[b] Chapter 22 Seven months later Somewhere in the Arizona desert [/b]
Max drove straight in the scorching heat of the July sun. The heat didn't seem to bother Liz, but then again she had grown up in the desert.
As they got further from California and closer to New Mexico the happier she got. Tucson, where they were to stay for the night was about thirty miles away. Max had been driving since sometime around noon. Liz had wanted an early start and as such she had driven. Aidan and Lily were tucked in the back seat amongst toys and other things to keep them quiet.
To Lily, the terrible twos were exactly as they said. She had ceased her screaming about two hours prior, after Liz threatened to leave her with the snakes, her doll and blanket tucked under her arm. He wasn't even sure what she was screaming about in the first place. He didn't dare look at her since she had seemed to take some aversion to him today.
He had no idea what he had done to offend his daughter, but he found that if he did anything too offensive she would ignore him for the next day or so. It had started with him washing off the marker from the wall.
"All gone?" She asked looking at the wall. "Where go?"
"Bye bye, sweetheart." Max said looking down at his daughter.
"Where go?" She asked again. Her face looking devastated at the wall. She had worked so hard. "Back!"
"No, Lily, we don't write on the walls." Max shook his head, wishing Liz were here to help him.
"Yes!" She had decreed. She had defiantly gone around the house looking for another crayon or writing utensil. "Back."
Max rolled his eyes as she pouted up at him. Then her eyes filled with tears hoping to get her way.
"No, Lilybird, no writing on the walls." He had successfully hidden away all of his writing utensils.
"Fine." She had ignored him the rest of the evening.
From the quietness and steadiness of her breathing she sounded to be asleep as well.
Aidan was awake as he could see through the mirror. "Are we almost there?"
"We're almost to Tucson where we're going to stay in a motel, ok?" Max asked softly so he wouldn't wake the girls.
"Ok." He yawned. "Lily's asleep."
"Good." Max said relieved. His Lilybird was turning into one with an attitude, it reminded him a little of Tess, and that made him nervous. But he also noticed Liz's influence in his daughter as well. Lily spent a lot of time watching what Liz did and he hoped she would pick up on her sweet manner. Aidan also took it upon himself to act as big brother to her.
Aidan was always there to smooth things over at the day care when things went wrong with Lily. Liz said she'd learn to get along with other kids soon enough.
"Are you ok with me marrying your, Mommy?" Max took advantage of the opportunity.
Aidan didn't answer right away and Max wondered if he had fallen asleep. "Aidan?"
"You'll live with us, right?" He asked.
"Yes, and Lily too."
"Mommy's happy?" He wanted to know.
"I hope so." Max answered as he looked down at Liz's engagement ring on her hand.
Liz covered his hand with hers and smiled. Aidan didn't notice.
"Yeah." He smiled. "I'll be Lily's brother?"
"Yes."
That brought a huge smile to his face. "I'm ok." He nodded.
"Good."
"We're almost to Tucson, Liz." Max told her. She shifted in her seat and was ready to be out of the car. She couldn't imagine how the children must have felt.
As they pulled up to the motel, Liz got out. Lily immediately began to insist she be let out as well. Patiently, Liz untangled her toys from around her in the seat. "Out!"
"Lily, patient." Liz insisted.
She hushed and waited. As she was set down on the floor she immediately grabbed onto Liz's shorts so that she wouldn't get into trouble.
"Doll, please." She held her hand out. Her doll didn't have a name it had just always been doll.
"Here you go, and blanket." Liz wrapped the doll in the blanket.
They checked in and found their room. After they had finished dinner, and everyone had bathed they settled into watch a movie since the kids were anything but tired. Lily and Doll were spread across Max's chest as she watched Robin Hood, suddenly at peace with him. Aidan was tucked between him and Liz. They had gotten their giggles out in the bath and at dinner so they were ready to settle down.
Before the movie was over, the kids were sleeping, and Max and Liz were allotted a few moments of free time. They stepped outside where they could talk freely.
"Thank you for doing this for me, Max. It would have been so much easier if we had flown."
"You're not comfortable flying." He pointed out.
"I know, thank you." Liz looked down at her hands. "Thank you for asking Aidan's opinion on us getting married."
She wrapped her arms around him and swayed to music that was only in her head. She remembered his tender proposal on the fourth of July, three days prior. Fireworks in the background, the kids sleeping on the blanket, it had been perfect.
"I love you." She tipped her head up to receive his kiss.
"I love you too." He swayed her to the music some more.
"Daddy!" Lily's worried cry came through. She had woken up in a strange place with just the Doll. "Daddy!"
"Thank you for helping so much with Lilybird." He pulled them to a stop.
"Yeah, once we're married, she's mine too." Liz said happily. "And Aidan yours."
He grinned at that as well. "We'll be happy won't we? Once Lilybird gets through our little rough patch, she's almost three." He said.
"Not for more than half a year, and three year olds are two year olds with attitude."
"Daddy!"
"But she already has an attitude." He whined.
"Yeah well, she's calling you." Liz opened the door and pushed him through.
"Hush, Lilybird, you'll wake Aidan."
"Missed you." She declared.
"I'm right here, just go night night."
She snuggled into him, Doll digging into his chest and fell asleep. He heard Liz crawl into bed next to Aidan and pull him close. "Good night, Liz."
"Goodnight, Max." She called back.
"We're almost to Oma's house, aren't we?" Aidan asked as they pulled into the grocery store.
"Yeah, we just have to pick up some things for Oma and Opa." Liz said as they got out. Max talked Lily into leaving Doll and blanket in the car and picked her up.
"Come along, Aidan." She took his hand and they hurried into the store.
"Liz Parker." An older woman came up to them. "What are you doing around these parts again?"
"I've come to visit the Parkers for Aidan's fourth birthday." She said quietly.
"I don't remember Anna saying anything about you visiting. Is this John's boy?" She looked down at the red head that was clinging to his mother's side.
"Yes." Liz said.
"He's turning four you say?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Aren't you darling, Aidan was it?"
"Yes, I'm Aidan." He spoke up. "Friday's my birthday." He said proudly.
"Really?" The woman said impressed.
"Liz!" Lily said grabbed onto her leg looking up in total admiration.
"Who's this?" The woman asked.
"My sister." Aidan said proudly with the news.
"Your sister?" The woman asked looking at Liz.
"I'm marrying her father, in November." Liz clarified.
"You ready, Liz?" Max asked and gently pried her from her leg.
"This the young man you're going to marry?"
"Yes, ma'am." Liz smiled brightly now.
"I'm Max Evans, I'm sure you've met my daughter."
"Mr. Evans, pleasure to meet you." The woman looked at him from down her nose although he towered over her. "You're from California I take it, where this little blonde came from."
"Yes." Max said pulling Lily closer. "If you'll excuse us?" He directed them back out the door.
"Liz." The woman called back.
"Yes?" She turned.
"Why didn't you stay here and marry one of our nice boys, why did you have to go running off to California? We have plenty of young gentlemen for you here." The woman questioned.
"They really aren't my type," Liz squeezed Max's hand. "And I'm sorry, but I will never marry you're grandson."
She turned and walked out.
The trip to the Parker house was quiet. They were almost there and Aidan was getting excited, Lily grumpy and Liz just drove in silence. Max stared out the window.
The Parkers swooped out from the house to noisily greet the children. Max held Liz back for a moment.
"Did you want to marry one of the nice Roswell boys?" Max queried.
"If I had wanted to, I would have done so four years ago. Just because I was with John, doesn't mean other boys didn't notice me. There were many that wanted to be my knight in shining armor."
That seemed to comfort him a little bit.
After dinner Anna Parker insisted on giving the children baths. Liz volunteered to help—concerned about the woman's sanity.
"Max." Mr. Parker came over to speak with him after the ladies went off with the children.
"Yes?"
"I hear you're going to be marrying Liz." He asked
"Yeah, that is the plan."
"Will you be adopting Aidan?" They stood outside on the porch watching the desert and hearing wild laughter inside.
"I—we were going to speak with you about that." Max started. "I would very much like to do so, and Liz would adopt Lily. Would you mind your grandson taking my name? We were thinking of changing his middle name to Parker because it would still be in Jonathan's memory. Or we can do the dash thing." Max wondered. "Parker-Evans."
"He'll be more your son than John's. He may not be yours biologically but you will raise him to be an Evans, and as much as I would love to see the Parker name carried on through my line of the family, I do have brothers so it won't die out." He smiled. "I would be honored if you'd let him carry yours."
Max just swallowed elated. "Are you sure? Because I'm willing to leave it if you want it to be your family name."
"Max, I expect you to give the boy your name. Give him something to live up to be, he's going to grow up following your footsteps, so he should carry your name, because that's who he's going to be."
He nodded. "Thank you, sir."
"Thank you for bringing Liz back to us."
"My, pleasure. Now all the other children you and Liz have, Anna and I will consider our grandchildren as well." He said, proudly. "They will call us Oma and Opa, and you will bring them to visit us, and send them for the summer. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
"My sister and I have a bet over who will have more grandchildren. I'd like very much to beat her at that. Blasted woman beat me at everything else. You, my lad, are my only hope."
"I'll be obliged to help you, sir." Max said.
Afterwards, an exhausted Anna handed over a very clean, but very happy Lily. "I forgot how much work they can be."
"Yeah, Lilybird would give Dr. Spock a run for his money." Max said.
Lily just grinned sleepily and rubbed her eyes.
"Let's go to the front room for snack, shall we?" Anna ushered them in.
Liz, Aidan, and Mr. Parker were already there. "William, would you get Max and Liz something to drink?"
"I always forget that we're legal, even though I'm twenty-two." Liz smiled and held onto Aidan who curled into her lap.
"True." Barely old enough to drink with two children, what a way to start a marriage.
"So, Liz how are the marriage plans coming around?" Anna asked.
"They're coming." She smiled at Max. Her ring glistened in the lamp light, and Max smiled back shyly. It felt weird being in Liz's late husband's home, sitting with his parents, and talking about their upcoming wedding. "I really haven't begun to think about it yet, still grasping the getting married part."
"It's a lot to take in, honey." Anna patted her hand.
They talked the evening away and before they knew it, it was after ten. Liz let out a yawn that Max quickly took note of. "You ready for bed?"
She nodded. "I think I am." She stood with a sleeping Aidan in her arms.
"I'm not tired." He insisted when Liz moved. "Opa help!"
"I'm sorry, Aidan, but Mommy knows best this time." William Parker laughed at his grandson's appeal. "Oma!" He called.
"Aidan, settle down." Liz would normally expect this out of Lily not her Aidan.
Lily began to stir and Max was desperate to put her down before she fully awoke.
Anna Parker led Max and Liz to the room to where the children would be sleeping.
"I put the children in here, there's only one crib, but Liz said you guys had a 'pack n play'."
"Yeah, Lily can sleep in that in my room." Max said.
"No, I sleep with Lily." Aidan shook his head at the idea of being separated from Lily.
"Um, we put you and Liz in the same room. We weren't quite sure if you wanted to be together or not." Anna spoke quickly. "But one of you could sleep in here because there is a crib and a bed. The other room is right across the hall" She indicated another open door.
"That will be fine." Liz said, "We'll figure something out between us."
"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Anna asked.
"We'll be fine." Max reassured.
"Alright." She said before taking William's hand and walking toward their bedroom.
"What do you want to do?" Max asked Liz, looking at her uncertainty in his eyes.
"I don't know." She shrugged. "Aidan's going to insist on being with Lily because that's what Lily wants and I don't think either of us relish being alone."
"Good idea." He walked to the other room; there was a double bed in there.
Lily woke in Max's arms and looked at the 'pack n play' with disdain clearly in her eyes. "No pack n play."
Max heaved a sigh, "looks like we'll have a few more bedfellows."
Liz lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She looked over at Max who had Lily curled up on his chest but was sleeping just as deeply as Lily was. She uncurled Aidan's body from around hers and scooted him over to Max's side. She smiled, the three of them looked adorable curled up together.
She climbed from the bed and left the room quietly shutting the door behind her.
Max heard her go but decided not to follow her.
She made her way down the hall and to a door she hadn't opened in over for years. Her hand froze on the doorknob.
She twisted and pushed it open.
His smell was faint, but it was there. The bed was made, from the last time she had made it, the morning before she found out about John's death. They had lived with John's parents immediately following the wedding before their apartment was ready, and then she had stayed with them when John was out of town, at his request.
Her image was everywhere, not quite so much as before she had moved in. She had insisted that he take some of them down before she moved in because it freaked her out a little to have so many pictures of her.
She sat down on the bed. It felt exactly as she had remembered it. Closing her eyes she laid back on the bed. The smell immediately engulfed her and tears filled her eyes.
"John, you surround me in here." She said softly. "We had many happy times." She stood. Afraid to touch anything, she slowly moved around to the section of the room he had encouraged her to decorate. There were her wedding pictures. "You made me so happy that day. You never got to meet our little boy. You would be so proud of him." She wiped away a tear. "He knows the alphabet already, and can tie his shoes—double knotted even. She smiled.
"When you died, John, I never thought I could be happy again. Then Max came. You said you wanted a big family, so Aidan could have lots of brothers and sisters. Well, he's getting a sister. In his opinion she's already his. He's so very protective of her, just like you. He takes pride over every achievement and would defend her to the death. He looks like you, John, so much like you." She sat down at his desk. The chair groaned from not being used for so long.
She remembered long nights when she would lie in bed waiting for John to finish with his homework. "I'm getting married in November, John. It's been four years, I hope you understand. Deep in my heart I know you want me to be happy, I am so happy John. I love Max and Max loves me. He loves Aidan, I love Lily. We're going to be happy, I just wanted to say goodbye." Liz said. She walked back to the bed and lay down.
Max stood outside his door staring at the one down the all, that Liz had disappeared into.
"She'll come out when she's ready." Mrs. Parker was standing in the doorway to her bedroom. "I knew she would go in there eventually."
"John's old room?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "I've gone in there myself a couple of times, but Liz refused to, I think she's coming to peace with it." She smiled.
"I think so too." Max nodded his gaze anxiously going to the door.
"Thank you, Max, for that." Anna leaned up on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. "She's very much my daughter and I appreciate all that you did to bring that sparkle into her eyes again."
"I didn't do anything though." Max looked at her confused.
"That's why I'm so happy, you make her happy by just being you. Keep doing that, and you'll have a long happy marriage." She turned to go back inside when Liz walked out of John's room.
"Oh," she froze as she shut the door. "I didn't know you had woken up." She looked at the floor.
"Don't feel guilty, you did want you had to do, Liz. Are you happy?" He pulled her into his arms.
"Blissfully." She said looking up at him, and accepted the kiss he placed on her lips. She clung to him and moved closer.
"Daddy!" It wasn't a scared call, it was a demand to get back into bed.
"Oh, God." Max pulled back and rested his head against Liz's forehead and looked into her eyes. "Your daughter wants you." He told her.
Her eyes danced happily but she shook her head. "I distinctly heard a 'Daddy' from her, Max."
"Mommy." A new occurrence when she was tired. Rarely, if ever did Lily call Liz mommy during the day.
"See," said Max. "She wants you too."
"She only calls me Mommy when she's tired. Let's hurry and go back and make sure she stays that way, yeah?" Liz asked looking into the room, her heart melting for the little girl standing on the bed with her hands on her hips.
"I think so." Max agreed as he turned her, still in his arms, to go inside the room. The door shut softly behind them and Anna smiled against William.
"I told you they'd be happy." William sighed and his own eyes filled with tears but he kissed his wife's head and led them back into their own room.
I just wanted to get this up. I don't know when the next part for this will be up. My sister is in the hospital, and I'm supposed to leave for Europe on Tuesday so I'm not sure when I'll have time to work on another part for this, although the eleven hour plane trip should be enough time, yeah? I hope this will be the last sentimental chapter for a while, I think the next one will be more fun. Thank you for all the feedback and reviews that I get. It really makes being up at 2:30 in the morning all worthwhile.