serendipity

01: 'it will always be you and i, bud.'

(seraphina's pov)

maxon and i stop our conversation as we finally reach dawnton, our new home.

max is in the backseat petting nix. nix is our new kitten we found right before we moved. he was in an alleyway and max begged me to keep him and i couldn't say no to his puppy dog eyes.

i turn the music that was playing, down once we start getting closer the where the apartment is.

we already have everything at the apartment because i hired movers, although we didn't bring much. just some sentimentals that we couldn't leave.

i look in the rearview mirror to max as he watches with wide eyes and a slightly agape mouth at the scenery we pass. he has never been out of the city, let alone the state, until now.

"hey max?" i softly say to get the attention of max. when he notices i'm looking at him, i say, "i love you."

"i love you too ser," he says with a huge grin that looks like it hurts his cheeks.

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within minutes, we pull into the parking lot of the apartment complex and get out with our suitcases and newly acquired kitten. we walk into the entrance, go straight to the elevator, and ride up to our floor.

as we walked into our apartment, i make sure it looks just how it did from the pictures. i made sure everything was in its respective places before we got here so it could be less stress on max and i.

"paschalítsa, why don't you go and unpack your clothes and then we can head down to the cafe and get you something to eat while i meet my boss?" i ask max once we drop our suitcases in our rooms. max just gives me a thumbs up, too excited to say anything.

the boss of the cafe i used to work at, really helped max and i and became like a grandfather figure to us. mark, the owner at the old cafe, was even the one who taught me how to drive. mark wanted to help us with the move so he called one of his buddies who just happened to own the cafe right down the street from our apartment, and asked if he could give me a job. xavier, the owner of the new cafe i'm gonna start working at in a couple of days, easily agreed and he seems excited to have one more employee. i made sure to show my gratitude to both mark and xavier for how much they have helped.

about an hour later, i call max and tell him we're leaving and we head to the car.

after about a 5 minute drive, i park the car in the parking lot do the cafe and get out with max. when we open the door, we're greeted with an older guy who i'm assuming is xavier. the older guy notices us and says with a polite smile, "hello, how can i help you two?"

"hello, my name is seraphim ariti, i am looking for xavier." i say with a polite smile of my own with max holding my hand looking around.

"oh my! mark told me all about you, i'm so excited to have you working for me! i'm xavier." he says with excitement laced in his tone.

"thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. you have no idea how much this means to max and i." i point to the 4, almost 5 year old, who was looking up at us with wide excited eyes and his usual giant smile.

"it's my pleasure. mark told me all about your current situation and i'' more than happy to help," he says with a little bit of pity in eyes. i don't like pity, especially because max and i don't need it. we're healed.

after that, he just gave me my schedule for work and i ordered max and i some food to take back to the apartment since i haven't had the chance to go grocery shopping, yet. we still need to get some cat food cause we're running out so i made a mental note to go shopping tomorrow afternoon.

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we take our food home, eat, and then get ready for bed. we've had a long day of traveling so max and i are exhausted.

we didn't have max's bed set up yet so he was going to sleep with me.

once we were both situated in the bed, him curled into my side and my arm wrapped around him providing some more warmth, with nix already asleep at the end of my bed, i say, "paschalítsa, i'm proud of you for how you've taken everything life has thrown at us. i love you very much." tears starting forming in my eyes at the thought of how strong and brave maxon has had to be. he deserves better but we can't go back in the past; i can only try and give him the future, love, and life i know he should have.

"i love you too sissy. you and i?" max says in a sleepy voice.

"you and i." i say softly

it will always be me and you, bud. always.