GIVING IN
Max walked into the UFO Center and frowned when he saw Brody with two
police officers. "What's going on?"
"Someone broke a window," Brody said. "I came in this morning and
there was glass everywhere."
"Was it a robbery?" Max asked.
Brody shook his head. "Nothing was taken."
Max made his way to the storage room. "Tess?" He looked around,
knowing that she wasn't there. The empty room proved him right.
*
"So, anything exciting happen last night?" Maria asked Liz as they
worked.
Liz grinned. "What do you mean?" "Oh, I don't know," Maria said, "Maybe something is going on between someone's cousin and best friend, you tell me." "I have no idea what you're talking about, Maria." Liz went around to refill drinks. "Why? Did someone say something?" Maria winked at her. "Don't worry. Sean didn't say anything to me. I can just sense these things." "Is that right?" Liz said. "When it comes to these kind of things, Liz, I'm never wrong." * Kyle walked into the living room and nearly jumped through the roof. Sleeping on the couch was Tess. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. She was still there. "Kyle." His father was standing behind him. "I think you have to sit down for this." "I'm fine standing, Dad." Kyle sat down in the recliner. "What's going on?" "I found her last night," Jim said. "She was walking around outside. Kyle, she doesn't know who she is. She doesn't have any of her memories." "She's an amnesiac?" Jim nodded. "She's been here for a few days, I think." "Where was she before you found her?" "At the UFO Center." "Does anyone else know she's back?" Kyle said looking over at her. "She said she met Max." "Max knew she was back and he didn't say anything to us?" "It's a different situation, Kyle," Jim said. "Tess has no idea who she is or what she's done." "That doesn't apply to us. We know who she is and what she did." "Kyle, I'm trying to make you understand what's going on here," Jim said. "We have someone here who has no identity, no memories of their life, or in this case, their lives. I told her I would help her. Do you want to do that too?" Tess moved on the couch. She opened her eyes and looked at the two men. Kyle found himself smiling at the sight of Tess being awake. "Hi, Tess." She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. "Are you Kyle?" * Jim found Max leaving the UFO Center later that day. "Max, I need to talk to you." "I'm in a hurry," he said. "It's about Tess." Max stopped and turned to him. "Is she with you?" Jim took him to his house, where Tess was watching a football game on TV with Kyle. She was laughing and enjoying herself as she ate potato chips and yelled at the television set even though she had no idea what was going on. She heard the door close and looked up to see Jim and Max. "Max." She stood up and looked at Jim. "I don't want him here." "He's here to help too, Tess," Jim said. "He locked me away," Tess said. "How is that helping me?" "I was trying to protect you," Max said. "You were preventing me from knowing the truth," Tess said. "I told you the truth," Max said. "I refuse to believe in your lies," she said. "They're not lies," Jim said. She looked at him. "What?" "Max's telling you the truth," Jim said. "He's been telling you the truth all along."
Liz grinned. "What do you mean?" "Oh, I don't know," Maria said, "Maybe something is going on between someone's cousin and best friend, you tell me." "I have no idea what you're talking about, Maria." Liz went around to refill drinks. "Why? Did someone say something?" Maria winked at her. "Don't worry. Sean didn't say anything to me. I can just sense these things." "Is that right?" Liz said. "When it comes to these kind of things, Liz, I'm never wrong." * Kyle walked into the living room and nearly jumped through the roof. Sleeping on the couch was Tess. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. She was still there. "Kyle." His father was standing behind him. "I think you have to sit down for this." "I'm fine standing, Dad." Kyle sat down in the recliner. "What's going on?" "I found her last night," Jim said. "She was walking around outside. Kyle, she doesn't know who she is. She doesn't have any of her memories." "She's an amnesiac?" Jim nodded. "She's been here for a few days, I think." "Where was she before you found her?" "At the UFO Center." "Does anyone else know she's back?" Kyle said looking over at her. "She said she met Max." "Max knew she was back and he didn't say anything to us?" "It's a different situation, Kyle," Jim said. "Tess has no idea who she is or what she's done." "That doesn't apply to us. We know who she is and what she did." "Kyle, I'm trying to make you understand what's going on here," Jim said. "We have someone here who has no identity, no memories of their life, or in this case, their lives. I told her I would help her. Do you want to do that too?" Tess moved on the couch. She opened her eyes and looked at the two men. Kyle found himself smiling at the sight of Tess being awake. "Hi, Tess." She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. "Are you Kyle?" * Jim found Max leaving the UFO Center later that day. "Max, I need to talk to you." "I'm in a hurry," he said. "It's about Tess." Max stopped and turned to him. "Is she with you?" Jim took him to his house, where Tess was watching a football game on TV with Kyle. She was laughing and enjoying herself as she ate potato chips and yelled at the television set even though she had no idea what was going on. She heard the door close and looked up to see Jim and Max. "Max." She stood up and looked at Jim. "I don't want him here." "He's here to help too, Tess," Jim said. "He locked me away," Tess said. "How is that helping me?" "I was trying to protect you," Max said. "You were preventing me from knowing the truth," Tess said. "I told you the truth," Max said. "I refuse to believe in your lies," she said. "They're not lies," Jim said. She looked at him. "What?" "Max's telling you the truth," Jim said. "He's been telling you the truth all along."