"Excuse me?"

"You heard right. I'm here to put a stop to this foolishness since you refuse to listen to mum," JR spat.

"You have no right to talk to her that way," Fifi commented.

He shot her a glare. "I can't even stomach the fact that you stand for this."

"As opposed to what? Fighting against my best friend's happiness? This is the happiest she's ever been," Fifi shot back.

"She's in a foreign land because of a man who has deluded her into thinking she's suddenly wise enough to go out into the world her own," JR said darkly.

I saw red.

Luckily for me, Cuba picked up on this and held me back. "Breathe Dori."

"You see? She doesn't even think twice about wanting to attack us," my mother added.

I shot her a glare, trying to understand my emotions. I was undoubtedly furious, but I was also hurt that she felt she had to ambush me like this. I looked to my brother and he looked genuinely pissed off.

It didn't help that Cuba still had his arms around me.

"Stop glaring at my husband," I said lowly.

Both their eyes widened. "Your what?"

"That's right! I'm married to Cuba and we're having a baby together," I said boldly.

My mother scoffed. "This is madness."

"What's wrong with you? Are you crying out for attention?" my brother asked.

"Attention? Really?" Connie asked.

"She's crying out for something. The last time we spoke, she barely had her wits together at her new job, and now I'm supposed to believe that she's mature enough to bring a child into this world?" JR pointed out.

"What exactly do maturity and finding your feet in a job you hate have to do with one another?" my husband spoke up.

"No-one's talking to you," JR said darkly.

Cuba moved beside me. "Maybe not, but you are attacking my wife, which means you're also contributing to her high blood pressure. I won't stand here and let you harm the two most important people to me."

"So, what? You're kicking us out?" JR asked.

"No, because as hurt as she is, she wouldn't want that. I'm simply removing her from a situation that could potentially harm her," Cuba finished off before dragging me along with him.

When we got to our room, he gently put his arms around me. I hugged him back, relishing in the comfort his arms brought. I listened to his heartbeat, letting it completely calm me. I found peace just standing there in his arms.

"What do you want to do?" he asked after a while.

"Aren't you going to ask if I'm ok or not?" I asked, looking up at him.

He gave me a cute smile. "I already know that you're not. That's why I know better than to ask, but to instead ask what you'd like to do."

"Well for the record I'm hurt, but I honestly don't know what to do," I admitted.

"Code for you already know what you want to do but you don't know how I'll react," he said knowingly.

He knows me too well.

I sighed, stepping out of his arms. "You're busy at the company."

"What did you have in mind Dori?" he asked, holding my hands.

"I really don't want you to leave. You still need to prove to the company that you're an asset and the last thing you need is my problems on yo-"

"What do you need?" he interrupted.

"I need to see my dad," I blurted.

"Ok, but how does that help your situation?" he questioned, sitting down while I paced.

"I've always been close to my dad Laz. If I can get him on my side with this, then maybe my mother and brother will find peace with me too," I explained.

"You haven't even really spoken to your brother. How do you know that he isn't on your side?" he asked.

"He will never be, not with my mum having already poisoned him against me. He's always been a momma's boy, and once they're on the same page, it's close to impossible to make him see reason," I elaborated.

He scowled. "Won't that then cause a division between you guys?"

"It wouldn't be the first time. Besides, only my dad can get through to my mum, and only she can get through to JR," I pointed out.

He sat in silence for the longest time and I was worried about what was going through his mind. He suddenly stood up, kissed my forehead and walked out of the room, leaving me confused.

I wanted to follow him out, but I fought against it. Instead, I called Fifi when I realized that I could hear shouting downstairs. She stopped fighting with my brother and came upstairs to me. She threw her arms around me the moment she walked into the room.

"I'm so sorry Lolo," she said softly.

"It's ok. I mean, it's not, but really, what can I do?" I replied.

"I saw Cuba leave. Are you guys ok?" she asked, pulling away.

"Honestly, I don't know. It upsets me that he loves me so wholeheartedly, and yet all he gets from my end is all this animosity," I confessed, tears welling in my eyes.

She reached out to wipe a fallen tear. "Hey, don't think like that. The animosity isn't coming from you, and that's the most important thing to him. He understands better than anyone that you can't control what someone else thinks of you. He doesn't blame you for any of this."

"And that's why we're going to watch some movies and get you to forget all about this ok?" Connie said as she walked into the room.

"Where are they?" I asked her.

"JR is setting himself up in the room next to the one your mum's in. I called Cuba and he said to keep your mind off of things," she informed.

"Did he say where he was going?" I asked.

She shook her head. "He sounded very tense. I can't say I know what's going through his head."

"And that's what I'm most afraid of," I said, a lump in my throat.

"Hey, we're here for you. I know it doesn't seem like much, but we are," Fifi said, holding my hand. Connie reached out to squeeze my other hand.

"It means everything," I whispered.

Fifi and I set up on the floor because the two of them refused to sit on the same bed I'd just had sex with my husband on, making me laugh. Connie headed downstairs to make our snacks while we tried to figure out how to operate the TV.

"You've been sleeping in here for so long. How have you not figured the TV out yet?" she asked me.

"Cuba's the one who operates it," I defended.

"You really need to start paying attention to everything he does instead of him," she scolded.

"Excuse me, have you seen him?" I pointed out.

She had a faraway look on her face. "Touché."

We eventually figured it out and Connie came back with our snacks and Cuba's password for the streaming service. We settled on a couple of romantic comedies since we weren't sure when my husband would be returning.

"Stuff like this just doesn't happen in real life," Fifi commented as we finished the second movie.

"I don't know. I'd beg to differ," Connie argued.

"You really think it's that easy?" I asked her.

"Not that easy, but I do believe things like that are possible. I mean, look at you and Cuba. Your love story is beautiful, but it also has its obstacles. When you take those obstacles away, your love story is the kind that other people would deem a fairy-tale," she argued.

"Huh, now that you mention; things like their love story don't happen every day," Fifi agreed.

"Our love story is far from being a fairy tale," I mumbled.

"Maybe not at the moment, but like Con said, obstacles aside, your love story is beautiful," Fifi replied.

I was about to protest when my husband popped his head through the door. "Is it safe?"

"Yeah," I replied.

He stepped into the room, an envelope in his hands. "Sorry to interrupt ladies, but me lady and I need to get going."

I frowned. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to see your dad," he responded.

"No, we're not. You have a lot to do at the company," I argued.

"Which is why we're only leaving for three days. There's an important meeting I have to be back for, but my schedule until then is flexible. I've just gone to iron out some things with Nate and he says I can handle working away from the office. I know you Dori. You want to see your dad, but you won't do it alone and I refuse to let the whole thing bother you because I'm busy," he countered.

"You cannot keep making these sacrifices for me," I snapped.

"Calm down you conceited wife. I didn't get to ask your dad for his permission to marry his daughter, so this isn't entirely about you," he teased. My best friends laughed a little at that.

"It's my hand in marriage, therefore it is about me," I retorted childishly.

He chuckled. "Fine. We're still leaving though. The jet is ready and I figured you'd want to leave without being seen by your mum and brother."

"We'll cover for you," Fifi added quickly.

"You're fighting with JR over me," I said to her.

"So?" she asked.

"Don't be like that Fifi. I know how you feel about him," I said softly.

"I'm in love with your brother yes, but he's constantly hurting me and it's getting old. Besides, you're the one who has my heart. You come first before everyone Lolo and he's being an ass about this," she said strongly.

I pulled her in for an awkward hug. "I love you Fifi."

"I love you too munchkin," she teased.

"I love you Con," I said, hugging her too.

"I love you too Lolo," she giggled.

"I wouldn't have been to handle this without you guys, so thank you," I told them.

"Gee, don't I just feel useless," my husband commented, making us laugh.

"You'll get over it," I replied.

"Up you go," he said, helping me up. Once I was standing, I pulled him in for a soft kiss.

"I love you Mr Diaz," I smiled.

He pecked my lips, grinning. "I love you too Mrs Diaz."

Fifi and Connie helped me pack while he fetched his devices from his office. While they packed my stuff, I packed for him. When we were done, we headed downstairs as quietly as we could and Connie grabbed some food for me for the nausea, as well as my prenatal medication.

"Mr Simmons is shit scary amigo, but don't be scared. Stick to your guns," Fifi told Cuba as we packed our stuff in his SUV.

"I've already encountered my father in law before. I know what I'm going into," he replied.

"You have?" I asked.

He nodded. "Why do you think your mum knew my name back at your apartment before I even said anything?"

Huh, I didn't think about that.

"Well kids, have fun. We'll hold down the fort here," Connie said.

"Thanks guys," we replied.

After hugging them, we headed out. He informed me that since we were headed to a private airport, he'd just park his SUV there until we came back. I couldn't even believe that he was doing this for me in the first place.

It's honestly no secret that I scored big time with my husband.

"What's on your mind?" he asked after a while, reaching out to hold my hand.

"Well Facebook, I was thinking about how amazing my husband is," I joked.

He shot me a dry look. "Sometimes you make him question why he owns that title."

"Ha! He wouldn't have me any other way," I said confidently. He brought my hand up to his lips.

"That he wouldn't," he smiled.

I was thankful that the darkness hid my blush. "But seriously though; you're the most amazing husband in the world. The lengths you go to, to make me happy, are nothing short of amazing."

"A lot of amazement going on there," he taunted.

I smacked his arm. "I'm trying to be cute."

He chuckled. "You're always cute Mama Dori, but I'm only amazing because of you. I'm fighting for you and Nemo, so I know that I have to always put my best foot forward."

"That sounds like a lot of pressure that you shouldn't have," I argued.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean that I know you have good intentions with everything you do, but I don't want you to get lost in that. You're allowed to make mistakes and be imperfect. I'll still love you through it," I explained.

We were at a red light so he turned to give me a breath-taking smile. "Oh, I already know that. I just happen to be riding the perfection train right now and I'm going to milk it for all I can. God knows my screwing up days are ahead of me, so he's helping me stay in your good books as long as I can."

I couldn't help but laugh at his logic. I love this man, flaws and all, and I couldn't blame his way of thinking, especially since I know for a fact that his number one fear is that he'll mess up so badly, he loses Nemo and I.

Which is never going to happen.

We arrived at the airport and I peeped at the time. My eyes widened when I found that it was one in the morning. I didn't think it was that late. I could see the jet in the distance but there was another SUV there. Only once we were out of the car did I see who was there.

"Mrs Granger?" I asked.

"Hello dear," she smiled.

"Mrs Granger is coming with us," Cuba informed.

"Ok, but why?" I questioned.

"I have business there, and I want to help Cuba state his case with your father," she replied.

"I don't understand," I admitted.

"I grew up watching over Cuba under his grandfather's request. I've watched him go through the most toxic parts of his life, but ever since you've come into his life, he's been a completely new man. I'm going to make your father understand that much," she explained.

I shot my husband an unsure look. "Don't worry. We're not going to ambush him. She's only coming along as a failsafe."

"So, we'll state our case together first?" I asked.

He nodded. "I don't have much to go on, but I'm in this with you."

"I love you," I smiled.

He leaned down and kissed me. "I love you too."

The three of us got into the jet and as soon as we were comfortably in the air, I fell asleep. It only dawned on me how exhausted I was, and I wanted to give Cuba and Mrs Granger some space to work since they already had their laptops out.

I woke up mid-flight to eat before going back to sleep. I basically slept the whole flight and by the time he woke me up, I could tell that my husband was exhausted. He shot me a knowing smile and I knew I couldn't argue with him.

"At least tell me that you're going to sleep before we go and see my dad," I bargained. We were standing outside the jet, waiting for our car to arrive.

"Don't worry Mama Dori, I actually do want to sleep, but only if you promise me that you'll stay out of trouble," he warned.

"What trouble could I possibly cause? I'm just going to have lunch with Pearl and Claudia to catch up with them," I defended.

"I'll take your word for it. I'm actually too tired to argue with you," he yawned, making Mrs Granger laugh.

Our car arrived and I learned that Mrs Granger had instead booked herself into a hotel, so we dropped her off first before heading to my apartment. I was relieved to find it clean and there was a note from Pearl saying that she'd had someone come to clean and get rid of the food in the kitchen. True to word, there was no food anywhere in the kitchen.

"So, Pearl clearly guessed that I wasn't coming back," I commented.

Cuba chuckled tiredly. "Seriously? There's nothing?"

"I'll pick us up some food while I'm out. I need to take my car to the car wash also. I can't imagine how dirty it must be from just chilling in the parking lot," I noted.

"Alright. You'll call me if you need anything, right?" he said.

"I'm home Laz. I've got this. You just head to bed and rest. I'll see you when I get back," I told him.

"Ok. I love you Mama Dori," he pouted.

I giggled before kissing him. "We love you too Papa Laz."

"Oh yeah, I love you too my little Nemo," he whispered, leaning down to my bulging stomach.

"Weirdo," I teased.

"Says the bigger weirdo," he echoed as he walked towards my room.

I laughed, shaking my head before I heard the door close. I wasn't tired thanks to having rested, and it was quite early in the morning, so I settled for sitting by the TV for a while, chilling.

When it was mid-morning, I got up and headed to the guest bedroom to take a shower. I didn't want to disrupt Cuba in any way. I got dressed in the lounge since our luggage was there. I got dressed in a dress simply because a whole lot of my clothes no longer fit.

I hadn't gotten around to doing any maternity shopping.

"Hey you! Haven't heard from you in a while," Pearl said as she answered the phone.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'm actually home right now. Are you free?" I asked.

"I've still got an hour of shooting to go, but I'm free after that. What were you thinking?" she asked.

I grabbed my car keys and handbag. "Well, I want to catch up with you and Claudia, but I also need new clothes for all this weight gain."

"Say no more. I'll text you when I'm done," she replied.

"Great! I'm just going to get my car washed so I'll probably be done at the same time as you. I'll call Claudia on my way there," I responded.

"Cool. I can't wait to see you. I'm excited to hear about what you've been getting up to," she said.

I laughed. "I can't wait to share."

After hanging up, I called Claudia and she was also on board. By the time I got to my car, I couldn't believe how right I was about it. It even had dried up bird poop on it. I just shook my head and got in before heading out.

I got to the car wash and it was relatively empty. I gave them the car after clearing out my stuff and went to go and sit in the waiting area. I decided to check my emails while waiting, and there were a couple of emails waiting for me from Nate with regards to my new project. They were prioritized and everything.

Nate is truly the best.

Even with the timing of everything, he was still willing to help me. He was including even things that I'd personally forgotten. He advised that I'd probably need an assistant, so I'd look into that once we were back home.

When my car was clean, both Pearl and Claudia texted me to say that they were on their way to the mall. We were heading to Sandton City to first shop and then do lunch. I arrived there in minutes and we met up at one of the baby stores.

"You look so big," Pearl commented.

I rolled my eyes. "Gee thanks."

"It's a cute kind of big. You look happy more than anything," Claudia laughed.

"Oh, that I very much am," I said, which was true.

Despite the drama with my mother and brother, I was happy.

They squealed and made me get into detail about everything as we shopped. We ended up buying baby stuff as well. I tried to tell them that I didn't know what Nemo is, but they couldn't have cared. Instead they said I could donate the wrong clothes.

After catching them up on everything, I got to catch up with their lives as well. I learnt that Pearl had a new boyfriend, and Claudia was moving in with hers. I made them aware that Fifi, Connie and I were setting up in New York, and they were both fine with that, but they had no intentions of joining us, and I understood that.

I'd enjoyed catching up with them, but I was anxious to get back to my husband, especially since we'd decided that we'd go see my dad for dinner. I stopped at Woolworths and got us some food before heading back to my apartment.

"These disappearing acts that you keep pulling on me have to stop."

"Wyatt?"