I know this is a short part but I wanted to post something before I left on
two weeks vacation. First week I'm taking a trip through the Southwest,
which happens to run through Roswell, no idea how that happened, and second
I'm going sailing around Catalina so it will be two weeks before I post. I
was planning on it being longer but then I realized that I have an essay
due Tuesday so I had to do that in a last minute rush. Sorry! This is
what I have.
Lissa
Chapter 16
Max let the conversation that he had wanted so desperately to have with Liz slide. Their relationship progressed as far as it could without stories being shared.
Max and Liz were out late one night following one of Liz's concerts.
"You play very well, Liz." Max said pulling her close as they exited the music hall. Lilian and Aidan were with Max's parents. "And your glasses look adorable on you, I didn't know you wore them."
"Thank you." She nodded and moved her head to his kiss. "And, I don't like to, they're for playing and reading only." She slipped them off and tucked them in her bag.
"Let's go for a walk." Max suggested.
"What about the kids."
"They'll be fine. Plus, you don't have to be in class tomorrow till noon, let's go." He asked.
"Alright." She finally agreed. "Where do you want to go?"
"The park?" He said quickly. "It's up the street, on the way to my parent's house."
"That's fine." Liz agreed with a reluctant smile.
He wanted to say something and he was holding back. "Say whatever it is you wanted to say, Max." She prodded.
Max smiled and glanced down to her low cut dress. Her rings were dangling menacingly for the world to see. He didn't want them there anymore. He respected her wish to keep Aidan's father's memory alive, but why so openly. He didn't want another man's rings on her.
"Why do you still wear his rings, Liz?" Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her throat.
She turned angry eyes at him. "Why does it matter?"
He looked at her with astonishment in his own eyes. "Why does it matter? It matters because every time I look at you, I see them."
"Why does it matter if you can see them?" She really didn't get why they bothered him so much.
"Because, they're a symbol of what once was, of you being somebody else's. Of him loving you before I had a chance to. He still has his hold on you."
"His name is Jonathan, Max. We created a son together, Max. I'm not asking you to let go of Lily's mother am I Max?" She was confused. Everything had been going so wonderfully and now he had to open a tender spot.
"Tess if you insist on using names, and I also share a child. I'm not letting that get in the way of us progressing."
"I'm not letting anything get in our way."
"Liz, your rings, I'm not asking you to get rid of them or not wear them, just not when we're together, it hurts." He told her truthfully. Searching her eyes, pleading for her to understand. "I feel like I'm losing you, Liz. The closer we get to the end of the year, the farther you seem to drift."
Liz pulled her light shawl around her shoulders as the cool November air floated around her. The night was warm, not as chilly as most November nights but still far too chilly to be in an argument with someone you cared deeply for.
"I can't, Max."
"Can't or won't, you don't even have to do it right away. Just try work on it, and when you're ready."
"I can't. I loved him, I still love him."
Resigned to the fact he wasn't going to get any farther with her, Max turned back to the car without touching her. "Let's go pick up Lily and Aidan."
Liz didn't say anything but followed him silently to his car. It was the first time Max hadn't held her hand since they had gotten serious.
Lily and Aidan were looking out the front window for their parents. Liz smiled when she saw their faces in the light. It was almost 10:30 she was shocked Diane had let them stay up.
"Hi, Mommy." Aidan met her at the door.
"Aidan, what are you doing awake?" Liz asked not looking at Max or Lily.
"Liz, how was the concert?" Diane asked avoiding the question.
"Great, why is he awake?" Liz stood up holding the happy three year old.
"Phillip snuck them some candy before he left for the airport." Diane said.
"Oh." Was all Liz said. Lily was quiet in Max's arms. She knew something was wrong and hadn't greeted her.
Lily looked at Liz and smiled finally. "Hi, Liz." At twenty months she had a good vocabulary, when she chose to use it.
"Hi, Lily. Did you and Aidan have fun?"
"Yes." She nodded then yawned. She caught Aidan's at the same time and silently jumped for joy. There wouldn't be a fight about bedtime tonight.
"Daddy, I tired." Lily laid her head on his shoulder ready to go.
"Alright, we have to get Liz and Aidan home too." He said. "Say goodbye to Nana."
"Night night, Nana." She waved.
"Good girl. Goodnight, Mom." Max hugged his mother around Lily.
"Good night, you guys."
"Thank you, Mrs. Evans."
"You're most welcome, dear." Diane beamed. She already loved Liz like a third daughter and Aidan as her grandchild. She sensed there was tension between Max and Liz and she didn't like it. She kissed both of the children goodbye once more before letting Max take them home.
Max walked Liz to her door after a silent car ride back to her home. He stood at the doorstep staring at her, Aidan asleep in her arms.
"I'm sorry, Max." She said quietly.
"You can't try to move forward? I'm not asking anything huge, just a small step?"
"I've already taken a huge step for me, Max. We really loved each other. He's part of who I am. If you can't accept that, then we can't be together." She said firmly, yet not looking at him.
Those final words cut through Max like a knife.
We really loved each other.
Did it not matter that he loved her, or did she not love him back.
"That's too bad, Liz. I really love you. Now." He said before turning and walking back to his car where a sleeping Lily awaited him.
Liz stood there speechless on her front doorstep, unshed tears in her eyes. She had no idea how bad she had just messed everything up, and at once she did. Silently she shut the door to the outside world and Max.
TBC
Lissa
Chapter 16
Max let the conversation that he had wanted so desperately to have with Liz slide. Their relationship progressed as far as it could without stories being shared.
Max and Liz were out late one night following one of Liz's concerts.
"You play very well, Liz." Max said pulling her close as they exited the music hall. Lilian and Aidan were with Max's parents. "And your glasses look adorable on you, I didn't know you wore them."
"Thank you." She nodded and moved her head to his kiss. "And, I don't like to, they're for playing and reading only." She slipped them off and tucked them in her bag.
"Let's go for a walk." Max suggested.
"What about the kids."
"They'll be fine. Plus, you don't have to be in class tomorrow till noon, let's go." He asked.
"Alright." She finally agreed. "Where do you want to go?"
"The park?" He said quickly. "It's up the street, on the way to my parent's house."
"That's fine." Liz agreed with a reluctant smile.
He wanted to say something and he was holding back. "Say whatever it is you wanted to say, Max." She prodded.
Max smiled and glanced down to her low cut dress. Her rings were dangling menacingly for the world to see. He didn't want them there anymore. He respected her wish to keep Aidan's father's memory alive, but why so openly. He didn't want another man's rings on her.
"Why do you still wear his rings, Liz?" Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her throat.
She turned angry eyes at him. "Why does it matter?"
He looked at her with astonishment in his own eyes. "Why does it matter? It matters because every time I look at you, I see them."
"Why does it matter if you can see them?" She really didn't get why they bothered him so much.
"Because, they're a symbol of what once was, of you being somebody else's. Of him loving you before I had a chance to. He still has his hold on you."
"His name is Jonathan, Max. We created a son together, Max. I'm not asking you to let go of Lily's mother am I Max?" She was confused. Everything had been going so wonderfully and now he had to open a tender spot.
"Tess if you insist on using names, and I also share a child. I'm not letting that get in the way of us progressing."
"I'm not letting anything get in our way."
"Liz, your rings, I'm not asking you to get rid of them or not wear them, just not when we're together, it hurts." He told her truthfully. Searching her eyes, pleading for her to understand. "I feel like I'm losing you, Liz. The closer we get to the end of the year, the farther you seem to drift."
Liz pulled her light shawl around her shoulders as the cool November air floated around her. The night was warm, not as chilly as most November nights but still far too chilly to be in an argument with someone you cared deeply for.
"I can't, Max."
"Can't or won't, you don't even have to do it right away. Just try work on it, and when you're ready."
"I can't. I loved him, I still love him."
Resigned to the fact he wasn't going to get any farther with her, Max turned back to the car without touching her. "Let's go pick up Lily and Aidan."
Liz didn't say anything but followed him silently to his car. It was the first time Max hadn't held her hand since they had gotten serious.
Lily and Aidan were looking out the front window for their parents. Liz smiled when she saw their faces in the light. It was almost 10:30 she was shocked Diane had let them stay up.
"Hi, Mommy." Aidan met her at the door.
"Aidan, what are you doing awake?" Liz asked not looking at Max or Lily.
"Liz, how was the concert?" Diane asked avoiding the question.
"Great, why is he awake?" Liz stood up holding the happy three year old.
"Phillip snuck them some candy before he left for the airport." Diane said.
"Oh." Was all Liz said. Lily was quiet in Max's arms. She knew something was wrong and hadn't greeted her.
Lily looked at Liz and smiled finally. "Hi, Liz." At twenty months she had a good vocabulary, when she chose to use it.
"Hi, Lily. Did you and Aidan have fun?"
"Yes." She nodded then yawned. She caught Aidan's at the same time and silently jumped for joy. There wouldn't be a fight about bedtime tonight.
"Daddy, I tired." Lily laid her head on his shoulder ready to go.
"Alright, we have to get Liz and Aidan home too." He said. "Say goodbye to Nana."
"Night night, Nana." She waved.
"Good girl. Goodnight, Mom." Max hugged his mother around Lily.
"Good night, you guys."
"Thank you, Mrs. Evans."
"You're most welcome, dear." Diane beamed. She already loved Liz like a third daughter and Aidan as her grandchild. She sensed there was tension between Max and Liz and she didn't like it. She kissed both of the children goodbye once more before letting Max take them home.
Max walked Liz to her door after a silent car ride back to her home. He stood at the doorstep staring at her, Aidan asleep in her arms.
"I'm sorry, Max." She said quietly.
"You can't try to move forward? I'm not asking anything huge, just a small step?"
"I've already taken a huge step for me, Max. We really loved each other. He's part of who I am. If you can't accept that, then we can't be together." She said firmly, yet not looking at him.
Those final words cut through Max like a knife.
We really loved each other.
Did it not matter that he loved her, or did she not love him back.
"That's too bad, Liz. I really love you. Now." He said before turning and walking back to his car where a sleeping Lily awaited him.
Liz stood there speechless on her front doorstep, unshed tears in her eyes. She had no idea how bad she had just messed everything up, and at once she did. Silently she shut the door to the outside world and Max.
TBC