“You are actually him?” Elizabeth asked amazed by their visitor, one that both girls were able to see, and it stunned both of them to be able to communicate with a ghostly vision of their parent’s childhood best friend.
“Yes, I am Alex,” the vision said. “And you are
Elizabeth Amy Guerin, you are the picture of your mother and father,” he smiled at Maria’s daughter. “I know they are very proud of you.”
“Most days,” Elizabeth admitted.
“They went through worse,” Alex advised the teenagers. “Anything you two are going is overwhelming but nothing like your parents went through, although you Grace, you went through a whopper.”
“Is he there with you?”
“Yes, he is, your great grandmother is currently fascinated by him and keeping an eye on him as we speak.”
“She knows the circumstances?” Grace asked.
“Yes,” Alex nodded with a concerned face. “She knows, but he’s family. And even though he wasn’t meant to be with you and your father, he’s blood.”
“That he was,” Grace sighed.
“Why are you here?” Elizabeth asked for her friend who she knew was going through some real emotions at the moment. “We don’t get it.”
“I am here observing, making sure you two are alright.”
“Why?” Grace asked weakly.
“Because your parents paid a great service to me once at great cost to both of them at the time, but they made it through, and it’s time I pay them back.”
“You know my mom is alive?” Grace asked.
“Yes,” Alex said. “I am not happy with the circumstances that separated her from you and your father. But the time has come to rectify a grave wrong.”
“If you know, why couldn’t you come and warn us years ago,” Grace asked with tears coming down her face. “We missed her Alex, she should have been home with Dad and me, and Dad needed to know his other daughters and we all missed out fourteen years of memories.”
“I know Grace, I know.” Alex said. “I am here to help. But it can’t just be me, it has to be your parents who brought this about. Your mother memory is a real barrier and a wall that divides.”
“She should have been allowed to come to terms with her life early on and not fourteen years later.”
“I know,” Alex said. “I wish it could have been different.”
“So, do I,” Grace muttered.
“Who did this to Grace’s mother,” Elizabeth asked as she butted into the conversation. “Who wanted to hurt her family like that,” she asked.
“Your parent knows,” Alex said.
“Tess Harding?” Grace asked.
“NO!” Alex shook his head. “She was dead fourteen years ago, and still dead today, and she’s not coming back.”
“Then who?” Grace asked.
“That is your parent’s business because I never personally had any personal conversations with the individual as it was after my time,” Alex said. “I am only here as a guide to make things right.”
“Then why tonight?” Elizabeth warily asked.
“You are just like your mother you know that Elizabeth and just as suspicious as your father.”
“It’s a family trait,” Elizabeth muttered.
“Maybe it’s time to get some answers,” Alex asked.
“How?” Grace asked.
“It’s up to you to decide,” Alex advised. “It’s not my place to tell you. Your mother is here in Roswell now, so are your sisters. Maybe it’s
time to finish this.”
“How?” Grace asked again.
“You know.”
“Tell me,” Grace persisted.
“You know,” Alex said before disappearing which left Grace and Elizabeth to look at each other with wonderment. “You are strong, you will make it through anything that may come your way, even if it doesn’t seem like it at the moment.”
“What was that?” Grace asked.
“You got me,” Elizabeth said as they got in the car, and looked at each other. “He seems to want us to do something?”
“Yeah, he did, didn’t he?” Grace wondered as she started the car, and they turned off onto the road to take them back to Roswell. “Maybe I should do something?”
“What?” Elizabeth asked.
******
“Have you told Mom and Dad what is going on?” Isabel asked her brother and they sat in the living room after she had checked in on the kids who were now all watching television in their individual rooms and Max had elected to stay and visit with his sister and brother and law.
“I know I should tell them, but I haven’t yet,” Max sighed.
“Well, they need to know what is going on Max,” Isabel said. “They will want to know so they can be there for you and Grace, and support you guys.”
“I only had the courage to tell Jeff and Nancy today. One step at a time Is,” Max muttered.
“Well Jeff and Nancy are the most important people to know next to you and Grace,” Isabel muttered. “How did it go?”
“Better than I expected,” Max said quietly. “They didn’t want to be believe it and I am not even sure they believe it now, but they are open to the possibility, which is start.”
“It brings their daughter back into their lives,” Kyle remarked. “Anyone would want that, and especially two parents who lost their only child.”
Max nodded thinking if the situation was reversed and he had lost Grace, and had the chance to have her back in his life, he would take it without a second thought which made him wonder why he had been so resistant of the fact his wife was alive.
“You need to see her,” Isabel said as she could almost read her brother’s mind. “That is the only way this can become real for you.”
“I know,” Max nodded.
“You can take your time but maybe you should at least tell Mom and Dad.”
“I know,” Max said.
******
“It was a great of you staying for dinner Grandma and Grandpa,” Jake said as he wheeled himself into the living room as he followed his grandparents once dinner was over and they all went their own way with Belle, Colin, and Liam going up to their rooms while Maria and Michael finished up with the dishes.
“How are you really doing honey,” Amy asked of her eldest grandson.
“Excited that at least I can start to get back on my feet starting tomorrow,” Jake said. “It’s going to be painful, but it can’t be as bad as the pain while I am in this chair.”
“You’re not doing too much, right?” Amy asked.
“I have yet to leave this house, so no, I am not.” Jake said. “I can only do so much here at the house, so it’s been pretty quiet.”
“I am glad,” Amy said. “I want you to be take it easy with your recovery after tomorrow, okay?”
“Yes Grandma,” Jake said as his mind still was on his sister and Grace’s activities and his fretting into their state of mind, and just what they would get themselves into as his grandfather walked into the room. “Grandpa?”
“Yes?” Jim asked.
“Are you sure that everything is safe for Elizabeth and Grace?” he asked.
“As much as we can be sure,” Jim assured his eldest grandson. “The Ellis family isn’t questioning the official story as of yet, and we have kept Grace out of it and you for that matter. Only our inner circle knows the true facts.”
“Camryn knows,” Jake admitted.
“What?” Maria asked as she came into the living room and overheard her son discussion with Jim. “How on earth does she know?”
“She put 2 and 2 together,” Jake sighed.
“How?” Maria asked again.
“Grace told her that I was out of school because of an accident, and didn’t get that specific with her and so Camryn stopped by and therefore she was able to see how serious it was and then the school grapevine does know Tommy is in the hospital, and well Cam could tell add, and figured it out.”
“Damn,” Maria groaned.
“Mom, Cam is not going to tell anyone. She was with me at New Year’s, at the party and could tell whatever happened with Grace got serious and she’s kept it to herself, so I can assume she will keep any suspicions she has into my accident to herself.”
“Let’s hope,” Maria sighed. “We have been able to trust Camryn in the past with any family secrets she might have figured out, so let’s hope it continues.”
“Mom, she only thinks I got into a brutal fight. She doesn’t know about Grace’s part of it or that it was as serious as it was, so I think she’s going to keep quiet.”
“I hope so,” Maria nodded. “Too much of our lives are uncertain again, and I don’t like the feeling.”
******
“Mom,” Max said as he arrived back at his home and heard the doorbell as he put his coat in the closet. “What a coincidence, I was about to call you and Dad. Where is Dad?” he asked his mother as she walked into the house with a hug for her son.
“He is at work,” Diane Evans smiled as she entered her son’s home and looked around the empty downstairs. “You just get home?”
“Yes,” Max nodded. “I am sorry if I am interrupting your preparing dinner.”
“I grabbed something on the way home,” Max smiled. “Grace isn’t home as she’s out with Elizabeth tonight.”
“On a school night?”
“She needed to blow off some steam, and she needed a friendly ear in Elizabeth,” Max said as he wished to still be denial about everything he’s learned over the last few days. “What brings you here Mom? I love you, but you usually call first.”
“I usually do, but I was curious, so I took the chance. What is going on sweetheart.”
“What do you mean?” Max asked a tad tentatively of his mother.
“What is going on with Grace?” Diane asked of her granddaughter. “I was talking to Nancy earlier and she mentioned that Grace is going through some difficult times, without being specific about it.”
“Mom, Grace is fine.” Max said sighing at the relief that Nancy hadn’t talking about the news about his wife but knew his denial of the truth was not going to last much longer and if his mother prodded hard enough. “She’s a teenager.”
“Yes, she is, and I remembered those times with you and your sister and that is why I am worried.”
“Don’t be, let me handle it. She’s going through a lot and she just needs time to adjust to getting older and the changes and emotions that come with this passage of time which is exactly how Isabel and I came through it.”
“You didn’t exactly get through it in one piece, honey.” Diane reasoned. “If not for Jim, or even Liz for that matter we might have lost you when you were a teenager.”
“It was never that dire,” Max lied knowing full well they had been lucky to get out of their teenage lives in one piece, and he definitely had some true close calls and there would always be worry about history being revisited onto their children.
“Sweetheart,” Diane said looking at her son. “We were all there, remember. We might have been oblivious for most of it, but we saw how you were at certain moments in time and if Grace is having difficulty than we can’t ignore it.”
“I am not ignoring it Mom, believe me.” Max smiled. “What Grace is going through is simply emotions of being a teenager and being forced to confront growing up at the same time as certain life revelations are coming to light. What she is going through is not on the same level of what Isabel, Michael or I had to face when were teenagers. Thankfully. Still, it’s not an easy time to be a teenager but she’ll make it through, I promise you.”
“What is she facing?” Diane asked.
“Mom she rather it stays quiet for the time being,” Max sighed. “So, I rather not discuss it until she’s ready to talk about it.”
“Is it Jake?”
“Partially,” Max conceded.
“Are they starting up something?” Diane asked he son warily. She knew how dicey teenage love can be, and with Jake being older than her granddaughter, there were other things to consider.
“Not at the moment,” Max sighed. “It might be in the future, but right now, they aren’t.” he allowed and knew that was a partial lie but then his daughter was hiding from her true feelings and he doubted anything major was going to happen for the moment at least given each had bigger life altering moments to deal with than any feelings they might have for each other.
“What do you mean” Diane asked. “I don’t like prying honey.”
“You love prying Mom, it’s been what you’ve been known for since you and Dad adopted Isabel and me. We love you, but sometimes, and for Grace in particular, right now she needs to be left alone.”
“That could be dangerous.”
“I think she’s safe Mom,” Max said. “I promise I’ll keep an eye on her for the family, and if she needs help I’ll give it to her, okay?”
“Okay,” Diane allowed. “Now about you.”
“MOM!” Max whined, and Diane laughed. “I am fine.”
“No, you’re not, you look like you have the weight of the world and it’s not only because you’re raising a sixteen-year-old daughter and that can cause plenty of stress in the easiest of times. You work too much.”
“Well I am fine Mom whether you believe it or not and I don’t work too much, and I am the reason you’re getting Dad to yourself come fall time.”
“And I appreciate that honey,” Diane said. “Your Dad appreciates all the work you’ve done at the firm, but you need to take it easier. When your father goes, all the burden will be on you and with Grace at such an important age.”
“I know you do Mom,” Max said as he leaned in for a hug with his mother. “The firm and Grace was basically the only reason I kept going after we lost Liz.”
“Max…”
“Mom, don’t, please. I am fine.”
“Why does it seem like you’re not. Even the other night when you were over for dinner with your sister, you seemed like life was starting to unravel.”
“Mom, believe me when I tell you that my life was much simpler a few days ago.”
“How so?”
“I rather not discuss it right now,” Max admitted. “I am still trying to get to the bottom of it all, and I can’t even explain it to my own satisfaction, so I don’t want to deal with having to tell you or Dad.”
“We can’t help you if you don’t tell us,” Diane asked as she worried that her son was keeping something from her and she wasn’t sure whether it was good or bad. “We love you, and no matter what happened, we will support you and Grace.”
“Mom,” Max sighed.
“Max.”
“Fine but please just keep it among you and Dad if you must tell him and I know you will and you do have my permission to tell him.”
“Max, you’re worrying me.”
“Mom, I found out in the last few days that Liz is alive.”
Diane’s face went pale as the words sunk in, and her jaw opened as Max looked at his mother and she realized he wasn’t joking. “What!” she asked quietly.
“Liz is alive. My wife didn’t die.”