New Lifes. New Journeys.

Carmen’s POV

I gave Aaron and April one last hug before they exited out the door. I had a grin on my face as I walked back to Martha, Max’s mom, as she packed her stuff.

“Thank you so much for helping me plan out the wedding,” I whispered. Lizzy had fallen asleep on the couch and I didn’t want to wake her.

“Of course sweetie, anything for you.” She gave my hand one last squeeze before she exited out the door.

I sighed contently. Everything just seemed to be going great, the wedding was going to be in summer which was about 6 months away. In about two weeks I was going to buy my wedding dress, I couldn’t wait.

My stomach was bubbling with happiness and nervousness.

I hadn’t realized I had been thinking that long, until Max came through the door.

“Hey, babe,” he gave my lips a soft peck, but I put my hand behind his neck to deepen it. I lick his bottom lip, before pulling away to start dinner.

I laughed when Max let out a frustrated sigh.

“Carmen, there’s no way you’re going to start that and not finish it!” he whined.

“Later Max, I have to start dinner.” I smiled, knowing I still had the magic touch, or lips.

“Oh, speaking of dinner, uhm, my boss invited me to dinner with him and his wife,” Max fidgeted with his collar.

I narrowed my eyes.

“Ok, why are you so nervous then?”

He laughed but it came out more as a cough.

“Carm, he’s my boss! I have to make a good impression. For all I know my job might be on the line.” He rambled.

I silenced him with another kiss.

“I’m sure it will be fine, hun. Calm down.”

Max smiled and wrapped his arm around my waist.

“He said I could bring my family too.”

I got that feeling in my stomach again when Max said, family.

“That’s great; I’d love to meet your boss. What time?” I asked.

“It’s at six,”

I nodded. “I’ll get Lizzy ready while you shower, you smell.” I wrinkled my nose.

He laughed and gave me a big hug. I buried my face into his chest; he didn’t smell bad at all he smelled like my Max.

--

“Nice to meet you Mr. Richards,” I kindly shook the older man’s hand. He smiled and nodded.

“Call me Bill, this is my wife Sue,” he motioned over to a plump lady with light brown hair. I smiled at her, and shifted Lizzy to my other hip.

She was having a mini tantrum in the car and didn’t want me to hold her but I didn’t want her running around a house that wasn’t hers.

“Oh and who might this little cutie be?” Sue asked, giving Lizzy a tickle. I could hear a very faint Italian accent in her voice.

I smiled. “Elizabeth, she’s m—our, daughter,” I looked at Max and he gave me a wink.

“Aww, she’s gorgeous. Has your eyes Max,” Sue whispered. Max laughed.

“Oh!” Sue threw her hands up in the air. “Dinner, you guys must be hungry?” she asked. She led us to an open dinning room, with a beautiful chandelier in the center. The Richards’ house was huge.

“Starving,” Max stated.

I sat down and put Lizzy in a high chair, which I’m pretty sure the Richards put there for Lizzy.

“Sorry, I was finishing my homework,” someone announced. I looked up and spotted a young man standing awkwardly next to the stairs.

“It’s ok. Damien, meet The Corrino’s’, they are joining us for dinner.” Bill stated.

He gave us a smile and waved at us. I smiled back and Max shook his hand.

“Hello, I’m Max, this is my fiancée Carmen.” Max introduced us.

Damien’s eyes went wide and he coughed a little, but quickly smiled at us and moved to sit at the table. I wrinkled my eyebrows at him. He seemed weird.

Sue served us Osso Buco, which I quickly recognized as an Italian Dish, my mom had made it all the time and it was also my favorite.

“So, you said fiancée Max, you guys aren’t married yet?” Sue asked.

“Not yet but we are getting married very soon,” Max grabbed my hand and smiled. I smiled back and took a bite of the Italian dish.

“So Damien how old are you?” Max asked.

He cleared his throat. “I turned 18 last month.”

I nodded.

“Do you know Danielle?” he blurted out.

Max looked at me than back at Damien.

“Uhm, yea Danni is my sister.”

Damien looked down at his food.

“How do you know her?” I asked.

“She went to my school, uhm we were friends, I guess.” He shrugged and took a bite of his food.

I looked suspiciously at him. The way he said “friends” clearly stated they were more than “just friends”. I was interested in finding out what happened to them.

“How did you know we knew her?” Max asked.

“Uh, your last name, and she was always talking about finding her brother, Max.”

Max nodded, clearly feeling awkward.

The dinner suddenly became very silent.

Lizzy clapped her hands and laughed out of no where. I shook my head and gave her more of her cookies, which I had packed into her baby bag.

“She is a cutie.” Sue whispered. “Are you guys planning on have more children?” she asked.

“Yes”

“No”

I looked at Max when he said that. He looked back at me with the same look.

“Oh boy, the “more children” fight. Didn’t we have a bunch of those William?” Sue laughed, asking Bill.

Bill laughed and shook his head. “I didn’t want anymore, but she wanted a whole bunch.”

I tuned them out. Max didn’t want anymore children? What is he talking about, of course he wants more children, he can’t just decide that we can’t have any more children. Oh, we were definitely talking about this once we got home. I gave Max one last look before I turned back to Sue and smiled.

This was going to be a long night.