Forever and always

Chapter twenty-two

Olivia's pov:
August 2021

"Do you have everything, babe?" I asked while struggling to close my overstuffed suitcase, practically sitting on it to make the zipper budge.

"Almost" Charles replied, tossing the last bits and pieces into his own suitcase.

Today we were flying back to the Netherlands. I'd been counting the days for this trip—going back home always brought a strange sense of comfort, especially now.

We left Charles's apartment—where I was practically living at this point. Honestly, I couldn't even remember the last time I spent a night at my own place. From there, we drove to the airport to catch our direct flight to Amsterdam.

Flying first class definitely had its perks; the two-hour flight was smooth, quiet, and felt like a dream. Once we landed, we picked up the rental car and began our little road trip—three hours to my hometown.

I drove the whole way. I'd done this route more times than l could count, and besides, I figured Charles deserved a break from being behind the wheel for once.

"You're an excellent driver" he said with a smile.

"What can I say? It's in my blood" I laughed, and he chuckled along with me.

"Shall we put some music on?" I asked.

"Definitely. What about Coldplay?!" He said a little too excitedly.

I grinned. "Of course"

Charles was the biggest Coldplay fan on earth—it was honestly adorable. We san along to Paradise, Fix Youtk, Viva La Vida, and every other classic. It didn't sound great, not by any stretch, but it was fun—just the two of us, windows down, pretending we were in carpool karaoke.

"We're here!" I said as I pulled into the familiar driveway of my dad's house. The brick house stood tall, surrounded by big trees and open skies.

"Ahh, what a beautiful house" Charles said as he popped open the trunk.

"Yeah—just wait until I give you the full tour of this town" I replied, already buzzing to show him everything.

We walked up to the big wooden door and knocked. A few moments later, Dad opened with a wide smile.

"Olivia! Charles! So good to see you both—come in" he said, pulling me into a hug and planting a kiss on my cheek. He gave Charles a warm hug, too, and I saw the relief in Charles eyes.

As we stepped inside, I was instantly hit by that familiar, comforting scent. Every childhood home has one—ours smelled like old wood, brewed coffee, and memories.

"The bedroom's all set for you" Dad said. "Why don't you take your bags up, freshen up, and then meet me in the garden?"

"Thanks, Dad. We'll be right down" I said as we carried our bags upstairs to my old room.

We changed quickly—it was a hot day, and we were definitely overdressed. When we got down to the garden, we were immediately greeted by Cooper, Dad's new dog, who barked excitedly and wagged with his tail like crazy.

"Don't ask about the name" I muttered with a smirk.

Dad had already set the table under the shade of a big oak tree, with icy sodas waiting for us.

"So, how's everything?" he asked once we sat down.

"It's... good" I said quickly. Charles gave me a sideway glance—he could tell I was lying.

"Well, Charles's face tells a different story" Dad said, raising a brow. "Olivia?"

I sighed. "I mean, I'm happy, and life is good. But... I miss having contact with Max. And Mom"