"Stupid Sam. Stupid stupid stupid Sam!!" Betty was cursing and started banging his chest.

She looked up at him, her eyes all wet and Sam tenderly wiped them away.

"How could you even think, for a minute, that my feelings for you would ever change?" Betty complained, "Do you not know yet how much I love you?"

Sam sighed, and kissed her forehead, "I know you do, my love, but I'm also realistic. I.."

She hit his chest again, harder this time, "Realistic my foot!! Saying it just means you don't trust me!"

She stomped on his foot - twice - and Sam's face winced in pain but he endured it. He could have avoided it, but doing so wouldn't have abated her anger.

"You're right," Sam said, putting his head on her forehead, "You're right. I'm sorry."

Daniel watched the two in front of him, who had completely ignored his presence and sighed inwardly.

Although he was glad that his daughter managed to find such a fine, young man as her other half, he was unhappy that it happened all too soon. She was still his little princess.

Well, at least he was indulging her and tolerated her tantrums.

"Ahem," Daniel said after a while, seeing that those two were not disentangling themselves as yet, "I am still here, you know."

Upon hearing her father's voice, Betty squeaked and jumped out of Sam's embrace. She pulled on her twintails and her nose twitched nervously, "I'm sorry, Daddy."

Sam, seeing this, had to fight the urge to scoop her up in his arms and kiss her senseless. To be more accurate, he seriously wanted to pounce on her right now.

All these while, his weakness never failed him whenever Betty acted so cutesy … or, to be more accurate, more 'bunny-ish'.

He groaned.

Waiting three years more is going to be so hard …

"Go," Daniel said, "This is between Sam and me right now."

"Yes, Daddy," Betty said with a pout.

"Until you're married to him, you're still my little girl. Remember that," Daniel said sternly.

Betty turned to give him a wide smile and replied, "I'm always your little girl, Daddy, even after I marry Sam."

With that, she skipped away and Daniel shook his head, a smile on his face as he watched her go.

Then he turned to look at Sam sternly.

"All this sounds well and good," Daniel said, "But why must you get married so early?"

Sam looked at him in genuine puzzlement, "I'm sorry, Sir, but I do not understand. Why should I wait? What is the point of doing that?"

Daniel blinked.

He realised Sam was right. What is the point of waiting until they were older? To be more stable? To be sure? Getting married young means they'll grow together, learn together and the boy had a good head on his shoulders.

He knew what he was getting into, and he was willing to work hard to make it work. That is what marriage is all about. Commitment.

With that out of the way, Daniel then had something more important thing to ask.

"So, tell me," he said, "When are you planning to have kids?"

Sam gulped.

How did a simple 'can I marry your daughter' meeting become 'tell me your entire marriage life plans'?

He groaned. This was going to a very, very long talk.

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Ali sighed.

It felt like everyone was getting their life in order, except for him. How long had it been since she had left him? Though it was less than a year, it felt like a lifetime.

How was she? Where was she? What was she doing?

These thoughts still plagued him and each time he prayed, he prayed for her as well. For her well-being, her safety, her peace of mind.

They say time healed all wounds, but that was a lie.

Time did not heal the wound. It just made one get used to the pain. The pain of losing the one.

How does one get over losing the one person who made you feel alive? Head into another relationship?

Perhaps.

It would have been easier if she had been a jerk, or if they had broken up because of differences of the heart - rather than differences of faith. The first few months had been hard. Yes, he had started to question God … 'why'?

Ali sighed again and sipped his hot chocolate as he looked at the horizon from his balcony.

He loved this sight and this moment.

Looking at the distance, he would find peace within himself.

So he would do this every night, just to settle his thoughts and to come to terms with all sorts of things.

Would he ever forget her?

Of course not.

Did he resent ever meeting her?

No, not anymore. At one point, he had thought that perhaps, it would have been better not to have loved and lost - he believed the ones who said 'it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all' was a lot of crock.

The pain of the loss was far greater than the love that had been felt. Then again, the pain was so strong because the love had been so strong.

As time passed, and the pain became more bearable, he began thinking more about what they had shared. The things he learned by being with her, the person he was by being by her side.

And he knew, it was something he would do all over again as the experience, and memories were precious to him.

Ali glanced at the book on the table behind him and shook his head.

He couldn't go through the list right now. His heart was still locked with her, and he couldn't imagine another person to be with right now. It wouldn't be fair on the other party.

Ali sighed again, drinking his hot chocolate.

Maybe next year.