Part 41
“Mom, you should have come with us. It was a lot different than the L.A. zoo, and I wasn’t afraid of the bears at all like last time.”
Liz shared an amused smile with Max before swooping down to pick up Alex with a grunt, kissing him on the cheek. “Well, honey, you’re a lot bigger than you were the last time you went to the zoo, you know?”
Alex nodded. “I know. I could tell the difference.”
Liz laughed and set her son down. “So how did Zac like the zoo?”
“Well he’d been there before, but I think he liked it a lot. What do you think, Daddy.”
Max nodded seriously. “I think he liked it. Actually, Zac was a lot of help because he knew where some of the exhibits were that we couldn’t find.”
Alex nodded in agreement.
“So how was your day?” Max asked with a bit of a smile in his eyes. “Think you and Maria accomplished your mission?”
Liz shrugged miserably. “I have no idea. We’re waiting for word, but Kyle hasn’t even come home yet.”
Max flashed a grin. “Well, that might be because he’s still over at Ava’s.”
Liz couldn’t help but break into a smile at that. The way Max had said it, there was no way that it was a bad thing. “He is?”
Max nodded, laughing. “I don’t know if we’ll ever get him back. They looked like they were enjoying each other’s company, didn’t they, Alex?”
Alex thought about it for a moment. “They were talking a lot. I think they were nervous… but happy.”
Liz almost squealed at the news, reaching out impulsively to hug both her husband and her son. It had been a risk to force Kyle and Ava to talk to each other, but if Alex thought they seemed happy, then they probably were happy. Somehow luck had been on their side and things had turned out well. “I’m so excited. I’ll have to tell Maria. She’ll try to take all the credit, but—” She cut herself off as she realized something. “Wait. How did Zac take it seeing them together?”
Max wasn’t hesitant to answer, though. “Not too bad, actually. He was asking me about Kyle a bit today… kind of like a back-up check. I think he wants to give him a chance.”
“He wants his mom to be happy,” Alexander added quietly. “He’ll do anything.”
Liz looked at him, surprised and more than a little touched on behalf of her friend. That Zac at his age was so concerned about Ava… well it really shouldn’t have surprised her, judging by the two people that were standing in front of her, but it did. “Well that’s very sweet of him.”
Alex nodded, a little embarrassed that maybe he’d said too much, and he excused himself to his room quickly.
“It’s amazing watching them together,” Max said, as he watched Alex run off. “They even act like brothers. Kind of reminded me of Michael and myself.”
Liz smiled warmly, nodding. The comparison fit just perfectly. Zac was impetuous and defensive where Alex was patient and thoughtful. Also like Michael, though, Zac was just a really good person under his rough edges.
“So things with Zac went okay?” she verified, threading her arms around Max’s neck.
“Definitely okay,” he agreed. “Better than I’d expected.”
“Well you always did sell yourself short,” she teased. “And he’s asking you about Kyle? Sounds like he trusts you, values your opinion,” she pressed on, smiling.
“Something like that,” Max smiled, looking for all the world like a man reprieved. “I don’t know why he would…”
At that, Liz shook her head, sad and a little mystified. Sometimes Max still concentrated too much on the mistakes he’d made in his life. He still didn’t let himself see what a wonderful person he was. “Max, from what I understand about Zac’s powers, he can access memories from before he even knew what a memory was. He can remember Tess, he can remember all of us from back when he was just a baby. That means he can remember you, too.” She let her hand wander up to stroke his face. “Max, I know that you’ve been afraid of what Zac must have thought of you for abandoning him all those years ago, but he knows that you didn’t. You did it all to protect him. He knows that. He remembers it.”
“So your saying that I should get over it.”
Liz shook her head. “I’m just saying that you need to let it go, Max. Just think about it. You were eighteen, not even out of high school. Maybe Zac’s life hasn’t been perfect up to this point, but if you think about it, we didn’t have much to offer him, either. But now you two have a chance to really mean something for each other. I just don’t want you to spoil it by worrying too much about things that happened in the past, things you can never change.”
Max cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Speaking of things that I can’t change… are you really okay with this?” he asked, searching her face for any sign of forced feelings. “Me spending more time with Zac, getting to know him better? Because I do want to get to know him. But if it ever hurt you, or Alex…”
Liz held two fingers over his lips, shushing him. “Max, stop.” She shook her head and sighed, looking directly at him, so that he would know that she really meant what she was saying. “I’m really happy that Zac is in our lives now. Our lives,” she repeated, firmly. “He’s part of our family now. He and Ava both are.”
“But that’s not—” he tried to interrupt, but she shook her head.
“Max, listen to me. I love every single part of you,” she said slowly, emphasizing each word. “And Zac… Zac is your son. He is a part of you. A part that was missing for a long time. I know I haven’t really been able to say it, but I want you to know that I’m really glad that he’s back in your life.”
And as Max kissed her, opening their connection, she felt the gratitude pouring off of him. She knew that he had never as much as hoped that she would feel that way, but she was taking her own advice here. They couldn’t afford to let the past taint the future. In the end it just wasn’t worth it.
*************
Kyle glanced in the direction Ava had gone to answer the phone, idly wishing her back. He fumbled for something to say to the boy sitting across from him, but he couldn’t think of a thing. Funnily enough, though, he got the feeling that Zac was doing the exact same thing. Kyle was smart enough not to hold a petty grudge against a ten-year-old, so even though Zac hadn’t apologized for the things that he’d said to Kyle the other day, he was obviously a little embarrassed about it. Besides, Kyle had a feeling that Zac had needed to say it as much as Kyle had needed to hear it. It had been a good step. Kyle just didn’t know what the next one was, which was why it surprised him when Zac spoke up.
“So are you gonna like… marry my mom now or something?”
The question was so sudden that Kyle almost jumped. When he processed what Zac had asked, he swallowed, considering. The two of them had been more than civil to each other since Max had dropped Zac off, but Kyle still had a feeling that one misstep could land them right back where they were before, so he decided to just be honest. “Well, maybe eventually. If she’ll let me.”
Zac nodded somberly, and then shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s okay, I guess.”
Kyle struggled to keep his face straight, as the boy’s answer brought an involuntary smile to his face. He cleared his throat. “Does… that mean that I have your permission to be with her, then?”
Zac gave him an evaluative look, and then shrugged again. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Kyle allowed a corner of his mouth to raise up as he met Zac’s look with a bit of a tease. “Your blessing, even?”
Zac rolled his eyes. “Don’t push it,” he smirked.
Kyle’s grin broke loose, and he almost laughed in relief. How in one day he’d managed to get both Ava and Zac to give him a second chance was utterly beyond him. “So, uh, what changed your mind about me?”
Zac scuffed his sneakers against each other, watching them as he answered. “I talked to Uncle Max about you today, at the zoo.”
Kyle hadn’t been expecting that at all. “Oh, really? What’d he say?”
Zac shrugged. “He said he kind of hated you for a while.”
Kyle almost choked on the air in surprise. “He did, did he?” he asked sharply.
Zac nodded, looking at his shoes again. “Said he didn’t like that he had to trust you at first, because you used to date Aunt Liz, and he didn’t really think that you would be dependable. But then he said that he got to know you… and you were a good guy. He said maybe I should give you a chance. And Alex and Mom think so too… so I’m giving you a chance.” He forced his legs to stop kicking and looked over at Kyle. The look was still somewhat guarded, but Kyle knew he was trying, and gave him an encouraging look, so Zac went on. “Listen… both my moms have loved you. Maybe my real mom didn’t really deserve all the things that she wanted, but Ava does. And I guess she wants you,” he finished dubiously, as if he wasn’t sure why she would want Kyle.
Kyle didn’t blame him, though. He wasn’t really sure why Ava would want him, either. “So… we’ll try this out?” he asked, holding his hand out hopefully. “Truce?”
Zac eyed him again, as if he were making a weighty decision, and finally shook Kyle’s hand, nodding. “Truce.”
“Well that’s certainly nice to see.”
Kyle and Zac both turned to see Ava reenter the room, smiling. Zac pulled his hand back in embarrassment, but gave his mom a half-smile as she came to sit next to him, tousling his hair. “It’s about bedtime, don’t you think, Zac?”
Zac sighed dramatically, but cut his act short as he glanced at Kyle suspiciously. “He’s not staying over, is he?”
“No!” Ava said quickly, blushing.
“Yeah, this is a little, uh… new for sleepovers,” Kyle said, not quite escaping a flush himself.
“Actually that was Maria on the phone, asking if Kyle was still here.”
“She took fifteen minutes to ask you if Kyle was here?” Zac asked, skeptically.
“Well, she was… asking about my day.”
Kyle rolled his eyes. “What she means to say is that she was getting the scoop. You’re Aunt Maria is a total gossip.”
Ava laughed softly, shaking her head dismissively. “So Zac? Bed?”
Zac shrugged, resigned. “Yeah, I guess. Goodnight Mom, Kyle,” he said, nodding to them each before leaving the room.
Ava watched his retreating figure, then turned back to Kyle, showing her bewilderment. “Okay… how did that happen?”
Kyle laughed. “Honestly? I have no idea. But that’s a good kid you‘ve got there.”
“He is,” she agreed.
He stood up, stretching. “So that was Maria, huh? What’d you tell her?”
Ava blushed again. “Just that yes, you were still here, and that we’d been spending the day talking and getting to know each other.”
“One of the best days I’ve ever had in my life,” Kyle acknowledged, wrapping her in a quick hug and kissing her forehead.
“Me too,” she admitted, leaning into him.
“So, uh… you sure about that not spending the night thing?” he teased, but Ava stiffened slightly.
“Kyle, I need to take things slowly. This is all so new to me—”
He hushed her, placing two fingers over her lips. “Ava, Ava, I was kidding. We’ve got all the time in the world, okay?”
In response she kissed his fingers and smiled. “Okay.”
He smiled back at her. Damn, did it feel good to share a smile with her. “Listen, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” he said, not wanting to leave, but knowing that he’d have to get into the office early tomorrow to try and make up for leaving the way he had. “After work I’ll take you out someplace. We’ll have a bona-fide date, how does that sound?”
She smiled graciously. “That sounds good.”
He grinned, then kissed her lightly, breathing her in for a moment. I love you, he whispered in her mind, and he could feel the smile that it brought to her lips. Finally he pulled away, leaving her one last peck on the tip of her nose. “Goodnight, beautiful.”
As he was headed towards the door she called after him, though. “Kyle?”
He turned back. Ava gave him a half-smile, and the open look in her eyes almost took his breath away. “I love you, too.”
When he got back to his apartment twenty minutes later, he was still smiling.
