1 Starting Over
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Few years after college.
Max
I stood watching the outside world through my window. I glanced at the clock for the millionth time in the past hour.
3:15
Liz was just getting off work at this time. I still had another 45 minutes before she would be here. Maria was going to pick Daniel up so that Liz could come directly here from work. Maybe I should call again, just in case. I walked over to the phone and dialed Maria's cell.
MARIA
Ring Ring
"Maria speaking."
"Hi, Maria."
"Max seriously, this is the fifth time you've called me. I've just put him in the car. Daniel say hi to Max." She sounded annoyed.
"Hi Max." He said enthusiastically. "Guess what?"
"What."
"Aunt Maria's taking me out for ice cream!"
"Daniel!" He had actually told.
"Maria, Liz said n-" Was all I let him have to say.
"Goodbye, Max." I said and closed the phone.
"Daniel you weren't supposed to tell."
"I'm sorry, can we still go?"
"Of course, Ben & Jerry's or Dairy Queen?" I asked, I knew what his favorite was.
"Ben & Jerry's!" He shouted.
"Of course." I took off in the direction of Ben & Jerry's."
LIZ
I don't honestly know why I scheduled this meeting. I don't want to see Ethan. He should just sign the papers and let it be over with. But of course it always had to be complicated with him.
"I'm here for a meeting with Max Evans." I told the receptionist. The receptionist smiled at me warmly.
"Please have a seat over there, Mrs. Tailner, let me page him." She pointed to the chairs.
I studied the woman. She was older probably late 40's early 50's. She had a warm smile. I decided I would like this lady. I nervously bit my lip as I thought about the reason that I was here once again.
"Mrs. Tailner you can go in."
I took a deep, audible, gulp and walked into the room. It was not large, nor was it small. Max stood behind the desk with an encouraging smile. He walked around the desk and gave me a hug, then directed me towards the chair in front of the desk.
"First before he comes I need to tell me exactly what you want out of this." He told me carefully.
"Um, I want a divorce."
"I know, but do you want anything, like the house, possessions in the house? Anything Liz." He informed me.
"I don't want anything, he can keep the house. I want the dressers; those were my grandmother's. And of course, Daniel's mine." I stated.
"Are you sure?" He wrote that down.
"Absolutely." I answered confidently.
"How much custody do you want over him?"
"All of it." Why was he asking me these questions? He already knew the answers.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Liz," he said. "While they are here I will be addressing you as Mrs. Tailner, and I will act like we know each other on a business level only. OK. Do not take any of it personally. Please."
"I know, Max. Of course I wouldn't." I said and straightened when I heard the little bell ring.
"Max, a Mr. Bryce, and a Mr. Tailner are out here waiting for you." Came the secretary's voice.
"Thanks, Mrs. Lee." He said into the speaker. I bit my lip nervously. "Don't do that, Liz."
"Do what?" I asked confused.
"Bite your lip, don't." I hadn't realized I did it.
MAX
I am usually not worried about meeting with other attorneys. I usually look forward to it. But this one I'm personally involved. This is really bad.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Bryce, Mr. Tailner." I said.
"Mr. Evans, Elizabeth." Ethan said looking at Liz. I had the sudden urge to punch him right there, but that wouldn't get any of us anywhere.
"Hello." Liz said coldly.
"Well, we may as well get things started." I said to prevent the already starting animosity.
"Well, my client would like to know what Mrs. Tailner wants from the house. Here's a list of what Mr. Tailner does." Mr. Bryce handed me a piece of paper. I looked it over quickly; this is going to be easy nothing on Liz's list was on Ethan's. Including Daniel.
"Ok." I handed the list back along with Liz's. His eyes widened at the bottom of the list. That was Daniel's name.
"Mr. Tailner, did you want custody of the kid?" Bryce asked quickly. Liz flinched when they addressed Daniel that way.
"Why would I want custody of it?" He asked disgusted.
Liz looked more irritated by the second. I and everyone else knew, you do not mess with Daniel.
"He's done nothing but reeked havoc on my life since he was born." He said.
Liz exploded. "Excuse me?"
"You heard what I said." He looked at her evilly. Liz's face reddened.
"You have done nothing, nothing for us. Oh, sure you've put a roof over our heads, but that's about it. You're never there. You're only at the house when it's convenient for you. Daniel doesn't even really know who you are. He knows you exist, but he cowers when he sees you." She took a breath and swallowed angry tears.
"You're never home when I am there." He bit back.
"Mrs. Tailner." I tried to interrupt.
"I'm always home, except when I'm at work and when I shop on Saturdays. Daniel's always home as well." She informed him angrily.
"Elizabeth." A bit more forcefully.
"I never saw him."
"Maybe its because you got home so late that he was already in bed or maybe it was the fact that you were sc-"
"Liz!" I said sharply. Everyone stopped and looked at me.
Liz was shaking from anger. She was trying to control it. "Let's all be rational now. I assume, Mr. Tailner, you do not want Daniel?" I asked calmly. Liz was still trying to calm her breathing. She was trying not to cry.
Looking smugly at Liz. "Of course I do." He smiled.
Liz looked at him. I looked at him. The attorney gaped at him. God there was going to be a custody battle. Wonderful.
"What?" She asked shakily.
"I want the kid."
"Why? Why would you want Daniel?" She asked.
"Why would you, Mr. Tailner?" Bryce asked.
"Because she wants him." He said as if it were yesterday's news. "Good day Mr. Evans, Liz." He said using her nickname menacingly.
After a quick apology, Mr. Bryce left the room following Ethan.
(I'm sorry that it took me so long to get this part posted. I wasn't really up to writing lately. I'm also working on another story. So I'll get the next part up as soon as possible.)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Few years after college.
Max
I stood watching the outside world through my window. I glanced at the clock for the millionth time in the past hour.
3:15
Liz was just getting off work at this time. I still had another 45 minutes before she would be here. Maria was going to pick Daniel up so that Liz could come directly here from work. Maybe I should call again, just in case. I walked over to the phone and dialed Maria's cell.
MARIA
Ring Ring
"Maria speaking."
"Hi, Maria."
"Max seriously, this is the fifth time you've called me. I've just put him in the car. Daniel say hi to Max." She sounded annoyed.
"Hi Max." He said enthusiastically. "Guess what?"
"What."
"Aunt Maria's taking me out for ice cream!"
"Daniel!" He had actually told.
"Maria, Liz said n-" Was all I let him have to say.
"Goodbye, Max." I said and closed the phone.
"Daniel you weren't supposed to tell."
"I'm sorry, can we still go?"
"Of course, Ben & Jerry's or Dairy Queen?" I asked, I knew what his favorite was.
"Ben & Jerry's!" He shouted.
"Of course." I took off in the direction of Ben & Jerry's."
LIZ
I don't honestly know why I scheduled this meeting. I don't want to see Ethan. He should just sign the papers and let it be over with. But of course it always had to be complicated with him.
"I'm here for a meeting with Max Evans." I told the receptionist. The receptionist smiled at me warmly.
"Please have a seat over there, Mrs. Tailner, let me page him." She pointed to the chairs.
I studied the woman. She was older probably late 40's early 50's. She had a warm smile. I decided I would like this lady. I nervously bit my lip as I thought about the reason that I was here once again.
"Mrs. Tailner you can go in."
I took a deep, audible, gulp and walked into the room. It was not large, nor was it small. Max stood behind the desk with an encouraging smile. He walked around the desk and gave me a hug, then directed me towards the chair in front of the desk.
"First before he comes I need to tell me exactly what you want out of this." He told me carefully.
"Um, I want a divorce."
"I know, but do you want anything, like the house, possessions in the house? Anything Liz." He informed me.
"I don't want anything, he can keep the house. I want the dressers; those were my grandmother's. And of course, Daniel's mine." I stated.
"Are you sure?" He wrote that down.
"Absolutely." I answered confidently.
"How much custody do you want over him?"
"All of it." Why was he asking me these questions? He already knew the answers.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Liz," he said. "While they are here I will be addressing you as Mrs. Tailner, and I will act like we know each other on a business level only. OK. Do not take any of it personally. Please."
"I know, Max. Of course I wouldn't." I said and straightened when I heard the little bell ring.
"Max, a Mr. Bryce, and a Mr. Tailner are out here waiting for you." Came the secretary's voice.
"Thanks, Mrs. Lee." He said into the speaker. I bit my lip nervously. "Don't do that, Liz."
"Do what?" I asked confused.
"Bite your lip, don't." I hadn't realized I did it.
MAX
I am usually not worried about meeting with other attorneys. I usually look forward to it. But this one I'm personally involved. This is really bad.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Bryce, Mr. Tailner." I said.
"Mr. Evans, Elizabeth." Ethan said looking at Liz. I had the sudden urge to punch him right there, but that wouldn't get any of us anywhere.
"Hello." Liz said coldly.
"Well, we may as well get things started." I said to prevent the already starting animosity.
"Well, my client would like to know what Mrs. Tailner wants from the house. Here's a list of what Mr. Tailner does." Mr. Bryce handed me a piece of paper. I looked it over quickly; this is going to be easy nothing on Liz's list was on Ethan's. Including Daniel.
"Ok." I handed the list back along with Liz's. His eyes widened at the bottom of the list. That was Daniel's name.
"Mr. Tailner, did you want custody of the kid?" Bryce asked quickly. Liz flinched when they addressed Daniel that way.
"Why would I want custody of it?" He asked disgusted.
Liz looked more irritated by the second. I and everyone else knew, you do not mess with Daniel.
"He's done nothing but reeked havoc on my life since he was born." He said.
Liz exploded. "Excuse me?"
"You heard what I said." He looked at her evilly. Liz's face reddened.
"You have done nothing, nothing for us. Oh, sure you've put a roof over our heads, but that's about it. You're never there. You're only at the house when it's convenient for you. Daniel doesn't even really know who you are. He knows you exist, but he cowers when he sees you." She took a breath and swallowed angry tears.
"You're never home when I am there." He bit back.
"Mrs. Tailner." I tried to interrupt.
"I'm always home, except when I'm at work and when I shop on Saturdays. Daniel's always home as well." She informed him angrily.
"Elizabeth." A bit more forcefully.
"I never saw him."
"Maybe its because you got home so late that he was already in bed or maybe it was the fact that you were sc-"
"Liz!" I said sharply. Everyone stopped and looked at me.
Liz was shaking from anger. She was trying to control it. "Let's all be rational now. I assume, Mr. Tailner, you do not want Daniel?" I asked calmly. Liz was still trying to calm her breathing. She was trying not to cry.
Looking smugly at Liz. "Of course I do." He smiled.
Liz looked at him. I looked at him. The attorney gaped at him. God there was going to be a custody battle. Wonderful.
"What?" She asked shakily.
"I want the kid."
"Why? Why would you want Daniel?" She asked.
"Why would you, Mr. Tailner?" Bryce asked.
"Because she wants him." He said as if it were yesterday's news. "Good day Mr. Evans, Liz." He said using her nickname menacingly.
After a quick apology, Mr. Bryce left the room following Ethan.
(I'm sorry that it took me so long to get this part posted. I wasn't really up to writing lately. I'm also working on another story. So I'll get the next part up as soon as possible.)