Liz sat with Aidan sleeping contentedly in her arms. It was a chilly
Christmas Eve and she was now sitting in midnight service. She hadn't
expected Aidan to stay awake through the first few minutes.
Max had shuffled in quietly a few minutes following her with Lily smiling brightly. She too was now sleeping. She sat a few pews ahead of him and she could feel his stare causing the hairs on her neck to stand up.
He had given her a slight smile that had weakened her knees. He let Lily walk over and greet her and Aidan than quietly called her back. That was the most contact she had with them over the five weeks since they had seen each other.
Always a polite hello at church if necessary and a small chat with Lily at daycare.
The five weeks had given Liz time to think, too much time she thought. "You wanna hold the candle, Aidan?" She asked as his eyes opened sleepily.
He yawned and nodded. He sat up and stared back at Max. He gave him a shy smile before turning back and taking the candle firmly in his chubby hands.
"Help." He said looking at the candle a little uncertainly.
She obliged and her small hand curled around his smaller one as they sang "Silent Night" together.
After the song Aidan blew out the candle and turned to Liz. "Love you, Mommy." He told her and wrapped his arms around her neck.
"Merry Christmas, Aidan, I love you too." She picked him up as he settled against her.
He held her tight sensing she was distressed. She had acted differently in the past weeks and he knew something was wrong. Unable to put his tiny finger on it, he was content to hold her.
"Daddy." Lily said turning to look at Liz. Holding her hands out she gave Liz a pleading look.
Aidan obligingly climbed down from his mother's warm embrace in the cold parking lot but stayed dutifully by her side.
Glancing at Max, Liz held the small girl in her arms and nuzzled her neck. "Miss you." She said quietly.
She played with Liz's smooth hair and buried her face in her neck. Her cold nose startled Liz. "I've missed you too, Sweet." Liz said just as quietly. "Merry Christmas."
"Christmas!" Lily said back. "Daddy, Christmas!" She said cheerfully.
She slid down from Liz's arms and hugged Aidan. "Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, Liz." Max ventured.
"Merry Christmas, Max." She answered. It felt wonderful to hear her voice again.
"You certainly have energy tonight, don't you sweetheart?" Liz asked picking up Lily again. "I thought you were gone during the service."
"No tired!" Lily announced almost angrily.
"Ok. Come, Lilybird." Max took her gently.
"No!" She let out a loud shriek and buried her head in Liz's shoulder.
"Lily." He said more sternly.
She glared at him and held on tight. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lily. At Nana's home." Liz said gently pushing her hair back.
Max gave her an odd look.
"Your mother invited us for Christmas dinner, my father and his wife will be there as well." Liz explained. "Go to Daddy, Lily." She said.
She pressed her face into the girls hair and closed her eyes. It felt right holding her tightly in her arms again.
"Bye bye, Liz." She said. "Christmas. Bye, Aidan." She said resigned.
"Bye, Lily." Aidan said just as sadly and climbed down from Max's arms. "Bye Max. Merry Christmas." He slipped his hand into his mother's.
"Bye." Both Max and Liz said to each other at the same time and walked away.
****
"Hi, Nana." Aidan said walking in into the house in his new Christmas outfit.
"Well, don't you look the fine boy?" Diane asked Aidan. "I'm so glad you and your mommy came." She took him in her arms.
"Good afternoon, Liz." Diane smiled.
"Thank you for inviting us, Mrs. Evans." Liz said a sad smile.
Diane grimaced when a shriek was heard throughout the house. "Is that Lily?" Liz asked.
"Yep." Diane said. "Max had a conference with her daycare instructor earlier this week. If she doesn't get her way she screams for two hours. And it's not a cry, it's a scream."
"Lily?" Liz asked shocked. "When did this start?"
"Few weeks ago." Diane shook her head.
Max walked out dazed from the room the screaming came from. "Your turn, Mom." He said.
"Hello, Liz." He looked up. "Sorry about the noise."
"Max!" Aidan said happily.
"Aidan." Max bent down and hugged him. "Where did you get such a fine suit?"
"Oma and Opa." Aidan said. "Where's Lily?"
"I'll be right back." Liz said pointing to the room Max just exited. "May I?"
"Be my guest." Max said taking Aidan into the other room to join the other guests.
"Lily what 's wrong?" Liz asked softly.
She took a breathe for a second and looked at Liz. Her face scrunched up as she was preparing for another one.
"Don't cry, Lily." Liz said. "There is no reason for screaming."
Lily sniffled and shut her mouth. "Daddy did it."
"What did Daddy do?" Liz asked gently and settled her on her lap.
"No nap!" She said determinedly.
"No nap?" Liz sighed. "Well, if your daddy says you need a nap, you need a nap." Why she was bothering to reason with a child just shy of two years she had no idea. She didn't understand half the words spoken anyway.
"No nap!" Lily said louder and crawled from her lap.
"Lily." Instantly she was quiet. "Come here." Liz sat on the bed.
Lily wiped tears from her eyes and crawled into Liz's lap. "Missed you." She mumbled past her thumb.
"Lily, I've missed you too sweetheart." This is why she had been hesitant about getting involved with anyone. Not only were they hurt both the kids were hurting. Aidan was sporting an attitude of his own.
In fact he seemed almost anxious to see Lily at daycare.
Lily settled into her arms easily. Her hands went through her hair, feeling the softness, and fell promptly to sleep. She held the small girl in her arms for a short while longer before laying her down.
****
Everyone eyed her as she entered the front room. Aidan was playing go fish with Alex and Max on the floor.
"Amazing." Gracie stood as gracefully as her name suggested.
"Thank you." Max said almost shyly.
"Come on, time to eat everybody." Diane Evans interrupted.
"Good, I'm starved, Mom." Alex stood.
"So am I." Isabel stated. All eyes swung towards her. Rarely did she admit she was hungry. She blushed under the questioning stares. "I am eating for two you know."
The room went completely silent. Alex beamed, Isabel inched closer to his side.
"Congratulations, honey!" Diane held her daughter. "Grandchild number three and counting."
****
"Liz can I talk to you?" He stood and nudged Aidan off his lap. It was late evening now, closing in on nine.
Before she could nod he had taken her arm and rounded her around the house.
"Max." She shook her head as she sat.
"I need to talk to you, Liz." He pressed.
"Why?"
"Because. We need to." He shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Liz, I love you."
Liz stopped moving. Everything she was going to say was halted in her mouth.
"Pardon?" She said.
"I love you, Liz." He said again. "I don't like being separated, the children don't like it. They're hurting as much as we are."
Liz still couldn't speak.
"My family misses you too. My mother also accepts Aidan as hers. If you noted she said three grandchildren when Isabel told us she was pregnant."
Liz nodded, tears streamed down her face.
She shivered in the night air. She could hear happy shouts from Aidan and Lily being chased by their Uncle Alex.
"Can we give it another go?" He asked quietly.
She stared at him. Her heart ached. She slowly shook her head no. She couldn't do it again. "I have to go." She stood.
She ran inside the house before he could stop her. He didn't follow her. He turned and walked down the street.
"Come on, Aidan, it's time to go home." She pulled him to her.
"Please can we stay longer?"
"No. Come on." She put his coat on.
"Thank you for coming, Liz." Diane hugged her. "And you too, young man."
"Thank you for inviting us." She smiled.
Grace followed them out to the car after they said their goodbyes.
"Look, Liz." She said when Aidan was tucked in and warm.
"Grace." She turned to face the other girl. Despite Max and Isabel's height she was quite a bit shorter and was eye to eye with Liz.
"I don't know what happened between the two of you. But Max really does care, and I know you do too." Grace stated. "You need to talk to him. Find out what happened before you give completely up on him. Please." She pleaded. "He's changed so much Liz. He doesn't brood half as much, more open with Lily. You've changed him, for the better."
She paused pleading with the dark haired girl.
Liz stared at the ground. Then at the dark figure making it's way back around the corner. Her eyes teared up. "Grace, I know you're trying to help. And I appreciate it. But you're right about one thing. You don't know what happened between us. Please, remember that." She slid into the driver's seat and drove away.
[b] I know it's been forever and a day since I last posted and I'm soooooooo sorry, I'm trying my best to come up with ideas. It should come more smoothly now.[/b]
Max had shuffled in quietly a few minutes following her with Lily smiling brightly. She too was now sleeping. She sat a few pews ahead of him and she could feel his stare causing the hairs on her neck to stand up.
He had given her a slight smile that had weakened her knees. He let Lily walk over and greet her and Aidan than quietly called her back. That was the most contact she had with them over the five weeks since they had seen each other.
Always a polite hello at church if necessary and a small chat with Lily at daycare.
The five weeks had given Liz time to think, too much time she thought. "You wanna hold the candle, Aidan?" She asked as his eyes opened sleepily.
He yawned and nodded. He sat up and stared back at Max. He gave him a shy smile before turning back and taking the candle firmly in his chubby hands.
"Help." He said looking at the candle a little uncertainly.
She obliged and her small hand curled around his smaller one as they sang "Silent Night" together.
After the song Aidan blew out the candle and turned to Liz. "Love you, Mommy." He told her and wrapped his arms around her neck.
"Merry Christmas, Aidan, I love you too." She picked him up as he settled against her.
He held her tight sensing she was distressed. She had acted differently in the past weeks and he knew something was wrong. Unable to put his tiny finger on it, he was content to hold her.
"Daddy." Lily said turning to look at Liz. Holding her hands out she gave Liz a pleading look.
Aidan obligingly climbed down from his mother's warm embrace in the cold parking lot but stayed dutifully by her side.
Glancing at Max, Liz held the small girl in her arms and nuzzled her neck. "Miss you." She said quietly.
She played with Liz's smooth hair and buried her face in her neck. Her cold nose startled Liz. "I've missed you too, Sweet." Liz said just as quietly. "Merry Christmas."
"Christmas!" Lily said back. "Daddy, Christmas!" She said cheerfully.
She slid down from Liz's arms and hugged Aidan. "Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, Liz." Max ventured.
"Merry Christmas, Max." She answered. It felt wonderful to hear her voice again.
"You certainly have energy tonight, don't you sweetheart?" Liz asked picking up Lily again. "I thought you were gone during the service."
"No tired!" Lily announced almost angrily.
"Ok. Come, Lilybird." Max took her gently.
"No!" She let out a loud shriek and buried her head in Liz's shoulder.
"Lily." He said more sternly.
She glared at him and held on tight. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lily. At Nana's home." Liz said gently pushing her hair back.
Max gave her an odd look.
"Your mother invited us for Christmas dinner, my father and his wife will be there as well." Liz explained. "Go to Daddy, Lily." She said.
She pressed her face into the girls hair and closed her eyes. It felt right holding her tightly in her arms again.
"Bye bye, Liz." She said. "Christmas. Bye, Aidan." She said resigned.
"Bye, Lily." Aidan said just as sadly and climbed down from Max's arms. "Bye Max. Merry Christmas." He slipped his hand into his mother's.
"Bye." Both Max and Liz said to each other at the same time and walked away.
****
"Hi, Nana." Aidan said walking in into the house in his new Christmas outfit.
"Well, don't you look the fine boy?" Diane asked Aidan. "I'm so glad you and your mommy came." She took him in her arms.
"Good afternoon, Liz." Diane smiled.
"Thank you for inviting us, Mrs. Evans." Liz said a sad smile.
Diane grimaced when a shriek was heard throughout the house. "Is that Lily?" Liz asked.
"Yep." Diane said. "Max had a conference with her daycare instructor earlier this week. If she doesn't get her way she screams for two hours. And it's not a cry, it's a scream."
"Lily?" Liz asked shocked. "When did this start?"
"Few weeks ago." Diane shook her head.
Max walked out dazed from the room the screaming came from. "Your turn, Mom." He said.
"Hello, Liz." He looked up. "Sorry about the noise."
"Max!" Aidan said happily.
"Aidan." Max bent down and hugged him. "Where did you get such a fine suit?"
"Oma and Opa." Aidan said. "Where's Lily?"
"I'll be right back." Liz said pointing to the room Max just exited. "May I?"
"Be my guest." Max said taking Aidan into the other room to join the other guests.
"Lily what 's wrong?" Liz asked softly.
She took a breathe for a second and looked at Liz. Her face scrunched up as she was preparing for another one.
"Don't cry, Lily." Liz said. "There is no reason for screaming."
Lily sniffled and shut her mouth. "Daddy did it."
"What did Daddy do?" Liz asked gently and settled her on her lap.
"No nap!" She said determinedly.
"No nap?" Liz sighed. "Well, if your daddy says you need a nap, you need a nap." Why she was bothering to reason with a child just shy of two years she had no idea. She didn't understand half the words spoken anyway.
"No nap!" Lily said louder and crawled from her lap.
"Lily." Instantly she was quiet. "Come here." Liz sat on the bed.
Lily wiped tears from her eyes and crawled into Liz's lap. "Missed you." She mumbled past her thumb.
"Lily, I've missed you too sweetheart." This is why she had been hesitant about getting involved with anyone. Not only were they hurt both the kids were hurting. Aidan was sporting an attitude of his own.
In fact he seemed almost anxious to see Lily at daycare.
Lily settled into her arms easily. Her hands went through her hair, feeling the softness, and fell promptly to sleep. She held the small girl in her arms for a short while longer before laying her down.
****
Everyone eyed her as she entered the front room. Aidan was playing go fish with Alex and Max on the floor.
"Amazing." Gracie stood as gracefully as her name suggested.
"Thank you." Max said almost shyly.
"Come on, time to eat everybody." Diane Evans interrupted.
"Good, I'm starved, Mom." Alex stood.
"So am I." Isabel stated. All eyes swung towards her. Rarely did she admit she was hungry. She blushed under the questioning stares. "I am eating for two you know."
The room went completely silent. Alex beamed, Isabel inched closer to his side.
"Congratulations, honey!" Diane held her daughter. "Grandchild number three and counting."
****
"Liz can I talk to you?" He stood and nudged Aidan off his lap. It was late evening now, closing in on nine.
Before she could nod he had taken her arm and rounded her around the house.
"Max." She shook her head as she sat.
"I need to talk to you, Liz." He pressed.
"Why?"
"Because. We need to." He shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Liz, I love you."
Liz stopped moving. Everything she was going to say was halted in her mouth.
"Pardon?" She said.
"I love you, Liz." He said again. "I don't like being separated, the children don't like it. They're hurting as much as we are."
Liz still couldn't speak.
"My family misses you too. My mother also accepts Aidan as hers. If you noted she said three grandchildren when Isabel told us she was pregnant."
Liz nodded, tears streamed down her face.
She shivered in the night air. She could hear happy shouts from Aidan and Lily being chased by their Uncle Alex.
"Can we give it another go?" He asked quietly.
She stared at him. Her heart ached. She slowly shook her head no. She couldn't do it again. "I have to go." She stood.
She ran inside the house before he could stop her. He didn't follow her. He turned and walked down the street.
"Come on, Aidan, it's time to go home." She pulled him to her.
"Please can we stay longer?"
"No. Come on." She put his coat on.
"Thank you for coming, Liz." Diane hugged her. "And you too, young man."
"Thank you for inviting us." She smiled.
Grace followed them out to the car after they said their goodbyes.
"Look, Liz." She said when Aidan was tucked in and warm.
"Grace." She turned to face the other girl. Despite Max and Isabel's height she was quite a bit shorter and was eye to eye with Liz.
"I don't know what happened between the two of you. But Max really does care, and I know you do too." Grace stated. "You need to talk to him. Find out what happened before you give completely up on him. Please." She pleaded. "He's changed so much Liz. He doesn't brood half as much, more open with Lily. You've changed him, for the better."
She paused pleading with the dark haired girl.
Liz stared at the ground. Then at the dark figure making it's way back around the corner. Her eyes teared up. "Grace, I know you're trying to help. And I appreciate it. But you're right about one thing. You don't know what happened between us. Please, remember that." She slid into the driver's seat and drove away.
[b] I know it's been forever and a day since I last posted and I'm soooooooo sorry, I'm trying my best to come up with ideas. It should come more smoothly now.[/b]