Floodgates

by BinBagBrain

This takes place roughly in Season 3 beginning in Spring Break. Some of the storylines in the show are removed/ignored so there's less animosity between the characters of Fran and Max. Any wordiness is just to help create an image and provide some stage direction for the reader to help them visualize what is happening. Don't forget to read all the chapters! More chapters to come!

19. Chapter 19

"Sweetie, look at these! See if they match your watch- that silver. Oh- what watch are you going to wear with the tuxedo? Will you wear this one?" She reached for his wrist to see if the watch looked similar to a set of silver cufflinks in the display case.

"I could, if you want me to. I don't think it will show at all, unless I pull it out to check the time. But if they go with your gown, too, then that would be a bonus."

"Okay, good. See the shape of them- just like a basic cabochon, and not too shiny."

"Are you thinking the cufflinks shouldn't be overly decorated? Should they be more utilitarian?"

"They can be whatever you want, but I was just thinking if we stuck to the modern thing, then simple might be better. All of your other cufflinks have some sort of design, or monogram, don't they?" She asked.

"Ah, yes, I think so. Yes, I believe they all have something to them. Alright, I see what you're saying. Would they need to be silver? Would something like black be too much?"

"Black? Hmm… I hadn't thought about that. I suppose if they were on the small side, that might work. They still wouldn't show too much, unless you reached an arm out in front of you maybe," she took his wrist in her hands and turned it to the side, imagining how the cuffs of his sleeves might look. "But that's something to think about- black cufflinks. You know, you don't have to do round ones, either. Maybe even square could be a possibility."

"Square? Oh, alright. Well, I'll keep my eyes open. But sweetheart, I want you to look for something for yourself. Maybe a necklace with matching earrings. I'll keep looking at the cufflinks, but I'd really like you to focus on something for yourself."

"Are you sure? Well, okay. I suppose I could do that. But what sort of necklace? A solitaire, or lots of stones? Something silvery?"

"Anything you like, darling! But maybe more than a solitaire…" he grinned at her and kissed her cheek.

"Maxwell Sheffield, you make me positively giddy!" She tugged on his wrist and kissed him, then let go of him so she could wander over to the large displays of sparkly necklaces. He grinned and continued to look through the display of cufflinks and tie clips.

Fran found a long display of necklaces with diamonds and semi-precious stones. Silver and gold- lit up strategically with small lights spread all throughout the cases. They took her breath away. She walked along slowly, bent over the display as she heaved the bags along with her. She browsed through a number of solitaire diamonds and stones, then found her way into larger designs, with much higher price tags. She gushed over the beauty of them all.

Max looked through all of the cufflinks on display, not certain of what might work for his tuxedo shirt. He found himself working his way into the section of men's rings- signets, gemstones, and all manner of bands in silver and gold of every width and design possible. He almost wished he wore more rings. The men's bands shifted into sets of wedding bands, which then transitioned into engagement rings. Max glanced across the room at Fran, who was still busy talking to a saleswoman about the necklaces. He felt his face getting warm and hoped he wasn't turning red. He turned back to the rings and tried to hurriedly look through them. He felt a wave of happiness flooding through him. He stood back up and shifted the garment bags to his other shoulder, then turned around to look for Fran. He watched her animated conversation with the saleswoman over a necklace that she seemed to be very interested in. He headed her way, coming up behind her as she held the necklace up to her while looking in a mirror on the counter.

"Oh, that's beautiful, darling!" He said to her softly, over her shoulder.

"Oh, sweetie! Do you like it, too?" She squealed.

"Yes, I do. Is that what you're thinking of for the party?" He moved the garment bags and draped them over his arm to have a look at her from the front.

"Possibly. But is it too much? I mean, the size of it?" She shifted the necklace up and down slightly as she held it against her.

"I don't think so. Can you fasten it and see how it falls? I'm sorry, but I don't have the hands at the moment to help you." Max lifted his heavy armful of garment bags.

"Oh, sweetie, that's alright. Is it alright if I put this on all the way?" She asked the saleswoman."

"Sure, go ahead. Do you need any help with it?" The woman asked.

"Um, let me see… no, I don't think so. There- there it is. Okay, Max, what do you think?" Max looked her over, trying to imagine her bare shoulders and neck.

"That's very nice, indeed!" He said. She turned to look back at the mirror and smiled, then held her hand over it at her neck.

"There are earrings, too! Ma'am, could I hold the earrings up by my ears to show him?

"Of course! Here, let me help you remove them from the display." The woman unclipped the earrings from the velvet-lined display and handed them carefully to Fran. Fran held them to her ears, then turned to look at Max. Max's eyes went wide and he looked her over again. He imagined her in the gown, with the necklace on her bare skin, and the earrings hanging invitingly from her ears. He smiled at her and nodded, almost blushing.

"You like them? Really?"

"I do. A lot. I think they'll go wonderfully with the gown. But do you want to check, just to be sure?" He gestured toward the garment bags hanging over his arm.

"Oh! We probably should, shouldn't we? Oh, here, ma'am, here are the earrings back. Let me take off the necklace and compare it to the gown really quick. Is it alright if he sets the bags on the counter for a second?"

"Of course, here let me move the mirror and put these earrings back for a moment." Once the woman had moved things, Max carefully set the garment bags across the counter and then unzipped the one with her gown. Even the saleswoman's eyes lit up at seeing her gown.

"What a beautiful dress! So this is what you're looking to coordinate with?" The woman asked.

"Yes. Isn't it pretty? I'm so excited for this party we're going to, I want everything to be just right." She took off the necklace and gently draped it across her palm, then rested her palm on the gown. "Oh! That looks so nice! Don't you think? What do you think, Max?"

"I think you may have a new set of jewelry in your collection," he smiled.

"Really? But maybe you should see the price first…" Fran advised. Max decided to listen to her rather than tell her not to worry about it. He looked over at the saleswoman and she picked up the display tray and turned the price towards him so he could see it. He nodded to the woman.

"Darling, if this is the one for that gown, then I want you to have it. If you really like it, then it's a yes." She smiled at him, then looked back at the necklace in her hand, then handed it to the woman to put back in its spot on the tray. She turned to Max and took his hands.

"I would like it very much, Max! All of it! As long as you're certain?"

"I'm positive. It's all very beautiful, and looks amazing on you." He smiled at her, then turned to the saleswoman. "We'll take it. The necklace and earrings. And we still have a little more to look at, so we might get something else."

"Alright, I'll get this boxed up nicely for you and get it ready for your purchase, then. Just let me know if you need any more assistance."

"Okay, thank you very much for your help!" Fran said, and zipped up the garment bag. Max picked them up again and draped them over his shoulder. "And thank you, Max! It's all so beautiful! I mean it, it means a lot to me!"

"You mean a lot to me, Fran. I'm glad you found something. And speaking of finding something- maybe you can help me. I was thinking about the stud on that cross tie- what do you think about having the cufflinks look similar to that? That same look, just a bit larger? It's a black stud. Would you be able to get that tie out of the bag so maybe we can compare that? If we find something, then that should be it for our outfits, right?"

"Oh, yes! You know, that's a really good idea! Okay, let me fish that tie out of here, and let's go back over there." They headed back to the displays of cufflinks and tie clips, and Fran retrieved the tie from the bag and held it out to Max. He set it on top of the glass and they both leaned over, looking through the extensive collection. After a couple of minutes, Fran pulled him towards her. "Hey, come here, sweetie. What about this set here? Let's see the tie real quick."

Max stepped over to her, sliding the tie across the glass to her. "Which one was it?" He asked.

"See the set near the top here- the rounded black ones. Not too shiny."

"Oh, yes. And with silver, too. They are the same shape as the stud on this tie. Should we ask to have a look?"

"Sure!" They looked up and got the attention of a salesman nearby and asked him if they could look at the cufflinks they had found.

"This black set here? Alright." He unlocked the back of the case and took out the cufflinks, then set them on a padded velvet tray for them to look at. Fran set the tie next to the set of cufflinks.

"They're nice, aren't they? I definitely don't have anything like them. And they are very close to that stud on the tie, don't you think?" He asked Fran.

"They really are. I know they won't be showing most of the time, but they are going to be noticeable when you reach an arm out. Do you think the size is alright?"

"The size is perfect, darling. Not large, and not so small that they might slip back through the button holes. I do like them. So, do you think we should go with these?" Max picked them up and looked them over again.

"I like them if you like them. I think they'll work with your tux." Max smiled and stood up.

"Well, sir, I think we'll take these, along with the necklace and earrings she picked out, and I think that will do for today," he said to the salesman.

"Very good! I'll get this boxed up for you and will bring it over to the register."

Fran picked up all of the bags and Max shifted the garment bags onto his other arm, then reached for her hand. "So, darling, would you like to go find some pastries to take home? I can call the car from the pastry shop before we look, so then it should be outside once we're done."

"Oh, yum! That sounds good! And I am so ready to go home, you wore me out today!"

"We did good today, didn't we? I think we really got everything we needed. And yes, I think I'm ready to change clothes and flop on the couch."

"You know it!" Fran grinned and squeezed his hand. They went over to the register and the saleswoman brought out the fancy box with the necklace and earrings and set it down, then the salesman hurried over with the smaller box with the cufflinks. They looked through both boxes first, and then the saleswoman rang up the sale as the salesman carefully wrapped and bagged the jewelry for them. Max paid for everything and then Fran carefully put the bag of jewelry into one of the other bags. Fran beamed at him as they left the jewelry department and headed downstairs to find the coffee shop that sold a lot of breakfast pastries.

"Phew! Okay, darling, can we set some of this down at a table, and see what we want to get? And I need to make that phone call, too."

"Of course, baby. You've been carrying the big, heavy stuff all over. Here, let's pull out these two chairs, and I'll set the bags on the table. Do you want to watch it and I'll go see what they have?" She asked.

"Sure, that sounds fine. Could you look through the croissants and see what kinds they have? Maybe a savory and a sweet. We can get more than one kind."

"Oh, yummy, that sounds good! And do you want anything to drink before we go?"

Max thought a moment. "You know, a hot tea wouldn't be bad, but would we be able to carry it?"

"They've got carriers, sweetie. And I can help with that. Okay, I'll hurry over and see what they've got while you call."

"Alright, thank you." Max set the garment bags over the chairs and dug out the cell phone from his inside pocket and made the call to the driver. Fran browsed through all of the pastries on display, then looked at the drink menu to see what teas they might have, then hurried back over to Max.

"Is he coming soon?" She asked, as Max was putting the phone back in his pocket.

"Yes, he's going to try to pull up to the corner right outside of here fairly soon. Did you find something?"

"Yes! First, the sweet stuff- for croissants they have a plum and an apricot, besides the plain ones, but the ones that looked amazing were the chocolate croissants! They look so good! And for savory, they also have some small breakfast quiches, but I don't think those would be so good to heat back up. But they had some cheese and herb croissants, and get this- they have country ham and Vermont cheddar croissants! Doesn't that sound amazing? And they have London Fog teas, do you want one of those?"

"Oh, that does sound good! Yes, I think I will. Would you like one, too?"

"Yes! That would be nice to sip on!"

"Alright, so two of those… and how about we get two of the chocolates, and if you think those ham and cheddar ones look good, then two of those. Do you think that will be enough?"

"Yeah, that's plenty! They're big! Here, baby, you sit down a minute and let me go get this stuff. I've got it."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, darling, really…"

"Baby! I got it! I can at least do this much. Now sit!"

Max grinned and followed her command and sat down near their things. He watched her jaunt back to the counter and speak to a salesgirl, then request the things they wanted. She paid for everything and carried the box of treats back to the table.

"Okay, once we have the teas, we can load up and go. Can you see outside from here?"

"No, not very well. They have the windows covered with ads or something. They're a bit hard to see through. But it's alright, we'll be out there soon enough. Now are you sure we can carry all of this? I'll put these over my shoulder, and I can carry a bag, too, if you want."

"Okay, yeah. I may need you to. The driver can help get all this in the car if we need it, I'm sure." Fran looked back at the counter and the girl waved her over. The teas were ready. Fran rushed back to the counter and grabbed the drink carrier with their hot teas, then hurried back to Max. "Okay, sweetie, get all buttoned back up. If you can carry this one bag, I'll take the heavier one and the others. I can hang them on my arms and then carry the food and drinks. Let's see if that works."

"Alright." They sorted out their coats and scarves and buttoned them up, then Max heaved the garment bags over his shoulder, then picked up the bag Fran had moved over for him to get. She hung her purse over her shoulder and neck, slid the other bag handles onto her arms, picked up the box of croissants in one hand, and finally the drink carrier in the other. They looked at each other and started laughing.

"Okay, let's get out there before we drop anything!" Fran said. Max followed her out of the coffee shop, then a man helped hold the door for them so they could get outside. They looked back and forth from the sidewalk until they saw the car approaching. They hurried to the curb when it stopped, and the driver got out and helped them set their purchases carefully into the trunk, except for the food and drinks. Max took them from Fran so she could get in the back, then he carefully handed them back to her so he could get in. Fran set the box of treats on the floor, then pushed the carrier of drinks up against the divider in front of them, so she could try to hold it steady with her feet. Max saw what she was doing and put his own foot up against it, too, then they got buckled in and the driver headed off, back towards Park Avenue.

"Okay, sweetie. Let's leave the teas here to cool off a bit. I'll run these croissants to the kitchen, then do you want to meet upstairs? In my old room? We can hang those bags in there for now so they don't risk getting messed up at all. That'll give us room in there to sort out the stuff in the bags, too. Then we can change clothes and relax a bit."

"That sounds good, darling. Here, let me grab the bags with the shoes. Can you get the others?"

"Sure can! Okay, meet you up there in a second!"

"Okay." Max headed carefully up the front staircase and Fran grabbed the rest of the bags and hurried to the kitchen to drop off their breakfast, then she headed up the back stairs with the remaining bags to meet Max in her old bedroom.

Max set the bags on Fran's old bed then heaved the garment bags towards her closet. He opened the closet door and looked around, then saw the hooks on the back of it and hung the bags there. Just then, Fran came in the door with the other bags and set them on the bed. They smiled at each other and Fran hurried over to him and gave him a big hug, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him all over his cheeks.

"Mmm! What's that for?" He asked.

"Because you're the most wonderful man in the world and I love you!" She kissed him full on the mouth and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Mmmm!" He sighed. "I had a wonderful time with you today, darling. I can't wait to show you off at this party! And on our date Thursday night, too. I'm glad I can do things like take you out shopping, and watch you try on beautiful gowns, and heels. I like spoiling you a little. You deserve it."

"Well, I don't know if I deserve it, but I sure want to earn it! Hey, we need to get back down to our teas before they get cold. Let's sort these things real quick. And what about the attic stuff? Did you want to do that now, too?"

"Oh, yes. Sure, we can do that. We can probably bring some of that downstairs with us and go through it there, if you'd like. But here, let me get those other pairs of shoes and things. I can put them in the other bedroom, then get changed out of these clothes."

"Oh, yeah! Here, let me help. We can leave everything for the party in here for now." They sorted through the bags and removed the items they needed for the upcoming party, then Max picked up the bags.

"Do you want to meet in the attic? After we change clothes?"

"Sure, baby. Oh, I might bring some pajamas and clothes over, to your room first, if that's okay."

"Our room, sweetheart. And of course it's okay," he kissed her on the lips. "Let's hurry, though, so we can get back to our teas."

"Okay, baby! On it!" Max smiled and hurried out of the room, and Fran hurried to her closet to find clothes for the next day, then to her dresser to find pajamas and something loungey to wear for the rest of the day.

Max hurried into the master bedroom and set the bags on the bench at the end of the bed, then hurried into the closet to get changed. He hung up his blazer, kicked off his shoes, then got his shirt and trousers off. He found a pair of cotton pants and a long-sleeved cotton shirt and got them on as quickly as he could, then changed out his socks, put on his slippers, and hurried out of the bedroom to the attic. He wanted to dig out a few things to show Fran.

Fran pulled off her heels and put them away, then took off her dress, slip, and pantyhose. She found a snug pair of soft workout pants and put them on, then pulled on a loose, cropped sweatshirt. She checked her makeup in her mirror, grabbed a thick pair of socks and sat down, then pulled them onto her feet and slipped into her slippers. She grabbed her stack of clothes and hurried from the room to drop them off in the master bedroom. She rushed into the bedroom and found that Max was already gone, so she left the stack on a shelf in the closet and hurried off to meet up with him in the attic.

Max moved two fairly large boxes over towards the door of the attic, then went back to check through several others. Fran came rushing through the door, a bit out of breath.

"I'm here!" She gasped. Max looked over and smiled at her.

"Hello! Hey, come here a moment. I want to show you this." Max gestured towards a large, old wooden trunk against the wall. It had his name stenciled across the top of it, faded from the years. Fran walked across the room to join him.

"Your trunk?"

"Yes." He reached down and opened the lid, then took her hand in his. "Now, you might think it's a bit silly, but, well, I've discussed this with the children- that this trunk is important to me. You're welcome to look through it on your own sometime, but my one request is that everything go back just the way it was. It just means a lot to me that things are kept how they are." Fran looked at him questioningly.

"You don't want to go through it now?"

"Well, no, not right now. There're some other things in those boxes over there I thought we'd start with. We can take those downstairs with us. I just wanted to let you know it was alright for you to look through this trunk, but I'm just a bit- ah, particular about it."

"Okay, I get it. I'll be careful with it if I look through it sometime. So, do you want to take those downstairs, and get our teas?"

"Yes! Let's hurry down there, before they get cold. Would you be able to carry one of these?" Fran checked the two boxes and picked up one of them.

"Yep! Okay, let's get downstairs!"

"Alright, good! Let me grab this one and we'll head down to the couch. Oh- these are a bit dusty so we probably don't want them sitting on the furniture or the rug."

"Okay. We'll get those boards out and maybe we can set them on that."

"Okay. Well, let's go!" Max picked up the remaining box and they headed out of the room, and back downstairs to the couch. When they got to the livingroom, they set the boxes on the floor near the couch, but not on the new rug, and Max headed over to the fireplace to turn it on. Fran went to the ottoman to remove the boards and set them down on top, then went to the entry table to get their teas out of the carrier, and brought them back to the ottoman. When Max had the fire going, he came over to join her, picked up one of the boxes, and sat it down on the boards. They sat down on the couch, and Fran pulled the throw blanket over and spread it on her lap. They both took a swig of tea before Max opened the box. He leaned over it to look in, then pulled out a cigar box. He sat back on the couch with Fran and they cuddled together.

"What's in this?" Fran asked.

"Open it and see," he said, smiling. Fran reached over and lifted the lid of the cigar box. Inside, the box contained a half a dozen metal toy cars of various sizes. They clearly had been used and loved, the tires were worn but all of their parts were still there, and the paint was lovingly looked after. Fran smiled as she picked up the largest one.

"These are yours, aren't they?" She looked over at Max.

"Yes. These are the only toy cars I had. I think they were the only toys my father ever got for me. Several of them are from a trip to America that he took- you can see the cars that are left-hand drive?"

"Oh! Yeah. That's really sweet, Max. I always pictured him as being horrible to you in all sorts of ways, but I guess it's nice to see that he would do something like that for you- that he was thinking of you when he got them."

"Yes, I suppose it was. I think back then, when it wasn't so far into my parents' marriage, he was a little more amenable to that sort of thing. I don't exactly know what happened that made him become who he is now, if they had some sort of argument or falling out, or what exactly. Maybe it wasn't one thing, but one thing after another. But these cars- I guess it was sort of an escape for me at times. I could take them outside to play, or hide away in the playroom, or some far part of the house away from everything."

"How come you don't keep them in that trunk of yours in the attic?"

Max put his arm around her. "Well, I never took them to school with me. Once I was sent off to school, I kept things like that in special places at home. I had a desk at home with lots of drawers, and I would keep all of my important treasures there. I didn't want to take anything really important with me to school because I was afraid I would lose it, or that someone might take it. So then, once I came back home, that was one of the first places I would go to- to hurry to that desk and check all my treasures, and make sure no one had touched them or taken them. Little by little, I accumulated a number of things that were important to me that I kept stashed away."

"Is that why you're so particular about that trunk upstairs? Was it the same kind of thing? Like you were protecting your things, keeping them safe and in order?" Max gave a small laugh.

"Well, I suppose, in a way. But that started out with a different sort of experience." He took a sip of his tea and leaned over to set it on the ottoman. He picked up one of the toy cars and looked it over, then set it back in the box. "My grandfather- my mother's father… I was very close to him. I was one of the first grandchildren on that side, and when he retired, I guess he would get really bored and needed things to fill his time, so he would have my cousins and I over to their house fairly often for a while. We were pretty young- it was before we all went off to school. He loved talking about history and told us all sorts of stories about wartime, and about things our ancestors did, or at least what he was told they did. I'm not sure all of it was true. He was in the army before he got married, and he went on a training mission in Africa someplace. So, he talked about how they had horses, and he may have even mentioned camels, too, but I don't remember for sure. Maybe I imagined that part. But anyway, he had a lot of old photos of the camps they had, and how they had so many of these wooden trunks that they kept everything in. The tents, the tables and chairs they needed, the cooking equipment. He even had an old trunk that was specially made to hold a set of folding chairs and a table in it. And in his office he had sections of portable cabinets, they could keep papers and books in them and then take them apart to move, and stack them back together once they had the tent back up in the new camp. And, of course, all of the soldiers that traveled would have not just the gear that they carried, but they all had their own trunks they traveled with. Well, he still had his. He would show it to us and explain how important it was to him that everything in it stayed exactly the way it was, or it would be hard to get it all to fit back in it again. He had fashioned these dividers that he put in it to separate things, like blankets on one side, divided from the area he kept his shaving kit and bars of soap, and his notebooks and writing tools. He could fit a spare uniform and boots over the blanket that was rolled up, and then I remember he had an awful lot of pairs of socks. He said those could be extremely important sometimes. He had some books in there, too. Some were for the things he was learning, some were history books. But I suppose I was always fascinated at how he could squeeze everything he needed into that one trunk. He had really maximized the space and separated everything. And the way he had used pieces of old crates or something to make the dividers. Some of them still had labels on one side. Like fruit crates, I think. He was really clever with the things he made. He would save little boxes, or cigar boxes, if they were a size that he needed for something, like for holding medicines, or maybe his cards and dice and game pieces. I think I loved those the most. Somehow, that must have really imprinted on me, because I ended up doing the same thing with my own trunk that I took with me to school. I didn't realize it at the time, but I realized it when he passed away, and they were dealing with the estate and all of his things. Most of that passed to my uncle, and I was terribly worried something would happen to that trunk. I remember calling my uncle and, well, I was probably a bit frantic over it. I didn't think it was my place to ask for it, but I needed to tell him to please take care of it and to not remove anything from it, that it needed to be kept just the way it had always been. I was still young when my grandfather passed, I think that was about the time I was going away to Oxford. I'm sure I made a fool of myself over it, in a time when I should have shown more compassion, maybe. I mean, my uncle, and my mother, had just lost their father, after all. He promised to look after it, and he said he knew how particular his father was about it. I'm not sure if he has just kept it in storage, or left it in the attic, or maybe in a spare room. I haven't felt comfortable talking to him about it again, because I was embarrassed at how I handled that first conversation with him. But I have talked to my mother about it, at least to hint that it was something that was important to me- that I have fond memories of it. I hope some day I can see it again, and maybe show you, too. I think it's a part of my heritage I can be proud of, and be glad that I have the memories of my grandfather telling us all of his stories. I think he may have even written them all down somewhere, and it might be in the notebooks he kept in that trunk.

"So, anyway… My trunk. It held everything I needed for school, except for my uniforms and other clothing. And little by little, I also made my own dividers in it, and I even built a tray I could set into the top to keep things on, and keep them separate so they wouldn't get lost down deep in the trunk. I could keep all of my supplies of paper and journals, and pens and pencils, and my favorite magazines and novels. I kept small boxes, and cigar boxes, too, so I could keep things in them. Like marbles, and movie tickets, and playing cards. It just made me feel like I was living some kind of important life, too, I suppose. I was on a different kind of adventure than he had been, and a lot safer, but it was still an adventure. And I suppose I thought my future would have more adventures, so I could add more things if I needed to."

"Your life did have more adventures, didn't it?" Fran looked up at him, having been riveted to his story.

"Yes… yes, I suppose it did." He smiled softly at her.

"Well, I can't wait to go look through it, and get to know you better. And I promise I'll be really careful with everything."

"Thank you."

"Now, what's next in the box?" She asked, as she closed up the cigar box of cars.

Max took the box from her and set it on the ottoman, then pulled out a stack of three more cigar boxes, all decorated on the outside with different cut-out pictures and decoupaged around the names of the children. She recognized the handwriting- it was Max's. He must have helped make these boxes for the kids. Fran's eyes went wide with curiosity.

"What in the world is all this, Max?" She helped him set the boxes on his lap.

"Well, you might get a kick out of these. These are all of the children's treasure boxes. For some reason, they all had this tendency to pick up things off the ground when we went out anywhere- for a walk, or to the park or playground. All three of them had different tastes in what they thought was a treasure. I was horrified at first, but Sarah got me to relax about it, as long as the children washed their hands after we got home, and if they were at risk of putting it in their mouths, we had to hang onto it. That's why I made these for them. Then they could put everything in their treasure box, and we'd put it away where they couldn't reach it, or know where it was, so they wouldn't do anything risky with any of it. I think I was always terrified the children would choke on something. Maybe that sort of thing was on the news a lot back then- all the choking hazards in children's toys, or children getting a hold of things they shouldn't have and they put them in their mouths. So the rule with the children was that if they picked something up, it went straight into a pocket, and then they could look at it at home before it went into the box. This lasted until they started school, and then they just wouldn't always tell us if they found something outside. It would just end up in a drawer in their room or something. But at least by then, I wasn't too worried they would put anything in their mouths like a toddler would. So, these are their treasure boxes from when they were all little." He smiled at her, then handed her Maggie's box.

"Did you do the decoration on these? And the writing?" She asked, as she ran her fingers over the top of Maggie's treasure box.

"Yes."

"Aw! You're such a sweet daddy!" She patted his arm, then opened Maggie's box. Max reached for his tea and chugged some of it down. Fran looked through all the treasures in Maggie's box- lots of broken pieces of jewelry and gum machine rings, small pieces of children's toys, colorful plastic beads, and even several bits of torn fabric and paper with interesting patterns on them. Fran looked up at Max, smiling. She closed Maggie's box and then took Brighton's from Max's lap and opened it. She chuckled as she saw everything- certain he must have found most of the items from countless playgrounds. Brighton's box was full of broken and beat up Hot Wheels cars, small pretty pebbles and rocks, marbles, Superballs, small car wheels, fire engine ladders, caterpillar treads, lost keychains, plastic toy guns- and darts. Fran picked them up and looked at Max, then they both started laughing.

"I guess that's where I hid them!" Max said. They laughed again, and then she closed Brighton's box, then reached for Gracie's and opened it. Her eyes went wide as she looked through everything, one piece at a time.

"Oh my gosh, Max! I was wondering what she might have put in here, but I wasn't expecting this! But still, it's so her!" Fran leaned her head against Max and she took out several things and held them in her hand. The box was filled with broken pens, pen caps, pieces of pencils, discarded tickets and tags with letters and words on them. There were also pieces of newspapers and magazines- not just pieces with words, but also with numbers and symbols. Some of the paper items seemed to have been trimmed with scissors to remove the excess and leave the word or numbers she wanted to keep. "Did she cut these herself? From things that she found?" Fran looked up at Max.

"Yes. And you know something, now that I think about it, I don't think she collected the words and letters and numbers and things until after… well, after Sarah passed. I remember a few times where Maggie would show her things on our walks- she would ask Grace if it was treasure or not, and if she liked it she would pick it up. That was when we made her a box, too. We showed her Brighton and Maggie's treasure boxes, so she would get the idea. I think she started with picking up the pens and pencils that had been dropped or lost. She seemed to like the things that were used for writing or drawing with- you know how she still loves to use her crayons and markers even now. When she was little, she always wanted the crayons out so she could use them. She had a little easel with a roll of paper on it that she could stand at and draw or try to write on. Oh! She liked to draw shapes! I forgot about that! I wonder if that's how she learned how to write her letters? She did shapes, then fit letters into the shapes. Oh, my goodness! I can't believe I forgot that." Max sat still in thought, and stared blankly across the room for a moment. "I can't remember if we saved any of that paper- from her easel."

"How old was she when she did that?"

"I'd say, maybe three or four. Before that, well, I didn't take many walks with the children. Niles would take her on errands with him, before we hired the first nanny. But he would take a taxi, or call for the car, so Grace wouldn't have had many opportunities to pick up anything outside. I think it was after there was finally a nanny that Maggie may have reintroduced Gracie to the treasure hunt, and that may have been when things shifted- to picking up the bits of paper and packaging, anything with text or numbers on it."

"Can I ask- was Gracie read to a lot when she was little? I mean, well…" Fran didn't know how to phrase what she wanted to say.

"Yes, always, since she was a baby. That was pretty consistent. Maybe one of the most consistent things in her life. I think we all read to her at some point. If Niles couldn't think of something to keep her busy, it was off to the bookstore for a new book or two, then she would obsess over them for a good while. Once we had a nanny, then she had regular trips to the library. Then she could get huge stacks of books at a time. She loved that, but she didn't want to give them back to the library." Max chuckled a little as he thought about it. Fran smiled and rested her head against him.

"I hope there are some of her drawings somewhere. I'd love to see those." Fran looked back over a few things in Gracie's box, then lined the boxes up on their laps and opened the other two again. "Hey, Max? What do you think a psychologist would say about each kid who had these things in a box? Because I think it describes each one of them perfectly."

"It does doesn't it?" Max smiled as he looked over the contents of the cigar boxes on their laps. "You know, Maggie has jewelry boxes to hold her jewelry now. And Brighton keeps his treasures in that desk drawer. And Gracie lines hers up on her dresser and around her mirror. And on her bookshelves, of course." Fran chuckled.

"Yeah. I never looked at things like that before. I'm glad you showed me their treasure boxes, Max. It's like I learned a whole lot more about them. And about you, too." She smiled up at him, and they looked at each other's lips, then kissed softly several times. They smiled at each other, and then turned back to the boxes and closed them up, then Max took them and stacked them on the ottoman boards next to the large box. He peeked back inside the big box, then took out an old shoebox, and handed it to Fran. She took off the lid and looked inside. "What's all this?" She asked.

"Those are some really old family photos, and photos of some of the portraits that are still in the old house. It's mostly Sheffields, but there are some from my mother's side, too."

"Oh! I'm so excited! Look at these- these are tintypes, aren't they?" She carefully lifted up a small framed picture of a couple.

"Yes. Those are some of the oldest photos. Before those, they're all painted portraits. See- like these photos. These are still hanging in the same places in the old house where they've always hung. This couple here I think is third or fourth great grandparents- still on the Sheffield line."

"Wow! Look at those mutton chops! Oh, Max, you're so lucky to have all of these pictures! They go back so far. I don't even think any of my family has any family photos that go back before 1900. I have no idea what my older ancestors looked like. Oh, look! This fellow has your eyes! Aw, Max!" Fran looked back and forth from the photo to Max's face, analyzing the features. She smiled at him and patted his cheek. She turned back to look at the photos, taking each one out to get a good look, then putting it back in the shoebox. Max stroked her shoulder and looked through the pictures with her.

"After this, the last things in this box are three albums- one for each of the children. Instead of doing baby books, Sarah made albums with lots of photos of the children's milestones. Once they got to a certain age, then we mostly combined the photos with the rest of the family photos. But we thought they each should have something they could look back at and see when things happened. Well, Gracie's is a bit different from the other two. But Niles helped a lot with trying to update it." Max looked towards the large box in front of him, almost like he was nervous. Fran finished looking at the shoebox of photos and put the lid back on it.

"You okay with me looking at them?"

"Of course, darling. You should see all of this. I don't want to keep any of it from you. It's just- well, it can bring back some memories. Things I haven't thought about in a long time. But it's alright. It's good to do this."

"Baby, if anything gets to be too much, we can stop. Especially if there's anything you weren't expecting to see, okay? I'm not gonna push."

"Thank you for saying that. But I'm sure it'll be alright." He took the shoebox of photos and set it with the other things, then he stood up so he could reach into the box and pull out the three large photo albums. He sat back down next to her and sorted them out on his lap, putting Maggie's album on top. He smiled at Fran, then handed her Maggie's album. Fran took it from him and set it on her lap, then rubbed his leg as she looked up at him.

"Ready?" She asked, softly. Max nodded.

"Yes." He watched as she opened the cover to read Maggie's name, birthdate, weight, and length written in neat black lettering. There was a piece of paper with her footprint attached to the page below it. Fran smiled. She turned through the pages slowly, Awing and giggling, and getting mushy at the cute photos and lists of milestones. The album was done really well, and Fran was pretty sure Sarah had done all of the work, but she didn't want to ask. She wasn't completely sure how deeply looking at all these things was affecting Max. She leaned deeper against him, and he tightened his clutch on her shoulder. Fran was learning so much about the Sheffields, and it was making her her heart swell with love. She enjoyed seeing the pictures of Maggie as a baby, her first smiles, learning to crawl, and learning to walk. There were pictures of her in a high chair, and in her christening dress, holding a picture book in her lap and pointing at things in it. Fran was gushing. She turned another page and cried out- it was a picture of Max with Maggie riding on his shoulders. They were both smiling ear to ear, and Max held on to her ankles as she held onto his luscious black curls.

"Oh, Max! Look at you two! You're gorgeous! And look at little Maggie! You guys look so happy! Aw, Max, this just kills me! You're such a good daddy!" Fran clutched her chest and tried as hard as she could to not get teary-eyed, but it wasn't working.

"Fran, darling, are you crying?" He moved a curl away from her face to look at her.

"I can't help it, I'm sorry. You guys are just the best! I love seeing things like this!"

"Oh, sweetheart! Come here!" He gestured for her to put her arms around him so he could hug her and give her a kiss on the cheek. She squeezed him hard and nuzzled into his neck. Another whiff of his cologne just added to her emotional overwhelm. She kissed his cheek several times, then leaned back to look at him, and smiled.

"It just fills me up so much, Max! Seeing you like that with the kids. With Maggie. You're a wonderful father, you know? You really are. I just can't even tell you how it makes me feel when I see things like this. I'm kind of jealous, that you got to have those experiences. But I'm so glad you have pictures! I know this will be so important to the kids in the future."

Max hugged her again. "You don't need to be jealous, darling. You've been having moments like this with the children, too. I see it all the time. It fills me up, too."

"Really? I guess maybe I have. I hadn't thought of it like that. Oh, but they aren't babies anymore! What I'd give to just squish their little baby cheeks!" Max chuckled and stroked Fran's cheek.

"Yeah, I miss that. They were awfully cute babies." They looked back at the photo of Max with Maggie on his shoulders. "You know something else, though?"

"What?"

"That was the day we told her she was going to be a big sister." Fran's jaw dropped open, and she felt a wave of emotion rush over her, making her heart race again and her cheeks flush.

"Oh Max!" She sobbed, and clutched the front of his shirt. Fran was smiling through her tears, and shaking from her sobs. Max reached over to the album and lifted the page to turn it. Attached to the last page of the album was a satin flower, similar to a daisy, with a wide ribbon hanging down from it that read I'm a Big Sister Now! Fran burst out in more tears, and laughs, and sobs. She patted her chest, trying to stop the overwhelm.

"That's why we decided to stop this album there, since we needed to get ready to start a new one." He looked at Fran, who was wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Hold on a minute, my poor darling! Let me grab some tissues!" Max let go of her and got up to hurry over to the entry table and grab the box of tissues. He rushed back to Fran and offered her the box, and she pulled out several tissues to wipe her eyes and hold to her nose. "I'm awfully sorry, Fran, I didn't know that was going to happen."

"Neither did I!" They both laughed, and Max was struggling to keep the tears out of his own eyes. But he wasn't worried if they did show. He felt so much love rushing through himself, too. "I have to close this before it sets me off again, Max." She closed the album and Max took it from her, then set it back inside the box.

"Did you finish your tea? Why don't I run and grab us some water bottles, alright? In case this happens again."

"Yes, please. Because I bet it will happen again, there's still two more albums!" They both laughed again, and Max lifted her hand and kissed it.

"I'll just be a minute, darling. No peeking at the other albums until I get back, okay?"

"Oh, I won't. I need to catch my breath!" They both laughed again, and Max rushed off to the kitchen as Fran sorted herself out. Her heart was hurting so much, but it was a good kind of hurt. What a wonderful album to have made for a child! Maggie was so lucky to have such wonderful parents who loved her so much. Fran didn't think she could love Max and the children any more than she already did, but all she could feel was how much that love was just growing and growing in her. Surely her heart would burst!

Max came rushing back into the room in his slippers and rounded the corner with a bottle of water in each hand. He smiled at Fran as he hurried to her.

"Here, sweetheart! Drink some of this. Are you doing okay?" He handed her a bottle and sat back down next to her, then wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I'll be fine, sweetie. I'm just such a sucker when things get sappy. I mean, I knew you are a wonderful father, but gosh! Seeing things like this, it just shows me so much more about you. I just love seeing all these layers to you. It's wonderful!"

"Aw, shucks…" Max grinned, bashfully. "I'm glad it means so much to you, Fran. I thought you might like seeing these things, but I just didn't know it would affect you quite so much. But it really means a lot to me that it does." He kissed her temple softly and stroked her back. She took a big drink of the water and closed the bottle back, then took a deep breath. She put her hand on his thigh and squeezed it.

"Okay, I think I'm ready to see Brighton's." Max picked up the album next to him and handed it to her.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"No!" She laughed. "But I'll do my best!" She took another breath and opened the cover to Brighton's album.

It began the same as Maggie's- except the lettering was in blue this time. And another little footprint. She ran her fingers over it and smiled. Then she turned the page… to a photo of a young Maggie holding her baby brother and beaming like a proud sister. Fran had never seen Maggie look at Brighton like that.

"Awwww!" Fran cried. She elbowed Max and he laughed. "Look at how she's looking at him! Aw, she had no idea what he had in store for her, did she?" They both laughed, then Fran turned the page. She looked through all the pictures of Brighton meeting his milestones, learning his first words, first teeth, crawling, and learning to walk. Fran turned to another page and started laughing. It was a picture of Brighton pouting, sitting on the kitchen counter next to the sink as Sarah tended to the boo-boos on his knees. There was the front of a box of Bandaids cut out and glued to the page, then more pictures of Brighton with wounds on his shins and knees and elbows. That section was titled Brighton learns to Run. Fran was loving every bit of it.

"He was a little uncoordinated," Max smiled.

"Poor baby! Oh, but I bet he was fun! Did putting the leash on him cut down on needing Bandaids?"

"No." They both laughed again. She turned the page into a section on all of the trouble Brighton got into once he could walk and run- and climb. One of the main photos was the same one Brighton had in his drawer- with his mother holding him up by the ankles and flour covering him all over. Fran was gushing. There were other photos of Brighton playing in flower pots, driving toy cars on the piano, sitting inside high shelves, coloring on walls, and painting on several dolls she was pretty sure were Maggie's. The next section was a more subdued Brighton- on a swing on the playground, Sarah reading him a book, Max showing him how to stack wooden blocks, and a photo of Maggie making rabbit ears behind Brighton's head. The following section showed Brighton starting preschool- smiling in his cute new outfit and new tiny backpack. There was a photo of him with Maggie riding bicycles- Brighton on a tricycle, and then another photo of him a little older finally riding on a two wheeler with training wheels. Max rubbed her shoulder, pulling her out of her trance. Then she realized she was at the end of the album- but there was one more page left. She looked up at Max questioningly, and he was smiling. They both knew what was next.

Fran turned the page to see a photo of Brighton and Maggie, all smiles. Maggie wore a t-shirt that said I'm the Big Sister, and Brighton wore a t-shirt that said I'm the Big Brother.

"Oh my god! Is that not the cutest thing!" Fran squealed. "Please tell me you still have those shirts somewhere," she looked back at Max.

"I think they might be in a box somewhere."

"I'd love to see them sometime, if you ever find them."

"Alright," Max said softly. Fran closed Brighton's album and set it carefully back in the large box. She sat back next to Max and then they both looked at the last remaining album. Gracie's album. Part of Fran couldn't wait to have a look, but the other part of her felt the weight of knowing that Sarah wasn't the one who finished it. She wouldn't get to see all of Gracie's milestones. Max handed her the album and she took a deep breath and sighed. She looked up at Max to gauge his expression.

"You gonna be okay with this one? How long has it been since you looked at it?"

"A long time. I think I'll be alright, Fran. It's time I looked at it again." Fran gave him a little smile, then caressed his cheek and kissed him on the cheek.

"Promise me you'll let me know if it's too hard for you, okay?"

"I promise."

They both looked back at the album on Fran's lap, then simultaneously took deep breaths and exhaled. Fran opened the album to the first page, with Gracie's details written in dark purple ink, and another footprint on a piece of paper below it. Fran smiled as she looked at Gracie's tiny foot. She turned the page to see a photo of a brand new baby Gracie, swaddled in a blanket and placed in Brighton's arms with Maggie helping him hold her. Both older siblings were smiling at her.

"Oh my gosh, Max! That's just the best!" Max smiled and stroked Fran's shoulder. He watched as she slowly turned the pages and looked at the photos and read through the milestones. There was a photo of Gracie asleep on Sarah's chest, and Max felt a twinge in his chest. Fran seemed to sense something, and reached for his hand. She turned another page to a photo of baby Gracie on her belly on a blanket, trying to push herself up. She looked at the camera with a familiar expression. "Look at that face! She still has that same concerned look, doesn't she?"

Max chuckled. "Yes, she does. Poor thing. She looks frustrated." They both giggled. Fran went to the next page and looked at the photos of Gracie beginning to crawl and eat at her high chair. There was a photo of her standing on Max's lap as she gripped his index fingers to keep her balance. The two looked like they were laughing with each other. It melted Fran's heart. She leaned her head against him and he pulled her close. There were photos of Gracie playing with baby toys- intensely focused as she seemed to be trying to figure them out, a photo of Maggie with Gracie in her lap as she read her a story, and one of Gracie sitting on Brighton's back, horsey style, as Brighton lay splayed out on the floor, acting like Gracie must weigh a ton. Fran really got a kick out of that one. Then there was a photo of Gracie with the leash strapped on her, pulling someone down the sidewalk as they took a photo from behind her. She elbowed Max and they laughed. Then there were a number of photos of Gracie with different things she seemed to be organizing. She had wooden blocks stacked up tall, Fisher-Price people lined up side by side, toy cars parked evenly along the baseboard of a wall. Then there was a photo of Gracie asleep on the floor, her face planted in the middle of a large picture book, with stacks of other books next to her.

"Aw! Poor, sleepy baby!" Fran said softly. "You know, that's pretty interesting- seeing her with those toys- lining them up and stacking them like that. It reminds me of the way she lined up those lipsticks in front of her mirror."

"Oh, yes. She did like to do that- line things up. But they all had to be the same kind of things. She never lined up different objects. That's pretty neat."

"Yeah." Fran turned the page again, and they both got really quiet. There was a photo of Sarah with the children, and it looked like it must have been when she was sick. She was sitting in a wooden chair and wearing a sweater, and she had a blanket draped over her lap. Maggie sat next to her in a similar chair and held her hand, and Gracie sat in Sarah's lap. Brighton stood on the other side of his mother and had his arm over her shoulder. It looked like they were all trying to force a smile through the stress and worry- all of them except Gracie, who didn't seem to comprehend what was going on. Fran assumed Max was taking the photo because Gracie was smiling from ear to ear at him. It was such a contrast in looks that it got Fran choked up again, and she knew Max had to be going through something, too. Fran squeezed his hand and rested her cheek against his chest. He tightened his grip on her shoulder and swallowed hard. He'd forgotten about that photo. His heart started to race as he looked at Sarah's strained expression. He remembered how hard she tried to stay cheerful when the children were around, even when she felt horrible. Max gulped again and had to look away. He squeezed Fran's hand, and she took that as a cue to turn the page. It was a little too much for Max. It was hard for her, too. They both grabbed their bottles of water and gulped some down, trying to get rid of the lumps in their throats.

Fran took a deep breath and slid the album part way onto Max's lap. She looked down at the new page and noticed that there had been a bit of a time jump- this picture of Gracie appeared to be her first day of preschool. She wore a little skirt with dark tights and a button-up sweater. Her hair was in a braid and she wore a little beret- and she clung to Max's leg as she cried.

"Oh, Gracie! She didn't want to leave her daddy, did she?"

"I think it was more that the other children terrified her. I don't think she'd ever seen so many children her own age, even though there couldn't have been more than eight or so other children. I guess it was too much stimulation."

"Aw, the poor thing! Oh, if I had been there with her, I would have stayed right with her the whole day! What did you do?"

"Oh, I felt horrible. I stayed for a little while, but if I remember right- I had a meeting or something I had to go to. The nanny we had then was there, too, but she was insistent that I didn't stay very long. She said it would just make it harder for Gracie. I think she picked Gracie up and took her over to another area, and she wanted me to sneak out when Gracie wasn't looking. I felt so horrible, but I didn't know what the right thing to do was. There were other parents still there. Mothers, actually. I didn't know what to do, and the nanny was the only one telling me what to do. So, I left. And I suppose the nanny left fairly quickly after that. Afterwards, I knew it wasn't the right thing to have done. I insisted on picking Gracie up that afternoon, not long after lunch. I brought her home to have her nap, and stayed with her in her room, read her a story. She fell asleep on me and I just stayed with her until she woke up. I felt so horrible. The nanny wasn't happy with me. She wouldn't let me go with Gracie after that. Gosh, I haven't thought about all of that in ages! I still remember when I got to the preschool that afternoon, and Gracie was in a corner on a beanbag chair, holding her little backpack on her lap. She wouldn't participate in anything. She saw me come in and just burst into tears and ran to me. Gosh, I felt like the worst father. I think- well, I'm certain, that all of that caused her a lot of anxiety. I think it did for both of us. I think I just had to shut that down in myself, you know? To keep things under control. I didn't handle that right."

"Max! Don't be hard on yourself. You didn't know what to do, and I imagine you didn't have enough time to really try to figure out another way of handling it. And you put trust in that nanny, too. I imagine you thought she knew what she was doing. But maybe she didn't know Gracie well enough to know that might be too much for her."

"No, she didn't know her well enough. I think she'd only been around for a few weeks by then. But yeah, we could have used you back then." He squeezed Fran's shoulder.

"I wish I could have helped. But it sounds like you saved her when she needed you to. I bet you showing up was the best thing that ever happened to her. Can you imagine the relief she must have felt? And then for you to stay with her like you did, that was what she needed. So give yourself some credit for that." They looked at each other then, and the look in Fran's eyes settled Max's insides. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, then kissed her softly on the lips.

"Thank you," he whispered to her. She caressed his cheek and kissed him again. They turned back to look at the rest of the album. Fran recognized Niles' handwriting in the remainder of the album, writing down Gracie's other milestones. There was a photo of her on the swings, on a tiny bicycle with training wheels, and a surprising one where she seemed to be reading her first chapter book- but she didn't look like she was even in kindergarten yet.

"Was she really reading that book? How old was she?" Max looked at the photo, trying to remember.

"She still looks about four years old. But she might have turned five by then. I don't think she had started kindergarten yet. She was reading pretty early on. She used to read with Maggie a lot. Maggie read her chapter books all the time, and she'd have Gracie read the picture books to her. They really had a great relationship then. Gracie became an insatiable reader before she started first grade."

"I'm telling you, she has to be a genius. To be reading so well that early, and lining those toys up the way she did, then being as sensitive as she is- don't be surprised if she does some big things in her life." Max smiled. Fran was probably right. They looked through a few more pages and then got to the end of the album. Fran flipped the page to the last photo. It was of all three children with Max. It looked like they may have been on vacation somewhere, but they didn't look like they were having the best time. They were all smiling, but just with their mouths. Their eyes told a different story. Just from looking at them all, Fran got the impression that it might not have been all that long before she started taking care of them. Max gave a little laugh.

"Wow, that's a strained family portrait. You know, I think that was between nannies. That had to be when we went down to Florida during Christmas break, and Niles came with us. I think Gracie was in kindergarten then. That was less than a year before we met you, that's why we look so distressed. We were a mess."

"Aw, baby! You guys weren't a mess. I know you had to have good days in there, too. You had an awful lot on your shoulders. I don't know if I could have handled things that well if I was in your shoes."

"Oh, sure you could have. You've done a wonderful job taking care of five people- three very needy children, and two big babies!" They both laughed, then Fran closed the album, put it in the box, and then wrapped her arms around Max to hug him. Going through that one box had been much more intense than either of them could have expected. Fran kissed Max all over his cheeks, making him chuckle. He rubbed her back and kissed her on the lips.

"That was intense, Max. Are you doing okay? I mean, really?" She leaned back just enough to look him in the eyes.

"Yes, I'm good. It was tough, but I needed it. We both needed it. It feels good knowing you've seen all of that now, too. So you can understand a bit more about us." Fran nodded, and ran her fingers through his hair, comforting him.

"It did help me understand a lot more. It's a totally different perspective. Do the kids know about those albums? Have they seen them?"

"Uh… I think they do. Well, Maggie and Brighton should know. Well, at least Maggie. I'm sure she had to have seen hers. But I don't know, maybe they wouldn't remember? And Gracie- I'm not sure. She might not know about any of them."

"They should know. I think they need to know, they need to look at them. And not just separately, I think they should see each other's. I don't know if they'll see things the way we do, but maybe they will. And maybe if you went through them with the kids, and told them about everything. Let them know what was going on at the time. I think that would be pretty special to them. I know how special it all is to me, to go through all of this with you. It really does mean a lot to me."

Max hugged her again, as tight as he could. "It means a lot to me, too, Fran. So much." He kissed her neck and held her close a while longer, then relaxed his grip on her so they could relax back on the couch.

"Let's get this stuff back in the box. You need a break before we go through the other one?" She asked.

Max thought a moment. He knew what was in the other box. "Yeah, maybe a bit. You mind if I turn the radio on or something?"

"Sure, go ahead. But not those CDs yet- I don't need to get any more mushy than I already am!" Max laughed and smiled.

They put the other items in the box and Max picked it up and brought it over next to the stairs and set it down, then headed for the stereo to turn on the radio. He found a good station playing 60s music and adjusted the volume so it wasn't too loud, then rejoined Fran on the couch. He crawled over to the corner and gestured for Fran to join him. Fran pulled the blanket with her and curled up with Max, wrapping the blanket over them and her arm around his waist.

Max enveloped her in his arms and held her close. She turned her face to look up at him, and he looked into her eyes. He reached a hand up and caressed her jaw as he looked over her features. Be kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes.

"You doing alright?" He asked softly.

"Yes. I'm good. Just thinking about everything. Seeing all of that- you guys have been through so much. Especially you. I'm just learning so much more about all of you, seeing it all from a different perspective. It makes me love you all so much more. I just keep seeing new things, it really gets to me, you know? I don't know that there's anything I have that I could show you, or tell you about, that could even compare. But I'm glad you let me see all of that. I really am. Those albums are really special, and the other things, too. I know I get overwhelmed with this kind of thing, but I love it. I love loving you guys so much! I love you so much, Max." She clutched his ribs and kissed his chest. Max tightened his arms around her.

"I love you, too, Fran. So much. And this is one of the things I love about you, that you feel so deeply. You love so deeply. We needed you desperately. We need you now, always. I need you. And I need you to know that. I'm grateful to have you in my life."

"You're gonna get me going again, Max!" Fran sat up and reached for his face. She smiled, trying to hold back more tears, then leaned in and kissed him with everything she had. "Sweetie, I love you! I don't ever want you doubting that. I'll never be able to show you how much I love you, or tell you, even. Just know that you're everything to me, Max! I mean it!" Max held her around the waist and looked into her eyes.

"You're everything to me, too, Fran. I love you," he whispered, his face close to hers.

"I love you," she whispered back. She rested back down on the couch against him and they wrapped their arms around each other.

They rested together for a while, listening to the radio and enjoying the closeness with each other. Fran listened to his heart beating and inhaled the sent of his cologne. She thought about everything that had happened that day, the things Max had bought for her, and the wonderful time they had shopping and trying on clothes. She smiled as she thought about how they would look in their party clothes. She got butterflies in her stomach thinking about it. It was going to be a fantastic night.

"Hey, baby?" She asked.

"Mmm hmm?"

"Do we need to do anything with our hair for that party? Like hair cuts? Or should I get mine done at a salon or something, instead of doing it myself? And I might need to get my nails done… I just don't know how much those people might do themselves before they go to a party like this."

"You can do whatever you like, darling. I don't know that you need a haircut or anything. I like your hair. And I like how you do it. I'm not sure any place can do much better than you could. But yes, I might need to get to the barber shop. But nothing severe. I'd worry it would turn out bad and mess up our fancy evening."

"Yeah, don't let them take much off. Just a tidying up, so it looks fresh. I still want to see your curls. And run my fingers through them!"

"Mmmm!" Max chuckled. He rubbed her back under the blanket, and found that his fingers had made it to her bare skin below the hem of her cropped sweatshirt. It startled him at first- he thought maybe he shouldn't be touching her like that, and then he remembered that it was okay. This was the woman he loved- in his arms- and she loved him more than anything, too. He needed to get past the old impulses to pull back from her- whether it was out of nervousness or fear. He wanted to touch her, to feel her. He wanted her to know that it was okay to touch him that way. He wanted that closeness with her. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against the top of her head, then stroked her skin with his thumb. He did that several times, then she clutched him tighter around the middle, then slowly relaxed her grip. He stroked her skin several more times, then she nuzzled into his neck. She slid her hand from his side, across his stomach, then up to his chest. She rested her hand there and ran her fingers back and forth slowly, stroking him back. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"That feels nice…" she mumbled into his chest.

"It's alright with you that I touch you like this? On your bare skin?" He asked.

"Absolutely… You do know I trust you, don't you? I want to be close to you. Remember the other day, when we were kissing upstairs? That was wonderful. I'm ready to be closer to you if you're ready, too. You can touch me, Max. I want you to. I like how it feels when you touch me." Max pulled her closer to him, then kissed her hair softly.

"I like you touching me, too. And I love your skin, Fran. Your skin is so soft." He stroked her back again with his fingers.

"Mmmm… It's all yours, Max. I want you to touch me. I need you to." She wrapped her arm back around his middle and he sighed. He moved his hand part way up her side just under her shirt and let it rest there. They were quiet a few more minutes. "Max?"

"Mmm hmm?"

"Those toy cars of yours- you ever think about displaying them somewhere? So you can see them? I mean, maybe not down here, if you don't want somebody messing with them. But even in the bedroom, on a bookshelf or something? They're nice toy cars. If you have nice memories with them, maybe it would be nice to have them out where you can see them." Max was quiet for a moment while he thought about it.

"I don't know, maybe. I suppose I never even thought about that. Do you mean like just sitting on a shelf or something?"

"Or in a display case, a small display case. Or even if you have some other things that are car related that you could put with them. Like a photo, or artwork. Make a whole area that has to do with cars."

"Hmm. That's not a bad idea. Maybe. You know, I might actually have some other things… Might have to do some more digging," he grinned. That might actually be a good idea, he thought.

"Can I ask you something else?"

"Of course you can."

"That other box- what's in that one?"

Max took a deep breath and exhaled. "Well, um, those things have to do with Sarah. Everything in there- well, it's all already been addressed in my will, and in hers, too. It is a lot of her belongings that she wanted to be passed down to the children when they were old enough to take care of them. And I had all of that in my will, too, just in case something were to happen to me, to make sure that her wishes were still followed. I just thought that it was important for you to know about all those things just in case. And, you know, if anything did happen to me, I still want you looking out for them, and making sure all of that goes to them. This box is a lot of her jewelry and things like that. There are certain pieces that she wanted to go to a specific child. We never had a lot of time to talk about everything before we lost her, and there was a lot that I didn't want to bring up, because it was all so much to deal with. But she was able to make it clear to me that everything was to go to the children when the time was right. And you know- the way my family has had a long legacy that's been passed down, and my siblings don't have any children yet, so there's always the chance that they may not ever have any. Well, I need to make sure I continue that legacy somehow. And with Sarah, she didn't have any brothers or sisters. If her parents want to pass anything down to their only grandchildren, then I need to make sure that happens, too.

"So, we kept all of her things for quite a while. There were several things her parents asked to have, because they were important to them. I just asked that they put it in their wills that those items be passed back to the children. And, well, Niles and I had lots of late night talks about it all, and he helped me see that we needed to create a legacy for her, too. It might not be family properties or antiques or heirlooms so much as it was things she found for herself that she enjoyed while she was here. I had the lawyer draw up papers to protect her belongings for the children. So, I just need you to know that there are other boxes of things, and there's a camel-back trunk in the attic that is full of her belongings. That one has a lot of things from when she was growing up and in school, and it goes to the children equally. It may happen that one child becomes the caretaker of it, like Maggie when she's grown and has her own place. But the other children have equal rights to have access to it, and look through everything when they want to. There are also some of Sarah's clothes in the attic closet, in protective bags, and some in boxes. Maggie and Grace can go through those at some point and decide how they want to divide them. But with Brighton, I know the clothes won't likely be something he would value the same way, but if he has children when he's older- if he has daughters who might want something that connects them to their grandmother, then I need to make sure there's something he can lass down, too. You know?"

"Yes, that makes a lot of sense. I think that's a really good idea to protect those things. Even if a child things they may have no use for their parents' things, their own children might go crazy for them. I know there's a lot of Ma's old things that I never thought mattered to me, but I know Yetta has kept some of her old things, and maybe even a few from her mother, and I know how much those mean to me. I get it. The kids should have as many mementos from there mother as they want, to help them remember her. And yeah, we gotta make sure Brighton doesn't feel left out, if a lot of her things are more feminine and if he doesn't understand yet that he might want to pass them down to his own children. I'll follow whatever you think is best, Max. I won't touch any of it, and I'll make sure they know it all belongs to them."

"Thank you. And you know, I'm still in contact with my father's lawyers about his interests. The way things have gone on that side of the family is that the bulk passes to the oldest male and his heirs, with special considerations for the other children and any grandchildren. Money and private possessions can be split up to everyone, but the estate and furnishings, art, all of that, stays together. Unless my father makes any changes to that, I would expect it to pass to me, and if I keep the tradition alive, that would pass to Brighton. But, you know, I always wonder if he would care at all about it. He doesn't have much of a connection to that place. So it's the kind of thing that could be up in the air for a while, just so you know. And if it did happen to pass to Brighton, I don't want the girls feeling any animosity about it. I want them to have full access to it, to stay there for a visit, or maybe even living there if that was something they want in the future. So, you know, a lot of consideration for tradition, but not to the point of hurting anyone. I want the children to feel like they've been considered equally. And it might turn out that one of the children likes the idea of handling the family business over there. I've often wondered if any of them might end up going to Oxford, too, and maybe they would want to live there. But there's always that possibility that none of them care enough to want to deal with it. That's when I'd have to figure something out. I don't think I'd ever want to sell it, and if Nigel and Joss can't be bothered tending to it, well, that's a big issue I'd have to get sorted out. I just need you to know all these things, and that there are probably lots of others, that could come up in the future. I'd just like to make sure future generations have it to connect them to their ancestors- to us."

Fran smiled. She was really impressed with Max. She had an idea that he had some things back in England to do with his family- his inheritance- that he surely had to deal with now and then, but she had never thought about it in such a big context. She was becoming part of his family's story now. She needed to help him protect all of the legacies. And she would. She pushed herself up on the couch so she could sit up, and Max followed her lead. She took his hand in hers.

"You know, I never really thought about all of that- about you having to handle so much of that yourself. I would like to help, however I can. And I promise I'll respect all of that- especially Sarah's things. If you need me to help talk to the kids about it, I'll do whatever you want. I know Gracie might be a bit young, but she's probably smart enough to handle things. Maybe even responsible enough. And Maggie's not far from college, and starting her own life. It might be good to start talking to her about this now, so she can wrap her head around the responsibilities she might have. If you need her to sort of manage those things for Brighton and Gracie, then maybe that would be a good responsibility for her to take on. And start talking to her about the responsibilities back in England. One way or another, she may have to play a role in dealing with that. I mean, I know you didn't get the great relationship with your parents that you deserved, but you can change that legacy now. Let that just be a little blemish on the family line, and let things turn in a better direction now. I think all the kids like having that kind of legacy in the family, but handling the actual responsibility of it- that might not be something you want to lay on one kid's shoulders, especially if they decide they don't want to live over there. I think it would be good to start talking to all of them about it now so t has time to sink in, and they can tell you what they think they'll be comfortable with when they're older."

Max listened to Fran closely as she talked. She really was incredibly intuitive. He smiled at her and kissed her hand.

"You're wonderful, Fran. Do you know that? You're really wonderful."

"Aw, I don't know about that. But it's nice to hear you say it."

"I mean it, sweetheart. You're taking on an awful lot of stuff that a lot of other women wouldn't want to deal with. We're a complicated bunch here."

"You're not so complicated. And anyway, if you guys were plain and easy, I might get really bored here. But I've never been bored here. Not one bit!" She leaned over and kissed Max on the lips and he smiled.

"So, you ready to see some of the things in it? We don't have to take them all out, but enough so you can get an idea of what's there that will need to be divided up. And there are things in there that are already specified in the will. Those are marked or have notes with them."

"Okay. I guess I'm ready if you are."

"Alright." Max got up and went to pick up the box and set it on the ottoman. He had to pull the tape off the flaps so they could look inside. "Here, come here darling. It might be easier if we stand. There are a number of boxes in here."

"Okay. And we don't have to take everything out. Maybe just a peek so I know what's here. And so I can remember who gets what." She stood next to him and wrapped her arm at his waist, then he began showing her a box at a time. There were many individual jewelry boxes with nice necklaces in them, a number of rings, matching sets of jewelry. There were several boxes with multiple bracelets in them, and quite a few individual designer boxes with really beautiful necklaces and things in them. She was really impressed at Sarah's taste. "Wow, Max! Did she pick all of these out herself, or did you find things for her?"

"A little bit of both, and her parents got her some of those, too. She was never interested in anything too crazy, she liked subtle pieces, things that could go with a lot of outfits. Nothing flashy. See these boxes? These necklaces are a little similar to each other, so she divided them so Gracie gets one and Maggie gets the other. See here- here are the notes that show who it's for. And there are some others in here like that, too."

"Oh, okay. Do they all have notes, or-"

"Well, some have notes, either showing who they're for, or some may have a bit of a story that goes with them, and we wanted to pass that down. And the notes are in Sarah's writing. Most of them, anyway. There's another box in here- the notes are in my handwriting. Here- let me move this… I think this is it," he opened a wooden box that was lined with red, and shut it back quickly. "Yes, this is it. Darling, come here. I want to show you these. These are important." He held the box and had Fran sit back down on the couch with him. She curled her legs up against him and put her arm over his shoulders. She watched quietly as he took a breath, and then opened the box. Inside the vibrant red velvet lining were three small jewelry boxes. They looked like they might be ring boxes, but Fran wasn't certain.

"Um, these boxes-" he cleared his throat before continuing. "I wrote the note in here for these," he pulled out a small folded piece of paper tucked into the lid of the wooden box, opened it briefly, then folded it back and stuck it back into the lid. "These two- Sarah wore these until- until she passed." Max carefully opened the boxes to reveal Sarah's engagement ring and wedding band. They were both gold, and the engagement ring had a large diamond in the middle with a lot of smaller stones surrounding it, creating a circle. The wedding band was smooth, without any kind of pattern or marking on it. "These are for the girls. She wanted Maggie to have the engagement ring, and Gracie to have the wedding band. So it's important that they get these. And this one…" he reached for the remaining box, which had a similar look to the box holding Sarah's wedding band. "This one is for Brighton." He glanced at Fran, who was watching him intently, and then back to the box. He opened the lid and - it was empty. He looked back at Fran, and then at his left hand- at the gold band on his ring finger. He slowly reached for it, then slid it off of his finger and held it in front of him. He looked back at Fran. "Fran? I think it's time to pass these rings on to the children." He looked back at his wedding band in his fingers, then pushed it into the slot of the empty box. Fran swallowed hard. She was sad, but incredibly moved at the same time. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head against him.

"Are you sure?" She whispered.

"Yes," he nodded. "I'm ready now. It's time. And it feels right to have these be the first things to pass to the children. I think they're all old enough to handle caring for them."

"Oh, Max! I think that's a wonderful idea! If that really helps you, if it makes you feel better about everything, then I support you. If you needed a transition like this to help you, then I think it's perfect."

"Yes, it feels right. I thought about it, after Coney Island. And over and over again since then. I knew it was something I needed to do. There was no reason not to. I think just acknowledging that I loved you- acknowledging it to myself- it sort of helped me start to figure out a way to take that step, you know? This has been the last thing I've really held onto to keep people at a distance. To keep you at a distance. I don't need to do that anymore. It served its purpose, and now I have you. I want to be here a hundred percent for you. And I think passing it down to Brighton, that makes me feel good- to know that what it represented won't be forgotten, and that the children will all have something to remind them of that. I guess it makes me feel good that I can do this for them now, and not wait anymore." Fran kissed his cheek, and he closed each ring box, then closed and latched the wooden box. He set it on the ottoman next to the big cardboard box, then turned to Fran, who was smiling at him through watery eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I love you, Max! And I'm proud of you!"

He smiled at her. "I love you, too, Fran. I really do. And thank you, for letting me show you all of this. I feel so much better now knowing that you know about it all. And there may be other things, too, that come up. I'll make sure to talk to you about them."

"Okay. And thank you for showing me. And telling me. I appreciate it, a lot." They hugged each other tightly, and Max started feeling the huge weight falling off his shoulders. He nuzzled her neck, then kissed her cheek. He worked his way across her cheek until finally kissing her on the lips- softly at first, then full on the mouth. Fran followed his lead and let him tease her tongue before giving it to him fully. They kissed each other passionately, showing each other how much love they had for each other. Max hugged her waist tightly, letting his hands touch her bare skin under her shirt.

"Mmmm…" he sighed, and Fran caressed his curls. She slowly let the kiss taper off and pulled back from him just enough to look into his eyes. She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, then kissed him softly several times. "Mmm, Fran… I don't want to let go of you, but it's getting close to our dinner date. I should probably go run and look at Niles' instructions for that casserole, and figure out what else to have with it."

"Mmm, okay. I suppose I can let go of you for a few minutes. You probably just need to get the oven going for now. You can probably go ahead and put the casserole right in while the oven warms up."

"Okay. I'll go run and get that started real quick. But first, I need another kiss…" he smiled, then kissed her again.

"You better stop it, or I might have to throw you down right here on the couch!" Fran warned, and Max laughed.

"Alright, alright! Let me move this box and I'll go get dinner started. Hey, do you want to eat in here, or at the dining table?"

"Let's eat in here. Then we can put on those CDs!"

"Okay. Hang on, I'll be right back." Fran let Max get up from the couch and he picked up the big box, then took it over to the stairs and set it by the first box, then hurried to the kitchen. She smiled to herself. She sure was crazy about that man!