Chapter 23
“Yuck!” Lily held her feet up as Liz tried to set her in the sand. “Up.”
”No, Lily, you need to walk so I can carry the towels.” Liz told her in her most patient voice as possible.
“No!” She looked defiantly at Liz and grasped her harder. “Sand yuck.”
“Come on, Lily, fun.” Aidan hopped around in the sand trying to get her to like it as well.
“Yuck.” She kept up. “No, sand.”
“I do believe we met in a sand box.” Max came up beside her.
“I think so too, what happened, Lily, why don’t you like the sand?” Liz asked.
“Yuck.” Lily’s new favorite word. She had learned it at daycare and now used it regularly.
“Come on Daddy’s back then.” Max bent so Lily could climb on his back. “Mommy can’t carry you.”
Lily hopped on happily not having to touch the sand. Liz rolled her eyes and called Aidan to her side. Lily was gradually beginning to call her Mommy more and more often now and it’s how Max referred to her. Aidan was taking his time with Daddy but they knew it would come eventually and neither bothered to push it.
When they found their choice spot on the beach, Liz set the blanket down then pulled out Lily’s swimsuit. She set her on the towel, careful not to let her near the sand. “Let’s put this on.”
“No.” Lily protested.
“Lily Evans, if you say no to me one more time you are going to sit on this blanket all day and you will not go in that water, do you hear me?” Liz asked. She hated raising her voice to Lily but the girl’s attitude was getting on her nerves.
They faced each other off. Lily’s hands on her hips glaring Liz’s arms were crossed over her chest glaring right back.
Max and Aidan snuck off to the water to begin building the sand castle they had their heart set on.
Finally agreeing to Liz putting the suit on her she walked towards her. Liz pulled the heavy suit on over the one Lily was already wearing. This one had a floatation device built into the swimsuit.
When Liz was done, Lily threw her arms around Liz’s neck in a sort of apology.
“It’s ok, Lily.” Liz patted her back. “Now sit here, or do you want to play with Daddy and Aidan.”
“You.” Lily sat on the towel and pulled out some of the toys they had packed for her. Liz spread out next to her and pulled out a bridal magazine, content to spend the day beside Lily.
An hour later, Liz took Lily’s hand and guided her down to the water. Holding tight to her hands she put her down in the water and let the tiny waves crash into her feet.
“Cold.” Lily lifted her feet but she giggled all the same. “Mommy do it.”
Liz made a show of putting her feet in the water as well. “Cold.” Liz agreed.
A wave came higher than expected and water splashed in Lily’s mouth.
“Yuck!” She declared as she sputtered to get the salt taste out of her mouth. She was soon distracted by something moving in the sand. A wave came too quickly and covered it up. Then as the wave was going out she saw it again.
“Bug!” She declared and dove for it.
“Where is a bug, Lily?” Liz asked as she hauled her out of the water and into her arms. When Lily had slipped from her grasp her heart had stopped.
“Here.” She held out her palm and in it sat a big fat sand crab.
“Oh, Lord.” Liz looked at it. “Let’s go show Daddy and Aidan.”
“Daddy, Daddy.” Lily ran up to them. Aidan cringed when she kicked in part of their moat.
“What do you have there, Lilybird?” Max asked picking up his daughter and smiling at Liz.
“Bug!” She held out her hands.
It was all Max could do not to drop her. “Nice.”
Liz laughed at his face. “Are you scared of it, Max?”
“Of course not, maybe you should let it go.” Max set Lily on the ground.
“You are afraid of it.”
“No, never.” Max said, and looked at the offending crab.
“Just admit it.” Liz said smiling, “And we’ll let it go.”
“Fine, I’ve always had a fear of them since I was little. Isabel and Grace used to take the greatest pleasure in chasing me around with them.” Max said looking strained. “Will you let it go now?”
“Here, give it to me, Lily.” Liz took the crab and set it down in the surf where it promptly scampered off to bury itself in the sand away from little girls.
“Are you guys ready for lunch yet?” Liz asked when she walked back to where Aidan and Max had set to repairing the moat that Lily had crushed.
“We’ll be up in a moment.” Max said from somewhere deep inside the hole.
“In a minute, Mommy.” Aidan said as well.
“Up, Mommy.” Lily asked as they approached the dry sand. “Yuck.”
Liz picked her up before they reached the blanket and settling her on it. “We’ll wait for the boys and then we’ll eat lunch.” She smiled, “Let’s look at dresses for you for the wedding.”
Lily settled in Liz’s lap and looked appreciatively at the magazine. Making the appropriate sounds and adding an occasional “pretty.”
An hour later the boys still weren’t up from the hole.
“Well, Lily it looks like the boys aren’t going to come up any time soon.”
“Hungry.” Lily patted her belly. “Mommy hungry?”
“Yes, let’s go take lunch down there.” Liz stood. She cajoled Lily to walk across the sand holding Aidan’s lunch in her hand.
When they got to the hole the boys were avidly digging in, Liz set the towel on the ground so Lily wouldn’t have to sit on the sand.
Aidan dusted off his hands and sat next to Lily, who watched in horror as his swimming trunks dumped sand on the blanket.
She let the incident pass though, and began to eat her half of the sandwich she had split with Aidan. Her juice sat beside her in her sippy cup—a new found privilege—in the sand. She went to pick it up and the sand that stuck to the cup from the condensation got all over her hands. She looked down at them and tears filled her eyes. Discarding the idea of a drink she set back to her sandwich and bit down on a mouthful of sand. That was the last straw. She chucked the cup and sandwich into the sand. Aidan stood up to go retrieve it and the sand from his swim trunks blew into her eyes.
“Daddy!” She said rubbing her eyes miserably only to find that it loaded more sand into her eyes. “Yuck!”
“Lilybird, what’s wrong?” Max picked her up. “Stop rubbing them.” Max tried to take her hands away.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch.” She wailed. Liz looked up and saw the tears streaming down her face. “Eyes.” Lily fought to rub the sand out.
“She has sand in her eyes.” Liz quickly went to the cooler to get a bottle of water to rinse her eyes.
“Ouch.” Lily said determined to continue to rub her eyes. When that only caused more pain Lily let out a wail.
“Let Mommy see, Lily.” Liz pulled her hands away and gently poured the cool water over her eyes.
“Cold.” Lily said and tried to bury her head into Max’s chest.
“Hold still, Lilybird.” Max tried to calm her. “Mommy’s going to fix it.”
Aidan watched uncertain as to what could help. He sat back down on the blanket and watched.
Lily let out another scream as Liz poured more of the water over her eyes. “Cold, Mommy.” She told her furiously but she felt the relief soon enough. Liz finished rinsing off her hands and let them go. Of course they went for her face but clear of sand nothing was there to irritate her eyes.
“Better, love?” Liz asked as she brushed her hair back from her forehead and kissed it.
“Yes.” Tears still poured down her eyes and she glared down at the offensive sand but she felt better.
She rested her head against Max’s chest as she rubbed her eyes.
“Are you all done with your lunch?” Liz took Lily into her own arms and cradled her against her chest.
Lily nodded and snuggled up to her.
“I’m going to take her up to the towels and get her settled down. You boys come up when you’re ready.” Liz climbed up the small hill to where they were set up. Aidan watched and looked at Max.
“She gonna be good now?” Aidan asked with concern.
“Yeah, she’ll be fine.” Max sat next to Aidan and the both finished their lunch before they returned to the heavy task of building a fortress.
Lily played a little while longer while Liz flipped through some bridal magazines. She wasn’t surprised when she felt Lily straddle her stomach. Moving the magazine up so she could see Lily, Liz smiled at her. “What are you doing?”
Flopping herself across her chest Liz’s question was answered. Glancing down, Lily’s thumb was secure in her mouth. Moving as little as possible, Liz reached for the pink blanket that Max had packed at the bottom of the bag so Lily wouldn’t see it too early. Handing it to a thrilled Lily, Liz shifted so she didn’t take so much breath from her. “Night night.”
“Night, Lily.” Liz kissed the top of her head and brushed her curls back. Thanks to the sun and chlorine from the Evans’ pool, the tip of Lily’s hair had turned into a delightful shade of green.
****
“Are we going to see Zoë?” Aidan asked as Max buckled him into the seat.
“We’ll have to call Uncle Alex, and see if Aunt Isabel is up to it.” Max told him. Zoë, Isabel’s three week old daughter, had been an instant hit with Aidan; Lily wasn’t so sure she liked the little girl that had taken her place with Uncle Alex.
“No Zoë.” Lily shook her head in the negative. Max had hoped she would sleep long enough to get home but the thought would have been too good to happen.
“We have to call first.” Liz soothed her.
Lily just glared in answer.
Everything went fine until the pulled onto the freeway.
“Itchy.” Lily whined.
“I thought you changed her out of her swimsuit.” Max looked at Liz.
“I did, I even rinsed her off in the showers.” Liz watched as Lily screwed her face up to complain again.
“Itchy.” She said again.
“I shook out her blanket.” Max said wondering what she found itchy.
Then Liz spotted the culprit. She had worn shoes, not sandals like Aidan. “Oh, God, did we check her shoes?”
Max shook his head solemnly and switched lanes. “It’s only a little ways home, you think we could survive it?”
“Aidan, take Lily’s shoes off, please.” Because he was in a booster seat he could move around easier.
“I can’t reach it, Mommy.” He shook his head, and watched too as Lily’s face got redder.
He looked out the window and mentally prepared himself like his mother. Max just sped up and tried to get home as soon as possible.
tbc
Two Kinds of Wonderful TEEN; M/L [COMPLETE]
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Rowedog, ISLANDGIRL5, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, FSU/MSW-94, Erina, Hunter, Forum Moderators
Chapter 24
“Alright, Liz, that does it.” Isabel set the glimmering tiara on her head. It sat delicately among the mass of curls that Isabel had meticulously curled, once she got Liz to let her use the curling iron on her.
Isabel, Maria, and Gracie all had matching dresses, spaghetti strapped, and ankle-length swaths of satin — lilac colored. They stood to go into the back of the church to get ready for the processional.
“Where’s Lily?” Gracie asked hoping somebody knew where the little girl was.
“I here.” She peeked from behind Liz’s traditional, off white, wedding dress.
She had been surprisingly good all day, despite the fact she had gone to bed late and risen early that morning.
Her dress was of a darker purple and went to her knees, completed in the back with a bow that she was proud of. She was to hold a small white basket of flowers.
Liz looked from the flower girl to each of her bridesmaids. “I feel outnumbered, I’m the only brunette in the party, and I’m the bride.”
“You’ll stand out more that way, dear sister.” Isabel bent to straighten Lily’s tiara that matched Liz’s. “You know,” she stood again, “we’re already technically sisters, and you’re sort of marrying your brother-in-law.”
“No.” Liz said with a smile. “You married your brother-in-law and just had his baby three months ago. But it does sound a bit incestuous, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.” Both Isabel and Grace answered together.
“You look beautiful, my dear.” Liz looked up and saw her father.
“Hi, Daddy, thank you.” She blushed.
“We’ll wait for you out here.” Maria shuffled them all out into the entryway. Lily clung stubbornly to Liz and refused to leave her.
“Looks like I’ve acquired myself a new granddaughter.” He lifted Lily up in his arms.
Not one to be shy she smiled brilliantly at him.
“I’ve done this once before, Lizzie, and I’m sure this will be the last time that I’m going to do it. I hope you’ll be happy, sweetheart, because you deserve it. I know this isn’t the time to really discuss this, but I talked to Diane and Phillip, I’m gonna take the kids tomorrow and I’ll return them before supper. Your honeymoon isn’t very long.”
“We’re sort of surprised we got one at all, with the two kids. Are you sure, is Nancy ok with that, both of them?” Liz had so many questions swirling around in her head.
“Yes, yes and yes. I spoke with Nancy and she says she won’t help me with them, but she won’t mind them being there.” He stepped closer and cupped her cheek in his hand. “It’s not much, but it’s a start and I hope to progress more, being around these two kind of melts you.”
“Well it’ll make or break you, she’s not an easy one.” Liz looked at Lily, who grinned.
“Yeah, well, we’ll try. But you don’t mind?”
“No, I’d be delighted.” Liz hugged him. “We’ll call tomorrow night to see how it went.”
“No, no need, you two will be enjoying yourselves, are you ready, baby?”
“Yeah.” She took his elbow.
By some act of God, Aidan and Liz talked Lily into walking down the aisle beside Aidan.
Aidan looked adorable in his tiny tuxedo, though he didn’t look too comfortable. He matched the other groomsmen, Michael, Alex, and after a few arguments, Gracie’s fiancé, Kyle—Max wasn’t too fond of him yet.
Lily sat quietly during the wedding and through the first part of the reception until she decided she wanted a piece of the fun and attention as well.
Max looked over Liz’s shoulder as the danced and noticed restlessness in his daughter.
“Lily’s starting up.” He warned.
“She’s been good today I’m surprised she didn’t start sooner.” She rubbed her thumb over her wedding ring again and felt a wave of giddiness flow through her.
“True, Mrs. Evans.” He smiled down at her.
She smiled just as brightly right back. “That sounds strange but wonderful. I’m gonna have to have all my papers in college changed now.”
“Not so horrible. Liz, our son is a genius.” He turned her so she could see too. “Aidan distracted her so she wasn’t so antsy.
Aidan’s adoption papers had been easy since the absent parent was deceased. Max decided not to tell Liz that Lily’s were going to be much more difficult. With Tess still alive, they were going to have to find her and have her forfeit her rights. Though Tess had no interest whatsoever in the child, she wouldn’t give up her rights to another woman.
****
It was a tearful goodbye, Max felt his heart breaking at Lily’s cry for Liz, she ignored him. He didn’t know what he had done but decided he would call and talk to her later. Aidan tried to be brave but broke down when they were walking out the door of the Evans’ house.
“Don’t go, Mommy.” He clung to her neck.
“I’ll be back the day after tomorrow, sweetheart.” Liz promised and kissed him. “We need you to take care of Lily, and Grandpa Jeff is going to come get you tomorrow.”
He nodded and rubbed his tired eyes.
“Max.” He held up his arms.
“Alright, Aidan.” He said once he had him in his arms. “It’s up to you to hold down the fort. Don’t let your sister get into too much trouble, and she’s gonna probably miss Mommy and I a lot. Do you think you can help her?”
“Yes.” He flexed his nonexistent muscles which Max tested with approval.
“Remember, that monster that lives under her bed. She’s gonna need a strong soldier like you to fight it off.”
He nodded seriously. “I won’t let it get her, Max, I promise.”
“Good, now I know she’ll be safe.” Max mussed his hair and set him on the ground.
“Take care of Mommy.” He told Max.
“I will.”
“Good.” They gave a man to man nod and both seemed satisfied with it.
With a few more waves and kisses Max and Liz set off to the cabin the Parkers had rented for their honeymoon, in the mountains little over an hour away.
****
Jeff Whitman stared at his grandchildren and wondered what had possessed him to bring them both at one time. They looked so innocent while they slept. While Aidan was more like his daughter, subdued and quiet, Lily was loud and had an attitude that would put his wife’s to shame.
Lily stirred.
Dear God, it couldn’t have been an hour already. Just a little longer, Lily, please.
Her eyes fluttered and she sat up. “Dan-dan up!”
Aidan opened his eyes and felt the doll jamming into him.
“Lily why don’t you let Aidan sleep for a while?” The poor boy was obviously tired.
She looked at her brother in disgust then turned to Jeff. She smiled innocently at him and hauled herself up. “Potty!”
He helped her to the restroom and coming back into the bedroom saw Aidan had gone back to sleep.
“What do you want to do, Lily?” He stifled a yawn. He could do this, he thought, only a few more hours.
“I can play with her, if you want to go rest with Aidan?” Nancy said carefully.
“I don’t want to trouble you.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” She picked up Lily. “I think we have a lot in common.”
“If you want to, don’t hesitate to wake me though.” He said looking between the two females, both glaring.
Lily was shocked to be hit with her own attitude at every turn she made. Aidan would concede after a pout, Max was putty in her hands, Liz would sort of stop her, Jeff was a rug, Nancy was a force to be reckoned with, and she loved it.
“Down.” Lily demanded after she finished her cracker.
“What do you say?” Nancy raised an eyebrow.
“Down, please?” She batted her eyelashes. “Nana?”
“Alright, thank you.” She set her on the floor.
“How’d you do that, Nancy?” Jeff was astonished.
“I’m a natural.” She shrugged. “Is Aidan hungry?”
“Nancy, why are you being so nice to the children, not that I’m complaining.”
“I…I didn’t treat Liz too well, when she was little or ever, really. I think I was jealous of her mother, or rather your love for her mother. I was hoping maybe I could make it up with her children?”
“I’m sure she’d appreciate that. She’s willing to try to start over, Nancy, just say the word.”
“Grandpa Jeff, Lily’s doing something bad.” He had never before tattled on Lily but now he felt he was obligated to.
“Lily no!” Jeff called as she was getting ready to dump the entire can of fish food into the tank. “I thought we moved the chair.
“We did.” Nancy huffed. She plucked Lily off the chair and hauled it behind her to the away from the tank. “If you’re so intent on using this chair, you will sit in it correctly, with your bottom on the seat, you will not move until I tell you to, understood?”
Aidan blanched, not even his mother talked to her that way.
She started to pout. “Nancy.” Jeff said.
Aidan didn’t know what to call her so he just watched.
“No, Jeff, she’ll learn discipline when she’s in my house. If she behaves she gets rewarded, if she acts up, she gets time outs. Aidan, come with Nana, and we’ll get something for you to eat.”
“But, Nana,” that sounded funny on his tongue he had never called her that before. “Lily’s gonna cry.”
“Next time she won’t climb in the chair, Jeff you have time out duty, if you let her up in less than five minutes, you’ll be the one in that chair.”
Gulping and turning away from Lily’s pouting face he took on sentry watch.
****
”Aidan your mommy’s on the phone.” Diane whispered in Aidan’s ear so Lily wouldn’t get jealous, though her manners improved since yesterday.
He got up, delighted to speak to her.
“Hi, Mommy.” He said lovingly held the phone against his ear and almost burst into tears at her voice. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too, baby.” Liz spoke to her son on the phone.
“When you coming home?” He asked, it was the day after tomorrow they should be there.
“Soon.” Aidan paused when the doorbell rang. He was tempted to get it but his parents were adamant about him not answering the door.
“Who’s at the door, honey?” She asked.
“I don’t know, Grandma hasn’t gotten it yet.” He looked at it anxiously.
“Aidan get the door!” Diane called from the back.
He ran to it, he loved seeing who was there. Pulling on the door with one hand and the phone in the other was impossible. “Hold on, Mommy.”
“Alright.” She laughed.
He set the phone down on the table by the door and used both hands. He picked up the phone again before he looked.
He turned and his eyes grew huge. “Mommy!” He launched himself into her arms.
“Hi, I missed you, Aidan.” She hugged him close.
“Me too!” He hugged her close. “Don’t go again.”
“I won’t.” They weren’t even supposed to be home till that evening but both her and Max wanted to come home.
“Daddy!” Lily ran to him and hugged his legs. Max lifted her into his arms and hugged her close. “I missed you, Lilybird, were you good for Grandma?”
“Yes.” She answered. Nancy had instilled fear into the child. “We go to Nana’s house.”
“Who’s Nana?” Max asked.
“Nancy Whitman, your daughter took a liking to the woman, According to Jeff, they had quite a showdown, Nancy coming out triumphant, Lily, I guess, loved every minute of it.” Diane smiled. “Phillip isn’t home since we weren’t expecting you home anytime soon.” She held the kids overnight bags.
“Thank you so much for watching them, Mom.”
“You’ll want to call Nancy Whitman and thank her.” She said. “Lily almost had a heart attack when we came to get them. I’d keep you guys, but I know you want to get home. Classes tomorrow and all, we’ll call you later.” She handed Max the bags.
“Thank you again, Mom.” Liz said. It felt funny to her ears, but Mrs. Evans was no longer appropriate considering that was her name as well now.
“You’re welcome my dears.” She kissed them both on the cheek. “It was my pleasure.”
TBC
“Alright, Liz, that does it.” Isabel set the glimmering tiara on her head. It sat delicately among the mass of curls that Isabel had meticulously curled, once she got Liz to let her use the curling iron on her.
Isabel, Maria, and Gracie all had matching dresses, spaghetti strapped, and ankle-length swaths of satin — lilac colored. They stood to go into the back of the church to get ready for the processional.
“Where’s Lily?” Gracie asked hoping somebody knew where the little girl was.
“I here.” She peeked from behind Liz’s traditional, off white, wedding dress.
She had been surprisingly good all day, despite the fact she had gone to bed late and risen early that morning.
Her dress was of a darker purple and went to her knees, completed in the back with a bow that she was proud of. She was to hold a small white basket of flowers.
Liz looked from the flower girl to each of her bridesmaids. “I feel outnumbered, I’m the only brunette in the party, and I’m the bride.”
“You’ll stand out more that way, dear sister.” Isabel bent to straighten Lily’s tiara that matched Liz’s. “You know,” she stood again, “we’re already technically sisters, and you’re sort of marrying your brother-in-law.”
“No.” Liz said with a smile. “You married your brother-in-law and just had his baby three months ago. But it does sound a bit incestuous, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.” Both Isabel and Grace answered together.
“You look beautiful, my dear.” Liz looked up and saw her father.
“Hi, Daddy, thank you.” She blushed.
“We’ll wait for you out here.” Maria shuffled them all out into the entryway. Lily clung stubbornly to Liz and refused to leave her.
“Looks like I’ve acquired myself a new granddaughter.” He lifted Lily up in his arms.
Not one to be shy she smiled brilliantly at him.
“I’ve done this once before, Lizzie, and I’m sure this will be the last time that I’m going to do it. I hope you’ll be happy, sweetheart, because you deserve it. I know this isn’t the time to really discuss this, but I talked to Diane and Phillip, I’m gonna take the kids tomorrow and I’ll return them before supper. Your honeymoon isn’t very long.”
“We’re sort of surprised we got one at all, with the two kids. Are you sure, is Nancy ok with that, both of them?” Liz had so many questions swirling around in her head.
“Yes, yes and yes. I spoke with Nancy and she says she won’t help me with them, but she won’t mind them being there.” He stepped closer and cupped her cheek in his hand. “It’s not much, but it’s a start and I hope to progress more, being around these two kind of melts you.”
“Well it’ll make or break you, she’s not an easy one.” Liz looked at Lily, who grinned.
“Yeah, well, we’ll try. But you don’t mind?”
“No, I’d be delighted.” Liz hugged him. “We’ll call tomorrow night to see how it went.”
“No, no need, you two will be enjoying yourselves, are you ready, baby?”
“Yeah.” She took his elbow.
By some act of God, Aidan and Liz talked Lily into walking down the aisle beside Aidan.
Aidan looked adorable in his tiny tuxedo, though he didn’t look too comfortable. He matched the other groomsmen, Michael, Alex, and after a few arguments, Gracie’s fiancé, Kyle—Max wasn’t too fond of him yet.
Lily sat quietly during the wedding and through the first part of the reception until she decided she wanted a piece of the fun and attention as well.
Max looked over Liz’s shoulder as the danced and noticed restlessness in his daughter.
“Lily’s starting up.” He warned.
“She’s been good today I’m surprised she didn’t start sooner.” She rubbed her thumb over her wedding ring again and felt a wave of giddiness flow through her.
“True, Mrs. Evans.” He smiled down at her.
She smiled just as brightly right back. “That sounds strange but wonderful. I’m gonna have to have all my papers in college changed now.”
“Not so horrible. Liz, our son is a genius.” He turned her so she could see too. “Aidan distracted her so she wasn’t so antsy.
Aidan’s adoption papers had been easy since the absent parent was deceased. Max decided not to tell Liz that Lily’s were going to be much more difficult. With Tess still alive, they were going to have to find her and have her forfeit her rights. Though Tess had no interest whatsoever in the child, she wouldn’t give up her rights to another woman.
****
It was a tearful goodbye, Max felt his heart breaking at Lily’s cry for Liz, she ignored him. He didn’t know what he had done but decided he would call and talk to her later. Aidan tried to be brave but broke down when they were walking out the door of the Evans’ house.
“Don’t go, Mommy.” He clung to her neck.
“I’ll be back the day after tomorrow, sweetheart.” Liz promised and kissed him. “We need you to take care of Lily, and Grandpa Jeff is going to come get you tomorrow.”
He nodded and rubbed his tired eyes.
“Max.” He held up his arms.
“Alright, Aidan.” He said once he had him in his arms. “It’s up to you to hold down the fort. Don’t let your sister get into too much trouble, and she’s gonna probably miss Mommy and I a lot. Do you think you can help her?”
“Yes.” He flexed his nonexistent muscles which Max tested with approval.
“Remember, that monster that lives under her bed. She’s gonna need a strong soldier like you to fight it off.”
He nodded seriously. “I won’t let it get her, Max, I promise.”
“Good, now I know she’ll be safe.” Max mussed his hair and set him on the ground.
“Take care of Mommy.” He told Max.
“I will.”
“Good.” They gave a man to man nod and both seemed satisfied with it.
With a few more waves and kisses Max and Liz set off to the cabin the Parkers had rented for their honeymoon, in the mountains little over an hour away.
****
Jeff Whitman stared at his grandchildren and wondered what had possessed him to bring them both at one time. They looked so innocent while they slept. While Aidan was more like his daughter, subdued and quiet, Lily was loud and had an attitude that would put his wife’s to shame.
Lily stirred.
Dear God, it couldn’t have been an hour already. Just a little longer, Lily, please.
Her eyes fluttered and she sat up. “Dan-dan up!”
Aidan opened his eyes and felt the doll jamming into him.
“Lily why don’t you let Aidan sleep for a while?” The poor boy was obviously tired.
She looked at her brother in disgust then turned to Jeff. She smiled innocently at him and hauled herself up. “Potty!”
He helped her to the restroom and coming back into the bedroom saw Aidan had gone back to sleep.
“What do you want to do, Lily?” He stifled a yawn. He could do this, he thought, only a few more hours.
“I can play with her, if you want to go rest with Aidan?” Nancy said carefully.
“I don’t want to trouble you.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” She picked up Lily. “I think we have a lot in common.”
“If you want to, don’t hesitate to wake me though.” He said looking between the two females, both glaring.
Lily was shocked to be hit with her own attitude at every turn she made. Aidan would concede after a pout, Max was putty in her hands, Liz would sort of stop her, Jeff was a rug, Nancy was a force to be reckoned with, and she loved it.
“Down.” Lily demanded after she finished her cracker.
“What do you say?” Nancy raised an eyebrow.
“Down, please?” She batted her eyelashes. “Nana?”
“Alright, thank you.” She set her on the floor.
“How’d you do that, Nancy?” Jeff was astonished.
“I’m a natural.” She shrugged. “Is Aidan hungry?”
“Nancy, why are you being so nice to the children, not that I’m complaining.”
“I…I didn’t treat Liz too well, when she was little or ever, really. I think I was jealous of her mother, or rather your love for her mother. I was hoping maybe I could make it up with her children?”
“I’m sure she’d appreciate that. She’s willing to try to start over, Nancy, just say the word.”
“Grandpa Jeff, Lily’s doing something bad.” He had never before tattled on Lily but now he felt he was obligated to.
“Lily no!” Jeff called as she was getting ready to dump the entire can of fish food into the tank. “I thought we moved the chair.
“We did.” Nancy huffed. She plucked Lily off the chair and hauled it behind her to the away from the tank. “If you’re so intent on using this chair, you will sit in it correctly, with your bottom on the seat, you will not move until I tell you to, understood?”
Aidan blanched, not even his mother talked to her that way.
She started to pout. “Nancy.” Jeff said.
Aidan didn’t know what to call her so he just watched.
“No, Jeff, she’ll learn discipline when she’s in my house. If she behaves she gets rewarded, if she acts up, she gets time outs. Aidan, come with Nana, and we’ll get something for you to eat.”
“But, Nana,” that sounded funny on his tongue he had never called her that before. “Lily’s gonna cry.”
“Next time she won’t climb in the chair, Jeff you have time out duty, if you let her up in less than five minutes, you’ll be the one in that chair.”
Gulping and turning away from Lily’s pouting face he took on sentry watch.
****
”Aidan your mommy’s on the phone.” Diane whispered in Aidan’s ear so Lily wouldn’t get jealous, though her manners improved since yesterday.
He got up, delighted to speak to her.
“Hi, Mommy.” He said lovingly held the phone against his ear and almost burst into tears at her voice. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too, baby.” Liz spoke to her son on the phone.
“When you coming home?” He asked, it was the day after tomorrow they should be there.
“Soon.” Aidan paused when the doorbell rang. He was tempted to get it but his parents were adamant about him not answering the door.
“Who’s at the door, honey?” She asked.
“I don’t know, Grandma hasn’t gotten it yet.” He looked at it anxiously.
“Aidan get the door!” Diane called from the back.
He ran to it, he loved seeing who was there. Pulling on the door with one hand and the phone in the other was impossible. “Hold on, Mommy.”
“Alright.” She laughed.
He set the phone down on the table by the door and used both hands. He picked up the phone again before he looked.
He turned and his eyes grew huge. “Mommy!” He launched himself into her arms.
“Hi, I missed you, Aidan.” She hugged him close.
“Me too!” He hugged her close. “Don’t go again.”
“I won’t.” They weren’t even supposed to be home till that evening but both her and Max wanted to come home.
“Daddy!” Lily ran to him and hugged his legs. Max lifted her into his arms and hugged her close. “I missed you, Lilybird, were you good for Grandma?”
“Yes.” She answered. Nancy had instilled fear into the child. “We go to Nana’s house.”
“Who’s Nana?” Max asked.
“Nancy Whitman, your daughter took a liking to the woman, According to Jeff, they had quite a showdown, Nancy coming out triumphant, Lily, I guess, loved every minute of it.” Diane smiled. “Phillip isn’t home since we weren’t expecting you home anytime soon.” She held the kids overnight bags.
“Thank you so much for watching them, Mom.”
“You’ll want to call Nancy Whitman and thank her.” She said. “Lily almost had a heart attack when we came to get them. I’d keep you guys, but I know you want to get home. Classes tomorrow and all, we’ll call you later.” She handed Max the bags.
“Thank you again, Mom.” Liz said. It felt funny to her ears, but Mrs. Evans was no longer appropriate considering that was her name as well now.
“You’re welcome my dears.” She kissed them both on the cheek. “It was my pleasure.”
TBC
"Love does make the world go round... that's why it's so screwed up." Nora Roberts, Homeport
chapter 25
“I’m sorry, Miss Harding, but you’re not what we’re looking for.
The thought floated through her head a dozen times. If it wasn’t for that stupid brat she had, she wouldn’t have the stretch marks, and she’d be what they were looking for.
She stood looking in the mirror for a while longer wondering what she could do about them.
“Tess, you have mail.” Her mother called. “It’s from Max.”
Speak of the devil. “What could he want?”
“How should I know, sweetie, last we heard from him was over a year ago.”
She opened the envelope.
“Oh, Mom, look.” She held it to her. “He got married and wants his new wife to adopt my daughter.”
“Now why would he want that?”
“I don’t know, it doesn’t say.” She shrugged. She didn’t care one way or another about the kid, but she could make him suffer for the stretch marks she acquired while pregnant with his baby.
She grinned. There was always laser removal, but that cost money.
Money was something the Evans had. Putting the papers back in the envelope, Tess smiled to herself. If the Max Evans wanted custody of the kid, they’d have to pay.
****
Liz shuffled through more papers, while Max studied. He was much better at this law stuff than she was but he needed to pass the final tomorrow. Her last final had been the day before. She looked over the rim of her glasses to see if Lily was still working on what she was supposed to be. Satisfied she pushed them back up and went back to work.
“I show Daddy?” She asked holding up a picture a few minutes later.
“Yeah, go ahead sweetheart.” Liz dismissed her. She had settled down some, and outgrown her bad stage. At almost three she was starting to settle down and act a little less insane.
Liz, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure of her sanity. Aidan’s adoption had gone through a week after the wedding. Lily’s wasn’t even really in the process yet. Tess Harding hadn’t been gone long enough for it to be abandonment and she wasn’t deceased. Max had explained to her the possibility of Tess giving up her rights was slim to none, but she had a little faith. She had held her breath when they had mailed the papers asking her to.
Were the just opening a can of worms?
Lily walked past the front door which was open to let in cool air. Despite it being January, they were having a heat wave. She stopped to look out, wondering when Oma and Opa would bring Aidan back.
Someone was walking up the front steps. Three people to be exact. She could now count up to twenty, three was easy. She stared at the woman who had the same curly hair that she did. She backed away from the door.
“Never open the doors to strangers, Lilybird, always find me or Mommy.” Her dad made that very clear.
“Hi, there, sweetheart, what’s your name?” Sweetheart, that’s what her mommy called her.
“Never talk to strangers her mother’s voice.
”Mom, that’s Lily.” The one that looked like her said. She knew her name! She’d never seen these people before but they frightened her.
The paper forgotten on the floor she stared. She was normally very open with people, but she couldn’t be with these people. Something about them made her feel wrong.
“Is your daddy home, Lilybird?” The young woman asked.
That did it, no one called her that except her father, not even her mother. She was scared and she was going to let the whole house know it. “Mommy!”
The people at the door jumped backward at the volume.
“She remembers me.” Tess said thrilled. “Open the door.”
“Daddy!”
Looking up, Liz dropped what she was doing. She had heard Lily yell before but never with that tone of voice, never sounding that scared.
Max came running too.
“Lily, what’s wrong, Mommy’s here.” Liz picked her up, not noticing the door.
She clung to Liz and sniffled, still trembling.
“Tess.” Max skidded to a halt. Stepping in front of his wife and daughter he looked at the woman he had hoped never to see again.
Liz looked up at the name and clutched Lily tighter to her.
Liz’s heart was racing. This was the other woman’s child. No, Lily was hers. Shaking her head she stepped around Max.
“Don’t look surprised, Max.” She grinned and then her gaze drifted towards Liz. Straightening, Liz met her look for look. “This must be your wife. I’m surprised at you; I always thought you had a thing for blondes.”
He stiffened before turning to Liz. She seemed to have taken no offense to the remark. “You must be Tess, Max invite them in.” She was severely polite, throwing the entire party off guard.
Still hiccupping from her tears Lily stuck a thumb in her mouth. Liz soothed her back as she walked to the living room, very aware of the daggers being thrown at her back. She settled Lily on her lap as she sat on the couch where she knew Max would soon join her.
He did, as soon as the Hardings were seated, he sat beside Liz. Lily crawled into his lap, and shot glaciers at the family across the way.
“So she already calls you mommy?” Tess said looking at the child she had given birth to. She had tear streaks down her cheeks, and her eyes were red and swollen. Her hair mussed. “You’d think she’d be better kept.”
Deadly calm, insulted at the woman’s jab inferring she didn’t take care of her children, Liz looked back at her. “If she hadn’t felt threatened by you, she wouldn’t have cried, if she hadn’t cried, than she’d be perfectly well kept.”
“Well she shouldn’t feel threatened by her mother.” Tess pointed out.
“She isn’t.” Both Max and Liz answered together.
“But you just said…oh…I understand.” She gave a mirthless laugh. “No matter what she calls you, I will always be her mother on that paper. You can’t sign a legal document, ever, until I give up my rights.”
Liz’s face drained when she realized what power this woman had over her. “Legalities don’t matter, she’s mine.”
“No, she’s really not. All I would have to do is waltz into court and demand visitation rights or joint custody, and where would you be, Mrs. Evans?” She sneered. “Up the creek without a paddle, because there’s jack squat you could do.”
Frustrated and furious, Liz stood up. “Come with Mommy, Lily.”
Lily took her hand and hopped down from Max’s lap. Staying as close to Liz as possible she settled into the kitchen and picked up the phone.
“Anna?”
“Yes, Liz.” Aidan’s Oma picked up the phone.
“Where are you?”
“About a block away.”
“Look, I’m sorry to ask this of you, Anna, but I need something.” She bit back tears and took a calming breath.
“What is it honey, Will and I will do everything in our power to help.” Anne sensed her distress.
“Lily’s biological mother is here, with her parents.” She said fast into the phone. “I don’t want the children here, but I don’t want the Hardings to know I’m sending them away. Especially Lily.”
“Oh.” She was stunned for a moment, “just a second.”
The phone was muted and she heard muffled voices. “Will and I will come around the back through the kitchen, pack the kids an over night bag they’ll stay at our hotel with us.”
“Thank you so much, Anna, you don’t know how much I appreciate this.”
“Oh, honey, we don’t want to lose her either.”
With their backs to the walkway the Hardings completely missed Liz and Lily going to the back bedrooms to get their bags. Max recognized the bags when they walked back through. He trusted Liz knew what she was doing.
Sitting Lily on the counter she strapped her shoes on. “Oma and Opa are coming to get you. You and Aidan are going to spend the night with them, at their hotel. Mommy needs you to be a good girl, alright Lily, I’ll call Nana and tell her you were bad if you don’t.”
Lily nodded. She didn’t understand but felt her mother’s fear.
Hugging Lily close to her she kissed her hair smiled. She whispered assurances of her love once more before William knocked on the door.
Signaling Lily to be quiet, Liz handed her to him. “I love you, sweetheart.” Liz waved.
“Love you, Mommy.”
Liz almost broke down into tears. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
William hugged Liz and was out the door.
“Alright.” Liz checked herself in the mirror.
Rejoining Max on the couch, Liz looked at the Hardings. “Where were we?”
“What’d you do with Lillian?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Liz told them smug. “What we need to discuss does not require her presence.”
“Tess, I know you don’t want Lily.” Max held Liz’s hand to present a united front. “I don’t understand why you’re holding out on forfeiting your rights.”
“I gained twenty four pounds carrying Lily. Before that pregnancy I didn’t have any scars or stretch marks, now I do. It has damaged my career as an actress, and you need to pay for that. I’m willing to sign her over as long as you pay me.”
“Did it ever occur to you that you’re just a bad actress?” Liz said before she could stop herself.
“I will not have you slandering my daughter.” Mr. Harding stood up to her. “You will take that back.”
“And I won’t have you speak to my wife like that.” Max shot back. “She was just telling the truth, and she was not done speaking. Finish what you had to say, love.”
“Thank you.” She smiled at Max. “I gained thirty pounds with Aidan, which gave me a few stretch marks of my own, do you see me cursing John or taking it out on Aidan? I look at it as a small sacrifice to have someone I love and who loves me so completely.”
Tess crossed her arms. “Once you have one of Max’s brats you’ll change your mind.”
“I don’t see how you’re upset that you carried Max’s child.” She said quietly. It thrilled her that one day she would too. “And Lily would not take kindly to being called a brat, and I take it less so. Please stop.”
“You wouldn’t understand.” Tess shook her hands. Ignoring the latter comment.
“Alright.” Max held up a hand. “Let’s get back to the task on hand. Tess, I’m not going to pay you for my daughter.”
“Sure you are. You’re desperate for her to be Liz’s.”
“Not that desperate.” Liz shook her head. It didn’t have to be legal. What was in her heart was all that mattered. Or so she told herself.
“I can make your life hell. School reports, drivers’ license, passports. You would never be able to leave the country with her. You need both parents’ consent. She’s mine and she’ll remain that way until you pay me.”
“We could take you to court. You forget I’m in law school, lots of friends and connections that could tip the scales in my favor.”
“You would never sink so low.” Tess smirked.
“He slept with you didn’t he?” Liz said before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened. She had not just said that. She was on a mean streak today. Then again, there were those sayings warning against getting between a mother and her children.
Tess sat stunned. So did Mr. and Mrs. Harding. Max blinked at his wife.
Mrs. Harding recovered first. “It would take you more money to take us to court than to just pay her off.”
“How much do you want?” Max asked out of curiosity.
“Fifty thousand.”
“Are you crazy? We’re college students raising two kids, where are we gonna get that kind of money?” Max exclaimed.
“You have parents, and I’ll take it in installments.” Tess folded her hands satisfied with their reactions.
“No.” Liz shook her head. “Absolutely not.”
“Liz.” Max stroked her hand with his thumb.
“Max.” She looked up at him. “If we just take her to court, it will be better. There is no way that would give her custody, Max.” She said with a confidence she did not feel. “Your father would help us and I’m sure he has a few friends that are capable of helping us, if Tess really wants to go to court, we’ll go to court.”
Smiling down, in awe, at his wife Max answered Tess. Her voice had been steady even though he could feel her hand trembling in his. “You have your answer. Since you are going to make this difficult, we’ll go to court. I would say though, the loss of a child in a court custody case would not look good for an aspiring actress.” He was looking at Tess now.
All color drained from Tess’ face. He had hit home.
“Think of the publicity. Tess Harding gives up only child in the child’s best interest. She didn’t want a custody battle to deeply scar the baby. It would all be very good for you, Tess. But to have your rights taken away, that would signify that there is something wrong with you. That would lead to investigations and soon enough it would come up that you abandoned your poor nine-month old daughter, leaving her with her young father, who eventually remarried and has a stable home. Which stories do you like better, Tess? You decide.”
“That’s not fair!” She cried clearly upset.
“Neither is what you’re asking of us. No one would ever know you had a child. If you wouldn’t say anything no one would ever have to know.”
Her faced turned a deep shade of red, surprisingly looking nothing like Lily when she was upset.
“Ah. Even better now. If you don’t give over custody, and you do—by some miracle—manage to make it big someone, somehow would find out about it, and it would not be very pretty and then we’ll be back at the beginning.”
“This isn’t the Max Evans I remember.” Tess shook her head in disbelief. She had thought he would have been a pushover.
Max gave her a smile that would have frozen over the entire Pacific Ocean. She was right, Max thought. This Max Evans had his family to think of and it had been threatened, he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt his family. He had worked too hard, too long to get where he was. He was happy and she was sitting here threatening that happiness. It wasn’t going to happen, he’d do anything to keep his family exactly the way it was.
tbc
“I’m sorry, Miss Harding, but you’re not what we’re looking for.
The thought floated through her head a dozen times. If it wasn’t for that stupid brat she had, she wouldn’t have the stretch marks, and she’d be what they were looking for.
She stood looking in the mirror for a while longer wondering what she could do about them.
“Tess, you have mail.” Her mother called. “It’s from Max.”
Speak of the devil. “What could he want?”
“How should I know, sweetie, last we heard from him was over a year ago.”
She opened the envelope.
“Oh, Mom, look.” She held it to her. “He got married and wants his new wife to adopt my daughter.”
“Now why would he want that?”
“I don’t know, it doesn’t say.” She shrugged. She didn’t care one way or another about the kid, but she could make him suffer for the stretch marks she acquired while pregnant with his baby.
She grinned. There was always laser removal, but that cost money.
Money was something the Evans had. Putting the papers back in the envelope, Tess smiled to herself. If the Max Evans wanted custody of the kid, they’d have to pay.
****
Liz shuffled through more papers, while Max studied. He was much better at this law stuff than she was but he needed to pass the final tomorrow. Her last final had been the day before. She looked over the rim of her glasses to see if Lily was still working on what she was supposed to be. Satisfied she pushed them back up and went back to work.
“I show Daddy?” She asked holding up a picture a few minutes later.
“Yeah, go ahead sweetheart.” Liz dismissed her. She had settled down some, and outgrown her bad stage. At almost three she was starting to settle down and act a little less insane.
Liz, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure of her sanity. Aidan’s adoption had gone through a week after the wedding. Lily’s wasn’t even really in the process yet. Tess Harding hadn’t been gone long enough for it to be abandonment and she wasn’t deceased. Max had explained to her the possibility of Tess giving up her rights was slim to none, but she had a little faith. She had held her breath when they had mailed the papers asking her to.
Were the just opening a can of worms?
Lily walked past the front door which was open to let in cool air. Despite it being January, they were having a heat wave. She stopped to look out, wondering when Oma and Opa would bring Aidan back.
Someone was walking up the front steps. Three people to be exact. She could now count up to twenty, three was easy. She stared at the woman who had the same curly hair that she did. She backed away from the door.
“Never open the doors to strangers, Lilybird, always find me or Mommy.” Her dad made that very clear.
“Hi, there, sweetheart, what’s your name?” Sweetheart, that’s what her mommy called her.
“Never talk to strangers her mother’s voice.
”Mom, that’s Lily.” The one that looked like her said. She knew her name! She’d never seen these people before but they frightened her.
The paper forgotten on the floor she stared. She was normally very open with people, but she couldn’t be with these people. Something about them made her feel wrong.
“Is your daddy home, Lilybird?” The young woman asked.
That did it, no one called her that except her father, not even her mother. She was scared and she was going to let the whole house know it. “Mommy!”
The people at the door jumped backward at the volume.
“She remembers me.” Tess said thrilled. “Open the door.”
“Daddy!”
Looking up, Liz dropped what she was doing. She had heard Lily yell before but never with that tone of voice, never sounding that scared.
Max came running too.
“Lily, what’s wrong, Mommy’s here.” Liz picked her up, not noticing the door.
She clung to Liz and sniffled, still trembling.
“Tess.” Max skidded to a halt. Stepping in front of his wife and daughter he looked at the woman he had hoped never to see again.
Liz looked up at the name and clutched Lily tighter to her.
Liz’s heart was racing. This was the other woman’s child. No, Lily was hers. Shaking her head she stepped around Max.
“Don’t look surprised, Max.” She grinned and then her gaze drifted towards Liz. Straightening, Liz met her look for look. “This must be your wife. I’m surprised at you; I always thought you had a thing for blondes.”
He stiffened before turning to Liz. She seemed to have taken no offense to the remark. “You must be Tess, Max invite them in.” She was severely polite, throwing the entire party off guard.
Still hiccupping from her tears Lily stuck a thumb in her mouth. Liz soothed her back as she walked to the living room, very aware of the daggers being thrown at her back. She settled Lily on her lap as she sat on the couch where she knew Max would soon join her.
He did, as soon as the Hardings were seated, he sat beside Liz. Lily crawled into his lap, and shot glaciers at the family across the way.
“So she already calls you mommy?” Tess said looking at the child she had given birth to. She had tear streaks down her cheeks, and her eyes were red and swollen. Her hair mussed. “You’d think she’d be better kept.”
Deadly calm, insulted at the woman’s jab inferring she didn’t take care of her children, Liz looked back at her. “If she hadn’t felt threatened by you, she wouldn’t have cried, if she hadn’t cried, than she’d be perfectly well kept.”
“Well she shouldn’t feel threatened by her mother.” Tess pointed out.
“She isn’t.” Both Max and Liz answered together.
“But you just said…oh…I understand.” She gave a mirthless laugh. “No matter what she calls you, I will always be her mother on that paper. You can’t sign a legal document, ever, until I give up my rights.”
Liz’s face drained when she realized what power this woman had over her. “Legalities don’t matter, she’s mine.”
“No, she’s really not. All I would have to do is waltz into court and demand visitation rights or joint custody, and where would you be, Mrs. Evans?” She sneered. “Up the creek without a paddle, because there’s jack squat you could do.”
Frustrated and furious, Liz stood up. “Come with Mommy, Lily.”
Lily took her hand and hopped down from Max’s lap. Staying as close to Liz as possible she settled into the kitchen and picked up the phone.
“Anna?”
“Yes, Liz.” Aidan’s Oma picked up the phone.
“Where are you?”
“About a block away.”
“Look, I’m sorry to ask this of you, Anna, but I need something.” She bit back tears and took a calming breath.
“What is it honey, Will and I will do everything in our power to help.” Anne sensed her distress.
“Lily’s biological mother is here, with her parents.” She said fast into the phone. “I don’t want the children here, but I don’t want the Hardings to know I’m sending them away. Especially Lily.”
“Oh.” She was stunned for a moment, “just a second.”
The phone was muted and she heard muffled voices. “Will and I will come around the back through the kitchen, pack the kids an over night bag they’ll stay at our hotel with us.”
“Thank you so much, Anna, you don’t know how much I appreciate this.”
“Oh, honey, we don’t want to lose her either.”
With their backs to the walkway the Hardings completely missed Liz and Lily going to the back bedrooms to get their bags. Max recognized the bags when they walked back through. He trusted Liz knew what she was doing.
Sitting Lily on the counter she strapped her shoes on. “Oma and Opa are coming to get you. You and Aidan are going to spend the night with them, at their hotel. Mommy needs you to be a good girl, alright Lily, I’ll call Nana and tell her you were bad if you don’t.”
Lily nodded. She didn’t understand but felt her mother’s fear.
Hugging Lily close to her she kissed her hair smiled. She whispered assurances of her love once more before William knocked on the door.
Signaling Lily to be quiet, Liz handed her to him. “I love you, sweetheart.” Liz waved.
“Love you, Mommy.”
Liz almost broke down into tears. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
William hugged Liz and was out the door.
“Alright.” Liz checked herself in the mirror.
Rejoining Max on the couch, Liz looked at the Hardings. “Where were we?”
“What’d you do with Lillian?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Liz told them smug. “What we need to discuss does not require her presence.”
“Tess, I know you don’t want Lily.” Max held Liz’s hand to present a united front. “I don’t understand why you’re holding out on forfeiting your rights.”
“I gained twenty four pounds carrying Lily. Before that pregnancy I didn’t have any scars or stretch marks, now I do. It has damaged my career as an actress, and you need to pay for that. I’m willing to sign her over as long as you pay me.”
“Did it ever occur to you that you’re just a bad actress?” Liz said before she could stop herself.
“I will not have you slandering my daughter.” Mr. Harding stood up to her. “You will take that back.”
“And I won’t have you speak to my wife like that.” Max shot back. “She was just telling the truth, and she was not done speaking. Finish what you had to say, love.”
“Thank you.” She smiled at Max. “I gained thirty pounds with Aidan, which gave me a few stretch marks of my own, do you see me cursing John or taking it out on Aidan? I look at it as a small sacrifice to have someone I love and who loves me so completely.”
Tess crossed her arms. “Once you have one of Max’s brats you’ll change your mind.”
“I don’t see how you’re upset that you carried Max’s child.” She said quietly. It thrilled her that one day she would too. “And Lily would not take kindly to being called a brat, and I take it less so. Please stop.”
“You wouldn’t understand.” Tess shook her hands. Ignoring the latter comment.
“Alright.” Max held up a hand. “Let’s get back to the task on hand. Tess, I’m not going to pay you for my daughter.”
“Sure you are. You’re desperate for her to be Liz’s.”
“Not that desperate.” Liz shook her head. It didn’t have to be legal. What was in her heart was all that mattered. Or so she told herself.
“I can make your life hell. School reports, drivers’ license, passports. You would never be able to leave the country with her. You need both parents’ consent. She’s mine and she’ll remain that way until you pay me.”
“We could take you to court. You forget I’m in law school, lots of friends and connections that could tip the scales in my favor.”
“You would never sink so low.” Tess smirked.
“He slept with you didn’t he?” Liz said before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened. She had not just said that. She was on a mean streak today. Then again, there were those sayings warning against getting between a mother and her children.
Tess sat stunned. So did Mr. and Mrs. Harding. Max blinked at his wife.
Mrs. Harding recovered first. “It would take you more money to take us to court than to just pay her off.”
“How much do you want?” Max asked out of curiosity.
“Fifty thousand.”
“Are you crazy? We’re college students raising two kids, where are we gonna get that kind of money?” Max exclaimed.
“You have parents, and I’ll take it in installments.” Tess folded her hands satisfied with their reactions.
“No.” Liz shook her head. “Absolutely not.”
“Liz.” Max stroked her hand with his thumb.
“Max.” She looked up at him. “If we just take her to court, it will be better. There is no way that would give her custody, Max.” She said with a confidence she did not feel. “Your father would help us and I’m sure he has a few friends that are capable of helping us, if Tess really wants to go to court, we’ll go to court.”
Smiling down, in awe, at his wife Max answered Tess. Her voice had been steady even though he could feel her hand trembling in his. “You have your answer. Since you are going to make this difficult, we’ll go to court. I would say though, the loss of a child in a court custody case would not look good for an aspiring actress.” He was looking at Tess now.
All color drained from Tess’ face. He had hit home.
“Think of the publicity. Tess Harding gives up only child in the child’s best interest. She didn’t want a custody battle to deeply scar the baby. It would all be very good for you, Tess. But to have your rights taken away, that would signify that there is something wrong with you. That would lead to investigations and soon enough it would come up that you abandoned your poor nine-month old daughter, leaving her with her young father, who eventually remarried and has a stable home. Which stories do you like better, Tess? You decide.”
“That’s not fair!” She cried clearly upset.
“Neither is what you’re asking of us. No one would ever know you had a child. If you wouldn’t say anything no one would ever have to know.”
Her faced turned a deep shade of red, surprisingly looking nothing like Lily when she was upset.
“Ah. Even better now. If you don’t give over custody, and you do—by some miracle—manage to make it big someone, somehow would find out about it, and it would not be very pretty and then we’ll be back at the beginning.”
“This isn’t the Max Evans I remember.” Tess shook her head in disbelief. She had thought he would have been a pushover.
Max gave her a smile that would have frozen over the entire Pacific Ocean. She was right, Max thought. This Max Evans had his family to think of and it had been threatened, he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt his family. He had worked too hard, too long to get where he was. He was happy and she was sitting here threatening that happiness. It wasn’t going to happen, he’d do anything to keep his family exactly the way it was.
tbc
"Love does make the world go round... that's why it's so screwed up." Nora Roberts, Homeport
Chapter 26
Liz answered the door reluctantly. She wondered what Lily had done to upset their neighbor this time. No one was home but her. Max was at school, and Lily and Aidan were still with Oma and Opa. It was the snotty old lady from across the way with her even snottier granddaughter. They both looked down their noses at Liz.
“I hear you play the piano.” The woman didn’t bother to wait to be invited in.
“Yes.” Liz shut the door baffled.
“What about giving my girl here lessons?” She pushed her foreword.
“I’m sorry Ms…”
“Young.”
“I’m sorry Ms. Young, but I don’t give lessons.” Liz shook her head. “I only accompany.”
“But you can give lessons.” She pushed. “I hear you teaching that boy of yours.”
“Well, yes, he’s my son, it’s different.” Liz said. “I don’t give them to anyone else.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not trained to be a piano instructor.” And she had never given it much thought. She was planning on just getting Aidan on his feet before sending him to a real teacher.
“You’re an Education major aren’t you?”
“Yes.” She nodded. How would this woman know this?
“Put it to good use. You will teach my granddaughter. When is the most convenient time for you?”
“Ms. Young, I have two young children, I’m trying to attend school—along with my husband—and I have a job that deals with rehearsals and meetings and all day performances. I don’t really have time.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. Already drained Liz relented.
“How about tomorrow at three?” Max would be here to watch the babies.
“Perfect. We appreciate this.” The woman took the girl’s hand and walked away.
Shaking her head she went back inside. Why hadn’t she thought of giving lessons before? They could use the money and it was something she enjoyed. When the students got too advanced she could send them to a more advanced teacher.
She went to the kitchen to mark the calendar. The kids had doctor’s appointments. Aidan had to begin vaccinations for kindergarten the coming fall, and Lily needed a check-up.
She scooted closer to the calendar to study it more.
“You know you wouldn’t have to squint so hard if you would only wear your glasses.” Max wrapped one arm around her waist and gently set her glasses on her nose with the other.
“Yuck.” She scrunched her nose, in an imitation of Lily, as she took them off. “I can see just fine.”
“You’re only going to make it worse. They make you look cute.” He kissed her nose.
“I don’t want to look cute.” Liz shook her head and wrapped her arms around Max.
She turned and just let herself be held in his arms for a moment. They hadn’t talked after Tess and her family had left yesterday. She had spent the night being comforted in his arms and had been reluctant this morning to let him go to class. Not having the kids for the night had been an added bonus, though she was missing their insistent chatter and it wasn’t quite yet noon.
Max held her tightly against him and waited a moment. Max cursed Tess for causing Liz this pain. She had been almost inconsolable last night even when he had assured her she would always be Lily’s mother. She had held out until Tess left and then she broke. She never outwardly spoken of her fears but they radiated from her.
He froze. “Liz, come sit down.”
Hugging him close to her as if she wanted to crawl inside him she turned her head to look up at him. “What’s wrong?”
Panic filled her and she let him drag her to a seat at the table.
“I have to tell you something.” He knelt in front of her.
“What, Max?”
“I have to go away for a week.” He said it carefully.
“Why!” She exclaimed. Not now, she needed him now.
“I need to go for school. There’s a seminar being put on by Berkeley. This will put me a year ahead. If I go to this, I only have one more year of school left, and then maybe we could buy a house.” He tried to encourage her. He could read the panic in her eyes.
“Do you have to go now, Max?” She asked.
“I do.” He nodded. “I have to fly there. It would take all night to drive there, it’s only an hour flight so I won’t have to leave here until nine tomorrow morning, seminar starts at noon.”
She was silent. She could do this. “Why now?”
“Because we have two little kids to think of. We’re making it ok now but it would be so much better if I could get an internship over the summer.” He smoothed her hair, hoping to soothe her.
She nodded. This would be better for all of them. It was just a week, just an hour’s flight. Nothing would happen in the next week.
“And if Tess comes?”
“She won’t.” Max assured her. “Tess threatens but that’s about all she does. We’ll work on that when I get back. I promise.” He pulled her to him again. “My mom will take me to the airport.”
“Alright. What will we tell the kids?”
“Lily probably won’t notice I’m gone and Aidan will be alright.” Max smiled when he thought of his children. Picking her up he went to the couch and settled her on his lap. Resting her head she let Max’s heart beat comfort her.
“What do you think if I started giving piano lessons?”
“Why?”
“That woman across the way brought her granddaughter over and told me I was going to give the girl some.”
“The one that’s always accusing Lily for things?”
“The same one. And usually Lily did do whatever she’s accused of, Max.”
“That’s beyond the point, Liz.” Max said.
“Hardly. I’m going to; I think it will be fun. The girl’s not to nice but we’ll work around that. And the piano’s here and I already teach Aidan, and I am an education major. She starts tomorrow at three.” She said through one breath.
“That’d be fun for you.” Max agreed. He heard a car door slam and the sound of running feet on the sidewalk. “They’re home.”
“Hi!” Lily burst inside her face full of happiness.
She bounded Liz’s arms happy to be home.
Aidan walked more calmly into the house until he saw his parents and then joined Lily on their laps. “Did you two have fun?”
“Yes, we went to the mall.” Aidan turned to tell his parents.
“Look!” Lily held her shirt. She had no idea what it said or meant but the fact that she got a new shirt was enough to make her happy.
Liz read and could hardly suppress her laughter. “Very fitting.”
Max read the shirt that said, “my finger may be small, but I can still wrap my daddy around it.”
He blushed and looked down at the ground. He knew he was a sucker for his daughter.
“We found it appropriate.” Anna walked in. “How are you two?”
Liz gave her a small smile.
“Please, come in and sit down.” Max stood, holding Lily in his arms.
“No, we’re going to head out. We were going to leave this morning, we got a little behind.”
“I’m sorry, thank you so much. We’ll call you and fill you in.” Liz hugged her then went to William.
“Good luck, you two. Lily and Aidan, be good.” Anna kissed the kids cheeks. “I’ll se you during summer.”
“Bye!” Lily waved goodbye.
“See you later Oma.” He hugged her.
“Bye, Opa.” He shook his hand like a man, grinning.
They waved them goodbye before heading back inside.
“I’m hungry.” Lily rubbed her tummy.
“You want a cheese sandwich?” Liz asked
“Yes.” They both replied in unison.
“Mommy.” Aidan looked up at her.
“Yes, sweetheart?” Liz brushed his hair back from his eyes and decided he needed a haircut.
”Why were you crying?” He asked concerned.
“Because Mommy had some things to think about.”
“Is Lily going away?”
”Where’d you hear that?” Liz bent down to him.
“Oma and Opa were talking about it last night.” He told her. “I don’t want her to. She’s my sister, and I’m her brother.” He puffed out his chest.
“No, she’s not going to go away.” She said and kissed his head. “I promise.”
“Ok.” He took her hand and followed her into the kitchen.
****
Liz wasn’t surprised—later that night—when Lily squeezed herself between her and Max.
Lily hadn’t taken it as well as they had hoped that Max was going away. Aidan didn’t take it well either, both kids were distraught at the thought.
“Daddy.” Lily tucked herself next to him.
“Lily give me the doll, please?” Liz asked. She’d share the bed, but she didn’t need to share it with the doll.
She reluctantly handed it over and plopped her thumb into her mouth.
A few moments later Aidan climbed into the bed as well. Max opened his eyes and smiled at Liz. Moving over to give Aidan more she wrapped an arm around them both.
“Love you.” He mouthed to her.
She smiled and nodded her love to him as well.
****
”Mommy got you, Lily.” Liz rolled Lily underneath her. “You’re my captive and now you have to eat your lunch.”
Lily giggled hysterically. “Dan dan, help!”
Aidan came to the rescue. “You can’t have the princess.” He charged and took Liz down.
Easily flipping Aidan over, Liz caught them both and trapped them. “Surrender.”
”Never!” Aidan tried to struggle from her grip.
“Surrender.” She held her hands up threatening to tickle.
“No!” Lily said laughing as she anticipated the tickling.
The doorbell rang. “You two better be here when I get back.” Liz warned.
They giggled as Liz stood up. At the same time they both went for her legs. She struggled to stay upright and make her way to the door. She pushed at her hair, but knew it was hopeless, she answered.
“Ah, Liz.” Tess stood there. “Did I catch you at a bad time?” She stepped into the house.
Liz wondered if people just didn’t bother to wait to be invited in anymore.
“With a five and a two-and a half-year-old, every time is a bad time. She looked down at the two kids still clasping her legs. “Alright, guys, you win. Wait till Daddy gets back and you’ll both go down. Go play.”
“We want cantaloupe.” Aidan voiced for the both of them.
With a sigh, Liz picked up Aidan. “Alright, Tess if you’d follow us.”
She took them to the kitchen and set Aidan in his booster seat, Lily climbed into her seat glaring at the woman standing in the doorway.
“Did you need something, Tess?” Liz asked as she sliced up a piece of the fruit, and removed the peel. Cutting it into tiny pieces she reached up to retrieve two bowls, causing her hair to tumble out of it’s already untidy bun.
She brushed her hair out of her face and set the bowls down.
“Actually,” Tess raised an eyebrow at her mussed appearance. “I was hoping to talk with Max.”
“Daddy’s not here.” Lily informed her and accepted the bowl from Liz.
“I didn’t ask you, Lily.” Tess answered rudely.
”Thank you.” Aidan and Lily answered in unison.
“You’re welcome.” Liz smiled at them before turning back to Tess with daggers in her eyes. “She was just telling you the facts.”
The look Tess send back was just as mean. “When do you expect him back?”
“Three more days.” She glanced at the countdown the kids had made to go on the refrigerator.
“Oh.” She smiled again, a smile filled with malice. “You’re alone with them?”
“Yes.” Liz straightened.
“In that case, maybe Lily better come with me.” Tess said.
“No.” The word was final, and Liz maneuvered Tess out of the kitchen and shut the door behind her. “Don’t even think about it.”
“But a child is better with her mother.” Tess said.
“She is with her mother, and if you even think of taking her out of here, you heartless bitch, you won’t know what hit you.”
”Now, now, no need for name calling.” Tess said, her feathers thoroughly ruffled, she was angry.
“That wasn’t name calling I was just telling you what you are.” Liz spit back.
“Liz, that’s no way to get on my good side. I have something to tell you, it may help you.” Tess could see she got Liz’s attention.
“You think we can act civilized?” Liz asked with her arm perched on the doorknob. “Lily will be out of that chair and destroying my kitchen if I leave this door closed much longer.”
“Yes.” Tess answered.
To Liz’s relief both children were happily eating fruit.
“Did you ever think that Lily might not be Max’s child?” Tess asked, helping herself to a seat.
“What?” Liz turned to her stunned, her heart pounding hard.
“Now I have your attention.” Tess folded her hands primly over her lap. “Max wasn’t the only man I was sleeping with, you know.”
A thousand names flew into Liz’s head to call Tess but she held them inside, her heart aching for Max. “What gives you the idea that she wasn’t his?”
“I’m actually pretty sure she’s not his.” Tess said. “I think Max knows too.”
“How can you say that? Look at her, she’s Max’s daughter.” Liz fought desperately. “She has his eyes.”
“She has brown eyes, Liz, so do a lot of people.” Tess said. “She physically does not look like Max, face it.”
“Why did you tell him she was his then?” Liz asked, not truly absorbing it. She wanted Max home now.
“I knew he would take responsibility of her. Max was always very careful, Liz. You would know that. He took every precaution to make sure we didn’t have any pregnancies. I was planning on telling him but I wasn’t even sure who the father was.”
Slut. It was the first thing that popped into Liz’s mind. Stay calm, breath, get her to leave.
“Anything else?”
“I’m willing to cut a deal with you, Liz.” Tess raised an eyebrow.
“And that would be.” Liz knew it was nothing she was interested in. Lily had started to fling cantaloupe around the kitchen.
“I will get you!” Aidan had climbed down from his chair and Lily had done likewise. They had flipped the chairs over and were hiding behind them like a fort.
“Never!” Lily declared and chucked a particularly chunk across the room.
“You’ll get yours!” Aidan bravely withstood the cantaloupe chunks to tackle his sister.
“I win!” Aidan said triumphantly.
Liz grimaced when she saw them but there was nothing she could do at the moment.
“Lily is not Max’s child.”
“We don’t know that.” Liz corrected.
Tess ignored her and went on. “You both seem to want her. As long as Max’s name is on the birth certificate she’s his. I now know who the father might be.”
“Max is.”
Again ignoring her she went on. “I’m happy to leave Lily where she is, I’ve no chance of getting her back, and I don’t want her. You guys can keep her for all I care. Just as long as none of this leaks to the press. When I’m rich and famous, I don’t want you to come crawling to me for money. I’ll totally forget about Lily and you can forget about me. She won’t remember me, I won’t remember her. Deal.”
It was a little too easy. “What about the money?” The kids were tossing bowls, she had to stop them.
“I have decided, that I can get much more elsewhere. Deal?” She asked. “You better go get your children.”
“I told you, they’d destroy it.” Liz said trying to stay calm. It was just a mess. It could be cleaned up with a broom and a mop. That’s it. “I’ll discuss it with Max.”
“I don’t want you to discuss it with Max. Yes or no, Liz.”
Lily was now giggling on the floor, her hair covered in cantaloupe juice.
”Yes.” She didn’t know what Max wanted her to do. She shook inside. “Now get out my house, I don’t ever want to see you again. Send me the papers by mail.”
“Will do, Mrs. Evans.” Tess sauntered out. “Nice working with you.”
Liz slammed the door in her face and turned to deal with the mess in her kitchen.
TBC
AN: I wanted more of a showdown between Liz and Tess, but I’m not too great with showdowns, I try. And I’m sorry I made her from Tennessee, but my little sister’s doing a report on it and it was the first thing that came to my mind. There’s only a few chapters left, and then we’re done with this one. It’s been great having you guys along for the ride! I’ll miss it when it’s done.
Liz answered the door reluctantly. She wondered what Lily had done to upset their neighbor this time. No one was home but her. Max was at school, and Lily and Aidan were still with Oma and Opa. It was the snotty old lady from across the way with her even snottier granddaughter. They both looked down their noses at Liz.
“I hear you play the piano.” The woman didn’t bother to wait to be invited in.
“Yes.” Liz shut the door baffled.
“What about giving my girl here lessons?” She pushed her foreword.
“I’m sorry Ms…”
“Young.”
“I’m sorry Ms. Young, but I don’t give lessons.” Liz shook her head. “I only accompany.”
“But you can give lessons.” She pushed. “I hear you teaching that boy of yours.”
“Well, yes, he’s my son, it’s different.” Liz said. “I don’t give them to anyone else.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not trained to be a piano instructor.” And she had never given it much thought. She was planning on just getting Aidan on his feet before sending him to a real teacher.
“You’re an Education major aren’t you?”
“Yes.” She nodded. How would this woman know this?
“Put it to good use. You will teach my granddaughter. When is the most convenient time for you?”
“Ms. Young, I have two young children, I’m trying to attend school—along with my husband—and I have a job that deals with rehearsals and meetings and all day performances. I don’t really have time.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. Already drained Liz relented.
“How about tomorrow at three?” Max would be here to watch the babies.
“Perfect. We appreciate this.” The woman took the girl’s hand and walked away.
Shaking her head she went back inside. Why hadn’t she thought of giving lessons before? They could use the money and it was something she enjoyed. When the students got too advanced she could send them to a more advanced teacher.
She went to the kitchen to mark the calendar. The kids had doctor’s appointments. Aidan had to begin vaccinations for kindergarten the coming fall, and Lily needed a check-up.
She scooted closer to the calendar to study it more.
“You know you wouldn’t have to squint so hard if you would only wear your glasses.” Max wrapped one arm around her waist and gently set her glasses on her nose with the other.
“Yuck.” She scrunched her nose, in an imitation of Lily, as she took them off. “I can see just fine.”
“You’re only going to make it worse. They make you look cute.” He kissed her nose.
“I don’t want to look cute.” Liz shook her head and wrapped her arms around Max.
She turned and just let herself be held in his arms for a moment. They hadn’t talked after Tess and her family had left yesterday. She had spent the night being comforted in his arms and had been reluctant this morning to let him go to class. Not having the kids for the night had been an added bonus, though she was missing their insistent chatter and it wasn’t quite yet noon.
Max held her tightly against him and waited a moment. Max cursed Tess for causing Liz this pain. She had been almost inconsolable last night even when he had assured her she would always be Lily’s mother. She had held out until Tess left and then she broke. She never outwardly spoken of her fears but they radiated from her.
He froze. “Liz, come sit down.”
Hugging him close to her as if she wanted to crawl inside him she turned her head to look up at him. “What’s wrong?”
Panic filled her and she let him drag her to a seat at the table.
“I have to tell you something.” He knelt in front of her.
“What, Max?”
“I have to go away for a week.” He said it carefully.
“Why!” She exclaimed. Not now, she needed him now.
“I need to go for school. There’s a seminar being put on by Berkeley. This will put me a year ahead. If I go to this, I only have one more year of school left, and then maybe we could buy a house.” He tried to encourage her. He could read the panic in her eyes.
“Do you have to go now, Max?” She asked.
“I do.” He nodded. “I have to fly there. It would take all night to drive there, it’s only an hour flight so I won’t have to leave here until nine tomorrow morning, seminar starts at noon.”
She was silent. She could do this. “Why now?”
“Because we have two little kids to think of. We’re making it ok now but it would be so much better if I could get an internship over the summer.” He smoothed her hair, hoping to soothe her.
She nodded. This would be better for all of them. It was just a week, just an hour’s flight. Nothing would happen in the next week.
“And if Tess comes?”
“She won’t.” Max assured her. “Tess threatens but that’s about all she does. We’ll work on that when I get back. I promise.” He pulled her to him again. “My mom will take me to the airport.”
“Alright. What will we tell the kids?”
“Lily probably won’t notice I’m gone and Aidan will be alright.” Max smiled when he thought of his children. Picking her up he went to the couch and settled her on his lap. Resting her head she let Max’s heart beat comfort her.
“What do you think if I started giving piano lessons?”
“Why?”
“That woman across the way brought her granddaughter over and told me I was going to give the girl some.”
“The one that’s always accusing Lily for things?”
“The same one. And usually Lily did do whatever she’s accused of, Max.”
“That’s beyond the point, Liz.” Max said.
“Hardly. I’m going to; I think it will be fun. The girl’s not to nice but we’ll work around that. And the piano’s here and I already teach Aidan, and I am an education major. She starts tomorrow at three.” She said through one breath.
“That’d be fun for you.” Max agreed. He heard a car door slam and the sound of running feet on the sidewalk. “They’re home.”
“Hi!” Lily burst inside her face full of happiness.
She bounded Liz’s arms happy to be home.
Aidan walked more calmly into the house until he saw his parents and then joined Lily on their laps. “Did you two have fun?”
“Yes, we went to the mall.” Aidan turned to tell his parents.
“Look!” Lily held her shirt. She had no idea what it said or meant but the fact that she got a new shirt was enough to make her happy.
Liz read and could hardly suppress her laughter. “Very fitting.”
Max read the shirt that said, “my finger may be small, but I can still wrap my daddy around it.”
He blushed and looked down at the ground. He knew he was a sucker for his daughter.
“We found it appropriate.” Anna walked in. “How are you two?”
Liz gave her a small smile.
“Please, come in and sit down.” Max stood, holding Lily in his arms.
“No, we’re going to head out. We were going to leave this morning, we got a little behind.”
“I’m sorry, thank you so much. We’ll call you and fill you in.” Liz hugged her then went to William.
“Good luck, you two. Lily and Aidan, be good.” Anna kissed the kids cheeks. “I’ll se you during summer.”
“Bye!” Lily waved goodbye.
“See you later Oma.” He hugged her.
“Bye, Opa.” He shook his hand like a man, grinning.
They waved them goodbye before heading back inside.
“I’m hungry.” Lily rubbed her tummy.
“You want a cheese sandwich?” Liz asked
“Yes.” They both replied in unison.
“Mommy.” Aidan looked up at her.
“Yes, sweetheart?” Liz brushed his hair back from his eyes and decided he needed a haircut.
”Why were you crying?” He asked concerned.
“Because Mommy had some things to think about.”
“Is Lily going away?”
”Where’d you hear that?” Liz bent down to him.
“Oma and Opa were talking about it last night.” He told her. “I don’t want her to. She’s my sister, and I’m her brother.” He puffed out his chest.
“No, she’s not going to go away.” She said and kissed his head. “I promise.”
“Ok.” He took her hand and followed her into the kitchen.
****
Liz wasn’t surprised—later that night—when Lily squeezed herself between her and Max.
Lily hadn’t taken it as well as they had hoped that Max was going away. Aidan didn’t take it well either, both kids were distraught at the thought.
“Daddy.” Lily tucked herself next to him.
“Lily give me the doll, please?” Liz asked. She’d share the bed, but she didn’t need to share it with the doll.
She reluctantly handed it over and plopped her thumb into her mouth.
A few moments later Aidan climbed into the bed as well. Max opened his eyes and smiled at Liz. Moving over to give Aidan more she wrapped an arm around them both.
“Love you.” He mouthed to her.
She smiled and nodded her love to him as well.
****
”Mommy got you, Lily.” Liz rolled Lily underneath her. “You’re my captive and now you have to eat your lunch.”
Lily giggled hysterically. “Dan dan, help!”
Aidan came to the rescue. “You can’t have the princess.” He charged and took Liz down.
Easily flipping Aidan over, Liz caught them both and trapped them. “Surrender.”
”Never!” Aidan tried to struggle from her grip.
“Surrender.” She held her hands up threatening to tickle.
“No!” Lily said laughing as she anticipated the tickling.
The doorbell rang. “You two better be here when I get back.” Liz warned.
They giggled as Liz stood up. At the same time they both went for her legs. She struggled to stay upright and make her way to the door. She pushed at her hair, but knew it was hopeless, she answered.
“Ah, Liz.” Tess stood there. “Did I catch you at a bad time?” She stepped into the house.
Liz wondered if people just didn’t bother to wait to be invited in anymore.
“With a five and a two-and a half-year-old, every time is a bad time. She looked down at the two kids still clasping her legs. “Alright, guys, you win. Wait till Daddy gets back and you’ll both go down. Go play.”
“We want cantaloupe.” Aidan voiced for the both of them.
With a sigh, Liz picked up Aidan. “Alright, Tess if you’d follow us.”
She took them to the kitchen and set Aidan in his booster seat, Lily climbed into her seat glaring at the woman standing in the doorway.
“Did you need something, Tess?” Liz asked as she sliced up a piece of the fruit, and removed the peel. Cutting it into tiny pieces she reached up to retrieve two bowls, causing her hair to tumble out of it’s already untidy bun.
She brushed her hair out of her face and set the bowls down.
“Actually,” Tess raised an eyebrow at her mussed appearance. “I was hoping to talk with Max.”
“Daddy’s not here.” Lily informed her and accepted the bowl from Liz.
“I didn’t ask you, Lily.” Tess answered rudely.
”Thank you.” Aidan and Lily answered in unison.
“You’re welcome.” Liz smiled at them before turning back to Tess with daggers in her eyes. “She was just telling you the facts.”
The look Tess send back was just as mean. “When do you expect him back?”
“Three more days.” She glanced at the countdown the kids had made to go on the refrigerator.
“Oh.” She smiled again, a smile filled with malice. “You’re alone with them?”
“Yes.” Liz straightened.
“In that case, maybe Lily better come with me.” Tess said.
“No.” The word was final, and Liz maneuvered Tess out of the kitchen and shut the door behind her. “Don’t even think about it.”
“But a child is better with her mother.” Tess said.
“She is with her mother, and if you even think of taking her out of here, you heartless bitch, you won’t know what hit you.”
”Now, now, no need for name calling.” Tess said, her feathers thoroughly ruffled, she was angry.
“That wasn’t name calling I was just telling you what you are.” Liz spit back.
“Liz, that’s no way to get on my good side. I have something to tell you, it may help you.” Tess could see she got Liz’s attention.
“You think we can act civilized?” Liz asked with her arm perched on the doorknob. “Lily will be out of that chair and destroying my kitchen if I leave this door closed much longer.”
“Yes.” Tess answered.
To Liz’s relief both children were happily eating fruit.
“Did you ever think that Lily might not be Max’s child?” Tess asked, helping herself to a seat.
“What?” Liz turned to her stunned, her heart pounding hard.
“Now I have your attention.” Tess folded her hands primly over her lap. “Max wasn’t the only man I was sleeping with, you know.”
A thousand names flew into Liz’s head to call Tess but she held them inside, her heart aching for Max. “What gives you the idea that she wasn’t his?”
“I’m actually pretty sure she’s not his.” Tess said. “I think Max knows too.”
“How can you say that? Look at her, she’s Max’s daughter.” Liz fought desperately. “She has his eyes.”
“She has brown eyes, Liz, so do a lot of people.” Tess said. “She physically does not look like Max, face it.”
“Why did you tell him she was his then?” Liz asked, not truly absorbing it. She wanted Max home now.
“I knew he would take responsibility of her. Max was always very careful, Liz. You would know that. He took every precaution to make sure we didn’t have any pregnancies. I was planning on telling him but I wasn’t even sure who the father was.”
Slut. It was the first thing that popped into Liz’s mind. Stay calm, breath, get her to leave.
“Anything else?”
“I’m willing to cut a deal with you, Liz.” Tess raised an eyebrow.
“And that would be.” Liz knew it was nothing she was interested in. Lily had started to fling cantaloupe around the kitchen.
“I will get you!” Aidan had climbed down from his chair and Lily had done likewise. They had flipped the chairs over and were hiding behind them like a fort.
“Never!” Lily declared and chucked a particularly chunk across the room.
“You’ll get yours!” Aidan bravely withstood the cantaloupe chunks to tackle his sister.
“I win!” Aidan said triumphantly.
Liz grimaced when she saw them but there was nothing she could do at the moment.
“Lily is not Max’s child.”
“We don’t know that.” Liz corrected.
Tess ignored her and went on. “You both seem to want her. As long as Max’s name is on the birth certificate she’s his. I now know who the father might be.”
“Max is.”
Again ignoring her she went on. “I’m happy to leave Lily where she is, I’ve no chance of getting her back, and I don’t want her. You guys can keep her for all I care. Just as long as none of this leaks to the press. When I’m rich and famous, I don’t want you to come crawling to me for money. I’ll totally forget about Lily and you can forget about me. She won’t remember me, I won’t remember her. Deal.”
It was a little too easy. “What about the money?” The kids were tossing bowls, she had to stop them.
“I have decided, that I can get much more elsewhere. Deal?” She asked. “You better go get your children.”
“I told you, they’d destroy it.” Liz said trying to stay calm. It was just a mess. It could be cleaned up with a broom and a mop. That’s it. “I’ll discuss it with Max.”
“I don’t want you to discuss it with Max. Yes or no, Liz.”
Lily was now giggling on the floor, her hair covered in cantaloupe juice.
”Yes.” She didn’t know what Max wanted her to do. She shook inside. “Now get out my house, I don’t ever want to see you again. Send me the papers by mail.”
“Will do, Mrs. Evans.” Tess sauntered out. “Nice working with you.”
Liz slammed the door in her face and turned to deal with the mess in her kitchen.
TBC
AN: I wanted more of a showdown between Liz and Tess, but I’m not too great with showdowns, I try. And I’m sorry I made her from Tennessee, but my little sister’s doing a report on it and it was the first thing that came to my mind. There’s only a few chapters left, and then we’re done with this one. It’s been great having you guys along for the ride! I’ll miss it when it’s done.
"Love does make the world go round... that's why it's so screwed up." Nora Roberts, Homeport
Chapter 27
Flight two nine one from San Francisco arrived on time gate B. Baggage can be found at carousel eight. The voice droned for the third time. Liz was ready to see the results of that flight. It had been fifteen minutes from the first announcement.
Liz stood in the baggage claim and made her way to the carousel. She was shaking and her hands were sweaty. She could do this, she had to do this.
She had left the kids with Isabel and Alex. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and looked at the sliding doors leading from the terminal. People were coming out now. Max would be among them; he’d get his bag and then they’d leave.
She spotted him, looking tired and searching the crowd for his mother. He didn’t know she was picking him up. She needed wanted to do this.
Max was exhausted from the week at Berkeley. They woke up early went to bed late. But it had gotten him the credits he needed.
He wanted to get home to his family. He wanted to hold Liz to him and never let her go. A week was too long to be away from them. He missed Aidan’s sweetness, he even missed Lily’s stubbornness. He needed to find his mother so he could get home to them.
“Max.” He whipped his head around he thought he heard Liz.
“Liz?”
“I’m here, Max.” She said and smiled.
Max studied her for a second. She was pale but she was smiling at him.
“Liz.” He swept her into his arms and he felt her trembling. He pressed a kiss to her temple and it was cold. “Are you ok?”
“Yes. Now I am.” She held him tight.
“Liz, you didn’t have to come.” He knew she hated everything airplanes.
“I did and I did it. The kids are with Alex and Isabel. I did it, Max.” She said happy with herself. “I didn’t want to have to deal with Aidan and Lily, I don’t think I could have handled it. I may have wanted to turn back once or twice, but I did it.”
“I’m so proud of you, Liz.” He kissed her hard. “Thank you. I love you.”
“Love you too.” She held on tight. “Let’s get your bag so we can go home. The kids are probably driving Alex up the wall. Lily’s beside herself.”
****
”Max, can I speak with you for a minute?” Liz said when he walked into the front room. He had just put Lily down. Sliding her glasses off and sitting up she looked him in the eye.
“Sure.” He sat down next to her.
“Tess came while you were away, three days ago to be exact.” She told him.
“Did she do anything, say anything?” He was alert. “Did she say anything to the kids?”
“Wait just a moment, Max.” She held up a hand. “I have a question to ask you, will you promise to answer with the best of your knowledge?”
“Yes.” He said slowly, studying her face.
“She told me something, something that disturbs me a little. I know it shouldn’t matter much, but it does.” She placed her hand on his knee. “She said Lily is most likely not your daughter.”
“She is!” He exploded.
“Keep your voice down else you’ll wake the subject in question.” She scolded lightly. “I know she’s your daughter, Max, but biologically, is she yours? Is it possible?”
Max looked down. “I’m sure, Liz.” He smiled slowly. “I had my doubts at first too. A few weeks after she was born I took her down to a clinic and had our DNA checked, she’s mine.”
“You’re sure. She’s ours then.”
“Yes, she’s ours.” Max held her. “Did Tess say anything else?”
“Only that she could probably make more money elsewhere. She made me promise though that we are not to contact her when she’s rich and famous. Lily no longer exists to her and that she’ll send the papers.”
“She didn’t?” He asked eyes full of hope.
“She did.” Liz answered happily.
****
Few months later
“Very good, Emma.” Liz congratulated the girl sitting at the piano. She had now taken on four other students in the afternoons. She was finding it quite enjoyable to teach them. All the kids were under ten and she enjoyed teaching their age. They were all curious about the mysterious world of the piano.
“We’re home, Mommy.” Lily ran into the room. “Look, I got a crown for my birthday at school.”
“Lily!” Max scolded. “Sorry, Liz, I couldn’t catch her in time.” He tried to keep the kids out of the piano room when she was teaching.
“It’s alright, she’s getting ready to leave now.” Liz collected the scattered books. “Just practice what I told you, ok?” She patted the girl on the back and watched her walk next door where she lived.
“Let me see that crown, Miss Lily, my little three year old.” Liz scooped her up in her arms. She laughed. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you, Mommy.” She planted a kiss on her cheek.
“I do believe it is your day to help me get the mail.”
“Yes.” She hopped along in front of Liz and stuck the key in the hole.
“Here, you have a card from Oma and Opa.” She handed it to her.
The third envelope caught her eye. It was big and bulky and could only mean one thing. She opened it quickly, not waiting to get back to the house.
“Max!” She sprinted in the door with Lily hot on her heels. “Max!”
“What, what is it, Liz?” He grabbed her arms and looked her over. “What happened?”
“She’s ours, Max. Look.” She held it up for him to read.
Max swung her around.
“She’s ours.” Max smiled.
****
Max’s Birthday
Max sat in the seat of honor at the center of the group. His entire family was there with Liz, Aidan, and Lily flanking him, Lily on his lap. He opened the next present with Lily’s help and his face broke into a soft smile.
In it was a picture frame. There was a picture of Max and Aidan in the bathroom both with towels wrapped around their centers. Max had shaving cream spread over his face and so did Aidan. Aidan was smiling up adoringly at Max, with the caption. “Like Father…” In the next picture they were standing there surveying Lily’s ‘big girl’ bed with hands on their hips and identical tool belts, Aidan’s sagging off his tiny waist, with the caption “Like son.” Under it.
Then there was a second with Liz and Lily. They both had aprons on and were staring over a pot in the kitchen, “Like mother…” Was the caption. The second was of them in the garden digging. Liz’s hands were cupping Lily’s with a flower they were transplanting from a pot to the fresh soil. There was a smudge of dirt on both Lily’s and Liz’s face, with the caption “like daughter” underneath.
“Thank you, Isabel.” Max said with genuine happiness in his voice.
“You’re welcome, Liz gave the pictures to me.”
“It was a great birthday present.” Liz studied the pictures and Lily demanded they get read to her.
****
“You know, Max.” Liz said from where she lay on his chest. They had watched a movie after the kids had gone to bed. She was studying the pictures Isabel had given to them.
“What?” He asked.
“There’s two kinds of love.” She stated. “I love you with my whole heart. But I love the kids with my whole heart. And being a biologist, I ask myself how this is possible. I think it’s because they’re different. Yours is burning and passionate, I almost ache with it. Theirs is steady, warm, and comforting. Both are secure. Two totally different feelings. But two wonderful feelings. Two kinds of wonderful feelings. Get it?”
“I think so.” He smiled and kissed the sweet smelling hair. He was completely relaxed, exactly in the only place he ever wanted to be
TBC
AN: There’s only the epilogue left, now. I can’t believe we’re done. It’s been a wonderful journey you guys. Thank you so much for sticking with me through those rough patches where there were hardly any posts. Thank you all so much for the feedback and reviews.
Flight two nine one from San Francisco arrived on time gate B. Baggage can be found at carousel eight. The voice droned for the third time. Liz was ready to see the results of that flight. It had been fifteen minutes from the first announcement.
Liz stood in the baggage claim and made her way to the carousel. She was shaking and her hands were sweaty. She could do this, she had to do this.
She had left the kids with Isabel and Alex. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and looked at the sliding doors leading from the terminal. People were coming out now. Max would be among them; he’d get his bag and then they’d leave.
She spotted him, looking tired and searching the crowd for his mother. He didn’t know she was picking him up. She needed wanted to do this.
Max was exhausted from the week at Berkeley. They woke up early went to bed late. But it had gotten him the credits he needed.
He wanted to get home to his family. He wanted to hold Liz to him and never let her go. A week was too long to be away from them. He missed Aidan’s sweetness, he even missed Lily’s stubbornness. He needed to find his mother so he could get home to them.
“Max.” He whipped his head around he thought he heard Liz.
“Liz?”
“I’m here, Max.” She said and smiled.
Max studied her for a second. She was pale but she was smiling at him.
“Liz.” He swept her into his arms and he felt her trembling. He pressed a kiss to her temple and it was cold. “Are you ok?”
“Yes. Now I am.” She held him tight.
“Liz, you didn’t have to come.” He knew she hated everything airplanes.
“I did and I did it. The kids are with Alex and Isabel. I did it, Max.” She said happy with herself. “I didn’t want to have to deal with Aidan and Lily, I don’t think I could have handled it. I may have wanted to turn back once or twice, but I did it.”
“I’m so proud of you, Liz.” He kissed her hard. “Thank you. I love you.”
“Love you too.” She held on tight. “Let’s get your bag so we can go home. The kids are probably driving Alex up the wall. Lily’s beside herself.”
****
”Max, can I speak with you for a minute?” Liz said when he walked into the front room. He had just put Lily down. Sliding her glasses off and sitting up she looked him in the eye.
“Sure.” He sat down next to her.
“Tess came while you were away, three days ago to be exact.” She told him.
“Did she do anything, say anything?” He was alert. “Did she say anything to the kids?”
“Wait just a moment, Max.” She held up a hand. “I have a question to ask you, will you promise to answer with the best of your knowledge?”
“Yes.” He said slowly, studying her face.
“She told me something, something that disturbs me a little. I know it shouldn’t matter much, but it does.” She placed her hand on his knee. “She said Lily is most likely not your daughter.”
“She is!” He exploded.
“Keep your voice down else you’ll wake the subject in question.” She scolded lightly. “I know she’s your daughter, Max, but biologically, is she yours? Is it possible?”
Max looked down. “I’m sure, Liz.” He smiled slowly. “I had my doubts at first too. A few weeks after she was born I took her down to a clinic and had our DNA checked, she’s mine.”
“You’re sure. She’s ours then.”
“Yes, she’s ours.” Max held her. “Did Tess say anything else?”
“Only that she could probably make more money elsewhere. She made me promise though that we are not to contact her when she’s rich and famous. Lily no longer exists to her and that she’ll send the papers.”
“She didn’t?” He asked eyes full of hope.
“She did.” Liz answered happily.
****
Few months later
“Very good, Emma.” Liz congratulated the girl sitting at the piano. She had now taken on four other students in the afternoons. She was finding it quite enjoyable to teach them. All the kids were under ten and she enjoyed teaching their age. They were all curious about the mysterious world of the piano.
“We’re home, Mommy.” Lily ran into the room. “Look, I got a crown for my birthday at school.”
“Lily!” Max scolded. “Sorry, Liz, I couldn’t catch her in time.” He tried to keep the kids out of the piano room when she was teaching.
“It’s alright, she’s getting ready to leave now.” Liz collected the scattered books. “Just practice what I told you, ok?” She patted the girl on the back and watched her walk next door where she lived.
“Let me see that crown, Miss Lily, my little three year old.” Liz scooped her up in her arms. She laughed. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you, Mommy.” She planted a kiss on her cheek.
“I do believe it is your day to help me get the mail.”
“Yes.” She hopped along in front of Liz and stuck the key in the hole.
“Here, you have a card from Oma and Opa.” She handed it to her.
The third envelope caught her eye. It was big and bulky and could only mean one thing. She opened it quickly, not waiting to get back to the house.
“Max!” She sprinted in the door with Lily hot on her heels. “Max!”
“What, what is it, Liz?” He grabbed her arms and looked her over. “What happened?”
“She’s ours, Max. Look.” She held it up for him to read.
Max swung her around.
“She’s ours.” Max smiled.
****
Max’s Birthday
Max sat in the seat of honor at the center of the group. His entire family was there with Liz, Aidan, and Lily flanking him, Lily on his lap. He opened the next present with Lily’s help and his face broke into a soft smile.
In it was a picture frame. There was a picture of Max and Aidan in the bathroom both with towels wrapped around their centers. Max had shaving cream spread over his face and so did Aidan. Aidan was smiling up adoringly at Max, with the caption. “Like Father…” In the next picture they were standing there surveying Lily’s ‘big girl’ bed with hands on their hips and identical tool belts, Aidan’s sagging off his tiny waist, with the caption “Like son.” Under it.
Then there was a second with Liz and Lily. They both had aprons on and were staring over a pot in the kitchen, “Like mother…” Was the caption. The second was of them in the garden digging. Liz’s hands were cupping Lily’s with a flower they were transplanting from a pot to the fresh soil. There was a smudge of dirt on both Lily’s and Liz’s face, with the caption “like daughter” underneath.
“Thank you, Isabel.” Max said with genuine happiness in his voice.
“You’re welcome, Liz gave the pictures to me.”
“It was a great birthday present.” Liz studied the pictures and Lily demanded they get read to her.
****
“You know, Max.” Liz said from where she lay on his chest. They had watched a movie after the kids had gone to bed. She was studying the pictures Isabel had given to them.
“What?” He asked.
“There’s two kinds of love.” She stated. “I love you with my whole heart. But I love the kids with my whole heart. And being a biologist, I ask myself how this is possible. I think it’s because they’re different. Yours is burning and passionate, I almost ache with it. Theirs is steady, warm, and comforting. Both are secure. Two totally different feelings. But two wonderful feelings. Two kinds of wonderful feelings. Get it?”
“I think so.” He smiled and kissed the sweet smelling hair. He was completely relaxed, exactly in the only place he ever wanted to be
TBC
AN: There’s only the epilogue left, now. I can’t believe we’re done. It’s been a wonderful journey you guys. Thank you so much for sticking with me through those rough patches where there were hardly any posts. Thank you all so much for the feedback and reviews.
"Love does make the world go round... that's why it's so screwed up." Nora Roberts, Homeport
Well, this is it! I cannot begin to even thank all of you who have supported me from the very beginning. This was my first challenge and boy was it a challenge! I really had so much fun reading all the feedback and even making some new friends. I wish I could acknowledge everybody but I can’t. I just want to say thank you so much for sticking with me. We’ve had some rough patches of no posts for two or three months and still you faithful readers came back when I did get around to posting. The newcomers who joined later in the fic were always fun too because they had new insights on everything and made it fun. All of it meant so much to me. I wish this could go on longer but it’s time to end. A year and a half is a long time to follow one fic. So I’ll say thank you again although I can’t say it enough. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did then I’ll know you had a blast. Thank you all so much again.
Mattie
Epilogue-thirteen years later
“Mom, can I call Aidan to come get me?” Lily sat bored in her mother’s classroom. She and Aidan were on Spring Break and the twins were off track.
“No.”
“Oh, Mom please?” They were alone in Liz’s classroom. It was her conference period. “I’m so bored.”
“Maybe next time you’ll be in before curfew.” Liz continued to grade papers without looking up at her sixteen year old daughter. “Your father and I made the decision to let you date at sixteen thinking you had the maturity to obey our rules. I guess we were wrong.”
“Mom, I was only an hour late.” She crossed her legs on the desktop she was sitting on. She had gotten the speech the night before when she got home. Surprisingly her parents had not been tired at all when she got home at one in the morning.
The bell rang and Lily slid from her desk and took her place in the one behind Liz’s desk when Liz stood up.
“Good morning, Mrs. Evans. I have arrived and you may start the class.” A tall boy stepped into the class.
“Nice to know you feel the world revolves around you, Joshua dear.” Liz had to smile at him. He had started out the year so shy and now he was outgoing.
“I brought you these, fresh from the school garden.” He handed her a handful of flowers and set them in the vase replacing the old ones he had brought her the week before.
“The students are going to be suspicious if you keep this up, Josh, and the janitors are going to be out for your blood if you keep picking their roses.”
“Just a favor for my favorite teacher.”
“Have a seat, Josh, so I can start class please.”
“Hello, Lily.” He said shyly, when he caught sight of her.
She smiled at him, swishing her curls and flashing her deep brown eyes at him.
“Josh.” She nodded. “How are you?”
“Great.”
“Stop flirting with my daughter and sit down.” Liz said finally as the rest of their students took their seats.
“Mom, let me call Aidan, he’ll come get me.”
“Fine.” There was no point trying to keep her here, distracting her male students.
“Hey, Mrs. Evans, did you hear that actress Tess Harding got caught smuggling two tons of cocaine?” Her biggest gossiper came bounding into class. “I guess she got put in jail over night at a million dollar bail. She faces ten years jail time, can you believe it?”
“Yes.” Liz answered. And slid a glance at her daughter. “I can believe it. Didn’t she just get out for something else?”
“Yeah, broke her pre-nuptial agreement with her fifth husband.” The girl beamed. “That was only after burning his 1.5 million dollar house down.”
Halfway through class there was a knock on the door.
“Kylie, open the door please.” It was Aidan.
“Aidan!” The girl squealed. The girls in the class flew to their backpacks to get out mirrors. Liz smirked at their appearances.
Aidan stepped into the room with Ty and Aubrey, their ten year old twins. Amelia followed and shut the door.
Liz watched, amused, as all the girls fluttered around making sure they looked alright before Aidan actually came into the room.
He was handsome, like his father. His red hair flattered his face and Aidan knew it as well as anyone else. He just didn’t flaunt it. He was too in love with his girlfriend of two years, Amelia. She had often caught girls around her desk looking at the baby pictures, not to mention Aidan who was in all the pictures as well.
“Mommy!” The little ones shouted in happiness.
Liz rolled her eyes and regretted him coming to the class. They were working on group projects. They weren’t disrupting the class per say, but they were making noise.
“Hi, sweethearts.” Liz hugged her children. “Aidan.”
He didn’t look to happy to be dragged out with the kids.
“It was almost naptime.” Aidan growled, glaring at his sister who was swishing her blonde curls at him and smiling.
“Amelia, sweetheart, come in.” Liz called the girl who she knew would be her daughter-in-law one day.
“Hi, Mrs. Evans.” She smiled as she tucked her dark hair behind her ear. She was a pretty girl and had a personality that Liz adored.
Amelia shied to Aidan’s side as she received glares from all the girls in the room.
“Amelia painted my nails, Mommy.” Aubrey smiled to her mother.
“Pretty.” Liz kissed her daughter’s hand. “Wait till Daddy sees it.”
“Does Dad know I’m picking her up?” He asked glowering at his sister who was swishing her curls at some unfortunate boy. He turned to see who it was and when he saw the attentions reciprocated he sent the boy a glare that would freeze hell over.
“We’ll talk when I get home, Aidan. Now scoot so these girls will stop looking at you and going back to work.” Liz teased.
The girls all pretended to be looking the other way at that and Aidan pulled Amelia closer to him. “Time to go, love.” He glared one last time at the boy who was eyeing his sister for effect. Josh raised an annoyed eyebrow at Lily’s brother.
“Bye, Lily!” He said to see how pissed Aidan would get. Lily gave him a delighted smirk and decided to harass her brother as well.
“Bye, Joshua.” She called sweetly and gave a little hip action. Aidan caught her wrist and pulled her out the door.
“Oh, before you go home, Aidan, Hayden’s daycare called.” Liz smiled at the look of horror on his face.
“Mom, please don’t make us pick Hayden up.” The youngest child in the family, Hayden, was a terror. It was a miracle he was still allowed to attend the day care he went to.
“Lily will watch him.” Liz said. That was punishment enough.
They skulked out of the room. “Bye Mommy!” The ten year old twins waved.
“Bye.” She waved.
“Mrs. Evans?” A female student raised her hand after the door shut.
“Yes?” Liz answered.
“Was that Aidan’s girlfriend?”
“Yes. They’ve been together for two years, and no there is no sight of a break up, they are fully in love.” She smiled.
“Mrs. Evans?” A male student perked up.
“Lily currently does not have a boyfriend, nor is she looking for one.”
“Come on, Mrs. Evans.”
“You have to go through Aidan and her father.” Liz shrugged.
“How old are Aubrey and Ty?” Another asked.
“Almost seven.” She smiled.
“Is your husband cute?” Another asked.
“How did we get on the subject of my family?” Liz asked. “You are supposed to be working on your group projects, not dissecting my life.”
“Is he?”
“You all know very well he is extremely handsome, you girls sign up every year for career day to hear his lecture.”
Content that her students went back to work, she settled down to grade more work.
Liz looked the pictures of her children on her desk unable to focus on the corrections being made.
The family portrait held her gaze the longest. Who would have thought they would end up with five children? Hayden had been a surprise. After the twins, Aubrey and Tyler had been born; they had been content to stop with four. Then three years later Hayden had come. They had been thrilled even though he turned out to be the male version of Lily at his age.
Max had become the leading firm in all of Southern California, and she was teaching at a top academy. She couldn’t have been happier.
Next to the portrait was a picture of Aidan at Junior Prom holding Amelia tenderly to him. He had given Amelia hers and Jonathan’s wedding rings. Amelia was wearing them on a silver chain around her neck that matched her dress.
Liz glanced at the clock. “Alright, class, homework is to work on these projects tomorrow. Remember, it has to make biology entertaining for children between the ages of six and ten. I’ll have the ultimate judge of them tomorrow, my twins.” She smiled.
“How about Lily and Aidan?” Someone asked.
“I doubt they will.” Liz laughed. Completely happy.
The bell rang and everyone filed out of class.
THE END
Mattie
Epilogue-thirteen years later
“Mom, can I call Aidan to come get me?” Lily sat bored in her mother’s classroom. She and Aidan were on Spring Break and the twins were off track.
“No.”
“Oh, Mom please?” They were alone in Liz’s classroom. It was her conference period. “I’m so bored.”
“Maybe next time you’ll be in before curfew.” Liz continued to grade papers without looking up at her sixteen year old daughter. “Your father and I made the decision to let you date at sixteen thinking you had the maturity to obey our rules. I guess we were wrong.”
“Mom, I was only an hour late.” She crossed her legs on the desktop she was sitting on. She had gotten the speech the night before when she got home. Surprisingly her parents had not been tired at all when she got home at one in the morning.
The bell rang and Lily slid from her desk and took her place in the one behind Liz’s desk when Liz stood up.
“Good morning, Mrs. Evans. I have arrived and you may start the class.” A tall boy stepped into the class.
“Nice to know you feel the world revolves around you, Joshua dear.” Liz had to smile at him. He had started out the year so shy and now he was outgoing.
“I brought you these, fresh from the school garden.” He handed her a handful of flowers and set them in the vase replacing the old ones he had brought her the week before.
“The students are going to be suspicious if you keep this up, Josh, and the janitors are going to be out for your blood if you keep picking their roses.”
“Just a favor for my favorite teacher.”
“Have a seat, Josh, so I can start class please.”
“Hello, Lily.” He said shyly, when he caught sight of her.
She smiled at him, swishing her curls and flashing her deep brown eyes at him.
“Josh.” She nodded. “How are you?”
“Great.”
“Stop flirting with my daughter and sit down.” Liz said finally as the rest of their students took their seats.
“Mom, let me call Aidan, he’ll come get me.”
“Fine.” There was no point trying to keep her here, distracting her male students.
“Hey, Mrs. Evans, did you hear that actress Tess Harding got caught smuggling two tons of cocaine?” Her biggest gossiper came bounding into class. “I guess she got put in jail over night at a million dollar bail. She faces ten years jail time, can you believe it?”
“Yes.” Liz answered. And slid a glance at her daughter. “I can believe it. Didn’t she just get out for something else?”
“Yeah, broke her pre-nuptial agreement with her fifth husband.” The girl beamed. “That was only after burning his 1.5 million dollar house down.”
Halfway through class there was a knock on the door.
“Kylie, open the door please.” It was Aidan.
“Aidan!” The girl squealed. The girls in the class flew to their backpacks to get out mirrors. Liz smirked at their appearances.
Aidan stepped into the room with Ty and Aubrey, their ten year old twins. Amelia followed and shut the door.
Liz watched, amused, as all the girls fluttered around making sure they looked alright before Aidan actually came into the room.
He was handsome, like his father. His red hair flattered his face and Aidan knew it as well as anyone else. He just didn’t flaunt it. He was too in love with his girlfriend of two years, Amelia. She had often caught girls around her desk looking at the baby pictures, not to mention Aidan who was in all the pictures as well.
“Mommy!” The little ones shouted in happiness.
Liz rolled her eyes and regretted him coming to the class. They were working on group projects. They weren’t disrupting the class per say, but they were making noise.
“Hi, sweethearts.” Liz hugged her children. “Aidan.”
He didn’t look to happy to be dragged out with the kids.
“It was almost naptime.” Aidan growled, glaring at his sister who was swishing her blonde curls at him and smiling.
“Amelia, sweetheart, come in.” Liz called the girl who she knew would be her daughter-in-law one day.
“Hi, Mrs. Evans.” She smiled as she tucked her dark hair behind her ear. She was a pretty girl and had a personality that Liz adored.
Amelia shied to Aidan’s side as she received glares from all the girls in the room.
“Amelia painted my nails, Mommy.” Aubrey smiled to her mother.
“Pretty.” Liz kissed her daughter’s hand. “Wait till Daddy sees it.”
“Does Dad know I’m picking her up?” He asked glowering at his sister who was swishing her curls at some unfortunate boy. He turned to see who it was and when he saw the attentions reciprocated he sent the boy a glare that would freeze hell over.
“We’ll talk when I get home, Aidan. Now scoot so these girls will stop looking at you and going back to work.” Liz teased.
The girls all pretended to be looking the other way at that and Aidan pulled Amelia closer to him. “Time to go, love.” He glared one last time at the boy who was eyeing his sister for effect. Josh raised an annoyed eyebrow at Lily’s brother.
“Bye, Lily!” He said to see how pissed Aidan would get. Lily gave him a delighted smirk and decided to harass her brother as well.
“Bye, Joshua.” She called sweetly and gave a little hip action. Aidan caught her wrist and pulled her out the door.
“Oh, before you go home, Aidan, Hayden’s daycare called.” Liz smiled at the look of horror on his face.
“Mom, please don’t make us pick Hayden up.” The youngest child in the family, Hayden, was a terror. It was a miracle he was still allowed to attend the day care he went to.
“Lily will watch him.” Liz said. That was punishment enough.
They skulked out of the room. “Bye Mommy!” The ten year old twins waved.
“Bye.” She waved.
“Mrs. Evans?” A female student raised her hand after the door shut.
“Yes?” Liz answered.
“Was that Aidan’s girlfriend?”
“Yes. They’ve been together for two years, and no there is no sight of a break up, they are fully in love.” She smiled.
“Mrs. Evans?” A male student perked up.
“Lily currently does not have a boyfriend, nor is she looking for one.”
“Come on, Mrs. Evans.”
“You have to go through Aidan and her father.” Liz shrugged.
“How old are Aubrey and Ty?” Another asked.
“Almost seven.” She smiled.
“Is your husband cute?” Another asked.
“How did we get on the subject of my family?” Liz asked. “You are supposed to be working on your group projects, not dissecting my life.”
“Is he?”
“You all know very well he is extremely handsome, you girls sign up every year for career day to hear his lecture.”
Content that her students went back to work, she settled down to grade more work.
Liz looked the pictures of her children on her desk unable to focus on the corrections being made.
The family portrait held her gaze the longest. Who would have thought they would end up with five children? Hayden had been a surprise. After the twins, Aubrey and Tyler had been born; they had been content to stop with four. Then three years later Hayden had come. They had been thrilled even though he turned out to be the male version of Lily at his age.
Max had become the leading firm in all of Southern California, and she was teaching at a top academy. She couldn’t have been happier.
Next to the portrait was a picture of Aidan at Junior Prom holding Amelia tenderly to him. He had given Amelia hers and Jonathan’s wedding rings. Amelia was wearing them on a silver chain around her neck that matched her dress.
Liz glanced at the clock. “Alright, class, homework is to work on these projects tomorrow. Remember, it has to make biology entertaining for children between the ages of six and ten. I’ll have the ultimate judge of them tomorrow, my twins.” She smiled.
“How about Lily and Aidan?” Someone asked.
“I doubt they will.” Liz laughed. Completely happy.
The bell rang and everyone filed out of class.
THE END
"Love does make the world go round... that's why it's so screwed up." Nora Roberts, Homeport