and returned to her bedroom.
Ben was already asleep. Martha took a shower, slipped into her blue nightdress, tied a blue flowered silk scarf around her head, and climbed into bed. Exhausted, she drifted into a deep slumber.
Meanwhile, Megyn turned restlessly in her bed. The house was silent, but the neighborhood was not.
A drunk neighbor knocked noisily at the gate. A nearby dog barked, and it seemed as if the two were shouting at each other. Eventually, someone let the drunk in, and the ruckus died down.
Then came the distant wail of an ambulance siren. Outside her window, crickets chirped—a sound she hadn't noticed before.
Everything felt unusually loud.
Why couldn't she sleep?
She imagined Benjamin was also experiencing the same thing. She remembered too, that they didn't finish talking earlier in the night.
She picked up her phone, hesitating. Do I call or text? She started typing a message several times, only to delete it again and again.
On the other side of town, Benjamin sat on his bed, flipping through a lifestyle magazine he wasn't really reading. He stared blankly at the pages, then tossed the magazine into the drawer and lay down.
His day had been wonderful, but he still wished for more time with Megyn. His efforts to talk to her were interrupted by a knock.
"My Gazelle is so shy," he mused.
Just then, he noticed his phone blinking.
A text. From Megyn.
Hi Benjamin. —Gazelle
He didn't hesitate. He dialed her number, and she picked up immediately.
"What's up, my Gazelle? Missing me already?" he said.
"I think it's the opposite. You can't sleep, right?" Megyn said sitting up.
"Yeah. I was going to call you, but I wasn't sure if you were still awake. It's been a long day for you." Benjamin said as a matter of fact.
"Surprisingly, I can't sleep either." Megyn admitted, having a knowing smile.
"Really?" Benjamin was excited because for him that has been the usual occurrence since she met Megyn.
"Oh yes. I've heard every sound in this neighborhood."
Benjamin chuckled. He remembered the night a week ago when he couldn't sleep either—and how he had decided then and there to visit Megyn.
He knew she felt the same way he did. She wanted to be close. She wanted more time with him. The thought warmed his heart, and an idea formed in his mind.
"Princess?"
"Yeah?" Megyn had learnt to accept both pet names: Princess and Gazelle.
"We need to make time tomorrow."
"For what?"
"For us."
"For us?" she echoed.
"Yes. For us. Sounds right, doesn't it?" Benjamin asked.
"Yeah. After work?" she suggested.
"Leave that to me, my Gazelle," he said with assurance.
Megyn's eyelids grew heavier. She was slowly drifting toward sleep.
"My Benjie," she murmured, "your voice is so relaxing. Tell me I'll always hear your voice."
Benjamin could tell she was falling asleep. He whispered goodnight, and as she faded into slumber, all she could hear was the soft, warm baritone of his voice singing her a lullaby.
Megyn slept like a baby. And not long after, so did Benjamin.