"Good morning, Maxie", Frisco said from his place on Felicia's couch.
"Dad", Maxie replied startled before she let her mask of indifference
descend again. "We're going to talk Maxie whether you want to or not",
Frisco said as he moved to the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee. "So talk,
I have nothing to say", Maxie said as she plopped into one of the kitchen
chairs.
"Your mom and I talked last night about how much like her mom Robin is, we should have been discussing how much like your mother you are", Frisco said as he rubbed the back of his neck and tried to find a place to begin with his oldest daughter. "Does that mean your going to keep walking out on me, like you do to Mom", Maxie asked as she crossed her arms and waited. Frisco chuckled to himself as he remembered that young girl he found hiding under his bed. "Maxie", he said on a sigh, "the relationship your mother and I share is complicated". "I'm not a child anymore dad", Maxie said with scorn. "I can't explain it to you not because you wouldn't understand, but because I'm not sure I do", Frisco said through clenched teeth, because yelling at this point was not going to help the situation.
"What's so hard to understand", Maxie asked, "you show up when Mom wants another kid or when you need somebody to tell you it will all be okay. The added benefit is that for that space of time, neither of you has to sleep alone. So which is it this time"? Suddenly Frisco knew how Robert felt all those years ago with Robin standing in the hospital corridor making cracks about safe sex and keeping your pants zipped when they were determining Lucas's paternity. "If it was that simple, your mom wouldn't have married Mac trying to find what I can't give her, and you would have had a whole string of step-mothers on my end", Frisco said as he thought about adding some whiskey to his coffee, because if this was any indication it was going to be a very long day.
"You want to be angry at me, Maxie, go right ahead I deserve it. Don't however drag your mother into a problem your having with me, and don't put Robin in the position of having to defend Jason because of you", Frisco said as he sat down across from his daughter. "Why do you care", Maxie asked? "About which part", Frisco asked in return. "Any of us", Maxie said as she looked down at the table. "I care because, I love all of you", Frisco simply said. "Funny way of showing it", Maxie spat back.
"I disapprove of Robin's relationship with Jason because I saw a similar relationship destroy Robin's mom, Anna. You grew up with her like a sister long before Mac and Felicia got married. I want for her what I want for you and Georgie, to be safe and happy", Frisco said wondering how it had come to this point. Him trying to justify his life choices to his daughter. "Another person for you to walk out on", Maxie flippantly said. Frisco took a moment to hold his temper as Maxie continued, "So, which reason brought you back this time".
"That's enough", Frisco said as he stood and his little used fathering skills erupted. "You want the truth Maxie, I'll give it to you, but it will cost you", Frisco said as he waited for his daughter to look at him. "What", Maxie demanded. "Truth for truth", Frisco said and waited for her answer. "Fine", Maxie said as they took the conversation back into the living room. "Why did you come back, now", Maxie asked as Frisco paced the room. "I finally realized that no matter how long or how far I run, I can't escape my past", Frisco said more calmly than he felt. "What were you running from", Maxie asked. "That's another question, sure you want to risk it", Frisco asked as Maxie played with the blanket on the couch. "Why not', Maxie said unsure if she really wanted the answer.
"Myself mostly", Frisco said as he shook his head at the memories of the angry young man that had decked Tony in his hospital room. "My father did something that was wrong, and Uncle Tony compounded the problem. My mother was dying and I needed someone to turn to, and they made it impossible for me to turn to them, or so I thought. So I ran. I eventually found myself here, in Port Charles and I found your mom hiding under my bed. And I loved her from the beginning as stubborn and difficult as she was. The problem was I didn't trust her to be there for me, so every time I thought things were to good I left, with noble intentions of making the world a better place, but in reality it was just so I wouldn't have to risk your mom letting me down", Frisco explained to his daughter, wondering if she would even understand a little of this. Then again how could he expect her to, when it had taken him twenty years to figure it out.
After taking a swig of coffee Frisco said, "My turn". "Go ahead, Maxie said coldly trying to digest what her father had told her. "Why didn't you want your mom and I to talk last night", Frisco asked. "Because you two never just talk, you yell or you kiss. Either way you just leave again", Maxie said as Frisco's heart broke. "I'm remember the last time you left. I don't want Georgie to feel like that, ever", Maxie continued adamantly, "I know it's not my fault, but I don't think she would understand that".
Felicia hugged herself as she listened to the conversation between Maxie and Frisco. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, but she needed to know just as much as her daughter did, my she wasn't good enough for Frisco to stay. She however hadn't realized that Maxie had that much anger stored up about her relationship with Frisco. The mess with Mac and Luke yes, but not Frisco. Tears ran down her face as she waited for Frisco to ask his next question and she prayed that Georgie would sleep a little longer so that maybe her husband could get through to their daughter, and maybe that scared little boy inside of Frisco would find some comfort.
Frisco took a deep breath, looked his daughter in the eye and asked, "Are you more afraid that I'll leave or that I'll stay". It seemed as if the whole world held it's breath while Frisco and Felicia both awaited the answer to that question.
"I hate you", Maxie said as the tears began running down her face and she tried to leave the room. Frisco pulled his daughter against his chest as he whispered into her hair, "That's not an answer". She continued to tell him she hated him as she beat against his chest with her fists and her tears soaked his shirt. Frisco murmured, "It' doesn't matter, because, I'll always love you", to her. Maxie looked up into her father's blue eye's and begged, "Than please don't leave again. Everyone leaves, Mac and Tom, Robin, even Mom left for awhile. I don't want to be alone anymore".
"I won't make you a promise I can't keep Maxie", Frisco said as he shed his own tears, "but I promise to talk to you about what I'm feeling, if I feel like running away again. I'm so sorry if that's not enough sweetheart, but that's the best I can do right now".
Felicia silently made her way back to her room and sank onto the bed as she finally realized how much the sins of the parents are inflicted on the children.
"Your mom and I talked last night about how much like her mom Robin is, we should have been discussing how much like your mother you are", Frisco said as he rubbed the back of his neck and tried to find a place to begin with his oldest daughter. "Does that mean your going to keep walking out on me, like you do to Mom", Maxie asked as she crossed her arms and waited. Frisco chuckled to himself as he remembered that young girl he found hiding under his bed. "Maxie", he said on a sigh, "the relationship your mother and I share is complicated". "I'm not a child anymore dad", Maxie said with scorn. "I can't explain it to you not because you wouldn't understand, but because I'm not sure I do", Frisco said through clenched teeth, because yelling at this point was not going to help the situation.
"What's so hard to understand", Maxie asked, "you show up when Mom wants another kid or when you need somebody to tell you it will all be okay. The added benefit is that for that space of time, neither of you has to sleep alone. So which is it this time"? Suddenly Frisco knew how Robert felt all those years ago with Robin standing in the hospital corridor making cracks about safe sex and keeping your pants zipped when they were determining Lucas's paternity. "If it was that simple, your mom wouldn't have married Mac trying to find what I can't give her, and you would have had a whole string of step-mothers on my end", Frisco said as he thought about adding some whiskey to his coffee, because if this was any indication it was going to be a very long day.
"You want to be angry at me, Maxie, go right ahead I deserve it. Don't however drag your mother into a problem your having with me, and don't put Robin in the position of having to defend Jason because of you", Frisco said as he sat down across from his daughter. "Why do you care", Maxie asked? "About which part", Frisco asked in return. "Any of us", Maxie said as she looked down at the table. "I care because, I love all of you", Frisco simply said. "Funny way of showing it", Maxie spat back.
"I disapprove of Robin's relationship with Jason because I saw a similar relationship destroy Robin's mom, Anna. You grew up with her like a sister long before Mac and Felicia got married. I want for her what I want for you and Georgie, to be safe and happy", Frisco said wondering how it had come to this point. Him trying to justify his life choices to his daughter. "Another person for you to walk out on", Maxie flippantly said. Frisco took a moment to hold his temper as Maxie continued, "So, which reason brought you back this time".
"That's enough", Frisco said as he stood and his little used fathering skills erupted. "You want the truth Maxie, I'll give it to you, but it will cost you", Frisco said as he waited for his daughter to look at him. "What", Maxie demanded. "Truth for truth", Frisco said and waited for her answer. "Fine", Maxie said as they took the conversation back into the living room. "Why did you come back, now", Maxie asked as Frisco paced the room. "I finally realized that no matter how long or how far I run, I can't escape my past", Frisco said more calmly than he felt. "What were you running from", Maxie asked. "That's another question, sure you want to risk it", Frisco asked as Maxie played with the blanket on the couch. "Why not', Maxie said unsure if she really wanted the answer.
"Myself mostly", Frisco said as he shook his head at the memories of the angry young man that had decked Tony in his hospital room. "My father did something that was wrong, and Uncle Tony compounded the problem. My mother was dying and I needed someone to turn to, and they made it impossible for me to turn to them, or so I thought. So I ran. I eventually found myself here, in Port Charles and I found your mom hiding under my bed. And I loved her from the beginning as stubborn and difficult as she was. The problem was I didn't trust her to be there for me, so every time I thought things were to good I left, with noble intentions of making the world a better place, but in reality it was just so I wouldn't have to risk your mom letting me down", Frisco explained to his daughter, wondering if she would even understand a little of this. Then again how could he expect her to, when it had taken him twenty years to figure it out.
After taking a swig of coffee Frisco said, "My turn". "Go ahead, Maxie said coldly trying to digest what her father had told her. "Why didn't you want your mom and I to talk last night", Frisco asked. "Because you two never just talk, you yell or you kiss. Either way you just leave again", Maxie said as Frisco's heart broke. "I'm remember the last time you left. I don't want Georgie to feel like that, ever", Maxie continued adamantly, "I know it's not my fault, but I don't think she would understand that".
Felicia hugged herself as she listened to the conversation between Maxie and Frisco. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, but she needed to know just as much as her daughter did, my she wasn't good enough for Frisco to stay. She however hadn't realized that Maxie had that much anger stored up about her relationship with Frisco. The mess with Mac and Luke yes, but not Frisco. Tears ran down her face as she waited for Frisco to ask his next question and she prayed that Georgie would sleep a little longer so that maybe her husband could get through to their daughter, and maybe that scared little boy inside of Frisco would find some comfort.
Frisco took a deep breath, looked his daughter in the eye and asked, "Are you more afraid that I'll leave or that I'll stay". It seemed as if the whole world held it's breath while Frisco and Felicia both awaited the answer to that question.
"I hate you", Maxie said as the tears began running down her face and she tried to leave the room. Frisco pulled his daughter against his chest as he whispered into her hair, "That's not an answer". She continued to tell him she hated him as she beat against his chest with her fists and her tears soaked his shirt. Frisco murmured, "It' doesn't matter, because, I'll always love you", to her. Maxie looked up into her father's blue eye's and begged, "Than please don't leave again. Everyone leaves, Mac and Tom, Robin, even Mom left for awhile. I don't want to be alone anymore".
"I won't make you a promise I can't keep Maxie", Frisco said as he shed his own tears, "but I promise to talk to you about what I'm feeling, if I feel like running away again. I'm so sorry if that's not enough sweetheart, but that's the best I can do right now".
Felicia silently made her way back to her room and sank onto the bed as she finally realized how much the sins of the parents are inflicted on the children.