“Am I doing the right thing?” Beth wondered as she put the last of her clothes in her suitcase and coolly assessed the room she was, as she knew Max would be arriving anytime to pick them up and drive them to his place.
One of these days I have got to rent a car, she thought to herself as she went back into her inner turmoil as she didn’t know how she decided to do this, or why.
“Mom are you ready?” came Carrie’s voice and then Beth knew why. The girls. She needed to protect them. She didn’t know if she could stay in Roswell knowing the danger was rising by the day and that it could overtake them, but still, she needed to try to make it work and figure out what the future held. For at least Alexandra and Carrie’s sake if not hers.
“Almost,” Beth said carefully. “How is your packing going?”
“Done,” Alexandra said. “I hope you know we didn’t want to pressure you to take up on Max’s invitation, but maybe it’s good that this happens.”
“I made the final decision girls. And I can’t let what happened today happen again, and I still don’t know how much longer we’re going to stay here in Roswell so don’t get your hopes up, but this is for the best, or for today at least.”
“We won’t,” Alexandra smiled as she walked over to hug her mother, and Beth took the hug gladly as she held her daughter tightly. “I have faith Mom that this will work out for us.”
“I hope so,” Beth sighed as she went into the bathroom to make sure she had everything, while the twins went back to their room to finish their packing.
*
“He what?” Grace was asking as Elizabeth arrived in her hospital room. She was headed to the library to do some research for school when she elected to check out Grace and found out she was the first to break the news of the big invitation from Max to Beth. “How is it that you are telling me this earth-shattering news, and not my own father?”
“Beats me,” Elizabeth smiled as she handed her friend some books to read while she was in the hospital, but Grace wasn’t interested in looking through the bag to see the selections because this was the first she was hearing that her father invited Beth and the twins to stay at her family home.
“I know you Elizabeth, you always have your ear to the ground. You always know the gossip, even when I do… So, you have to know more than you’re saying and because obviously I am the last to know.”
“All I know is that it happened fast, and I haven’t been able to pick up on all the details. Because Mom and Dad have been gone, and I haven’t been able to do my usual eavesdropping. I just know something happened, and Uncle Max made the offer. And your mother and the twins jumped on the idea, and that is happening as we speak.” Elizabeth smiled. “I am sure he’ll stop by and tell you.”
“He better,” Grace grumbled as she hated not being in the loop and given this was a pretty big detail not to be told, she hoped it would end up working out because this can the capacity to be a disaster,
what is going on with my life she asked herself. “I hope it works out.”
“So, do I,” Elizabeth said. “How’s the legs?”
“Better,” Grace smiled. “I will be doing my rehab but so far, the feeling is coming back, slowly, but it’s coming back.”
“I am glad,” Elizabeth smiled as Grace checked out the books, and nodded as she perused the books and magazines. “You didn’t tell my brother about Tommy, did you?”
“Oh…” Grace sighed as she looked up at her friend.
“It’s okay if you did, but it’s one battle I don’t want to be facing with him in the days and months to come. Even if Tommy is gone for good, still, he’s going to go overprotective if he sees me with any guy.”
“Maybe you should allow him the whole story,” Grace asked. “Your brother has been the best with me, and he loves you so he’s not going to hold it against you.”
“Oh, I know,” Elizabeth sighed. “It’s bad enough that Mom and Dad now know. They are going to super protective if any guy shows any interest.”
“They were going to be that way without knowledge of the incident Elizabeth,” Grace said. “Michael Guerin doesn’t strike me as a father who will not want to do a double check on your potential dates or run background checks. Knowing what he knows about guys.”
“I know,” Elizabeth sighed at the one aspect of her father she didn’t relish.
“I didn’t tell your brother, after my little slip. He wanted to know, and I tried to skate around it to some success, but he probably suspects the worst, but I told him to ask you.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said. “So, how’s things with you and Jake?”
“Elizabeth…” Grace groaned.
“I am asking as friend, and not as Jake’s sister. I am curious, with both of you having landed here at the hospital, it’s hard to get any insight.”
“Things are wait and see,” Grace said honestly. “My life is way too complicated, and he understands that and we’re friends.”
“I have my doubts about that,” Elizabeth smiled but knew there was some truth in it, so she let it go for the moment. “I guess I better get to the library, because if I don’t show up to school with all my homework done… Mom and Dad will have my head.”
“Let me know if I miss anything,” Grace asked.
“Of course,” Elizabeth smiled as she walked out of the room whistling, while Grace wished for some peace and some low-level drama for once. The last few weeks were one thing after another for the teenager, and she feared with her mother and father and their complications, life wouldn’t get freedom any time soon. “What did I do that my life is this complicated…”
And yet she couldn’t help but wonder what was happening with her father and mother.
*
“Welcome,” Max was saying as he walked into the house with Beth, and the twins a few minutes later. Parking in the driveway, Beth had looked around and relieved to see a gorgeous home, on a beautiful street. And it looked completely safe. Which was going to be important given recent events.
“How long have you had this place?” Beth asked as she and the girls walked through the doors and saw an intimate modest home.
“Liz and I bought it while she was pregnant with Grace. We had been living in an apartment or two after we got married, but when we knew we were going to be expanding our family. We figured we needed more space, and with the help of our families because we both were still in school… we found this place,” he said.
“And you didn’t leave, after you know…” Beth asked as she saw Grace’s pictures on the fireplace. One of her as a baby, and then as a teenager… looked similar age to the age the twins were now.
“No,” Max shook his head with a genuine smile. “This was my last memory of Liz, you…” he said. “I couldn’t leave it…”
“It’s beautiful,” Beth commented.
“Thanks. I haven’t done too much over the years. But little touches here and there, or Grace helped out.”
“I do appreciate the offer,” Beth said.
“You’re more than welcome. I know it’s a crazy time for you and the twins but know that the door is open for you to stay as long as you want to.”
“Thank you,” Beth said as Alexandra and Carrie observed the connection between their parents as they tried to take the surreal atmosphere of being in the home that belonged to their biological father after thirteen years of being without a father in their lives. It almost defied belief that this dream could be coming true for the two of them.
Even though they knew they were far away from the fairy tale ending that still existed in their dreams.
“I admit that the situation is strange. As you can see, the house is not that big. So, we need to make some compromises for the time being” Max said knowing he made this offer before really looking at the capabilities of his home in housing so many people,” Max was saying as they went upstairs. “Girls; Alexandra and Carrie. Without Grace here, you can have her room for the time being. There are two beds in there, because Elizabeth is always staying over for sleepovers. And even with Grace home, whenever that day does come. She might be sticking downstairs for the duration of her recovery, but we’re get to that bridge when we get to it. Okay?”
“Sure,” the twins smiled as Max open the door to Grace’s bedroom as Alexandra could see that her eldest sister mirrored her room to an eerie detail. Except her posters took a more political tint lately.
“Beth, you can have my room,” Max said as Beth’s eyes shot up and he rushed to continue. “I will be staying downstairs. There is a room in a basement that I have made into a kind of office for when I work at home, which was a godsend when Grace was growing up… but still I have a bed in there that I can use.”
“You don’t have to Max; I can stay downstairs.” Beth offered.
“This is nicer, and I figure when Grace does come home… being downstairs will be closer to her…” Max sighed as he knew he hadn’t even thought how they would manage it when Grace did get released from the hospital. “Also, I figure a bigger room can help if you need to do anything work related while you’re here.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it” Beth smiled as Alexandra could only glance over with an amused look at her sister who could only smirk as Beth went into the main bedroom while the girls went into their temporary room, while Beth looked around the room and could see the obvious signs of a bachelor. She saw pictures of Grace’s graduation from junior high, toddler Grace with her curly brown hair. And then what looked like a family picture of Max, Grace as a baby… and her.
She sat on the bed and looked around the room, and Max was about to leave the room when suddenly a flash came to Beth’s mind.
“Max, I am pregnant” came a soft voice, Beth could only think was her own.
“Oh my god… Gracie is going to be a big sister…” came a voice that Beth could only think was Max’s…
“What,” Beth squeaked.
Max was about to leave the room, when he turned around at the words from Beth. “What is it, are you okay.”
“I had a memory of us on this same bed…”
“You did,” Max said startled.
“It was innocent,” she smirked. “But I said ‘I was pregnant’” but the flash was from this bed set, in this room. I thought you didn’t know about the pregnancy with the twins…. Grace was already born in my flash.”
“Oh,” Max said quietly.
“What?” Beth asked.
“You were pregnant before…” Max said quietly as he remembered back to that time. “It was a year before you vanished. You became pregnant, but we lost the baby… shortly after we discovered the pregnancy and before it came time to announce it.”
“We did,” Beth said startled by the emotion of the memory.
“Yes,” Max said quietly before he added. “It was going to be a boy.”
“Oh my god Max,” Beth said.
“Yes…” Max said softly as the memories of the pain of the loss coursed through. “Then a year later, we were about to try again when I lost you… I had no idea we had been successful, when I we lost you, and I ultimately lost the girls…”
“You didn’t lose them, or me.” Beth said softly, surprising even herself with her words that had genuine meaning in them.
“Yes, I did, and even though I may have a chance now to make up for the loss… I’ll never get back what I lost…or what you lost in those years without Grace.”
“Max, I am sorry.”
“Don’t Beth… I am just glad you’re here. And that Alexandra and Carrie have a chance to get to know their history, and you have a chance to get to know what you lost.” Max said softly as he walked towards the door, to exit the painful memories of those days and years he had missed out on.
“I truly hope I have that chance…” Beth said, not certain where all this lead.
Max could only nod, as he left the room and left Beth to wonder what had happened that someone thought she and Max deserved all this pain and angst, and whether the would have that chance to conquer it in the end… as he looked back, “I am headed to the hospital.”
Beth nodded as Max walked out.
*
“Unbelievable,” Carrie and Alexandra were asking as they sat in the bedroom, and they remarked on their crazy streak of drama of the past few days. “Did you imagine we would be here?” Carrie asked.
“It was the last thing I imagined, even if I engineered Mom’s arrival in this place. I figured Mom might come collect me, and we might go straight home. I never imagined any of this…”
“That we would be sitting in our birth father’s house, with Mom.” Carrie asked.
“I know…” Alexandra sighed as they saw Max walking past the room and looking in at two people he never imagined seeing in his home. “Thank you, Mr. Evans, for inviting us.”
“I know this is a very complicated situation, and it can’t be easy for either of you.” Max said stopping and coming into the room as he came to realize how little time he had spent with the twins since the discovery and how this had to be so surreal for the two young teenagers, if he could barely get around it, at his age. “You both can call me Max.”
“Thanks Max,” Carrie said as she felt at ease with this man who couldn’t help but stare at her and her sister. “How is Grace doing?”
Max flinched, as he thought of his eldest daughter but smiled at mention of her name “She’s doing a lot better. I am actually heading over there in a few minutes because I need to fill her in the changes around here…”
“Tell her hello for us,” Alexandra smiled as she knew it was going to be pretty confusing for Grace to learn what had happened while she was laying in a hospital bed. “Maybe we can visit soon.”
“I think she’ll enjoy that,” Max said as he left the room.
“Unbelievable,” Alexandra murmured as they heard the front door slam shut a few minutes later, as they looked at each other and marveled at their bizarre life.