I'll never give up

 "I just don't know about all this coupling," Justin said while he and Carmen were getting ready for bed.

"What do you mean?" She asked while brushing her teeth.

"Oh, this thing with Jared," he squinted a if he had his doubts about Jared and Nori. He hugged a pillow for a moment, but then tossed it to Carmen's side of the bed. She always needed more pillows than he did. Although it smelled of her, and he didn't want to bring up the real doubts he had. Like, would ICE be coming for him to be deported back to England?

"You know, Jared likes her. You can just tell, and she likes him too." Carmen looked at Justin as if he was just thinking the worst.

"You're right," he nodded, wishing he had been more of a go-getter and had stayed with his education, but he was a procrastinator. He always had been. He hoped it wasn't too late. He was back at the hospital now and taking on the job training about maintaining X-ray machines as well as working in the X-Ray department.

"Are you sure you're OK?" 

Her uncertainty in her eyes made him want to tell her all his troubles. He pressed his lips tight, thinking it was now or never.

"Let's get married."

She laughed at him with a smile and kissed his cheek. Of course, he didn't know if she was on board or not.

"But things are good-" She shrugged.

"But they could be better,"  He looked at her wide-eyed. He hugged her then. "I love you."

"I love you too." Her voice was muffled as she talked into his shoulder during the tight hug.

"I'd just feel better about everything, if..if you know." He looked at her then with his hands on her shoulders.

"What?" She looked at him as if she didn't know.

"What if, you know, I get deported?" He looked at her blankly.

"Deported?" Her face wrinkled with a sour look.

"I don't know. You know how..how it is these days," Justin looked at her sadly.

"I don't really watch the news," she admitted.

"I just want us to be together, a family. You are my family. I never felt that. I didn't. And..and I know Jared felt that a lot less than me." He told her.

"Do you think he'll have to go back?" She looked more worried about Jared than him.

"I don't know," Justin hated to fret, but he wished she would just stay focused on their life.

She pressed her lips tight in thought.

"Let's do it," she nodded. "We'll get a license and then get married at the zoo."

"The zoo?" Justin scrunched a face of disgust.

"Well, you know, my foster mom would want to be a part of this, if we're ever going to have any peace." Her eyes were wide-eyed. That's when she told him her foster mom didn't like him.