Sierra's head throbbed. Her vision was blurred, but she could touch and feel it. After a good eye rub, she could see it.

The ring was reality.

The woman didn't dream, Sierra was engaged, and the pounding head was a gift from Jacob. Though it was late, for the first time in years, if not to say ever, her brother yelled.

"Sierra, what is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean? It's Vincent. It's not like I got hitched in Vegas with a stripper."

"Sierra, tell me why you want to marry him?"

"What a stupid question. I-I love him."

"Sierra, where was Vincent for the last six months?"

"Jacob, you know where he was."

"Yes, he was everywhere else but with you. The man debarks, sweet talks you for a few weeks, and you want to marry him."

"Yes, Jacob, we would already be engaged see married if Leone didn't arrive."

"Why did Leone's arrival change things if he loved you so? I told you back then. Your man would not be down with that. And he left you."

"No, Jacob, I drove him away, and besides, I thought you liked Vincent."

"Sierra, please," the man said, pushing a hand on her forehead as though he wished to exorcise the spirit possessing her body.

"Don't do that, Jacob. I'm not a child anymore."

Jacob was persuaded God tested him. Through Sierra, he would learn a valuable lesson, but he didn't know what. His discernment and calm nature jumped out the window as Jacob was scared for the first time. The man was sure Sierra didn't know what she was doing, and just the way she came home with Leone with a whirlwind decision, she chose to wed.

In other circumstances, it wouldn't have bothered him. Sierra was a grown woman old enough to know what was good for her, but here Jacob believed his sister fled and hid behind a semblance of romance. What outraged Jacob in that instant was his incapacity to confront her with what he knew.

He had no right to tell Sierra about Jonas's feelings, and he could not intervene any other way.

They argued until Leone woke up, and they called it a night. Sierra slept with Leone, and now she stared at her engagement ring while the infant dreamt of moments where he watched his mother and father cook while songs he didn't know played in the background.

The dream was so precious and warm that the infant preferred to sleep than face reality where one parent was missing.

Sierra remained in bed; Jacob's words hurt. He spoke to her as if she were an irresponsible brat incapable of taking care of herself or Leone. He told her to think of Leone's best interests. Sierra thought she did.

Why was Jacob so whined up? And he wasn't alone.

After she said yes to Vincent's proposal, May pretexted she wasn't feeling well ten minutes later and left. Only Jade remained to support her. Sierra was lost amongst the dozens of congratulations. Her head spun, and though she didn't drink, the woman felt she had the hangover of the century.

What had she done wrong?

Just as Sierra stared at her engagement ring, Jonas observed his phone screen and May's message in Sweden.

Are you going to let that happen?

If it was Sierra's choice, then the answer was yes. He would let it happen.

Jonas hoped; he had faith even though the situation's picture appeared smudged, the man tried to paint a brighter and better one.

"Coward," he muttered.

Cecile often said that the man was as tough as a stuffed teddy bear despite his height and apparent strength.

"You are so pure," the woman would whisper while caressing his face. Jonas never understood what Cecile meant. The man was no saint, especially at that instant when dark thoughts crowded his mind. Jonas put down his phone and sat up. Sierra chose there was nothing he could do. If this was their karma and it was how things were ought to be.

Jonas got out of bed and went down downstairs. His dog bought his leash and wagged its tail.

It was time for his walk; this was his life: dog promenades, work, and pottery. Jonas's existence was one without drama until Cecile Gauthier climbed into his dorm window.

His mother asked him why he left Leone with Sierra. Leone was his son; he had all the rights to demand sole custody. The man admitted it was not his intention at first. Jonas hadn't planned to be a father. He had his habits; he was a happy-go-lucky guy thriving in his thirties. His life was simple until he rang on Sierra's doorbell. From then, Jonas knew nothing would ever be the same. Sierra and Leone gave him a sense of belonging and procured a feeling the man never knew.

Jonas found himself wondering if the heavens could be so cruel, to give him something one moment and take it back the next. Jonas wanted to play by the book and accept his destiny as designed by the divine. Even if he was back in Sweden and his mentor told him to extinguish his fires, the man burnt to bend his life's path to his will. In moments like this, he wished he was carefree. Jonas was too conscious of his human condition that limited him and of his flaws.

Mind over matter, his reasoning and heart were in constant conflict even though he acknowledged and tried to address the issues.

While Jonas ran alongside his dog, Sierra received a morning call, "good morning, beautiful."

"Hello, Vincent."

"How are you?"

"I just woke up," Sierra said as she served herself some orange juice, "And you?"

"I'm driving my sister to the airport. She wanted to say goodbye to you."

"She's leaving already?"

"Yes, she only came to see me propose?"

"You had all this planned?"

"For months."

Jacob was wrong. Vincent didn't run away; he spent months preparing everything for their engagement. The man invested in their future, the woman, didn't see the issue.

"Hello, Sierra."

"Elise."

"I was delighted to meet you. I can't wait to see you in London."

"London?"

"Yes, for the engagement ceremony."

"I thought yesterday."

"Oh, that was nothing. See you there."

Vincent took back his phone, "Sierra?"

"Vincent, what is your sister talking about?"

"Eh, well, you have to meet my parents. I played traditions in reverse. You were supposed to meet them before, but it doesn't change anything."

Sierra slicked her hair back "if you say so." The woman wasn't sure one could do anything they wanted with cultural traditions.

"Listen, let me drop Elise off, and we can speak about this when I come back, okay."

"Okay."

"Mama."

"Sierra?"

"Yes, let's talk later," Sierra said as she rushed to her bedroom, where Leone was already placing his foot on the ground.

Now he walked; she needed to be more cautious about the dangers. She took him and went to make his bottle. As usual, he sat in his high chair.

His eyes roamed around the kitchen. Mama was tending to him a lot these days. That Dona still wasn't there. Leone schemed; he thought of how he could get his uncle to come back as it appeared his mom didn't know how to contact his father.

He drank his bottle and tried to think of a way to make Jacob understand; they needed to use that magic mirror to contact Dona again. In the meantime, Sierra called May, "Hey, girl, you left in such a hurry. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, how about you?"

"I'm, well, engaged," Sierra said, looking at the ring on her finger.

"Is that what you wanted?"

Sierra frowned, "May, what type of question is that?"

"I mean, Jonas just left and all."

"Eh, can you tell me the correlation?"

"I just think you jumped the gun, Sierra."

"May, I don't knowㅡ."

"I think you're running away." May didn't sleep. The whole situation made her uneasy. The woman couldn't accept that everyone was going along with the scenario when they knew there was a massive volcano crater plot hole.

Sierra pulled out a chair and sat, "I beg your pardon."

"Yesterday, you were just embarrassed to see everyone watching you, and you said yes when Vincent asked your hand because that's what you imagined everyone expected you to do."

"How can you say that? Why are you saying that?"

"Sierra, I'm your friend, and I know what kind of person you are. A while back, I did something stupid by asking you to date Jonas, but I'd be damned to let you do something as irrational as marrying Vincent when youㅡ."

Sierra hung up.

She just had the time to jump-start her heart that her home phone began to ring. She didn't move until the voicemail played: "Sierra, pick up the phone, or you'll have me saying all this to your face."

Sierra went to grab the phone, "May, why are you doing this?"

"Sierra, I know, Jade and I have always been you on the side friends. Only Cecile counted, but she's gone, Sierra."

"May, please," Sierra said while she grasped the phone a little tighter and looked in Leone's direction.

"You've never been a side-deal for me, Sierra. You're my friend. I know you. You loved Vincent, but I don't think you're feelings are Syncro right now."

"May, shut up."

"Sierra, listen."

"I don't want to hear another word."

"Sierra, I know you are afraid. You still don't accept Cecile's death, and you refuse to accept that you're in."

"May, if I am your friend. If you care, if you love me in any way, please trust that I wish, want, desire to walk down the aisle and become Vincent's wife, and if you're not okay with that, thenㅡ."

There was a short silence before May picked up with, "then what, Sierra?"

"Don't call me or speak to me again."

May laughed, "Sierra, you can't be serious. Like I tell you the truth, you can't take it and like we're not friends anymore. Grow up."

Sierra hung up.

"Arrgh," screamed May at her phone before blinking in dismay and thinking Sierra hung up twice.