I love how Max can explode. She didn't just stick up for me or herself, she defended us back there. Maybe that's something all those folks watching that awesome clip on the internet don't realize, but I surely did, and isn't that what matters?
Even though November was cold and rainy, Chloe was happy. Due to the passing of Joyce and her inheritance, she now possessed a house in her birthplace - although she had no intention of ever going back there again. She was happy in Seattle, and Arcadia Bay was firmly in her past. But there was still the 'problem' of David Madsen, who continued to live on 44 Cedar Avenue in the aftermath of the storm, despite the fact that his wife had kicked him out in the week leading up to the disaster, and his stepdaughter was in no rush to reconnect with him.
'There's obviously something going on, Chloe. Let's hear it.'
Vanessa came out of the kitchen, and approached her while she staring out of the window in the living room, looking at the perpetual November Rain.
'I don't know what I want to do with the house. I feel bad about just throwing out David, but I like the thought of leaving behind those dreadful years too.'
'You shouldn't worry too much about David. You don't really owe him anything, you know.'
'But making him homeless? Isn't that cruel or something?'
'He called me a couple of days ago. Spoke to me like I stole you or had done something terrible to him, and wanted me to persuade you to go back to Oregon. Like he was your father and had some claim on you. To be honest, he didn't seem very sympathetic to me, and I didn't like how he had this pretense about him. William is and was your only father Chloe, always remember that.'
Vanessa spoke with that same determination and fire that Max had in her when she was passionate and Chloe was so in awe of, and Chloe remembered how Vanessa and Ryan somehow embodied the two sides of Max's character. Whereas her mother exemplified the fiercely and uncompromising behavior she demonstrated, her father was reminiscent of the introvert and self-doubting habits she was prone to fall into. But more importantly was that Vanessa's reaction to David was exactly the kind of understanding and empathetic response Chloe so desperately longed for after her father's death. It was also something she never received from her mother, who, in her mind, was all too eager to remarry and forcefully 'move on', denying her the opportunity to properly respect the memory of William.
'He was less than great to me too. I just hope I'm not a jerk.'
'Maxine would also love for you to stay. You should know William's death affected her greatly as well, and she was pretty shocked by it. Ryan and I were too, and moving to Seattle for work gave us all a stupid excuse to look the other way regarding you. I still can't forgive ourselves for that, and I don't think I ever will. Since you are basically our adopted daughter, we should've been there for you. Just know that everyone here loves you Chloe, and we're very happy to have you here.'
'That means a lot. Thank you. I think I'm gonna go make a phone call now, if you don't mind.'
As November transited into December, Chloe realized that giving Max her camera back was the right decision. She took her camera out everywhere she went, and before too long she had made enough photo's to fill an entire album. Not that she collected them in one, since she felt more eager to hang them on walls or put them on exhibit in whatever part of the house she fancied. Most of them were artistic shots of some environmental details her eye caught, but some were selfies as well. And since Chloe and Max were together now, Max frequently insisted on sharing a selfie with her girlfriend. Chloe was happy to oblige of course, but she had to admit to herself that she didn't share the same burning passion for photography that Max had. Nonetheless, she did encourage her girlfriend to pursue the activity further, as she had been doing since Max first picked up a camera so many years ago.
'Chloe, what picture should I put up here? I like the lightning of this shot, but I prefer the composition of this one.'
Max was standing at an open space on the living room wall, and held two photographs in as many hands.
'I think both work out fine, Camera Max. Can't you put them both up? That'd be killer!'
'But isn't art most effective when restrained?'
Chloe recognized she wasn't going to get off the hook this easily, so she decided to take a closer look at the contenders for the prized spot on the wall.
'I don't know… This one looks pretty I suppose, but this one seems… Original I guess?'
'I mean, look at the framing of the shot! It's so postmodern, yet traditional, that's what I love about it.'
This was all quickly going over Chloe's head, and she hoped her best friend was able to spot the hint.
'I think I should just put it up then', and she attached the photo to the wall with some scotch tape.
'If it means anything, I think it looks great, so congrats!'
'Of course it means something, Chloe!'
'Now, let's do something else that's just as much postmodern, yet traditional, but even more awesome!', she said as she quickly grabbed Max's hand, and ventured out of the front door and into the hustle and bustle of Seattle.
Chloe used to love December. She used to look forward to Christmas, and Max would always come over with her parents to celebrate. William and Joyce also loved to decorate the house with lights, a tree and all sorts of associated little things they hanged around their residence, and they excelled at making sure Christmas felt like a proper holiday for everyone involved.
None of this was still the case after William's death.
After that, Christmas was a painful demonstration of everything that once was; a dreadful monument to the ruins. Max and Vanessa and Ryan had quickly disappeared without ever contacting her again, and William's absence during family events was unbearable. The cheers, banter, and laughter that always accompanied the holidays was replaced by depressing silence and the cold mourning of a devastated daughter.
David's entrance didn't make things any better. He tried to put some effort into the December days, but he didn't particularly excel at showing warmth and affection. To make things worse, Chloe was quick to start resenting him for taking William's place in the family, and this only worked to push her further into the dark abyss of misery.
This was to be the first year Max and her family would celebrate Christmas with Chloe again since they left her in Arcadia Bay. And for the first time since that moment, Chloe felt that spark of excitement that used to be so common this time of year.
'Chloe, do you have any ideas on what we should make? I don't think I've made something before that could ever pass as something Christmas-worthy.'
Max had somehow gotten the epiphany that she and Chloe should prepare dinner the 25th, and the two were out doing groceries to prepare for the task at hand.
'Whattabout…pancakes?'
'Is that what passes as Christmas-like to you, punk…', and a smile appeared on Max's face, behind which longer hair than she wore at Blackwell fell over her shoulders. The same could be said for Chloe, who also hadn't cut her hair since they arrived in Washington. And since she also hadn't dyed for a while, her natural blonde started to come out again as well, mixing with her bright blue locks.
'We sure did rock back in the day with making pancakes, didn't we?'
'We did! But I don't remember us making them for Christmas dinner…'
'You're a tough customer, aren't you? I'll surrender!'
'Drama queen!'
'You can be my princess!'
They shared a good laugh, and then got around on focusing on the task at hand.
'We should probably get something meaty done.'
'You wanna cook a steak?'
'Why not? I can always just blame you if we screw up…'
'Please girl, you'd be terrible at blaming me!'
'Do you want to find out?'
'Nah, chefs Price and Caulfield never screw up their steaks!'
That may have decided on what their food was going to be, but that still left open the question on what they were going to drink.
'We should get ourselves some wine to go along with that steak.'
'So, you're saying we should get wasted!'
'Do I appear to you as the kind of girl who gets herself drunk?'
'I think anything's possible with you, Super Max! Besides, there's nothing really wrong with getting a little bit wasted from time to time - we could, you know, afterwards…'
For all the years they'd known each other, Max didn't pick up on what Chloe was hinting at. And somehow, Chloe was relieved that she didn't have to explicate where she was trying to go with that remark.
In Chloe's imagination, the Christmas steak turned out perfect. In reality, it turned out overdone and rubbery. She and Max had searched the Internet for tips on how to cook a steak, but the flashy videos and clever tips made it look a lot easier than it actually was - still, Max's parents somehow found the love required to genuinely compliment their daughter and daughter-in-law with what they managed to put on the table. In order to divert attention from the main course, the pair called to attention the delicious wines they had bought for the night, and the participants of the dinner were all eager to experience just how good each one of them tasted.
When everyone was finished, Ryan and Vanessa were quick to move upstairs and leave the living room for the girls, where they were lying on the sofa opposing each other.
'Someone told me that chef Price never screws up her steaks!' Max said jokingly, as she refilled her glass with some more wine.
'And someone told me Maxine Caulfield isn't the kind of girl who gets herself drunk!'
'I am not drunk, Chloe Price!'
'Allright, let's see how well you can do this then!', and Chloe moved her right index finger towards her nose in one fluent motion.
'Now you watch!', Max said with overstated bravado. And while she gave it her best, she couldn't prevent that her finger awkwardly missed her nose and landed on her right cheek instead.
'See? Totally wasted!
'Maybe I feigned it!'
'I don't think you did…'
'As if you were totally sober!' Max tried to hide her slight slur, but didn't really succeed.
'I passed the test, girl! Besides, you're totally cute with a bit of alcohol.'
'I figured you'd be more a beer person, punk!'
Chloe couldn't help but laugh. A tipsy Max really was a lovely sight to behold.
'Oh, I love beer, but I'll also take wine any day of the week if that's what you want. Should I get someone to drive you home now?'
'I think I am already home! You know, I live here!'
'Do you now?' And Chloe moved towards Max, positioning herself next to her. She proceeded with taking Max's head into her hands, laid it on her chest, and started stroking Max's brown hair.
'Do you think our lives up to this point have made any sense, Chloe?'
She took some time to think.
'Not really, I suppose. But I'm happy with how things turned out in the end.'
'I mean, we were separated for five years, and finally see each other again, and now we're closer than we've ever been. The way we did it, with my short-lived weird-ass power and all, just seems so… Weird.'
'Well, it wasn't boring either.'
'It's just… Have I ever told you about what happened in those other timelines? It's still so surreal that stuff actually happened.'
'You can tell me anything anytime, Max.'
'I told you I used the photo rewind to save William right? So after I'd managed to prevent his accident, I ended up in some reality wherein I apparently was Victoria's and perhaps Nathan's friend or something.'
'Yikes.'
'So then, I went to your house, and William opened the door, and… It was so heartbreaking to see you in that wheelchair…'
Chloe tried to picture the situation in reverse, but quickly tried to dispel the thought as soon as a helpless and crippled Max popped into her head. The idea alone was freighting.
'And even in that timeline I was a horrible friend. There was letter I'd sent you in which I told you I was busy, and I didn't reply when William texted and reached out to me….'
'Can you tell me a bit about me?'
Max looked up and into Chloe's eyes.
'You were amazing! Even though you were… You couldn't move and leave your room, and still you were so inspiring and strong, and before your injury, you had amazing grades at Blackwell. And you hated the word 'hella'.'
'Nowai!'
'Yes way!'
She looked at Max in disbelief for a second.
'That's just so hella weird…', and she gently kissed Max's forehead.
'I also couldn't tell you about… Well, that I was from a different timeline really.'
'I'd have totally believed you.'
'It was so strange to look at you and talk to you while you were so different, but still so intimate with me, and I basically wanted to just cry for what I'd done to you…'
'No worries, Max. It's allright.'
'You know what's also absurd? Do you remember the day that William died, and how we were together that day?'
Of course Chloe remembered that day. As one of the last days in her childhood she spent with both Max and her father, she'd relived it more times than she could have ever wanted. The memory was not always a happy one.
'Yeah. I remember that you told me to stay strong, like something bad was going to happen.'
'That was me, as in, eighteen-year old me. I was back in my old self!'
'Wowser…', and Chloe could't help but to agree with Max that this whole time travel thing was really something incomprehensible while it lasted.
'And what about the other timelines? Did I at least have the decency to speak in my normal vocabulary?'
'There was the timeline in which I won the 'everyday heroes' photo contest.'
'You did? That's amazing! I always believed in your photography!'
'I know you do… Does that make you my muse?'
'I'd love to be your muse! Just don't use me as 'inspiration' for nude shots please…'
Max, clearly under some influence, produced a rather funny high-pitched giggle, which Chloe found to be truly adorable.
'Hey Max?'
'Yes?'
'I love you. I love you in any timeline, I love you in any dimension or universe or reality, and I love you in this life and the next, if there's even something that come after. But whatever happens, I'll still love you.'
'I love you too Chloe.'
For the next couple of seconds, Chloe could feel a warm and happy glow emitting from Max's cheeks as they were still lying on the sofa. And after she felt Max quickly drifting away to sleep on her chest, she happily closed her eyes just the same - because on this Christmas Day, she decided she could sleep on anything her mind could possibly fancy.
Chloe was surprised to wake earlier than Max. Normally, her girlfriend was already awake by the time she woke up, but today, she found the brunette quietly snoring on top of her. She took a moment to appreciate this peculiar intimate sight in, and wondered what sort of beautiful dreams went on in that charming head of hers. When she decided it was time to get off the couch, she carefully placed Max's head on a pillow, and made her way upstairs to change into some fresh clothes. She searched the closet she shared with Max, and looked for something to wear. Max had the luxury of being able to put on Chloe's clothes since she was smaller than her, and occasionally did so on lazy days, looking almost like she happily drowned in the bigger shirts from her companion.
Chloe eventually settled on a black t-shirt adorned with blue roses and red tribals, and found a pair of black jeans to go along with it. She then splashed some water on her face in the bathroom, before using her toothbrush, which she knew Max also frequently used. This was a habit they picked up since childhood: Chloe didn't mind back then, and surely didn't mind now.
By the time she went back downstairs, she found Vanessa in the kitchen making herself a pot of coffee.
'Good morning Chloe!', she exclaimed with a smile.
'Good morning!'
'I'm surprised to see you two kept your clothes on last night', and she peeked into the living room, where Max was still blissfully asleep on the sofa.
Chloe didn't really know how to respond, so she just moved her hand through her hair and smiled awkwardly.
'Ah, don't worry about it, it's not that you can become pregnant or something!' She put a hand on Chloe's shoulder, and sat down at the kitchen table. Chloe decided to follow her mother-in-law's example in making some early-morning coffee.
'Loved the steak yesterday, by the way.'
'I was thinking we should seek a career in cuisine too.'
They both laughed, and seemingly managed to wake up Max by doing so, for they could hear her rising from the couch.
'She wakes, after using my boobs as a pillow all night long!', Chloe greeted when she entered the kitchen, the night's sleep still fresh in her eyes.
Max, still a bit slow so early in the morning, gave her companion a well-meant 'are you serious?' look when she finally processed what was said to her. She wasn't very successful in hiding her slight hangover, and thus quickly made her way upstairs to shower and get dressed.
'You filled her up nicely, didn't you?'
'I think she did most of that herself.'
'I reckon that's very possible after all', Vanessa laughed.
'She's such a cute drunk though!'
Chloe took her coffee, and sat down at the kitchen table with Max's mother.
'In all seriousness, I think you're a fantastic influence on her.'
'How so?'
'Well, when she went without you for a while, Maxine was mostly just so… Insecure I guess? She also preferred to stay inside her own bubble most of time. Not that she didn't have any friends here, but none of them were able to reach her and convince her that she can the way you do. It's like you empower her, enable her.'
Chloe felt flattered by Vanessa's praise, by a part of her rejected it. Surely Max's stint with time powers was a bigger factor than whatever she did to help her?
'Thanks, but I think you're giving me a bit more credit than I deserve. I mean…'
'I don't think I do. You know just as much as I do Maxine isn't an introvert, yet she acted like one without your support. And whatever happened during her time at Blackwell, you were likely to be a huge part of it, more than anything else. Plus, the happy confidence she carries around her now is very much alike to the way you two were as children.'
'Wow! I'm… You rock, Vanessa!'
'Anytime, Chloe.'
When Max returned in the kitchen, sporting a white shirt and and grey jeans, she grabbed Chloe's mug on the table, and decisively chugged its contents.
'Do we have anything on for today, Chloe?'
'Lemme think… I think we were meeting with Kristine tonight.'
She took a look in the mug when Max put it back on the table.
'You're so damn lucky I love you, Max.'
