Fine, I know I said I would be posting after 24th, but I will be very busy on the 24th because I have to go to a friend's party and if I wont, then he'll surely kill me. 
I guess, I will be out the whole day. And besides, a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do, right? 
Anyway, I'm glad that Max has earned some greatness points.
Thanks a lot again.Part 10
MAX
I was waiting for her to finally arrive. I had arrived ten minutes earlier than the scheduled time. It was clear by this action of mine how eager I was to ask her all the questions that had been playing out in my mind all night long.
Yes, I had decided to… be with her in this. If she was the mother, than I was the father. It was my equal responsibility to look after a child that we made. I agree it was least expected but then again, life does take a 180° turn in a while. And besides, I didn’t want my child to grow up and ask his mother about his lost father. I wasn’t that mean.
But what really concerned me was that if we both did agree on this and our parents did help us, then what would be our relationship. The relationship of a child’s mother and father or anything else? That night was confusing… we did it unconsciously. But what would be our future relationship? It wasn’t as if I was counting on her or something but it still concerned me even though at that moment other things like ‘reaction of people’ should have concerned me. It did but I was still thinking about the future instead of only concentrating on the present.
I was sitting on a bench and kids were playing around me. Nearby, I saw a little three-year-old girl looking at me intently. When she saw me looking at her, she gave me a toothy grin. I smiled back even though I knew that the smile never reached my eyes.
She started walking towards me slowly, grinning all the way. I noticed a toy in her hands… wait, it was a Barbie.
“Hello.” I said, ruffling her hair.
She giggled.
“Ello.” I wanted to laugh at the way she said ‘hello.’
“What is that?” I asked her, pointing to the Barbie in her hands.
“She’s Sara.”
“Sara?”
She nodded.
“She’s ma best frien’.” She opened her arms wide to show me how ‘best’ her best friend was.
“Sarah?” I looked back to see a woman probably in her thirties standing there, frowning. I assumed it was her mother. It was clear that she was her mother when ‘Sarah’ said, “Mummy!”
Her mother started walking towards us while I asked Sarah,
“You and your best friend have the same name?”
She nodded.
“Sarah, what did I tell you about not moving around without my permission?” Her mother asked.
“I was jus’…”
Her mother interrupted, “Baby, you can tell me later.”
After glancing at me, Sarah walked away, waving.
I was so busy staring at her that I didn’t notice Liz standing behind me, watching the whole scene.
I felt somebody’s eyes on me and quickly turned around. There she was, wearing a three- quarter sleeve red top and dark blue jeans. She was dressed as usual but it was the dark circles around her eyes that made her look a little different. It was obvious that she had been crying or not getting enough sleep.
“Hi.” She said nervously while walking towards me.
“Hi.” I said and waited for her to sit down beside me.
She and I sat on far ends of the bench in complete silence for a few minutes, not looking at each other.
Finally, I broke the silence.
“Liz, why didn’t you tell me?”
She was quite shocked by my question, I guess. After staring at me for a few seconds, she said,
“I didn’t know myself.”
A feeling of relief came to me. I was quite heartbroken to hear that she had not told me but this answer changed my opinion.
“When did you get to know that you are…?” I couldn’t finish that question so I just looked away, waiting for her to answer.
“Two days ago.” She answered.
I glanced at her. I didn’t blame her for anything anymore.
“How… how did you find out?” It was a stupid question, actually. But at that moment, I wanted to know each and everything.
“Morning sickness, missed period… home pregnancy test.” She mumbled the last part. Maybe the word ‘pregnancy’ still shocked her.
I nodded.
“Max, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I…”
“Liz, it’s not your fault,” I interrupted, “You just got to know yourself two days ago. I can’t blame you for this.”
“But you can blame me for turning your world upside down.” She said with such emotion that I became speechless for a while.
She was right. My world had turned upside down. One moment I’m having lunch with my friends happily and the next moment I get to know that I am going to be a father.
As if reading my mind, she said,
“I didn’t want you to know the way you got to know.”
I looked at her.
“That’s not your fault either, Liz.”
It was as if she was blaming herself for everything but I wanted to tell her that everything was not her fault and I did.
“Liz, please. Don’t blame yourself for everything.”
“Are you kidding me? I am supposed to be blamed for everything.” She said angrily.
“Liz…”
“No, Max. I am pregnant. Do you hear me, Max? I am pregnant! And you know what, I’m not so happy to know that.” She bit out harshly.
Before I could say anything, she said,
“I disappointed everyone. Myself, my parents, friends and… you.” She said in a low voice. Her eyes were glistening with tears but I couldn’t do anything to make them disappear.
“How could you say I’m not supposed to be blamed…” She whispered, her eyes downcast.
“Because I am equally responsible, Liz. It takes two.”
“But I…”
“No buts, Liz. Whatever happened… it happened. Blaming each other will not solve our problems.”
She wiped her tears and nodded, sniffling.
“Did you go to the doctor?” I asked her, changing the subject.
“Yes. She told me to come regularly for check-ups.” She answered.
I gathered enough courage before I asked her my next question.
“Your parents know about this?”
Her jaw tightened, she just shook her head no.
I looked away and found Sarah playing with another girl who also had a Barbie.
“What are we going to do?” She questioned, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I glanced at her before answering the question.
“We have to tell them, Liz.”
She gasped. I looked at her.
“This means you are ready to…?” She didn’t need to finish the question because I had gotten it.
“Yes, Liz. I can’t kill a child who did nothing.”
Tears streaming down her face, she nodded.
“But I have to ask you this, anyway. Are you sure about this?” I asked.
She quickly nodded, making eye contact.
“Yes. I can’t kill my child either.”
I took a deep breath.
“We have to talk to our parents.”
“But how?”
“We will call them at one place and break the news. We don’t have any other choice.”
“And what if they say no?”
“Then we are going to think about something.”
“But one thing is clear, I am not going to do abortion even if they refuse.”
I nodded.
“I know.”
After a few seconds, she said,
“I am supposed to leave Roswell in two weeks.”
“And me in one week.”
“That means that we have to tell them this week.”
“You’re right. We can’t delay this any further.”
She nodded.
“So, as soon as my parents come back, I’ll call you.”
“Your parents are out of town? Mine are too.”
“So, are they going to come back this week?”
“They’re coming tomorrow.”
“Mine are coming tonight.”
I sighed. “Okay, then. I’ll call you. Can you give me your cell number?” I asked her.
“Yeah.”
After taking out a little piece of paper and a pen from her purse, she scribbled down her number.
I folded it and safely put it in my pocket.
“So only Alex and Maria know, right?”
“Yeah. They were shocked to say the least.”
I nodded. “They had to be.”
“Did you tell anyone?” She questioned.
“No, I had to talk to you first. And I’ve decided that I will tell them when we’ll tell our parents.”
“Okay.”
An awkward silence discomforted me.
“Liz, I just want you to know that I will help you. You don’t have to feel alone in this.”
She nodded.
“Thanks, Max.”
“You don’t need to thank me because I am the father and I have an equal responsibility.” I told her.
“Well, I have to go. My parents are going to be here tonight and I have to do some cleaning up before I finally arrive.”
“Okay.”
As she stood up, I couldn’t help saying,
“Liz, take care of yourself.”
She gave me a half smile. “I will.”
With that said, she left me there, staring after her.
TBC...
Okay, I know it was short but I didn't have that much time to write due to my exams.
Anyway, I'll be back soon. 
