Liberation [completed]

Presents and Adoption- Asher

That's who I see Max as in this book. If he looks familiar, he acts in the Fosters TV show. His character is who I see Max as. You guys may have your own idea of what Max is like but this is how I see him. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter! :) 

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Tonight was going to be a long night. It was my last night before we go to the Hamptons for the week and I had a lot of work to complete before I leave. Mia had demanded I don't take my work with me so I need to finish all of this before we leave in eight hours. As much as it terrified me to leave my work, I was excited to see what the week away from work had to offer. For seven years, I didn't leave my job and it has been my only priority even when my friends convinced me to leave the city, I brought my work with me.

This time it was different, it was going to be just about Mia and myself. Mia had slowly built up with her excitement for this trip. Yesterday was when she actually completely allowed me to see how excited she really was. Then this morning she squealed in excitement at the idea of going to the Hamptons with me. So I knew she was excited which made me excited for the trip.

"I got you something" Mia's sweet, and eager voice cuts through the silence in our bedroom.

I turn to her giving her my complete attention, "What did you get me" I ask her curiously. I stared at her brown hair a mess around her head. Yet, somehow, she managed to look cute. Her blue eyes were bright with joy.

When she knows she has my attention, she turns around and takes something out of the drawer of her bedside table. It fit in her hand so it was a small package- to be accurate, it was thin, long and rectangular in size. Mia hasn't gotten me anything before so I was curious and eager to see what she got me. She turns to me and grins cheekily, crawling closer to me. She hands me the package and I look at her for further instructions getting excited myself.

"It's just something small. I got for you with my first pay...." She said, "I got it the other day while I was out shopping" She adds awkwardly and rocks back and forth as she sits crossed legged next to me.

I grin back at her excited, eager and suspicious of when she even got the time, "You know you don't have to do this right?" I remind her, "You should be saving every penny of your pay"

Mia groans like the kid she can be at times, "I know, I know. It wasn't that expensive. Will you just open it?" She presses, reaching for the box, probably wanting to open it for me.

"You're nervous" I note out loud, enjoying her anticipation.

"Asher!" Mia whines and falls to the pillows as she groans in frustration. I laugh at how worried she was. Didn't she know I'd love anything she gave me?

"Fine, fine. Here goes" I tell her and open the gift, giving in to my own anticipation.

Mia sits up just as I open the box and she knots her hands in front of her in anticipation. As I open the box, I sort of get an idea of what it was going to be. What surprises me is how she sneakily managed to steal my pen to do it. I thought I lost it. I used to sign all my official documents with, sort of like a lucky pen if you want to call it that. I take it out of the box and look at the engraving work she had, had done: "You're my liberation."

"I'm sorry if you don't like it. I just didn't know what else to do and I wanted......" Mia's words slice through the emotions I was feeling but I blurred them out and re-read the words.

They felt so powerful and so loud. She hadn't even said it out loud. She's never said it to me before. She always found it hard to express herself and put her thoughts into words and she always overthought her actions. But this pen was proof that we were definitely making progress.