Everyone sat around the table on the roof, enjoying the feast Niles had prepared for them. Niles had made them all chicken shish kebobs with vegetables, potatoes, and bruschetta. The children were so excited, and worn out from their time at the beach. Gracie clung to Fran's arm with one hand as she poked bites of food with her fork in the other hand.
"How is everything?" Niles asked.
"Fantastic, Niles!" Max said.
"Yummy!" Gracie added. The others, their mouths full of food, nodded and gave a thumbs up.
"Well, good! I'm glad you like it! They had some wonderful vegetables there at the market, so I thought we should give them a try.
"Good choice, Niles," Fran said.
A loud deep honk sounded just then from up on the road, making everyone either turn around or lean over to get a look. Max stood up and saw the man from the bucket truck waving to him. Max hurried to the side of the railing and yelled to the man in French, asking if everything was done. Everyone at the table watched and listened to the conversation, and only Niles could understand some of it. Max smiled and cheered, raising his arms in the air.
"Merci! Merci beaucoup!" Max shouted, then clapped his hands and came back to the table. "They're done with everything! He said any minute now the power should come back on!" Everyone cheered and clapped and raised their arms.
"Oh, I can't wait for a hot shower!" Maggie said, flopping back in her chair and closing her eyes, imagining how good it would feel.
"No kidding!" Fran said. "Oh, kids, speaking of which, when the water's heated back up, Niles gets to go first. Then Maggie, you can probably go next.
"Aw!" Brighton whined. "She's gonna use up all the hot water!"
"No I won't!" Maggie snapped.
"Children! There will be plenty of hot water for everyone. Just give it time between each person and it's be fine," Max said.
"What about you and Fran, dad? Don't you guys want to go before us?" Brighton asked.
"Well, we braved cold showers this morning, so technically we had our showers today. But we all need to get the sunscreen off, and the saltwater, before we go to bed. And we should have a plan for the morning in case it takes a while for the water to heat up. I don't want to have to wait all morning for everyone to shower before we can get out of here."
"Daddy, can I skip a morning shower if I take a good one tonight? That'll be one less shower in the morning," Gracie asked.
"Well, I suppose that'll be alright. Fran?"
"Sure, sweetie. But let's make sure your hair is all the way dry before you go to bed, okay? And if you want, I can braid it for you in the morning," Fran said, patting Gracie's hand before she took another bite of food.
"Okay! I would like that! Very much!"
"Oh my gosh, Fran! I forgot to tell you! There were some clothing shops up there, not far from the market and where that place was we stayed last night. We didn't get to go in them, but at least one of them had a dress in the window," Maggie said.
"Really! Oh, Max, we gotta go there tomorrow! Can we? Before dinner?"
"Sure we can. And that reminds me, Niles, you still need to show me where those restaurants are on the map."
"Sure, I can do that. And if we go past there tomorrow, I'll point out the areas to you."
"I can't wait for our date!" Fran squealed, and the kids smiled. "I want to wear my new dress! The one I picked out from that shop I'm gonna be working at! And I got new sandals to wear with it, too!"
"New sandals? You didn't show me those!" Maggie huffed.
"I'll show you later, or maybe tomorrow, when I have them on with the dress. And I even had a purse that goes with it all, too!" Fran grinned, and Maggie smiled back at her. Max smiled and reached for Fran's hand. He had purposefully sat on Fran's right side so he could hold hands with her and they both could still eat.
Brighton finished his meal and leaned back in his chair. "This roof deck is awesome!" He said, as he looked around at the view. "Dad, we need a deck like this. Some place where we can just go and chill." Max smiled, then glanced at Niles knowingly, and Niles raised his eyebrows and smiled back.
"So you like this sort of thing? It is pretty nice, isn't it? Especially when the weather is perfect like this."
"Yeah. I could spend all day out here, except that I want to spend all day at the beach. That skim board was awesome! Dad, can I get a skim board when we go home?"
"Sure, I suppose. But where would you use it?"
"Well, my friend Jake's parents have a house on the beach on Long Island. Maybe I could get invited out there sometime."
"Now, Brighton, don't go inviting yourself to other people's homes. Especially their vacation homes," Max warned.
"Yeah, Brighton. Maybe we could find some place not too far away where we could take you on the weekends, if we aren't working. It might be a while before our next vacation, so we'll figure something out. You guys should still be able to have some fun this summer even if we have to stay home for a while," Fran said.
"Oh, so you'll be working when we're on summer vacation?" Gracie asked.
"Yes, sweetie. I know it'll be different. But you guys still have those camps you'll be doing at the beginning of summer, so that'll be fun, won't it? That'll take up part of the vacation. And we should have some plans by then to know where we're going next. But we're gonna have a lot of fun together, okay? Even if it's just a weekend, we'll find something to get into." Gracie smiled and hugged Fran's arm again.
Just then they all heard the sound of a thunk, then an almost whirring sound, and they looked around to see where it came from. Brighton's eyes went wide.
"The power! Was that the power coming on? I think that's the air conditioner!"
"Ooh! Yes, I think you're right!" Niles said. He got up from his chair and went to lean over the back rail, closer to the sound. "Yes! That's the air conditioner! It's on! Oh hallelujah!" Everyone cheered again. "Are you all done with your meals? Would you like me to bring dessert up?"
"Yes!" They all screamed. Niles picked up a few plates in his hands and hurried to the door to go back inside.
"So how about you girls? Did you have a nice time at the beach today?" Max asked.
"Yeah, that boogie board thing was pretty fun. Wore me out. It's not so easy to catch a wave, but when you do, it's so fun!" Maggie gushed.
"What about you, Gracie? Did you have fun building all those sand castles?"
"Yeah. Until the water got them. I guess I should have built them further away."
"Aw, baby!" Fran said. "We can build some more."
"Maggie? You wanna trade tomorrow? You can try the skim board and I'll try the boogie board?" Brighton asked.
"Sure, I guess. Was it really fun?"
"Yeah! It feels sorta like snow boarding, but like you run a little and jump onto the board, then try to see how far you can go. It takes a little practice, but once you get it it's so cool!"
"Okay, I guess we can swap."
"Can I try, too?" Gracie asked.
"You wanna try the skim board?" Maggie asked her.
"Yeah, so I don't have to go so far in the water."
"Sure. We can learn it together. And take turns." Gracie smiled, happy to be included in the fun her brother and sister were having.
"Thank you, Mags. I think you two will have a blast once you figure it out," Fran told her. Max squeezed Fran's hand.
"Hey, let me grab some of these plates and help Niles out." He stood up and gathered his and Fran's plates.
"You want me to help, too?" Fran asked.
"No no, sit. I've got it. I'll help him get that dessert up here. And I want to make sure the AC is running alright."
"Okay."
"You children all done?" They nodded their heads and helped him stack their plates on top of his."
"I'll be back up in just a minute," he said, picking up the stack. Fran moved her chair so he could get out, and ran her hand across his arm as he passed her, making Max grin. He hurried to the door and went down the stairs to join Niles in the kitchen.
"Oh, sir, you didn't have to do that," Niles said, as he took out another stack of small plates from the cabinet.
"No worries, Niles." Max brought the plates to the sink and cleared them off into the garbage, then set them in the sink. He checked the water and turned on the hot to see if he could feel a difference.
"Oh, I tried that already, sir. Not quite hot yet, I'm afraid."
"Oh. Oh well, I'm sure it's just a matter of time. Ah- the vent! The AC is working, isn't it? That feels nice!"
"Yes, it does, I was standing in it for a little while. Oh, sir, you caught what Brighton said, didn't you? About the roof deck?" He turned to face Max.
"Yes! And guess what? Fran said something similar earlier today, before you all came back, when we were sitting down on the beach."
"She did?" Niles raised his eyebrows.
"Yes, she said it would be nice if we had a place like this to hang out in- where you could look out far away, instead of just at the buildings."
"Should I call them monday, see when they'd be ready to start?"
"That would be great. Should we keep it a secret? And surprise them all? Would we even be able to?"
"We can sure try. But let's decide once we know when they can start."
"Alright. Here, let me help you carry some of this upstairs."
"Oh, and sir? I'm so happy you both talked, and things seem to be going well for you both."
"Yes, it is going very nicely. Thank you, Niles." Max picked up the large box of pastries and Niles grabbed the plates, a pile of forks, and more napkins, and they both headed back to the stairs and up to the roof.
"Who wants dessert?" Max called, and the children all cheered.
"Me! I know what it is! I want one!" Gracie squealed.
"What did you get, Niles?" Fran asked.
"Some gorgeous cream puffs, Ms. Fine. I think we've all earned it!" He said, smiling from ear to ear. Niles passed out the plates and forks, and Max set the box down in the middle of the table.
"You've got that right, Niles! Here, Gracie, hand me your plate," Max said, and served her the first one.
"Merci, papa!" She said. Max raised his eyebrows at her, then looked at Fran.
"Not bad, Gracie! Did you learn anything else while you stayed with that family?"
"Oui!" She said, and poked her finger into the fluffy white cream, then stuck her finger in her mouth. Fran laughed.
"Daddy, you should have seen Gracie- she was picking up a lot of French. She was remembering what they said and repeated it back. I can't even do that unless I see it written down. And even then I can't always remember it," Maggie said, and handed her plate to her father.
"Really? So Gracie, do you like French?"
"Sure. I think it sounds neat. And It was good to be able to talk to them. We were teaching them some English, too."
"She should take a French class now, since it's easy for her. Then she won't have to wait until high school and take it when it's horrible," Brighton said.
"Horrible?" Max asked.
"Yeah, you know- when you have to take a foreign language, and it's really boring and they make you learn stuff you'll never actually say to anybody."
"Oh, yes, well, sure. That's not much fun. Would you be interested in learning some more French, sweetheart?"
"Sure!"
"That might be good for her, Max. If she's got a few years under her belt before she gets to high school, then she can keep going or take a different language. That'll look good on college applications," Fran said.
"It sure will. But, Gracie, I'd like it a lot better if you enjoy it. I don't want to push you into doing something that will just be boring for you."
"It's not boring, daddy. Especially when you're actually trying to talk to somebody and figure out what each other is trying to say. And when you figure it out, it makes both of you happy!"
"It does, doesn't it?" He asked, and laughed, then looked back at Fran as he finished getting everyone their cream puffs.
"You guys should have seen your daddy earlier today! He was trying to talk to people across that rushing creek, and they were all yelling back and forth and waving their arms and pointing. It was so funny!" Fran said, and laughed some more, then everyone else laughed with her.
"Yes, it was pretty funny, thinking about it later. But I didn't know we were doing that, we were just trying to communicate about everything going on. We figured it all out, so that was good."
"Oh, Maggie, Niles said you had your camera with you last night. Did you get some good photos?" Max asked, and sat back down next to Fran. Everyone began poking their forks into their puffs.
"I hope so. Their doggies were so cute! Fran, you would have loved them! They were some kind of spaniels, I think. Little ones. Are those like King spaniels? Cavalier? Well, maybe you'll get to see them before we leave. Or at least you'll see the pictures. They slept with Gracie last night, one on each side of her, like they were guarding her."
"Aw! Did you get a picture of that? I would have loved to see that! So Gracie, did you like playing with the dogs?"
"I loved it! I want a dog! Daddy, can we get a dog?" She asked, with cream all over her mouth.
"Well, sweetheart, we've been over that. It would be nice, but it's a lot of work. Our house isn't really set up for having a dog- we don't have a yard for them, and they'd have to go out for walks a couple of times a day. It would be a lot of work, and would probably end up all falling on Niles to make sure it got done. I don't think that would be fair to him."
"Neither do I," Niles said.
"Aw!"
"Someday you'll get to have dogs, Gracie, if you want them. And hey, you still get to play with Chester sometimes, right?" Fran rubbed Gracie's shoulder.
"Yeah, but he's not my dog. And these dogs were so pretty! And soft! And they didn't bark constantly. They just wanted hugs and petting and love!"
"Aw, baby! Don't they all?" Fran gave Gracie a side-hug and they all went back to eating their pastries. Max reached his arm over Fran's shoulders and they finished their desserts, and rested back against the chairs and enjoyed the evening breeze. Brighton got up and stretched out on a lawn chair and stared up into the sky. Niles began stacking their plates, and gathered the silverware and used napkins.
"Does anyone need anything?" Niles asked.
"I'm good," Fran said.
"No. But thank you for everything, Niles. That was a wonderful meal," Max said, rubbing his stomach.
"Yes, thank you, Niles," Maggie said.
"Well, I'll get this all to the kitchen and I'll check the hot water again. If it seems hot enough, I'll go ahead and get a shower so the rest of you can get one soon as well."
"Alright, thank you, Niles."
"I'll help you, Niles, that way I can get my stuff ready for when you're done, and get my shower."
"Oh, alright. Thank you." Maggie helped Niles pick up everything they could carry, and Fran and Max smiled. They were so glad the kids were behaving and being so kind. As Niles and Maggie headed back to the kitchen, Gracie got up and went to lie down on the other lounge chair and copy what Brighton was doing. The two of them stayed there, perfectly still, and watched the bits of wispy clouds move slowly across the sky. Fran and Max watched them, then looked at each other and smiled. Max rubbed Fran's shoulder, and she leaned closer to him and reached for his other hand.
"Gosh, this is so nice…" Fran said, and stroked Max's forearm.
"It is. I'm glad we finally got to enjoy some nice weather. With nice company." She looked up at him, and into his eyes, and they both smiled. They really wanted some privacy, but weren't about to kick Brighton and Gracie out of their way. They were careful not to get too mushy in front of the children, but they really enjoyed being able to be so close with each other and not have to hide it anymore.
"Brighton's falling asleep!" Gracie teased.
"No I'm not. But I could. I wish they had a hammock here, then I totally would fall asleep." Max chuckled and he and Fran looked over at them.
"Yeah, a hammock would be nice. But remember times like these, children. All the other stuff is fun, too, but when you're on vacation, you need times like these, to relax and recover. And after we go back home, if things get hectic again and wear you out, just remember how nice this is here, right now. And if you can remember it, maybe it will help you relax back home." Fran gave his hand a squeeze. She liked that he noticed things like this, and that he wanted to tell the children about it, too. Fran looked over at Gracie, who was smiling from ear to ear as she stared up at the sky.
"Hey, Fran?" Brighton said, lifting himself up on his elbows.
"Yeah?"
"So what kind of stuff will you have to do at this job? Are you gonna be really busy?"
"Well, I don't exactly know, yet. I know she wants me to train the salesgirls, about how to help the customers better and help them find the clothes that work for them. I might be like a manager, so the owner doesn't have to be there all the time. She has two little kids she doesn't get to see enough because she's working seven days a week."
"Seven? Holy crap, I would never do that!"
"Well, she loves the work, but yeah, she misses her family and needs more time with them, so maybe I just happened to come along at the right time, and she had the guts to ask me if I could help her. But your father and I talked about it some, and I might be able to negotiate some things, so I don't end up being there too much either, and I don't miss out on time with you guys." Brighton smiled, then laid back down and looked back up at the sky. Gracie looked over at Fran and her father, sitting closely together, his arm across her shoulders. It made her really happy to see them like that.
Max and Fran sat together for a while, and he twisted a bit of her hair around his finger as the sun moved lower in the sky.
"You know, maybe we should get the rest of this stuff inside, and help clean up the kitchen. We can see if the fridge has cooled off some." Fran said.
"Alright. Children- come help us get the rest of this from the table and take it inside. We'll see if the others are done with showers. And I bet the AC is nice in there now, too."
Brighton and Gracie sat themselves up from their lounge chairs, and Fran and Max got up and began gathering everything from the table.
"Oh, guys, don't sit on the couches in there, okay? Not with wet suits and sunscreen. And when you get your showers, make sure you rinse out your suits, and then hang everything up to dry out, okay?"
"Okay."
Fran and Max followed the kids back in the house, and Max shut the roof door behind him. They brought everything into the kitchen just as Niles came up from the back stairs.
"Oh, hello! Perfect timing! Let me help you with all of that. I'll get it ready to wash, but will wait until everyone has showered before I clean up. Oh, let me get the rest of these things into the fridge!" As Fran and Max cleared off the last of the plates and set them into the sink, Niles added the leftover food into the fridge with the other things Fran and Max had put in there from breakfast.
"There are still some drinks in the freezer, Niles. We put them there to try to keep them a little colder last night after the power went out. They can probably go back in the fridge once they cool down again. Hey, Gracie? Why don't you go see if Maggie is done yet. If the water is still warm enough, you can get your shower. Just remember that you need to wash off that sunscreen with soap, and rinse your swimsuit, okay?" Fran said.
"Okay, I will. I'll try to be quick, Brighton."
"Okay. No biggie," he said, and leaned over on the kitchen counter. "Niles, do we have any snacks?"
"Brighton! We just ate! You can't tell me you're hungry already!" Fran swatted him.
"I can't help it! I was really hungry before dinner, and all that time at the beach, I feel like I'm behind a meal."
"Well, you can have a small snack, but make it fruit or something, alright? No cream puffs," Max said.
"Aw, alright."
"How about some apple?" Niles offered. "And I'll throw in a few slices of cheese."
"Okay. Thank you." Fran stepped closer to Brighton and patted his shoulder.
"So, B, how've you been doing? Did you get any sleep last night?"
"Well, a little. But it was kind of weird, you know? Staying in some stranger's house. And that thunder was really loud."
"Aw, poor thing! Yeah, it was pretty loud. So where did you sleep? Did they have beds for you guys?"
"They had one, Niles got that. Maggie got the couch, and me and Gracie had to sleep on cushions on the floor. But she got the dogs, too."
"Jealous?"
"No. I mean they were cute and all, but one of them made this snoring sound all night, and Gracie didn't seem to hear it. Me and Maggie were trying not to laugh, it was pretty funny. But it made it kinda hard to sleep, on top of everything else."
"Well, sweetie, go to bed a little earlier tonight, okay? You'll be out before you know it. You had some good exercise, so you must be pretty wiped out."
"Yeah, I guess I am."
Maggie came out of the bedroom in her pajamas and robe with her hair still wet.
"Hey Mags! Was the water hot enough for you?" Fran asked her.
"Yeah, it was fine. It was so good to take a shower! Hey, can I turn on the TV and see what's on?"
"Sure."
"I'm gonna go get my pajamas out. Niles, can I take that snack with me? I'll eat it quick, then get my shower. I think I'm gonna crash right after that."
"Oh, I hear you. I may retire myself pretty soon. Go ahead and take it with you, but remember that this isn't your house, so be mindful to keep things clean."
"I will. And thanks again."
"You're welcome." Niles handed Brighton the plate of apple slices and cheese and he headed dow the hallway to his and Max's room, then shut the door behind him.
"Maggie- did you hang up your bathing suit to dry in the bathroom?" Fran asked.
"I did. Hey, why don't you guys sit down? I'll find something we can all watch on TV."
"Oh, no, we're covered in sunscreen. We'd get it all over everything. Oh, yeah, Maggie, I kinda borrowed some of your magazines last night. I hope that was okay."
"Sure. I borrow your magazines all the time. We still have a bunch to finish going through, too. And I wanna look for more if we can, even at the airport if that's all we can find." Fran smiled.
"Sure. We'll keep an eye out for some bookstores tomorrow."
Niles fiddled around in the kitchen for a while, and Fran and Max leaned back against the kitchen island, his arm stretched across the counter behind her. As Maggie flipped through channels with the remote, Max and Fran glanced at each other again and again. Niles noticed, and he smiled. He was so happy things were finally happening between them.
Soon, Gracie came out of the bedroom in her pajamas and pounded on Brighton's door.
"I'm done, Brighton!" She yelled. Brighton's muffled response could be heard immediately after. Gracie ran into the living room and flopped on the couch next to Maggie. "What are we watching?" She asked.
"Nothing yet, I'm still looking." Maggie said, changing to the next channel.
"Oh my gosh, Maggie! Go back one, did that say what I think it said?" Fran asked. Maggie went back a channel to see what Fran was talking about. "What does that say, Max? Does it say that movie 'Fanny' is on next?"
"Ah… yes- yes it does. I guess that's a movie channel. Why do you ask?"
"Aw! That's such a good movie! Maggie, you'd love that movie!" "Really? Is it an old movie?"
"Yeah. Not super old, but old enough. And they're French! Oh, I hope they don't put on a dubbed version, then we won't know what they're saying!"
Niles walked over to the other couch and sat down.
"You gonna watch it, Niles?" Maggie asked.
"Sure, I love that film! And I know a bit of French, in case they dubbed it." Maggie laughed and put down the remote control on the coffee table. They all watched as the movie started, and were happy to see that it was in English, with French subtitles. Fran whispered something in Max's ear as she cupped her hand near it.
"Oh, really?" He whispered something back to her, then they both looked at Gracie, who was now leaning against Maggie.
"Hey, Gracie?" Fran said. "I want you to get ready for bed in just a little bit, okay? You're looking pretty tired, too."
"Aw, I'm okay. Really I am. I wanna watch the movie!"
"Well, sweetie, it might go on for a couple hours, I don't want you staying up that late. You can watch some of the beginning, but then I want you to go get your teeth brushed and get to bed. You can read for a little while, if you want, okay?" "Oh yeah. Okay. I forgot about my book."
"Okay, thank you, sweetie." Fran elbowed Max and he raised his eyebrows at her. Fran had remembered what happened in the movie and thought it might not be a good idea for Gracie to watch it, at least until she was a little older. Fran leaned against Max as they watched the film. He hadn't seen it before, so was curious about what was going to happen.
"You want to take the next shower?" He asked Fran.
"No, you go ahead, you'll be faster than I will. And I've seen this before, so it's okay if I miss some."
"But I'll miss some, too."
"Like five minutes, sweetie. I'll tell you what you miss."
"Oh, alright. If you insist," He smiled at her as they looked in each other's eyes.
Soon, Brighton opened the bedroom door and yelled that he was out of the shower.
"Okay, Gracie. Time to head to head bed, okay?"
"Aw! Okay, okay!" Gracie got up from the couch and came over to Fran and Max to give them a hug.
"You get some good sleep tonight, okay, darling?" Max said.
"I will. Even though we don't have any dogs to cuddle with."
"Aw, poor sweetie! Maybe we can find you a stuffed one somewhere before we go home."
"Okay!" She grinned. Fran and Max chuckled, and Gracie ran down the hall to the bedroom and went inside.
Max gave Fran's waist a squeeze. "You want me to go now?" He asked. Fran looked over at the clock, then at the movie.
"Um…" She thought for a moment, trying to remember the progression of scenes in the film. "Yes, go right now! Five minutes, though, okay? And hurry back. There's a part you shouldn't miss- the whole movie kind of rests on it."
"Okay, let me get to it, then! I'll be right back!" He gave her a smile and gave her hand a squeeze and hurried to the bedroom to grab a quick shower. He found Brighton laying back on his bed, looking through a car magazine. He looked pretty tired. "Hey there. You going to bed soon?"
"Maybe. I dunno. Why?"
"I'm gonna grab my shower now, but you should get your teeth brushed when I'm done if you haven't done that yet. Don't fall asleep without doing that."
"Okay, I won't."
Max grabbed a pair of pajamas and underwear and hurried into the bathroom. He got the shower running and took a quick shower, rinsed out his swim trunks and then hung them up to dry, and then washed all the sunscreen off his skin and shampooed his hair. He got out and hurriedly dried off, put on his pajamas, then threw on some deodorant and came back out into the bedroom. Brighton looked like he was trying hard not to fall asleep. Max grabbed a pair of socks and swatted at Brighton.
"Hey- go brush your teeth, then get to bed. You look exhausted."
"Okay…" Brighton grumbled. He got up off the bed as Max left the room to return to Fran.
"Did I miss anything?" Max asked.
"Come here!" Fran said, waving her hand, then gesturing for Max to sit down on the couch. He sat down and she stood behind him and put her hands on his shoulders as he pulled his socks onto his feet. They watched the film continue- the two young adults frustrated over their situations, hoping for more in their lives. Then they met out by the water, and confessed their feelings for each other, and kissed each other, passionately. Max knew Maggie was riveted, and he felt himself blush, especially when Fran squeezed his shoulders. He watched the new couple as they stumbled back through the streets, back to her now empty home, because her mother had left town for the night. And she invited him inside… and everyone knew what was about to happen.
"Uh oh!" Niles unexpectedly said out loud.
"What 'uh oh'?" Maggie asked. "They love each other!"
"Oh, I know. But there wouldn't be any more of the movie if it was as simple as that." Maggie stared at him a moment. He was right. Uh oh.
As they all watched the pair get found out, Fran hurried into the kitchen and looked for some snacks for everyone. Niles had bought a box of crackers, so she grabbed those, and a block of cheese and a knife, then grabbed several bottles of soda and hurried over and set it all on the coffee table.
"Here, you guys! I'm gonna go run and get my shower so I can watch the rest of it with you."
"Oh, thank you, Fran! I was just thinking of getting something," Maggie said.
"Yes, thank you Ms. Fine! I was caught up in the movie and wasn't thinking," Niles said.
"Don't worry Niles. Take a load off. Okay, Max, I'll be as quick as I can!" She leaned over the back of the couch and kissed him on the cheek.
"Alright, we'll be here," he said, and caressed her hand.
"Your beard is tickley!" She whispered, and rubbed his chin with the backs of her fingers. Max grinned, then she stood up and hurried down the hall and down the stairs. Maggie and Niles turned to look at him, as he grinned form ear to ear. He noticed and looked back at forth at them.
"What?" He asked.
"Nothing," Niles said, smiling.
"It's just nice to see you guys like that," Maggie said.
"Oh. Well, thank you for saying that. It is nice." He crossed his arms in front of him, a little nervous, and they went back to watching the movie. Max got frustrated at the young, impulsive couple, who wouldn't talk it out. Maggie yelled at the TV when the boy ran away and jumped on the sailing vessel.
"No! Don't go! Oh, Fanny, you dope! Go after him!" She cried out. Max felt the same way. He understood why she didn't want to hold him back, but surely she could have said something to him? As they watched for a while longer, they realized how much more complicated the situation had gotten.
"Oh dear!" Niles mumbled.
Fran came back up the stairs, in her pajamas and a robe, with her long, wet hair combed neatly. Max turned and saw her walking towards him and smiled. He motioned for her to sit next to him on the couch, and she did. She watched a bit of the movie to see what part they were at.
"So you get why I didn't think Gracie should see that, right? When they went to bed together?" She whispered to Max, hand cupped in front of her mouth.
"Yes. Thank you for handling that."
"No prob. Hey- you want to share a soda? I don't think I want a whole bottle."
"Sure." Fran handed him a bottle from the table, then sliced off several pieces of cheese and grabbed a handful of crackers, then leaned back against him. She sorted through her stash and made a stack of crackers with a piece of cheese on each one, then offered one to Max. He had just opened the bottle, so he offered her the bottle, and took the cracker and cheese.
Maggie and Niles then each reached over for a bottle of soda, and Niles sliced up the block of cheese. He and Maggie each grabbed handfuls of cheese and crackers, then sat back to watch more of the movie.
They all continued to watch the movie in silence, and Fran loved how everyone seemed to be riveted to it. It wasn't a terribly exciting movie- nothing like an Alfred Hitchcock drama, or a sweeping period piece. But it was a nice, almost-unrequited love story, with endearing characters. And it brought back a lot of nostalgic feelings for the adults in the room, and might have been creating some future nostalgia for Maggie. Fran especially loved being able to watch it with Max. She never got to watch old movies with him. He was always either busy with work, or just busy with something, and she could never get him to sit down and relax. Now he seemed perfectly content to sit with her and enjoy a nice movie. She hoped they'd have more evenings like this, and she was pretty certain they would.
Max draped his arm over the couch behind her and shifted himself at an angle then reached for her hand and slipped his fingers between hers. She looked down at his hand, then stroked her fingers across the back of it and smiled softly to herself.
They watched the movie through to its conclusion, then Niles got up and brought the dish of cheese and the crackers back to the kitchen, and got ready to wash the dishes.
"Oh man, Fran! Were people really like that back then? A girl would rather marry an old geezer for more, instead of telling a regular guy she loves him? And that she'd wait for him? And then not even telling him the kid was his? That's awful!"
"Oh, sweetie, people still do those things today. Life gets complicated sometimes, and sometimes people are impulsive, and too young an immature to be able to see the consequences of their decisions. But they have to work towards getting it right, not giving up."
"Yeah, I know, I know. But what if the old guy didn't die? They'd all be miserable, and the poor kid would never know why."
"Yeah…" Fran sighed. Max rubbed her shoulder.
"It's not easy for young girls, Maggie," Max said. "Especially back then. There was still a big stigma about getting pregnant out of wedlock. And even now, if it happens, often things don't work out to have a happy ending like in the movie. So just remember that…" he gave her a stern look.
"I know, daddy! I know. But I also know that if I did do something stupid, that I have a good family to lean on and help me through it."
"Yes, but let's not tempt fate." Fran and Maggie started laughing, and Max was a little put out, but he looked at their grins, and couldn't help but start laughing, too.
"You're such a sweetheart, Max!"
"Well, I'm a father, too." Fran patted his shoulder.
"Yeah, and you're a very good father. But in the end, there's only so much you can do. You'll have to let all the kids step out on their own and figure things out."
"Do I have to?" He stuck his bottom lip out.
"Oh, daddy!" Maggie got up from the couch and went over to give him a hug. "I'll do my best, okay? And if I screw up, it's on me, not you." Max hugged her back, then let go. "I'm gonna go crash now. And think about how cute that guy was…"
"Hey! No need for that!" He said as Maggie jogged down to the bedroom, and Fran laughed. Fran reached over for the remote and started turning through the channels again.
"What time do you want to get out of here in the morning?" Fran asked.
"Well, I don't want to rush everyone, but maybe nine or so? Even a little later should be alright. If the shoes aren't open yet, we can sightsee along the coast for a while."
"That sounds nice. We need to remember to bring the cameras, too."
"Yes." Fran left the TV on a channel, and turned her focus to Max. They were both conscious of the fact that Niles was still behind them, on the other side of the kitchen island, quickly washing all of the dishes they had used. Max propped his head up with his arm on the back of the couch, and looked into Fran's eyes. "How are you feeling now, after this crazy day?" He smiled.
"Sure was pretty crazy, wasn't it?" She chuckled, then looked at him seriously. "I feel wonderful. I really do. And I was worried this whole vacation was gonna be hard to get through. I couldn't have imagined that we'd be talking like this, and that we would have talked about everything else, too. That really matters to me, and I'm so happy that you weren't mad at me. I never thought you would be so supportive, but I should have known. You're a wonderful man, and I know you care a lot about us. And you care a lot about me, and that feels wonderful! If I didn't love you guys so much, it wouldn't have been so scary and it wouldn't have gotten me so upset and worried. But you really helped me, and you're making all of this possible for me- to take chance and see if I can do well outside of being your nanny. It's all because of you. Because if I had to leave you guys, I don't think it would matter how good that job would be. I'd be miserable. I need you guys, every day. I need you. And right now, now that we got past those issues, I feel amazing! I'm really happy. And I want to make sure you're happy, too." She tugged on the bottom of his pajama shirt, then she took hold of his other hand.
"I am happy, Fran. I've been pretty happy for a while, because of you. I never thought I'd get back to that point, but you're the one who made it possible. You lightened the whole mood at the house. You're an amazing woman, Fran. And I'd like to do whatever I can to make you happy, and keep you happy. You're my best friend, and it feels pretty amazing just saying that, and thinking about it fills me up."
"It fills me up, too, Max! I'm sure gonna love being your best friend, and telling everybody about it, too!" They both chuckled, and got quiet for a moment, wondering if Niles could hear what they were saying even though he had the water running. Max looked over at Niles, his back turned towards them, then looked back at Fran.
"You know, I'd love to stay up late with you, and just talk with you, and all… but maybe we should both get to bed and get some sleep. It's been a rough several nights, but now we should be able to sleep well. And we've got our date tomorrow night to look forward to…" Max said, stroking her fingers.
"Yeah. I'd love to stay up with you, too, but we need to get some sleep. We'll have more time together, though. Lots more."
"That we will," he smiled. "So, would it be alright if I walk you to your room?"
"It would. But maybe we better stop at the stairs. You know, just to-"
"I know. Alright. That would be alright." Fran turned off the TV and Max got up from he couch, then offered her his hand to help her up. He picked up their soda bottle and they walked hand-in-hand to the kitchen and Max set the bottle down. "Well, Niles, we're headed off to bed. Thank you again for everything, taking care of the children, and dinner, and everything else."
"Yeah, Niles. You did a lot. You should get to bed pretty quick, too," Fran told him.
"Oh, don't worry! I'm just going to finish this up and I'll get the lights turned out and lock up, then I'll be turning in for the night as well. You two sleep well, and I'll get breakfast started first thing in the morning. Oh- are there any requests?"
"Whatever you think I'm sure will be fine. Maybe nothing too heavy, since we'll be getting lunch when we're out. But then again, we might be burning off all these calories, too. Well, if the children are up before us, see what they may want, and I'm sure whatever they want, that will be fine. Well, goodnight, Niles."
"Goodnight, sir. And congratulations again, Ms. Fine, on the job. And congratulations to you both, for everything else!" He grinned. Fran and Max smiled at him, then at each other.
"Thank you, Niles! Good night!" They walked slowly down the dark hallway until they got to the top of the staircase, then stopped and faced each other.
"You sleep well, alright?" Max said, almost in a whisper.
"You too." They paused a moment, uncertain of what to do next. They both really wanted to kiss each other, but knew that might just make going straight to bed more difficult. Max let his eyes wander over her, then looked back into her eyes. He leaned over and kissed her cheek softly, then gave her a full bear hug. "Mmmm!" She sighed, hugging him back. She held the side of his face and kissed his cheek, then they parted.
"I'll see you in the morning, Fran."
"Not if I see you first, Max." He chuckled, then had to kiss her on the forehead, too. He squeezed her hands. "Goodnight!" She whispered.
"Goodnight," he whispered back. Fran held on to the stair rail and started stepping down the stairs, backwards, so she could keep an eye on him, and he walked backwards towards his bedroom door until he was in front of it. He waved to Fran, then quietly opened the door and went inside and shut it behind him. Fran went down the rest of the steps, and into her room in the dark. She shut her door and turned on the light, and couldn't stop smiling as she finished getting ready for bed.
Brighton was out cold in his bed with a car magazine laying across his chest and his bedside light still on. Max smiled, then went to turn on his own bedside light. He stepped over to Brighton's bed, picked up the magazine and set it on the table, then turned out his light, and then he went to the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed. He looked in the mirror and realized he'd been smiling the whole time.