Lovely Affair ||COMPLETED||

||Guillotine||

Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Eve brought the Carter-Dominguez family closer than they had ever been before. With her father gone, Annabelle had time to reminisce the many fun times she had with her stepfather and was able to make more. He had explained to her that although he felt slight jealousy towards her father, that he respected him as a caring one, something he had always done with his other children who chose their mother. She and her brothers hadn't stopped talking to their father due to his mistakes, not even Austin took those steps and he held a resentment for him.

Annabelle sure had a splendid time with her family and even had the opportunity to change her hair color. She dyed it a dark brown, not too dark, but enough for it to be noticeable. The color suited her more as her eyes looked lighter due to the dark contrast of her hair, they looked almost a honey color, but were darker compared to Arthur's hazel color, and even darker compared to Austin's teal colored eyes.

She wouldn't openly admit it, but Annabelle was glad for the many moments she had with her family and hoped those moments would help them along their ways. However, she knew problems would arise anywhere which would cause some sort of misfortune to them. If it hadn't been for Chris asking her to accompany him on a special date, then Annabelle would have still felt very much saddened over her father.

She looked over at Chris and laughed when he once again failed to knock down all the bowling pins with one throw. Annabelle had three strikes and Chris was barely on his second one, wishing to be on his third to be even, but it hadn't been going as well. He glanced at her and shook his head defeated.

"How about we call it an end to the game? We can take a walk or something downtown, if you please," Chris told Annabelle while he joined his hand with hers, their fingers hugging one another.

She agreed, and they ended their streak, before making their way out of the arcade. Their time together was important to both, it didn't even matter who thought otherwise as it was a relationship of two, not two plus others. Austin hadn't warmed up to them so greatly yet, but learned to accept the relationship although he would often not stand their bond. Chris had yet to ask Annabelle to become his and was planning on doing so that night as they took heir walk throughout the heavily decorated, and lighted, streets.

Chris glanced at Annabelle who admired all of the many bright and colorful adorning trinkets. She had almost a childlike aura when she would be around objects that would fill her with joy, yet held a very mature personality around those who needed to see that side of her.

"You know," Chris said as he gained her attention, "I have yet to ask you a very important question."

She stopped walking and she opened her mouth with a smile but closed it instantly to not make a fool of herself. "And that would be?"

He turned to her and responded with, "the question would be to ask you if there are any possibilities you would want to be my girlfriend?"

Annabelle's eyes widened at his question and she found herself nodding as a response. Chris cheered silently and hugged her while she was still shocked from the question. She believed he would have never asked her and she was glad he finally had, they were both happy with their choices from that day, they all led to this moment which neither wished to turn back on.

"Thank you, I was nervous, but realized if I didn't want to lose you to anyone else, then asking you the most important question I've probably ever asked," Chris told her beside her ear.

She smiled and hugged him tighter. "And I gave one of the most important answers so far."

"I, uh, I talked to Leo yesterday."

Annabelle backed up from the embrace and asked him what for. "I told him what I was planning on doing, and he agreed that was the best thing to do. He also told me Sonia has been watching you very closely."