CHAPTER 6
After that, they both returned to the blacksmithy, the ring resting on her hand and a smile on their faces.
The sun had set a while ago, and the moon had begun to shine in the sky.
When they were near the blacksmithy, they saw Nolin standing there.
They walked up to him and stood silently.
No one said a word for some time. They only made eye contact with each other. It was as if all of them had lost the words to speak.
Tension formed on its own, and awkwardness filled the atmosphere.
"So," Nolin spoke, his eyes fixed on the ring shining in the moonlight.
"He finally proposed. I was wondering when you two would start living together. You were already the couple that everyone in the village knew…"
He paused slightly.
"So it's finally over."
He said it with his rough voice.
Both of them had their faces turn red and couldn't find a single word that could pull them out of the situation unfolding in front of them.
"So when is the party for the wedding celebration?" he spoke again, his voice unshakable.
"You already planned it, right?"
"I–I still haven't decided on that. But it will be soon," Father said in the smallest voice he could manage, his mouth barely willing to open.
"Good," Nolin said.
"So today we're going to the bar and drink to celebrate—for the last time, to your heart's content.
You don't have any plans, do you?"
A knowing smile formed on his face.
Father wanted to say something, but after such a long day, he couldn't find a single excuse that would get him home without getting drunk.
"No, I don't have any," was all he could say.
Mother stood still, not knowing what to do in this situation. So she chose silence over action.
Nolin took Father by the arm, wrapped it around his neck, and practically dragged him to the bar.
When they went to the bar, they drank like there was no tomorrow.
And they also did some things I don't want to talk about.
Stop.
And as for your dirty mind—no, that's not what you're thinking they did.
They only had drinks and some of their most embarrassing moments came from that day.
And I really don't want to talk about how my father and my practically-grandpa had those moments.
So let's skip that and continue with the story. Okay?
They came home the next morning with faces like dead zombies and the worst hangover known to man.
Hands around each other's necks, walking like brothers who had the party of their lives.
When they reached home, Mother and Grandmother were standing at the door.
Both of them had to sit through a long lecture from the two of them combined.
Father looked at Grandpa with an expression that clearly said,
"Why didn't you tell me anything about this before I put the ring on her hand?"
Grandpa looked back with an expression that said,
"Would you have stopped if I told you anything?"
A clear smile written on his face.
Grandma noticed the smile, and the scolding only grew louder.
At the same time, Father accidentally let out a smile of his own. This time, Mother noticed—and scolded him even harder.
It was the first time in his marriage that he questioned all the decisions that had led him to this point.
And it hadn't even been twenty-four hours since the ring was placed on Mother's hand.
After the scolding was over, life continued as normal.
Mother shifted to Father's house, and they started living together.
There were no particular traditions in the village, so as long as you had a ring on your hand, you were husband and wife in the eyes of everyone else.
But after settling into the house, they still went to the church in the village to receive blessings and give offerings to God.
After that, time flew for them, each day passing like a normal day.
They decided to host a feast for close friends and family—mostly from Mother's side—to celebrate their newly married life.
The feast was held a month after the proposal.
Outside, snow had started to pile up, and the village was covered in a white blanket.
The party was small, but full of laughter and smiles.
With delicious food and drink.
The snow kept falling outside, quietly.
People laughed. Plates emptied. Someone spilled a drink.
Nothing special happened after that.
And maybe that was the most special part.
Because from that day onward, life didn't change suddenly.
It just continued — together.