Liz Evans rushed around the Crashdown Cafe, the restaurant that she owned, like a chicken with it's head cut off, helping the waitresses fill orders. Geeze, she thought, you'd think that everyone in town was here. And, it was true. The Crashdown was packed, and there were people waiting to be seated, too. She turned around just in time to see the door open and a blonde pile of hair enter. "Oh, thank God." she whispered. "Maria!" she yelled, waving to her best friend.
Maria Guerin waddled over to her, late in the eighth month of her pregnancy. "Lizzie, babe, you've gotta get more space between these tables. I can hardly get through."
"And why would that be?" Liz asked, flicking a wash-rag at her.
"Funny girl." Maria said, a serious expression on her face.
"Thanks. Do you think you could help out here? You know, just ring people up and stuff?"
Maria was already trying, quite unsuccessfully, to make it back to the front of the cafe and over to the cash register. "I live to serve," she called out, followed by several 'excuse me's.
Liz shook her head. Lord help Maria and Michael. With Remembrance, Samantha, Hope, Christina, Lil' Mikey, and Joseph, they have their hands full. And, in another four months or so, they'll have another member to add to their ever increasing family.
Now, don't get her wrong, Liz was plenty pleased with her family, Jason-Alexander, Claudia-Marie, Emily Elizabeth, and of course Max, but she couldn't help but feel sad when she thought of Maria's bunch. She and Max had both wanted a large family, but after having Emily, the doctors told her that she was unable to have any more children. Something about her last pregnancy had gone wrong. Liz snapped herself out her little daydream as she heard the front door chimed. She groaned, turning around and thinking, Please, just go away. Then, she realized that one of her two favorite sisters-in-law was walking through the door. Accompanied by her adoring husband, Alex, and their two children, both of which were able to wait tables. Liz grinned. "Izzy!" she called out. "Wanna get those kids off your back for an hour or so?"
"You bet I do!" Isabel called out, jokingly. She turned to her children, "Rebecca, Diane, will you go and help out Aunt Liz for a while?"
"Sure!" The girls answered her. They were well aware of the menu at the Crashdown, considering that they had eaten there at least once a week since they were able to walk. And, it didn't hurt that Rebecca had been working there since she turned fourteen, over a year ago. Diane, however, had just turned fourteen, and just started. Still, they both knew their stuff. They ran off, giddy like school children, to the back to change, both knowing that they would be getting overtime for this.
"Thanks, Liz," Alex said, "I've been with them all day. And all day all Rebecca's talked about is how cute Jason is, or how nice Johnny is, or how much she's looking forward to going to the dance this Friday with Bob, or Tony, or Sam...or was it Billy?" It was easy to tell that Alex was confused.
"It isn't either of them," Isabel Whitman informed her husband. "Rebecca is going to the dance with Nicholas."
"Nicholas...Did we meet him?"
"Yes, dear. Let's just get a seat before Liz kicks us out for loitering."
"Liz would never kick us out, would you, Lizzie?"
"No, Alex, of course not-"
"See-" Alex turned to his wife.
"-I would politely ask you to leave first, THEN kick you out." They all laughed.
"Welcome to the Crashdown. May I take your order?" Megan, the newest waitress asked.
"Megan, these are two of my best friends in the whole world. Give them anything they want. On the house." Liz instructed the girl.
"Sure, Mrs. Evans. Whatever you say." Megan answered.
"I told you to call me Liz..."
"LIZ!"
"Gotta go, it sounds like Maria needs some help."
"Ok, bye Liz...and thanks. Just send the kids home when they're done."
Liz waved as she headed to the cash register. It took her less than five minutes to reach the front counter. "What, Maria? What is it?"
"I think...I think...Get Michael!"
"You mean, you're having the baby now?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Ok. Yeah, I'll handle this." Liz made her way over to the nearest, unoccupied chair. She pulled it over and stood up on it, "Excuse me. Excuse Me. EXCUSE ME!" The dinner quieted down. "Excuse me. I'm sorry for the interruption, but everyone is going to have to leave. Now. All the food is on the house, but, please, everyone has to leave. And, will Isabel and Alex Whitman stay behind please? All the waitresses are free to leave, and they will get paid for the hours worked. Thank you." Liz got down from the chair, overseeing the evacuation of her restaurant. As soon as everyone had left, Alex and Isabel rushed over to her.
"Liz?" Alex asked.
"It's Maria. She's gone into labor..."
"But," Isabel interrupted, "she's not due for another four months. I know she's not!" Isabel had become a doctor and had taken care of all the births in her wacky family, including that of her own two children.
"Try...telling...the...baby...that..." Maria challenged Isabel through the pain.
"Ok, here's what we'll do. Rebecca, Diane, come here." Isabel called to her children, who were standing around as if they had forgotten how to walk. "Go to Aunt Maria's house, Rebecca, and get Uncle Michael over here. Fast. If he asks about the kids, you'll watch them. Ok? Good. Go. And you, Diane, go upstairs and get Uncle Max. Tell him what's going on, then, bring Jason, Claudia, and Emily over to Uncle Michael's. Hurry." The girls rushed off as soon as they'd heard their instructions. Isabel turned to Liz and Alex, "Ok. We're going to have to get Maria up to your room, Liz. With how many kids she's had, I don't know how long she'll be in labor. As soon as Max comes down, Alex and he will get her arms, and I'll take her feet. Liz, you just go up and get everything that I'm gonna need."
"I'm here, Isabel. What do you need?" Max asked as he ran over to them, with Diane right behind him, wishing them good luck and practically dragging the kids out the door.
"I need you two," she pointed to Alex and Max, "to help me get her upstairs. And... Oh, thank God. Michael, she's over here."
Michael ran up to them and knelt down by Maria. Surprisingly, he scooped her up with ease and carried her up the steps. Normally, Maria would be protesting, telling him 'leave me alone', and 'this is how I got this way in the first place, Mister', but she had long since passed out from the pain. Alex and Max followed Michael up the stairs, leaving Liz and Isabel to bring up the rear. Liz went to follow them, but was held back when Isabel grabbed her arm.
"Look," Isabel said, in a quiet voice, ''something's wrong. She's gone through enough of these for me to know what to expect from her, but I've never seen anything like this before. In any of us. It's way too early for the baby to be coming." Off Liz's look, she continued," I'm telling you this because I need to know that you'll be there enough to help me, and Maria, pull through this."
"Wait. Are you saying that Maria might die?"
"I'm saying I don't know what's going to happen."
Liz looked at Isabel and opened her mouth as if to speak. She never got it out, however, because Max chose that second to come running down the steps three at a time.
"Iz. We need you up there. Fast."
Isabel gave Liz a long look, then raced up the steps, trusting that Max and Liz were right behind her.
"Maria, how are you doing?" Isabel asked as she entered Liz's bedroom.
As Maria groaned, the worry lines in Liz's forehead increased.
"Michael, I'm going to need you to get behind Maria and push for her."
"What?"
"Get behind her."
He did.
"Ok, now push her forward, and bring her back...Good...Keep doing that. Liz, the baby's head is crowning. Get me a towel. Hurry." Isabel caught the baby as she came into the world. "Great job, Maria." She said to the awakening mommy, "She's got ten fingers and ten toes. A full head of blonde hair and," the baby screamed, "her mommy's lungs."
The gang laughed.
"That's wonder-" Maria's body started to shake, and Isabel placed her hand on her stomach. "Oh my God," she whispered. "Maria's been carrying twins. We've gotta get that other one out."
Michael resumed pushing for his wife, and just when they were about to lose all hope, Maria woke up, fully awake, and with a burst of energy, freed the tiny baby form her body. Then, she collapsed back on to the bed.
"Great job, Mommy." Alex whispered to her as he placed the first baby in her arms.
"You too, Daddy," Max answered, placing the second little girl in Michael's arms.
As soon as Michael and Maria were comfortable with the newest members to their family, Isabel, Alex, Max, and Liz left them in peace.
"Max..." Liz started.
"I know, baby, I know."
"I'm so sorry."
"Liz," Max took her firmly by the shoulders, "you have nothing to be sorry about. You've given me three terrific children, and I have you. I don't need anything else."
Liz only half believed the words that came out of her husband's kind mouth.
"Max, Liz, everyone, come back in here!"
They all heard Maria scream, and they raced back into the bedroom, dreading the worst.
"What is it, Maria?" Isabel asked.
"Michael and I have decided on names for babies."
"You screamed to tell us that you've decided on names for the babies?"
Maria stared at Max blankly, as if he was stupid.
"Max...it is Maria." Liz whispered to him.
"Anyway..." Maria said, pointedly, "Michael and I decided to name the babies Isabel Catherine and Lizabeth Ariana..."
Liz and Isabel squealed in a whisper as they heard their names as the babies. Then all the cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles crowded around, welcoming Kat and Beth to the family.
3 years later
"Max!" Liz called from the kitchen. "Max! It's snowing!"
Max hurried into their spacious kitchen. "Liz," he pointed out, "we've been living in Vermont for the past three years."
"Look at it, Max. It's just so beautiful."
"I like my view better," he replied, looking at her.
And, despite the fact that they had been married for the last sixteen years, Liz blushed at his compliment. We're thirty-five years old, and we still act as if we're in high school, Liz thought, thinking back to the good old days...
Senior Year
"Come on, Liz," Max had practically begged her to skip Friday with him and head off to Las Vegas for the weekend. "Maria and Isabel and Alex and Michael are going." Seeing that she still wasn't convinced, he was forced to resort to 'Plan B'. He began to tickle her, showing no mercy, "Please, please, please, please, please," he begged her. Seeing as it was her only hope, unless she wanted to be tickled to death, Liz finally gave in.
"Fine," she'd said, "under one condition..."
"Name it." Max had challenged her.
"When we get there, if I can guess what hotel we're staying at, then you owe me one."
Max had agreed, and they shook on it.
Later that day, as they were driving into the unknown, Liz leaned over and asked Maria where they were staying. Maria had known, she always knew everything, and had dutifully whispered back to her that they were staying at 'The Elvis Chapel of Love'.
Once they arrived in Las Vegas, Max turned around and said to her, "Ok, Liz, where are we staying?"
She pretended to think for a minute then leaned close to him and said, "The Elvis Chapel of Love."
He looked at her as if he were seeing a ghost. "Ok..." he said after a while, "what do I owe you?"
"You owe me you," she'd replied rather smugly.
"What?"
"Max," Isabel said, "you're getting married."
A smile lit up in his eyes. "Married..." he repeated.
The next day, Liz Parker, the smallest of small town girls, with the simplest of lives, followed her heart. She left normal and went into the unknown, with Max by her side. She became Mrs. Max Evans.
Present
Thinking of that day still gave Liz goose bumps. The good kind. After completing college, they were blessed with a child. They made the perfect parents.
"Max?" Liz turned around, the snow forgotten.
"Huh?"
"Do ever wish things were different?"
"What?"
"Do you ever wish that things had turned out differently?"
"Never."
"Never?" she asked.
"I have you...what more could I want?"
She turned around, to face the window, and leaned back, resting her head on Max's broad chest. He wrapped his arms around her thin waist, pulling her closer to him. "Look at them," she said, pointing to their children. "They're perfect."
Her husband only nodded in agreement.
3 years later
"Max, I think we should go home." Liz said, one day after she got home from work.
"Home?"
"Yes. Home to Roswell."
"Liz, is there any particular reason as to why you think we should move our family back across the country?"
"Yes."
"Well," Max replied, getting up off the couch to hug her, "would you like to inform me of that reason?"
"No," she said simply, shaking her head.
"Ok, whatever you say. We'll start packing today."
"Thank you, baby," Liz said, brushing the hair off his face and kissing him senseless.
A week later
"Welcome home, Lizzie!" Maria squealed, racing up to give her a hug. Michael and Max shook hands, and the cousins fluttered about, becoming reacquainted.
"Thanks for meeting us, Maria."
"No problem," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "So, why are you back, anyway?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"All right, then," Michael said, "let's go get your stuff and head over to the Crashdown. We've closed today, in honor of our very dear friends returning home."
At the Crashdown
"So, Liz," Isabel said, eating some of her Alien Blast, "what possessed you to move your family across the country?"
"I just wanted to move, that's all."
"Nope," Alex eyed her, "You have something up your sleeve. You forget who you're talking to, Missy."
"Ok, you're right, Alex. I did want to move back for a specific reason."
"Which is..." Max prompted her.
"Ok, will everyone gather around, please?" Liz called out, and all the kids rushed over from the corners of the cafe. They all stood around her in a circle as she looked each of them in the eye. First Rebecca, then Diane, and Remembrance. She looked Isabel and Alex in the eye. Liz turned to Samantha and Hope. Their deep green eyes reflected back into hers. Her head turned to Christina, Lil' Mikey, who wasn't so little anymore, and Joseph. Then she looked at her namesake, tiny Lizabeth Ariana, then at Isabel's. She turned and found herself looking into the deep blue eyes of her best friend, and the dark brown ones of her friend's husband. She turned to her children, first Jason Alexander, then Claudia Marie, and finally Emily Elizabeth. Last, but not least, she looked into the soulful eyes of her friend, her lover, her soul mate, her life. "Everyone," she said, taking a deep breath, "I'm going to have a baby."