After two hours of driving, Matthew and Sophia arrived at her hometown. The place was more likely a countryside surrounded by green fields.
They could smell the fresh air as Matthew opened the car windows, turning off the aircon inside the car.
The people here were living a simple life, far from the ways of people living in the city. The environment was so refreshing and relaxing.
There were lots of trees around. Children were running and playing around the rice fields and others were having a picnic under the trees.
Sophia could see the amazement in Matthew's eyes as he observed the surroundings. It seemed that people started looking at them as they saw the car.
Only rich and wealthy people owned luxurious cars in their hometowns. The means of transportation of the people in that community were motorcycles and motorbikes. Only a few people could afford to buy a car.
So the people got intrigued upon seeing Matthew's car, traversing on the road. Sophia's family belonged to the average class. They were not financially stable, that's why she had a scholarship to support her studies.
The only source of income of Sophia's family was farming. They owned land where they could plant rice. This was how simple Sophia was.
Sophia already informed her parents that she was coming home today. She also told them that she brought someone. Her parents were already expecting their arrival.
They prepared food, cooking some native delicacies to welcome them with a delicious and sumptuous meal. It's been so long since the last time they saw their daughter, Sophia.
She couldn't come home often as she was saving her money. Instead of going home, she was just sending her parents some money that she earned from her part-time jobs as a student.
They already missed their daughter, that's why her parents were so excited to see her. They were happy since Sophia would be celebrating her birthday together with them.
Matthew parked the car in the front backyard of Sophia's home. Their house was just a small bungalow house.
Matthew stepped out of the car first to open the car door for Sophia. Sophia smiled upon seeing their house. The tears welled up in her eyes as she missed everything there.
"I'm finally home," she murmured, peering her eyes at her surroundings.
Matthew grabbed Sophia's hand as he took a deep breath. He was feeling anxious, nervous, and excited to meet Sophia's parents. He was worried that her parents might not like him because he was older than their daughter.
Sophia giggled seeing the anxious expression of Matthew. She squeezed his hand to console him.
"Matt, just relax. My parents are not gonna eat you," she teased him. "They are kind, friendly, and approachable," she added.
Matthew smiled at her while caressing her face. "I know… because they are your parents. Their lovely and intelligent daughter is also kind, friendly, and approachable like them."
Sophia was flattered after hearing Matthew's words.
"My father's name is Philip while my mother's name is Solena. My name came from a combination of my parents' names. So they called me Sophia." Sophia informed Matthew cheerfully.
Her eyes were glowing with love whenever she would talk about her parents. She loved them. Although they were not rich, Sophia was so proud of her parents for raising her well despite all the hardships they encountered.
They supported her dreams and allowed her to study at the prestigious university in the City of Empire. They even sold some portions of their land just to support Sophia's living expenses in the city.
"Come! Let's meet my parents. I think they are so busy inside the house that they failed to notice our arrival," Sophia said, pulling Matthew towards the front door.
Upon entering the house, they saw her parents preparing and serving food at the dining table.
"Mother, Father… I'm here!" Sophia called them excitedly, her eyes sparkling with joy.
When Philip and Solena heard the familiar voice of their daughter, they stopped what they were doing and turned in the direction of her voice.
The corner of their lips stretched out into a wide smile upon seeing their lovely daughter whom they were missing for several months now.
Solena: "Sophia!"
Philip: "My daughter!"
Her parents ran in her direction and pulled her in a warm embrace. Her mother hugged her tightly while her father was hugging them both.
"Sophia, you are finally home. We missed you so much!" Solena softly mumbled.
"I miss you both, Mother… Father…"
Matthew just stood in his spot with a warm smile on his face. He felt the strong bond between Sophia and her parents. They were so happy to be together again after a long time.
At that certain moment, Matthew made a mental note. He would buy a house in the City of Empire wherein Sophia and her parents could stay. They could visit her there anytime and spend time with her.
But he was worried about something. He didn't know whether Sophia would accept it or not. Based on her attitude, Matthew could tell that Sophia would not like him to spend lots of money just for her. She would likely reject his gift.
But still, he wanted to do it for her. Being with her parents was her source of happiness and inspiration so Matthew had decided to find a way so that Sophia and her parents would be together in the City of Empire from time to time.
'But Sophia is gonna be my wife… and her parents will become my in-laws… so I think there is nothing wrong about buying a house for them in the City of Empire. Besides, it's my hard-earned money as the assistant of Heavenly Star CEO, not from my family's wealth!' Matthew smiled at that thought.
"Or I can also buy a piece of land here and build our new home just next to her parent's house," Matthew added in his thoughts.
Matthew was still thinking about his future plans with Sophia when her parents finally noticed his presence.
"Oh, who is this young handsome guy here, Sophia?" Her mother asked her with intrigue.
Sophia's father assessed Matthew from head to toe. Sophia moved closer to Matthew while grabbing his arm.
"Mother, Father… this is Matthew… my boyfriend…"
Philip: "..."
Solena: "..."
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