Possession pt 3 - Revelations
Scene 11, 2021, Kendra's, sometime later
Kendra was at the door, talking to a messenger. He handed her a package and left. Kendra walked over to the bathroom, where Max was barricading herself in.
"Max, it's here," she said to the door.
The door opened, "Thanks," Max said, taking the package. She retreated back into to the bathroom. Impatiently she tore open the package instead of following the opening directions on the box. Following the instructions in the package, she completed the tests than sat down on the floor to wait for the results.
'This cannot be happening,' she thought, 'I am NOT the mother type. What am I doing? I'm just barely able to admit that I love Logan and work at a relationship. How can I do this? And what about my upbringing? It's not exactly what anyone would call a happy childhood. I'm no mother, that's for sure. But Logan . . . this would mean everything to him. I know he wants children. That was apparent when Karen was here. I want to have a child, I do, but I don't think I'd be very good at being a mother. What if it didn't love me? Even with Logan, I still find it a little hard to believe in unconditional love.'
Kendra knocked on the door, interrupting Max's reverie. "I'm making tea. Do you want anything?"
"No," Max replied.
"Everything okay in there?" Kendra's voice reflected her concern.
"Yeah, fine, perfect," Max forced cheeriness. She should be happy about this. She was, but it also created a lot of apprehension.
The timer dinged. Max got up off the floor. It was the moment of truth.
Kendra looked up from her tea mug when she heard the bathroom door open. Max came out looking dismayed, but also slightly relieved. "What happened?" she asked gently.
Max just shook her head. Kendra put down her tea mug and enveloped Max in a warm hug, even though she knew Max would refuse the gesture. To her surprise Max didn't.
"I really wanted it, Kendra, I really did," she whispered.
"I know you did, and when the time is right it will happen," Kendra assured her.
Scene 12, 2021, A Bar In Tacoma, that night
Karen Parker sat swirling her straw in her drink, thinking back on the last time she'd been in Washington State. Not that long ago, and the memory still stung. Logan. He was the one she wish hadn't been a mistake. But he was in love with someone else.
A little brunette slut, she thought, that girl is trouble.
Karen pulled herself from her self-destructive thoughts when a man sat down next to her. He was older, but attractive. He smiled and she got the impression he was the charming type. Just like Logan.
"Hi," he said, noticing her looking at him.
"Hello," she smiled, "I'm Karen."
"Nice to meet you, Karen," he said, shaking her hand.
"Can I buy you a drink?"
"No thanks, never touch the stuff," he explained, "But let me buy you another one." He smiled again and Karen was sure he was coming on to her.
"So what are you doing here if you don't drink?" she asked, watching him order her another.
"I'm looking for my daughter. She ran away from home and this is the type of place she likes to frequent," he told her.
"Do you have a picture of her?" Karen asked. The poor man, he seemed like such a nice guy, why would his daughter leave him?
"Sure," he pulled his wallet out and flipped it open to a picture of a brown-haired girl in a blue shirt. He held it up for Karen to see. "Her name's Maxine."
"She's pretty," Karen said, then stopped dead in her tracks, "I know her."
"You do?" the man's eyes lit up, "Where?"
"She's living with my ex-boyfriend in Seattle," Karen told him.
"Seattle?" he asked.
"Yeah, guy by the name of Logan Cale. He's got the penthouse in Fogle Towers and a cabin outside the city."
"Thank you," the man said. He pulled a few bills out of his wallet before putting it away. He handed them to Karen. "Here. Take this as a thank you."
"I can't," she protested.
"Yes you can," he left the bills in front of her. They were fifties.
"Thank you, um . . . did you give me your name?"
"I didn't," he replied, "But it's Donald. Donald Lydecker." He left then. Out in the parking lot he pulled out his cellular phone and dialed a number. "Yeah, it's me. See what you can dig up on Logan Cale, ok? Thanks." He hung up, smiling to himself. You can't hide forever, Max.
Scene 13, 2021, Logan's, late that night
Max lay awake listening to Logan's steady breathing. The warm arm he had around her and the feel of his breath on the back of her neck felt so comforting. He'd sensed there'd been something wrong, something that she wasn't telling him. But, he'd not asked about it, knowing she'd tell him when she was ready. Another thing Max loved about him.
She looked out the window at the pouring rain. It had poured that night at the cabin. That led her thoughts to Zack. She hadn't heard from him for two years, not since he'd sacrificed himself for her. Max wished she could talk to him, to know that he was all right.
Feeling glum, she carefully got out of bed, doing her best not to disturb Logan. She silently padded out to the living room and perched on the windowsill. The same one she'd been sitting at a few weeks before when Logan had told her he'd loved her.
Sibelius jumped up on her lap. The little cat was like her shadow. It followed her everywhere. Max absently petted the kitten's soft fur as she stared out the window. Sibelius' purring lulled her into a calm, daydream state.
Logan, feeling cold, shifted and felt something missing. He opened his eyes and found Max gone. He hoped that he hadn't scared her away. He knew she wasn't used to this emotion, not used to expressing it. He put on his glasses and lifted himself into his wheelchair, then pushed himself out into the living room.
"Do you have to stare out the window whenever it rains?" he asked her "Is it a cat thing?"
Max turned and felt her breath grow short at the sight of Logan shirtless. He'd not stopped to pull on a t-shirt before going after her.
"Yeah, comes with the ability to purr," she said.
"What's wrong Max? I didn't ask before because I thought you didn't want to talk about it, but it's really bothering you, isn't it?"
"Logan," she looked at him, then out the window again.
"Whenever you want to tell me, I'm here," he said softly.
"I thought that I could be," she paused to take a deep breath, "pregnant. But I wasn't. I didn't think I was ready, but I wanted it, and then I wasn't. And all I could think about was how happy it would've made you."
"Max, right now just having you is enough for me," Logan responded. Max turned and looked at him. "We'll have other chances, later. I promise you that."
She smiled and got up. Putting the cat down, she crossed the floor to him and gently placed herself in his lap. "Thank you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck before kissing him.
When they broke, Logan leaned his forehead against hers. "Let's go back to bed, ok?" She smiled again and put her head on his shoulder. He put one arm around her and used the other to wheel them back to his room.
Scene 14, 2021, Jam Pony, the next day
Cindy plopped down on the couch between Herbal and Sketchy. They looked very gloomy.
"What's got you two in a mood blacker than Max's?" She asked.
"Normal," Herbal replied.
"He made me wear that hideous thing he calls a jerkin," Sketchy wailed, "It was awful."
"He's painting everything intuitional beige," Herbal replied, "including my mural on the wall dedicated to the great Bob Marley. And he was with the blonde lady again."
"Is he trying to impress her with his sewing and painting skills?" Cindy snorted, "because it ain't gonna work."
"I haven't seen him on a power trip like this since that Mr. Sivapathasindaram was gonna buy this place," Herbal said.
"You don't think that's Mrs. Sivapathasindaram, do you?" Sketchy panicked.
"No, no," Cindy shook her head, "We are going to have to investigate this little biatch." She looked around at Normal's paint job. "Now that is depressing."
Normal walked by and stopped when he saw them on the couch. "I'm not running a nursing home for retired messengers here! Get to work. Go!"
"Hold on a minute," Cindy said, "What's with the institutional beige? And the tacky jerkin-thingy? You owe us an explanation."
"I just want to make things more business like, now, off like good little bike messengers," Normal made shooing motions.
"We've seen her," Cindy added.
Normal froze. "Alright, I guess I should explain. C'mon."
They followed him to the desk. Normal held a hand up in the air. "Attention, attention. Everyone, please. Ok. I got a call from Marsha Miller at Better Bikes and Messengers. They want to observe us for next month's issue. They want to profile me for their 'Boss of the Month' feature. So I want us to put our best foot forward, ok?"
Normal's announcement was met with groans.
Cindy turned to Herbal and Sketchy. "This cannot happen. Normal will go on the biggest ego trip since Titanic."
"We must prevent it," Herbal said, "Sabotage it."
"Like how?" Sketchy asked.
"Leave it to me," Cindy smiled, "Original Cindy is good at sabotage."
Scene 15, 2021, Logan's, later that day
Max had called in sick, opting to spend the day with Logan. She'd given Normal an excuse that no man wanted to know about, a surefire method to get the day off. She found Logan sitting at his desk, but he was staring off into space instead of reading emails.
"Whatcha doing?" she asked, smiling at the way he scratched his chin.
"Thinking," was the response.
"Thinking. That's a dangerous pastime."
"I know," Logan grinned, "But I like to tempt fate. And, I've got an idea."
"Oh yeah? What?"
"Pack a change of clothes, we're going on a trip."
"Where?"
"It's a surprise."
Scene 11, 2021, Kendra's, sometime later
Kendra was at the door, talking to a messenger. He handed her a package and left. Kendra walked over to the bathroom, where Max was barricading herself in.
"Max, it's here," she said to the door.
The door opened, "Thanks," Max said, taking the package. She retreated back into to the bathroom. Impatiently she tore open the package instead of following the opening directions on the box. Following the instructions in the package, she completed the tests than sat down on the floor to wait for the results.
'This cannot be happening,' she thought, 'I am NOT the mother type. What am I doing? I'm just barely able to admit that I love Logan and work at a relationship. How can I do this? And what about my upbringing? It's not exactly what anyone would call a happy childhood. I'm no mother, that's for sure. But Logan . . . this would mean everything to him. I know he wants children. That was apparent when Karen was here. I want to have a child, I do, but I don't think I'd be very good at being a mother. What if it didn't love me? Even with Logan, I still find it a little hard to believe in unconditional love.'
Kendra knocked on the door, interrupting Max's reverie. "I'm making tea. Do you want anything?"
"No," Max replied.
"Everything okay in there?" Kendra's voice reflected her concern.
"Yeah, fine, perfect," Max forced cheeriness. She should be happy about this. She was, but it also created a lot of apprehension.
The timer dinged. Max got up off the floor. It was the moment of truth.
Kendra looked up from her tea mug when she heard the bathroom door open. Max came out looking dismayed, but also slightly relieved. "What happened?" she asked gently.
Max just shook her head. Kendra put down her tea mug and enveloped Max in a warm hug, even though she knew Max would refuse the gesture. To her surprise Max didn't.
"I really wanted it, Kendra, I really did," she whispered.
"I know you did, and when the time is right it will happen," Kendra assured her.
Scene 12, 2021, A Bar In Tacoma, that night
Karen Parker sat swirling her straw in her drink, thinking back on the last time she'd been in Washington State. Not that long ago, and the memory still stung. Logan. He was the one she wish hadn't been a mistake. But he was in love with someone else.
A little brunette slut, she thought, that girl is trouble.
Karen pulled herself from her self-destructive thoughts when a man sat down next to her. He was older, but attractive. He smiled and she got the impression he was the charming type. Just like Logan.
"Hi," he said, noticing her looking at him.
"Hello," she smiled, "I'm Karen."
"Nice to meet you, Karen," he said, shaking her hand.
"Can I buy you a drink?"
"No thanks, never touch the stuff," he explained, "But let me buy you another one." He smiled again and Karen was sure he was coming on to her.
"So what are you doing here if you don't drink?" she asked, watching him order her another.
"I'm looking for my daughter. She ran away from home and this is the type of place she likes to frequent," he told her.
"Do you have a picture of her?" Karen asked. The poor man, he seemed like such a nice guy, why would his daughter leave him?
"Sure," he pulled his wallet out and flipped it open to a picture of a brown-haired girl in a blue shirt. He held it up for Karen to see. "Her name's Maxine."
"She's pretty," Karen said, then stopped dead in her tracks, "I know her."
"You do?" the man's eyes lit up, "Where?"
"She's living with my ex-boyfriend in Seattle," Karen told him.
"Seattle?" he asked.
"Yeah, guy by the name of Logan Cale. He's got the penthouse in Fogle Towers and a cabin outside the city."
"Thank you," the man said. He pulled a few bills out of his wallet before putting it away. He handed them to Karen. "Here. Take this as a thank you."
"I can't," she protested.
"Yes you can," he left the bills in front of her. They were fifties.
"Thank you, um . . . did you give me your name?"
"I didn't," he replied, "But it's Donald. Donald Lydecker." He left then. Out in the parking lot he pulled out his cellular phone and dialed a number. "Yeah, it's me. See what you can dig up on Logan Cale, ok? Thanks." He hung up, smiling to himself. You can't hide forever, Max.
Scene 13, 2021, Logan's, late that night
Max lay awake listening to Logan's steady breathing. The warm arm he had around her and the feel of his breath on the back of her neck felt so comforting. He'd sensed there'd been something wrong, something that she wasn't telling him. But, he'd not asked about it, knowing she'd tell him when she was ready. Another thing Max loved about him.
She looked out the window at the pouring rain. It had poured that night at the cabin. That led her thoughts to Zack. She hadn't heard from him for two years, not since he'd sacrificed himself for her. Max wished she could talk to him, to know that he was all right.
Feeling glum, she carefully got out of bed, doing her best not to disturb Logan. She silently padded out to the living room and perched on the windowsill. The same one she'd been sitting at a few weeks before when Logan had told her he'd loved her.
Sibelius jumped up on her lap. The little cat was like her shadow. It followed her everywhere. Max absently petted the kitten's soft fur as she stared out the window. Sibelius' purring lulled her into a calm, daydream state.
Logan, feeling cold, shifted and felt something missing. He opened his eyes and found Max gone. He hoped that he hadn't scared her away. He knew she wasn't used to this emotion, not used to expressing it. He put on his glasses and lifted himself into his wheelchair, then pushed himself out into the living room.
"Do you have to stare out the window whenever it rains?" he asked her "Is it a cat thing?"
Max turned and felt her breath grow short at the sight of Logan shirtless. He'd not stopped to pull on a t-shirt before going after her.
"Yeah, comes with the ability to purr," she said.
"What's wrong Max? I didn't ask before because I thought you didn't want to talk about it, but it's really bothering you, isn't it?"
"Logan," she looked at him, then out the window again.
"Whenever you want to tell me, I'm here," he said softly.
"I thought that I could be," she paused to take a deep breath, "pregnant. But I wasn't. I didn't think I was ready, but I wanted it, and then I wasn't. And all I could think about was how happy it would've made you."
"Max, right now just having you is enough for me," Logan responded. Max turned and looked at him. "We'll have other chances, later. I promise you that."
She smiled and got up. Putting the cat down, she crossed the floor to him and gently placed herself in his lap. "Thank you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck before kissing him.
When they broke, Logan leaned his forehead against hers. "Let's go back to bed, ok?" She smiled again and put her head on his shoulder. He put one arm around her and used the other to wheel them back to his room.
Scene 14, 2021, Jam Pony, the next day
Cindy plopped down on the couch between Herbal and Sketchy. They looked very gloomy.
"What's got you two in a mood blacker than Max's?" She asked.
"Normal," Herbal replied.
"He made me wear that hideous thing he calls a jerkin," Sketchy wailed, "It was awful."
"He's painting everything intuitional beige," Herbal replied, "including my mural on the wall dedicated to the great Bob Marley. And he was with the blonde lady again."
"Is he trying to impress her with his sewing and painting skills?" Cindy snorted, "because it ain't gonna work."
"I haven't seen him on a power trip like this since that Mr. Sivapathasindaram was gonna buy this place," Herbal said.
"You don't think that's Mrs. Sivapathasindaram, do you?" Sketchy panicked.
"No, no," Cindy shook her head, "We are going to have to investigate this little biatch." She looked around at Normal's paint job. "Now that is depressing."
Normal walked by and stopped when he saw them on the couch. "I'm not running a nursing home for retired messengers here! Get to work. Go!"
"Hold on a minute," Cindy said, "What's with the institutional beige? And the tacky jerkin-thingy? You owe us an explanation."
"I just want to make things more business like, now, off like good little bike messengers," Normal made shooing motions.
"We've seen her," Cindy added.
Normal froze. "Alright, I guess I should explain. C'mon."
They followed him to the desk. Normal held a hand up in the air. "Attention, attention. Everyone, please. Ok. I got a call from Marsha Miller at Better Bikes and Messengers. They want to observe us for next month's issue. They want to profile me for their 'Boss of the Month' feature. So I want us to put our best foot forward, ok?"
Normal's announcement was met with groans.
Cindy turned to Herbal and Sketchy. "This cannot happen. Normal will go on the biggest ego trip since Titanic."
"We must prevent it," Herbal said, "Sabotage it."
"Like how?" Sketchy asked.
"Leave it to me," Cindy smiled, "Original Cindy is good at sabotage."
Scene 15, 2021, Logan's, later that day
Max had called in sick, opting to spend the day with Logan. She'd given Normal an excuse that no man wanted to know about, a surefire method to get the day off. She found Logan sitting at his desk, but he was staring off into space instead of reading emails.
"Whatcha doing?" she asked, smiling at the way he scratched his chin.
"Thinking," was the response.
"Thinking. That's a dangerous pastime."
"I know," Logan grinned, "But I like to tempt fate. And, I've got an idea."
"Oh yeah? What?"
"Pack a change of clothes, we're going on a trip."
"Where?"
"It's a surprise."