serendipity

22: "he might've seen me take a picture of myself...flexing"

(seraphinas pov)

right now, i'm standing next to valentina with a blanket wrapped around my body while we watch the boys help max build a sandcastle.

our silence is interrupted when valentina softly says, "it doesn't get easier, watching them grow up."

i nod in agreement and say, "i'd always roll my eyes when moms would say 'they grow up in a blink of an eye' but raising max, i get why they say it."

val chuckles quietly and says, "just wait until he's a moody teenager."

i laugh so hard i'm doubled over and have now grabbed the attention of the boys.

i wave them off and they shake their heads before returning to their sand castle and i say, "oddly enough, i'm excited for it."

she gives me a 'what the fuck is wrong with you' look and i laugh. "hey may be moody but i'm excited to see his achievements, his mistakes, and his solutions. i can't wait to see him grow up but at the same time, i want him to stay small forever; to be my baby forever." i shrug.

she hums and says, "i'm happy we'll be here to watch along the way." she gives me a motherly smile.

"me too." i grin softly and hug her tight.

she returns the hug just as tight and says, "i've always wanted a daughter. i'm glad ezra finally got some sense and asked you out."

i laugh at that and nod in agreement as we pull apart.

suddenly, i feel something collide with me and i'm on the ground with sand in my hair.

i look up and see a grinning max on top of me with the boys behind him, laughing their asses off.

ezra comes over, still laughing, and lifts max off of me before grabbing my waist and lifting me to my feet.

he helps me dust the sand out of my hair before i turn to a sheepishly looking max and ask, "what was that for, little man?" i tilt my head.

he giggles and jumps into my arms. "i was so excited to show you our sandcastle i might have put too much power when i jumped on you." he nods aggressively and shows me his little muscles.

i look at keaton accusingly and he shrugs. "he might've seen me taking a picture of myself...flexing."

we all laugh and max drags me to the sandcastle.

max and i bend down to inspect it and i turn to him with a big smile. "y'all did amazing, love bug!"

he giggles when i give him a big kiss on his cheek and we stand up with max on my hip.

from there, we eat and bask in the warmth of the fire before we pack everything up and head back to the apartment.

------------------------------

max was sitting in the middle of the couch with all of us surrounding him, sitting on the floor.

"mine first!" keaton exclaims and that elicites a giggle from max.

keatons gift is placed in front of max and we all watch in anticipation while max unwraps the gift.

max places the gift bow on his forehead, earning a chuckle from the rest of us.

max eyes goes big and jaw drops when he finishes opening his present.

keaton got him his favorite superhero action figures that max has been begging me to get him for a long time.

abruptly, max puts the action figures on the couch—very gently—and runs into keatons arms.

"THANK YOU!" max squeals in keatons ear and we laugh as keaton winces.

he smiles and kisses max's cheek. "of course, rugrat."

breaking the moment, leo shouts, "ME, ME, ME!"

he grabs max and his gift before setting them both back on the couch and we go back to watching.

a wide grin is spread on max's face as he looks at the new coloring books, superhero pajamas, and the iron man watch that max has had his eye on, every single time we go to the mall.

his eyes twinkle and he jumps right into leo's awaiting arms, just as he did keatons and thanks him.

"ME!" valentina raises her hand with a child-like grin on her face and max sits back down with her present.

max pulls out a framed picture of the five of us, that i don't think we've ever seen before.

it was the night we made pizzas for dinner and all of us had flour in our hair with sauce on our faces. we were laughing with max when he dropped the whole bag of cheese on our pizza.

valentina must've taken a picture while we weren't looking.

we all smile fondly as we think back to when that was and max settles in valentinas embrace and whispers, "thank you," with a wide smile.

all of this gift giving has got me excited so i exclaim, "OUU MINE NEXT!"

i get a little nervous because i'm not sure how max will react. especially because he's so little, he might not understand.

i clear my throat before settling on my knees right in front of max.

"love bug," i say as i pull out a chain with a ring on it, from inside my pocket, "this right here, is our fathers wedding ring. i know how much you wish you had known him a little
more, right now, so, this is my gift to you." i claps the necklace around his neck and kiss his forehead. "he'll always be with you and he loved you very very much."

i smile a sad smile and max gets teary eyed. he does that thing where he purses his mouth and sniffs to keep his tears back.

"i love you, sissy," he whispers and kisses my forehead back and i wrap us into a hug; one of my favorite hugs.

"i love you, sweetheart." i kiss his cheek once more before going back to my place next to ezra and we all look at him expectantly.

he clears his throat before beckoning max over to him. max sits in his lap and we all watch with curiosity.

ezra brings a gift bag in front of them and we gaze at max and he brings everything out in front of him so he can see.

"THANK YOU!" his smile widens when he sees the coloring books and stickers but a curious glint, sparks in his eyes when they land on a book.

it looks almost like a scrapbook?

max grabs it and sets it in his lap before opening the book and diving in.

we all watch as max's eyes go wide and start to glisten.

inside the book are a bunch of pictures ranging from when i held max as a baby to the picnic with ezra.

so that's why he asked for pictures of us.

we all look at the pictures in there. some of just max and one of us and others of all of us together. there's at least 5 of everyone in a picture with max.

our attention is drawn back to max when we hear a sniffle and see that max is crying.

my heart breaks and ezras eyes go wide and panicked. "oh shoot, bud, please don't cry." ezra tries to console max but it just makes max cry more.

suddenly, max turns around in ezras arms and hugs him with his head buried in his neck. "please don't leave me," max cries but it comes out muffled because he buries his head further in ezras neck.

our eyes soften into realization.

i wish i could take away his pain and let him know we'll always be with him.

"we aren't going anywhere, bud," ezra states firmly.

we all bring max into a group hug and his cries stop.

"we're a big family, forever," valentina says with her motherly smile and that brings a smile to max's face.

to lighten up the mood, i say, "so cake?"

max jumps out of hug and sprints to the kitchen we laugh and spend the rest of the evening eating cake and spending time with our family.