Coffee Stains (Discovery of Love)

Chapter Thirty (Part 1)- Café Del Tiempo

{Chapter Thirty(Part 1)}

Mission #4: Reveal the criminal's sins to the Knight.

Ester and I go silent as we hear the front door open.  I look over at her anxiously as she gives me an encouraging smile.  I stand up from the sofa in the living room and exit the room.  I quickly walk towards the front door, longing to see Max's face.

I stop a few feet away as I watch him remove his shoes, his long hair damp and a shade darker from the moisture as a result of hours of swimming practice.  My eyes continue to follow his movements before his warm eyes land on mine.  Surprise lights up his irises as his lips part.

"Max," I finally say softly, my eyes starting to pool with tears as a wide smile falls upon my lips. 

I start to approach him slowly, my pace getting quicker with every step until I bump into his chest.  I embrace him as tears of happiness flow down my cheeks.  After a few seconds, I feel his arms wrap around me.  He cups the back of my head and nestles his face in my neck as his body melts into my touch.  We stay like this for a moment, enjoying each other's warmth and touch.

I pull away far enough to see his face, my wide smile still stretching my lips as I bring my hand up to pat his cheek affectionately.  He smiles back at me, his eyes holding such adoration and joy.  His eyes fall on my lips and then back to my eyes before falling on my lips once again.  His breath fans my face as he leans in closer, goosebumps rising on my skin.  After what seems like eternity, his soft lips connect with mine.  My arms that wrap around his torso pull him flush onto my body.  Warmth spread through my entire body as I feel him smile against my lips.  How I longed to be in his arms all these weeks that we have been separated is expressed as our lips continue to move.  I pull away, my smile even wider as I look up at him. 

He gently kisses my forehead. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," I reply, resting my head on his chest again.

"What happened?" he asks as he twirls one of my curls with his finger.

I pull away once again and look up at him."Let's talk after you get washed up."

"Okay.  Give me five minutes," he says before starting to walk up the staircase.

My eyes follow him as he opens the door to his bedroom and disappears behind the wood. I sigh. This is part that I'm really not going to like.  Time for mission #4 to be completed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So much for five minutes," I say with crossed arms as Max comes bouncing down the stairs after about twenty minutes.

"Hey, I don't appreciate the attitude." He smiles, drying his long hair in a white towel. I roll my eyes with a smile before motioning for him to follow me.  I walk into the living room, Max in tow as Ester turns towards the sound of our footsteps.  Silence fills the room as the tension buzzes in the air.  I know that Max and Ester's relationship isn't the best at the moment but hopefully we can smooth it out.

I sit on the sofa opposite Ester and motion for Max to sit beside me with a swift pat of my hand.  He reluctantly sits down, looking anywhere but his mother eyes. 

Before an uncomfortable and tense silence can fall upon us, I speak,"There is something we need to tell you."

"Okay..." Max looks up at me uneasily as he notices the seriousness of this conversation.