* * 7 * *


Christmas has arrived. The gathering in Roswell is huge. Everyone has decided to spend Christmas together. The Evans’ house is bursting with people. It’s so different from all of the Christmas’ in my past.

When I was growing up, it was just my mom and I and while I loved our time together, this is so much better. The Evans family is so wonderful to have us all here.

They insisted that mom and I would join them, they knew of course the Max and I wouldn’t be separated on Christmas, they called the Sheriff and invited him and Kyle and of course Michael and Tess. Alex’s family decided to go to Sweden for the holidays but he wanted to stay and spend the holidays with Isabelle and his friends.

The only one not here is Liz, they were invited too, but decided to spend the holiday in Florida. Liz and I have actually been getting along better lately, Liz has been dating a guy named Matt for the last month and I think that she’s finally over getting Max back. Max. Just thinking about him brings a grin to my face. All the worries I had in the beginning of summer seem so ridiculous now. The two of us living together has been great. We really do get a long so well. Sure we argue, but it’s never anything serious. Sometimes I’ll start fights with him, just so we can make up.

Making up with Max is one of my favorite pass times. I think that he has caught on to this though, because now anytime that I start an argument with him, there is always a hint of humor in his eyes.

School is also wonderful. I’ve decided on becoming Music major. I’ve been writing a lot of songs lately and I also took a piano class this semester, I haven’t touched a piano since I was ten and decided that the guitar was for me. But I’m finding myself really enjoying it.

Max is doing great in all of his classes and the job at the law firm just seems to fit him perfectly. I’m really looking forward to the future everything looks so bright.

We arrived back at the apartment the day after Christmas, everyone else is staying in Roswell until New Years, but Max has a case he’s working on with one of the Lawyers in the firm and has to be back to work on Monday.

He’s been acting a little strange ever sense we left his parents house. He and Isabelle were huddled together for about a half an hour before we left and she kept giving me these strange half smiles and I can’t help but wonder what they were talking about.

Max made dinner for us when we got home. Which is nothing unusual, aside from a couple of Italian dishes I’m pretty useless in the kitchen, just another thing I love about my man is his ability to cook.

What is strange though is his silence. Normally when he cooks, there is a lot of singing and joking around but Max has been deep in thought and didn’t say very much during dinner either. Finally I just can’t take it anymore.

“Max, is something wrong?”

“What? OH. No nothings wrong. Why?” Max replied.

“You’ve just been really quite since we got back.”

“Sorry, I’ve just has a lot on my mind.” Max paused, looking at me and then down at the floor before looking me in the eyes again. “I wanted to talk to you about something and I just don’t know how to start.”

“Just say it, Max. You’re starting to make me nervous.”

“Don’t be nervous. If anyone should be nervous it’s me. I’ve gone over this in my head a million times and I’ve talked to Isabelle about it and I just… I love you Maria. It seems like I’ve loved you forever, and I want to spend the rest of my life for you. I want us to have babies, and grow old together, and…”

“Babies?” I interrupt, my face lighting up with wonder at the possibility. “You want to have a baby with me?”

“I want to have lots of babies with you, I want that more than anything.” He looks at me with passion and love in his eyes. “ I love you Maria De Luca, will you marry me?”

I stared into his eyes for a moment seeing all the love he has for me, before I covered my face and started bawling like a baby. Deep heart-wrenching sobs tore thru my body.

“Oh my God Maria. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. If you don’t want to marry me I...”

My head shot up. “Are you crazy? Of course I want to marry you. A woman is allowed to cry during the happiest moment of her life. Don’t ever think that I don’t want to marry you and don’t ever think that I’ll allow you to take any of this back.” I was practically screaming at him by this time.

“I don’t want to take it back, you crazy woman. I’ll never take it back, I promise.” Max took my hands in his and led me to the couch.

We sat down and he took my left hand in his as he moved down on one knee in front of me. I watched in a daze as he reached in to his pocket and took out a ring box. He took the ring out of the box and put it on the tip of my finger.

“Will you marry me Maria?” I couldn’t even speak and just nodded at him and he slid the ring onto my finger.

“I can’t believe this Max, I love you so much.”

“I love you to baby.” He leaned forward and kissed me.

“Now let’s go and practice making a baby.” He said with a grin. I laughed as I grabbed his hand and lead him into our bedroom.