We are humans!
Fran becomes suddenly very quiet. She starts to understands Maxwell's point of view and his speech has moved her deeply. Maxwell comes over to her and the two sit down together on the couch. Maxwell gently strokes her hair.
"Please believe me, Fran. None of this has anything to do with my love for you. I love you so much. I love you more than I can ever tell. And if you weren't engaged to Nigel, I would propose to you right now. Then I would love nothing more than to lead you down the aisle and start a new life with you and the children. But it's just not possible. Please you have to accept it. I can't be selfish and think only of myself and my desires. I can't built my happiness on Nigel's balefulness. I would never forgive myself for that. I would feel guilty for the rest of my life. And what example would I be setting for the children. That it's OK to take your brother's wife away? That it's OK to be completely selfish and only think of your own needs? That is certainly not the message I want to pass on to my children. I saw that myself with my own father. And as you know, I despised him for it for many years. And I don't want my children to despise me the same way one day."
Fran swallows. She has become very thoughtful. She reaches for his hand.
"You're right, Max. I don't want that any more than you do. I think I'm beginning to understand what's going on inside you. And I understand your concerns. I think it's incredibly sweet of you how much you care about Nigel and that you don't want to bring any misfortune upon him. But don't you think that, despite all the consideration for others, everyone has also a responsibility for themselves, for their own happiness and their own future. I mean, what about you? Could you really bear to be at the wedding and watch me giving my vow to Nigel? And what if we all meet again for some occasion? After all we would be family, we couldn't avoid each other. There would always be situations where we would be confronted with each other. Do you really think that we could then be completely relaxed and deal with each other just as brother-in-law and sister-in-law? And what if Nigel and I actually had a child one day? Could you look at this child without thinking that it could actually be our child?"
Maxwell feels a lump in his throat. He knows that any of these scenarios would kill him inside. He murmurs sadly.
"That would be my fair punishment for betraying Nigel."
"What are you talking about Maxwell? That wouldn't be a punishment, it would be pure self-destruction. And what about me? I don't want to spend the rest of my life married to a man I don't love and who I can hardly stand being around. And I also don't have a magic button to make my feelings for Nigel to suddenly return. I'm not a machine, Maxwell! And neither are you. We're both humans with feelings and a soul and even if what we did to Nigel wasn't right, neither of us deserve to suffer for the rest of our lives."
Maxwell stares at her in amazement, as if he just realizes now how smart and sensitive Fran really is.
"So what do we do now? What is your idea, Fran? What can we do to get us all out of this mess relatively unscathed? What do you think is the right way?"
Fran smiles mysteriously.
"I don't know if it's the right way and if the right way even exists. But I think I have a very reasonable suggestion that we can all live with. At least better than with your idea."
Maxwell looks at her curiously.