A/N: I was just reading the wonderful Harry Potter, and discovered that
his mother's name was Lily Evans before she was married. I was wondering
why that name sounded familiar and then it dawned on me that was have a
little Lily Evans of our own! Just thought that was interesting. Also, it
was not on purpose.
It took me longer to write this chapter. Sorry everyone. We have to turn 3 essays in periodically throughout the summer over the internet on this "great and wonderful" site that sorts the essays and checks for plagiarism etc. So that's what I've been doing this week. Plus my niece and her brother have been here and I've been in Palmdale, so we've been busy. HEHE. I'll try to keep writing more frequently. Right now my niece is sleeping on the couch and she keeps grinding her teeth so I'm going to post this and leave. For those of you who don't know the sound, I hope you never have to. See ya later!
[b] Chapter 15 [/b]
Watching Liz nap peacefully in his arms, Max wasn't really sure on how much progress he had actually made between them. Sure, they had all grown closer over the month that they had been together, but Liz was still holding back and entire section of her life. They were on a don't ask don't tell routine. Max was curious and even willing to share his own story with her but Liz never seamed interested enough or sure enough with herself to ask those questions.
Max wondered whether he was moving too fast for them. He felt something different for Liz. Something he had never felt with Tess. He wondered briefly if it was love. He was the kind of guy that believed in that sort of thing. He wanted Liz to be his, completely, without walls or secrets.
Lily and Aidan were off somewhere with Isabel and Alex, they had promised to have them back before Aidan's grandparents arrived for his party tomorrow. Max was rather nervous about meeting his paternal grandparents but he really knew there really shouldn't be any reason to be nervous. Liz had assured him multiple times that they were perfectly good people.
Max carefully shifted Liz to the couch when the doorbell rang.
"Hi, Dada!" Lily squealed bouncing into his arms.
"Shh, Liz is sleeping." Max told her. She put a tiny finger to her mouth and mimicked the movement.
He smiled. "Thank you."
"We had a good time, Max." Isabel said stepping into the door.
"Thank you for taking them, where did you take them by the way?" Max asked, ushering them inside.
"Oh, no, Max, we can't come in, we're going to Mom and Dad's, we went to the Orange County Fair." She smiled.
Lily and Aidan held up their bag of prizes.
"Orange County Fair?" Max asked. He wasn't even aware that it was open yet. Max took Lily in his arms she smelled strongly of sunscreen.
"Yes, Max. Well, we've really got to be going, it's almost five o'clock. Oh yeah, Mom wants you there too." She said and pulled him into a hug. "You two have great children, Max, you're doing a wonderful job."
Max blushed. "Thanks."
"Tell Liz, I say the same thing to her." Isabel warned before returning to the car where Alex was sitting in the car.
"I will, Izzy, see you later, and thanks again." He said before shutting the door.
"What do you two want to do?"
"Where's Mommy?" Aidan asked.
"Mommy's sleeping." He said quickly.
"Can we wake her up?" Aidan asked.
"I'm already up." Liz said from the doorway. "You shouldn't have let me sleep that long." Liz said glancing at her watch.
"You were tired, from planning, and Aidan was gone, so I let you sleep."
"I have to go to pick some stuff up from the store before the Parkers come." She said before greeting Aidan. "Hello, Sweet. Where did you get all those prizes from?"
"We went to the fair." Aidan told her excitedly.
"The fair? Did you have fun?" Liz said bending down.
"Yes."
"Max, I've got to go." Liz said.
"Yeah, I guess we're supposed to be at my parent's house. Isabel informed me when she dropped them off." Max started towards the door. "And I have to work tonight."
"But it's so late?" Liz asked.
"I know, I got night shift." He shrugged.
"Oh. I'll see you tomorrow morning then, for Aidan's party?"
"Yes, certainly." Max kissed her goodbye softly.
He studied her face with a once over. His eyes landed on her rings that hung around her neck. It hurt to see that but she kept them tucked away quietly under her shirts. Shifting Lily he moved silently out of the house and down the walk to his car.
**** Aidan's grandparents arrived early from their hotel on his birthday.
"Oma, Opa!" He met them at the door.
"Aidan, your mother told you not to open the door." Max came up behind them.
"Max, it's Oma and Opa. Where's Lewis?" Aidan asked excitedly once he was in his grandfather's arms.
"Right here." He brought out the little Scottie.
"Look, Max." He said and bent down to pet the dog.
"Come here, Lily, this is Lewis." Aidan called to her.
She attached herself to Max's leg and sucked her thumb.
"Hi, I'm Max." He held his hand out to the older couple that weren't much older than his parents. "This is my daughter, Lilian. Liz was hoping to be back by the time that you arrived, she had to run to the store." Max stood aside from the doorway. "Aidan, move out of the way so they can come in."
"Yes, Max." He took the leash and headed to the front room to play.
"So, Max, was it? Tell me about yourself." Mrs. Parker said sitting in a chair her husband next to her.
Max studied the older couple. He could see where Aidan got his reddish hair. The pale brown eyes came from this side of the family. "I'm Max Evans."
"He is Mommy's boyfriend." Aidan said helpfully.
Mr. Parker raised his brows at Max and leaned forward letting his elbows rest on his knees. "Is that so?"
Straightening, Max met his eyes and answered. "Yes."
"You do realize, Liz is the daughter we never had?" Mr. Parker asked.
"No, I was not aware of that, sir. Liz doesn't talk about anything from then. She keeps that part locked up inside. Although, I've only known her all of a month."
"Liz!" Lily shouted.
"Mommy!"
"Aidan, do not open the door." Max said sternly.
Aidan bounced by the door until Max checked the window and gave the ok.
"Hi, Mommy! Oma and Opa came." Aidan said.
Max took the groceries from Liz after pecking her on the cheek. She smiled at him then went to greet Aidan's grandparents.
Lily demanded up.
Liz held her in her arms. Lily relaxed against her and smiled at the Parkers.
"Hello." Liz greeted.
****
At the party Lily attached herself to Liz's side acting as little hostess.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker watched as Max and Liz interacted. Max would make his way over to Liz, give her a little peck and be off on his own way. Aidan would look up once in a while to make sure his mother was in view and returned to playing with his friends.
"Jeff and Nancy didn't come." Mrs. Parker commented.
"I noticed." Mr. Parker replied.
"Nancy never liked Liz, and Aidan is Liz's son." She said and paused when Aidan came over to retrieve a ball that had rolled under Mr. Parker's chair.
"Thank you, Opa." He smiled.
"You're welcome."
"That doesn't give an excuse for Jeff. This is his own daughter." She shook her head. "I never like Nancy. I always thought his first wife, Liz's mother, was so much nicer. Jeff changed a lot in the eighteen years he's been married to her."
Liz paused and stiffened as Lily found her necklace. Mrs. Parker watched curiously as Liz tried to take them away. "She still has the wedding rings." She murmured this to herself since her husband was anything but interested.
"No, Lily, those are Liz's." She said quietly.
"Mine?"
"No, Liz's." Liz said and tucked them carefully back in her shirt.
"Ok." She said and relinquished interest to Aidan Parker. "Down."
"I thought you were my helper?" Liz asked setting her on the ground.
"Back." She said letting her know that she would be right back.
"Alright." Liz said.
"Up." She said holding onto her father's pants.
Max lifted her up. "Having fun?"
She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "Night-night." She said.
"You ready to go night-night?" He asked.
"Yes." She said quietly.
He went in to lay her on the bed and found Liz. He laid her on the bed and walked back out.
Liz sat staring out the window. Aidan looked so much like his father at the moment Liz wanted to cry. His hair fell the same way; she was going to have to cut it soon. She had always had to remind John to cut his hair. His smile was every bit Jonathan.
"Hey." Max said quietly coming up behind her.
"Max!" She started. "You startled me. I came to find Lily and I saw you putting her down for a nap." She turned back to the window.
"Sorry, Lily was tired and I brought her inside." He pressed a kiss to her head.
He realized a stiffness in her that hadn't been there earlier. "You ok?" He asked concerned.
"Yeah." She nodded and moved out of his embrace.
"Look at my brother." She said pointing out the window.
Max looked out and Alex was rolling around the boys totally into whatever game they were playing.
"Yeah. Marriage suits him." Max commented.
"I think it does very well." Liz agreed.
Max glanced down and studied her face, knowing something was wrong. It was then he noticed her necklace was out. The two rings dangled from her gold chain. For once they were out.
For the first time understanding dawned on him. His eyes drifted down to her chest where her necklace lay, he followed her eyes to Aidan and he finally registered the far away look on her face.
Max slipped away without Liz noticing his absence. Marriage had obviously suited Liz very well.
[b]TBC
Short chapter I'm sorry guys! [/b]
It took me longer to write this chapter. Sorry everyone. We have to turn 3 essays in periodically throughout the summer over the internet on this "great and wonderful" site that sorts the essays and checks for plagiarism etc. So that's what I've been doing this week. Plus my niece and her brother have been here and I've been in Palmdale, so we've been busy. HEHE. I'll try to keep writing more frequently. Right now my niece is sleeping on the couch and she keeps grinding her teeth so I'm going to post this and leave. For those of you who don't know the sound, I hope you never have to. See ya later!
[b] Chapter 15 [/b]
Watching Liz nap peacefully in his arms, Max wasn't really sure on how much progress he had actually made between them. Sure, they had all grown closer over the month that they had been together, but Liz was still holding back and entire section of her life. They were on a don't ask don't tell routine. Max was curious and even willing to share his own story with her but Liz never seamed interested enough or sure enough with herself to ask those questions.
Max wondered whether he was moving too fast for them. He felt something different for Liz. Something he had never felt with Tess. He wondered briefly if it was love. He was the kind of guy that believed in that sort of thing. He wanted Liz to be his, completely, without walls or secrets.
Lily and Aidan were off somewhere with Isabel and Alex, they had promised to have them back before Aidan's grandparents arrived for his party tomorrow. Max was rather nervous about meeting his paternal grandparents but he really knew there really shouldn't be any reason to be nervous. Liz had assured him multiple times that they were perfectly good people.
Max carefully shifted Liz to the couch when the doorbell rang.
"Hi, Dada!" Lily squealed bouncing into his arms.
"Shh, Liz is sleeping." Max told her. She put a tiny finger to her mouth and mimicked the movement.
He smiled. "Thank you."
"We had a good time, Max." Isabel said stepping into the door.
"Thank you for taking them, where did you take them by the way?" Max asked, ushering them inside.
"Oh, no, Max, we can't come in, we're going to Mom and Dad's, we went to the Orange County Fair." She smiled.
Lily and Aidan held up their bag of prizes.
"Orange County Fair?" Max asked. He wasn't even aware that it was open yet. Max took Lily in his arms she smelled strongly of sunscreen.
"Yes, Max. Well, we've really got to be going, it's almost five o'clock. Oh yeah, Mom wants you there too." She said and pulled him into a hug. "You two have great children, Max, you're doing a wonderful job."
Max blushed. "Thanks."
"Tell Liz, I say the same thing to her." Isabel warned before returning to the car where Alex was sitting in the car.
"I will, Izzy, see you later, and thanks again." He said before shutting the door.
"What do you two want to do?"
"Where's Mommy?" Aidan asked.
"Mommy's sleeping." He said quickly.
"Can we wake her up?" Aidan asked.
"I'm already up." Liz said from the doorway. "You shouldn't have let me sleep that long." Liz said glancing at her watch.
"You were tired, from planning, and Aidan was gone, so I let you sleep."
"I have to go to pick some stuff up from the store before the Parkers come." She said before greeting Aidan. "Hello, Sweet. Where did you get all those prizes from?"
"We went to the fair." Aidan told her excitedly.
"The fair? Did you have fun?" Liz said bending down.
"Yes."
"Max, I've got to go." Liz said.
"Yeah, I guess we're supposed to be at my parent's house. Isabel informed me when she dropped them off." Max started towards the door. "And I have to work tonight."
"But it's so late?" Liz asked.
"I know, I got night shift." He shrugged.
"Oh. I'll see you tomorrow morning then, for Aidan's party?"
"Yes, certainly." Max kissed her goodbye softly.
He studied her face with a once over. His eyes landed on her rings that hung around her neck. It hurt to see that but she kept them tucked away quietly under her shirts. Shifting Lily he moved silently out of the house and down the walk to his car.
**** Aidan's grandparents arrived early from their hotel on his birthday.
"Oma, Opa!" He met them at the door.
"Aidan, your mother told you not to open the door." Max came up behind them.
"Max, it's Oma and Opa. Where's Lewis?" Aidan asked excitedly once he was in his grandfather's arms.
"Right here." He brought out the little Scottie.
"Look, Max." He said and bent down to pet the dog.
"Come here, Lily, this is Lewis." Aidan called to her.
She attached herself to Max's leg and sucked her thumb.
"Hi, I'm Max." He held his hand out to the older couple that weren't much older than his parents. "This is my daughter, Lilian. Liz was hoping to be back by the time that you arrived, she had to run to the store." Max stood aside from the doorway. "Aidan, move out of the way so they can come in."
"Yes, Max." He took the leash and headed to the front room to play.
"So, Max, was it? Tell me about yourself." Mrs. Parker said sitting in a chair her husband next to her.
Max studied the older couple. He could see where Aidan got his reddish hair. The pale brown eyes came from this side of the family. "I'm Max Evans."
"He is Mommy's boyfriend." Aidan said helpfully.
Mr. Parker raised his brows at Max and leaned forward letting his elbows rest on his knees. "Is that so?"
Straightening, Max met his eyes and answered. "Yes."
"You do realize, Liz is the daughter we never had?" Mr. Parker asked.
"No, I was not aware of that, sir. Liz doesn't talk about anything from then. She keeps that part locked up inside. Although, I've only known her all of a month."
"Liz!" Lily shouted.
"Mommy!"
"Aidan, do not open the door." Max said sternly.
Aidan bounced by the door until Max checked the window and gave the ok.
"Hi, Mommy! Oma and Opa came." Aidan said.
Max took the groceries from Liz after pecking her on the cheek. She smiled at him then went to greet Aidan's grandparents.
Lily demanded up.
Liz held her in her arms. Lily relaxed against her and smiled at the Parkers.
"Hello." Liz greeted.
****
At the party Lily attached herself to Liz's side acting as little hostess.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker watched as Max and Liz interacted. Max would make his way over to Liz, give her a little peck and be off on his own way. Aidan would look up once in a while to make sure his mother was in view and returned to playing with his friends.
"Jeff and Nancy didn't come." Mrs. Parker commented.
"I noticed." Mr. Parker replied.
"Nancy never liked Liz, and Aidan is Liz's son." She said and paused when Aidan came over to retrieve a ball that had rolled under Mr. Parker's chair.
"Thank you, Opa." He smiled.
"You're welcome."
"That doesn't give an excuse for Jeff. This is his own daughter." She shook her head. "I never like Nancy. I always thought his first wife, Liz's mother, was so much nicer. Jeff changed a lot in the eighteen years he's been married to her."
Liz paused and stiffened as Lily found her necklace. Mrs. Parker watched curiously as Liz tried to take them away. "She still has the wedding rings." She murmured this to herself since her husband was anything but interested.
"No, Lily, those are Liz's." She said quietly.
"Mine?"
"No, Liz's." Liz said and tucked them carefully back in her shirt.
"Ok." She said and relinquished interest to Aidan Parker. "Down."
"I thought you were my helper?" Liz asked setting her on the ground.
"Back." She said letting her know that she would be right back.
"Alright." Liz said.
"Up." She said holding onto her father's pants.
Max lifted her up. "Having fun?"
She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "Night-night." She said.
"You ready to go night-night?" He asked.
"Yes." She said quietly.
He went in to lay her on the bed and found Liz. He laid her on the bed and walked back out.
Liz sat staring out the window. Aidan looked so much like his father at the moment Liz wanted to cry. His hair fell the same way; she was going to have to cut it soon. She had always had to remind John to cut his hair. His smile was every bit Jonathan.
"Hey." Max said quietly coming up behind her.
"Max!" She started. "You startled me. I came to find Lily and I saw you putting her down for a nap." She turned back to the window.
"Sorry, Lily was tired and I brought her inside." He pressed a kiss to her head.
He realized a stiffness in her that hadn't been there earlier. "You ok?" He asked concerned.
"Yeah." She nodded and moved out of his embrace.
"Look at my brother." She said pointing out the window.
Max looked out and Alex was rolling around the boys totally into whatever game they were playing.
"Yeah. Marriage suits him." Max commented.
"I think it does very well." Liz agreed.
Max glanced down and studied her face, knowing something was wrong. It was then he noticed her necklace was out. The two rings dangled from her gold chain. For once they were out.
For the first time understanding dawned on him. His eyes drifted down to her chest where her necklace lay, he followed her eyes to Aidan and he finally registered the far away look on her face.
Max slipped away without Liz noticing his absence. Marriage had obviously suited Liz very well.
[b]TBC
Short chapter I'm sorry guys! [/b]