Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Jasper's chest tightened as he listened silently.

"If he says 'yes' tonight, we will register our marriage first thing tomorrow morning." Jonah was always the calm and restrained type of person. At this moment, however, there was a sense of happiness in his voice. A slight tremble accompanied his every word, as if he was forcing himself to hold his excitement back.

"Same-sex marriage is legal in Bernardia. There can be no better opportunity than this." "Congratulations, Jonah," Jasper said in a low voice, which carried a hint of envy.

"I have been keeping this thought to myself for a really long time. I didn't know who to tell. It didn't feel right to tell Lyse either." Jonah chuckled awkwardly. "After thinking about it, I figured you are the only one I can tell." "It is my privilege to be the first to find out about your good news." Jasper smiled. He gave them his blessings from the bottom of his heart. "I give my sincerest blessings to the both of you. You and Julien must be happy together, Jonah." "Thank you. We will. The sgoes for you and Lyse." In a warm voice, Jonah urged, "Even Landon has settled down. When are you going to marry Lyse, Jasper?" Jasper hid the jewelry box in his chest pocket. With feelings of anxiousness, he walked toward Winston's room.

"That's great... Taty... That's great!" Jasper stopped in his tracks. He dashed to hide behind a potted plant.

Through the window, the bright moonlight shone on a pair of lovers embracing one another, highlighting the beautiful and meaningful moment that they shared.

Sean had his arms around Tatiana's waist. He planted kisses all over her face, from her forehead to her cheeks and her lips. He was extremely gentle with her, as if all he wanted was to make her his.

Tatiana was madly in love with him in the first place. She couldn't hold up against him being all over her like that. Soon enough, she melted into his arms, moaning softly.

"Sean..." Her eyes were reddened. The look in her moistened eyes was heart-fluttering.

"I'm going to be a dad, Taty... I'm going to be a dad!" In his excitement, Sean pulled Tatiana in for a tight hug. With a tremor in his voice, he added, "Don't be afraid, Taty. I will protect you and our child. I will do all I can to give you both a happy life! "It's too late now, but I will speak with Winston first thing tomorrow morning. I'll ask for your hand in marriage officially!" "There's no rush." Tatiana lifted her face toward him. Her face was slightly pale. "Mom and Lyse are talking to Dad about this in the room. They will first give him the heads-up and calm him down, to avoid him getting overly emotional and affecting his health." "It's okay even if Winston disapproves. I will marry you no matter what." Sean's heart pounded. He welled up with tears. "If I don't, my life... will be meaningless." "After all we've been through, Dad understands how you feel about me. I don't think that he will grumble about you cutting ties with your family or your family members not coming over in person to discuss our marriage." Tatiana pursed her lips slightly. She caressed her belly with a look of worry in her eyes. "It's just... we're not married yet, and I'm not prepared to be a mother.

"I'm afraid that I won't be able to handle things well. I'm worried about not being able to care for you and our child in the end." "Don't be afraid. I can do it." Sean thought about how he had been so occupied lately that he hadn't even prepared for a proposal. His heart filled with regret, and his voice bechoarse. "I'll care for both you and our child." "How would you? You're a busy-' "No worries at all. I am a capable man!" The expression on Sean's face was sincere. He did not look like he was merely cajoling her. "If you don't want to breastfeed the baby, we can go for formula next time. Whether it's changing diapers, preparing the baby's milk, or putting the baby to sleep... leave them all to me. You don't have to worry about those at all! "Then, we can hire a nanny when the baby is older. The nanny will watch over the baby, and you can watch over the nanny. It'll save you so much worry." "How can I do that?" Tatiana shook her head.

"My mom said that giving birth to a child is like going through hell. After becoming a mother, a woman will lose themselves completely." Sean caressed her hair lovingly. "It will be an arduous journey for you from the moment of conception until you give birth to this baby.

"It makesfeel terrible to think that I can't take the load off you. So, I will make it up to you manifold after the baby is born.

"I know it'll be tough on you this year, my love. But I will look after the both of you for the rest of my life." Sean's deeply affectionate words finally relieved Tatiana of all her worries. Her eyes glistened brightly with her anticipation of a blissful life in the future.

Jasper smiled, feeling glad. He didn't interrupt them but simply left quietly.

Just as he got to Winston's door, Lyla happened to be coming out of the room. She looked at him in surprise. "Jasper? What brings you here?" "Is Lyse in there, Madam Lyla?" Jasper asked in a low voice.

"She is. She's talking with her father. Are you looking for her?" "No, I was just asking. I... also just wanted to see Winston at the stime." After going through so much, Jasper's voice still trembled out of nervousness.

"Go ahead, then. Otherwise, Winston will be going to bed soon." Lyla kept having the feeling that something about Jasper was different tonight. She took a closer look, and she smiled. "Oh! This is an exquisite piece of clothing. It's been a long tsince I've seen such amazing handiwork." "Lyse made this for me. It's my favorite suit," Jasper declared proudly with his head held high.

"Oh, no wonder. Lyse's craftsmanship is one of a kind." nět Lyla sighed softly. In a tender voice, she said, "I've made clothes for Winston before. It's quite straining on the eyes and draining at the stime. Lyse hasn't even made any for her brothers. I can see how much she loves you. She really put her effort into it." "Yeah..." Jasper choked on his tears.

Lyla left the door slightly ajar. Jasper pushed the door open slowly and entered. He could hear the muffled chatter coming from Winston and Alyssa in the room.

He followed their voices and walked over. Just as he was about to knock on the bedroom door, he heard Winston speaking in a tender voice.

"Lauren is married. Taty is now pregnant with Sean's child and they'd be getting married soon. How about you, Lyse? When do you plan to get married to Jasper?" Jasper's heart raced. He held his breath and listened intently.

After a moment of silence, Alyssa spoke up in a gentle yet firm voice, "Dad, I'm not looking to get married for now." Privacy