Maxine is standing at Mike's front door, unsure how to interpret what has just happened. She watches Kate run crying from the house and climb into her car, gripping the steering wheel before apparently collapsing against it. Maxine then hears a crashing sound then some muffled sobbing coming from within Mike's house. She looks from Kate's car to the area just within Mike's front door and back to Kate again, unsure of who she should talk to first.
She decides to see Mike first, then address Kate afterwards, if she is still there. She stands on the front porch for a few more minutes, giving Mike time to compose himself. As she waits, the sounds from within his house suggest that Mike has no idea of her presence and she enters with caution, not sure how Mike will react to her being here. What she does see shocks her.
Mike Flynn is hunched over on the floor, a smashed photo frame not far from him. Maxine takes in his appearance, with each sob his body moves. He looks so defeated, so hurt.
What has Kate done? I have never seen him this bad. He never looked so defeated, as if everything has been ripped out from underneath him.
"Mike?" Maxine says quietly as she bends down to his level. He looks up at her.
"Oh God, Mike. What happened?" Mike says nothing at all, roughly wiping at the tears on his face.
"What are you doing here, Max?" he replies while getting up off the floor, ignoring the mess he made and walking to the kitchen.
"I came around to deliver you this paperwork and to talk to you."
"Thanks, Max. I will get started on them later," he replies while starting to wash the two cups.
"Mike, what is really going on between you and Kate?"
"Maxine, please don't." She knows from him using Maxine instead of Max that this subject is touchy for him.
"Mike, we've been friend for over twenty-five years, and not once have I ever seen you this upset over anything."
"Max, please. I just don't want to talk about it."
"Mike, you need to talk about it. If not to me, then to someone."
"Max, it will make no difference speaking to someone. What's done is done and there is nothing I can do about. So if you don't mind I want to be alone."
"Mike, please don't put your walls up. Talk to me, tell me what is going on."
"I'm not putting my walls up, right now I just want to be alone."
"Fine then Mike, oh and by the way your contract is in a file there. Sign it, please."
"No, Maxine. I'm not signing it yet."
"Mike, come on. The Navy; it's your life, your love."
"WHAT did you just say?" Mike snaps back at Maxine, his head snapping around just as quick.
"I said the Navy; it's your life, your love, and it's true, Mike. We all know that." So that was how Kate found out, and why she wouldn't tell me. Because it came from Maxine.
Mike walks out of the kitchen and heads to the lounge.
"You know Maxine, I never knew you could be so vindictive."
"What are you talking about, Mike?"
"Like you don't know, Maxine. You damn well know what is up here and you are playing dumb on it."
"Mike, you have me lost here."
"Maxine, how the hell did Kate find out what I said to Fleet Command when what I tell them is private? No one else, bar my Commanding Officer, which is you, is given the information."
"I never spoke to her, Mike."
"Don't play stupid, Maxine. It doesn't look good on you. I know you did because Kate said the same thing to me 'it is your life, your love'."
"Everyone knows you love the sea, and that it is your life and love, Mike."
"Maxine, that is were you are totally wrong. The Navy might be my job and my life, but it is not my love. Bloody hell, Maxine. What did you say to Kate, and don't lie to me, Max, because I am sick of it. I am sick of everyone not telling me what the hell is going on. I have a damn right to know." Mike turns and walks to the other side of the room and looks out over the water. Maxine notices the anger and frustration in his voice.
There is silence in the room. Mike is hoping that his words will convine Maxine to talk, to tell him why she did what she did, to be honest with him.
"Ok, Mike, I will tell you. When you went to Fleet Command and demanded to be taken off Hammersley or you would resign, you left them shocked, stunned. Mike Flynn, prepared to give up the Navy, for what and for whom. When I was informed about it, my mind went straight to one blonde executive officer, knowing your liking for blondes, Mike. I decided that whatever you had promised her was not worth your career or your reputation. So I called her into my office, when she arrived I asked her if she knew you had been to Fleet Command that morning. She said no, but she did know you were planning on going to see them. I asked her if she knew you were planning on resigning if they did not rethink your posting. She said she did not know, but the look on her face told me far more, so I told her I knew what was going on between the two of you. I told her if the rumors got out, that it would destroy your career, and that the Navy is your life, and that she needed to put a stop to it."
"Damn it, Maxine"
"Mike, she is not worth it. It's not going to last."
"And how the hell would you know?" Mike says, the anger evident in his voice.
"Because we have a connection, Mike, which we have always had."
"Maxine, all we have is Ryan, that is it. The romantic connection I felt for you years ago is gone, it has been for ten years now, Max. All I see you as is an extremely close friend, but Maxine, this stunt you've pulled..." Mike just can't finish what he is saying.
"Maxine, today has been emotionally draining. I would really like it if you would leave."
"Mike..."
"No, Maxine. Please just leave, please. Just do as I have asked. You know where the front door is, shut it on your way out," Mike replies before heading off to his room, slamming the door behind him then collapsing down on his bed.
Maxine leaves and shuts the door behind her. She notices Kate's car is still sitting outside Mike's place, with Kate still inside it. Maxine walks over and taps on the driver's side window, Kate looks at Maxine. Oh God. She been crying this whole time. Kate winds down the window.
"Kate, can we talk?" Maxine asks before Kate can say anything.
"Um, yes Ma'am," Kate says while wiping her face.
"Kate." Maxine swallows the lump in her throat before she continues. "He knows it was me. Go in there. Be with him and work it out."
"Ma'am, with all due respect, he doesn't want me in there. He has made it clear already, and me going in there now will not change it. I have to accept what I have done and pray that, over time, he will forgive me. Now, if you don't mind, I should go home," Kate says as she starts her car.
"Kate.." Maxine is not sure what to say.
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"Drive carefully."
"Will do, Ma'am," Kate replies as she slowly pulls away from the kerb and heads home.
Maxine stands there and watches Kate drive off, God what the hell have I gone and done. You know what you did but how do you plan on fixing it for them both, or is it best to just stay out of it, let them decide what they are going to do, how they are going to deal with this.
I do have to introduce their new Coxswain to them so maybe I do that in a few days, and see what they are like with each other and then go from there.
Now that might just work.