Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Once Ava finished her breakfast, Frank started the car and drove smoothly towards the County Clerk's Offices to get their marriage certificates.

Ava, feeling content after the meal, suddenly felt her earlier worries were unnecessary. She realized she should welcome the arrival of their little one with joy, maintaining the best state of mind so that Frank could feel assured.

As the scenes outside the car window gradually receded, Ava found herself captivated by an inexplicable joy that welled up from within. It was as if she had unearthed a newfound reservoir of happiness and wisdom, revealing to her the blueprint for handling future challenges with grace and confidence.

Half an hour of anticipation and a journey filled with tender conversations and shared dreams brought them to the entrance of the marriage registration office. The bureaucratic rituals commenced as they dutifully followed the instructions of the amiable staff.

Forms were meticulously filled, signatures were inscribed with hopeful intent, and official stamps imprinted their significance on the papers, which was an ensemble of bureaucratic rites for the validation of their love.

An hour later, they finally obtained their foreign marriage certificate. Both patiently waited as the registration agency rigorously verified the information, Frank, as a foreigner, provided.

Their marital status was now confirmed, no longer just boyfriend and girlfriend, no longer fiancé and fiancée, but husband and wife.

Stepping out of the solemn halls of the registration office, hand in hand, their hearts brimmed with an intoxicating mixture of excitement, anticipation, and a profound sense of togetherness. Frank's hand discreetly held onto something within his pocket, a token that symbolized the intertwining of their destinies. Meanwhile, Ava, filled with exuberance, hummed a melodious tune while clutching onto something that bound her to Frank for a lifetime.

Seated comfortably inside the car, Ava's enthusiasm overflowed. Eager to share their joyous moment, she swiftly snapped a picture and posted it in the Tuner family group, the Roberts family group, and the Women's Congregation. Grace had long added Ava to the Roberts family group.

After sending the messages, the flood of well-wishes began, making Ava feel happy. Her legs swung excitedly in the car, showing the great joy she was experiencing inside.

Frank, observing Ava's joyous interactions with their loved ones, was struck by a pang of regret. He pondered why he hadn't insisted on marriage earlier.

The Tuner family group was the first to explode with messages.

Starting with Daniel, the father who doted on his daughter. He sent a lot of stickers to express his good wishes to the new couple and some texts.

a message that read, [Mom wishes you and Frank a lifetime of happiness, my darling.] Joseph joined in with a unified message. He sent to the group, [Congratulations to our little princess on finding her happiness, my little girl.] Sitting next to Joseph was Christina. After the meeting, she went over to report her work. After receiving the message, she paused and replied to the group. Her message read, [I wish you forever happiness, my dear sister-in-law.] Natalie followed the rhythm with a text that read, [Congratulations to our little princess on finding her happiness, my beloved sister]

stream of messages, each carrying a token of love and well-wishes. Her fingers danced in delight as she checked them, a wide grin adorning her face. Beside her, Frank, with an indulgent smile, interrupted her joyous revelry: "Ava, are we heading home now?"

Frank chuckled softly as he set the car in motion, while Ava remained absorbed in her phone, responding gleefully to the

dear daughter, I'm so proud of you.] The stream of notifications continued,

made a mistake by

could only tell her, "No rush. Reply one by one. Take your time." Ava blew out a breath of air, her lips smacking against each other as she pondered. "But | don't want them to wait for too long. If only | had a computer, | could reply to all of them at once.” Frank chuckled, amused by her earnestness. He marveled at her desire

Grace was the first to respond: "Welcome, my daughter Ava.’ As Ava continued her enthusiastic responses, an unexpected notification chimed in,

after the digits, her voice slightly trembling. "Grace, oh no, | mean, Mom sent me

"Grace really likes you." Ava proudly raised her chin, saying, "Of course, Mom said I'm her daughter, not a daughter-in-law. Sorry for disturbing your driving; You focus. I'll continue replying." Just as Ava was about to respond to the incoming messages flooding her phone with gratitude and joy, a notification popped up, interrupting her intentions. This particular notification came from William. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't at Grace's office. It read, [Welcome, Ava. We are family from now on.] Then, another notification came in. Ava received another large sum of money, followed by a text that read, [I don't have much money. This is my private savings. Take it as a gift. Grace doesn't know it,

Let's cooperate pleasantly.] Ava replied, [Sure. Pleasant cooperation.] Rose stayed quiet on the other end. Ava understood that she was likely at work. While Rose was typically easygoing in casual settings,

chat, Ava

Ava left that conversation and entered another group, Sherri seemed particularly ecstatic. She expressed her joy with a message that conveyed, [Wow, you two are finally together now! You're husband and wife! You can rely on each other without needing anyone else's help.] Stella texted, [Congratulations to the lovebirds finally tying the knot.] Stella wanted to chat for an extra 5 minutes, but with Leia's eyes on her, she had no choice but to stash her

she quickly jumped into this one and sent, [Congratulations, our little princess.] The cute Natalie also sent a burst of confetti sticker, wanting to ease any tension in the group for Ava, and privately sent her some money as a

[Sis, you already sent me so much money, why are you doing it again?] Natalie replied, [Our little princess got married. | am happy. Your

am 17] Ava knew her sister was trying to make her happy by

seconds later, Ava received 5 more transfers

could respond, Sherri initiated another transaction, leaving Ava puzzled about the significance behind the

Sherri explained. Her text read, [Don't overthink it. It's all because of the transfer limit. | have prepared

Sherri was being considerate.

texting, [I love you, Sherri.] Sherri replied, [I love you too, my sweetheart. But don't love me too