The One Rule<\/b><\/p>\n
Patrick blinked at me, still on one knee, the ring trembling slightly between his fingers. \u201cUh\u2026 what rule?\u201d<\/p>\n
I bit my lip, like I was hesitant to say it. Then, I dropped the bomb.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we get married, we\u2019ll live in my new apartment, *but*\u2026 my family has a strict tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n
He tilted his head, intrigued but wary. \u201cWhat kind of tradition?\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled sweetly. \u201cBefore marriage, the groom must prove his dedication by serving the bride\u2019s family\u2026 for *one full year.*\u201d<\/p>\n
His brows furrowed. \u201cWhat do you mean\u2026 serve?\u201d<\/p>\n
I sighed dramatically. \u201cOh, just little things. Cleaning, cooking, running errands. A bit of yard work, too. My aunt\u2019s apartment has a *big* garden\u2014so much maintenance! And you know, since I\u2019m inheriting it, I *must* honor her wishes. She loved that garden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patrick\u2019s face twitched. \u201cWait. You want me to\u2026 do chores? For a year?\u201d<\/p>\n
I gasped. \u201cYou make it sound so harsh! It\u2019s a *sacred tradition,* babe.\u201d I leaned in, whispering. \u201cYou *do* want to marry me, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
His lips parted, but no words came out.<\/p>\n
I could see the calculations running through his brain. On one hand, *free apartment.* On the other, *manual labor.*<\/p>\n
He swallowed. \u201cUh\u2026 can\u2019t we just skip that part?\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned. \u201cBut then my family won\u2019t give their blessing. And that would be *so* disrespectful to my aunt\u2019s memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patrick sat back on his heels, looking absolutely *miserable.* He glanced at the ring, then at me. His dream of freeloading in my new apartment was crumbling before his eyes.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t say a word. I just smiled, waiting.<\/p>\n
Then\u2014he sighed, forced a smile, and said, \u201cOf course, babe. I\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I grinned. \u201c*Wonderful!* You start tomorrow. My uncle has a *long* list of things he needs help with.\u201d<\/p>\n
And let me tell you\u2014my *imaginary* family tradition?<\/p>\n
Made sure I *never* had to see that ring again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The One Rule Patrick blinked at me, still on one knee, the ring trembling slightly between his fingers. \u201cUh\u2026 what rule?\u201d I bit my lip, like I… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26027,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-26026","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n