Love Unmatched (2 page)

Since the bottle of wine was uncorked, my dad poured himself a glass. I mean literally, a glass. It was filled to the brim and he drank it in one gulp.

Zander glanced at me, his eyes solemn. He was giving my dad time to process the news that we had sprung on him.

My dad's eyes honed in on me. "How are you feeling?"

I breathed in. "I feel fine daddy."

He stood up and said, "Come here, angel." I stood up, stepped towards him, and he engulfed me into a hug.

Tears were now flowing from my face. Customers around the restaurant were probably wondering what was happening at our table. I saw some of them take quick glances at us before looking away.

My dad kissed my cheek and asked, "Are you happy?"

I nodded. "Yes, I am, very much." He slowly stepped back to his chair and sat back down. Now that our news was out, my body's normal functions were returning. I had the urge to pee. I excused myself from our table. I was going to leave my phone at our table, but Zander asked me to bring it. Just in case I needed him. He was so protective of me. I knew my dad was still absorbing the impact of what he just found out. He looked dazed, but from what I could tell, his breathing was returning to its normal rate; not shallow, forced breaths like before when he drank the whole glass of wine.

Before I left for the restroom I reached my hand out to him. "Daddy, I'm okay. Zander and I, we're going to be fine." My dad clasped his hands around mine.

Zander took over, his eyes brimmed with understanding. "Go, babe." He knew that I frequently had to use the restroom nowadays.

I stood up and left, carrying my cell phone with my left hand. After washing my hands in the restroom my phone started ringing. It was Kieran.

I answered on the third ring, since I had been drying my hands.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ace. You busy?" His excited voice was loud in my ears.

I stepped out of the restroom and stood to the side.

"Kinda," I replied.

He didn't seem to hear me. "Well, you know, for tomorrow. We should meet in the field. We can take a group picture. You, me, Zander, Tanya, Nalee, Dom, Xavier, Jackson..." Seriously? He was naming every single person we knew.

"Kieran,” I said, sounding exasperated, “Zander and I are having dinner with my dad." I could call and talk to him about this later.

He continued, "What time do you think you're going to be there?"

I said tersely, "Four, so we have enough time to park and line up." I was cutting this conversation short.

Kieran was obviously having none of it. "Do you think we can all have dinner together?"

He knew we were all having dinner together. We were all going to The Pacific Hotel. We had reserved that place last week so that all of our friends and families could celebrate together.

"Kieran, yes. Of course we're all having dinner together. Have you forgotten? Did all that chlorine exposure somehow damage your brain?" I was now getting annoyed. How long have I been standing here? Zander must be getting worried. By this time he should be looking for me.

Kieran talked about trivial stuff for another ten minutes. I stood there, outside the bathroom, half-listening. He was my best friend, but he was one of my least favorite people right now.

Finally, he said, "Alright, Ace. See you tomorrow. Say hi to Mr. M for me and to Zander." He had called my dad Mr. M since we were kids. He said 'Mackenzie' was too long of a last name. Indeed, it was longer compared to his. His only had five letters - Stone.

"Okay, goodnight."

Zander didn't look like he had missed me. He and my dad seemed to be engaged in a lively conversation. My dad had a relaxed look on his face. As a matter of fact, he looked happy. Our food was cold now; the conversation at our table surpassed any thoughts about food.

My dad asked Zander about the National Football Association and how he was going to prepare himself for the upcoming season. Zander bristled with excitement and told my dad about training camp and the grueling football schedule. Zander and I also talked about our plans for our baby. When I mentioned that I was still going for my internship in New York my dad looked really surprised. As a matter of fact, I was having second thoughts about it.

Three days ago Zander had seen me browsing through the acceptance letters for the nursing internships that I had applied to. He looked at me somberly and said, "I get to have my dreams, babe. You should have yours, too. As much as I want you to stay with me, I want you to be fulfilled." I told him I was fulfilled. With him at my side, I was. He then asked me, "If you weren't carrying our baby, would you go for it?" I nodded, with this honest statement, "Only if it meant that I'd still be with you, though." I have my dreams, yes. I also loved Zander. He was first for me now.

Zander broke through my reverie and explained to my dad, "It's going to be tough, but one of the things I love about your daughter is her ambition. It’s a big part of her, and if she can do it, she should go for it."

“How long is this internship?” My dad asked.

“It’s only for three months. The hospitals are under a tight budget crunch. They used to have six-month new grad nursing internships, but because of financial issues they have shortened it to three months. I’m lucky, because New York State University Hospital took me in after I submitted my acceptance letter at the last minute. Zander was the one who convinced me to do it.”

“What about your board exam?” My dad queried. I’ve only talked to him about my plans from the day I knew I could make plans, which was basically since I turned 15.

“I’m going to review for the boards during the time I’ll be waiting for my internship to start. I was going to take it after my internship but it seems to me that I have enough time on my hands to study and it will be beneficial for me to have my nursing license already. And, I am not sure if I would have enough energy and time to do this once our baby’s born. If I pass, Minnesota and New York State Boards of Nursing have reciprocity so I can practice nursing on my own license in both states.” I had studied the requirements for licensing as soon as I decided I was going to take the exam.

My dad nodded. He understood that I explored all of my options before I made my decision.

Zander caressed my back as he said, “I support your daughter in everything that she does, Sloane. As long as she’s happy, I’m happy.”

My dad's eyes twinkled. "It seems like you've found the right guy, Angel."

I held Zander's hand and rested it on top of the table, "Yes, I have dad."

“My love for you is like the ocean – vast, boundless, limitless.”

Zander

Graduation was
both a happy and a sad time; happy because it marked the beginning of a new chapter in our lives, and sad because we were going different ways to pursue our careers.

Sedona graduated with tons of honors. If there was an honor above that
summa cum laude
stuff she would have probably gotten it. Damn, she was freaky smart. Somehow I managed to garner
cum laude
in Architecture. Sedona looked happier about the fact that I had
cum laude
than she was about her own achievements in Nursing and Chemistry. She told me many, many times how proud she was of me.

Tanya, party-planner extraordinaire, spearheaded the graduation party planning. With the help of our other friends, she was able to turn the 2400-square foot room into a spring-themed venue, complete with streamers, balloons, and confetti all around. She even managed to hire a popular band based in San Francisco on such a short notice to provide entertainment. They performed pop, rock, and club music and also old-time favorites. Our friends and families met each other. Some of them were meeting each other for the first time.

When I introduced Sedona’s dad to my parents, my dad and Sloane easily found something in common with each other – their love for wine. Those two started comparing notes on where to find the best wines in town. My dad was also very interested in what Sloane did as a travel photographer. Usually, when my parents went on business trips, they seldom get to tour the countries that they visited. They primarily discussed business with their associates and stayed inside the hotels. Sloane was opening up my dad’s eyes to discovering the beauty of the countries that he had been to. When he described the peninsula in Belize, the exotic wildlife in Spain, and the exhilarating scenery of Mt. Kilamanjaro in Africa, my mom and dad’s eyes started to drift into dreamland. Sloane could be the spokesperson for the Travel Channel. My parents were already thinking of booking a safari adventure in their upcoming South African trip. They all seemed to get along pretty well. It was a relief for both Sedona and I, because now they would be sharing a common bond with each other forever- they were going to be grandparents.

Throughout the night, my mom cried buckets of tears. Every time I saw her she had a wet tissue on her hand.

The fact that she knew she was going to be a grandmother must have contributed to her tears. Sedona and I told my parents about our news during breakfast, after picking them up from the airport. My dad was caught completely off guard, to say the least. He almost choked on the bottled water that he was drinking at the time. My mom started tearing up when the words came out of my mouth, "Mom, dad, we're pregnant. Actually, Sedona is pregnant. I'm going to be a father."

As the shock of the news waned, my parents went all crazy on us. My dad started saying stuff like, "I need to change my will," and my mother started spouting out that she needed to call the OBGYN who delivered the First Lady's child. I was expecting them to be surprised, and hopefully, happy. Not expecting the loony-over-the-top reactions that they had. My mother even started talking to Sedona about ordering baby gifts. Were my parents that eager to be grandparents?

When my mom had finally calmed down she said, "A baby is a blessing. Knowing my son is going to be a father is unexplainable, especially since it's to a woman who is obviously special to him."

I could only imagine what their reaction was going to be when I told them that I was going to marry Sedona. But that was all for me. For now.

My parents also learned that Sedona was still going for her internship at New York State University Hospital. They were apprehensive about it. Their main concern was that Sedona was going to be alone in New York and I was going to be in Minnesota. Thousands of miles would be separating us. We tried to ease their worries by letting them know that we were looking for a roommate for Sedona so that at least she would have someone with her in the city. Plus it was only going to be three months. After her internship was over, Sedona would stay with me in Minnesota.

My dad said authoritatively, "Son, one of our planes will be for you and Sedona's sole use. At least, if you guys wanted to see each other, you won't have to worry about that." I nodded my head. I didn't know how many planes my dad owned. The last time I counted, around two years ago, we had five in total. Having a plane at our disposal would definitely make visiting each other easier.

I've always felt blessed and lucky to be the son of Sev Zobowski, the multimillionaire technology mogul, and Haven Zobowski, a well-known philanthropist. I just didn't let it rule over me. My parents' wealth was not mine. My dad started out his business from scratch while my mom worked long hours to help support our family during those hard times. People thought I was born with a golden spoon in my mouth, that I was catered to all my life. They couldn't have been more wrong. My parents engrained in me the value of hard work and self-determination. Sure, now that my dad was known as the "man with the golden touch" in the tech world, I did not complain about the money or the benefits of having it. It was just that my world didn't revolve around it. What was meaningful in my life was my woman, my friends, my parents, and my sport.

My parents wanted to give Sedona and I a graduation present to Bali. We both declined it. We had made plans with our closest friends to a 5-day trip to Maui. Sedona's dad also offered to help pay for the trip, but I refused that as well. My signing bonus was more than enough to cover for it. Sedona also pitched in. I didn't want her to, but she had insisted. She threatened me with no sex if I didn’t accept the money. What was a guy to do? I just put the money aside to buy something for her later.