Chapter Eight

"Elizabeth, I need to speak with you." Nancy Parker looked at her daughter soon as Kyle shut the door behind his family. There was a Saint Patrick's Day parade that he and Serena wanted to take the kids to.

"Sure, Mama." Liz set the pan down on the counter. Her hands were shaking from the work. She was still weak from her sickness even though it had been three months since her recovery. She wiped them on her apron and then clasped them together hopefully to stop the trembling.

"There's something I need to talk to you about, something I should have shared with you a long time ago."

"What?" Liz asked sitting down. "Mama?" She got more worried every moment more her mother was delaying.

"I…found something." Nancy started slowly. She took out the letter Max had written and set it down on the table.

"What did you find? It looks like a letter."

"It is a letter. From Max."

"Max, my Max?" She raised her eyebrows, not sure she was hearing her mother correctly. "When, how did you get it?"

"Your Max, Elizabeth?" Nancy asked.

Liz flushed and looked down at her hands, she knew the reprimand was coming.

"I discussed giving this letter to you with your father, I didn't want to, but he insisted that we tell you our story, and then I'll give you the letter."

"How does yours and Papa's relationship have to do with anything?"

"Just hear me out, Elizabeth." She said quietly.

"Do I have a choice?" Liz asked her mother angrily. She wanted desperately to know what Max had written to her.

"I met your father twenty seven years ago, Liz. He was at a port in Galway, a business with a contractor. We locked eyes, Liz and it was over, I was young, engaged but I wasn't happy. I knew in that moment that only in his arms would I ever truly be happy."

"Why would Papa meet with a contractor?" She asked.

"Listen, don't interrupt, baby." Nancy told her daughter, evading the question.

"I tried to forget about him, went on with my life, three weeks later he found me. I was minding my own business, planning my wedding, but inside I was aching for a man who probably forgot about me."

Liz's mind was working, did her papa give up everything for her mother? He didn't seem like the kind of man who would do such a thing. Maybe that was why he was the way he was.

"He wanted me as much as I had wanted him. That night I gave myself to him. He took me, it's something I won't ever regret. It gave me Kyle. I had a few weeks with him, and then I didn't see him again for nearly ten years. I married one month later, two months following I was pregnant, but it wasn't with my husband's child."

"But Papa—" Liz didn't know what to say. She studied her mother.

"Hush." Nancy took a moment to collect herself. "I was faithful to Papa in body, once we were married, Elizabeth, but in spirit I was another man's wife. We kept up correspondence nearly once a month. When I heard he was coming back to Ireland, I promised myself that I would stay away. That I had my family to think of now. It was hopeless, we both knew it, I went to him, I'm not ashamed to say it. Papa was a drunk and never came home at night, that was my excuse, so I sent Kyle to school one morning, and went to him. We had a short interlude of a week. One blissful week, my darling."

Liz was till trying to process everything that her mother was telling her. Her Papa wasn't her father. Part of her was relieved, but another part of him ached for him. She was angry at her mother for keeping something so important from her.

"Nine and a half months later, I got a pleasant little gift, and named her Elizabeth."

"Mama, why didn't you tell me before?" Liz's voice was full of pain.

"I didn't think I would have to."

"Does Papa know?" Liz asked afraid of the answer. She knew now why her father wanted nothing to do with her or Kyle.

"Yes, I had to tell him." Nancy said.

"Who is he, Mama, who's my father?"

"I wasn't going to tell you, I was just going to let it be, but in a few months, baby, your life may change. Your father is Jim Valenti."

"I would like to be alone now." Liz looked at the table. When her mother made no move to leave the table, Liz stood and went to the back bedroom and shut the door.

It was only then that she remembered her mother still held her letter.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Max Evans rolled up his sleeves in an attempt to battle the heat. Who would have thought a heatwave would hit in the middle of March?

Max stared out his East staring at the glistening lake, listening with his new friend and his wife, Michael and Maria Guerin. It had been three months since he had been in New Mexico and Liz hadn't written to him in that time.

His mother had written to him and assured him that she had recovered from her illness. She was still weak, though. Max scrubbed his hands over his eyes and focused on Maria's words.

"Mr. Evans, you're not paying attention to me." Maria Guerin put her hands on her hips, letting her parasol drop.

"Mrs. Guerin, you're getting too much sun." Max teased.

"Please call me Maria." She said exasperated.

"I don't think your husband would like."

"He wouldn't." Michael stepped up to his wife and handed her the parasol and kissed her cheek.

"He won't mind." Maria smacked him away. "Will you, honey?"

"No."

Max knew Maria would do as she pleased. Michael was putty in the girl's hands. Even his father who met him before had said Michael Guerin had changed in the skillful—and loving Max suspected—hands of Maria Deluca Guerin.

"Max, who are pining over?" Maria asked softly stepping closer to him.

"No one." He stepped away and looked at the water. How he wished Maria weren't here so he could just dive into the water. "Michael make your wife go home so I can swim."

Michael raised his eyebrows and said it simply. "You."

Max knew it would be impossible. "Mrs. Guerin,"

"Well at least you can marry her, if not then just move on."

"If only it were that simple, Mrs. Guerin."

"Max Evans, call me Mrs. Guerin one more time, and you'll regret it." She said her face turned an angry flush of red.

"Sorry."

"You're forgiven. It can be that simple." She said more gently. "Has she written to you?"

He said nothing just continued to stare east.

"Have you written her?"

He gave a curt nod. At least a dozen times since he'd left, and there had never been any replies.

"Max…"

"There has to be a reason why she won't."

"Maybe there is, maybe she just…" She trailed off.

"No." Max said firmly. "No, please drop it, Maria."

"Alright." She huffed. "But Michael is taking me to New York with him when he goes this fall, will you go with us and show us around?"

Max stared straight ahead, fall was six long months away.

"Liz?" Serena asked quietly, checking to see if she was awake.

"Yes, what is it?" Liz sat up. "Is something wrong with the baby?"

"No, I have something for you."

"What?" Liz wasn't sure she wanted it.

"Liz, I know about you and your papa. Mama explained to me and Kyle while you were sick." She said quietly. "It upset Kyle terribly. I still think he is upset with them, but for the babies, he's being cordial to her. But, Liz, I have something for you."

Liz groaned and shoved her head under the pillow. "I don't want it."

"It's from Max." Serena said. "He's been sending them here, and by some act of God I've been able to intercept the before your mother found out. You be grateful and sit up now." She said tersely. "I know you're hurting, but you can't sulk."

"Go away, Serena."

"Alright." Serena stood. "Mrs. Higgins expects you at work by noon." She brushed off her dress and left the room.

Soon as Liz heard the front door slam, and the small apartment go silent, she pushed out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. Sitting on the table was a box and on top was a letter that had 'Liz' written on the outside of it.

tbc