Max & Kenny: 6 Months Later

It's okay. We're okay. Back on an even keel. Back to work. Raising our daughter together. A weekly date. Regular sex. We're good. Smiling as she and Taylor played on the rug after Mommy & Me class. We're giving her a happy home

"Here."

She looked up as he handed her a beer. "I think I'm going to pass."

"You're done breastfeeding."

"I know."

"You look good."

My pre-pregnancy body, she thought, growing my hair out for him. Being the perfect wife, mother, cop, the clean-cut, girl next door, his dream wife. I go to work, take Taylor to classes, cook, keep the house clean, make him happy… Talking about another baby. "Running after Taylor keeps me in shape."

This is how it should be. Her, so soft, pretty, her trying in our marriage. Her being my wife again. "How about we put her to bed?"

"If we do that now, she'll be up at three."

Kenny scooped up a squirmy Taylor. "I want to spend time with you."

She smiled at him. I can't breathe. I'm not this person. I love being a mom. Having a family… It's still there, I feel his judgment. Like he sees through me. "Then you'll be getting up with her."

He looked at her. "You know she only wants Mommy that early."

And I love snuggling with her. "Later? You and me, after her real bedtime?"

"I love you, Max."

Lucas & Sarah

"She says she is."

Lucas looked at her. "Do you believe her?"

"My sister who takes one out of ten of my calls?"

"She has a life there."

"What kind of life? She loves you and you love her. She wouldn't be with him if she didn't have Taylor."

"Come on, she wouldn't have married him if she didn't love him. She could have walked away, but she chose to go with him. Leave it alone."

Max & Jill

"But…I just had a baby," Max stated. "How…I know how. Oh."

After a rough pregnancy, Jill thought, and she does look so happy with Taylor. "It's a surprise?"

Maybe it will bring us closer. Growing our family…that's what we are. "I mean, Taylor is eight-months-old, we were going to wait awhile longer and…I love being a mom."

"How does she like daycare?"

"She's doing good…it kills me leave her there though."

She is a good mom, she lights up with Taylor. "How are you and Kenny? I saw you two out the other night together."

"Weekly date night. We're…we're good."

"You know you can talk to me."

I don't take Sarah's calls or respond to Luc's funny texts. I can't lie to them. I can't fake being happy…they would hate this me. I'm not even sure I like her. "I know."

"Max, are you happy?"

"Why wouldn't I be? So, I'm having a baby. Kenny is going to be thrilled. I guess I'll go see my OB. Thanks."

Jill watched her bolt. Oh, Max, what is wrong?

Max & Kenny

Max paused as she watched Kenny playing with Taylor in the living room. He is a good father. He loves Tay and…that can be enough. We can raise her and this new baby in a happy home. Hopefully an easier pregnancy this time for me. "Hi."

He looked up at her, as she shrugged her coat off and his heart caught in his throat. Tight jeans, purple sweater, her hair so long and shiny, looking every bit like the woman he adored. My Max, he thought, as Taylor squealed in delight at the sight of her. She is the best mom, I'll give her that. "Hi yourself."

She smiled at them, as she settled on the floor with them. "And what are you two up to?"

Kenny watched as Taylor crawled to mom and settled in her lap. Max hugging her tightly and kissing her cheek. "Max?"

She looked back at him. A family for Taylor, that's what this is. A little brother or sister in me. I can do this. No marriage is perfect. "Kenny?"

I feel the wall around her heart, even if she says and does the right things. And I love her so much still. She used to smile at me like that, that one right there, like she does with Taylor. "You want to order in tonight? Eat on the porch and stuff?"

"Sure."

"You okay?"

She squeezed Taylor tighter. I was elated to be pregnant the first time. To be a mom…this is different. Taylor was made out of love…this baby? Perfectly solid sex. "I'm great…Uh, Kenny…I'm pregnant."

He stared at her with that. "You're what?"

"Pregnant…we're making Taylor a big sister."

He reached out, brushed her hair away, drinking her in. So beautiful, he thought, so what I always wanted. We're fine. "Ah, Max…I love you so much."

"Jill said I'm six-weeks. I wasn't expecting this, but…we wanted a big family."

"You're a wonderful mother, Max."

"I'm excited."

He pressed his lips to hers, enjoying her taste and smells. She still kisses like she means it. I still feels like it did the first time. We were so young…I never wanted to let her go then or now. My Max. "Me too. Come here."

She kissed him back, his gentle touch making her cave a bit at her internal reluctance. I'm okay here. Me and our kids will be fine.

Lucas

Pregnant, ah Max, what are you doing? Nope, she made her choice, I need to leave her alone. She wants to make her marriage work. She wants a family. Looking over at his date, he smiled at her. "I'm glad we could do this."

"I remember you from high school."

I hated that school, except for Max and cross country. "A long time ago."

Pamela smiled at that. "I always had a thing for bad boys."

Max

"I can't come see my big sister?" Sarah asked. "Who is really bad at returning a phone call."

Max winced a bit, seeing Kenny's angry look at her dismissive attitude toward him. "I know. It's been a lot and…of course I'm glad you're here. If I had known, I would have taken some days off."

"Well, I can hang out with my adorable niece."

"She's in daycare. We already paid for it," Kenny interjected.

Sarah ignored him and focused on her sister. "You don't work 24 hours a day."

Oh, Kenny is going to give me an earful. He hates my family, and Sarah was pretty blunt with him last time. "I suppose not."

"We have things, Max," Kenny said. "Obligations."

"I know…but I can miss a few Mommy and Me classes to hang out with my sister. And I actually like her taking care of Tay better than daycare for a few days."

"We need to get her used to childcare."

"Come on," Sarah said, looking at her sister and ignoring him. "We should go get a drink. Non-alcoholic for you. Don't look like, Max, you're not 80. I'm sure Kenny can take care of Taylor for a few hours. Go change out of your sweats and put on something cute."

I hate her, Kenny thought, and Max actually listens to her baby sister. I hate her entire family. "You know Taylor has trouble going to bed unless it's you."

Keep me home and with him. Him watching me. Taylor keeping me sane here. "We won't be late…and she loves her Daddy too."

"You're pregnant."

"I know. I've been vomiting. Just a couple of hours."

She isn't leaving me. She isn't. "Have fun."

Max & Sarah

I wish it was booze, Max thought. "You really don't like him."

"I want to like him because Mom and Dad don't like him… they hated Lucas too, but he was so polite it was great to watch."

"Still Team Lux?"

"See, it stuck."

"It's not going to happen."

"But you la-uv each other."

"Can we talk about anything else?"

"Fine. Has he hit you?"

"No."

"Do you smile? Ever? You're too skinny to be four-months pregnant. Are you taking care of yourself?"

"Who is the older sister here?"

"The one who is too stubborn to admit she's miserable."

"I am not."

"And if I told you Lucas was at a hotel here, what would you do?" Sarah asked, watching her sister's eyes light up at that. "See?"

"No marriage is perfect. Luc and I don't know each other, not like that, anymore."

"It doesn't matter."

I can't just leave…we have kids. A life we built…a husband who will never unconditionally love me again. Damn it. I cry in the shower. I've never felt more alone than I do in marriage. "I have a life here. I do love Kenny."

"Lucas keeps saying you wouldn't have married him if you didn't."

"And why are you talking to Lucas?"

"Jealous? He's dating."

Yes, she thought, and I suck. I'm married. I chose to come home with Kenny. Not Luc. "He's allowed. He's single."

"He loves you."

"No. Like Kenny he loves the idea of me. He doesn't know adult me."

"You two run to each other every time. I saw how you looked at each other. He adores Taylor."

"She's Kenny's daughter."

"Just saying he looked awfully comfortable with her. And you."

His gentle touch, it is how he looks at me…what am I doing? "I'm committed to my marriage."

"Even if you're miserable."

"We should go. Tay doesn't like to go to bed unless I'm there."

Kenny & Max

She loves you, he thought, but her sister is putting ideas in her head. I hate her entire family. We're fine here, us, Taylor, that baby in her… she's the woman I love. Look at her with Taylor. "Max?"

Smile. Soft. Pretty. He won't hurt me. I've never been afraid of him. Until now. She looked up at him, after she finished dressing Taylor. "Kenny?"

She lights up with Taylor. She has a pregnancy glow. And she looks very wary of me. Sarah did this. No. We're fine. "How about you and me go out tonight? Take advantage of Sarah baby-sitting?"

"Just us?"

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me."

"You're not…This isn't you."

"Oh? What do you want me to be like, Kenny?"

"I want you to be my wife again, Max."

"I am your wife."

"No. You're cold and distant. You said we were okay."

"I want to be. You hurt me, and I don't want you to again. Physically and emotionally."

"You think I'm going to hurt you?"

"I had bruises, Kenny. You wouldn't get off me. I really thought you were going to…force yourself on me."

"I would never rape you."

I am afraid, she thought, that he's going to hurt me. That if I'm not…stop it. No, we were better off as friends and not this. It's not even about Lucas. "What if I have other secrets? What if I disappoint you?"

"You want to be with him."

"I do not. This is about us."

"Is he here too? Is that why Sarah is dragging you out?"

"If I wanted to sleep with Lucas, I'd sleep with Lucas. He's not here. He's in Vermont."

"You are a liar, Max. Where are you going? Don't you walk away from me."

"Let go!" she cried, as he grabbed her wrist and tossed her on the couch. Scrambling up, she backed away from him slowly. "Don't ever touch me again."

"Max, don't."

"I want you to leave. I want a divorce."

"We are not doing that."

"You're not the man I married."

"And you're just a baby murdering whore."

She glared at him with that. Taylor is safe…so is this baby inside me. "No, I was a teenager who made a hard decision. I'm not a whore. Get out."

"Only if Taylor comes with me."

"Never. You'll never treat her like this."

"You're not taking my daughter away."

"I should have never come back here with you."

"Him. It's about him."

"No, it's about me. And how I deserve to be treated. How our daughter is never doing to know this hurt. Stop!"

"You are not leaving me!"

"Kenny, no!" she cried, as he threw her against the wall. "Stop!"

"You're my wife!"

She gasped, as her world blurred as her head slammed against the wall. No…no. Not again.

Shadow World

"You can't just make it work."

Max stared at him. "It wasn't real?"

"Kenny cursed you as he choked you…I enjoy playing with you."

"What?"

"You'll never be happy. You're never going home. He'll kill you over and over again…no matter what you choose. Reset number three.

TBC...Final Chapter Up Soon