Sydney to the Max Season 4: Episode 13 - Parents in Love
Present Day Scenes Written By: "Fun But Shy Girl"
Flash-Forward Scenes Written By: WritingWithKeon and "Fun But Shy Girl"
Flashback Scenes Written By: Katy Kear
Based on Characters Created by: Mark Reisman
Sydney and Sophia were looking through a closet one afternoon as Sydney said, "Come on. There's gotta be a good tie in here somewhere." Then Max stepped over to the closet door and said, "Hey girls. You find any good ties for your school play in there?" Sydney then said, "Not yet dad." Then Max said, "Well I'm gonna go downstairs to make some lunch. Holler if you need anything." Then as Max headed out of the room, Sophia said, "I know I've seen your dad wear ties before. Where does he keep them?" Then Sydney said, "Hmm. There's a box on that high shelf over them. Come on. Give me a boost." Then Sophia helped Sydney get off the ground slightly. Sydney then grabbed a box and stepped down with it as she said, "Hey. This box... Sophia, it has your mom's name on it." A curious Sophia then said, "Really? Well lets see what's inside."
Then Sydney opened the box and saw several pictures of Max and Angela together, along with one small box as well. Sophia then said, "What's in that smaller box?" Then Sydney opened the small box and inside... was a golden ring with a small diamond on it. Sydney's eyes opened wide as she said, "Oh my gosh. It's a ring. Sophia, do you know what this means!?" Sophia's eyes suddenly widened and she looked very excited as she said, "Oh my gosh! Your dad is gonna ask my mom to marry him!" Sydney looking very excited too said, "Oh my gosh! We're gonna be sisters! But wait... why hasn't my dad asked your mom yet? And more importantly... will she say yes to his proposal?" Then Sophia said, "Good questions. Hmm... well, I guess we could both do some detective work." Sydney smirked as she said, "Sounds like a plan."
2042:
It was early in the afternoon and Sydney had something very important on her mind. She prepared herself before hand to tell Harry. After she was ready, she called him and he came downstairs.
"Yes, sweetie?", Harry replied.
"I need to talk to you about something.", Sydney says tenderly.
"Hit me with it."
"Getting to know Valicity and raising her has been very fulfilling and we both love her so much, don't you agree?", Sydney asks.
"Yep, she's amazing!"
"And y-you want to see her happy, righ-", Sydney attempts, but Harry cuts her off.
"What's going on, Syd? You're speaking fast and stumbling. What's going on?", Harry says.
Sydney takes a deep breath and says clearly, "Harry, it can't be a coincidence that a girl walked into our lives with the same name as the sister I never knew. It's like she completes me and our family. Harry... I want to adopt Valicity."
Harry then laughs, making Sydney worried.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Is that what you've been so scared to say all morning?", Harry questions.
"How did you know I had something on my mind?", asks Sydney.
"Well, you're stumbling on your words, you're shaking, and you haven't talked to me all morning. So, yeah, I noticed."
"Surpriseeee", Sydney tries to play it off.
Harry smiles and hugs Sydney, she sighs and gets lost in his arm knowing he feels the same as her now.
"How do you think Alisha will feel about this?", Harry whispers.
"Well... lets ask her.", Sydney says.
1996:
One afternoon, Alisha Webb's younger sister, Essence, walked out of Alisha's room holding a wooden box.
"Hey, Syd," Essence called to her oldest sister Sydney and said, "Do you know what this is? I found it in Alisha's room."
Sydney, who was sitting on the couch, reading a book, looked over. Her eyes widened.
"Essence, put that back," she urged her sister.
"Why?"
Alisha walked out of the kitchen and immediately saw the box in Essence's hands.
"What are you doing with that?!" She shouted at her little sister.
"I was looking for…um…"
"My diary… again?" Alisha questioned, rhetorically. "Stop touching my personal things, you little pest! You have no business touching any of my stuff! Now give me that!"
Alisha snatched the box out of Essence's hands and ran to her room. Essence looked at Sydney.
"What did I do?"
Sydney simply clasped her hands and looked down.
PRESENT DAY:
Max was sitting in the kitchen eating his lunch as Sydney walked into the kitchen and sat next to him as she said, "Hey dad. What's up? How you doing? Got any plans tonight? Gonna see Angela? Gonna ask her any important questions?" Max looking a little confused said, "Sydney, what's going on?" Sydney sighed and then quickly said, "Okay. Me and Sophia found the engagement ring you hid in your closet, and we wanna know why the heck you haven't proposed yet?" Max look a bit caught off guard, but remained calm as he said, "Okay... yes, I bought an engagement ring for when I'm ready to pop the question. But the timing has to be right." Sydney then said, "What do you mean? No fancy restaurants have any vacancies for the next month or something?" Max sighed and said, "No Sydney. I mean... I just wanna make sure Angela is ready. She's been through a rough divorce, and I've had a rough time just adjusting myself to the idea of marrying someone new. You need to let us go at our own pace. Okay Syd?" Sydney sighed as she said, "I guess."
2042:
The next day when Alisha and Valicity come home from school, Sydney calls Alisha into her room. Alisha puts her bag down and goes to her mother and father sitting on their bed.
"You made it home safely!", Sydney exclaims.
"Uh yeah, I did. So why have I been summoned here mom?"
"I have some news for you! But, let's close this door.", Sydney gets up and closes the door while Harry speaks.
"Honey, we know how much you and Valicity get along and we love seeing you smile so much, so-"
"We're adopting Valicity!", Sydney blurts out uncontrollably.
"OH MY GOSH! YESSSSSSSS! WOOHOO", Alisha screams out.
Valicity is walking to her room, when she hears Alisha's screaming and laughing with her parents. She then feels left out as nobody called her. As she walks to her room she mumbles to herself.
"Guess they decided to have family fun time without me..."
1996:
Alisha lay on her bed, bawling, hugging the wooden box. There was a knock on her bedroom door. It slowly opened.
"Alisha?" Her older sister: Sydney's voice questioned. She let herself in and shut the door behind her. She sat on Alisha's bed and began stroking her hair. "I know it hurts, 'Lish. I'm really sorry you had to go through that."
"It's been months," Alisha said, "I didn't know I still hurt this much."
"You can't put a timeline on this," she told her younger sister. "I've noticed you and Max have been trying to do that. Postponing your grief isn't a good thing to do; trust me, I know. It's okay to morn, 'Lish, as long as you need to. You won't actually feel better if you don't."
Alisha looked at her sister.
"What do you mean?" She asked. "Wait. Are you saying that... you've…?"
"I've had a miscarriage," Sydney confirmed.
"When?"
"When I was 16," she answered. "You remember Bradley?" Alisha nodded. "He got me pregnant. He didn't want kids either. The difference between us is that at least you got broken up with… I didn't."
"Isn't that better?" Alisha inquired. "You two were together for like two years."
"He hit me," she revealed. "I made him really angry one night when I told him I was keeping the baby. I'm pretty sure he caused the miscarriage, but I'm not completely sure. That's the night I didn't go home. I was way too bruised for mom to see me, but more importantly… you and Essence. You both were only 11 and 4."
"You didn't want us to get scared if we saw you?"
"Exactly," she agreed. "I know why you freaked out on her, 'Lish; it's the same reason I didn't go home that night. You don't want her to worry about you."
Alisha sat up and sat next to her sister.
"So, how did you postpone your grief?"
"I never told mom about any of it," she said. "I wanted to pretend it never happened. I wanted to believe it never happened. Then it just hit me one night a few months after I finally broke up with him. I broke down crying in my room senior year when you, Essence, and mom went out to eat. I finally let myself grieve." She looked at her little sister. "I know you've been trying to let yourself do it, but you want to be okay faster. I'm sure it's more subconscious than conscious, but you need to give yourself time. I know exactly what you're going through."
"Sydney... why didn't you tell mom about my pregnancy?"
"I wanted you to do it yourself," Sydney informed her. "At least you told me."
"Max and I... we loved her," Alisha said. "I was going to put him on the birth certificate. I told him that during our, I guess what we had considered, our first date at the mall. Although we later decided after prom that the prom was our actual first date… when he gave me this…" She held up the box.
"I think he's the one for you, Alisha," Sydney told her. Alisha looked over at her. "He loves you. Don't let him go. He's one in a million."
"What would I do without you?"
"Screw up planning your wedding," Sydney said with a laugh. Alisha laughed a little. "I better be your Maid of Honor."
"You definitely will be," Alisha laughed. "Love you."
"Love you, too."
PRESENT DAY:
Angela was sitting in front of a mirror in her bedroom doing her own makeup as Sophia sat on a bed nearby saying, "But mom, it's a simple question. If Sydney's dad asked you to marry him, would you say yes?" Angela sighed as she said, "It's complicated Sophia." Sophia then said, "It doesn't seem complicated to me. You like him. He likes you. I like him. Sydney likes you. Me and Sydney like each other. Everything seems so simple." Angela then turned to look right at Sophia as she said, "It might. But Sophia, I need to be sure of what I could be jumping into. I need to be certain that I'm not going to make another mistake again." Then Sophia said, "But you're older and smarter now mom. I don't know why you're second guessing yourself, when I'm not." Angela sighed and said, "You need to let us go at our own pace. Okay Sophia?" Sophia sighed now and then said, "I guess..."
2042:
Valicity is in her room, solemnly doing her homework, as Alisha bursts in and screams:
"WE WANT TO ADOPT YOU!"
Valicity looks puzzled.
"What?!"
"Mom and dad were gonna wait to tell you on Christmas but that's a month away and no way could I keep it a secret that long."
Sydney and Harry then came into the room as Sydney spoke.
"We're sorry Valicity. We were gonna try to tell you the news ourselves but..."
Suddenly tears appeared in Valicity's eyes and she ran into Sydney's arms hugging her.
"Thank you. Thank you so much... mom."
Tears appeared in Sydney's eyes as she hugged Valicity back while Harry and Alisha also joined in for the hug.
1996:
There was a knock on the Reynolds' door. Max opened it.
"Hey, Alisha," he said upon seeing his girlfriend, who was wearing a blue backpack. She had tears brimming her eyes.
"Could we talk in your room?"
Max looked back at his mom, who was sitting on the couch.
"Go ahead," she approved. The two teens started up the stairs when she added "and don't worry about leaving the door open."
Max looked at her, then he and Alisha continued up the stairs and went to his room. He closed the door behind them.
"You okay?" He asked her.
"No," she replied, "and neither are you."
"This about…"
"Valicity," she finished for him. She took off her backpack and opened it. She pulled out the box he made. They sat on his bed. "We haven't let ourselves mourn her, Max. We've acknowledged it, and remember about her, but we haven't actually grieved."
"I don't want to have to…" Max said. "I don't want to think of the fact that she's actually…gone." He started crying. "I wish it never happened. I wish she was in our arms. I just want it all to be okay again. I want to feel okay again."
"We won't feel better unless we do, Max," Alisha told her boyfriend. "Parties won't do it and neither will ignoring it." Max looked down. "Yeah…I know about the party; I heard my mom and aunt talking about how Leo got drunk and you two got arrested."
"It was Leo's idea," Max commented.
"I know," she replied.
"It hurts too much…"
"If we don't, we're going to be numb," Alisha returned. "I don't want us to be that way, Max. We need to feel something."
Max walked over to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer. He pulled out the "Daddy's Girl" onesie and a baby blanket. He walked back to the bed, sitting down again. He set the blanket on his lap and grasped the onesie with both of his hands.
"I'm so…angry," he said. "This was going to be hers." He softly grabbed the baby blanket. "So was this…it was mine."
"I feel…empty and sad," she replied. He took ahold of her hand. "I just don't feel as happy as I was then. I couldn't wait to see her grow up. I was looking forward to everything we would experience."
"But, instead, we got this," Max stated.
"I don't know where to go from here…" Alisha admitted. She laid her head on his shoulder.
They sat there for several seconds.
"What if we do a memorial for her?" Max suggested.
She lifted her head and he looked at her. She lightly kissed him. They both closed their eyes as he kissed her back. They parted with tear-stained faces.
"Yes," she agreed.
PRESENT DAY:
Max and Angela were both sitting in the living room of Max's home cuddling on the couch together. Angela smiled as she said, "This has been a nice night. Our girls are having a sleepover upstairs happy together. We're down here having a nice romantic date." Max then said, "I know. Angela, I am so glad to have you in my life. You have brought me a happiness, that... I never thought I was even allowed to feel again." Angela then gently grabbed Max's hand as she said, "Well I thought no one would ever give a divorced mother in serious need of therapy a chance. But not only have you helped played such a positive part in Sophia's life now, you've even started coming to therapy with me. I couldn't ask for a better man." Then Max put a hand in his pocket as he said, "And I couldn't ask for anyone better woman at this point in my life than you Angela. So would you... um... would you..." Angela then leaned closer to Max as she said, "Yes?" Then Max scooted away from Angela as he said, "Would you like some more popcorn? It's right over in the kitchen." Then suddenly the two adults heard Sydney yell, "Are you kidding me!?"
Max and Angela then turned their heads and saw Sydney and Sophia popping their heads around the corner at the top of the stairwell. The two teenagers then began to come down the stairway as Sophia said, "Come on you two. You both clearly want the same thing to happen here." Angela then said, "Girls, we are having a private conversation here that isn't about you two." Then as the two teenagers sat near both of their parents, Sydney said, "Yeah, except it does. You're both our parents. We love you both, and... we wanna you help you." Then Max said, "Syd, it's just... adult relationships are more complex. There's more things you have to think about." Then Sophia said, "Yeah, and more things you worry about. Look, it's not that you two aren't uncertain of what you're doing. You're just scared of the future." Then Sydney said, "Yeah, but you can't let fear control you two. Yes, unforeseen problems can happen." Then Sophia said, "But wouldn't you rather both take them on together?" Angela then said, "Girls, listen. You can't tell us..." Then Sydney said, "Okay. Don't listen to us. But listen to each other."
Then Sophia looked at Max as she said, "Mr. Reynolds... Max... do you want to marry my mother?" Max paused for a brief moment as he looked at Angela, and then said, "...Yes." Then Sydney looked at Angela and said, "And Angela... will you marry my father?" Angela then paused for a brief moment as she looked at Max, and then said, "...Yes." Then Sydney and Sophia both stood up as Sophia said, "Then focus on that." Then Sydney and Sophia both headed up the stairs as Max and Angela remained still looking into each other's eyes. Then Max took a deep breath and said, "So... will you..." Then Angela immediately with a big smile on her face said, "Yes!" Then Max and Angela immediately kissed one another as Max put his arms around Angela's back, while Angela put her hands on the sides of Max's face. Then at the top of the stairs, Sydney and Sophia both stuck their heads out as they yelled, "Woo! Yeah!" Then Max and Angela both turned to look at Sydney and Sophia looking slightly annoyed. Then the two teenage girls instantly backed away as Sydney said, "Sorry. Personal moment. We get it." Then Sophia said, "We'll stay in Sydney's room now." Then Sydney and Sophia left, as a happy looking Angela looked at Max and said, "How about we continue this in the basement and lock the door behind us all night long?" Max smiled as he grabbed a blanket he had near him and kissed Angela again, shortly before the two headed downstairs to the basement together.
THE END
Coming Soon:
*Episode 14 - I Don't Wanna Miss a Ring - On what should be a day of happiness, several characters begin feeling overwhelming feelings of sadness.
*Episode 15 - For Love of the Baby - When multiple unexpected pregnancies occur, it's up to family and friends to come together to support the soon to be mothers.