Chris and Denise anticipated Luca's scolding even before they arrived at Blue's Steakhouse. She first showed concern for Denise and her baby, making sure they were both alright before she dropped the hammer. And drop the hammer she did. Chris was the primary subject of her reprimanding as she'd expected him to be more mature and sensible. But alas, Denise had him wrapped around her finger as his wife. He did whatever she asked- nay, begged of him. It was incredibly difficult for Chris to say 'no' to her, especially when she exploited him with her puppy dog eyes. Perhaps everyone was right about him being whipped. But then again, many thought Denise was whipped too. One supposed that was just the price of unconditional love.

The couple also anticipated that Luca would release Denise from her responsibilities as Maid of Honor, though she didn't take the title; her best friend would still stand by her side on the day of her wedding. Majority of the planning had been completed, the finishing touches Luca said she and Sebastian could handle themselves. All Denise needed to do now was to rest, take some time to wrap her head around the fact that she was becoming a mom because she clearly needed to. And she had plans to do that, to just sit and talk with Chris about parenthood; a conversion that was well overdue.

Denise also had plans to continue working, despite Emilia's continuous assurance that she could wait until she'd given birth. As a mother herself, she understood how challenging things were for a first time mother at that stage of a pregnancy. But as a mother working in the Hollywood industry, she also understood Denise's determination and fear when she said "Hollywood waits for no one." With the job consisting of predominantly meeting at that point in time, Chris didn't have a good reason to stop her from working. That, and he knew she'd be more stressed out if she couldn't be a part of the process.

After dinner, both couples parted their respective ways. Chris and Denise returned to their home above Laurel Canyon, while Sebastian and Luca to their apartment in Westwood Village. The forty minute drive had Denise thinking about lots of things, like whether or not she and Chris should continue to stay in Los Angeles once Jack was born. The house that they'd turned into a home since she'd moved into Chris' place was beautiful, and though it probably wasn't the safest place to raise a child- Chris had baby-proofed it to be safe enough. But still, it wasn't the plan. The plan had always been to move back to Boston, to live in the house Chris had purchased, to have their kids and raise them there- thirty-four minutes away from the house he'd grown up in.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Chris took one hand off the steering wheel to hold Denise's hand. She smiled when his fingers found their way in-between hers, giving her hand a squeeze. She said nothing for a while, she just appreciated how comforting his touch was. She didn't think she'd find someone so capable of understanding and calming her and her chaotic mind. "Is it something worrying or stressful that you need me to ease you away from?" He quizzed, throwing her a quick glance.

"It's nothing bad," she shook her head, running her other hand up and down his forearm. "I'm just wondering if we should continue staying in Los Angeles after Jack's born." He shot her another quick glance when she said that. "There's an actual house waiting for us in Boston. Boston: where you grew up, where you said you were going to raise your kids."

"You're talking as though we don't have an actual house waiting for us at the end of this drive," he countered. "And California is where you grew up, where you thought you were going to raise your kids." He continued and she felt her eyes narrow; his response was not what she'd expected. "I hear what you're saying, Denise, but I just don't see the point of us moving now. You've just started work with Sony Pictures, and my job has me here majority of the time. Why do you think I bought a house?" He said and she sighed. "I know you want to follow the plan, but for now, staying here makes the most sense."

"I know it does, but I don't want Jack to familiarize himself with this place then rip it away from him when we're ready to move." She argued and he sighed, knowing she had her point. "It won't be hard for us to fly back here when we need to, and we'd have your mom and siblings to take care of Jack whenever we're gone."

"Denise-"

"And didn't you say that once I handoff my script to the director, things will slow down?" She continued. "I can work from Boston, there are video chats and emails and-" she stopped herself when she saw him shaking his head. "Why not?" Her eyes narrowed. "I know it's going to be slightly inconvenient, but don't-"

"It's not the traveling I'm bothered about, sweetheart," he glanced at her then sighed as he turned back to the road. "I'm worried that moving you somewhere you're not familiar with, away from your mom and dad, and away from the city that you grew up in- I'm worried it'll be too much. You're twenty-two, about to be a mother for the first time- I need you to be where you'll have help from people you know."

"I'll have your mom in Boston."

"You should be able to have your own mom," he said and she felt her lips quirk into a smile when she uncovered his thoughtful reason. "You are so close with her that I don't want to move you somewhere you need to get on a plane in order to see her. You are going to go through a lot as a new mom, I want you to have your mom with you while that happens."

"And what about you?" She quizzed and he raised an eyebrow at her. "You're a big old mama's boy," she teased and he chuckled. "Don't you think you'll need her to help you through your experience as a new dad too? I want you to have your mom too, Chris."

"I've got you," he simply answered.

"Well, I've got you too," she squeezed his hand. "Which is why I think we should move." She said and he pulled his hand from hers. He ran a hand over his mouth, frustrated and conflicted with the decision she was pushing him to make. "It won't be fair on Jack if we get him attached to this house when it's not the house we plan to grow old in. I know you're worried about me, but I am going to be fine. And my parents can always fly out and live with us for a while, it's really not that big of an issue."

"You're already so stressed out now, Denise." She was surprised when he remained against her despite all her great points of debate. "Moving will only increase that stress. Everything and everyone you know is here, you are comfortable here. I get that you want what's best for Jack but I want what's best for you. You are my priority right now, do you understand me?"

"I know, Chris-"

"You haven't even had the baby and you're already worried about so many things, postpartum being one of them." He reminded her and she sighed. "And now you're asking me to move you so you can be even more overwhelmed because you're a new parent in a new place? No," he shook his head. "I'm not going to risk it. We're going to stay here until you're comfortable with the idea of being a parent, until you're mentally ready. So no, we're not moving. Not while you're still getting used to everything. We said baby steps, uprooting our lives is not a baby step."

"Are we really uprooting if your roots-"

"We're done talking about this, Denise," he cut her off, frowning.

Denise pressed her lips together, eyeing Chris' hands as they tightened around the steering wheel. She knew he was right, she understood why he was so against it; she was a bit of a ticking time bomb. She fell silent and turned to look out the window at the Californian night sky. Half a minute ticked by before Chris looked over at her and sighed. He wanted to move and he agreed with everything Denise had said, but what happened today prevented him from telling her so. Denise needed to be somewhere she was comfortable and familiar with, somewhere her mom could easily get to her, and somewhere they could easily get to her doctor.

Today shouldn't have happened, Denise shouldn't have gone through what she did today. Chris hated himself knowing that it did, that she did. Because what the hell had he been doing as her husband? He shouldn't have been calming her down, he should've kept it from happening in the first place. Or perhaps, the best thing he should've done for her was to have been more careful so she wasn't having a baby right now.

"Chris, hey." She gently touched his leg when she turned back and realized his grip had not loosened, but only tightened on the wheel. She saw him relax with her touch and she managed a small smile, knowing it was her fault he was as tense as he was. "Loosen up a little, you're going to hurt your hands." She beckoned her head at his hands and he released a slow breath as he did as she advised. "I know I've given you reason to worry about me, Chris, but I promise I'm going to make it through this. I don't know if you've realized this yet, but I have a pretty wonderful husband."

"I know," he glanced at her with a smile. "But we're still not moving," he told her and she chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Maybe in a couple years, but not while Jack's a newborn. You need time to wrap your head around it and I think it's in our best interest if you do it here." She nodded again, moving her hand off his leg to take one of his hands off the steering wheel and into her lap, entwining their fingers. "Baby steps, okay?"

"Baby steps," she nodded.