[b]Chapter 18[/b]
Liz stood in front of her mirror staring at her bare neck. The rings were gone. Tucked away safely in her jewelry box. Some day, when Aidan was older, she would give them to him when he was ready for marriage. Very far in the future she hoped.
She remembered the lecture Mrs. Parker had given her over Max.
[I] "Liz you and that boy get in a fight?" Mrs. Parker had asked.
"Maybe." She said evasively.
"Liz, don't lie, you did didn't you?" Mrs. Parker demanded.
"Yes."
"What happened? He was such a nice boy."
"I know, Anna." She Liz relinquished.
"Tell me what happened." She demanded.
"Oh, all right." Liz sighed reluctantly.
She explained, in detail about everything.
"Liz, you know." Once Liz completed her story Anna began. "I was watching Dr. Phil the other day."
Liz groaned the woman had an obsession.
"And a man was grieving his dead wife for nearly twelve years. He had even remarried and everything. But, he wouldn't let it go, ultimately it destroy his new marriage." She took a breather
"Now, before you say anything against that, I know it's been no where near as long, but, Honey you could easy allow that to happen. You're grieving Aidan's dead father while there is another man waiting to step up to the plate. He will never replace my Jonathan but he can help raise Aidan to be the man he should be, as well as love you as you should be. I know this must sound weird, but I love you like my daughter Liz and I'm willing to give you any advice to keep you and my grandson happy. Liz, Dr. Phil said a normal grieving period is about a year. You still love him, and always will, but you have to move on."
Liz didn't even know what tot say to that.
"Well, now I've totally winded myself, I need to go. Give my love to Aidan from his Oma and Opa." [/I]
She had spent many hours pondering that one single conversation and had decided to put it to use.
She had put Aidan in bed but she could here him banging around to make her mad. It had been a battle of wills when she had suggested a bath. Her patience had been strained. Usually when she bathed him it was quick and simple, this time she had come out almost as wet as he. Then she had to wrestle him into bed.
"Aidan, please stop banging to truck, I'm going to tell Opa that you don't like it." She cracked open the door. "And lie down please."
"No." He stood up again. Liz sighed.
"Are you getting sick?" She went and sat down next to him on the bed. He crawled away from her and crossed his arms. He crawled under the blanket and turned away from her. "Alright."
She stood and went into the front room. It was a little more than a month since she had last spoken to Max. A little more than a month since she'd taken off her rings.
It was raining outside. There was no chance for a lightening storm, there rarely were here, nothing like in Roswell.
She sat down at the piano and began to play. The steady beat of the rain a metronome in her head.
She heard Aidan finally quiet down and was comforted. She had had her first class two days before and she had a noon class tomorrow. Aidan pattered and climbed next to her on the bench seeming to have forgiven her to whatever action she had done wrong.
Without missing a beat she scooted down on the bench to give him more room.
He watched her fingers fly up and down the keys.
"Why are you awake?" She asked.
"I wanted to watch, and it's raining." He snuggled in. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, sweet." She kissed his head. He drifted off to sleep with her music as a lullaby.
****
Liz laid Aidan down on his bed and moved the truck out of the way.
She straightened and went back out to tackle the lab report she had left to do. She was tempted to start to play again to relax her nerves but decided to stick to her work instead.
She straightened at the knock on the door. Who would come now? It was almost ten o'clock. Quietly she moved to the door and peeked out the peek hole. She couldn't get her hands to move fast enough to unlock it.
"Max, come in." She whispered. She removed Lily from his arms before he could think.
"I'm sorry, Liz. I couldn't stay away any longer." Max said. "We have to talk." He said staring at her.
"I know, I-I was planning on calling you tomorrow." She answered. Lily shivered in her arms. She had a coat on that Liz carefully removed. "I can go lay her down if you like, Aidan's asleep." Liz said turning to his room. He as standing in the doorway wide eyed. "Or was." She huffed.
"Come on, let's go to bed." Liz directed once again to Aidan. Max followed her into the room as the kids got situated in Aidan's bed which he gladly shared with Lily.
"Night, you two." She whispered. She kept her eyes riveted on the children, knowing that when she turned her back to Max she'd have to face them. Slowly she backed out of the room and faced him. "Let's talk out here."
Max followed her out to the kitchen. "Would you like some coffee or something? I just made a fresh pot, lab report due tomorrow." She smiled, trying to ease the tension.
"No." He shook his head.
She shrugged and took a seat. "Would you like to sit?"
"No." He needed to stand he couldn't sit.
"So what has you making the trek over here so late at night?" Liz started.
"I needed to talk to you." He said again. "I could have waited till morning but I didn't want to." He rushed through.
"Ok." Liz nodded. "I'll except that."
"Liz, the last time I actually slept was two months ago." He walked to the counter and leaned against it. "I need you, Liz. I spent those nights thinking of what I had said that night, if I could take those things back, I would. I love you so much, Liz." He told her.
Liz kept her eyes on the table.
"I don't know what else you want me to say to you, Liz. I know you letting me in the house was a start but then again it could have just been because of Lily, but I highly doubt." he would have continued for days if Liz wouldn't have stood and walked to him. She rested her finger on his lips.
"Hush, my turn." She shook her head when he tried to think. "I love you, Max." She said looking him directly in the eyes. "Max, I'm sorry for everything, I know how much I hurt you, and the babies. I know because I felt it too. It took Aidan's grandmother to mention a Dr. Phil episode for it to sink in. God, Max, I was so stupid." Her eyes started to tear up. "I took my rings off." She told him. Brought his hand up to rest above her heart where they rested previously.
"You didn't have to do that, Liz." He shook his head.
"Yes, I did. If you wouldn't have said something, I would have let it consume me, swallow me whole. For that I have to thank you, Max." She stood on tiptoe and lightly pressed her lips to his.
He immediately pulled her closer and deepened it. She pulled away.
"I love you so much, Max." She rested her head on his chest.
"I know." He held her comforted. "We have so many things to talk about." He lead her to the couch.
She nodded. He sat and she automatically curled into his lap.
"You can go first." She said quietly.
He had planned to in order to put her at ease.
He took a deep breath and began.
[b] I know this is a horrible place to stop, but I promise you guys it won't be that long before another part is posted. [/b]
Liz stood in front of her mirror staring at her bare neck. The rings were gone. Tucked away safely in her jewelry box. Some day, when Aidan was older, she would give them to him when he was ready for marriage. Very far in the future she hoped.
She remembered the lecture Mrs. Parker had given her over Max.
[I] "Liz you and that boy get in a fight?" Mrs. Parker had asked.
"Maybe." She said evasively.
"Liz, don't lie, you did didn't you?" Mrs. Parker demanded.
"Yes."
"What happened? He was such a nice boy."
"I know, Anna." She Liz relinquished.
"Tell me what happened." She demanded.
"Oh, all right." Liz sighed reluctantly.
She explained, in detail about everything.
"Liz, you know." Once Liz completed her story Anna began. "I was watching Dr. Phil the other day."
Liz groaned the woman had an obsession.
"And a man was grieving his dead wife for nearly twelve years. He had even remarried and everything. But, he wouldn't let it go, ultimately it destroy his new marriage." She took a breather
"Now, before you say anything against that, I know it's been no where near as long, but, Honey you could easy allow that to happen. You're grieving Aidan's dead father while there is another man waiting to step up to the plate. He will never replace my Jonathan but he can help raise Aidan to be the man he should be, as well as love you as you should be. I know this must sound weird, but I love you like my daughter Liz and I'm willing to give you any advice to keep you and my grandson happy. Liz, Dr. Phil said a normal grieving period is about a year. You still love him, and always will, but you have to move on."
Liz didn't even know what tot say to that.
"Well, now I've totally winded myself, I need to go. Give my love to Aidan from his Oma and Opa." [/I]
She had spent many hours pondering that one single conversation and had decided to put it to use.
She had put Aidan in bed but she could here him banging around to make her mad. It had been a battle of wills when she had suggested a bath. Her patience had been strained. Usually when she bathed him it was quick and simple, this time she had come out almost as wet as he. Then she had to wrestle him into bed.
"Aidan, please stop banging to truck, I'm going to tell Opa that you don't like it." She cracked open the door. "And lie down please."
"No." He stood up again. Liz sighed.
"Are you getting sick?" She went and sat down next to him on the bed. He crawled away from her and crossed his arms. He crawled under the blanket and turned away from her. "Alright."
She stood and went into the front room. It was a little more than a month since she had last spoken to Max. A little more than a month since she'd taken off her rings.
It was raining outside. There was no chance for a lightening storm, there rarely were here, nothing like in Roswell.
She sat down at the piano and began to play. The steady beat of the rain a metronome in her head.
She heard Aidan finally quiet down and was comforted. She had had her first class two days before and she had a noon class tomorrow. Aidan pattered and climbed next to her on the bench seeming to have forgiven her to whatever action she had done wrong.
Without missing a beat she scooted down on the bench to give him more room.
He watched her fingers fly up and down the keys.
"Why are you awake?" She asked.
"I wanted to watch, and it's raining." He snuggled in. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, sweet." She kissed his head. He drifted off to sleep with her music as a lullaby.
****
Liz laid Aidan down on his bed and moved the truck out of the way.
She straightened and went back out to tackle the lab report she had left to do. She was tempted to start to play again to relax her nerves but decided to stick to her work instead.
She straightened at the knock on the door. Who would come now? It was almost ten o'clock. Quietly she moved to the door and peeked out the peek hole. She couldn't get her hands to move fast enough to unlock it.
"Max, come in." She whispered. She removed Lily from his arms before he could think.
"I'm sorry, Liz. I couldn't stay away any longer." Max said. "We have to talk." He said staring at her.
"I know, I-I was planning on calling you tomorrow." She answered. Lily shivered in her arms. She had a coat on that Liz carefully removed. "I can go lay her down if you like, Aidan's asleep." Liz said turning to his room. He as standing in the doorway wide eyed. "Or was." She huffed.
"Come on, let's go to bed." Liz directed once again to Aidan. Max followed her into the room as the kids got situated in Aidan's bed which he gladly shared with Lily.
"Night, you two." She whispered. She kept her eyes riveted on the children, knowing that when she turned her back to Max she'd have to face them. Slowly she backed out of the room and faced him. "Let's talk out here."
Max followed her out to the kitchen. "Would you like some coffee or something? I just made a fresh pot, lab report due tomorrow." She smiled, trying to ease the tension.
"No." He shook his head.
She shrugged and took a seat. "Would you like to sit?"
"No." He needed to stand he couldn't sit.
"So what has you making the trek over here so late at night?" Liz started.
"I needed to talk to you." He said again. "I could have waited till morning but I didn't want to." He rushed through.
"Ok." Liz nodded. "I'll except that."
"Liz, the last time I actually slept was two months ago." He walked to the counter and leaned against it. "I need you, Liz. I spent those nights thinking of what I had said that night, if I could take those things back, I would. I love you so much, Liz." He told her.
Liz kept her eyes on the table.
"I don't know what else you want me to say to you, Liz. I know you letting me in the house was a start but then again it could have just been because of Lily, but I highly doubt." he would have continued for days if Liz wouldn't have stood and walked to him. She rested her finger on his lips.
"Hush, my turn." She shook her head when he tried to think. "I love you, Max." She said looking him directly in the eyes. "Max, I'm sorry for everything, I know how much I hurt you, and the babies. I know because I felt it too. It took Aidan's grandmother to mention a Dr. Phil episode for it to sink in. God, Max, I was so stupid." Her eyes started to tear up. "I took my rings off." She told him. Brought his hand up to rest above her heart where they rested previously.
"You didn't have to do that, Liz." He shook his head.
"Yes, I did. If you wouldn't have said something, I would have let it consume me, swallow me whole. For that I have to thank you, Max." She stood on tiptoe and lightly pressed her lips to his.
He immediately pulled her closer and deepened it. She pulled away.
"I love you so much, Max." She rested her head on his chest.
"I know." He held her comforted. "We have so many things to talk about." He lead her to the couch.
She nodded. He sat and she automatically curled into his lap.
"You can go first." She said quietly.
He had planned to in order to put her at ease.
He took a deep breath and began.
[b] I know this is a horrible place to stop, but I promise you guys it won't be that long before another part is posted. [/b]