Faith's POV-

We were getting ready for the meeting with Katya and Ivan.

Chris was very nervous..i wont say i am not.Because I am,but one of us has to remain calm.

He was going through all the papers again and again.Our marriage certificate.My resignation letter and what not.

"Hey,its going to be ok."

He looked at me.

"I know but..i dont know,Faith.Its so nerve racking."

"I'll tell you what,after the meeting is over,you are taking Raiya and I for some Christmas shopping.Its just around the corner and let me tell you,i love holidays."

He smiled at me.

"Even Raiya loves Christmas.She gets so excited about the decorations and of course the dinner.Its fun."

"You see,this year i am going to invite your parents and siblings over dinner.If thats not a problem with you?I mean.."

He just laughed.

"Faith,thats cool.You dont have to ask me about everything.Every year mom organises the feast and i think she is pretty tired of doing that.Its a nice idea."

I was relieved.Thats nice.

"Oh you will be eating your fingers,i bet you."

"You seem pretty confident about your culinary skills..i cant even say that i can even cook eggs properly."

He huffed and looked at me.I snickered.

"Dont worry,you have me now.I will be doing the cooking.Whatever you or Raiya want to have."

I quickly realised what i had said.Chris seemed to have stopped talking.

I looked at clock.

"Come on,its time.Lets go.We have to drop Raiya at Maisie's too."

Maisie was Raiya's bestfriend.Her parents were pitching in to look after Raiya while we were in the meeting.

Chris stood up.

"Yeah,lets go.You go get Raiya,I will be outside in the car."

He left the room.I sighed.

"Come on sweetie,you are ready?"
Raiya was combing her hair.She looked at me and smiled.

"Mommy,can you please make a bow."
I smiled at her.It was so cute that she called me mommy now.It made me so happy.

I began combing her hair.

"Daddy and you are going to talk with Grandma Katya,right?She wants me to live with her but now she cant because you became my mommy.I like her,you know.But i love daddy and she is mean to him so i dont want to live with her."

I pulled her in my lap after i was done with her bow.

"Raiya,daddy and Katya both love you.She is your grandmom.Even if she is mean to daddy,she loves you.You dont have to worry about these things,ok."

"But i dont have to live with her,do I?"

I shook my head.

"No,you dont have to.Not if you dont want to.She and grandpa Ivan will visit you a few times though."

"That's cool.I like them.Its just that i dont want to live with them all the time."

She grinned.

"Come on,we are getting late.After daddy and I come back,we will pick you up from Maisie's and then we are going to shop for Christmas."

She squealed and kissed me.

Chris was already waiting for us in the car.

We dropped Raiya at Maisie's house and thanked Mrs Turner,her mother.She had just smiled and wished us luck.

I so appreciated the gesture.

Katya and Ivan came with Gina exactly when we had arrived.She glared at me and stormed inside.

"Dont mind her,please.She is just angry.You are my grand daughter's mother now.Take care of her and congratulations on the marriage,both of you."

Ivan Petrov smiled at us.Chris gave him a nod and i had thanked him.That guy was genuine.

The meeting went with the flow.James presented our clauses to them.They accepted them all.It was a win-win scenario.

Katya seemed very miffed off,though.

"My client has agreed on visitation rights.You guys can visit Raiya 4 times a month,that is once a week."

"I want to see my grand child more often."

She then glared at Ivan.

"Мы договорились все, что wanted.My дочь умерла, и теперь у меня есть ограничения, с моей внучкой, и вы просто сидите там, как шишка? Сделайте что-нибудь!"

(We have agreed to everything they wanted.My daughter passed away and now i have limitations with my grand daughter and you are just sitting there like a bump?Do something!)

I looked at Chris for help.He just shrugged.

"She tends to do that when she wants to intimidiate people,trust me.We dont understand Russian and she knows it.Dont worry,you will get used to it."

He said.Chris was totally in the "i dont care" zone.

Ivan just shook his head.

"Calm down.We knew this day was coming.Stop with your tantrums,Katya.Please."

She just ignored him.

"We are happy and ok with whatever you guys are offering.We want to take back the case.This meeting has already decided the outcome.Gina,please discuss everything with James.My wife and I are not fighting anymore."

Ivan said and left the office.

"You guys played well.You might have won the custody but trust me,my daughter will never forgive you Christian Crawford.And you?"

She looked at me.

"You will never be Raiya's mom.Never.I will leave now,i cannot just stand her and see that i have lost the most important.."

There were tears in her eyes.I didnot know what to say.

She left.

I looked at Chris.He kept looking towards the door.

"She has a lot of bitterness in her.Rayanna was her only daughter.She is still grieving.I am sorry."

Gina followed Katya.

"Congratulations guys.We won.Raiya is not leaving anywhere.She is here to stay."

James smiled and hugged Chris.

And then Chris smiled.The most genuine and real smile,in the short period since i had ever met him.

"It feels like a weight has been lifted off my heart.I can finally breathe."

He then looked at me.

"It would never have been possible without you.Thank you.Thank you so much."

He hugged me.This was the first time there was any kind of physical contact between Chris and I.

I hugged him back and controlled my tears.It was such a happy moment.

"Hey guys,i am here too.Damn no one gives me any credit."

James sighed dramatically.

I rolled my eyes but Chris then hugged him too.

I felt he was pretty emotional right now.Even James felt it.

"Dude,leave me.Or my sister will think i got her married to a guy who prefers me over her.Lets not give her wrong ideas."

Chris then groaned and pushed him away.

I laughed.

"You are such an asshole,Jeremy."

I then looked at Chris.

"And you sir,you promised you are going to take Raiya and I out for Christmas shopping.Come on, she must be waiting for us.We can invite Maisie too,if the Turners allow her.The girls will be so happy."

Chris smiled big.

"Good idea.Lets go,bye James.See you later,stray away from STDs."

I laughed when James practically pushed Chris outside the office.It was so funny.

"You know,thanks for distracting me back at the house.I was almost have a nervous breakdown."

Chris said to me.

I looked at him and smiled.

We reached Tracy's house a few minutes later.

The girls were playing in the garden.

"Yay daddy,mommy.You guys are back."

Raiya grinned and jumped into Chris's arms.

"So,i dont have to go to grandma Katya's?"

"No sweetie but right now Faith and I are gonna take you guys for Christmas shopping and icecream.Maisie,you want to come?"

"Yes.Please."

She grinned at us.Aww.

"Come lets talk to your parents."

"Congratulations guys."

Tracy and Garreth hugged us.

"It was ..perfect.Thanks.Anyway,we wanted to take Maisie for icecream.We will drop her in 2 hours.Actually,we are going Christmas shopping.."

Chris looked at Garreth.Garreth looked at his daughter.

"You want to go,Mais?"

"Yes dad.Please,i will be good.I swear."

"Yes Mr Turner,please.We will be adorable."

Raiya joined in on the pleading.

All of us laughed.

"I dont think i can say no to those faces."

"Alright Mais,be good for Mr and Mrs Crawford."

Tracy smiled at her daughter.

We took the girls to Walmart for buying all the things I needed.Christmas was like just a month away,a lot had to be done.

"We have to get a tree.A beautiful big tree.Daddy always gets a tiny one.We end up shutting in up in a small box and we cant you in ever."

Raiya groaned.

"Yes Mrs Crawford.My mommy got a big tree.She was talking to daddy about puting it in the living room as Christmas is about to come."

Maisie said.Raiya gave me a pout.Chris was going through some files and stuff.He wanted them for a project.I rolled my eyes.

"You girls,come with me.Lets have a talk with daddy."

Chris was standing and talking to some guy.They were talking very informally.

"Thats Uncle Ed.He works with daddy."

I looked at Raiya.She shrugged at me.

"Hie.I am Faith,Chris's wife."

Chris looked at me,surprised.I had appeared out of no where apparently.

"Oh hi,I am Edward.Eddy you see or Ed.You can call me anything.Actually any one can call me anything."

He sighed and left us.
That was..strange.

I looked Chris.

"He is a bit weird."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Ok ok.I am sorry,come on we should have icecream now."

Chris had pulled the girls by their hands before i could say anything.

I groaned.This was difficult.

We ended up buying the biggest Christmas tree available.Raiya had thrown a fit when Chris said that a big tree could be a problem.I dont understand how,though.

Canton was a very beautiful little town.On our way  home,i saw that every house was decorated.Christmas lights were shining.It was 5 in the evening,kids were running around in the playground.

This was the perfect little Christmas set up.I smiled big.

"Hey Raiya,wanna bake some snow man cookies when we get home?"

She was playing with her PS4.

"Yesssss.Yesss.Yesss."

Chris laughed.

"You are taking in everything,aren't you?"

He asked me.

"Its so beautiful here.I have grown up in a city Chris.Memphis is as crowded as it can get.I am not saying that i didnot enjoy my life there,that would be just wrong.But there is something about this vibe,Canton is so beautiful."

"Well,you are right.We moved here when i was 16.In high school.We used to move a lot actually,first our family home is in Texas.Dad owns a ranch.We still go there,every year around new years.You will be joining us this year,i hope.Then most of my childhood was spent around animals and farm life.After we moved to New York,i used to miss that a lot.I was restless you know."

I didnot know that.

"But why did you moved around so much?"

"Dad was into advertising.Whenever he got promotions,we moved.It was hard.And when we came to Canton,mom had put her feet in and demanded that we were here to stay.It was funny.Dad has talked all his bosses out on his transfers since then."

I laughed.It would have been so hard...moving around all the time.Leaving all your friends..everytime.

I realised this was the most Chris had opened up to me since this last week of our marriage.

One week of random discussions.Awkward nights.Formal talks and now,this.I think i am happy with the progress.

"Come on we are home.Raiya,now you are going to help me set up that gignatic tree in the living.There is no getting out of this."

Chris shouted as we got out of the car.

Raiya groaned.

"I have to do everything?"

She looked at Chris and I.

"Well,i am going to help with the decoration and then we make cookies."

I grinned at her.That made her smile.

"Ok daddy,lets go set the tree.Mommy,come on help us."

I smiled.

This was my family now.My daughter and husband.I just hope i can make it up with Chris soon too.

Hola!

Update is here.I love writing this story.
Faith is such a positive character.I love her,seriously.

Happy reading.

WimpieKid:)