You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.

- Anonymous.

"Please!"

Simon knew he would get away with it, for he choose to behave the way he behaved moments ago. It was actually good that he intervened because I knew, the next words coming from my mouth would had pushed my feisty fiancée over the edge. But that didn't mean, I would applaud him for it.

When Simon opened the door, Claire got out quietly, grabbing Lydia's hand. I opened my side of the door and walked out. Coming around the car, Simon gave me the suit jacket that started all the drama. I took the jacket with much more force than it needed. My hard eyes met Simon's. "That wasn't necessary."

He nodded submissively.

Turning away, I saw Claire and Lydia standing outside the fast food restaurant. I opted for a Italian restaurant that I liked, over at the midtown manhattan but Claire said, that wasn't a place for a child. Since I didn't know much about that, I kept quiet and just went with it. She choose a fast food joint near the upper east side neighbourhood. It looked like a good place. Though I would know better if we get in but Claire on her knees in front of a sad Lydia made me stop.

My posture instantly changed into defensive. I walked the remaining steps toward them and didn't think twice about leaning down on one knee before my little girl, on the sidewalk in broad daylight.

"What is it? What happened Lydia?"

Lydia looked at me with her sad doe eyes and pouted. "I'm sorry I made you both fight. I just wanted her to sit with me."

"Oh, Lydia!" Claire sighed beside me. She glanced at me while holding Lydia's hands in her hands. "Look what you've done now. I've been trying to make her understand but she won't stop saying sorry."

I shook my head. "This isn't my fault. You're the one who started it." I pulled Lydia in my arms before my feisty fiancée could utter anything. "Lydia, we weren't fighting because of you. Don't be sorry."

She turned her head up at me and said quietly. "But if I didn't put that jacket away then Mommy wou--"

I was already shaking my head at her. "No, Lydia. Don't!" I stated strictly. Glancing at Claire's eyes briefly with annoyance, I hold Lydia's chin to make her look at me in the eyes. "It was just, your Mommy doesn't know when to shut up."

Claire gently took my daughter from me and glared at me. "No, Lydia. It's your Daddy who doesn't seem to understand something so simple as family outing."

Before I could open my mouth, Simon's voice came from behind me. "Sir?" I turned my head toward, to look at him. "Ah everyone's looking, Sir. You're still on the sidewalk."

As a matter of fact, everyone was looking at us rather peculiarly. I slowly stood up, gesturing Claire to do the same. She looked around us at the curious faces with wide eyes, as if she just realised them standing there, like me.

"This better not be in tomorrow's papers!" She hissed at me, coming closer to my side. Then curiously, she tipped her head up at me. "How famous are you anyway?"

I rolled my eyes and put my hand on her lower back to push her forward to the door of the restaurant, away from all this crowd. "Famous enough."

Before I could compel her to take a step forward, she took a hold of my jacket which was draped on my arm and gave it back to Simon. She gave me a smile to my surprised face and turned ahead. I shook my head and placed my hand back at where it was. The traces of heat quite visible to my hand through that thin fabric. She felt good to touch. There's nothing wrong with touching your own fiancée. Claire took hold of Lydia and then three of us walked ahead.

Waste of time by pointing out on her action though. Enough argument for one day.

The restaurant was neat and clean. The tables were evenly placed and spaced moderately away from each other. One the other hand, counter where all the menus were, was crowded. The bustling chitchats of adult people with the children's pitchy voices had me cringe. Over all, the restaurant was very rowdy. I instantly disliked it.

Taking a hold of Claire's elbow, I stopped her. "There's still time. We could go somewhere less noisy."

Lydia was looking around the restaurant with big eyes. My feisty fiancée took a position so threatening that I knew right away, I was wrong to speak. She put one hand on Lydia's shoulder, keeping her close and put another hand on her hip. "There are people here. Ofcourse it would be noisy, Tyler."

My name really sounded quite different coming from her mouth. I liked it. That mouth where I was intently staring at. When I realised what I was doing I shook my head and looked at her face, helplessly not liking the fact that I had to ask her for something before doing anything.

I, Tyler Sanders, had to ask a woman before doing whatever I wanted. This was ridiculous but I knew, I was helpless when it came to Lydia. I swallowed my pride and said. "Yes, but this is really not my kind of place."

She let a sneaky smile come on her face before intertwining her arm around mine and pulling me toward the counter. "Yeah, I know but trust me, the food is really good here and I'm sure Lydia is already liking the place, right dear?"

The right side of her body pressed up beside me, hitched my breath. I tucked my collar to let out the sudden heat I felt at her curves being pressed to my side. It had been a while since I had a woman pressed at my side. This was a really bad time to be aware of Claire's delectable curves. Really bad time when the red-haired beauty of mine stopped her restaurant's admiration and looked at her Mommy, nodding vigorously. And her sneaky Mommy who was unaware of the difficulties she was making me face at the closeness, glanced at me and asked. "See?"

There was no intention of mine, for ruining this moment. Lydia eye's twinkling, her little fingers pointing at various things around us and speaking with such happy jump on her voice. She looked happy. Really happy. Even Claire looked happy, listening to every word spoken from my daughter's mouth. Bright smile's were present on both of theirs faces. Eventually, that made me smile a bit. But before, Claire could taunt me about it, I quickly removed it.

We reached the counter and I gave the liberty of choosing our meals to Claire. Within five minutes, the food came out. We both secured the treys on our hands and found us a table, bit far from the others as per my request.

I pulled the chairs for my ladies and sat myself down across from them. My ladies. That sounded so right. I did notice some guy's eyes following Claire when she walked in the restaurant with me. But she was mine along with Lydia. No matter how many eyes follow her, I'd be the only one beside her. They both were mine. My ladies.

Claire sorted out the lunch treys for us. I opened the lid of the box and instantly looked up at her with irritation. "Burgers? Really?"

She shrugged taking Lydia's food out for her. "It's a fast food place. What did you expect? Gourmet food?"

That was exactly what I was expecting. I looked down at my meal with distaste. I got so used to having gourmet food that I forgot how fast food taste like. "Are you sure this is good for Lydia?"

Rubbing Lydia's mouth after giving her a bite of her burger, she nodded at me. "Junk food is good once in awhile, Tyler. Relax and just eat it."

Taking a deep breath, I folded my sleeves and just went for that burger. With that, three of us busied ourselves with our food. The conversation on our table flowed easily with Lydia explaining her daily activities, likes and dislikes to Claire, and Claire who listened to everything and spoke about herself when Lydia would ask something to her, and I myself lended few answers when asked some questions by both of the ladies.

Time past by quickly and we were still engrossed in our talks. Foods were finished and we were still sitting, listening to each other. But when Lydia noticed something on the other side, we stopped whatever we were doing.

"Can I go and play in that playhouse, Mommy?"

There was a playhouse at the far corner of the restaurant. Some kids were already in it. Claire looked at me and I nodded at her. She then turned toward Lydia and smiled. "Yes, you can but please be careful."

Lydia nodded and sprinted away leaving us both adults alone. I rotated in the direction of Claire, giving her my full attention. "Am I invisible? She doesn't ask me anymore."

Claire laughed, sliding her eyes up and down at me. "No, you're perfectly visible to me."

It was a soft laugh but it was enchanting enough to make me gaze at her in another angle. Her face brightened, her eyes twinkled giving away the blue spark in it. Her head tilted upward, exposing her divine neck to me. I was unaware that I had been staring for long and when Claire's laugh ceased slowly, I became aware.

But then, her words and action registered in me and I raised my eyebrows at her.

All of a sudden, she became flustered, squirming in her chair, avoiding my eyes. Having no intention of making her embarrassed, I let the matter go. For now.

A sudden thought came in my mind and I cocked my head at her. "Does your parents know yet?"

Claire's hand stopped in the middle, her eyes met mine. She swallowed audibly and asked. "About what?"

"About the engagement."

She let her hand fall down and brushed away some invisible crumbs from her arms. "Ah, not really."

People started cramping in the restaurant gradually. Every table was getting occupied. Children running here and there. I glanced at the playhouse to make sure Lydia was, where she was supposed to be. And she was, playing with some other little girls, jumping around with them, looking extremely happy. As if she felt my gaze, she looked at me and waved. I as well as Claire, who straightened in her seat to have a glimpse of Lydia, waved back at her together.

Then I squinted my eyes at Claire. "What do you mean?"

"It's difficult. They are not exactly city people friendly. I mean, my dad will probably have many issues with this relationship." Claire sighed, waving her hand between us. "I just don't know how to tell him."

Issues? Her dad sounded like a difficult man, hard to please. It wasn't like I needed his permission. Hell, I could care less if he approved our marriage or not but since Claire seemed utterly distressed about it, I could at least make it easy for her.

There were no issues from my parents. Even if my parents wouldn't had approved, I would had still gone with our arrangement but they did approved. I knew my mom hired her own investigator to dug out every last detail on Claire, I could even guess she had Claire's forefathers information too. After everything that has gone through my life, I wasn't the only one who lived cautiously, my parents seemed to be cautious with every decision.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" I asked Claire. Immediately, she gaped at me with such horror in her face that I thought maybe there was something behind me that made her feel horrid.

"Absolutely not!" She shouted with her hands raised infront of her. "That's not necessary. I will handle it as soon as I come with some plan."

Some heads turned our way but when my eyes met theirs, they quickly looked away. I leaned back in my seat and laid my right foot over my left knee, crossing my hands over my chest and tried to figure out patiently what exactly Claire was saying, while banging her head on the table.

"What will I say? I'm sure he would just give me that look, he will surely have that look. That look of his that says it all." She muttered while striking her head over the table, making all the objects upon it clutter. She glanced up a bit at me with wide expressive eyes. "You know, he always keeps quiet, doesn't speak much but his look, oh god his look is so dangerous. He would just give me that look and I'm gone."

Again, she went back to the table. I could already see the red colour forming in her forehead. Since people were still peeking at us and giving me the accused look as if her distress was my fault, I sighed. Straightening up in my seat, I leaned forward and extended my hand to pat her head at a slow pace.

I guessed my method worked cause she stopped blabbering and froze. When she lifted her head fully with confused eyes, I pulled back my hand.

"What were you doing?" Claire asked me cautiously.

"Patting you?" I stated but it was more of a question.

She looked around us, lingering her eyes at the far corner where Lydia was. "Ah, why?"

I said in a matter-of-fact manner. "To comfort you."

At once, her expression changed. Her mouths twitched. She bit those pink lips of her. Those lips brought back memories of our kiss. The one I tried hard to lock away in the back of my mind. Kisses were normal but this one, this one with this woman was different. I didn't know what it was yet but I knew something was different. I remembered those surprised lips being warm against mine, hesitancy on them and then passion flared between us, and we were lost.

It was actually good that we had attraction between them. It would make the marriage much more easier than I had first thought.

Claire spoke up. "And that's how you comfort?"

"Most of the times." I shrugged.

She appeared to find my answer amusing because she chuckled at me. "You are so weird sometimes."

A corner of my mouth tilt up on its account and I said. "Well at least, I made you smile."

Her eyes widened and pink blushes instantly coated her smooth cheeks. But that didn't stop her from leaning forward on her elbows and fluttering her eyes at me. "Oh my! Are you being sweet on me, Mr. Sanders?"

I quickly steer cleared my eyes from her. "No, I just...I mean..."

This was not me. I was never at loss for words. I never become uncomfortable at any situation. I always knew how to handle every situation but why upon meeting this woman, I started stuttering? This was definitely not me.

Clearing my throat, I pointed at Lydia. "I just didn't want Lydia to find her Mommy sad. That's all."

But that still didn't falter her taunting smile and I called for Lydia so that we could get out of this restaurant and I could get out of this situation without embarrassing myself more.

I, Tyler Sanders who people thought was a tough cookie to nail, was embarrassed before a woman known for few weeks only.

Harden yourself, Tyler. Remember a woman has never been worth those damn feelings. You already experienced it.

It was time to be that Tyler Sanders again.