Part 111
Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 3:44 am
Natalie36: Lol, it might take him some time.
Coming right up!
CandyliciousLovah: Aaron is a great little guy and he’s landed in a good situation. Not as good as home of course, but at least we know he’s safe.
keepsmiling7: Lol, even if he hadn’t liked it he would’ve eaten it if it meant he could talk to Liz and Max.
Yes, that incensed Aaron too.
Max really cares about Aaron and he wants him to be safe. He had no idea just how much that little piece of paper would mean when he hid it inside of Rabi.
xilaj: Lol, we’ll do our best to keep him motivated as he begins to recover. We could be seeing a sign that Michael’s eyes are beginning to open, even if he doesn’t fully realize the significance just yet.
Vince and Megan do have their questions about why Aaron was taken from his sister’s custody. Things just aren’t adding up and we have a feeling they may just keep asking questions.
The grilled PB&J rocks! Lol.
begonia9508: Thanks! Aaron was not happy about the treatment Rabi received!
We think Vince does appreciate the care Aaron’s ‘parents’ have taken with him.
sarammlover: Well, Tess will get her moment, but we’re not there just yet. He has woken up, so we’re a step closer. Vince and Megan have more questions than answers about Aaron’s situation. The little guy won’t miss an opportunity to let people know Liz and Max are good and he wants to go home. Courtney? Irritating? We’re shocked! You don’t appear to be the only person happy about Michael’s decision, lol.
Eva: Megan and Vince are sure that something doesn’t add up with Aaron’s situation. Hopefully they’ll continue to try and figure it out.
Lol, happy about that, huh? Michael is starting to think, even if he doesn’t realize where his thoughts are going
Part 111
Tower of Strength
Liz couldn’t be still. She moved around the apartment, picking up toys and putting them away and then taking them back out again. They hadn’t been staying with Max long but thanks to him Aaron had already begun to build up a nice toy collection. He hadn’t gone overboard, but she knew he easily could’ve done just that if she hadn’t put a stop to it. Well, not necessarily stopped it, but she had convinced him that he had to take it slow. Aaron was a good little boy and she wanted him to be treated well, but she didn’t want him spoiled. She looked down at the handful of toy cars she was holding and her eyes welled up in response.
What was Aaron doing right now? Was he at least with a nice family? She knew he would be scared and probably angry and she knew he could be a handful when he was like that. Would the family they had placed him with be kind to him in spite of his contrary behavior? She knew social workers and foster families had a bad reputation and part of that was due to their portrayal on television and movies. But since tragedy sold better than the more positive stories it only made sense that the bad ones would be better known. Of course, with social workers like that old hag that had taken Aaron, she could understand how they had gotten such a bad reputation.
She was startled out of her thoughts when Max suddenly came through the front door, the mail spilling from his hand as he tried to set a couple of grocery bags down without spilling the contents. She was about to ask him if everything was okay when she noticed he was on the phone but before she could get the words out he told the person on the other end to hold on for a second.
Max grinned at her confused expression when he pressed the phone into her hand. “It’s Aaron.”
Her eyes widened and she nearly dropped the phone in her rush to put it up to her ear. “Aaron? Sweetie, are you okay?”
“Hi, Lizzie! Max said you was sad, but I don’t want you to be sad, okay? He said the lawyer lady’s gonna tell the judge the truth an’ make them see I gotta come home.”
Max winced when the excited words carried over the phone. He had been careful to watch his words when he told the little boy they would be seeing the judge soon and that Kathleen was doing everything she could to bring him home.
She turned her head to hide the sound of her drawing in a calming breath. “She’s gonna try her best, Aaron.”
“So when she talks to that judge person I can come home an’ sleep in my bed? ‘Cause I don’t like the bed here. An’ they make weird food, Lizzie, it’s not like the kind you an’ Max make. It’s okay, I eated it ‘cause they said I could call you if I did an’ it was kinda good. I know I’m not ‘posed to eat stuff from strangers but…” he bit his lip for a moment, “I was kinda hungry.”
“That’s okay, sweetie,” she assured him as she wiped her eyes. “You need to eat to keep your strength up. Are the people there nice?”
“Yeah, but… There’s a mean girl here an’ she put jelly on Rabi an’ now he’s all sticky. I wanna go home, Lizzie.” He tried to be brave, he really did, but he couldn’t hold it in any longer and he started to cry.
“C’mere, little guy,” Vince said as he gathered the little boy up in his arms. He lifted the phone to his ear. “Ms. Parker?”
“Is he okay? God, please tell me he’s okay,” she cried, frustrated that she couldn’t do anything to help him. She pounded a useless fist against Max’s chest when he pulled her into his arms.
“He’s alright,” he assured her as he rubbed the little boy’s back. “He’s upset, he’s tired, he wants to go home, and he’s a little bit scared, but I promise you he’s safe with us. One of our girls did get a sticky hand on his rabbit but we’ll get the jelly out.” Aaron had gotten a fair amount out of the fur but small, rigid points stuck up where the sticky residue had started to dry.
Max listened as Liz got herself under control and asked the man if she could speak with his wife. He held his breath as the phone changed hands and she talked to the woman, asking her to please wait until Aaron was sound asleep to wash Rabi and to use a specific detergent. He rested his chin on top of her head and smiled. She’d had to do that recently and she’d explained that if she used a different detergent Aaron would know his beloved rabbit had been changed in some way.
It surprised him when the woman asked questions about foods Aaron liked, seeming to take an interest in anything that would make him more comfortable while he was in her care. By the time the call was disconnected Aaron had calmed down, but after sleeping so little the night before he had dozed off so Liz had to say her goodbyes to the woman.
“He sounded good, right?” she asked Max after the call had been disconnected. “I mean, I know he’s scared and upset about being taken away, but…”
He hugged her tightly. “He sounded good, darlin’, and the people caring for him sound like good people.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around him. The couple did sound like nice people but she just wanted Aaron home where she could see for herself that he was okay. She wanted to give him what he needed and he needed to be home with her and Max. She was grateful that they had allowed him to call home, certain they were under no obligation to do so. She had needed so badly to hear his voice and know he was someplace safe.
*****
Isabel stared at the contents of her locker without really seeing them. She was exhausted, mentally and physically, and she just wanted a break from everything. Recently she’d had the feeling that she was being watched but every time she looked there was no one there. She hated that tingling sensation at the back of her neck, the nervous jitters when she parked her car in the garage or walked to her apartment. For weeks it had been there and she had tried to brush it off but the night before she had finally gotten proof that she wasn’t paranoid.
She had gotten into the habit of checking the closets, under the bed, and even in the shower as soon as she got home every night. She’d be embarrassed if anyone ever caught her but better to be safe than sorry. She had nearly convinced herself it was just the result of everything that had been going on but that had changed with just a few words. When her phone rang and she didn’t recognize the number on the caller ID she let the answering machine pick up and went to get something to drink.
“Isabel…” His familiar voice, low and husky as he called her name so slowly had sent chills down her spine.
She had whirled around, her gaze darting around the room as she searched for the owner of the voice that sounded so close. Rationally she knew he wasn’t there but her heart was pounding like crazy and she fought down the urge to run.
“You look like a terrified rabbit.” He chuckled darkly. “That’s a particularly lovely blouse. It was always one of my favorites.”
She stared at the phone, creeped out by the silence that was only broken by the sound of his breathing and the dull thud of her heart against her chest. She looked down at the blouse she had chosen that morning, trying to convince herself that he was just trying to get under her skin.
“That’s why you chose it,” he rasped, “because you know how much I’ve always liked it. The way the silk falls against your skin, the way it whispers softly as I ever so slowly take it off of you…”
She ran to the phone and slammed her hand down on the base, disconnecting the call and then jerking the cord from the wall. She fumbled with the buttons in her haste to delete the words and she swallowed hard as she looked down at herself. How did he know? Suddenly that sensation that she was being watched made sense and she slowly turned, her fearful gaze sweeping the windows that lined the entire wall of the living room. It was one of the features that had sold her on the apartment and now the glass that had made it feel so open suddenly felt like the bars of a prison cell.
Her heart had lodged in her throat as she crossed the room to stand at the edge of the farthest window, peering around the edge. She scanned the street below even though she knew no one could see her from down there. She swallowed with difficulty as her gaze lifted to sweep over the windows of the buildings facing her apartment. She had almost started to calm down and convince herself that he was just screwing with her when her eyes locked on the man standing at one of the windows directly across from her.
Richard stood there, drinking a glass of wine and smirking as he waved.
She had refused to close the blinds or pull the curtains closed just to spite him but it had done nothing to stop the nervous feelings that had left her so on edge. She didn’t know what to do. He could easily say he had just coincidentally rented an apartment across from her building and even though he had been acting creepy he hadn’t done anything to physically harm her.
Yet, she thought.
She was so focused on her situation that when the door to the locker room suddenly slammed shut she nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Sorry,” Alex apologized. “I keep forgetting they haven’t fixed the door yet.” He frowned at the flustered look on her face. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, just tired,” she said quickly. Maybe too quickly.
“It’s been a rough couple of days,” he agreed, waiting to see if she’d confide in him.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
He nodded. “That all it is?” he asked carefully.
Isabel felt the need to bang her head against her locker, but she didn’t since it would come across a little too desperate. “What else would there be?” she asked instead, her tone sarcastic so there was no way he would miss it.
“It’s obvious whatever it is has nothing to do with the limit on your credit cards being cut. My guess is it’s something to do with your stalker ex.” He shrugged when she shot a glare at him over her shoulder before turning back to her locker. “Hell, Isabel, if you don’t wanna be honest about it, just tell me to take a hike.”
She hesitated for a moment while she considered if she wanted to put up with him any longer or not. It wasn’t like she didn’t enjoy his presence, but he was so fucking honest with everything he was saying and doing, that it was totally scary.
He nodded and moved to his own locker, opening it up and sifting through his things without any real purpose. He finally turned to lean back against the next locker, taking in her tense posture. “Isabel, if you at least talk about whatever it is it’ll help take some of that weight off of you.”
“Really?” She snorted angrily – but more at herself than with him. “How’re you gonna do that, Alex?”
“I’m just sayin’ it helps to share the burden, that’s all. If it’s your ex like I think it is, then it sure couldn’t hurt.”
“Fine. Richard rented the apartment across the street. Happy now?”
“Not really, no. How d’you know he’s moved in across from you? You just happened to see him?”
She wrapped her arms around herself protectively and nodded. “Yeah, he called me and he knew what I was wearing an’...”
“Whoa, back up a minute. Was he threatening you?”
“No, he just... called and talked to me about my stupid blouse.”
He shook his head. “But you felt threatened.”
She sighed and wiped her face. “This has gotten out of control. Why’s he acting so weird? It wasn’t like he even really loved me.”
“They say there’s a fine line between love and hate... Well, there’s also a fine line between affection and obsession. The guy obviously likes to think he’s in control and havin’ a woman like you walk away?” he shook his head. “He’s not gonna just let that go without making you understand that you’ve made a mistake.”
“So what should I do? Get back together with him and let him break up with me?”
He snorted. “I think what I thought before: you should go to the cops. He’s continuing to escalate and it’s only a matter of time before he does something to hurt you.” He looked at her directly. “Or worse. I’ve done some research and I know it’s difficult to prosecute with cases like this, but at some point he’s gonna get physical. At least if you report it, it’s on the record; it’ll show he has a history of stalking.” He paused a moment. “Isabel, cases of stalking don’t seem to have a good record of ending well and it’s not usually the stalker who gets hurt.”
“Thanks for the encouraging words,” she spit out. “Didn’t you say something about taking some of the weight off of me? Well, thank you, it worked out great.”
“He scared you last night and that obviously pisses you off, so use it to your advantage. File the report and request the restraining order.”
It wouldn’t work, she thought, frustrated. Not with Richard and his ass of a father. “I’ve gotta get back to work.”
“You’re letting him back you into a corner, Isabel.”
She studied him for a moment and remembered the pictures she had received with his face crossed out. “He hasn’t come after you, has he?”
“No.” He shrugged. “Not yet.”
“The reason I didn’t say anything about my parents dinner to you is because I don’t want you to get hurt, you know that, right?”
“I understand that. But you have to understand that he’s seen me as a threat since the first day he met me. It doesn’t matter that we’re not a couple or that you’re not interested in me for anything beyond a deal he knows nothing about.”
The door was opened and a black-haired nurse stuck her head into the room. “Isabel. They’re looking for you. The doctors from Brooklyn are coming in early for their visit.”
Alex waited for them to finish their brief conversation but he had a feeling the one between them was finished.
Isabel looked at him while she straightened her work clothes and walked over to the door. “I need to get back to work now.” She didn’t want to talk or think about it any longer.
*****
Liz was curled up on the sofa hugging the stuffed toy Aaron had left with her, absentmindedly listening to the shower running in the other room. Was it just last night she and Max had shared that same shower? No, it was the night before last. Wasn’t it? She shook her head. She had felt like she was on top of the world. Maybe everything wasn’t settled or figured out but she had finally felt like they were on their way to really getting their lives together. And in less than 24 hours it had all fallen apart. She wiped her eyes and held the stuffed animal up, rubbing her thumbs over the soft fur.
She turned to stare at the door when someone knocked and she forced herself to her feet. Her legs felt heavy as she walked to the door and leaned against it to peer through the peephole. She jerked back comically when she saw Max’s parents standing on the other side.
“Oh, crap!” she hissed. What were they doing here? She moved to the side to check her appearance in the small mirror above the hooks for the keys and she sighed miserably. There was no way to hide the fact that she’d been crying. She fussed over herself for a minute but before she could do much more than that they knocked on the door again.
Taking a deep breath she reached for the knob, forced a smile, and pulled the door open. “Mr. and Mrs. Evans,” she greeted, “Max didn’t tell me we were expecting company.” Because he didn’t know you were just planning to drop in unannounced, she thought with some irritation.
“Diane, please,” Max’s mother insisted as they stepped inside. “Forgive us for just barging in. Philip had business in the city and we did call Max but it just went to voicemail.”
“Really?” She frowned and glanced behind her on the end table where the cell was sitting. It hadn’t been ringing or anything. “Weird, I need to check the cell. Come in.”
Diane looked around, searching for Aaron. She could see plenty of evidence that a four-year-old lived there but there was no noise to indicate where the little boy was. “Is Aaron already down for the night?”
She stopped in her tracks and was glad her back faced the older couple otherwise they would’ve seen the look of horror and devastation on her face. “No, he’s... he’s...”
Max hurried into the room, his upper body still beaded with water from the shower. He had just gotten out when he heard his parents’ voices and he knew the questions would start. He had seen the call come through but he’d let it go to voicemail and then gone to take a shower before thinking to check it. “Mom, Dad,” he said as he pulled Liz towards him. “Hey,” he tipped her chin up, “I left plenty of hot water. Why don’t you go ahead and grab a shower?” he suggested. He could inform his parents about what was going on so she wouldn’t have to go through it again.
“No, it’s okay.” As much as she appreciated his suggestion, they were in this situation because of her so it wasn’t fair to leave him alone to deal with it.
He nodded. Sometimes she was too stubborn for her own good, but he would respect her decision. He motioned to the furniture. “You guys wanna have a seat? We were gonna order in tonight so if you’re hungry...?”
“No, we have reservation for a restaurant later,” Diane said and shot a worried look at her husband while she took a seat. “Is something wrong, Max?”
He helped Liz back into her seat and sat down beside her. “You remember us tellin’ you about Liz’s ex and our concerns that he was gonna do somethin’ to threaten her custody of Aaron?”
“Oh, my God, did they take Aaron from you, dear?” Diane gasped and grabbed Philips’s hand tightly.
Liz nodded and swallowed down the fresh wave of tears that welled up in response to the woman’s question. Somehow the sympathy in her voice made it that much harder to maintain her composure.
“They sent some hack of a social worker over yesterday,” Max said as he rubbed her shoulder. “The woman came here with the intention of takin’ him. We never had a chance. Kathleen’s doin’ everything she can to get us into court early next week. She thinks we may be able to get in on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning, but she’s pushing hard to get us on the docket for Monday.”
“If she can’t then no one can, she’s the best,” Philip said with a nod and looked at his wife briefly before he concentrated on Liz. “I know this’s hard for you, but it’ll be okay in the end.”
She nodded, wanting so badly to believe his words, but fearing that small minds and stereotyping would prevent her from getting Aaron back.
“He’s right, Liz. It might take some time because going over laws can take forever, but you’re his family and they just don’t take a boy from his family if there isn’t a good reason.”
“And there isn’t,” Philip underlined.
“But they could still keep him from us.” She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. “They could find ways to twist the truth. It happens all the time.”
“Hey, positive thoughts, remember?” Max nudged her.
Diane leaned over to take the younger woman’s hands. “Max is right, dear. As difficult as this is, you will get past it.” She looked up at her son, seeing his concerns and worries in his features even though he was trying to hide it. “All of you. Like Philip said, they don’t have a good reason to take him from you permanently. And we’ll help any way we can, even if that just means supporting you through this difficult time.”
Liz nodded and let the tears just run over her cheeks since her hands were trapped in the other woman’s grip. “Thank you.”
“Oh, honey,” she whispered and moved to sit beside her son’s girlfriend. “Don’t you worry.” She pulled Liz into her arms and hugged her tightly. “Aaron will be home soon, right where he belongs. Only a fool would think you aren’t providing everything that little boy needs.”
Was there a point where a person didn’t have any tears left? Liz wondered while she cried in the embrace of Max’ mom. She felt like she hadn’t been doing anything but crying for a whole day and yet there was still more in her.
“I’m gonna get her somethin’ to drink,” Max said to no one in particular. He felt helpless in the face of her emotional distress and with his mom handling things there was really nothing else for him to do.
Philip got up to follow his son after a moment and he braced one hand on the island as he watched Max pull the refrigerator door open and stare inside. “Your mother’s always been better with people in these situations.”
“Guess that’s a woman thing,” Max said helplessly and held a bottle of water out to his Dad.
He accepted the water and leaned back against the counter. “Did her ex make that call?”
“We don’t know. Probably not. He’s not the type who does the dirty jobs himself.”
“Does she have any idea who might be working with him? I know Kathleen’s working on this but if there’s anything your mother and I can do...” he shrugged one shoulder. “Hire a private investigator or be a character witness, we’ll do anything we can to help.”
“I don’t know at the moment what would help and what would just make things worse, Dad...”
He nodded. “Well, if you think of anything, just know that we’re here for you. Both of you.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“How’s your other situation going?”
“Nothing new.” Max leaned against the counter and stared in front of him. His parents – and especially his father, hadn’t been here for a very long time, so it felt kinda weird.
“How damaging do you think her relationship with me could be to her case?”
Philip sighed. “I wanna be honest, Max. And just to make sure you understand, this is NOT my opinion, okay?” He waited until his son nodded before he continued. “It could affect Aaron and Liz negatively if we can’t find proof that you were drugged and someone else put the drugs in your car.”
“I know Trent was behind it but I have no proof.” He drummed his fingers on the counter. “I’ve got some friends who work at the station who’re gonna look into it, but there’s no guarantee they’ll find anything.”
“We will,” his father said and sounded convinced. “People like that think they know and can do anything, but they do make mistakes in the end. We’ll just have to go into this with our eyes wide open and we’ll find something.” There had to be something… some small thing they hadn’t considered and was only going to come back to bite them on the ass in the end.
“Trent’s a cop. Even if he makes mistakes, he’s probably good at covering them. Know and pay the right people and you can get anything in this town.”
“He may be a cop, but he’s not one a high ranking officer, Son, and he’s not above the law. And I happen to know a lot of people myself. Think positive.”
“Yeah.” Max expelled a breath and glanced into the living room where his Mom was still comforting Liz. His gaze went over the calendar on the wall next to his father while he wondered how much time would pass before they got Aaron back. His eyes widened when something else got his attention. “It’s your anniversary.” That’s why they had plans for dinner tonight. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it earlier.”
Philip chuckled. “With everything going on it’s really no wonder, and besides,” he nodded at the living room, “as long as I didn’t forget, there’s no problem at all.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
“It is, trust me.” He looked at his wife and smiled. “When you’ve been married as long as we have you know just how important these things are.”
Max smirked. “And I guess havin’ a secretary with a memory like an elephant doesn’t hurt either.”
“Executive Assistant,” Philip corrected him. “And Sharon is the most valuable resource in my office.”
“Because she remembers your anniversary, holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions?”
“Among other things.” He laughed quietly. “She’s saved my hide more than once when it comes to any and all of those things.”
They were quiet for a couple of minutes before Max cleared his throat and looked at him. “What do we do, Dad?”
“Wait, I’m afraid,” the older man answered and ran a hand through his grey hair.
His son huffed in frustrating and mimicked his father’s action without even realizing it. “Sitting back and doin’ nothin’ really isn’t one of my strengths.”
Philip chuckled. “Nor mine, but we have to remember that doing the wrong thing will only cause more damage. We have to consider every move first and let people like Kathleen do what they do best.”
“Yeah,” Max agreed and glanced through the door into the living room again. “I’m tryin’ to keep Liz busy, so she’s distracted.”
“Good. Listen, you could always join us for dinner. I’m sure if I call the restaurant they can set up to more seats – “
“Thanks, but we really don’t wanna ruin your anniversary, Dad.” Max made a face. “Well, as much as that’s possible now.”
He slapped his son on the back. “Don’t you worry about that.”
“I appreciate it, but Liz really doesn’t feel like going out anyway.” Not to mention, horning in on his parents’ romantic anniversary dinner really didn’t do anything for him. “We’ll just order in and watch somethin’ on TV.” And try to ignore the fact that Aaron wasn’t underfoot, playing with his toys or asking one of them to read him a bedtime story. “I never really gave much thought to kids before.” He started messing with the things on the counter. “It’s funny how fast you can get used to havin’ one around.”
Philip smiled and nodded as he watched him fuss with a few bottles of seasoning and the coffee mugs waiting to be filled. It was a nervous habit he had acquired from Diane. “They become very important very quickly.” It felt good to be able to talk to his boy, to console him without it turning into a fight. He didn’t know if the truce would last or not but he was grateful for the opportunity.
“Well, I’m not sure how much more cheering up Liz can take but I think she’s just about at the end of her rope,” Max said after a few minutes.
“It’ll get better,” his father promised and nodded towards the living room as they started to return to their women. Friday had been the worst timing for this to happen because the wheels turned slowly to not at all during weekends when it came to the judicial system.
“Happy anniversary, Mom,” Max said when he approached his mother and squeezed her shoulder.
Diane placed her hand over his briefly and looked up to him. “Thanks, sweetie.”
“It’s your anniversary?” Liz asked, shocked as she glanced between the two older people. “And we’ve ruined it, how horrible.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Liz,” Philip told her.
“He’s right, there’re more important things to worry about.”
“You should go and have dinner anyways,” Max said her and knew from the look of his mother’s eyes that she was planning to do anything but that. “Really, we can’t do anything about the situation on a Saturday night anyway.”
She glanced at her husband and sighed when he nodded. “Alright, but you call us if you need anything.”
Max promised they would call if they needed anything and after nearly ten more minutes he finally ushered his parents out of the apartment. He sighed and reached up to rub his face as he turned to lean back against the door. “They mean well.”
She smiled sadly. “I know.” And as hard as it was to deal with sympathy right now she did appreciate his parents’ support. She was an adult but she really missed having that parental influence around. She missed her parents so much.
“Why don’t we go ahead an’ order somethin’ for dinner,” he suggested.
She nodded. She had no appetite but she knew she needed to eat, even if it was just a small amount.
Coming right up!
CandyliciousLovah: Aaron is a great little guy and he’s landed in a good situation. Not as good as home of course, but at least we know he’s safe.
keepsmiling7: Lol, even if he hadn’t liked it he would’ve eaten it if it meant he could talk to Liz and Max.
Yes, that incensed Aaron too.
Max really cares about Aaron and he wants him to be safe. He had no idea just how much that little piece of paper would mean when he hid it inside of Rabi.
xilaj: Lol, we’ll do our best to keep him motivated as he begins to recover. We could be seeing a sign that Michael’s eyes are beginning to open, even if he doesn’t fully realize the significance just yet.
Vince and Megan do have their questions about why Aaron was taken from his sister’s custody. Things just aren’t adding up and we have a feeling they may just keep asking questions.
The grilled PB&J rocks! Lol.
begonia9508: Thanks! Aaron was not happy about the treatment Rabi received!
We think Vince does appreciate the care Aaron’s ‘parents’ have taken with him.
sarammlover: Well, Tess will get her moment, but we’re not there just yet. He has woken up, so we’re a step closer. Vince and Megan have more questions than answers about Aaron’s situation. The little guy won’t miss an opportunity to let people know Liz and Max are good and he wants to go home. Courtney? Irritating? We’re shocked! You don’t appear to be the only person happy about Michael’s decision, lol.
Eva: Megan and Vince are sure that something doesn’t add up with Aaron’s situation. Hopefully they’ll continue to try and figure it out.
Lol, happy about that, huh? Michael is starting to think, even if he doesn’t realize where his thoughts are going
Part 111
Tower of Strength
Liz couldn’t be still. She moved around the apartment, picking up toys and putting them away and then taking them back out again. They hadn’t been staying with Max long but thanks to him Aaron had already begun to build up a nice toy collection. He hadn’t gone overboard, but she knew he easily could’ve done just that if she hadn’t put a stop to it. Well, not necessarily stopped it, but she had convinced him that he had to take it slow. Aaron was a good little boy and she wanted him to be treated well, but she didn’t want him spoiled. She looked down at the handful of toy cars she was holding and her eyes welled up in response.
What was Aaron doing right now? Was he at least with a nice family? She knew he would be scared and probably angry and she knew he could be a handful when he was like that. Would the family they had placed him with be kind to him in spite of his contrary behavior? She knew social workers and foster families had a bad reputation and part of that was due to their portrayal on television and movies. But since tragedy sold better than the more positive stories it only made sense that the bad ones would be better known. Of course, with social workers like that old hag that had taken Aaron, she could understand how they had gotten such a bad reputation.
She was startled out of her thoughts when Max suddenly came through the front door, the mail spilling from his hand as he tried to set a couple of grocery bags down without spilling the contents. She was about to ask him if everything was okay when she noticed he was on the phone but before she could get the words out he told the person on the other end to hold on for a second.
Max grinned at her confused expression when he pressed the phone into her hand. “It’s Aaron.”
Her eyes widened and she nearly dropped the phone in her rush to put it up to her ear. “Aaron? Sweetie, are you okay?”
“Hi, Lizzie! Max said you was sad, but I don’t want you to be sad, okay? He said the lawyer lady’s gonna tell the judge the truth an’ make them see I gotta come home.”
Max winced when the excited words carried over the phone. He had been careful to watch his words when he told the little boy they would be seeing the judge soon and that Kathleen was doing everything she could to bring him home.
She turned her head to hide the sound of her drawing in a calming breath. “She’s gonna try her best, Aaron.”
“So when she talks to that judge person I can come home an’ sleep in my bed? ‘Cause I don’t like the bed here. An’ they make weird food, Lizzie, it’s not like the kind you an’ Max make. It’s okay, I eated it ‘cause they said I could call you if I did an’ it was kinda good. I know I’m not ‘posed to eat stuff from strangers but…” he bit his lip for a moment, “I was kinda hungry.”
“That’s okay, sweetie,” she assured him as she wiped her eyes. “You need to eat to keep your strength up. Are the people there nice?”
“Yeah, but… There’s a mean girl here an’ she put jelly on Rabi an’ now he’s all sticky. I wanna go home, Lizzie.” He tried to be brave, he really did, but he couldn’t hold it in any longer and he started to cry.
“C’mere, little guy,” Vince said as he gathered the little boy up in his arms. He lifted the phone to his ear. “Ms. Parker?”
“Is he okay? God, please tell me he’s okay,” she cried, frustrated that she couldn’t do anything to help him. She pounded a useless fist against Max’s chest when he pulled her into his arms.
“He’s alright,” he assured her as he rubbed the little boy’s back. “He’s upset, he’s tired, he wants to go home, and he’s a little bit scared, but I promise you he’s safe with us. One of our girls did get a sticky hand on his rabbit but we’ll get the jelly out.” Aaron had gotten a fair amount out of the fur but small, rigid points stuck up where the sticky residue had started to dry.
Max listened as Liz got herself under control and asked the man if she could speak with his wife. He held his breath as the phone changed hands and she talked to the woman, asking her to please wait until Aaron was sound asleep to wash Rabi and to use a specific detergent. He rested his chin on top of her head and smiled. She’d had to do that recently and she’d explained that if she used a different detergent Aaron would know his beloved rabbit had been changed in some way.
It surprised him when the woman asked questions about foods Aaron liked, seeming to take an interest in anything that would make him more comfortable while he was in her care. By the time the call was disconnected Aaron had calmed down, but after sleeping so little the night before he had dozed off so Liz had to say her goodbyes to the woman.
“He sounded good, right?” she asked Max after the call had been disconnected. “I mean, I know he’s scared and upset about being taken away, but…”
He hugged her tightly. “He sounded good, darlin’, and the people caring for him sound like good people.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around him. The couple did sound like nice people but she just wanted Aaron home where she could see for herself that he was okay. She wanted to give him what he needed and he needed to be home with her and Max. She was grateful that they had allowed him to call home, certain they were under no obligation to do so. She had needed so badly to hear his voice and know he was someplace safe.
*****
Isabel stared at the contents of her locker without really seeing them. She was exhausted, mentally and physically, and she just wanted a break from everything. Recently she’d had the feeling that she was being watched but every time she looked there was no one there. She hated that tingling sensation at the back of her neck, the nervous jitters when she parked her car in the garage or walked to her apartment. For weeks it had been there and she had tried to brush it off but the night before she had finally gotten proof that she wasn’t paranoid.
She had gotten into the habit of checking the closets, under the bed, and even in the shower as soon as she got home every night. She’d be embarrassed if anyone ever caught her but better to be safe than sorry. She had nearly convinced herself it was just the result of everything that had been going on but that had changed with just a few words. When her phone rang and she didn’t recognize the number on the caller ID she let the answering machine pick up and went to get something to drink.
“Isabel…” His familiar voice, low and husky as he called her name so slowly had sent chills down her spine.
She had whirled around, her gaze darting around the room as she searched for the owner of the voice that sounded so close. Rationally she knew he wasn’t there but her heart was pounding like crazy and she fought down the urge to run.
“You look like a terrified rabbit.” He chuckled darkly. “That’s a particularly lovely blouse. It was always one of my favorites.”
She stared at the phone, creeped out by the silence that was only broken by the sound of his breathing and the dull thud of her heart against her chest. She looked down at the blouse she had chosen that morning, trying to convince herself that he was just trying to get under her skin.
“That’s why you chose it,” he rasped, “because you know how much I’ve always liked it. The way the silk falls against your skin, the way it whispers softly as I ever so slowly take it off of you…”
She ran to the phone and slammed her hand down on the base, disconnecting the call and then jerking the cord from the wall. She fumbled with the buttons in her haste to delete the words and she swallowed hard as she looked down at herself. How did he know? Suddenly that sensation that she was being watched made sense and she slowly turned, her fearful gaze sweeping the windows that lined the entire wall of the living room. It was one of the features that had sold her on the apartment and now the glass that had made it feel so open suddenly felt like the bars of a prison cell.
Her heart had lodged in her throat as she crossed the room to stand at the edge of the farthest window, peering around the edge. She scanned the street below even though she knew no one could see her from down there. She swallowed with difficulty as her gaze lifted to sweep over the windows of the buildings facing her apartment. She had almost started to calm down and convince herself that he was just screwing with her when her eyes locked on the man standing at one of the windows directly across from her.
Richard stood there, drinking a glass of wine and smirking as he waved.
She had refused to close the blinds or pull the curtains closed just to spite him but it had done nothing to stop the nervous feelings that had left her so on edge. She didn’t know what to do. He could easily say he had just coincidentally rented an apartment across from her building and even though he had been acting creepy he hadn’t done anything to physically harm her.
Yet, she thought.
She was so focused on her situation that when the door to the locker room suddenly slammed shut she nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Sorry,” Alex apologized. “I keep forgetting they haven’t fixed the door yet.” He frowned at the flustered look on her face. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, just tired,” she said quickly. Maybe too quickly.
“It’s been a rough couple of days,” he agreed, waiting to see if she’d confide in him.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
He nodded. “That all it is?” he asked carefully.
Isabel felt the need to bang her head against her locker, but she didn’t since it would come across a little too desperate. “What else would there be?” she asked instead, her tone sarcastic so there was no way he would miss it.
“It’s obvious whatever it is has nothing to do with the limit on your credit cards being cut. My guess is it’s something to do with your stalker ex.” He shrugged when she shot a glare at him over her shoulder before turning back to her locker. “Hell, Isabel, if you don’t wanna be honest about it, just tell me to take a hike.”
She hesitated for a moment while she considered if she wanted to put up with him any longer or not. It wasn’t like she didn’t enjoy his presence, but he was so fucking honest with everything he was saying and doing, that it was totally scary.
He nodded and moved to his own locker, opening it up and sifting through his things without any real purpose. He finally turned to lean back against the next locker, taking in her tense posture. “Isabel, if you at least talk about whatever it is it’ll help take some of that weight off of you.”
“Really?” She snorted angrily – but more at herself than with him. “How’re you gonna do that, Alex?”
“I’m just sayin’ it helps to share the burden, that’s all. If it’s your ex like I think it is, then it sure couldn’t hurt.”
“Fine. Richard rented the apartment across the street. Happy now?”
“Not really, no. How d’you know he’s moved in across from you? You just happened to see him?”
She wrapped her arms around herself protectively and nodded. “Yeah, he called me and he knew what I was wearing an’...”
“Whoa, back up a minute. Was he threatening you?”
“No, he just... called and talked to me about my stupid blouse.”
He shook his head. “But you felt threatened.”
She sighed and wiped her face. “This has gotten out of control. Why’s he acting so weird? It wasn’t like he even really loved me.”
“They say there’s a fine line between love and hate... Well, there’s also a fine line between affection and obsession. The guy obviously likes to think he’s in control and havin’ a woman like you walk away?” he shook his head. “He’s not gonna just let that go without making you understand that you’ve made a mistake.”
“So what should I do? Get back together with him and let him break up with me?”
He snorted. “I think what I thought before: you should go to the cops. He’s continuing to escalate and it’s only a matter of time before he does something to hurt you.” He looked at her directly. “Or worse. I’ve done some research and I know it’s difficult to prosecute with cases like this, but at some point he’s gonna get physical. At least if you report it, it’s on the record; it’ll show he has a history of stalking.” He paused a moment. “Isabel, cases of stalking don’t seem to have a good record of ending well and it’s not usually the stalker who gets hurt.”
“Thanks for the encouraging words,” she spit out. “Didn’t you say something about taking some of the weight off of me? Well, thank you, it worked out great.”
“He scared you last night and that obviously pisses you off, so use it to your advantage. File the report and request the restraining order.”
It wouldn’t work, she thought, frustrated. Not with Richard and his ass of a father. “I’ve gotta get back to work.”
“You’re letting him back you into a corner, Isabel.”
She studied him for a moment and remembered the pictures she had received with his face crossed out. “He hasn’t come after you, has he?”
“No.” He shrugged. “Not yet.”
“The reason I didn’t say anything about my parents dinner to you is because I don’t want you to get hurt, you know that, right?”
“I understand that. But you have to understand that he’s seen me as a threat since the first day he met me. It doesn’t matter that we’re not a couple or that you’re not interested in me for anything beyond a deal he knows nothing about.”
The door was opened and a black-haired nurse stuck her head into the room. “Isabel. They’re looking for you. The doctors from Brooklyn are coming in early for their visit.”
Alex waited for them to finish their brief conversation but he had a feeling the one between them was finished.
Isabel looked at him while she straightened her work clothes and walked over to the door. “I need to get back to work now.” She didn’t want to talk or think about it any longer.
*****
Liz was curled up on the sofa hugging the stuffed toy Aaron had left with her, absentmindedly listening to the shower running in the other room. Was it just last night she and Max had shared that same shower? No, it was the night before last. Wasn’t it? She shook her head. She had felt like she was on top of the world. Maybe everything wasn’t settled or figured out but she had finally felt like they were on their way to really getting their lives together. And in less than 24 hours it had all fallen apart. She wiped her eyes and held the stuffed animal up, rubbing her thumbs over the soft fur.
She turned to stare at the door when someone knocked and she forced herself to her feet. Her legs felt heavy as she walked to the door and leaned against it to peer through the peephole. She jerked back comically when she saw Max’s parents standing on the other side.
“Oh, crap!” she hissed. What were they doing here? She moved to the side to check her appearance in the small mirror above the hooks for the keys and she sighed miserably. There was no way to hide the fact that she’d been crying. She fussed over herself for a minute but before she could do much more than that they knocked on the door again.
Taking a deep breath she reached for the knob, forced a smile, and pulled the door open. “Mr. and Mrs. Evans,” she greeted, “Max didn’t tell me we were expecting company.” Because he didn’t know you were just planning to drop in unannounced, she thought with some irritation.
“Diane, please,” Max’s mother insisted as they stepped inside. “Forgive us for just barging in. Philip had business in the city and we did call Max but it just went to voicemail.”
“Really?” She frowned and glanced behind her on the end table where the cell was sitting. It hadn’t been ringing or anything. “Weird, I need to check the cell. Come in.”
Diane looked around, searching for Aaron. She could see plenty of evidence that a four-year-old lived there but there was no noise to indicate where the little boy was. “Is Aaron already down for the night?”
She stopped in her tracks and was glad her back faced the older couple otherwise they would’ve seen the look of horror and devastation on her face. “No, he’s... he’s...”
Max hurried into the room, his upper body still beaded with water from the shower. He had just gotten out when he heard his parents’ voices and he knew the questions would start. He had seen the call come through but he’d let it go to voicemail and then gone to take a shower before thinking to check it. “Mom, Dad,” he said as he pulled Liz towards him. “Hey,” he tipped her chin up, “I left plenty of hot water. Why don’t you go ahead and grab a shower?” he suggested. He could inform his parents about what was going on so she wouldn’t have to go through it again.
“No, it’s okay.” As much as she appreciated his suggestion, they were in this situation because of her so it wasn’t fair to leave him alone to deal with it.
He nodded. Sometimes she was too stubborn for her own good, but he would respect her decision. He motioned to the furniture. “You guys wanna have a seat? We were gonna order in tonight so if you’re hungry...?”
“No, we have reservation for a restaurant later,” Diane said and shot a worried look at her husband while she took a seat. “Is something wrong, Max?”
He helped Liz back into her seat and sat down beside her. “You remember us tellin’ you about Liz’s ex and our concerns that he was gonna do somethin’ to threaten her custody of Aaron?”
“Oh, my God, did they take Aaron from you, dear?” Diane gasped and grabbed Philips’s hand tightly.
Liz nodded and swallowed down the fresh wave of tears that welled up in response to the woman’s question. Somehow the sympathy in her voice made it that much harder to maintain her composure.
“They sent some hack of a social worker over yesterday,” Max said as he rubbed her shoulder. “The woman came here with the intention of takin’ him. We never had a chance. Kathleen’s doin’ everything she can to get us into court early next week. She thinks we may be able to get in on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning, but she’s pushing hard to get us on the docket for Monday.”
“If she can’t then no one can, she’s the best,” Philip said with a nod and looked at his wife briefly before he concentrated on Liz. “I know this’s hard for you, but it’ll be okay in the end.”
She nodded, wanting so badly to believe his words, but fearing that small minds and stereotyping would prevent her from getting Aaron back.
“He’s right, Liz. It might take some time because going over laws can take forever, but you’re his family and they just don’t take a boy from his family if there isn’t a good reason.”
“And there isn’t,” Philip underlined.
“But they could still keep him from us.” She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. “They could find ways to twist the truth. It happens all the time.”
“Hey, positive thoughts, remember?” Max nudged her.
Diane leaned over to take the younger woman’s hands. “Max is right, dear. As difficult as this is, you will get past it.” She looked up at her son, seeing his concerns and worries in his features even though he was trying to hide it. “All of you. Like Philip said, they don’t have a good reason to take him from you permanently. And we’ll help any way we can, even if that just means supporting you through this difficult time.”
Liz nodded and let the tears just run over her cheeks since her hands were trapped in the other woman’s grip. “Thank you.”
“Oh, honey,” she whispered and moved to sit beside her son’s girlfriend. “Don’t you worry.” She pulled Liz into her arms and hugged her tightly. “Aaron will be home soon, right where he belongs. Only a fool would think you aren’t providing everything that little boy needs.”
Was there a point where a person didn’t have any tears left? Liz wondered while she cried in the embrace of Max’ mom. She felt like she hadn’t been doing anything but crying for a whole day and yet there was still more in her.
“I’m gonna get her somethin’ to drink,” Max said to no one in particular. He felt helpless in the face of her emotional distress and with his mom handling things there was really nothing else for him to do.
Philip got up to follow his son after a moment and he braced one hand on the island as he watched Max pull the refrigerator door open and stare inside. “Your mother’s always been better with people in these situations.”
“Guess that’s a woman thing,” Max said helplessly and held a bottle of water out to his Dad.
He accepted the water and leaned back against the counter. “Did her ex make that call?”
“We don’t know. Probably not. He’s not the type who does the dirty jobs himself.”
“Does she have any idea who might be working with him? I know Kathleen’s working on this but if there’s anything your mother and I can do...” he shrugged one shoulder. “Hire a private investigator or be a character witness, we’ll do anything we can to help.”
“I don’t know at the moment what would help and what would just make things worse, Dad...”
He nodded. “Well, if you think of anything, just know that we’re here for you. Both of you.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“How’s your other situation going?”
“Nothing new.” Max leaned against the counter and stared in front of him. His parents – and especially his father, hadn’t been here for a very long time, so it felt kinda weird.
“How damaging do you think her relationship with me could be to her case?”
Philip sighed. “I wanna be honest, Max. And just to make sure you understand, this is NOT my opinion, okay?” He waited until his son nodded before he continued. “It could affect Aaron and Liz negatively if we can’t find proof that you were drugged and someone else put the drugs in your car.”
“I know Trent was behind it but I have no proof.” He drummed his fingers on the counter. “I’ve got some friends who work at the station who’re gonna look into it, but there’s no guarantee they’ll find anything.”
“We will,” his father said and sounded convinced. “People like that think they know and can do anything, but they do make mistakes in the end. We’ll just have to go into this with our eyes wide open and we’ll find something.” There had to be something… some small thing they hadn’t considered and was only going to come back to bite them on the ass in the end.
“Trent’s a cop. Even if he makes mistakes, he’s probably good at covering them. Know and pay the right people and you can get anything in this town.”
“He may be a cop, but he’s not one a high ranking officer, Son, and he’s not above the law. And I happen to know a lot of people myself. Think positive.”
“Yeah.” Max expelled a breath and glanced into the living room where his Mom was still comforting Liz. His gaze went over the calendar on the wall next to his father while he wondered how much time would pass before they got Aaron back. His eyes widened when something else got his attention. “It’s your anniversary.” That’s why they had plans for dinner tonight. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it earlier.”
Philip chuckled. “With everything going on it’s really no wonder, and besides,” he nodded at the living room, “as long as I didn’t forget, there’s no problem at all.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
“It is, trust me.” He looked at his wife and smiled. “When you’ve been married as long as we have you know just how important these things are.”
Max smirked. “And I guess havin’ a secretary with a memory like an elephant doesn’t hurt either.”
“Executive Assistant,” Philip corrected him. “And Sharon is the most valuable resource in my office.”
“Because she remembers your anniversary, holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions?”
“Among other things.” He laughed quietly. “She’s saved my hide more than once when it comes to any and all of those things.”
They were quiet for a couple of minutes before Max cleared his throat and looked at him. “What do we do, Dad?”
“Wait, I’m afraid,” the older man answered and ran a hand through his grey hair.
His son huffed in frustrating and mimicked his father’s action without even realizing it. “Sitting back and doin’ nothin’ really isn’t one of my strengths.”
Philip chuckled. “Nor mine, but we have to remember that doing the wrong thing will only cause more damage. We have to consider every move first and let people like Kathleen do what they do best.”
“Yeah,” Max agreed and glanced through the door into the living room again. “I’m tryin’ to keep Liz busy, so she’s distracted.”
“Good. Listen, you could always join us for dinner. I’m sure if I call the restaurant they can set up to more seats – “
“Thanks, but we really don’t wanna ruin your anniversary, Dad.” Max made a face. “Well, as much as that’s possible now.”
He slapped his son on the back. “Don’t you worry about that.”
“I appreciate it, but Liz really doesn’t feel like going out anyway.” Not to mention, horning in on his parents’ romantic anniversary dinner really didn’t do anything for him. “We’ll just order in and watch somethin’ on TV.” And try to ignore the fact that Aaron wasn’t underfoot, playing with his toys or asking one of them to read him a bedtime story. “I never really gave much thought to kids before.” He started messing with the things on the counter. “It’s funny how fast you can get used to havin’ one around.”
Philip smiled and nodded as he watched him fuss with a few bottles of seasoning and the coffee mugs waiting to be filled. It was a nervous habit he had acquired from Diane. “They become very important very quickly.” It felt good to be able to talk to his boy, to console him without it turning into a fight. He didn’t know if the truce would last or not but he was grateful for the opportunity.
“Well, I’m not sure how much more cheering up Liz can take but I think she’s just about at the end of her rope,” Max said after a few minutes.
“It’ll get better,” his father promised and nodded towards the living room as they started to return to their women. Friday had been the worst timing for this to happen because the wheels turned slowly to not at all during weekends when it came to the judicial system.
“Happy anniversary, Mom,” Max said when he approached his mother and squeezed her shoulder.
Diane placed her hand over his briefly and looked up to him. “Thanks, sweetie.”
“It’s your anniversary?” Liz asked, shocked as she glanced between the two older people. “And we’ve ruined it, how horrible.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Liz,” Philip told her.
“He’s right, there’re more important things to worry about.”
“You should go and have dinner anyways,” Max said her and knew from the look of his mother’s eyes that she was planning to do anything but that. “Really, we can’t do anything about the situation on a Saturday night anyway.”
She glanced at her husband and sighed when he nodded. “Alright, but you call us if you need anything.”
Max promised they would call if they needed anything and after nearly ten more minutes he finally ushered his parents out of the apartment. He sighed and reached up to rub his face as he turned to lean back against the door. “They mean well.”
She smiled sadly. “I know.” And as hard as it was to deal with sympathy right now she did appreciate his parents’ support. She was an adult but she really missed having that parental influence around. She missed her parents so much.
“Why don’t we go ahead an’ order somethin’ for dinner,” he suggested.
She nodded. She had no appetite but she knew she needed to eat, even if it was just a small amount.
