Her fated lover

New York City:

"Wake up!" Little Matthew said, running into the room his aunt slept in.

"Ava?" He called, holding her matured face with his small hands.

"What is it, Matt?" Ava asked, opening her eyes to see her nephew.

"It's New Year!" The little boy said excitedly, shoving a card he took from his mother's collection into her hands.

Jumping up to sit on the bed, Ava smiled. "Come here, little Lucas."

"Happy New Year," Matthew greeted, sitting on his aunt's lap.

The Smiths family had gathered since the 23rd of last December. Lucas, a brother to Ava, and a husband to Hazel. They spent the vacation in their parents house, New York City.

"Happy New Year, Matthew Lucas," Ava greeted Matthew, planting a kiss on his cheeks.

"Let me go!" He screamed, giggling amidst laughter.

"Nah. You woke me up, remember?" Ava said, letting him slide off her lap and onto the floor.

She watched him run off the room screaming, "Mommy, Ava kissed me!"

"Silly," Ava said, standing to her feet. She touched her phone, reading something aloud.

"January first!" She said, running off to greet her family members. "It's New Year!"

.

.

"Cheers!" The people present in the big living room cheered, clinking glasses together and one after another.

"Mom?" Lucas called, sipping from his glass.

"Yes, honey?" Mrs. Grace said.

"Don't you think Ava should be getting married this year?" Lucas asked, directing his gaze at his sister.

"You asshole," Ava cursed, knowing the exact destination of her brother's discussion.

"I wouldn't know!" Mrs. Grace said, her two hands in the air. "It's her life, and I'm tired of telling her what to do."

"You'll be twenty-nine this year, Ava," Lucas said quietly, just so Ava doesn't take any offence.

"I know!" Ava said, taking offence. "It's my age, remember?"

"I'm sorry," Lucas said, giving up.

"I told you," Mrs. Grace said quietly.

"It's a new year, everyone!" Hazel said, interrupting the discussion that just ended a while ago. "No fights, please."

"Of course," Ava said, beaming a smile at her family members. "Tell him to stop disturbing me too." She said again, hitting Lucas's shoulder.

"Ouch!" Lucas said, soothing the spot where he was hit. "Did you see that, Mom?"

"I won!" Matthew's small voice disrupted the moment, his index and middle fingers forming a gun.

"What did you win, Matt?" Ava asked, enjoying the moment.

"Daddy has fallen!" The little boy said, jumping in excitement.

"Ohh, yeah," Ava said, laughing softly. "Daddy keeps getting on my nerves, baby."

"He does?" Matthew asked, bringing his gun-formed hands down.

"Yes!" Ava said, almost screaming. "Shoot him again!"

"Puahhhh!" The little boy screamed this time, creating a bigger gun with four of his fingers.

"Thank you," She said, bending to kiss Matthew on his cheeks before he ran off. But, he did run off before she got close.

"When will you be resuming work, Hazel?" Mr. Smith asked his daughter-in-law. He scooped Matthew into his hands and made him sit on his lap.

"Ermm…" Hazel said, looking into the calendar app on her phone. "On the 9th, dad."

"Fair enough," Mr Smith said, sipping from his glass.

"Speaking of jobs…" Ava said, her gaze directed at her father. "I applied at KROST."

"You did?" Mrs Smith and Lucas asked almost the same time.

"Yes, mom."

"Ohhh, that's a good one." Hazel said, smiling at her sister-in-law. "I hear KROST pays well."

"I heard too," Ava said, rolling her eyes.

"Congratulations, small sister." Lucas said, throwing an object at her from the place where he sat.

"I'd shoot you, daddy!" Little Matthew screamed from where he sat on Mr. Smith's lap.

"Easy, tiger," Mr Smith cautioned, smiling. "You're going to kill my son."

"Okay, Pa." Matthew said, his gaze directed at the television.

"Maya's wedding is in 9 days, remember?" Grace said, ending the discussion concerning her pending employment.

"Really?" Ava asked, laughing. "I know, mom."

"I know you know, Ava."

"Huh?" Ava said, knowing what her mother was trying to do.

"When is your wedding?" Mrs. Smith asked, shooting the bomb everyone was avoiding.

"Mom, please." Lucas said, his gaze at his mother's face.

"Please what?" Grace asked, her gaze at her son's.

"Not now," Lucas answered.

"I don't need a man, Ma." Ava said, standing to her feet.

"You think you don't?" Grace asked, laughing mockingly at her daughter.

"I don't need a man." Ava said again, taking a step.

"Okay, then," Mrs Smith said, letting it go.

"Have a nice day, you all," Ava said, planting a peck on her father's cheek while she headed to her room.

"No no no no no!" Little Matthew said, thinking the pecs were for him.

"Not you, silly," Mr. Smith said, watching his daughter walk away.

"Why did you do that again, Mom?" Lucas asked. "I thought you said it's her life."

"I just can't…" Mrs. Smith said in explanation but was cut short by her husband.

"Let it go," He said, his face gloomy. "She'd be fine."

.

.

January 4th:

"I know!" Ava Smith said to someone over the phone. "Stop reminding me, Maya."

"I know you know, baby," Maya's voice was heard while she giggled with excitement. "I can't wait to see you."

"Me too," Ava said, smiling at nothing in particular.

"How is Taylor?" Ava asked.

"Fine, baby," Maya answered.

"Where is the venue again?" Ava asked, teasingly.

"Really?" Maya screamed over the phone. "Palace of Fine Arts!" She screamed again.

"I know!" Ava said, laughing hard at how she got her best friend.

"I mustn't look for you, okay?" Maya said, her tone sounding the normal way.

"Yes, ma!" Ava said, her hands on her head.

"Good!" Maya responded, satisfied with what she heard. "How are they?"

"Who?"

"The Smiths, who else?" Maya answered. "Or…do you have a boyfriend I don't know about?"

"Not you this time, Maya!" Ava said, laughing. "They want my marriage so badly."

"What do you really expect?" Maya asked. "Lucas is married with a four year old son."

"So?" Ava asked stubbornly.

"I'm getting married in a week's time, Avv."

"I don't see my own marriage being the next in line, is this some sort of competition?"

"Dad wants you at the dining, Avv," Lucas's voice thundered, interrupting her conversation with Maya.

"I'd talk to you later, babes," She said, nodding at her brother who walked away.

"Alright, Miss," Maya said.

"Greet the groom for me," Ava said, ending the call.

"Dad?" She called, sitting on the chair close to Mr. Smith's chair.

"Hi, baby," Robert greeted, beaming a smile at her.

"Hi, dad," She greeted back, reciprocating the smile.

"What have you been up to?" Mr. Smith asked, looking at his daughter's face.

"Nothing much, dad," She answered, looking at the screen of her phone. "Checked my mail for updates, that's all."

"I see," Robert said. "Did you speak with your mother again?"

"No. Why?"

"You can't possibly keep malice with someone who birthed you because of a small argument, Avv," Mr. Smith said, calling her name in the very best way he could.

"Dad, I…" Ava started.

"See," Her father said, hastily interrupting her speech. "We love you."

"I know," Ava said, her face on the table. "I'm sorry."

"Nah," Robert said, his hands on her shoulder from where he sat. "We are family and we should behave as one."

"Ohhh, yeah!" Grace said, walking out of the kitchen with a tray of food. "Family, we remain."