"We should stop," Max said weakly, as Kenny continued to kiss her.

He paused, as he looked at the woman beneath him. "You sure about that?"

"No."

"Good," he replied, as he kissed her again. "I love you, Sweetheart. God, Max, so much."

Max smiled, even as she pulled away slightly. "You keep telling me that."

"I didn't get to tell you it for a long time."

"So you're trying to make up for it now?"

"Something like that," he agreed, as he slid his hands up her shirt. "I want to tell you that for the rest of my life. Our lives."

She smiled up at him. "If we don't stop now . . ."

"We'll what?"

"I . . . I'm not sure I'm ready for this part yet. I haven't been with anyone since . . ." Max trailed off, looking away. "It's been awhile."

"Since Jimmy," Kenny finished for her, as she sat up. "Well, I have you beat. You're the last person I was with."

"You were in a coma," Max countered. "Really? Not anyone since you got out of the hospital?"

"I haven't had much . . . you know. Interest in it all. The drugs and stuff slowed my, uh, drive for it all," he said, feeling slightly embarrassed. "At least until now."

"That's certainly a change," she trailed off, as he took her hand in his.

"I haven't wanted to be with anyone else since you."

"I . . . I'm not sure I'm ready for that part yet. Soon, but . . . sorry."

"I can wait," Kenny replied softly, although his entire being cried out to touch her.

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"Oh, I'm not too sure about this," Kim said, as the four of them made their way up the path the next night.

"It is weird," Skeeter admitted. "Not just for us."

"It'll be okay," Littleton added, as he squeezed Kim's hand in his.

"I guess I'll knock then," Joey said, as she rapped on the door gently, as a crash resounded from within. "Um, what was that?"

"Come in!" came a muffled response. "It's open!"

"Max?" Skeeter called. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine," she said, from the kitchen. "Damn! Heel! Sorry."

Max groaned as Meatball streaked into the living room, and tracked his mud streaked paws across the tiled floor. Sighing, she joined the foursome in the foyer.

"That's one rambunctious puppy," Skeeter commented, as Meatball sniffed his leg. "Dirty too."

"Yeah, he snuck outside," Max replied, scooping him up in her arms. "Um, come on in. I'll just put him in the kennel for now."

"Where is Kaylee? Or Kenny?" Littleton asked, as he felt Kim squeeze his hand.

"Kay is sleeping, she is still a little run down. Kenny? I don't know. He's probably on his way. I'll be right back. Make yourselves comfortable," Max said, as she tried to control her pounding heart.

"See seems just as nervous as you are," Littleton said. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Kim said quietly. "This is just too weird . . . It's like we're turning the clock back two years, but we're not. I don't even know what I want to say any more."

"What is there to say? Really? Is there really any point in dredging up the past again?" Skeeter asked slowly. "Maybe we should just start healing, and learning how to coexist again. I don't know what is going on between Kenny and Max, but if they can be civil with everything that happened . . ."

"It just . . . it's still so raw," Kim said. "For everybody. I wish I could just forget everything, but I can't."

"No one is asking you to forget," Littleton replied. "Just to . . . Just talking about it, clearing the air . . . it'll help. Everyone."

"Yeah," Kim agreed, as Max rejoined them. "Hi."

"Hi," Max replied, not too sure where to go from there. "You can come in."

"I don't know what I should say to you."

"You're not the only one."

"We don't have to do this now," Littleton cut in, as he felt the tension in the room heighten.

"I could actually use a drink," Skeeter agreed.

Max nodded thankfully. "Ah, okay. Why don't all of you go out on the porch? There is some food and stuff out there."

"Are you coming?" Joey asked.

"Yeah."

"You don't seem so enthused by this."

"I . . . I'm nervous. Having all of you here, especially after having Kenny show up a few weeks ago. I thought I was past it all, but I was wrong."

"I want to hate you," Kim said softly. "You have no idea how much."

Max nodded. "I know."

The two women eyed each other warily, before relaxing some. Kim sighed. "Later right?"

"Right."

"Look who isn't dead," Littleton commented, as Kenny paused in the doorway. "It's been a long time."

"It has," Kenny agreed, noting the tension in the room. "Yeah."

"And you're healthy? No side effects from the coma or the tumor?" Joey cut in. "When I heard about the surgery . . . Congratulations on pulling through it so well."

"It took awhile."

Max bit her tongue, as she observed the group in front of her. This is so weird, she thought, oh hell. I can't run away from it forever. Not any more then I could have run from Kenny. Hell. How do I make it all right again?

"You look deep in thought," Littleton said.

"It's nothing," Max replied, feeling Kenny watching her. "Why don't we go out on the porch?"

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He watched from the shadow, as the familiar group settled in the deck chairs. I should go, he thought. Wait for a better time. One at a time. No. It has to be today. I have to tell her. Them. Everybody.

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"So, are two back together?" Skeeter asked, as they all settled down.

Kenny shot Max a look from across the porch. "Uh. Sort of."

"It's complicated," Max added. "A lot has happened."

"Including my Dad," Kim said softly.

"Yeah," Max replied, knowing she had to add something to her monosyllable. "And I know you want to talk about that."

"What is there to say?"

"I'm sure there is something. Do you want to take a walk or something?"

Kim paused. "Okay. Down on the beach?"

"Sure. Now?" Max asked, as Kim nodded. "Okay, let's go."

"Do you think they'll kill each other?" Skeeter asked, as the two women departed.

"I doubt it," Kenny replied. "I guess they have some stuff to work out."

Littleton shook his head. "Kim blames Max for Jimmy dying, but she also blames herself. Everyone was so awful to him after they found out about his affair with Max. It was a stupid and tragic accident."

"Max blames herself too," Kenny added.

"So what is the deal with you two? How about finding out you're a Dad? Wait. She did tell you that, didn't she?"

"She told me. That is . . . was a shock. It still is, but a good one. Kaylee is amazing. Me and Max? We're taking it slowly."

"You broke her heart when you left."

"I know."

"She looked for you. Even when she was with Jimmy, she looked."

"I know I hurt her. I thought it would be better for her if I left. If I could go back and change it, I would. The fact that she is considering giving me second chance . . . I'll take it. At whatever speed she wants."

"Don't hurt her again."

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The two women walked silently, as the waves washed around their feet.

"Do you want to start?" Kim finally asked. "Or should I?"

"Go ahead," Max said. "I know I hurt you and your family Kim. I never meant to, and if I could take it all back I would."

"No," Kim said softly. "Don't ever take it back. My Dad . . . he loved you. He wouldn't have said it if he hadn't meant it. Mom broke his heart when she ran off with Rachel, and he needed someone the way you did. Did you love him?"

"I . . . I loved him, but I wasn't in love with him Kim. I was alone, scared and pregnant," Max said, repeating what she had told Kenny before. "I could have, but . . . I knew how he felt, and I . . . I'm so sorry Kim. He shouldn't have died."

"He shouldn't have drove," Kim practically whispered, as she gulped back a sob. "I want to blame you! It makes it so much easier, but . . . we all treated him horribly. I hate him for dying! For taking the easy way out! He should be here to see Matthew graduate! To see me and Jon get married. To see Zach play hockey! Why did he have to do this?"

"Zach and Matthew have you," Max replied, swallowing back her own tears. "And I hope they know how lucky they are for that. Jon is a lucky man to be marrying you Kim. Not too many people could have down what you've done. Do you ever hear from Jill?"

"I don't want to."

"I'd rather you hate me instead of hating her. She is your mother, the boy's mother."

"She left us."

Max paused. "You already lost one parent Kim. Why make it two?"

"Do you hate Kenny for leaving you?"

"Oh I wanted to. You're probably one of the few people that know how much. When he came back into my life . . . I didn't know what to do. I thought he was dead, and I thought I was over him. He kept pushing and pushing, and we have Kaylee, that . . . we're slowly taking that second chance. Very slowly."

"How?"

"One day at a time. I let him go, and I forgave him when I thought he was dead. I pushed it all out of my mind and life. Having him come back . . . it made me have to deal with it all again. I still love him. I don't know if I trust him though."

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"The last thing I would ever do is hurt Max or Kaylee," Kenny replied. "I think she would kill me if I did."

"I wonder if Kim will get past it all some days," Littleton mused. "It's a dirty little secret that Rome swept under the rug."

"What is? Me?"

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"I'm scared," Kim admitted. "To move on. I don't want to forget him."

"Oh, you'll never forget him. Kim, your father was an amazing man. Those last few months weren't who he was, or how he should be remembered," Max said, as her house came into view. "Don't let it eat at you."

"Like you did?"

"I still do. I try not to. I treated him horribly in Philadelphia, and I couldn't be bothered to come to his funeral?"

"I might have run you over if you showed up," Kim replied, with a small smile. "I don't think that we'll ever be friends, but I don't want to hate you or him. Not even my Mom."

"I want you to be happy Kim. If you ever need anything, ever, call me."

"Thanks," Kim said. "And give Kenny a second chance. A real one."

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Oh my god," Skeeter sputtered, as he was the first one to get some words out.

"What?" Littleton asked, as just stared.

"How?" Kenny asked, noting to the two women coming up the beach.

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"Is that your neighbor?" Kim asked, nodding toward the figure standing on the porch.

Max squinted against the sunlight. "It might be. He likes to spoil Kay, so he drops by all the time."

"Is it a romantic thing?"

Max let out a genuine laugh. "With Aaron? No way. He's a great guy though. Plus, he is gay."

"Is Kaylee okay? I know she was sick."

"She's fine. It was touch and go for awhile, but she is getting stronger everyday. I don't know what I would do without her."

"Jon wants to have more kids. Cara is almost nine, and is looking for a brother or a sister. I want to finish school first though."

"You're young, and there is plenty of time for that."

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"I thought that you were dead! Does everyone around here resurrect themselves?" Skeeter asked.

"I identified your body," Littleton added. "We saw your car explode."

"I wasn't in it," Jimmy said, as the three men stared at him. "Did you ever see me get in?"

"Who?"

"I went out, it was being stolen."

"Why are you here?" Kenny asked, as he felt a huge wave of jealously wash over him. "Do you have any idea what this is going to do to Max? To Kim?"

"Since when do you care what happens with Max? And my daughter is none of your concern."

"Everything I've ever done has been for her."

"Holy shit," a soft voice said from behind them.