Meanwhile,
Cow Patties,
Inside,
Cow Patties,
Inside,
The place was nearly full. Maria was busy. Dealing with the patrols, and her employees. She was telling the truth to Kyle when she said she was loosely working tonight. That was the plan she was telling herself, but things happen and therefore she found herself to be busier than she should have been on this night.
But she told herself that she was only doing so much because her friends were not here yet. So, she had the time to keep busy and not listen to the nerves. Because like Max indicated outside. She had not spent a lot of time with Liz in the last few months.
Therefore, she did not know how it would go. Things had been tentatively going int the right direction at the hospital, but since then, things on both of their sides were busy. And so, they had not gotten together. Except for a quick lunch here and there, because Liz was busy getting used to her new situation.
Making sure Callie was okay with the changes. She was Maria knew. The children were the easiest to deal with on the subject she knew. They, the adults took change a little more gingerly these days than when they were their children’s ages. So, she was taking everything one step at a time.
One day at a time.
And after all, running a bar did keep Maria. So, she did not have to manufacture being busy, because the day to day running of Cow Patties had kept her busy, and her marriage kept her personal time fulfilled, very fulfilled, she knew with a smile.
She was happily married. Very happily married she knew.
Now that all the secrets and the calamity of the first months of her marriage was over, and done with, and they were now on to new challenges.
But it still meant she was nervous about spending time with Liz. But she could not work out. “I am out,” she was telling her hand picked second in command. “I trust you to take care of the rest of the night,” she was telling Fiona.
“I can do it,” Fiona Walker smiled.
“Good,” Maria said as she was beginning to understand the art of delegation. She figured the business was a success and therefore, she could take a few hours off, and who knows what the future will hold.
Yeah, who knows.
“You work too hard,” Michael was saying as he walked over as the door to the bar opened, and they spotted Max and Liz walk in.
“You don’t work hard enough,” Maria teased of her husband’s knack of taking time off after concluding a job, and when he was between jobs. Which he was currently, as things were a little slow at the office. Michael is not one to actively hunt for work she would think. They came to him.
“I work enough,” Michael said softly. Enough to pay the bills he would tell himself. “But you look exhausted,” he asked. “You have been putting too many hours in here, maybe you should take some time off.”
“I am, the rest of the night” Maria said with a laugh. “Fiona is taking over.”
“That is not what I mean,” Michael muttered.
“I know Space boy,” Maria teased. “But I am okay, okay” she said with a smile. “Trust me,” she said softly. “Not like we spend a lot of time sleeping when we are home,” she teased and Michael only shook his head, and knew he was a little concerned.
“Hey,” Maria smiled as Max and Liz approached. “It’s good to see you both, as it has been a long time.”
“Yes, it has” Liz said softly. “It’s good to be here and not getting drunk” she said of the last time she had been here at the bar, although it ended with my eyes being opened, she acknowledged to herself with a smile as she looked at Max, who knew what she was thinking, and was thinking it too.
“Well, the night is young” Maria smiled.
“Yes, it is” Liz said.
“Isabel should be here anytime,” Max confided.
“Good,” Maria said with approval. “I asked Kyle, and hopefully he will bite” she said with a smile. “I think he is finding it lonely at Mom and Jim’s place” she said. “With them gone this weekend…”
“Hopefully he takes the bite,” Liz said softly. Because she hoped that he and Isabel could finally get together. Both too stuck in the past, and the past was over, and the future was there for them to grasp.
“Want something to drink?” Maria asked.
“Sure,” Liz said as she looked over at Max. “Want something?” she asked. “Maria and I will get the drinks.”
“You know what I like,” Max said with a smile.
“Yes, I do” Liz sad with a smile at the knowledge that there would be some matchmaking tonight, and none of it had to do with her, because she and Max were happy, and planning their future.
How times had changed.
*
Outside,
Short time later,
Short time later,
Times had indeed changed, and they had the capacity to change a little more as outside two familiar people were noticing each other before the other could get to the door, and into the bar before the either. “What are you doing here?” Kyle asked as he saw Isabel near the door to the bar. Sighing at the notion that his friends might be trying to move things along, without his approval.
Not that he would not approve. Because he loved Isabel.
Had since the age of seventeen, and during the past more than ten years. So, he was not about to stop now that Isabel was quivering about their commitment level. His commitment was always there, it is hers that I had some doubts about
And because they had not been able to talk about it.
Both chose to kick the conversation down block, further away from them, and it finally had come to a head with them deciding with the children moving back in with their father, that they should take a break.
It was mutually agreed upon, but neither was totally easy with it or happy with it.
So, it had to this.
Tonight.
Could anything changed.
Their friends hope so, but it meant that they would have to talk to each other and figure it out. “I wanted to see my brothers and Maria and Liz.”
“They did not tell me that you would be here,” Kyle murmured ever so softly, as the music was starting to become apparent.
“Would you have come?” Isabel asked.
Kyle did not answer. So, Isabel did not know how to take it. Because she knew they were both out of sync with each other, and they did not know if the other wanted to get back in sync. “I guess it does not matter,” Isabel muttered. “We both are here now,” she said. “Let’s go in, as they are expecting us.”
Kyle nodded and walked inside.
*
Inside,
“Are you okay?” Liz could not help but ask as she sat with Maria at the bars. Michael and Max were talking about something work related, on Michael’s side. Because Max was still off from the department. As he and Jim were allowing the gossip to die down, before he rejoined the department. Max was hoping to start back at the start of the next month, but time would tell if he met that goal, but he was informally helping Michael with a case or two. Although Michael did not have anything biting at the moment. They could not help but talk about past cases.
Liz and Maria were happy the gang was back together, and Maria was happy her husband had his best friend back. Things are good she knew. Everything appears to be normal.
But what does it mean they both would think. But Liz could see that Maria was struggling with something. “Working too much?”
“Have you been talking to Michael?” Maria asked. But she knew her friend was not.
“Of course not, but I can see something is off” Liz asked. “I know we have not had a lot of time to spend together” she said, so I am not sure if I am getting my signals crossed, she thought, but I have this feeling she thought of her friend.
“Which is something I am sorry about,” Maria said. I am fine she was telling herself. But all week she seemed off, even if everything about her daily life was normal. Or appeared to be normal. But she also sensed something was slightly off.
“We were both busy,” Liz said.
“How are you doing?” Maria asked, as she was looking forward a exit ramp from having to answer her friend’s question
“Are you trying to avoid talking about yourself?” Liz teased. “Are you and Michael, okay?” as they traded off each other’s questions and they both could not help but laugh.
“We are more than okay,” Maria said. “Everything is perfect,” he said. “And that is saying something given that we have always had our battles, but no, everything is going great. No worries on that front.”
“Then what is worrying you?” Liz asked.
“Nothing,” Maria murmured. “Everything is good,” she was saying. “Michael and I are going great, and business is brisk here at the bar. I have nothing to complain about,” she said softly as she pushed away her drink.
“Now I know something is off with you,” Liz kidded. “You never turn away alcohol,” she smiled. “Not since we turned drinking age.”
“As if I turned it away before,” Maria smiled of the times that she and Liz would party when she would visit her friend, wherever she would live at the time. Oh, we found a way to have a good time she thought.
It just never was here in Roswell.
Until now, she thought.
“You never pass up beer,” Liz commented. “So, what’s up?”
“Nothing,” Maria said. “Didn’t like how it tasted.”
‘That is weird, since it’s you own product” Liz asked.
“I know,” Maria said. “Just an off night, I guess” she would say.
“Could be,” Liz murmured.
“What?” Maria asked as she saw the look on her best friend’s face as they saw Isabel and Kyle walk into the bar, and head over to where Max and Michael were now, officially finished with whatever they were talking about. Both Liz and Maria knew they had to finish up their talk, and move over, and try to get Kyle and Isabel back together, or at least working on their issues. Because both knew that Isabel and Kyle loved each other.
After all, they would not have done the dance for a decade if they did not love each other. They would have cut things off at months both knew. You fight for something, when you love someone.
When the love is for real, they both knew.
“You know yourself, so it’s nothing” Liz said softly.
“Tell me,” Maria said.
“Could you be pregnant?” Liz asked. “I remember when I found out I was pregnant,” she said a little sadly at the baby that was not meant to be. As she could not help but sigh, because while, she had mostly moved on, there was so much about the past that she wished had not gone the way it had.
And the baby had been one of them.
Maria stopped in place, as she turned towards Liz. “What?” she asked.
“I was turned off alcohol,” Liz murmured. “At the time, I thought I just had drunk my share earlier on, when you know, what we thought Max was,” she sighed, as she did not want to dredge up that tonight.
Not tonight she thought. So, she tried to move herself away from it.
“But…” Maria asked. “I know there is a but there.”
“But then I was feeling queasy and slightly off, and I took the test, and it was positive. So, how about it?” Liz wondered. “Could you be?” she asked. As she did not know what her friend and Michael had decided on the subject of kids. She had known that Maria had wanted them, but she also knew Michael had a lot of baggage from his own childhood, and upbringing. And it’s not like it’s even been six months since their wedding she muttered to herself of all the changes that have gone on in the last six months.
Could she be Maria wondered. Wow, she muttered to herself.
“Maria?” Liz asked.
“It’s not like Michael and I have been that celibate,” Maria smiled. “Quite the opposite,” she said.
“I figured,” Liz said, as she knew how it was for her and Max, when we have had the time since I fully recovered, she thought, it was a dry period for a while there, after going at it like rabbits when we were in seclusion.
But when they managed to find time together… Well…
“Do you want children?” Liz asked.
“Definitely,” Maria said. “It never happened in the last ten years, but we did, or I do” she said. “Michael still has a lot of baggage from you know Hank, and even the system before hand. Since he had to bump around for a bit even before that…”
“I know,” Liz sighed.
“So, we have been taking our time, but we never really prevented ourselves from the odds” Maria sighed. ‘It just never happened…”
“So,” Liz asked.
“So, you might be right” Maria said as she stopped to think of whether she had gotten her period recently. With all the stress the last few months she thought, it has been irregular, but it’s been a while she thought as she fully came to realize something about her future.
As Liz took her beer, and walked over to the guys, and Isabel. “Hey, you two.”
“Good talk?” Max asked.
“It’s very illuminating,” Liz said softly. “Right, Maria?”
“Right,” Maria said softly, and quietly.
“Maria, are you okay?” Michael asked.
“I am fine,” Maria said. “More than fine,” she said softly. As she felt a new future beginning. She just prayed Michael would be happy, if Liz is right.
*
Was Liz, right? If she was, it would not be found out tonight. Instead, the gang decided to embrace new beginnings on a whole new front. “To Max and Liz and their new house, and their future” Isabel said softly as she toasted her brother and Liz.
Who gladly took the toast. “Thank you Is,” Max said. “Yes, to the future. May it be bright for all of us, and I am sure there will be more than a few surprises” he said. “Especially if our kids have their way.
The gang laughed, as they did clang their collection of drinks. Maria had switched to a virgin iced tea. Something that Michael noticed but kept quiet, but Maria was not having any of it, so she dragged him onto the dance floor.
Liz responded with Max.
Who gladly went.
And it left Isabel and Kyle looking at each other. “Do you want to dance?” he would ask. So often they were last to pair off with others or together, and this night. All they could do was look at each other, and the possibilities that existed.
“Sure,” Isabel said with a smile.
As they went to the dance floor.
“Thank you for coming,” Isabel said softly. “I know I have been putting you through a lot with my indecision,” she said softly. “I wish I could be different.”
“I have never wanted you to be someone who was any other than who you are,” Kyle smiled. “Yes, you are the one standing in the way. I am not going to deny it. But I could have walked away a long time ago. It’s also on me that I have let us get to this point,” he said softly as they saw the other two couples on the dance floor, having a loving time.
“I love you,” Isabel said softly.
“I do too,” Kyle said softly. “I have loved you for a long time. You are the one I want to be with, and I like everything about you, and I am not asking you to be anyone other than you are. I love every unique facet about you.”
“Every one of them?” Isabel smiled.
“Okay, some more than others” Kyle murmured. “But I want us to try, genuinely, to create something more than the usual, let’s go out for dinner, and somehow, we end up at my apartment or your house. We should at least try to see if we can make it work. These last five months have been a wonderful time for me.”
“Wonderful?” Isabel asked with a arch of her eyes.
“Okay, some days were more angsty than others But if we could manage those kids of Max’s, and the circumstances that was brought onto us, than I think we can do it when things are slightly less abnormal.
Isabel laughed.
Kyle took that as a positive.
Yes, it was a positive.
“I love you,” Kyle said softly. “So, give us a chance.”
Isabel smiled.
“Is that a yes?” Kyle asked.
“It’s a do you want to come home with me?” Isabel smiled. “And see what tomorrow brings?” she asked. Even though at the same time, she was putting a wait and see on them. But she hoped Kyle would come part way. Because she truly wanted to try.
Try is all you can do, right? Isabel would ask herself.
Right.
Did he?
Of course, he did as they continued to dance and have a good time. And yes, he did go home with her at the end of the night.