Start Again | Forbidden Book 2

16. Beach House

Olivia and Max arrived to Checo's beach house in Puerto Vallarta during the late afternoon. The weather was warm and perfect compared to Monaco's cold streets. There was a slight breeze that kept them just cool enough. 

They walked through the door and the house felt empty, but they could hear the screaming of children playing outside. They walked upstairs to Olivia's bedroom, left their bags there, walked back down and through the glass doors that guided them to the pool and the beach. 

"Auntie Liv!" Checo Jr. spotted her first and came rushing straight from the beach.

Olivia ran a few meters to meet him in the middle. He jumped to her arms and she caught him, holding him in a hug as she stood back up and carried him around her waist.

"Chequito my love" she said hugging him tightly "Why are you getting so big? I thought I told you to stop growing! You gotta listen to me!" 

"My mommy says I'm gonna be taller than my daddy" he said to Liv.

"Yeah well, that's easy sweetie" joked Liv.

Max started laughing as he reached them and heard the conversation. His spanish had gotten so much better. He never stopped practicing, even when Olivia was off in Africa. Now he could understand almost all conversations and his speaking still needed some work but he could get his point across. 

"What's up S" said Max fist bumping Checo Jr. who smiled brightly as he saw him.

"Max!" he said "We were about to play football, do you want to play?" he asked.

"Yes of course!" Max nodded.

"Do you want to play auntie?" asked Checo Jr.

Liv hesitated, she had to keep resting "Go ahead and play with Max sweetie, I need to gossip with your mom for a while".

They reached everybody else at the beach. Liv hugged Checo and Carola tightly, she was so happy to see them. Checo lightly smacked the back of her head for disappearing for more than a month. Liv blew him a kiss as she walked over to Carlota and lifted her in the air. 

"Where's my favorite niece?" she said as the spun around with Carlota in the air, her laughter was contagious. 

"Oli you're gonna get Carlota hurt" she heard her mother. Liv rolled her eyes as she put Carlota down on the ground again and kissed the top of her head. Then Carlota ran straight at Max with open arms "Maxie!".

"Hello mother" said Liv with an unconvincing tight lipped smile. 

"Look at that face, that's how you greet me?" said Marilu indignantly.

"Liv!" called out her father as he came from the yard's bathroom. 

"Hey dad!" said Liv with a smile. He came over and hugged her, she hugged him back. 

Then her mother stood up from the chair she was sitting on and opened her arms waiting for Liv to walk over to her and hug her too. She did so reluctantly as Max walked over to them with Carlota in his arms. 

As per usual, Liv's mother hugged her tightly but not in an affectionate manner "Liv I cannot believe this, you're even bigger now. Didn't you listen to everything I said when we saw each other in Mexico?" she said letting go of her and looking at her up and down. 

"I try not to" Liv shook her head. Carola who sat a few meters away on her beach chair tried not to laugh unsuccessfully.

"Hello Marilu" said Max dryly and with a forced smile as he quickly greeted Liv's mother.