Hi Bruna, I appreciate that you find the story interesting. And I appreciate that you express your point of view so I can share opinions. Look, for the story I needed a confrontation of characters, and it was easy for me to give Richard that personality since in the two chapters of "The Proposal" I considered him selfish and manipulative. In the dinner scene at the restaurant, he openly flirted with Monica, he reminded her of anecdotes from the past and told her captivating phrases, ignoring the discomfort he caused Chandler and his partner. And in the kitchen scene, he manipulated Monica with the silly story about the blind children of Africa, I found it hardly credible that a 50-year-old, prestigious, snobbish and rich doctor would go to Africa to get over a woman he dated for 5 months 5 years ago, and the most unpleasant and inappropriate thing was when he asked Monica if Chandler was "straight", obviously doubting his sexuality, especially knowing that they had been together for two years. It was those character flaws, which bothered me at the time, on which I base myself to describe him in this story. And it's true, that makes him ineligible, at least for me.

Disclaimer. I don't own the characters. There is no more gain than the writing practice that is done here

Chapter 13: The new home - The move - A new life.

During the month of August, Chandler had dedicated himself to disarming the house, sending absolutely everything to a warehouse. They were all the furniture, the dishes, the bedding, and the albums and photos except for the ones he had set aside for the children.

He also packed the children's clothes, toys, books and souvenirs, and all the things on his desk to be sent to Hawaii. -

A week before departure the house had been emptied and ready for whoever bought it.

Those last days they went to live in Ross's house with only the clothes for that week and the trip.

The farewell was sad, with hugs and tears, but with the promise that they would return for the holidays.

Judy and Jack fell in love with the house, with the beach, and Jack especially with the golf course.

The architect had made the requested improvements, and installed all the furniture in the living room and in the bedrooms.

Jack and Judy are delighted with their suite, the landscape of the sea and the mountains that surround the bay, mainly seen at sunset, is an incitement to romance...

The kids were beginning to order their clothes and toys and books without anyone asking them.

Chandler ordered his bookcase and his desk that fit perfectly into a section of his suite.

Manu welcomed them with a delicious Maori meal, and everyone enjoyed it, the kids, with a chef mom, had gotten used to eating all kinds of ingredients and flavors. Anyway, Judy suggested that Manu teach her how to make some of the kids's and Chandler's favorite dishes, like macaroni with cheese and sausage.

Chandler immediately went to work, and since they were setting up the office and starting interviews with new clients, he was away from the house for several hours, arriving just in time for dinner. He didn't like this situation, but he knew that it was only for a few weeks until everything was sorted out and he could come home to play with the children or help them with their homework.

Anyway, he saves an hour a week to go to therapy, talking about his feelings and his pain while he was in NY had helped him, and his therapist had given him the contact with Dr. Kalama a therapist he knew from the congresses and with the who maintained a relationship by email,

Jack and Erika started classes, they liked school and made new friends, there was a great diversity of children from different countries.

Ten days later Ross told Chandler that he already had a buyer for the house, so as soon as the transaction was done he would transfer his money to him. Chandler was glad to get rid of that house because although, at least he and the children had spent happy years in that place that he considered his home, the end had been devastating and he ended up hating those walls.

Ross, through Rachel, also alerted Monica to the sale of the house. But this was not joyful news for her. She had loved that house, it was just like she had dreamed of it, she and Chandler were so happy when they bought it! …. And watch the children grow in it…. That had been one of her biggest dreams and she had achieved it... but she said to herself "perhaps I don't have the right to pursue another dream?" only that she felt that this new dream was not the same, and right now she felt that this dream was not she was performing as well as the other.

In Honolulu, a few weeks after the start of the school year, Chandler began to notice that Jack was capricious, he had gone down to the beach alone without permission, he talks down everyone and bothers Erica. One morning when he took the children to school he asked to speak to Jack's teacher to ask her about his behavior in class. Mrs. Wilson told him that she had also noticed the change, that at first he was a docile and somewhat shy child, but now he was very rowdy.

Chandler decided to request an interview with the school psychologist's office. He was received by two psychologists, Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Kendal together with the teacher Mrs. Wilson, he explained the history of the children, and detailed the changes they had suffered in their lives in recent months, he also told them that during his childhood and adolescence, he himself had suffered from divorce and neglect from his parents, and this had left marks on his personality that he had had a hard time overcoming, and he did not want his children to suffer the same, neither now nor in the future.

He told them that, just as Jack was reacting now with his rebellious behavior, as he had done as a child, Erica kept very quiet without showing concern and he was afraid that she was keeping everything deep inside and sooner or later she would explode.

After a long talk where he was asked about family dynamics since they moved to Honolulu, Mrs. Kendal, who was the head of the cabinet, proposed that she have an interview once a week with each child separately, after hours from class, and it would be convenient for him to pick them up on the day of the session since they would surely need his presence, Chandler was willing to do whatever it took for the well-being of the children, so he totally agreed. She also suggested that each child take time to go out with him separately, each one needs to have time for himself with his father.

As the interview ended, Mrs. Miller commented, "Wow, that dad is as handsome and sweet as like a chocolate and cream cake."

Mrs. Kendal looked at her and said "Marian, those comments are not professional and you have a husband..."

"Yes, but don't stop having eyesight and good taste..." and they both laughed.

A few weeks later Chandler met with Mrs. Kendal again to talk about the progress of the children, since she had noticed that Jack was a little calmer, Mrs. Kendal told him that they were adjusting to their new reality, that while they were at home in New York, they had not delved into what the divorce of their parents and the departure of their mother meant, but now with the move they had sized up the changes and were in the process of understanding and accepting them. Chandler told her that on weekends he was going out separately with the children, trying to plan the things that each of them liked the most. With Erica they went to do the weekly shopping or to the mall, and he took Jack to play tennis. and in both cases afterwards they would sit down somewhere to have an ice cream and chat. This moment is actually enjoyed by all three.

Many afternoons the grandparents took the children for a walk on the beach and sat down to watch the sunset, while Grandpa Jack told them stories, each time a new one.

After dinner, the five of them would sit on the terrace, looking at the sea, taking what each one wanted, and talking about everything, about the news the family had left in NY or Chandler told the children. anecdotes from the time that he and the uncles lived nearby, some of which Jack and Erica had already heard, but they still loved to hear them again, like the story when Uncle Joey and his dad had forgotten Ben on the bus, or the about the weird roommate who had lived with his dad for a while when Uncle Joey had moved out.

Jack and Judy were happy, enjoying the house, while the children were at school, Jack went to the golf course and Judy to play cards. The weather was perfect and they felt rejuvenated. -

The months flew by, and with two weeks to go before going to New York for Thanksgiving, Judy approached Chandler and asked, "Son, when you asked us to come over to help the kids adjust, you told us we could stay as long as we wanted. we would like"

"Yes Judy, of course, whenever you want, as long as you want"

"Could it be the rest of our lives…?" Judy asked

Chandler gave a wide smile, "of course, forever if you want, and I mean it very, very seriously, they're great company and the kids would be happy."

"Son, this is something I've been thinking about for a few days, I haven't told Jack yet, but I know he feels the same, since he's a little sad to have to go back" "And not because we don't miss Ross and the other grandchildren, but here it is so peaceful, life is so smooth, and we feel so good…"

"Judy, don't hesitate anymore" "we have to organize the move…" "Oh god…. Ross is going to hate me" and Chandler laughed out loud.

"Son, don't worry, I have plans for Ross, I have investigated and he could work here on his thing"

"Really Judy? "I bet you're going to make it…. and it would be amazing to be all together, he counts on me to convince him"

The Saturday before Thanksgiving everyone left for NY at 3:40 PM.

In the antipodes Monica after the holidays had started the courses at the academy, she was really satisfied with the course, she already saw how much she would learn to improve her cooking. The course took up several hours a day, and then she had to study.

While she was studying Richard had joined a club to play cards and meet friends to smoke a cigar and drink beer with.

One afternoon when Monica returned from the Academy, she was looking for a folder of recipes that she remembered having kept in a desk drawer, but rummaging in the last drawer, under various folders and papers that she went through in search of her own, she found a folder with all reservations made for the Europe trip, and they were all in Richard's name!

Blood rushed to her face, and she clenched her hands. If it had been Richard's children who had organized the trip, the reservations would have to be in their names or their spouses, but they were in Richard's name and many made even made BEFORE THEY TRAVELED TO PARIS….

Richard had this trip organized from the beginning, Monica couldn't believe it…. he had never thought about what she wanted…evidently he was used to doing his bidding. -

Monica recognized once again that she had never really lived with him, the first time they had been dating for 5 months, very passionate, but not living together, and now they had met again and after three months they had decided to move together to Paris.

She really had no idea what it would be like to live with him as a couple. In her dream, the one she had at age 26, everything would be perfect... he was perfect, but now... he had deceived and manipulated her... If he loved her, why did he act like that?

Monica freaked out, she evidently didn't know him, and she didn't like what she was showing her about him.

Chandler immediately crossed her path, and although she avoided thinking about him with all her might, there was no doubt, their relationship had been very different, they had met as friends, they lived opposite each other, which was almost a platonic coexistence, but a coexistence at last, and then they fell in love, lived together, got engaged, evidently they knew each other very, very well ….

Monica got angry with herself again, she didn't have to think about Chandler or compare, it scared her to think about him, but it was more and more frequent, almost daily, she shouldn't compare, it was very dangerous … since until now Richard always lost out in fundamental things... "Had I made the wrong decision...?"

She returned the folder to her place, and decided that she would not tell him anything, but from now on she would be very alert, as her father had advised.

From this chapter on, Ross's work is pure fiction, I wanted all the characters to move to Honolulu, but researching I did not find any university in that city that includes paleontology of terrestrial animals as a curricular study, only oceanic and I did not find no Museum of Natural Sciences that includes terrestrial dinosaurs , and since this is an AU I took the liberty of inventing those two occupations for Ross in Honolulu.