"Do I have to get up?" Zoe whined as the alarm began sounding in the room, getting louder as she continued to ignore it.
"It's probably a good idea considering we have two hours until my mum arrives and your parents." Max finally answered as he reached over Zoe to turn off the alarm that she seemed to be ignoring by burying her head under the duvet.
"Two hours? That gives me another hour to sleep."
"You think it takes you an hour to get ready?" Max laughed, something which was made funnier as Zoe reappeared and glared at him. "Minutes must go slower in your world, it takes you at least an hour and a half Zo' and we need to clear up a little more." Again Zoe just glared, but eventually did climb out of bed.
"Why did we invite our families over?" Zoe sighed as she flicked through her collection of dresses to find something suitable to wear in front of her parents and her mother-in-law.
"Because its Mother's Day and we thought it would be easier to have both of our parents than having to deal with just your parents, or just my mum." Her husband supplied at the same time as he handed her a dress that he'd bought her for the day.
"What would I do without you?" She asked as she stopped for a moment and placed a gentle kiss to Max's lips.
"Panic." He answered, earning him his third glare from Zoe that morning despite Zoe knowing that what he was saying was true. "I bought them both a card too, you just need to sign it and I have a bouquet of flowers being delivered for both of them whilst they are here."
"You're a godsend." Zoe admitted as she pulled the dress that Max had handed her over her frame.
"Well, what can I say?" He teased as he threw on a t shirt from his wardrobe and a pair of jeans that looked clean.
"You're wearing jeans?" Zoe sighed when she caught sight of her husband in the mirror.
"Would you rather I wear jogging bottoms?" At his question Zoe's face screwed up, answering his question without words. "Thought not."
"You said we had to leave time to clean, it's not even that messy in here." Zoe moaned, leaving Max wondering whether he was looking at the same room as her. Pillows lay scattered across the floor, a trail of clothes led from the living room to the bedroom and plates and glasses sat abandoned on the coffee table from when other activities had distracted them.
"Yes it is, we need to sort out all of this and then Hoover and start making lunch."
"Remind me again why I let you dissuade me from hiring a cleaner?"
"Because normal people don't have a cleaner and because we're perfectly capable." Max told her, still finding it slightly amusing that at 41 she still couldn't do much around the house.
Zoe raised an eyebrow in response, she really did question whether they were as capable as Max made them out to be. "Nothing about us is normal, why stop at cleaners?"
"Less moaning, more tidying." When Zoe remained glued to her spot he spoke again. "You can at least put the pillows back and move our clothes." Zoe nodded slowly and bent down to pick up the sock that lay near her foot.
Zoe moaned for a bit and then threw herself into the cleaning, finding that it was a welcome distraction from the inevitable arrival of Greta Walker. Whilst Max got on with both of Zoe's parents, Zoe didn't get on with Max's mum, who seemed to pick fault with every element of Zoe. To make things worse, today was going to be the first time that the two families met each other due to Zoe's family being unable to attend their wedding.
"Is it too late to cancel?" She asked not long later as they both flopped down onto the sofa, the apartment now clean around them.
"I would say so, anyway, we can't let all of our hard work go to waste." Max pointed out.
"My parents will be shocked and your mum will think that I made you do it and didn't help at all."
"That's not too far from the truth." Max joked, earning him a pillow to the face.
"Liar."
"Maybe." He spoke before they both ended in fits of laughter as Max nudged them so that he was positioned slightly over her. He was about to reach down to kiss her but moved backwards when another pillow hit the back of his head.
"You're messing up all of my work." She offered in response to the question that Max hadn't yet asked.
"Are you ready?" Max asked her as the doorbell rang through the flat. "Do you me want to go down and guide them up?" He asked, not knowing which of the sets of parents were here.
"They've been here plenty of times, I'm sure they can find their way in from the main door." Zoe reasoned but really she wanted a little more time with it being just them. Sensing the panic coming from the brunette, he wandered over from the door and pressed his lips to Zoe's cheeks. The knock on the door of their flat brought them back to reality. "Can you get it? I'll put the kettle on."
Max opened the door, only to reveal Zoe's parents, Michael and Carol. Both had warmed significantly to Max since first meeting him, even Zoe's mum now liked him. At first they'd been embarrassed by the fact that their consultant daughter had chosen a younger porter, but they were quickly won over by his charm. As they walked in, they pulled Max into a hug and smiled.
"Hello Max, how's everything?" Carol asked as she looked around the flat, smiling as she realised that the flat in front of her was nearly spotless.
"Everything's good, you?" Max replied as he guided them towards the sofa.
"Yeah can't complain..." Carol began, only to be interrupted by her husband.
"That usually means she will anyway." Michael teased. "Where's my Princess?" He asked just loud enough that Zoe could hear him, knowing that it embarrassed her to be called Princess at 41.
"Making drinks, you know she even cleaned for your visit." Max told them, and couldn't help but laughed at the shocked expression that was so evident on Carol's face.
"She told me your mum was coming too, it'll be nice to finally meet your family." Carol stated.
"Yeah." Max tried to say as little on the topic, knowing that the feeling was not mutual. Greta didn't like Zoe, and she was sure that she was going to feel the same about the people who brought her into the world.
"Grace isn't it?" Michael asked.
"Greta." Max corrected, just as the doorbell went yet again.
"Speak of the devil and she shall appear." Zoe muttered as she came in with a mug for both of her parents. "Hi Mum, hi Dad." Zoe greeted, and stood up to let her parents hug her, all the time wary that Greta was on her way up the stairs.
"Max!" Greta greeted as she entered the room, ignoring three of the people within it.
"Happy Mother's Day Mum." Max told her as he wrapped his arms around his mother. "Mum this is Carol and Michael, Zoe's parents." Usually Greta would have smiled sarcastically and said hello, but instead she paused the second her eyes fell upon Zoe's father.