Chapter 20
"Is he nice?" Hannah asked the next morning.
"Yes." Liz said as she parted Hannah's hair carefully.
"Does he like little girls?" Hannah jerked back when Liz found a tangle.
"Sorry." Liz murmured. "Yes, he does." Or at least she thought he did.
"I'm scared." Hannah admitted finally.
"I know." Liz bent down after tying the last ribbon. "I'm a little nervous too, but it will be ok."
"Ok." Hannah nodded. "I'm hungry."
"Me, too, let's go find something to eat before we go." Liz took her hand and led her out to the kitchen.
"You look cute, Hannah." Serena complimented from the table.
"Thank you." Hannah smiled. "I'm going to meet my d.M." She was quiet. She didn't know what to call him.
"We're going to see Max." Liz said worriedly. They hadn't discussed what they were going to call him.
"yeah." Hannah agreed.
"What are your plans."
"Nothing for today. I was thinking of going over to harass Alex and Maria." She stood and stretched.
"We've got to go, Hannah." Liz grabbed her purse.
"Coming." Hannah hopped down from the seat.
"Alright, you ready?" Liz asked one more time.
"Yep." Hannah nodded.
"Good luck, Liz." Serena whispered to her as she hugged Liz.
"Thank you." Liz shut the door behind her.
****
"You are not going to wear a tie are you?" Isabel asked pointedly.
"Why not?"
"Max, she's four." Isabel laughed. "Go casual."
"But."
"Max, she's not a client you're going to meet, this is your daughter. No fronts, just be yourself."
Max nodded and tried to take it in, no fronts, just be himself.
The dog lay sprawled across his freshly made bed her huge eyes staring him down.
"I'm just 0nervous I'm going to screw everything up." He admitted.
"You're not." Isabel assured him. "Good luck."
"I'll need it." Max said on his way out the door.
****
Max watched as Liz got out of the car and walked around it to the opposite back door. She ducked inside for a span of thirty seconds and then straightened. A tiny hand popped out of the car and Liz took it easily and helped the small girl to the ground.
Hannah smoothed her dress as Aunt Maria had taught her and pushed her hair clip further in.
"Hannah, don't fuss with it." Liz bent down to her level and fixed the clip quickly and made sure her hair lay nicely.
"I'm ready, Mommy." Hannah said when Liz stood.
"Good." Liz took a breath, she wasn't sure she was.
She turned towards the park and immediately saw him. He was dressed casually, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, khaki slacks. He looked every bit the lawyer that he was, according to Isabel in the few short months he'd been practicing he'd already begun to make an impression in the world of Law.
"Come on." Liz took her hand and led her towards the park bench where Max sat patiently waiting.
Hannah's sandaled feet began to grow slower as they neared the bench where Max stood.
Liz gave her a little tug, telling her to keep up with her or else.
Hannah picked up the pace and kept closely tucked into the side of her mother.
Max stared down at his daughter as they neared. She was dressed in a lavender sundress. Her hair lay flattened clipped neatly to the side with two hair clips. Her feet her in white strappy sandals that all little girls wear.
She looked up at him and it was like looking into a mirror.
Max stared down at her and his eyes held as much shock as hers did. Not knowing what to say Max looked at Liz for help.
Needing to bridge the gap, Liz knelt down to Hannah and spoke softly. "Hannah, this is your father, Max." She stated when she stood again.
Max's heart beat hard in his chest at the introduction. He was a father! And this was his baby girl! It was just beginning to fully dawn on him. He turned to study Liz once more. Her stance was protective that of a mother bear waiting for him to make the slightest of a wrong move. She had an air of strength around her as she held tightly to the little girl's hand.
"Hi." Max broke the silence. He also knelt down next to Hannah. "You must be Hannah."
Hannah nodded and pushed her head deeply into Liz's pant leg.
Trying again, Max didn't even bother to glance at Liz, he could do this himself. "You don't know me very well, and I don't know you." He said quietly.
She still didn't budge. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea Liz thought she was going to squat down next to Max to help but a quick shake from his head told her not to.
"I always imagined what you looked like, Hannah. I knew you'd be just as pretty as your mother." He tried. This was difficult!
She turned her head to peek at him.
It was working!
"I was hoping that you'd get your mother's long pretty hair, I knew for sure, you'd get her cute little nose that tends to get really cold in the winter, and I knew you'd probably get my ears. Sorry about that one, kid." He tried to joke. "But I think they look very cute on a little girl."
He now had Hannah's full attention. She was turned to face him with just one hand holding tight to Liz.
"You forgot something." Hannah spoke softly.
"What?" Max feigned ignorance. "Well, your chin, that is completely Miss Hannah Bella-Marie Parker's. And I can see, from those ears of yours, you must be very smart. Although, that too would have to be all Hannah, yes?"
She giggled, slightly, and her mouth curved up. "You still forgot something."
"Hmmm, let me think." Now he really was at a loss. "I talked about your ears, nose, chin, and hair. What else is there?"
"Eyes! We have the same eyes." She pointed then reached out and pointed to his.
"Oh, yes. We have the same eyes." He nodded solemnly. "Those are very important. Good thing you're so smart to remember them."
She blushed and looked up at her mother. She took a tentative step away from Liz and towards Max.
Max stood and held out his hand, maybe she would take it. "Would you like to go for a walk? I'd be honored if two lovely ladies would accompany me."
Hannah nodded and without thinking slid her hand into his outstretched one.
It was so much bigger than her mommy's! Her hand was swallowed by it, almost like Kyle's or Uncle Alex's. But it didn't frighten her at all.
"I'll stay back here. You two can go along by yourself."
Hannah looked cautiously at her mother than back at Max.
"It's up to you, Hannah. If you want your mommy to come, she's more than welcome too, although we're not going far."
Hannah thought for a moment. "Come, Mommy." She held out her other hand.
This hand felt so much more familiar, so much more comforting.
"So, I here you're going to be a kindergartener." Max started.
"Yep." Hannah and Max talked the entire time; Liz only spoke when directly asked a question. She observed there interaction feeling almost normal, except in the way Hannah kept glancing to see if she was there.
Liz contemplated on what her next step would be. She knew she'd have to tell Max sometime, but she wasn't sure when. And if she wasn't quick about it, Hannah might let it slip first. Even now her walking slowed a bit, her breathing came more labored.
"Why don't we take a rest?" Liz suggested at the bench.
There was something in her voice that didn't sound at all like a suggestion and Max immediately found a bench to sit on.
Max studied the way Hannah dragged in great gasps of air and told himself he'd have to learn to walk slower. Her tiny little legs couldn't carry her as fast as his long one's could.
Liz prayed he hadn't noticed anything out of sorts.
"Is he nice?" Hannah asked the next morning.
"Yes." Liz said as she parted Hannah's hair carefully.
"Does he like little girls?" Hannah jerked back when Liz found a tangle.
"Sorry." Liz murmured. "Yes, he does." Or at least she thought he did.
"I'm scared." Hannah admitted finally.
"I know." Liz bent down after tying the last ribbon. "I'm a little nervous too, but it will be ok."
"Ok." Hannah nodded. "I'm hungry."
"Me, too, let's go find something to eat before we go." Liz took her hand and led her out to the kitchen.
"You look cute, Hannah." Serena complimented from the table.
"Thank you." Hannah smiled. "I'm going to meet my d.M." She was quiet. She didn't know what to call him.
"We're going to see Max." Liz said worriedly. They hadn't discussed what they were going to call him.
"yeah." Hannah agreed.
"What are your plans."
"Nothing for today. I was thinking of going over to harass Alex and Maria." She stood and stretched.
"We've got to go, Hannah." Liz grabbed her purse.
"Coming." Hannah hopped down from the seat.
"Alright, you ready?" Liz asked one more time.
"Yep." Hannah nodded.
"Good luck, Liz." Serena whispered to her as she hugged Liz.
"Thank you." Liz shut the door behind her.
****
"You are not going to wear a tie are you?" Isabel asked pointedly.
"Why not?"
"Max, she's four." Isabel laughed. "Go casual."
"But."
"Max, she's not a client you're going to meet, this is your daughter. No fronts, just be yourself."
Max nodded and tried to take it in, no fronts, just be himself.
The dog lay sprawled across his freshly made bed her huge eyes staring him down.
"I'm just 0nervous I'm going to screw everything up." He admitted.
"You're not." Isabel assured him. "Good luck."
"I'll need it." Max said on his way out the door.
****
Max watched as Liz got out of the car and walked around it to the opposite back door. She ducked inside for a span of thirty seconds and then straightened. A tiny hand popped out of the car and Liz took it easily and helped the small girl to the ground.
Hannah smoothed her dress as Aunt Maria had taught her and pushed her hair clip further in.
"Hannah, don't fuss with it." Liz bent down to her level and fixed the clip quickly and made sure her hair lay nicely.
"I'm ready, Mommy." Hannah said when Liz stood.
"Good." Liz took a breath, she wasn't sure she was.
She turned towards the park and immediately saw him. He was dressed casually, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, khaki slacks. He looked every bit the lawyer that he was, according to Isabel in the few short months he'd been practicing he'd already begun to make an impression in the world of Law.
"Come on." Liz took her hand and led her towards the park bench where Max sat patiently waiting.
Hannah's sandaled feet began to grow slower as they neared the bench where Max stood.
Liz gave her a little tug, telling her to keep up with her or else.
Hannah picked up the pace and kept closely tucked into the side of her mother.
Max stared down at his daughter as they neared. She was dressed in a lavender sundress. Her hair lay flattened clipped neatly to the side with two hair clips. Her feet her in white strappy sandals that all little girls wear.
She looked up at him and it was like looking into a mirror.
Max stared down at her and his eyes held as much shock as hers did. Not knowing what to say Max looked at Liz for help.
Needing to bridge the gap, Liz knelt down to Hannah and spoke softly. "Hannah, this is your father, Max." She stated when she stood again.
Max's heart beat hard in his chest at the introduction. He was a father! And this was his baby girl! It was just beginning to fully dawn on him. He turned to study Liz once more. Her stance was protective that of a mother bear waiting for him to make the slightest of a wrong move. She had an air of strength around her as she held tightly to the little girl's hand.
"Hi." Max broke the silence. He also knelt down next to Hannah. "You must be Hannah."
Hannah nodded and pushed her head deeply into Liz's pant leg.
Trying again, Max didn't even bother to glance at Liz, he could do this himself. "You don't know me very well, and I don't know you." He said quietly.
She still didn't budge. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea Liz thought she was going to squat down next to Max to help but a quick shake from his head told her not to.
"I always imagined what you looked like, Hannah. I knew you'd be just as pretty as your mother." He tried. This was difficult!
She turned her head to peek at him.
It was working!
"I was hoping that you'd get your mother's long pretty hair, I knew for sure, you'd get her cute little nose that tends to get really cold in the winter, and I knew you'd probably get my ears. Sorry about that one, kid." He tried to joke. "But I think they look very cute on a little girl."
He now had Hannah's full attention. She was turned to face him with just one hand holding tight to Liz.
"You forgot something." Hannah spoke softly.
"What?" Max feigned ignorance. "Well, your chin, that is completely Miss Hannah Bella-Marie Parker's. And I can see, from those ears of yours, you must be very smart. Although, that too would have to be all Hannah, yes?"
She giggled, slightly, and her mouth curved up. "You still forgot something."
"Hmmm, let me think." Now he really was at a loss. "I talked about your ears, nose, chin, and hair. What else is there?"
"Eyes! We have the same eyes." She pointed then reached out and pointed to his.
"Oh, yes. We have the same eyes." He nodded solemnly. "Those are very important. Good thing you're so smart to remember them."
She blushed and looked up at her mother. She took a tentative step away from Liz and towards Max.
Max stood and held out his hand, maybe she would take it. "Would you like to go for a walk? I'd be honored if two lovely ladies would accompany me."
Hannah nodded and without thinking slid her hand into his outstretched one.
It was so much bigger than her mommy's! Her hand was swallowed by it, almost like Kyle's or Uncle Alex's. But it didn't frighten her at all.
"I'll stay back here. You two can go along by yourself."
Hannah looked cautiously at her mother than back at Max.
"It's up to you, Hannah. If you want your mommy to come, she's more than welcome too, although we're not going far."
Hannah thought for a moment. "Come, Mommy." She held out her other hand.
This hand felt so much more familiar, so much more comforting.
"So, I here you're going to be a kindergartener." Max started.
"Yep." Hannah and Max talked the entire time; Liz only spoke when directly asked a question. She observed there interaction feeling almost normal, except in the way Hannah kept glancing to see if she was there.
Liz contemplated on what her next step would be. She knew she'd have to tell Max sometime, but she wasn't sure when. And if she wasn't quick about it, Hannah might let it slip first. Even now her walking slowed a bit, her breathing came more labored.
"Why don't we take a rest?" Liz suggested at the bench.
There was something in her voice that didn't sound at all like a suggestion and Max immediately found a bench to sit on.
Max studied the way Hannah dragged in great gasps of air and told himself he'd have to learn to walk slower. Her tiny little legs couldn't carry her as fast as his long one's could.
Liz prayed he hadn't noticed anything out of sorts.