Roswell Fanatics

Consequences do happen.
Max is doing the right thing by going with Liz to the Dr.
This is going to change their lives forever........
Now, we just have to wait until Max's parents come home from work.

Pregnant at 16 won’t be easy. Hopefully they find support from friends and family.

I'm so happy that Liz's doctor is so supportive, since I'm not sure that Max's parents will react the same way at first.
I'm also glad that she's going to see a nutritionist, I will be good for her and the baby.
And Max being so sweet too... At least, Liz isn't alone in her decision of wanting to keep the baby!
It won't be easy for them but I understand why Liz wants to keep it so badly.
Can't wait for the next update!

Hi All! Thank you again for your wonderful feedback! While in no way is this fiction based on a true story, there are some things and people that have been pulled from real-life situations either I have experienced or ones that have been shared with me. I hope I do them justice! The next few parts coming up are a bit slow going, but they help to build the backstory.

I've begun to struggle with this story emotionally because I know what I'm about to do/have already done to these characters and a part of me hates myself for it I've been working on some much later chapters over the past few weeks and I've more or less been a puddle of tears while writing. But I really feel it's a story worth telling and while it is going to be hell for our favorite Roswellians, they are going to make it out on the other side. I promise. And just a reassurance that Max and Liz do remain together through this whole story. I personally have difficulty reading any story where they are broken up/have a contentious relationship/are with other people, so if you're like me, I will at least say that is one thing you do not need to worry about. Everything else is up for grabs

The song "Yellow" belongs to Coldplay, but I will be borrowing it with some frequency going forward! I also might have borrowed a little something from John Green at the end

Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was almost 4:30 when we reached the outskirts of Ruidoso, a small mountain town nestled between the Sacramentos and the Sierra Blancas. Our families had been skiing out here on a number of occasions; it wasn’t the same as going north to Taos or Angel Fire, but it was a nice place to get away for a weekend.

It was unseasonably warm for early April in the mountains and for that I was grateful. Max turned off the main drag and up an unfamiliar side street.

“The last time I came out here with my parents, we ate at this place at least 4 times. And it shouldn’t be that busy,” he explained, pulling into a gravel parking lot.

The little cafe was almost empty as Max predicted, and we were greeted by a friendly young waitress who sat us next to one of the the huge chalet-style windows that flooded the open space with sunlight. The restaurant was rustic and very down-to-earth with wide, worn floorboards and a high post-and-beam ceiling. It smelled of fresh breads and hot soups and I could actually feel a twinge of hunger creeping up on me for the first time in months.

“This is nice, Max. Thank you,” I murmured. And I meant it. In the last 10 weeks, I had spent so little time outside of the house and even less time doing things that weren’t either sleeping or school work. I was so afraid to run into people that I knew or to give myself too much time to think. But after today’s news, we had so much to figure out and being trapped in the house or even in Roswell wasn’t going to provide any clarity.

The waitress came to take our order - a bowl of chicken noodle for me and a roast beef sandwich with a cup of tomato basil for Max - and left our drinks on the table.

I wrapped my hands around a hot mug of decaffeinated tea and watched as the steam rose and curled off the surface. My thoughts followed a similar thread, ethereal and twisting every which way with no real destination. They seemed to drift away from me, fleeting and without substance.

“When do you want to tell my parents?” Max broke my reverie.

“Tonight,” I said simply, bringing the mug to my lips. “It’ll be worse if we wait, I think. We need to show them that we’re taking responsibility for our actions.”

He nodded. “We should probably tell Isabel and Michael at the same time.”

“Maria is going to be pissed,” I said with a snort.

“What, that we’re having a baby?”

“No, that she wasn’t the first to find out. Not to say that she won’t be upset that I’m pregnant, but Michael finding out before she does is going to be a way bigger deal on the Maria-Meter.”

Max cracked a smile at this. He knew I was right but she was just going to have to get over herself.

“How do you think everyone is going to react?” I asked. I knew no one was going to be particularly happy, but I felt so out of touch with reality that a part of me really had no idea what to expect.

“Given the circumstances? Better than they might have six months ago,” he said honestly. “I think Dad and Michael are going to be the angriest. Isabel will be disappointed, but she’ll get over it pretty quickly. Same goes for Maria. Alex is far enough removed from the situation that I think he’ll just be supportive, and quite honestly I think my mom will be the most understanding. She’ll probably be pretty upset, but she’s always loved you as much as she loves Iz, Michael, and me. She’ll just want to be there for us and for you especially.”

“I hope you’re right, Max. About your mom at least,” I murmured. She and Phillip were the only parental figures I had left and if I lost them, I didn’t know what I would do with myself.

“It’ll all be okay, Lillabet. I will do anything to make sure of that,” he said, reaching across the table to take my hand. “You and this baby are the most important things in my life and I will go to the ends of the earth to protect you both. Even if it means having to stand against my family.” The truth in his words shone bright in his eyes and it was humbling to know so plainly that no matter what I faced in my life he would always be by my side.

There was a lull in the conversation once the waitress brought our food. The soup was delicious and warmed me from the inside and though I was only able to finish a little less than half, I could see the relief on Max’s face that I managed that much. They had an incredible selection of homemade desserts and Max talked me into splitting a piece of their red velvet cake, one of my all-time favorites. I wasn’t able to manage more than a few bites, but he seemed satisfied that I was willing to try.

“Max?” I asked, setting down my fork.

“Hmm?” He mumbled through a bite of cake.

“What are we going to do about school?”

He placed his fork next to mine and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “What do you mean exactly?”

“I mean that school’s always been a priority - for both of us - and I know that something like Harvard is out of the question, but we owe it to ourselves and to this baby to get an education,” I replied, holding his gaze.
“I agree. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s something we have to prioritize. How far ahead are you currently?” He asked and I could see a plan formulating.

“Except for my finals, I’m done. And I’m apparently going to be able to take my finals next week.”

“What if you started your senior year right away? Take a week off and start the last week of April? And then I can start as soon as I finish this semester with the goal of being done before the baby is born. We could take a few months off to adjust and then start classes at ENMU in the spring. Even if we only take a few courses at first, it would still put us ahead. We could decide after that if we wanted to transfer somewhere larger,” he said, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice. I could feel that same spark flickering in me as well; we might actually be able to make this work.

“Have I told you how much I love you lately?” I reached across the table and threaded my fingers through his.

“It can’t possibly be as much as I love you or this baby,” he said earnestly and I found myself almost drowning in his eyes. Sometimes I’m convinced that no one has ever looked at someone else the way that Max looks at me. I still have no idea how I got so lucky.

The waitress dropped off the bill, shaking us from our musings and after we paid we decided to take a walk before it started getting dark. We talked about trivial things, stopped into a few of the small artisan shops, and just enjoyed each other’s company. I could see vestiges of who we were before; before my parents, before the baby, back when we were just two regular teenagers - different only because of our extraordinary love.

The sun was beginning to set in earnest and we started back for the car when something caught my eye. It was a small storefront displaying more local goods, most of which were crafts and earthenware. But in the center of the window perched on an artist’s easel was an abstract painting of three pairs of hands; a man’s cupping a woman’s and a woman’s cupping a child’s. It was done in rich earth tones with oil and the canvas seemed to have depth and texture. There was something awing about such a simple piece of art and it felt profound and so meaningful that I could feel my eyes welling.

“It’s beautiful,” Max said from behind me and it was only then I realized that I had stopped walking.

I nodded. “There is something captivating about it.”

“I think it’s the simplicity of the image juxtaposed with the depth of what it signifies,” Max said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

I unconsciously touched my lower abdomen, realizing that in 7 months time, I would know what it felt like to hold my own child’s hand.

I looked up at Max. “Let’s go home.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The night air crept up on us and about half way back to Roswell, we decided to pull over to put the top back on the Jeep. As we were finishing, I glanced up at the darkening sky. The moon was just a sliver overhead and the stars were quickly brightening against the backdrop.

From inside the Jeep, I could hear the opening chords of a new song by Coldplay.

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah, they were all yellow

I came alive
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called “Yellow”

So then I took my turn
Oh, what a thing to’ve done
And it was all yellow

Your skin
Oh, yeah your skin and bones
Turn in to something beautiful
You know
You know I love you so
You know I love you so

I swam across
I jumped across for you
Oh, what a thing to do
Because you were all yellow

I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh, what a thing to do
And it was all yellow

Just skin
Oh yeah, your sink and bones
Turn into something beautiful
Don’t you know
For you, I’d bleed myself dry
For you, I’d bleed myself dry

It’s true
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for...
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things that you do

“They do, you know,” Max said, coming to rest against the hood next to me.

“Hm?” I replied, still lost in my own thoughts.

“The stars. They do shine for you,” he replied, leaning down to whisper in my ear.

I bumped his shoulder with mine and scoffed softly. “Max,” I groaned. He could be so cheesy sometimes. But if I am to be perfectly honest, I absolutely loved it. I still do.

“So Chris Martin can say it, but I can’t?” He teased, leaning into me and nuzzling my hair.

I sighed and rested my head against his shoulder, my gaze still fixed on the sky.

“The line that really gets me is the one about turning skin and bones into something beautiful. I feel so much like I’ve had my flesh torn from my muscles and my muscles torn from my bones until there was nothing solid left of me. Like I’ve been eviscerated and left formless and lifeless.”

“Lillabet,” Max began, but I continued.

“I know that it shouldn’t, for a million reasons, but I feel like for the first time since that morning that something beautiful might come out of this catastrophe. Like I have a chance of being whole again.”

Max drew in a long breath and pressed his lips against the top of my head. He didn’t say anything; he didn’t need to. It was just the bones we were made of and our bones were made for each other.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The digital ring of Max’s cell phone interrupted the quiet when we were about 20 minutes outside of town.
“Hey Mom,” he answered, shooting me a glance.

He listened for a moment. “Better. We did end up going to the doctor’s this afternoon and then we actually went for a drive.” A pause. “Yeah, I was too. A change of scenery did both of us some good. We’re about half an hour from home. Where are you guys?”

I could see Max trying to keep his composure and I reached over to rest a hand on his knee. He gave me an appreciative smile.

“Oh. I thought you guys were close to settling that case?” He paused again and I could hear Diane’s voice over the line but not well enough to make out her half of the conversation. “I’m sorry, that’s rough, Mom. Make sure you guys actually get some sleep at least. Don’t let Dad pull an all-nighter. He’s a bear for weeks afterwards!” Max teased and I could feel his muscles relax under my palm. “I’ll let Izzy and Michael know; I’ll give them a call and see what they’ve planned for dinner. Maybe Liz and I can pick up something for them on the way home. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. We always are! Love you too, Mom.” And Max pressed the end key.

“They’re staying in Clovis?” I surmised, and I could feel myself relaxing, too. I didn’t realize just how worried I was about telling them when we got home.

“Yeah. I guess that means we can tell everyone else first. It’ll be a good litmus test, I suppose,” Max said, pressing a button on his phone again. “I’m going to call Iz, see if she cans get everyone together.”

As Max talked to his sister, I turned my attention out the passenger window. The moon was bright enough that I could make out a rough sketch of the desert in deep blues. It brought me peace.

Some people find the arid landscape so monotonous, but I took so much comfort from the flat expanses and sharp rock formations that towered above the vastness in astonishing beauty. You cannot appreciate the desert without appreciating the billions of years of history that surround you. Land that was once ocean populated by creatures so minuscule and so monolithic that it’s hard to assimilate. The juxtaposition of feeling simultaneously infinitesimal and infinite is indescribable and a feeling I still return to in my more existential moments when I try to reconcile all the things that were to come for that sixteen year old version of us. To try to comprehend the vastness of existence and yet to know that I held that vastness inside of myself; that pieces of me were once pieces of the stars...it’s a powerful notion. And one that I cling to now just as I did then.

“Lillabet?”

“Hmm?”

“Michael is going to call Maria and Alex is already at the house. Isabel wants Thai,” he said.

I snorted. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone but Isabel decided where we were going when we ordered out.

“We can do this, Max. They all love us. They’re going to be on our side,” I said as much for his benefit as for my own.

Max smiled sadly and squeezed my hand. “I know. I just wish we didn’t have to worry about anyone being on our side. You deserve so much more than that and so does our child.”

“We have each other, Max. Regardless of anyone else, the three of us have each other. And that is so much more than most people in our situation could say. You have no idea how lucky I feel.”

Max sighed and kissed my knuckles. “We’re going to be okay.”

“I know. I know we are.” And I really, truly believed it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hey guys, food’s here!” Max called as we walked through the side door into the kitchen.

He dropped the two paper bags down on the counter and I went to the cupboard to grab plates.

“Took you long enough, I’m starving!” Michael complained, ambling in from the living room, rubbing his stomach dramatically.

“Starving? Michael, you just ate an entire party sized bag of Doritos by yourself!” Maria replied, rolling her eyes.

“Hey, it was like, more than half empty!” He shot back as he pawed through the takeout bags.

“Michael, please don’t contaminate the food for the rest of us,” Isabel said, pulling the bag out of Michael’s hands and making quick work of organizing the cartons.

“How are you feeling, chica?” Maria asked as I deposited the plates on the island. I could see the deep concern in her eyes, but she was doing her best to not seem overbearing.

“Um, I’m okay...um, better. Better than I was this morning,” I replied. It wasn’t a lie, exactly. I hadn’t thrown up all day.

She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple. “I worry about enough already Petunia, you can’t go scaring me like this! My heart can’t take it,” she quipped and I gave her a half smile. Hopefully her heart could take what was coming next...

“So where have you guys been all afternoon? I thought Dr. Blane closed at 4?” Alex asked through a mouthful of dumpling. He was referring to the pediatrician we all saw.

“Let’s go sit down,” Max said, glancing at me.

Everyone gathered their plates and drinks and we made our way into the den. The TV was on, one of Michael’s video games on pause - Need for Speed by the looks of it - and there were various textbooks and notebooks strewn on the coffee table. It looked like any other weekday afternoon at the Evans’ and there was something simultaneously comforting and unsettling all at the same time.

“So what did the doctor say? The flu has been going around like crazy. Tina Clark hasn’t been at school for almost two weeks!” Isabel said as we all sat down.

Max put his plate on the side table. “We have something to tell you guys,” he began, but I jumped in before he could go any further.

“I’m pregnant,” I said firmly and simply. “Due October 22nd,” I added; it would at least answer some questions.

The room was absolutely silent for a moment before everyone erupted at the same time.

“Oh my god, Liz!”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Are you serious?”

“What are you going to do?”

“Guys, guys! Please!” Max raised his voice so he could be heard over the commotion.

Once everyone had stopped, Max continued. “This is as big of a shock to us as it is to you. Obviously this wasn’t something we planned and we’re still trying to adjust to the news.”

“You’re sure?” Isabel asked softly.

Max pulled the folded strip of sonogram images from his pocket and handed them to her.

“I...what...is...wow. Just...wow,” Maria stuttered, looking over Izzy’s shoulder.

Alex stared at the pictures for a moment and then turned to us.

“What are you guys going to do?” His question held no judgement.

“We’re keeping it,” I said with quiet conviction that even surprised me.

There was a moment of silence, and then Michael spoke.

“Jesus Christ, Maxwell. How stupid can you be?”

“Michael!” Maria gasped angrily, gaping at her boyfriend.

“This isn’t Max’s fault!” I shot back, angry tears welling in my eyes. “If anyone was stupid, it was me!” I sprang up from the couch and darted down the hall, slamming the bedroom door with all the force I could muster.

I could hear a chorus of voices calling after me as I sank down onto the bed and buried my face in my pillow. How could I be so stupid? So stupid to think that we’d be covered, so stupid to think that a bunch of 16 and 17 year olds would just think this was hunky dory and we’d all eat our dinner like nothing had happened? And so flat out delusional to think that Phillip and Diane would do anything other than kick me out of the house for ruining their son’s life with my idiocy and selfishness? My tears came in a torrent and my body shook, the sheer force stole my voice and left me sobbing silently.

There was a commotion outside the door that was settled by a sharp-tongued Maria, “No, let me!” She insisted and then, much more softly, “Petunia, I’m coming in.”

She left the door ajar and came to sit by me and I surprised both of us by immediately curling into her lap. I needed my best friend.

“Oh, Liz,” she sighed, stroking my hair away from my face and drying my cheek.

“He’s right, Maria,” I choked through barely controlled tears. “How could I be so stupid to let something this huge and this horrible happen?”

“Oh no, no, no. No you don’t. You don’t get to do this. Sit up!” Maria demanded, shifting away from me so I would have to move and do as she asked. She promptly took my face in her hands and held it close to hers, looking me dead in the eye. “First of all, you are the smartest person I know and nothing you ever do could even remotely pass for average, never mind stupid! And second of all, this ‘horrible’ thing that’s happened is my Godchild and no Godchild of mine could ever be anything less than perfect and beautiful and made from a love I don't know if any of us will ever be able to understand.” Maria sat back and dropped her hands into her lap.

“What makes you think you’re the Godmother?” I joke weakly with a sniffle.

She raises an eyebrow at me incredulously.

“Okay, okay, you’re the Godmother! Happy?”

“Ecstatic.” She affirms with a satisfied smile. “Anyways. Michael, well, besides being a moron, is scared. He might be the “big” brother, but he looks up to Max in more ways than Max maybe even realizes. And if Max the Saint could make a mistake, just consider the possibilities for Michael,” Maria said earnestly.

I sighed. “A bit of tact would’ve been nice.”

Maria scoffed. “Michael? Tact? What universe are you living in, Petunia?”

I cracked a smile. What universe indeed!

There was a soft knock at the door.

“Liz?” It was Michael.

Maria was about to tell him off, but I shook my head. “Come in,” I said quietly.

He opened the door slowly and stood in the doorframe looking uncharacteristically unsure of himself.

“Liz, I’m…” he began, but I cut him off.

“You don’t need to apologize, Michael. I understand. And if you’re mad at me, that’s okay, just please don’t be mad at Max. This isn’t his fault; if it’s anyone’s, it’s mine,” I said quietly, feeling tears beginning to pool again.

Michael walked into the room and pulled out the desk chair, rolling it over so he was sitting across from us.

“I’m not mad at you, Liz. And I’m not mad at Max, either.” He scrubbed his face with this hands and pushed his hair back. “I’m just…”

I cut him off again, knowing how hard it was for him to talk about anything emotional. “It’s okay, Michael. I understand.” I reached over and squeezed his hand with a small smile.

Michael stood up and held out his hand. “C’mere, kid.” To this day, he relishes in the fact that as the older brother he can legitimately call us all kids and get away with it.

I rolled my eyes and stood up. He enveloped me in a bear hug, rocking us back and forth.

“You’re going to be a great mom, Liz,” he said quietly. He gave me one last squeeze and kissed the top of my head. I just smiled.

You have no idea how much I hope you’re right.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was after 11 when Max and I finally crawled into bed. After the initial shock wore off, we spent the rest of the night just being teenagers. We talked a bit about the baby, but - even though it went unspoken - everyone knew that after the day we had, we could seriously use some semblance of normalcy.

“How are you doing?” Max asked, propping himself up on his elbow. His other hand rested low on my stomach, gently rubbing my exposed skin.

“Surprisingly okay,” I replied. And I meant it. It was true that our lives would never be the same, but that night I also realized that there are some things that will always remain no matter how far we deviate from ‘normal’.

I rested my hand over his, halting his movements. “It doesn’t seem real,” I murmured, looking from our hands to his face.

“I know,” he agreed, his thumb caressing my skin. He pushed himself off his elbow and turned over, settling between my legs. He leaned down and kissed the almost imperceptible swell of my abdomen.

“Hi baby,” he murmured, his breath leaving a trail of gooseflesh across my skin.

I giggled. “I don’t think he can hear you yet,” I said, threading my fingers through his hair.

“He?” Max looked up at me, eyebrows raised.

“Or she!” I amended, laughing as he nuzzled my stomach. “I don’t care what it is, so long as it’s healthy.” Cliche, I know, but honest.

“I wouldn’t mind a mini you bossing everyone around,” he teased.

“Me? Bossy?!” I scoffed with mock indignation. “Fine, as long as she doesn’t have your ears!” I shot back, giving his earlobe a little pinch.

“Hey!” Max yelped, swatting my hand away. “Any kid would be lucky to have my ears!” He pouted, nuzzling my abdomen.

I chuckled softly, rhythmically stroking his hair away from his face. “Max?”

“Hmm?” He hummed against my stomach before moving to stretch out next to me, his hand resting where his mouth had just been.

“Is this really happening? Are we really doing this?” I asked him. The incredulity of it all hit me in a torrent.

“It is, Lillabet. We are,” he said simply, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I took a deep breath and nodded my head. “Okay.” I brought my hand to rest over his.

“Okay?” His eyes bore into mine, searching.

I nodded and burrowed into the crook of his neck.

“Okay.”

Bet Max and Liz wish they were still in Ruidosa as they being to share the pregnancy with friends.
The first step has been made, along with already planning ahead for school and schedules.
It's going to be interesting when Max's parents return from Clovis.
It sounds like you're going to put us through the ringer as this story progresses.

I'm so happy that for the most part, the gang took it well... now, there's only Philip and Diane left. I'm not worried about Diane, but I'm sure the next chapter will be a bit hard to read, so... I understand why Michael got angry, but I'm glad he went to see Liz after to apologize. Oh, and the part of this chapter where they ate a the café and took a walk was so relaxing. I loved it!

Hi all! Thank you for the feedback! As I've said previously, I didn't necessarily write this story in order, but instead I jumped around quite a bit when an idea struck me. For example, I'm alternating between a continuity chapter and one that is about 8 chapters after that one. I wrote Michael's response to Liz's pregnancy very, very early in the process and unlike much of my work that gets edited once I get back to that part, I didn't change a word of this interaction because it felt so organic to the characters. So I'm very glad you liked it!

This next chapter is quite a bit longer because I really had no way to tie in the second half with the chapter that is to follow, so enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I insisted that Max go to school the next day and we agreed that we would talk to Phillip and Diane that night. Max asked Isabel and Michael to make plans to be elsewhere so we would be able to have the discussion uninterrupted. I spent the better part of the day trying to decide if my nausea was pregnancy-related or situational. I’m pretty sure it was the latter.

Max and I were sitting at the kitchen table when Phillip and Diane got home.

“Oh! Didn’t expect to see you two there,” Diane remarked, setting her briefcase on the island. “Where is everyone else?”

“Michael said something about going to Maria’s and I think Isabel is working on a Spanish project at the library,” Max answered as Phillip walked in.

Diane nodded, her brow furrowing. “Is something going on? Are you still not feeling well, Liz?”

“Um, we wanted to talk to you both,” I hedged, forcing myself to look first at Diane and then Phillip.

Phillip pursed his lips. “Okay. What’s on your mind?” He asked, sitting down across from Max while Diane slid into the chair next to him.
Max reached for my hand underneath the table and took a deep breath.

“Liz is pregnant,” Max said, looking his father directly in the eye. He pulled the strip of sonogram photos from his pocket and held them out to his father who took them gingerly from his hands.

“Oh my…” Diane’s hand flew over her mouth and she stared at the images, her eyes distorting with tears.

Phillip’s jaw worked for a few moments before he sat back in his chair and looked from the photos to his wife.

I felt the need to say something, anything, but Max squeezed my hand, imploring me to wait.

Phillip’s eyes fell on me first. “I want to make something very clear,” he began. I had to fight with everything in me not to shrink beneath the table. “I’m not angry. I’m very disappointed,” he said, glancing poignantly at Max. “I’m frankly worried for you and I’m concerned what this could mean for your future, but I’m not angry. With everything you’ve been through, the last thing you need is for us to be angry about something we cannot change. This is a huge shock and it’s something that is going to take us time to get used to, but it doesn’t change the fact that we love you both and we will be here to support you.”

I was so prepared for a fight that his words shook me. The anxiety and fear left me in a torrent and I had to choke back a sob.

Diane took a breath and dabbed at her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Max said softly, reaching across to cover her hand.

She placed her other hand on top of his and gave her son a sad smile. “I know you are, Max. I know this was an accident, and being sorry isn’t going to change anything. You’re both just so young and have such promising futures ahead of you. A child is going to be a huge complication. I just want what’s best for you, for both of you,” she said, looking to me. “And frankly, under different circumstances I would argue that it is a complication too great to undertake. But given the situation and the fact that we’re here talking about this at all, I recognize there is only one decision to make and you’ve already made it. And I can’t fault you for that.”

Fresh tears dampened my cheeks and I leaned into Max as he turned to press a kiss to my forehead. She understood. By some miracle, they both understood.

“I think your mother and I need some time to talk about and process this,” Phillip said gently.

I glanced at Max and nodded, pushing away from the table.

“Liz,” Diane said, gently grabbing my wrist as I walked passed her. “It’s going to be okay.”

My throat constricted and I could feel my eyes begin to well. I nodded and gave her a small smile, more grateful for her words than she could possibly know.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I collapsed into Max’s arms as soon as he shut the bedroom door.

“Shh, Lillabet, it’s okay. It’s all going to be okay,” he murmured, stroking my hair.

I nodded against his chest, relieved sobs wracking my body. Until that moment, I truly didn’t comprehend just how scared I was of their reaction or just how much I needed their support.

I took a few ragged breaths to regain my composure. “I’m sorry,” I murmured, scrubbing my face with my hands. “I’m a mess.” I untangled myself from him and sat down on the bed with a sigh.

“You’re not a mess, Liz,” Max insisted, crouching down in front of me and tipping my chin to meet his eyes. “You’ve just been through a major trauma, you’re pregnant, we’re 16 years old, and we just told my parents…I’d say you’re pretty put together all things considered.”

I smiled weakly at him and cupped his face in my hands. “Whatever did I do to deserve you, Max Evans?” I asked, pressing a soft kiss against his lips.

“You’re you, that’s all I’ve ever needed you to be,” he replied, pressing his forehead to mine and smoothing an errant lock of hair behind my ear. “C’mon, let’s get out of here for a little while, I don’t think this is going to be a quick discussion.”

I hesitated, still not entirely comfortable leaving the safety of this cocoon I’d built for myself.

“We don’t have to do anything special, it’ll just be better than staying cooped up in here, waiting,” Max implored, already on his feet and holding out his hand to me.

An idea struck me then, and while I really wasn’t sure I was ready, I knew it was what I had to do.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The drive there was only 7 miles, but it felt like an eternity stretched before us. Max tried to gently talk me out of it, worried it was all too soon, but my mind was made up and I truly felt it was something I had to do.

The little cemetery was just as it had been on the day of the funeral, except that it was almost more welcoming in the dark. Lamp posts dotted the small swath of land and bathed the headstones in a warm glow more fitting of a park than of a graveyard. I found my parents’ shared plot without much difficulty. They were buried next to my Grandma Claudia and Grandpa Jeffrey, and while I hadn’t visited often before they passed, I’d been enough times to know my way around. I stopped a few feet from their marker and turned back to look at Max. I knew he was trying to be respectful and give me space, but I needed him by my side.

“Hi guys,” I began, my voice quavering. “I feel kind of strange talking to you like this, but I didn’t know where else to go. Max and I have some really important news and I needed to tell you. Maybe you already know, or maybe I’m just crazy, but I wanted to tell you that I’m pregnant. Max and I are going to have a baby. I know this isn’t what you wanted for us, not at this point of our lives, anyways, but I swear we’re not going to let you down. I’ve been homeschooling since…since moving in with the Evanses and I’m just a few exams away from being done with my junior year. We plan to start our senior year right away and finish before the baby is born in the fall and then we’ll take classes at ENMU the following spring. It’s not Harvard, I know, but it’s college. And who knows, maybe once we’re settled into life as parents we can transfer to a bigger school.

“Max has been beyond amazing, not that anyone would expect any less, but he’s pretty much the only reason I’m still standing and definitely the only reason I’m able to talk to you guys. There is no way I’d be able to do this on my own. He’s going to be the most incredible dad. He already is. I just wish you guys would be here to see it. I’m going to make absolutely sure our baby knows about Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Jeff, and not just the good stories, either!” I laughed lightly through a flood of tears. 

“I guess in a way they were all good, because they made you who you were, made us who we are. I’m going to tell him or her all about growing up in the Crash Down and how funny their Grandpa was and that their Grandma was the smartest woman I’ve ever known. I’ll show them our family photo albums and tell them about the time we almost got stranded on a desert island while we were on that cruise and how Grandpa saved us with his crazy two-fingered whistle.” Max chuckled at this one and squeezed my hand.

“Anything I do right as a mother will be because of you, Mom. You showed me what it meant to put your child first, to love unconditionally, and how to raise a child to be a good, upstanding person. I’m just beginning to glimpse the sacrifices you made for me and for our family and I will never be able to express to you how grateful I am and how incredibly lucky I feel that you’re my mom. And you’ll always be my mom, no matter where you are. Just like I’ll always be your baby girl.

“And Dad, you are the reason I’m hardworking and dedicated and it is because of you and the strength you gave me to reach for my dreams and how deeply you taught me to believe in myself that I feel I can actually do this. To be a mother and a partner and a student and to succeed in each one of these roles. I know without a doubt that my tenacity comes from you and I am so thankful that you’ve always been my number one fan. And I know that you might be disappointed in me - in us - in the moment, but I also know that no one would be cheering more loudly or supporting us with more gusto than you in the long run. You’re the best dad I could’ve ever asked for and I couldn’t love you any more than I do.

“I want you both to know that we’re going to be okay - all three of us. It’s going to take a lot of time and I don’t imagine it’s going to ever hurt much less, but I’ll learn to live with it. I just hope that I am able to make you proud; if not now, then someday. And I hope that maybe someday, this conversation won’t be between me and a piece of granite. I’m not sure what I believe, but I’d like to think that maybe we’ll get to see each other again. But for now, this will have to do. I love you both, so, so much.”

Max wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me into him, pressing a lingering kiss against my forehead. I could feel myself on the verge of a breakdown, but I took a few deep breaths and drew strength from his embrace.

“Thank you…for coming with me,” I murmured against his chest.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else, Lillabet.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Phillip and Diane were waiting for us when we returned to the house.

“I asked Max to take me to the cemetery,” I said, sitting down across from them. “So I could talk to my parents.”

“Oh, Liz,” Diane murmured, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. “Did it help?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I’m really glad I went.”

She gave me a small smile and I could see the first hint of tears forming in her eyes, but she took a deep breath and composed herself. “I’m glad you did, too. Now,” she said, sitting back and looking at Phillip. “We’ve been discussing this situation and there are a few things that we want to address.”

“We want to support you in anyway we can, but we also want you to recognize that you’ve put yourselves in a very adult situation and we expect you to behave as such. You are both incredibly intelligent, responsible people and we know that you are capable of meeting our expectations. First and foremost is school. We expect both of you to finish high school on time and without doing damage to your GPAs. We expect both of you to go to college. We understand that it may not be at your first choice universities, but you are capable of great things no matter where you go and we do not want to see either of you lose that opportunity.” Phillip’s tone was not unkind, but there was no question that his words were entirely serious.

Max opened his mouth to speak, but his father held up a hand imploring him to wait. “Knowing the two of you, I’m sure you’ve already discussed this but please, let us finish.”

Max nodded, glancing at me and we simultaneously reached for each others’ hands.

“Something that we haven’t discussed with you yet, Liz, is money. Namely your parents’ life insurance policies. Between these policies and the sale of the Crash Down…” Diane began, but Max interjected.

“You’re selling the Crash Down? Why didn’t you say anything to me?” I could see a flash of hurt cross his face that he immediately attempted to mask with concern. Oh, Max. I know you far better than that!

“Um, yeah, your mom and I talked about it right after the funeral, but I really haven’t been ready to rehash it. I…I made the decision I can best live with and there’s really not much else to discuss.” Not now, Max. Please. I silently begged, my eyes imploring him to understand. We had enough to deal with at that moment and I didn’t need to have yet another breakdown.

He squeezed my hand. “Ok, Lillabet.” We turned back to his parents.

“Sorry Mom,” Max mumbled, waiting for her to continue.

“As I was saying, between the life insurance and the restaurant, plus all other assets, you stand to inherit somewhere in the ballpark of $750,000. There’s $200,000 in life insurance policies, the estimated market value of the Crash Down plus the apartment is $400,000, and there’s about $100,000 in retirement savings plus your college fund, Liz. After any debts are repaid, that will leave you with about $500,000. So while it’s not enough money for you to live a life of leisure, it will certainly provide some breathing room,” Diane explained.

I was in shock. I knew my parents had some money set aside in a retirement account and I knew they carried life insurance policies, but we’d never discussed the extent of them. My family was by no means wealthy and $500,000 was well beyond my wildest imagination.
“There’s also the matter of the man who…” Diane took a ragged breath, “…who shot them. There is, without question, a valid wrongful death suit that could be filed against his estate. I doubt he personally had much, if anything, in liquid assets, but he may have carried life insurance or there may be other monies attached to his estate. Phillip and I don’t handle that type of litigation, but we have friends who do, and we certainly could…”

I shook my head vigorously. “No. No, I’m not doing that. My parents are dead, he’s dead, and there’s not any amount of money in this world that’s going to change that. It’s not like I can have him sent to jail. The only people it’s going to hurt are his family and I’m not going to punish innocent people for the actions of someone they happen to be related to. I don’t know these people, but I choose to believe that they’re not complicit in his actions and it is not going to make me hurt any less to cause them more pain.” I could feel a sob welling in the back of my throat and I swallowed hard, willing myself not to cry.

“You don’t have to decide anything right now,” Phillip said gently. “Under the New Mexico statute of limitations, you have three years to file a wrongful death suit so if you change your mind…”

“I won’t, but thank you. I know you’re just trying to help, but unless it can bring my parents back, I don’t want anything from anyone.” My voice was firm and my words held more conviction than I realized I was capable of at that moment. Anything I received from that bastard would only feel like blood money and I wanted nothing to do with that.

“Okay,” Diane agreed resignedly. I knew that all they wanted was what was best for me and with a baby on the way any money would certainly help, but I also knew that I couldn’t withstand the stress of going through legal proceedings, nor did I want anything to do with my parents’ death to be directly tied to my child’s life.

“Even though you have this money available to you, we both feel that it’s pertinent you both continue to contribute to your future expenses for when the baby is born,” Phillip began, but Max immediately interjected.

“I’ll pick up a second job, but Liz is under enough stress. Today was the second time she’s left the house in 10 weeks, do you really think it’s fair to ask her to go out and get another job with everything she’s going through?” Max was fighting hard to keep his voice in check, but it was a losing battle.

“Calm down, son,” Phillip admonished, giving Max a stern look. “If you’d let me finish, you might actually be amenable to what we’re proposing.”

Max sat back and waited, but his mouth was still a hard line. I gave his hand a squeeze and his features softened ever so slightly. I loved him for wanting to stand up for me and to protect me, but every so often a bit of Michael’s quick temper made itself known in his brother and it didn’t do him any favors.

“We just adopted a new electronic filing system and we could use some help getting the old paper records imputed and organized. It’s something we know you’d do very well, Liz, and you could come into the office or work entirely from home or some combination of the two. We’re thinking 10-15 hours a week would be more than sufficient. It’s just something to keep you working and to have something to put on a resume,” Phillip explained, looking at me expectantly.

“Wow, that sounds great, actually,” I said, pleasantly surprised by the offer. “I would really love to help you guys out.”

“Well, that’s settled then,” Diane said, satisfied. “The other thing that we’d very much encourage you two to consider is going to counseling. The relationship the two of you have is very special, but an unintended pregnancy can negatively impact even the strongest relationships in couples much older than you. The last thing that we want to see is for you to end up resenting one another, what you have is too precious,” Diane said earnestly.

It struck me just how much they wanted us to succeed and be happy and in that moment I felt an overwhelming gratitude for the Evanses. I was so caught up in my own grief that I hadn’t taken the time to recognize that I wasn’t the only one devastated by this loss. They knew my parents even longer than I had. And here I was, 16 years old, living under their roof, and pregnant with their son’s child. Yet they had the grace and the empathy not only to support us through this, but to be standing firmly on our side, wanting nothing more than to see us thrive as individuals, as a couple, and as parents. That’s an incredibly rare gift and one I don’t know if I’ve ever been able to thank them enough for giving to us.

“I actually have an appointment set up with a therapist my OB referred me to for next week. But I’d certainly be willing to see someone with Max if that was okay with him.” I glanced up at him and he gave me a reassuring smile.

“I’m willing to do anything that is going to be beneficial for Liz or our baby, so if you think this is what we should do, then I’m all for it.”

How did I get so damned lucky?

“That’s good to hear, son,” Phillip said and I could see a glimmer of pride in his eyes. I hadn’t realized just how worried I’d been about this news destroying Max’s relationship with his parents - and frankly, my relationship with his parents - but in that moment all I could feel was a return of that overwhelming sense of relief.

We talked a bit more about our plans for school and both Phillip and Diane were fully supportive of our proposal and even offered to go with us to meet with the principle to discuss our intentions for senior year.

“This has been a lot to take in, but I’m really glad you came to us. You’re good kids, both of you,” Phillip said, looking pointedly from me to Max. “And I know that this isn’t going to be easy, but if there are two people who can make this work, it’s you. I really believe that.”

“So do I,” Diane echoed, and I found myself quickly losing my battle with my tears.

“Thank you,” I managed, though it wasn’t even lightyears close enough to express how grateful I truly was.

Diane got up from her seat and walked around the table, leaning down to give me a hug.

“You’ve always been a daughter to me, Lizzy,” she whispered into my hair. “And you are the best thing that’s ever happened to my son. Nothing could ever change that. I love you very much.” With that she let me go, stopping to kiss Max on the cheek before standing next to Phillip once more, their hands meeting on his shoulder.

“It’s been a long day and Michael and Isabel should be home soon, I’m sure the two of you still have homework to do,” Phillip said gently.
Max nodded and stood up, holding out his hand to me which I gladly accepted.

“We love you kids very much,” Phillip said with a reassuring smile.

“We love you too, Dad. And thank you, for being here for us,” Max replied, the tiniest hint of a crack in his voice.

“That’s our job, Max. And now it’s your job to be there for your own child. I know you’re going to do great. Both of you are.”

“Thanks Dad, that means a lot.”

Even more to me than Max could ever realize.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“That went much better than I was expecting,” Max said, shutting the door behind us. We’d both realized that Phillip and Diane still needed some time to process our news so we took the hint and retreated to our bedroom.

“I feel like I can breathe again,” I admitted. “I knew I was worried, but I don’t think I realized just how terrified I actually was.”

Now that the adrenaline had finally subsided, I was left boneless, sore, and exhausted. It was only then that I recognized just how much stress I’d been under in the past 48 hours.

“I think I’m going to take a bath,” I said, padding towards the bathroom. “Join me?”

“Absolutely.”

Max set about turning on the taps and adding the bubbles while I stripped and piled my hair on top of my head. I examined my body in the mirror, cupping my breasts and feeling a noticeable change in their size and weight before turning sideways to scrutinize my abdomen. I smoothed my hand over the barely perceptible swell, looking more like I’d eaten a big meal and less like I was carrying a child. But there was a firmness to it that was altogether different. I tried to imagine what I would look like 20 weeks from now and it was hard to conceive that I was going to grow so rapidly.

“God Max, how was I so blind?” I asked, framing my little bump. “I mean, I see myself in the mirror every single day. How could I not notice this?” Then I turned to him. “How didn’t you notice this?”

Max came up behind me, his arms slipping around my waist and his hands joining mine. “To say that it’s been a rough 10 weeks is a gross understatement. Even though you’d look at yourself in the mirror, I don’t think you were really seeing yourself. Evaluating your own body was incredibly low on your priority list that it likely didn’t even register. And even then, I think maybe it was like when I started getting fit; I saw myself everyday, so it was hard to recognize the changes until I saw pictures from the summer before and the summer after,” he reasoned, his eyes meeting mine in our reflection.

“And as for me not noticing, I did notice your body changing, but I was so focused on how much weight you’d lost that the changes in your breasts and hips and abdomen didn’t register as something other than a side effect of dropping weight so quickly. I thought that it was more an issue of perception than that something else was going on altogether,” he explained gently. “I know how hard it’s been for you and me making remarks that could be misconstrued as critical would be completely unfair.”

I nodded, understanding. “I can’t believe there’s really a baby in here,” I murmured, pressing against my abdomen. “I can’t believe we created an entirely new person. Someone who only exists because of us.”

“I am so grateful, Lillabet. For our child, for your sacrifice to bring this child into the world. I just hope that I can be the man you deserve and the father this baby deserves.” The raw emotion in his voice caught me off guard and I turned around in his arms.

“Max,” I whispered, cradling his face in my hands and imploring him to look at me. “You are the most incredible person I have ever known. And this baby is going to have the best father they could possibly ask for; they already do. The only reason I’ve survived the last three months is because of you. And the only reason that I can even fathom having this child is because you’re by my side. Please don’t ever question if you are enough. You are more than enough. You are everything. You are my everything.” I pressed my lips against his tenderly and I could feel our tears commingling on my cheek.

“And I am going to spend every day of the rest of my life proving myself worthy.” He kissed my forehead.

He helped me into the bath and stepped in behind me, settling me between his legs, careful to keep the water in the tub. I leaned back against his chest and closed my eyes, relishing in the feeling of his hard body pressed against mine as his hands drew bubbles up my arms and across my chest before dipping into the water to cradle my stomach.

“Do you remember the last time we did this?” Max asked and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

I looked up at him, perplexed. “Um, I mean, we took a shower together last week but I don’t remember anything out of the ordinary?”

He chuckled. “No, not a shower, but a bath.”

I thought about it for moment and realized that it had been years since we were in a proper bath together, but a specific memory wasn’t coming to mind and I told him as much.

“We were 5. Isabel and I were staying at your house for the weekend because my parents had taken Michael to some dirt bike rally in Phoenix for his 7th birthday and we didn’t want to go. I don’t remember what you and I had done that day to get absolutely filthy, but I remember coming into the Crash Down covered head to toe. Of course, Isabel was spotless and pretty proud of herself, but what else is new?”
I laughed and rolled my eyes. To this day, it still requires a life or death situation to convince Isabel to break a sweat outside of the gym!

“Anyways, your parents were both busy, so they told us to go upstairs and take baths. Plural. But you in your ever-logical reasoning decided that it made no sense for one of us to sit around dirty while the other one was in the tub, so you told me that we should just take a bath together. At that point, it’d been at least 2 or 3 years since my mother had the three of us bathe together, but I didn’t think anything of it, so I hopped in with you. So we played in the tub for awhile and there were plenty of suds, so I really didn’t notice anything different at first.” As Max continued the story, the memory came rushing back to me and I had to stifle a laugh.

“And then I stood up and your eyes got huge and you started yelling ‘Lillabet, your pee pee fell off!’ and that was the day my mother had to explain the difference between boys and girls to you because apparently you thought your parents were lying when they told you boys and girls had different…plumbing!” I was almost doubled over with laughter as I recalled Max’s abject horror at my apparent lack of appropriate genitalia.

“Hey! I was 5! And I was way more interested in dinosaurs than I was in learning about human anatomy!” Max argued feebly.

“Well, I for one am glad that you are way more interested in anatomy than dinosaurs these days,” I teased, wiggling my butt against his groin.
“Watch yourself, Ms. Parker. We’re supposed to be having a relaxing bath and if you keep that up there is a well-studied part of my anatomy that is going to be anything but relaxed!” He chided me, but I could feel the laugher rumbling in his chest.

“Fine,” I groused petulantly. “I’ll behave myself…for now.”

“Promises, promises!”

“That was a good memory, Max,” I said quietly a few minutes later. “We’ve made a lot of good memories together, haven’t we?”

“I would say that the vast majority of my best memories have you in them,” Max agreed, kissing the top of my head.

“I want us to have good memories of this time, too. I don’t want to look back on this pregnancy and only remember pain and uncertainty and grief. Even if it’s hard, I want us to celebrate this child. I know that not every day is going to be a good one, but I want to make sure that there is more good than bad. I want that for our baby and I want that for us.”

“I want that too, Liz. We are going to make beautiful memories. We certainly did yesterday when we got to hear the heartbeat, and just sitting here right now, being together, we’re making more. But I need you to know that I am here for all of it, Liz. Not just the good stuff. I’m here for the grief and the uncertainty and the rough days. You will never have to endure any of it alone. We’re in this together. We’ve always been in this together,” he said earnestly.

And for perhaps the thousandth time in those 48 hours, I wondered what I’d done to deserve to be loved by Max Evans.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After we’d finished, Max shooed me to bed so he could clean up the bathroom. The intimacy we’d just shared wrapped around me like warm tendrils, soft and comforting, but an ache had also settled in my core that demanded something more physical.

I dropped my towel in the hamper and let my hair down, slipping naked in between the sheets to wait. I lightly probed my damp folds, hoping to find some relief, but it only served to heighten my arousal.

By the time Max came back into the bedroom, I was quivering with need.

“Liz,” he groaned when he realized just where my hand was and what I was doing.

I flipped back the sheet. “Max, come to bed.” I could see him hardening rapidly beneath his towel and I was greeted by his thickening erection as it fell to the floor. I could see a moment of hesitation cross his features and he came to sit next to me on the edge of the bed. I caressed his inner thigh in the same tempo I caressed myself, staring up at him with profound need.

“Lillabet, what about this one?” He asked gently, spreading his hand over my tiny bump.

“Max, we’ve had sex since I’ve been pregnant,” I admonished him.

“Yeah, but we didn’t know you were pregnant!”

I felt an ugly seed of insecurity sprouting and I withdrew my hand from his thigh. “If you don’t find me attractive right now, I understand,” I murmured, reaching for the sheet in humiliation.

“Jesus, Liz, that’s not it at all!” He said, alarmed. “Lillabet, look at me,” he commanded, rubbing small circles over my stomach.
I had tears in my eyes for the second time that night, but I forced myself to look up at him, still mortified.

“I am insanely attracted to you! Do you know what it takes for me to keep my hands off of you under the most mundane circumstances? And now you’re carrying my baby. There is nothing in this world I can think of that is more beautiful! But I also don’t want to hurt you or our little one in any way. And then I wasn’t sure if you’d even want to because I know some pregnant women have no interest in sex…” He trailed off, and this time it was his turn to be embarrassed.

I sniffled, softening at his words. “Well, this pregnant woman is definitely not one of them!”

“That’s really good to know,” he said sultrily. “Because your skin has been glowing and all I want to do is touch it…” He ran his hand up my midline and over my clavicle. “And kiss it,” he bent down to press his lips to my sternum.

“And these,” he cupped my breasts with both hands, thumbing gently at my nipples. “These are spectacular,” he enthused as I arched into his palms.

“Max!” I moaned breathily, my fears from moments ago completely forgotten.

“And to see you here, touching yourself, knowing that you’re thinking of me, wanting me…I cannot even describe how much that turns me on.”

He took my hand in his and slowly extracted it from between my legs before brining my fingers to his mouth to lick them clean. He moaned. “God, you taste so damned good, Liz.”

I reached out and wrapped my hand around his thick shaft, teasing the tip before pumping the length in long, purposeful strokes.

“I need you inside of me, Max. Please,” I heard myself beg, desperate to feel him between my legs.

He stretched out over me and automatically reached for the nightstand to grab a condom.

“Max,” I said, gently grabbing his wrist. “I don’t think those are going to be of much use to us now.”

His cheeks pinked with a flush of embarrassment. “Right!”

“Max?” I murmured, locking his gaze with mine. “Make love to me.” And with a single fluid movement he was in me and it felt like coming home.

I rocked my hips up to meet his and we both gasped, my fingers digging into his sculpted shoulders. He stilled, fully sheathed inside of my body and his eyes met mine intently once more. “If anything…anything hurts or feels off or if you are uncomfortable in any way, you need to tell me and we’ll stop.”

“Max…” I almost whined, trying to roll my pelvis underneath him to create some friction.

“Liz. Promise me,” he implored, his concern grossly evident.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him tenderly. “I promise Max. Now please, please make love to me,” I murmured against his lips and tightened my core around his shaft.

And he did. Slowly, tenderly, he loved me in a way that only he ever had and ever would. And when I came it was with his name and my love for him on my lips.

I'm glad Max's parents thought before they responded to the pregnancy. They really want the best for new family. It had to be hard for Liz to have to tell her parents at the graveside. I'm glad Liz made the decision not to pursue legal action against the estate of the man that killed her parents. It wouldn't bring them back.

Thought I'd left something earlier, but here goes again.
Glad Liz and Max took the drive, and spent some time at the gravesite.
The Evans will support Max and Liz in their decisions, but they are expected to contribute too.
It's nice that Liz has the financial nest egg, her parents really saved for her.

I'm so glad both Diane and Phillip took the news well! The fact that Liz is going to have money and a job must be a relief for her as well. The gravesite scene was really touching and sad, poor Liz.

Can't wait for the next chapter!