Chapter 21
Zoe, Max, and Madison arrived at Tinks.
"Me come?" Maddie asked hopefully.
"Yeah, of course." Smiled Zoe.
The three got out of the car, Zoe had Maddie in her arms as the little girl was rather nervous, and if she saw her siblings she was likely to run off with them and get herself into trouble of some sort.
"Hey hey!" Zoe smiled at Sophia as she made her way into the two to threes room, along with Maddie, Emily, and Max.
"Mummy!" Sophia abandoned the Duplo house she was building and shot over to her mother.
Zoe laughed. "I can't give you a hug as I'm holding Maddie, how about you give your Daddy a hug?" She asked.
"He's over there." Sophia pointed to the sandpit, where Max was helping Ethan and another boy to build sandcastles.
Emily laughed. "I think he's enjoying it more than Ethan!"
"Probably!" Zoe agreed, and went over to them and gently tugged Max away-Ethan didn't need much persuasion-Max on the other hand, did, and tried to persuade Zoe to stay for five more minutes because he wanted to help the other boy, Zachary, to build a fort. Zoe remained firm, and the five went home.
A few hours later...
"That was quite a day." Said Zoe, as she and Max observed their small brood playing on the trampoline that they'd purchased over the summer.
"I agree, Madison wasn't too much trouble though-Dervla on the other hand..." Zoe chuckled.
"Really?"
"Yeah, she chewed my paperwork up then Rebecca's watch was ruined." Zoe teased, watching Max's face grow shocked. "I'm kidding!"
"Oh, okay. By the way, I have a question."
"Yes?" Zoe enquired, reaching for her glass of wine and taking a much needed sip.
"Did you feel emotional today, what with the twins having their first day at nursery and everything?" Max asked.
"Not really" Zoe reflected. "I mean, I've had days at work on my own when you've been looking after our cheeky monkeys at home, and they've done half days there for the past week, it wasn't that different really."
"Ah okay. I did miss them a bit." Max admitted.
"Aww!" Zoe smiled, and gave him a kiss.
"Daddy, come on the trampoline with us!" Called Sophia.
"Mummy come too!" Said Ethan.
"Er, I don't think..." Protested Zoe-Max loved it on the trampoline-but she didn't.
"Come on, Zo!" Max encouraged her.
"Okay." Sighed Zoe, seeing that she didn't have much choice.
She made her way onto the trampoline and promptly sat down.
"The point of being on a trampoline is you actually have to jump on it." Max prompted. "Stand up!"
Zoe stood up, wobbly on her feet.
Max took her hand. "Come on, let's jump together."
Zoe took her fiancée's hand and gingerly jumped. Max had jumped a lot higher, so Zoe slipped and Max landed on top of her.
"Geroff!" Zoe shrieked.
Max saw his opportunity and took it, by beginning to tickle Zoe. She began to shriek, loudly.
"I am going to kill you." She growled, after eventually fighting Max off.
Sophia looked panicky. "Not really!" Zoe reassured her daughter with a chuckle.
After that, Zoe and Max put their three children to bed, and then went to bed themselves.
"It's been a busy day." Zoe said as she snuggled into Max.
"It has." Agreed Max.
"Max, I was thinking... Maybe we could set a date for the wedding?" Zoe enquired.
"Okay..."
"I was thinking the 20th of August next year, three days before my birthday. That means that we'll be on holiday on my birthday too."
"Okay..."
"Obviously, we need to book our holiday, Disney in Florida." Zoe said, and leaned over Max t get her Ipad, which had somehow ended up on his bedside table instead of hers.
She got the page of Disney hotels and suites she had saved.
"I rather like the look of some of the villas, it can be just us and the kids." She stated.
"Okay."
"This one looks nice!" Zoe said a while later, she was looking at the Treetops villas at Downton Disney.
"Plus it has a hot tub." Max grinned.
"Ooh yes! Should we book this one then?" Zoe asked, after much discussion.
"Yeah, okay." Max replied.
Zoe booked the hotel, which took quite a while.
But, eventually, it was complete. Zoe had a few phone calls to make the next day, but it was pretty straightforward, as booking hotels went.
"We're lucky we got it for so soon. Next we have to book the beach. And obviously someone to marry us." Zoe stated.
"Marry us?" Max frowned.
"Duh, do the ceremony." Zoe explained.
"Oh, okay."
"August is a very popular time to get married on the beach I imagine, so we'll just have to cross our fingers."
"And toes!" Max laughed.
"I am not going that far." Zoe giggled.