Shelley moved back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room, setting up dinner for two. Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Come in!" she called out, her voice echoing as she strolled back to the kitchen. A fragrant dish nestled in her hands, she returned to the dining room, only to catch sight of Ben in the hallway. He stood there, effortlessly shedding his coat and letting it drape over the arm of the sofa, a casual air about him that drew her attention.

As soon as Ben catches sight of Shelley across the room, a warm smile spreads across his face. He makes his way over to her, his steps light with anticipation. When he reaches her, he leans down and places a gentle kiss on her temple, savouring the familiar scent of her hair. He then wraps his arms around her from behind, pulling her close and enveloping her in a comforting embrace. "Good evening, sweetheart," he murmurs softly against her ear, a hint of warmth and affection in his voice. "How was your day?" he asks, genuinely curious, ready to listen to whatever she has to share.

"Good," she said with a smile. "There were fewer patients at my unit today, thereby giving me enough room to rest. How about you?"

"Busy as usual, but nothing I couldn't handle. So, what are we having?" he asked.

"Peanut Abomu with Yam. You will love it," she says. "This dish, a local Ghanaian delicacy, combines peanuts and tomatoes with dried fish in an earthenware bowl. It is served with drizzling fried palm oil over it. You can enjoy this sauce with yam, plantains, or even cassava."

Turning to him, she said, "Sit down. I promise you will love it." Ben was unable to contain his excitement as he gazed at the delicacy on the table. On a separate plate, he noticed sliced avocado and some boiled eggs-an accompaniment to the main dish. Once seated, they savoured their meal, relishing each bite.

After supper, Ben and Shelley get right to work cleaning up. During her casual discussions with Ben, he offers his genuine appreciation for the tasty meal.

"To be honest, I never know what to expect when I drop by your apartment. I always have the opportunity to try some totally new cuisine, and I absolutely adore it."

With a smile on her face, she says, "Thank you." How wonderful that you feel that way. It is my pleasure to have you over nonetheless. By the way, how is the refurbishment at your firm progressing? she asked.

"It has been great," he says. "With Margaret handling the interior decor, Matthew seeing to the installation of equipment in the server room, and David seeing to the management of everything, I would say everything is sailing smoothly. I am hoping by the end of this month we will be done with the renovation, and the firm will be open to the general public."

"I can't wait!" she says, expressing her excitement. "Tell me, why Margaret? You could have chosen any interior designer. Why her in particular?"

"Aah, that! Let's just say I wanted her to take a step back from her husband, so I thought about getting her out of the house. She often complains that Blackson works too much, which is driving her husband crazy. I figured that if she had something to do besides being at home all day with the kids, it might help. Plus, she's really talented at her job."

"She is not wrong about that, you know. Dr Blackson is indeed a workaholic, but I am grateful you're looking out for them." Shelley nodded thoughtfully. "That definitely explains why he was grumpy at the office last year."

Turning to him, she said, "Tell me, how did you, Blackson, and Matthew meet?"

"That will be somewhere at Harvard," he points out. On my way to my dorm after class, I overheard two men arguing with three other males. The two gentlemen were visibly outnumbered, as I noted. Without bothering to enquire as to why they were arguing, I decided to intervene. After we had the situation under control, I found out why they had gotten into it. Thanks to my suggestion, we were able to resolve the issue. Matthew was eternally grateful to me after that, and Blackson thanked me for my help. A lifelong friendship was born at that moment.

Shelley's interest piqued, she asks, "What on earth did Matthew get himself into at that time?" He says, "I'd rather not say," while laughing. You know Matthew; he's perpetually up to no good, and he was a total nutcase while he was a student.

"So, what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"How did Matthew grow out of his mischiefs? Whatever it was."

Miriam is what happened after I introduced them. They became close, which wasn't my intention at the time. However, once I discovered they were dating, I warned Matthew that if he hurt her, I would have his balls. After that, he magically outgrew his mischievous ways. Problem solved. Shelley stared at Ben in disbelief. "Please remind me never to get on your bad side," she said.

Ben chuckles, waving her off. "You will never get on my bad side. Never ever," he says playfully while planting kisses all over her face. Shelley couldn't help but laugh.

Just then the phone started ringing. "I need to get that, Ben," she says, but Ben refuses to let her go. "Let it go to voice mail," he says. "No, I can't. What if it's an important phone call?"

"The only important thing you need to worry about is standing in front of you," he jokingly states before letting her go.

Shelley couldn't stop laughing as she picked up the call. "Hello, Dad... Yes, I am fine. What seems to be the problem?"

"Seriously, child, must there be a problem before I call my daughter?" he said bitingly. Shelley sighs. "I am just wondering why you will call this late in the night. That's all."

"Well, if you really want to know, I'm reaching out to see how you've been holding up lately. It's been a while since we last caught up, and I genuinely care about how things are going for you. Additionally, I'd like to get your thoughts on a specific issue that's been on my mind, and I value your perspective."

"Alright, you have my attention, Dad. Ask away."

"You are aware that tomorrow is your mother's birthday, right?"

"Yes, I know," she responded with a dramatic flair, rolling her eyes in exasperation. He took a deep breath before continuing, "That's exactly why I'm reaching out. Our wedding anniversary falls on the same day, and I want to make it memorable for her. Can you recommend a special place where I could send her? I'm looking for somewhere unique and enchanting that she would truly enjoy."

"Dad, that's really considerate of you. I am impressed, but I don't know of any place you could send Mom to for that occasion," she replies with an air of apology.

With the phone set to speaker mode, Ben listened intently to the ongoing conversation. He leaned closer, suggesting the idea of Dodi Princess to Shelley in a hushed tone, careful not to let her father catch wind of his words. After a moment, Shelley responded with enthusiasm, "You know, I really like Ben's suggestion just now about sending Mom to Dodi Princess. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity!" The excitement in her voice was palpable.

"The Dodi princess, you say. That is not a bad idea at all. But don't you think it's a bit late to book for that since the celebration is tomorrow?"

At long last, Ben said. "Absolutely not, sir. I have acquaintances there who owe me a favour and are eager to help. I can make the reservation for you. If the cruise is OK with you, all I have to do is place a call."

"Of course, son, that will be great. Thank you very much," says Mr Dickson. Ben felt a rush of satisfaction, knowing his idea was being well received.

"You are welcome, sir. I will have to excuse myself; I have a phone call to make," he says.

With Ben out of sight, Mr Dickson finally spoke, "So, Ben is at your place at this time, hmmm. Should I assume that there is a romantic relationship between the two of you?"

Shelley sighed and said, "Listen, Dad, I won't stop you from thinking what you want to think, but It's none of your business whether or not Ben and I are dating. Good night, Dad. I'll let you know once the reservation is confirmed." With that, she ended the call.

Shelley walks to the sofa and drops on it. She thought. Dodi princess. That will be awfully expensive. Why did I even agree to that? But let's face it, if Dad pulls this off, it will make Mom smile for days. I mean, everyone knows the Dodi Princess ll is known to have all the intimate details of the latter, with a modern appeal presented by its nicely set-out bar on the middle deck. Live band music entertains guests on board from the wooden floor upper deck, which offers a beautiful view of the lake.

Sailing on the lake, one can see the Akosombo Dam, the Presidential Chalets, Dwarfs' Island, the tilapia farm, and scenic views of the surrounding mountains. Aside from the cruise to Dodi Island, the Maritime Club House offers watersports lovers a host of other activities. For those with aquaphobia, the view of the river and surrounding mountainous landscape, as well as the fresh breeze, will surely soothe you as you sip on freshly-made fruit juice and treat your fingers to some hot-grilled tilapia harvested from the tilapia farm on the lake. I can really imagine my mom relaxing and having a good time. I think this will be a great opportunity for them to mend their relationship, if we can pull it off.

Within a few minutes, Ben joins the room. He makes his way to Shelley. "Alright, the booking has been done. I have given them your parents' details, and they will be expected to be on board by 8:30 am because the departure time will be 9:00 am. For adults, the fee will be two hundred and fifty ghana cedis per head. Which is affordable," he says.

"I agree it's very affordable. I thought it would be expensive," she says. "I will text him with the information." Ben watches Shelley type a message on the phone while they cuddle on the sofa. "It's done," Shelley says, setting the phone down. She looks up at him and whispers, "Now you have my full attention." Ben pulls her closer to his chest and murmurs in her ear.

"So, when are you going to tell your parents about us?"