NA: Ok here you go, I hope you like this chapter and if you have any questions on my references please tell me. Review please cause it's the only way that I know that people are reading! Please review!

Dinner is Served

At about six o'clock when Matt and Amy actually left the magical library, Amy was happily carrying about… five books in her hands as Matt still held the one Shakespeare play in his hand, still trying to figure out who the heck Claudio was, and why the heck he was making so much fuss about a Hero. Matt offered multiple times to help Amy with the load that she carried but she would always reply, "I'm fine." As they walked together they eventually came to Amy's house. As Amy stepped onto her porch she noticed that Matt hadn't followed her, so she turned around and said, "Hey, Matt."

"Yeah!"

"You want to come over for dinner? I bought way too much food at the grocery store and I'm sure Eileen and Tom won't mind, they are very friendly."

Matt couldn't believe it, he really likes Amy, and even after he was being really weird following her to the library she still invited him to dinner! He nodded enthusiastically and said, "I would love to!"

Amy grinned sweetly as Matt sprang up the porch steps and opened the door for her allowing her in first, as he followed her in Matt was over whelmed with the homey scent of pumpkin spice coming from the many Yankee candles placed along the tables, banisters, and counters. As they entered the wooden floored entrée way a voice as smooth as freshly made silk sounded from the kitchen, "Is that you Amy?"

"Yeah, it's me! I brought a guest for dinner… Is that ok?"

A girlish squeal broke from the silky voice as a short, slender women, with carrot red curly hair and ivy green eyes sprang into the room. She was wearing a cerulean blue blouse with dark wash boot cut jeans, and a pair of the most ridiculous pink bunny slippers you've ever seen. She had a smile as big as Texas plastered across her face as she shouted, "We have a guest!"

Amy nodded returned her smile and said, "Eileen this is Matt Donavan, and Matt this is Eileen Adkins, my foster mom."

Matt smiled joyfully and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Adkins."

Eileen smiled sweetly taking on her role as hostess and said, "Please, call me Eileen! Amy hasn't brought anyone over yet, I'm so happy to meet you! Do you want anything to drink? Oh! Tom! Tom! Come here! Amy brought a friend over for dinner!"

A rustling came from a room upstairs as a gruff voice asked, "Amy brought what?"

"A friend! She brought a friend to dinner!"

There was then a crash of books and God knows what, as Tom came frantically down the stairs stumbling on a few steps only to crash right into Eileen. He was a tall lean man with almond brown hair, silver blue eyes and an eternal jolly smile chiseled into his perfect facial features. He was wearing navy plaid flannel pants and a white T-shirt that read in black letters "Beer is proof that God exists and wants us to be happy." A quote by Ben Franklin, collecting himself from his little collision, he quickly assumed his fatherly role and looked Matt up and down. After Tom gave Amy the wink of approval he began, " Hello."

Amy quickly cut in, "This is my step father, Tom Adkins, Tom this is Matt."

"It's very nice to meet you Matt! This is the first time Amy has ever brought a friend to dinner! We were beginning to think that she didn't even have friends-"

Amy, blushing a soft shade of pink now interrupted, "Ok, we get it. Hey Eileen do you need any help with dinner?"

Eileen shook her head forcing her red curls to dance in pirouettes, "No I don't need any help… Why don't you, Matt, and Tom sit in the living room for a while, dinner is almost ready."

Amy gave a heavy sigh and began to trudge into the cheesecake colored living room and sat down on one of the chocolate chip brown sofas. This room was filled with cheesecake scented candles so that not only did it look like a chocolate chip cheesecake it smelled like one too. Matt sat down next to Amy and Tom hopped onto a chocolate brown lazy boy chair, crossed his legs and put both hands under his chin like a little boy eager for Christmas to come around. He observed both Amy and Matt with wide eager eyes. In order to make the silence cease Amy began, "Matt, did you know that Tom is a Composer/Concert Musician?"

Matt taking the hint and going with it said, "No I didn't! What instrument do you play Mr. Adkins?"

Tom waving his hand in the air replied, "Please call me Tom, Mr. Adkins is my father."

Matt smiled and said, "Alright, Tom, what instrument do you play?"

Tom started to chuckle and said, "What instrument don't I play would be a better question…"After his little laughing fit Tom then added, "…There are only four instruments that I keep in the house for myself, the Piano, Guitar, Violin, and Saxophone. All of the other instruments are off in a warehouse somewhere, that way they won't get stolen." Matt nodded in understanding as Tom continued to explain many instances where an instrument has been stolen. He also told Matt many anecdotes on the subject of writing music and how proud he was that Amy knew how to play the Flute so well even before she knew him. To Amy's surprise Matt seemed to be interested in what Tom had to say and admired him.

When Eileen called, "Food is ready!" Everyone got up and entered the dining room which smelt of fresh bread and cheese (Courtesy of the many candles placed in the room.) Eileen had placed Italian bread cut into thick slices in the middle of the table then surrounding it with the fresh salad, but that was only for show. Eileen had intricately placed Chicken Parmesan on each plate decorating it with two slices of the Italian bread, while making a ocean of noodles for the chicken to rest on like a boat gently drifting off to sea. Next to the plates were tiny bowls filled with the lovely salad and topped with three slices of red, orange, and yellow bell pepper. As they took their seats Tom next to Eileen and Amy next to Matt, the conversation died out because everyone was stuffing their faces with the scrumptious food. After licking their plates completely clean Tom began, "Matt did you know that Eileen is a professional chief?"

Matt smiled and said, "I didn't, but now after tasting her food I would say she was a culinary genius!"

Eileen blushed at the compliment, "Thank you Matt, that's very nice of you to say!"

"What restaurant do you work at?" Asked Matt innocently.

"Eileen doesn't work at a restaurant… She works at the Yankee candle store. She loves candles." Replied Amy.

Eileen now blushing a light shade of crimson giggled and said, "What can I say I love Candles!"

Amy sighed and explained, "Every day Eileen comes home with all sorts of candles, yesterday she had cucumber melon, sweet pea, and white sand scented candles sprawled all around the house, it smelled like a freaking day spa…not that I'm complaining."

Amy gave Matt a slight wink as Tom cut in, "We love the candles you bring home sweetie it makes this house more homey!" Tom then grasped Eileen's delicate hand squeezed it slightly.

After dinner, and more awkward conversation, Matt and Amy were finally alone on the front porch of her house, it became a starry filled night perfectly framing the bright full moon . "Thank you for having me over for dinner!" Matt smiled happily as he led Amy to sit onto the porch steps.

"I'm glad you came…Sorry for the weirdness, my foster parents can be a little… eccentric."

Matt looked at her with so much joy, he couldn't hide his sweet grin "I loved it! They're really nice, and Eileen's cooking is amazing! She should really open her own restaurant."

"I know! I've told her over and over again she should, but she's too scared of losing her candle discount at Yankee Candles to venture into any other businesses… She really loves candles," Amy said with a smile, "I guess that's why Tom and I love her so much… she is just so ridiculous that she's charming."

Matt couldn't help but smile at the way Amy spoke about her family and asked, "Do they remind you about your Dad?"

Amy sighed and replied, "Yes, and no, my dad was a one of a kind he could never be replaced. His name was Jon Cross. He always had a way with making me feel safe and protected… He was my adoptive father. My parents had died years ago due to an animal attack; he found me working at a day care center working as the dish washer providing for myself, I was barely scraping by. He complimented me on what a good job I did, but when he asked who my parents were I told them that I didn't have any. He then began to visit me, mentor me, and eventually adopt me," Matt sat there mouth open in surprise, he couldn't believe what a hard life Amy had lived losing her real parents, then her adoptive father, "There are three things that I remember about him, he loved Swedish fish candy (ate it almost every day), he loved to read, and he made me laugh even when something horrible happened. He was a writer; he went to different countries for inspiration for his stories. He always brought me along even for the short trips, we ended up staying in England, Italy, and Greece for a few years, and Italy was my favorite out of the three. Whenever I see a bag of Swedish fish or a map I start to chuckle and cry at the same time," Amy sighed in her memory of her father, "I know this might sound strange but I think he loved me more than my real parents… Parents, they have to love their child because it's impossible not to they came from you, they created that life thus creating an unbreakable bond, but to love someone else's child as your own is one of the most beautiful bonds that I've ever seen and felt. I love my dad, I love my real parents, and I love Tom and Eileen. I love them in all different ways."

Matt grasped Amy's hand and drew it towards his lap earnestly and said, "I don't think that I have never met anyone with such a capacity to love, and endure…Amy you are one tough cookie." With that Matt released Amy's hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders drawing her close to him, and whispered in her ear, "Amy, you are extraordinary, but always know that I'm here for you. No matter what happens!" Amy turned her head upward to see his face once she did her eyes locked with his and he leaned down and kissed her. Happily surprised by the kiss Amy gladly deepened it with earnest, it had been hundreds of years since she's been kissed like this, and she couldn't help but feel the passion that had been dormant for years. Matt kissed back with just as much yearning as Amy, the two of them seemed to connect in a way that they didn't even know was possible. 'Is this love?' Amy thought to herself, 'Could Matt possibly be the one that can heal my broken and bleeding heart?' As they slowly and unwillingly separated they both knew that things would never just be casual between them again.

"Hey uh… Amy…uh….Wow!"

"I know the feeling." Amy said with a small smile creeping onto her warm lips.

"Do you maybe…. Want to go out sometime…As a date!"

Amy starred in front of her touching her lips and nodding, "Absolutely!" Amy then turned to see a jubilant Matt sitting next to her. He wrapped her into his arms clinging tight then letting her go springing up to his feet and sang, "I will call for you in the morning my lady!" He was then gone in a matter of seconds. Leaving Amy sitting on her porch elated by the recent events.

"That went well!" Came Eileen's voice from the doorway, "It's about time, the kid has been making goo goo eyes at you all night!"

"I'd say that this dinner was a success, don't you!" Tom said with a joyful grin, "Can't wait for his next visit!"