Max woke up to the sound of the water running in the pipes of the house. He opened his eyes and looked around the bedroom, and realized it must be morning. But it wasn't a sunny morning. He could just see the gray clouds in the sky outside. He closed his eyes again, and all the events of the days before came back to his mind. He crossed his arms over his face, just to see if he might be able to fall asleep again. He couldn't. He dropped his arms to his sides and yawned, then stretched and rolled over in the bed. He wondered how long Fran would be in the shower- or if the water was too cold for her. Would it be too cold for him? He sat up on the bed and stared at the floor for a moment, then got up and stepped to the window to look out. He couldn't see much up the slope to the road from that vantage point, but he could tell everything was saturated from the rain. He turned to look at the bedside light and tried to turn it on. Still no electricity. He went to pick up his suitcase from the floor and set it on top of the dresser and opened it, and got out his clothes for the day and his toiletry bag with everything he needed for a shower. He went to the bathroom and figured he might as well brush his teeth while he waited for Fran to finish. He looked in the mirror and saw a haggard, unshaven face looking back at him. He ran a hand over his stubble and thought that it probably wasn't even worth trying to shave. Then he remembered something- he brought his electric razor on the trip. He couldn't shave anyway, not without electricity.
"Dammit!" He mumbled out loud. He turned on the hot water and put a finger in it to see if it was even a little bit warm. It wasn't. He set about to the quick task of brushing his teeth, and right as he finished, he heard the water that was rushing through the pipes stop. Fran must be done. That must have been the fastest shower she had ever taken in her life. Now it was his turn, and he wasn't looking forward to it. He undressed and put his soap and shampoo in the shower, then stepped in and turned on the hot side of the faucet. It wasn't even luke warm. He turned the knob to send the water to the shower nozzle and the cold water dropped down onto him. He held his breath and dunked his head into it, shampooed as fast as he could, and used the suds to wash all over his face and neck, then rinsed off quickly. He gasped from the cold and had to step away from the spray to catch his breath. He felt his hair and made sure there weren't any suds left in it, then picked up his bar of soap. He lathered himself up all over as fast as he could, then rinsed and made sure he didn't miss anything, and shut off the water. He grabbed a towel to dry off. He was almost shaking from the chill. He went into the bedroom to retrieve his clothes and get dressed as fast as possible, then tried to dry his hair as much as he could. He finished getting ready and put his shoes and socks on, then headed out of the bedroom to the living room to see if Fran was there yet.
Fran was freezing. She had just attempted a cold shower, and now that it was light outside, she could see where she missed getting some of her makeup off. She grabbed the washcloth and washed her face again, and then wrapped her hair up in a towel to try to get it dry. She brushed her teeth, and then went through her makeup regimen to put it all back on again. She finished getting dressed and decided to put her sneakers on, just in case she might have to walk around outside in the wet. She combed out her hair and parted it, and tried to find a look that felt alright to her. She didn't like going out in front of people in straight, wet hair, but right now she didn't have much choice. She combed it back again, and slipped on a headband to hold it back from her face. At least that way, if it was still windy, it should keep it fairly tame.
Fran came out of her bedroom and went upstairs, and saw Max's bedroom door open, but he wasn't inside. He wasn't in the living room or kitchen either, but she saw he had started a new fire in the fireplace. The rain had stopped outside, but the skies were still gray and there was still enough of a breeze to make the tree branches sway. She walked over to the kitchen and looked out the windows, and saw Max up the slope in the grass, near the creek that went across the property under the bridge. Max was talking to what looked like a policeman, whose vehicle was blocking the road where the utility pole had come down. Fran hurried back to the living room to grab the binoculars, and then came back and put them to her eyes. Max had pulled up the bottoms of his jeans apparently to keep them dry in the grass. She noticed that the gravel driveway was filled with puddles and mud, which must be why Max was in the grass.
She could see the utility pole now- it was splintered through the middle and the top half of it was laying across the bridge. The utility lines were down over road and the bridge and spread across the side of the driveway all the way to the house. She could see the splashing of the creek water hitting the sides of the bridge and coming up through the boards, and saw the rest of the power line hanging down across the street from the next utility pole. Max and the policeman were gesturing extensively with their arms, like they were trying to make sure each other understood what they were saying.
Fran put the binoculars down and looked around the kitchen. There wouldn't be any hot drinks for a while, or hot food, she thought. She remembered Max said he had put some drinks in the freezer, so she went over and took a water bottle out, then walked over to the fireplace to try to get warm. She noticed the back staircase- the one that went up to the roof, so she took a long drink of water, set her bottle down on the coffee table, and went over to the staircase and headed up. She unlocked the door that led out to the roof, and made sure there wasn't any water leaking anywhere. There was a breeze up there, but it wasn't too bad. She walked out to look over everything, and found another apparent storage area with a lock on the door, and all of the outdoor chairs had been stacked and tucked behind a wall, shielding them from the wind but not the rain. They were all soaking wet, so Fran pulled them out, unstacked them and spread them over the roof deck to dry out. The large outdoor table was stationary, and appeared to be bolted down to the roof. It was a long table and had two holes in it- probably to put umbrellas in. After she had everything spread out on the roof, she walked around and looked at the view, and to see if there might be anything damaged from the storm. It was a beautiful view, even if the weather wasn't ideal. She thought how wonderful it must be when it was sunny and warm, like it had briefly been when they arrived the day before. She knew the weather had to clear soon, and all this mess would be sorted out. And hopefully they could salvage the rest of their vacation.
Fran looked out across the coastline to see if she could see any evidence of anyone having their power restored, but she couldn't tell. There were a small number of boats back out in the water, but they didn't look like leisure boats. She thought they must be fishing boats. She didn't see a lot of vehicle traffic out, and it was Monday morning, so people must be heading to work and to school. But these villages were fairly small, so she wasn't expecting to see a whole lot of cars. She looked back on the front side of the house, towards the grassy slope where Max was. She thought she could hear the rushing water from the creek, and tried to follow it down along the road towards the town. She could see several areas where the water went back and forth and splashed over the sides of the stone-lined ditches it ran through. She could see broken tree limbs and scattered leaves all over, and thought she heard the sound of a chain saw or two in the distance. She wondered what other damage the village had suffered, and she wondered how the children were doing. She really missed them, and she missed Niles, too.
She looked over at Max, and saw that he was now talking to a man with a red scooter as well as the policeman. The man with the scooter was gesturing off in the distance as he talked to Max. Then she saw him remove some bags or something from the racks that were attached to his scooter, and set them down on the road, then he talked with the policeman. She watched as the policeman went back to his vehicle, opened the trunk, and took out what looked like a rope. He brought it to the other man, and they talked with each other, then yelled across to Max, gesturing with their arms. She wondered what in the world they were doing. The policeman fiddled with the rope, then slung the bulk of the reel of it towards Max as he held on to the other end. Max caught the rope as it flew towards him and held it up over the water, as the policeman was doing. Fran stood there with her arms crossed, watching the interesting activities take place. She forgot her hair was still wet, and that she was getting a chill standing out there up on the roof.
The man with the scooter picked up one of the bags, and the policeman helped him thread the rope through the tied handles, and then it looked like they were trying to see if they could get it to slide over to Max. She chuckled to herself as she watched. They shook the rope several times and lifted it up high, and bit by bit, they got it to slip down along the rope until Max had it. Max had to tear through the handles of the plastic bags to get it off the rope, or otherwise he would have had to slide the entire rest of the rope through them. Once he had the bag off, he stood up and the two men lifted the rope up again, then repeated the process with yet another bag, only much more carefully this time. They pulled the rope tight across the water, and managed to find just the right angle to get it to slide down to Max. Once Max removed that bag, Fran watched as it looked like he rolled up his end of the rope, and then with a big heave, he threw it back across the rushing creek to the police officer. Max had another brief conversation with both men, then gestured his arms like he was thanking the the man on the scooter. He waved to both men, picked up the bags, and then the man got back on his scooter, waved, and turned around and headed back towards the village. Max turned and started walking down the wet, grassy slope back towards the house, one bag in each hand. Fran's curiosity was piqued, so she headed back to the door and went in the house, shutting and locking the door behind her. She came down the stairs, crossed the living room, and headed to the front door next to the kitchen, opening the door for Max just as he came towards it.
"Oh, hello. Thank you," he came inside and stopped to kick off his wet shoes just inside the door, and Fran shut the door. Max carried the bags over to the island counter and set them down, then reached down to straighten out his pant legs.
"What on earth was all of that? I was up on the roof, watching you. Who was that guy?"
"The one on the scooter?" Max chuckled. "Well, if my understanding of French was good enough, that man was the shop owner- the one whose home the children and Niles are staying at. And this should be some food they put together for us. I think he said there was a note or something from Niles in here, but I'm not completely certain."
"Really? How are the kids? And Niles? I miss them so much!" The both began trying to untie the torn handles of the bags and remove what was inside them.
"They're fine, they're safe. He said they've been very helpful. They are out helping everyone clean up from the storm. I think a lot of tree branches and things are down. And I think he said Niles called the agent- the one who rented us this place, to tell them about the phone and the power. From what I gathered, they all still have phone service. But now that he's seen how bad that utility pole situation is, I'm sure he's going right back to tell Niles. Oh, yes! Hot drinks! It smells like coffee…" Max pulled out four tall cups with lids taped down on them from the bag that contained a makeshift drink carrier.
"Oh, hallelujah! Those people are saints! Mmm, it smells so good!" Fran lifted one of the cups up to her nose to smell it. She peeled the tape away and carefully removed the lid and her eyes lit up at the sight of a perfect, and huge, cup of hot coffee. Max watched her and grinned. It felt good to see her smile. She took a sip and closed her eyes, then took another sip. "It's perfect! You have to have some!" Max reached for a cup and carefully removed the tape and lid and took a drink.
"Oh, wow, that is good! What else did they send us?" He slid the second bag over closer to Fran and let her get the handles untied with her fingernails, then helped her remove the containers inside. They opened each container and their eyes lit up with each thing they found.
"Oh! This one's got bacon! And crepes! And syrup! What else?" Fran squealed.
"Sausages… croissants… oh- pasta! Wonderful! And I think this jar is sauce for the pasta. I guess that can be lunch if we can get the water hot enough. But it's not dry pasta, so it should be easier to cook. Oh my gosh, they made scrambled eggs for us! A lot of them! It's still warm, too! Oh, let me get some plates! I'm so hungry now!"
"Me too! I can't believe they did this for us!" Fran pulled open the silverware drawer and grabbed forks and knives, and they filled their plates with as much as they could, closed the containers back up, then carried their plates and their coffees to the living room.
"Here, come over here closer to the fireplace. I don't want you to be cold," Max said, letting her go in front of him. She set her coffee down on the table and sat down with her plate on the end of the couch next to the fireplace. Max sat down near her, but not too close, and put his plate in his lap, then took a long drink of his coffee before setting it down. "Gosh, I didn't know how badly I wanted a really nice coffee!" He sighed, then dug in to the pile of food on his plate.
"Me, too. That instant stuff cannot compare!" She scooped up a big bite of eggs and smiled. "Even the scrambled eggs taste amazing! These can't be plain eggs, there's gotta be something else in here. Ohhh, so good!"
Max chuckled and took a bite of his own eggs, and nodded. "Definitely something else in them." They both stuffed their faces some more, and gulped the coffee, and were just happy to enjoy a nice, catered meal. When Fran had to take a break and let the food settle a bit, she reached over for the radio and turned it on. It was still tuned to the Spanish station, but seemed to be playing English-speaking pop music.
"That's weird- it was all Spanish last night. You okay with this?" She turned to look at Max.
"Sure. It kind of reminds me of the children- when they have their music playing in their rooms."
"Aw…" Fran said, and it made her think of the kids again, too. She picked up her coffee and took several more sips, then took a deep breath and sighed. This is what they should be doing every day of their vacation, without the tension hanging over them. And with the kids there, and Niles. "You know," she said, "Sometimes it's nice having a break from everything, but then, I just think about how the kids aren't here, and they should be. And Niles, too. Maybe they got to eat all this wonderful food this morning, too. I'm sure they would have been happy about that."
"Yes. I expect they would be. I'm sure they'll all be back here by tonight. Once they get that pole and utility lines off the bridge. Oh- I didn't tell you this part. The shop owner- he said the road was flooded. That they can't drive the van down here yet. I think he said it's this road that goes straight back into town. I guess there's a part of it that's lower than what the creek is now, so that's blocked. The policeman said that hopefully by noon the water should be starting to recede. So I guess we have to wait for that before any utility trucks can get here to make repairs. And who knows if there are other areas that need to be repaired, too. He wasn't sure of that, he just said he had to block off the road there so people know not to try to drive around the whole village and over to the other end of this road, to come up from the other direction. Because they can't get through this way, either. And I would imagine they wouldn't try to restore power with this line down- that could be dangerous, especially if it's laying partly in the water, and on that metal bridge. Oh- the note from Niles! I forgot to check for that. Hold on a second." Max set his plate down and jumped up, then ran back to the kitchen and dug through the bags, then found a folded piece of paper. He hurried back to the couch with it and sat down, then unfolded it. "Um, okay, he says they're fine, that family has been really good to them. They love their dogs. Uh… he called the office for the agent and left a message about the storm damage. He also told them how they had to stay in the village and can't get back because of the flooded roads. Hmm, well, I imagine we might have to deal with the agent, or the owner somehow. They'll want to be sure the house isn't damaged, and since the power has been out, they might want to at least apologize or something."
"Or something!" Fran huffed. "You know, if they give you a refund or anything, maybe we should give that to the shop owner. Since they did so much to help out."
"That's a good idea. I did tell him we wanted to do something to repay him, at least I hope that's what I said. He said there was no need, but I definitely want to do something."
"Yeah."
"Um, he also says if he can't get the van down here, and if it's safe, he might walk down here with the children. But- well, the shop owner will tell him they still won't be able to get over here. They may need to stay there until the power comes back, that way they'll know the pole was removed and everything got fixed."
"Aw. Dammit. You know, if we had a boat, we could go from the beach and maybe find a way over there. Unless that damn creek is in the way the whole way up the coast." Max chuckled, then handed the note to Fran to read for herself. He took another gulp of coffee and went back to eating.
"You know, I can't decide if I want to save the other cup of coffee for later, or go ahead and have it all now. Will that still be good if we reheat it later?" He asked.
"Oh, geez. I don't know. I know it's be better than that instant coffee, that's for sure. But how would you reheat it?" Max looked at the fireplace, then turned to look in the kitchen, then back at the fire.
"Um, the kettle? Pour it in the kettle, and put it over the fire?" He offered.
"Hmm, maybe. That might work. But, you know, we still have those sodas we could drink later. We might not need the coffee at lunchtime."
"True." Max grinned. "Okay, I'm going right into the next one. You want me to get yours?"
"Yes! You know it! And can you grab the eggs? Those are so good! And the bacon. Oh- and-"
"You want to bring your plate back here?" He smiled.
"Okay, okay. Yes, Let me come back for a refill. Since we don't really have anything else we can do." Fran got up and brought her plate back to the kitchen. "You didn't see any damage to the house out front, did you? Besides the pole? Everything was fine up on the roof. Just wet. Oh, and there's a storage thing up there with a lock on it. Maybe we can go peek in there later. I spread to the chairs up there to dry out. There might be umbrellas or something in the storage thing- umbrellas for the big table. And there should be a barbecue up there, too, right?"
"Oh, yes. I think the brochure mentioned that. Sure, after we get our fill, we could go up there and look around." They stood side by side in the kitchen and refilled their plates with more food, then grabbed their second large cups of coffee and brought everything over to the couch again. It almost seemed like they had forgotten about their issues from the night before. They were just enjoying a meal together, and enjoying each other's company. Fran took a final sip from the end of her first cup of coffee and set the empty cup on the table, then looked over at Max. She had noticed his stubble and ruffled hair and thought he looked cute.
"So- was the water too cold for you this morning? I mean, you know, for shaving?" She asked.
"Oh, yeah, um, well, I brought my electric shaver, so…"
"Oh no!" She laughed. "Well, yeah, that sucks. I'd offer you my Lady Bic, if that didn't bother you. Unless you want to go through Niles and Brighton's stuff and borrow one of their razors."
"Brighton's?" Max raised his eyebrows.
"Yes. He doesn't need to shave yet, but he thinks he does. I think he shaves like once a month." Max chuckled.
"Well, I think I'll be alright. As long as the power's back on by tonight. If it's still out tomorrow, then I might take you up on that." Fran smiled, and went back to eating. She really liked being able to talk to him like friends again.
Max looked her over as she focused on her food. He could tell her hair was still a little wet. It must have gotten a little windblown on the roof, so her sleek, straight look was a little disheveled. But he still thought she looked adorable. Then he remembered the difficulties of the last few days, and he got quiet again. He didn't mean to, he was enjoying the friendliness they seemed to be back to, but he knew it wouldn't last. He began to feel like this might be the last time he had this kind of quiet time with her. Fran quickly became aware of the quiet, and didn't want to lose the air of friendly connection they seemed to have gotten back to.
"You know, when I was on the roof- I was watching you guys trying to talk to each other. It was pretty entertaining! I guess you don't realize how much you use your arms when you talk until you're trying to communicate in another language."
"Oh, did we?" Max thought about it and smiled. "Yes, I guess we probably did. I don't think we would have understood each other as well if we hadn't, especially when the shop owner was trying to explain who he was, and about the flooded road. Plus that water was pretty loud, so we were kind of yelling things across at each other. But I guess we got it all figured out."
"Yeah, seems like you did." She smiled as she glanced at him, then quickly turned back to her breakfast. "This food and coffee sure makes up for that cold shower this morning."
"Mmm hmm. I imagine we'll all be fighting over the hot water later. I'm assuming the others didn't get showers this morning. I may need to go look for the water heater just to make sure it's not a pilot light issue, and be sure it's all electric. And we may need to keep an eye on things out front, in case anyone else comes by and is trying to get our attention."
"Oh, sure, okay. I'll try to remember to keep checking."
They worked on the rest of their meals, as they rested against the back of the couch and looked out the windows at the sea and the boats. Fran found herself processing everything in her mind again, and she started feeling her mood shift. She was feeling sad and guilty again, and she got the impression that Max was feeling the weight of the day before come back to him, too. She wished she could make it all go away- that she could just tell him she was sorry and hug him, and do whatever it took to make him happy again. At one moment, she would feel like she would just blurt out that she wouldn't take the job- she couldn't leave them. The thought of it was just hurting her too much, and clearly hurting Max. And she didn't even want to think about having to tell the kids. They would be so upset with her. But then she would remember the conversation she had with the owner of the clothing store, and how she sounded so impressed with Fran, and the thought of how much money she could make at the job. There was no way she would ever be able to be paid like that at any other job. She just knew it. But how could she put money before these people she loved like family? Because they weren't her family. Not really. She was an employee, and her job wasn't forever. The children were growing up fast, and already she felt that she didn't need to watch after them as much as she did when she started as their nanny. They needed her all the time back then. Now, it was mostly breakfast and dinner conversations, and maybe a little time in the afternoon or evenings, and the rest of their days were spent out of the house with friends, or doing school activities. And now, with Gracie getting more involved with school, she wasn't going to have as many afternoons with her, either. Fran wondered if she was even working forty hours a week these days, and was pretty sure she wasn't.
Fran hadn't realized she had zoned out in her thoughts, and Max glanced over at her again and again. He could tell she was worrying about things. He could always tell- Fran would get a small crease over her eyebrows as her tension increased. He always looked for it when he felt something was off between them.
"Everything alright?" Max asked softly. Fran startled out of her trance and glanced at him.
"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm okay. Sorry, just spacing out, I guess." Fran finished her food and set her plate on the table, then picked up her coffee and took a sip. Max finished the last bites of his breakfast, and set his plate down, too. He rested his elbows on his knees and picked up his cup of coffee, and held it in both of his hands as he thought things over.
"Did you sleep last night?" He asked.
"Yeah. I guess I was pretty wiped out. And with that wind and rain, I guess it was hard to think about anything. So I don't think it took all that long to fall asleep. I think I slept pretty good, if you don't count the dreams."
"Dreams?"
"Yeah," Fran shifted forward on the couch, then slid down to the floor and moved her legs a little closer to the fireplace. "I guess that can happen though, when you have things on your mind."
"Yes, I guess it can." Fran looked over at him.
"Did you sleep?"
"Yes, yes I did. I guess it felt a bit like I had a weight taken off my shoulders, and I was so exhausted that I couldn't fight it, so I fell asleep. But then…" he paused. "Then I guess it was like I had a different weight on my mind. So, yes, the dreams."
Fran slumped a bit and looked away from Max and toward the fire. She didn't know what she could say in that moment that would help the situation. Even an apology seemed like it would be empty.
Max knew that they'd just stepped back into the mood of the previous evening, and he didn't want them to go any further downhill. He cared about her, and knew how much she was struggling with this situation. She hadn't planned for someone to throw a wrench in their arrangement, and he had to admit it was a pretty good offer. But it didn't stop him from wanting her to turn it down. But he couldn't ask her to do that. He was struggling to find any words he could say out loud.
A song came on the radio, a familiar song, and Max gave a small chuckle. "Hmm…" he thought, "This song… it always reminds me of Margaret when she was younger. She used to, ah, she would dance with her mother to it. In her room, or wherever her mother was, when she would have the radio on all day. She had a radio about that size, and sometimes she'd carry it around the house with her when she liked the songs she heard. I remember this one. She would run to her mother to tell her it was on again, and Sarah… she would take Maggie's hand and they would swing around and around, and sing the words, and dance back and forth. It was like their special thing they had together."
Fran smiled, trying to picture Maggie dancing with her mother to the song that played. Fran seemed to remember a few times she caught Maggie dancing to it when she thought no one was around to see. She stared at the radio sitting there on the coffee table and listened.
"And that reminds me, I've seen you and Margaret having times a bit like that. Or I'd hear you two, in your room, singing to the Bee Gees, or whatever disco song you had playing. And Grace would join in. You all look so happy when you get into that sort of silliness. You have this look like you've become a teenager again, and Margaret looks like she doesn't have a care in the world. And Grace… she has this sort of expression, like- like she feels like she's the luckiest girl around. She looks up to the two of you so much. But she's also learning to be her own person, and sees how different she is from other people. I think that used to make her feel excluded from so many things, but since you've been with us- she sees how it just makes her special. Unique. And lovable. That she's perfect just the way she is."
Fran smiled. "She is." She could feel the tears coming, so she pushed them back with everything she had. Why was he telling her this? She downed a gulp of coffee to wash away the lump in her throat, and Max tried to stop himself from saying anything else. But she needed to know about Brighton. He took a sip of his own coffee, then cleared his throat.
"And Brighton…" he began. Fran put her coffee down and crossed her arms in front of her. It felt like he might tear her heart out. "You're everything to him, you know? You came in and swept him off his feet. You made him feel loved, too. That he mattered. That he mattered to you. I guess he hadn't felt that way in a long time. I failed him there. But you had his heart in two seconds."
Fran wondered again, why is he doing this? She was missing the kids so much!
"He really clung to you for quite a while. Even if you weren't right there with him, you were on his mind. He wondered about you- where you were, when he would see you next, what stories you might tell him, or if he had any news to tell you. Everything he did revolved around you in some way, even if you didn't realize it. And bit by bit, because of you, he learned how to stand on his own two feet, and step out into the world. He didn't worry so much anymore. He didn't feel like everyone and everything was out to get him. He found his confidence. And he learned what a best friend was." Max got quiet and hung his head, then began nervously running his fingertips through his hair over his ear. Fran turned to look at him.
"Are you still talking about Brighton?" She asked gently. He glanced at her, then turned away and looked at his coffee cup. He cleared his throat again.
"I, ah, maybe… maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Max felt his face flush and his heart begin to race. Why had he said that to her? He meant to talk about Brighton. But wasn't he talking about Brighton? Or was he really talking about himself? Did she act in the same capacity for the both of them? Maybe she did. It was a realization he hadn't come to before. And now he couldn't stop thinking about it. And Fran couldn't either. She had her hands shielding her eyes from him, and he was certain he might have made her cry. It made his chest ache on top of everything else. "I'm sorry…" he whispered, "I'm sorry if I-"
"Don't apologize," she shook her head slightly. She took a deep breath and pulled her knees up to her, then crossed her arms over them and rested her head, still hiding her eyes from him. He resisted the urge to reach out for her, to touch her in some way. He didn't mean to make her feel that way. But he needed to tell her all of it. She needed to know.
Max looked around the room, then over to the kitchen. He quietly picked up their plates and headed for the kitchen, then put them in the sink. He looked around and found some paper napkins, grabbed a couple, then went back to the couch and set them down on the coffee table in front of her. He stepped back and looked at her a moment. It hurt him to see her like that, but he wasn't sure what he should do. She reached over for a napkin and brought it to her face, still shielded from him by her arms. He gulped, and turned and walked back around the couch, then went over to the kitchen windows and looked outside. He could see the police car still up on the road, and the man sitting inside of it. Max felt a little like he was suffocating, like he was trapped in a situation he couldn't control, and he didn't like that feeling of his heart racing so fast. The things he wanted to do- do go to her and hold her and comfort her, to let her know that somehow everything would be okay- he felt like he couldn't do that. He wasn't sure things would be okay. He needed to get out of there for a while and think. He was certain anything he might say to her now would just make her feel guilty or would hurt her somehow. He looked over at his shoes sitting near the front door and went over to get them. He slipped his feet into them and tied them.
"I'm, ah, just going for a walk. I'll be back." He opened the front door and went outside, then shut the door behind him. He headed down the walkway slowly to the beach, kicking the stray leaves and bits of broken branches to the side as he walked.
Fran lifted her head as she heard the door shut. "Dammit!" She said, upset and hurting. She covered her eyes with her hands and cried for a little while. She reached for the other napkin and dabbed her eyes and her nose. "Why does this have to be so hard?!" She got up off of the floor and walked over to the side window, and looked out to see Max walking out to the beach. He was walking slowly, kicking at things here and there. His hands were in his pockets and he was looking down at the ground. She couldn't figure out what he wanted. Did he want her to stay? Or to take the job? Why did he say those things about the children? And about himself? Did he really feel like she had become his best friend? How could she leave them and take some job that could be so full of uncertainty? Would she even like the job? She didn't want to think about going back to New York with things like this in the air. But she didn't want their vacation to continue with this much hurt and uncertainty going on, either. She was going to have to decide what she wanted, and she wasn't sure she could expect anyone else to help her make that decision. Max was clearly pulling back, whether that was from fear, or feeling like it wasn't his business to tell her what to do, she couldn't tell. But he also made the effort to show her how important she was to them. And it crushed her.
Fran watched him walking through the sand, his footprints left behind him. He leaned over and picked up something, then turned and threw it far into the waves. He had to be hurting, too. She really wished the kids and Niles were there, so they could all sit down and talk it out and help her figure out what to do. But she still knew that in the end, it would be her decision.
Max walked further down the beach, picked up something else, then threw it towards the waves. Fran noticed in the distance a bit of sunlight peek through the clouds, then disappear again. Max sat down in the sand away from the water, and stretched out his legs, propping himself up with his arms behind him. He looked like he was deep in thought.
Fran wiped her eyes again and sniffled, then went to the kitchen to throw away her napkins. She sorted out the breakfast food, and their future lunch, and put several things away in the dark fridge, and threw away the garbage. She looked out the kitchen window, up the slope to the utility pole that was causing them all kinds of issues. They should be having fun together right now, as a family, not be torn apart by an unexpected storm, and by her unexpected job offer. She really felt like she had ruined their vacation, and regretted not talking to everyone about it right when it happened. She knew it would be hard for everyone to take, and she thought it would be better to wait. But maybe that was a bad idea. The only person she needed to talk to was Max, and he separated himself from her. She wanted to run down to the beach to him, but maybe she should just leave him alone. He would come back soon enough, wouldn't he?
Fran walked to the living room windows and looked out across the ocean. The waves were still rough, but the clouds didn't seem as dark as they were earlier. She saw another patch of sun shine down in the distance over the water, then disappear again. Fran took a deep breath and turned around. She closed the glass on the fireplace, picked up her cup of coffee and finished it off, saw that Max's was empty, too, and picked it up. She threw the cups away in the kitchen, found the set of house keys on the counter, grabbed the binoculars and the radio, then headed for the stairs to the roof. She went outside on the roof deck and set everything down, then took the keys over to the door for the storage. She found the right key and unlocked it, then took off the lock and opened the door. Inside, she found the two large umbrellas for the big table and pulled them out, then set them by the table. She also found a barbecue grill on wheels, a full bag of charcoal, and a container of lighter fluid. She pulled out the grill and set the bag of charcoal and the lighter fluid against the big table. She also found several folding lounge chairs, and thought the kids might love those for laying out in the sun, so she pulled those out, too, and then shut and locked the storage door. She set about setting up the umbrellas, then set up the lounge chairs, spreading them out on the side of the roof deck. She moved all of the chairs back that she had set out to dry earlier, and lined them up at the big table, then picked one to sit at. She couldn't see Max from where she was sitting, but she wasn't too worried about that. Maybe it was fine to let him have a break from her.
She picked up the binoculars and turned around, then looked over what she could see of the village, then followed the road as it made its way in between the buildings and further along the coast. She thought she could see what looked like a utility truck with a cherry picker up at a pole on the other side of the village. Maybe they had lines knocked down there, too. She turned the other direction, where there were a few more fields and scattered houses, but couldn't tell if anyone had power or not. She would just assume they probably didn't. At least it looked like it wasn't raining anywhere nearby, so maybe the water in the creek would start to go down and the utility companies could come over and get to work on their pole.
Fran put down the binoculars and picked up the radio, then went over to one of the lounge chairs and sat down. The air was feeling warmer and the wind was calming down, so she wasn't feeling chilled like earlier. She set the radio on her lap and started roaming through the stations to see if she could find anything that might lift her spirits.
Max picked up a broken branch near him and dragged it back and forth in the sand. He glanced up at the house, and then back down at the sand in front of him. He wondered why he said those things to Fran the way he had. Even though it just came up all of a sudden, and he didn't mean to make her feel bad, he knew he did. He hated it when she wasn't happy- it affected everything around her. He really cared about her, and worried about her. And he wanted the best for her, even if it meant she might leave them. But he didn't want her to leave. Maybe something would come up that would make her not want the job. He could only wish, but he still knew in the back of his mind that probably wouldn't happen. He was becoming more certain that she did want to take the job, because it was a good opportunity for her. He couldn't stop her from pursuing such a good opportunity.
He drew circles in the sand in front of him with the branch, and let his mind wander off into memories of her and all the things they had done together, either alone or with the children. He remembered the gowns she wore to all of his events, all the fun they'd had on other vacations, and the times she came to his office when he was working. He smiled as he thought about those. She had so many stories for him. It drove C.C. mad, and he knew he teased Fran about them, too, but he actually did really enjoy those visits. It was a nice break from his work, and she usually made him laugh. Those times were the best. If she left, he wouldn't get to enjoy moments like that anymore. He felt his chest tighten and ache, and he was missing her again, even though she wasn't that far away. He looked up at the house, wondering if she might be at a window, watching him. He didn't see her at a window, but noticed what looked like umbrellas open up on the roof deck. She must be sorting everything out up there, in anticipation of the children and Niles coming back. He missed them all, and was certain Fran did, too. How were they going to tell them about Fran's job offer? That was definitely going to have to happen fairly soon after they came back. Maybe that was a good thing- they would get it all out in the open with everyone, and get it dealt with. Fran would know how everyone felt, and maybe she would figure out what she needed to so she could make a final decision, and then they would figure out how to handle the rest of their vacation.
He thought about his feelings for Fran, as he went from drawing circles in the sand to scratching lines back and forth. He set the branch down next to him, then leaned over his knees and wrapped his arms around them. He listened to the waves lapping up on the shore, and felt the warming breeze across his back. He imagined Fran sitting there next to him, and wished she really was. He needed this distance between them to go away. Even if she took the job, he didn't have to push her away, or be pushed away. He just told her she was his best friend- surely they could at least start there. He could start acting like a best friend and comfort her, couldn't he? He turned his head and looked back at the house. He needed to see her.
Max pushed himself up and stood up, then brushed the sand off the back of his pants. He took a deep breath and headed back for the walkway to the house. He was feeling equally nervous and certain about what he needed to do. He looked up at the house as he stepped onto the walkway, and reached for the railing. He walked slowly so he wouldn't be out of breath when he finally went back inside. He needed to calm down. He got to the front door, then kicked his shoes against the outer wall to get the sand off, then opened the door and went inside. He didn't see Fran anywhere, and wasn't really expecting to, so he walked between the kitchen and living room to the back stairwell to the roof. Before he opened the door, he took a few more deep breaths. He closed his eyes and could feel his heart still beating fast. He waited a moment to let it settle, then he opened the door and quietly went out onto the deck.
Fran had lined the chairs around a big table, and set the umbrellas into their places. He saw a barbecue nearby, and several lounge chairs- one of which she was sitting on, her legs outstretched in front of her as she played with the little transistor radio in her lap. He carefully closed the door behind him so he wouldn't startle her, and watched as she seemed to find a radio station she liked. He walked over to her.
"Hey," he said softly. She turned towards him quickly, only slightly startled. She had wondered if he might come back from his walk soon.
"Hey," she said, glancing up at him.
"I see you've gotten things set up nicely up here."
"Yeah, I guess so. Not a whole lot to set up." Max nodded as he looked around, then he turned back to her and their eyes met. He reached his hand out, offering to help her get up from the low lounge chair. She hadn't expected the gesture, but welcomed it. She set the radio down next to her, then reached for his hand and got up from the chair to stand in front of him.
"I kind of figured… it probably wasn't right for a guy to leave his best friend hanging like that. I shouldn't have left, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's okay if you need some space." They looked at each other for a moment, then Max carefully pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her for a hug.
"I don't want space," he said, and hugged her hard. She tried not to crumble in his arms, but failed. She wrapped her arms around him, too, and buried her face against him. She hugged him tighter and tighter, as he buried his face in her hair. They held onto each other for ages, not wanting to let each other go. They both had been needing this hug for quite some time. Max stroked her back, and they swayed lightly together, comforting each other. Fran felt like she couldn't hug him tight enough- she couldn't get him close enough to her, so she hugged harder. Max found himself kissing the side of her head, softly, over and over, trying to let her know how much he cared for her, and he wasn't going anywhere.
"Thank you," Fran squeaked, getting choked up. "I really needed a hug from you."
"That should have been the first thing I did, when I realized there was something going on with you. Maybe that would have helped you not feel like you had to keep me at arm's length- to protect me. Or protect yourself."
"Maybe it was a little of both."
They tightened their clutch on each other again, then just stayed that way, holding each other close, as they listened to the radio and looked out over the ocean. They hadn't even realized that the sun was shining through several breaks in the clouds. They needed the time to comfort each other, to enjoy this feeling. They had hugged before, but this was different- really different. There was a shift in their relationship now, and it was something they couldn't run from. It was something they didn't want to run from. They needed each other, and now they both knew it for certain.
"Can I ask you something?" Fran said.
"Of course." Fran shifted her arms around his middle, and relaxed against his chest.
"What do you think about all this? About that job?" She was a little nervous about what he might say, but she had to ask.
"What do I think?" She nodded her head slightly. "Well, if it's a legitimate offer, if the woman is sincere about really needing someone like you, then I do think it could be a good opportunity. If anyone could help a place like that, it would be you."
"You really think so?"
"Mmm hmm." Max was quiet a moment. "We never really talked about the future, have we? About how long you would be the nanny. I know I've taken you for granted. Maybe we all did. At first, I probably thought you wouldn't stick around for very long, like all the other nannies. But then, when you did, I was genuinely relieved. And impressed. You really wanted to do right by the children. I know I kept my guard up for a while, just waiting for you to say you'd had enough, that you were done. And when that didn't happen, I guess I just shifted over to thinking it wasn't something I had to worry about anymore. You were the nanny, end of story. And the children were at different stages. You helped Margaret grow up, and learn to socialize, and learn to watch out for herself. Now she'll be going to college soon, and she'll be able to handle it. Brighton's matured quite a bit, and you helped him learn that getting into trouble all the time wasn't going to give him the future he wanted. And I'm sure you've been helping him learn what kind of future he's going to want. And then Gracie- you've genuinely been the primary mother figure to her. I know Margaret felt she had to take on that role for a while, but she was ready to relinquish it to you. Gracie never connected to any of the other nannies. But don't think that she's too big to need you much anymore. She'll always need you. They'll all still need you. Because they love you. So you've got to know that if you take that job, be certain that they'll all show up at the store after school to see you. And I'm not kidding about that."
Fran chuckled, and hugged him again.
"And I might be there, too." Fran turned her head to look up at him. "I know how hard this has to be for you. Maybe we should have had a real conversation about what our expectations were for you, for how long we both thought the nanny job should last. And make sure you had the time to think about what you wanted to do afterwards- if you wanted to go back to the kind of work you did before you came to us. But we didn't do that, and now, as unexpected as it was, here's this person who saw something in you and realized that's exactly what she needs to grow her business, and maybe give her a chance to have the life she wants. And maybe it could be a life you didn't know you wanted."
"Like when I met you guys. Being your nanny is absolutely the best job I ever had. Part of me knew it wouldn't be forever. But the biggest part of me didn't even want to think about needing to work at any other job."
"Are you afraid to take it? Do you think you wouldn't be able to do it?"
"I don't know. Well, I guess that's not true. I am kind of afraid, but not because I don't think I could do it. I'm afraid because of how it would change things with us. That hurts a lot. I don't know if that would be a bad thing to do, if I'm pulling the rug out from under everybody." Max looked into her eyes. He knew exactly what she meant.
"I get it. And I'll admit that it kind of felt like that. You talked about leaving, and I don't want that to happen. I don't want you to leave. And we aren't going anywhere, you know. We'll still be there, doing the same things. And if you weren't a part of that… well, I don't like that idea at all."
"Neither do I." Fran rested her head against him again, then they were quiet for a moment.
"But there's still that opportunity, hanging out there. And as far as you know, it's an opportunity that was only presented to you, for you," Max said softly. "And I think you would be fantastic at it."
"So what do I do? It should be an obvious choice, but I don't know what to do!"
"Come, now, Fran." He called her Fran again. "If you weren't seriously considering the job, it wouldn't upset you so much."
"I know, but-"
"But nothing. I can't tell you not to take that job. It very well may be a great opportunity. And if it ends up not working out, we'll still be there. You're still part of our family. This doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing situation, like if you take that job, then you'd never see us again- it doesn't have to be that way."
"Do you mean that?" "Of course I do. I've been thinking about it a lot. A lot. And I know you're probably feeling like if you quit being a nanny, that you would have to move out, and maybe you'd have to move back to Queens. But if you don't want to do that, I would never make you. You have a home with us, I would never kick you out like that." Fran clutched his shirt and looked up at him.
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, take the job if you think you want to give it a try, but don't leave us. Please don't leave us."
"What-" Fran thought she might burst. Was he really saying this to her? "But part of the nanny job is room and board- if I'm not the nanny, what are we gonna do? Do I need to pay rent or something? Because I totally would! If I can afford it…"
"Don't worry about that. I understand that if it makes you feel better, maybe we could work something out. But, you know, if it's something you still want to be involved with…"
"Is what something I'd want to be involved with?"
"The children. I'll still need help. And I certainly don't want to hire anyone else. I don't want any other nannies, or babysitters. And there may only be so much more Niles can do. Didn't you say the job was only on weekdays? And wouldn't it be mostly when the children are at school?"
"Yes! Yes, I did say that! So, you mean like in exchange for me still helping with the kids, that maybe… maybe that would cover the rent for my room?" She was grinning now, she was so happy.
"Maybe. We can talk about it. I mean, I don't exactly want to be a landlord. Your landlord. I'd go from being your boss to your landlord, and that's not exactly the kind of relationship I wanted to have with you."
"It's not?" Fran wondered what he was trying to say.
"Well, no. I mean- well, Fran- I, uh, see, I've been calling you Fran, not Ms. Fine. Did you notice?"
"I did."
"Well- if I'm not your employer anymore, I mean… I know we've had our personal issues, and it was mostly because of that- me being your boss. Or maybe there was more to it. There probably was. But there doesn't have to be those issues if you didn't work for me anymore, right? And I wouldn't want to just swap that out and become your landlord, because then all the same issues would be there. But maybe, if I haven't ruined things already… maybe we could reevaluate all of that. I… I said you were my best friend, and I mean it. And I want to do better by you. I need you around so I can work on that. And if, well, you know, if you aren't totally put off by me or anything…" Fran laughed out loud and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard, and he wrapped his arms around her and held her to him.
"No, I'm not put off by you! Not in the slightest!" They laughed together, and Max felt such relief. "Now just to make sure I heard you right, it's okay with you if I try this job, and you don't want me to move out? I can really stay?"
"Yes! And you better stay, or there'll be a whole bunch of people upset with you if you don't!" He hugged her tight, and laughed with her. "And now, if you want to quit your job, I would love it if you would start calling me 'Max'!"
"Okay! I quit! Unless that means I can't stay here on vacation with you guys…"
"Oh, you're staying! And it's not a working vacation anymore, alright? You're free to relax and not feel like it's your job to watch the children all the time. Okay?"
"Okay!" She hugged him again and kissed him on the cheek. "Oh my god, you're just the best, Max! Just the best! You're my best friend, too. And yes, I think reevaluating our relationship might be a very good thing to do." She smiled at him, and his eyes lit up. "But you're sure you don't want me to pay rent? I mean, I'll have a couple bucks now…"
"No, it's alright. But maybe, if it makes you feel weird- if you still want Niles to help clean your room, maybe you can send a little his way. That might be helpful to him."
"Oh! That's actually a really good idea! Okay, maybe I'll do that, then. Gosh, Max, you just made me feel so much better about everything!" She leaned into his chest again. "This vacation's going to be really good now, even if we don't have any electricity!"
Max laughed. "It sure will! But we still have to tell the others. This'll make their heads spin!' "That's for sure! Oh, but Niles'll be really relieved. I don't think the kids ever knew anything was going on with me. I was just trying to put all my focus on them so they wouldn't figure anything out."
"Well, it's all okay now. And I bet they'll have questions. We'll talk it all out. I think they'll be alright with everything. Especially since you're staying." Max grinned at her, and she grinned right back.
"Would it be out of line if I gave you a thank-you kiss?" She asked.
"A thank-you kiss? No, it's not out of line. But I should be the one asking you." They both chuckled again, then slowly, carefully, leaned in and kissed each other firmly on the lips. They didn't let it linger too long, but they both wondered what it would be like if they did. They separated, then smiled at each other again. Fran slid her arms back around his middle and they hugged and held on to each other. And in the sky above them, the clouds began to drift apart and let the warm sunlight come through.