“What am I supposed to do with that?” Beth asked quietly as she sat on the couch and saw Max’s eyes, and the desire on his face. For almost fourteen years she had lived in a suspended automation and now everything was awakening and changing the life she had carefully crafted, and she didn’t know how to take the changes that were almost brutal in how much it was taking over.
“I am not trying to pressure you,” Max sighed. “I understand the position you’re under, and I am almost in the same spot you are from a different angle but know that whatever decision you make I am going to deal with it and accept it.”
“Would you, if I decided to go back to my life in Madison and take the girls?” Beth asked.
“I won’t begin to say I would like it. They deserve to know their family here, to know me, to know their older sister but you are their mother and at the end of the day I would respect it but would want them to be able to know their history and be able to come and visit.”
“I would never keep the twins from you,” Beth said as she saw Serena trying to call again. “It would be useless at this point, and I wouldn’t even want to try. They deserve to know you, to know Grace and of course to know their grandparents on both sides.”
“And I would never stop Grace from being in contact with you,” Max said quietly. “This situation is something neither of us are prepared today to deal with but know one day, it will come together… one way or another.”
“I know,” Beth nodded, and Max knew this was difficult for Liz.
“If you want to call your friend back, you can use my laptop. You can have a bigger screen for your talk.”
“If you don’t mind,” Beth said as she knew she needed to talk to Serena and get some bearings of the situation. Too much was flooding her mind, and coursing through her veins and plus Serena didn’t know she had left the motel and was now staying with Max. She knew her friend would have something to say about the change in circumstances.
“No, come on.” Max nodded as they went downstairs to the office, and he set up the computer for the call. “When you’re finished. Well, I don’t have a lot of food in the house so maybe we can take the girls someplace for dinner. It can be out of the way, away from the prying eyes of the town if you want.”
“Sure,” Beth smiled at the thought of going out with Max.
Max nodded, as he waited to see if Beth could contact her friend and make sure she knew how to work his computer as she put the call through on the computer. “Serena,” Beth said. “Sorry I missed your call earlier.”
“What’s going on?” Serena asked as she came on screen, as she was in the living room of her home as she was doing some paperwork for the office, as she pressed for the video connection “I called the motel when I didn’t reach you, to be patched to your room, and they told me you had checked out.”
“I meant to tell you,” Beth said as she spotted Max standing by the door. “I have had a change in plans to where we are staying.”
“What’s going on Beth,” Serena asked as she saw her friend tense. “Are you coming home, are you at the airport?”
“No,” Beth said.
“Where are you?” Serena asked as she wondered if her friend was coming home and was at the airport but from the looks of where her friend was, it didn’t seem that way.
“Max’s,” Beth said, and saw Serena’s jaw dropped. “I know what you’re going to say. I know Serena, I know.”
“What in the hell happened,” Serena asked as Max’s eyes shot up and she smiled, and he left the room to leave Beth time to talk to her friend as he couldn’t help but share the shock because so much had happened so fast, and it didn’t do anyone any good to push the future onto the present as they just had to figure it out, step by step. “Why are you there…”
“Well…” Beth sighed…
*
“I can’t believe it,” Grace said as she talked to Jake as he had come into her room and she was instantly grateful for the visit because she needed a sounding board, and one that she knew wouldn’t give her instant support like Elizabeth tended to do with her own sensibilities coded into it.
“Believe him Grace,” Jake smiled as she heard his friend vent about the fact her mother was now staying with her father.
“I worry,” Grace said.
“I know you do, but don’t. Your father is a big guy and he knows what he’s doing. And I suspect so does your mother. She is still new to all this…”
“That is what I am worried about,” Grace said. “Without her memory, she’s a sitting duck for our enemies. I worry this will send her back to Connecticut.”
“Well it’s their home.” Jake admitted. “She’s going to have to go back there sometime…”
“I know, but I don’t like the idea that we’ll chase them back there…”
“How’s that?” Jake asked as he saw the concern on Grace’s face and knew there was a lot of bubbling under her new attitude to take life as it came.
“I was targeted. Ellis might be dealt with, for now. But there are people out there who want to do us harm and they tried it once with Mom, and almost succeed. If she figures this town is dangerous, she might take my sisters and go home back to their home, and stay there…”
“I think your mother will be able to weigh any dangers with the truth of the situation,” Jake smiled. “You don’t have to worry. Even if they go back, I suspect it won’t be long… she’ll eventually end up back here…”
“Why do you say that?” Grace asked as her interest perked up.
“You weren’t awake, but I saw them interact the other night when we all thought the worst about you. The moment your father saw your mother, well, it was magic and there were sparks flying all over the place.”
“Really?” Grace asked, warily as she stared at Jake and wondered.
“Yes,” Jake confirmed. “So, if she does have to leave, I suspect she will be compelled back here…”
“They are different now than they were back when I was a kid.” Grace observed. “They both have lived different lives so how can we be enticing for her when she has a life in Connecticut and a job and a career and if it’s dangerous here, or she feels it is and without her memory to truly to bring her back to us, how could she truly want to be here?”
“We all are,” Jake smiled as he teased Grace and got her to smile. “None of us are the people we once were, and I am sure that goes for your parents or even my parents. All they can do is deal with any given day, and it’s their life. So, why don’t you just concentrate on what you can concentrate, which is of course your life. And let your parents deal with their own lives, and take it how it comes, okay?”
“Dad told me that too,” Grace smiled.
“Believe him,” Jake smiled.
“I guess,” Grace asked as she wasn’t too certain whether she could…
“Grace, I know why you’re unsettled, and you have a right to be, as this is unchartered territory for you. Something you’ve never had to deal with. Because she left your life so young, and now this movie twist has been brought into your life and you’re trying to accept along with many other developments that have come into your life.”
“It’s been one thing after another, true.”
“It has,” Jake said. “But it’s not something you can control.”
“But its’ something I can fret about because I don’t know where my life is going on many other fronts.” Grace muttered as she thought of how out of control her life has become over the last few weeks.
“Then use it as a diversion and don’t let it control your life.”
“I guess,” Grace sighed.
“Good,” Jake smiled as she he took her hand into his…
“Jake…”
“Grace don’t…” Jake said putting his foot down. “I am not trying to start anything you’re not ready for, as everything is still unsettled and with us being here… and everything you know happening, I just want you to believe in something.”
“I always believed in you…” Grace smiled as she took his hand. “But…”
“But nothing…” Jake said as he took her hand and planted a light kiss on it because from his own wheelchair, he couldn’t reach anywhere else, and she Grace giggled at the old fashion sentiment. “Believe in this…” he added as he put another kiss on her hand… “One day, you never know what it might lead to… when both of us are ready” Jake smiled as Grace also smiled, and they stopped the doom and gloom talk, and just took in each other and the chance to try to claim the future, where ever it led.
*
“Unbelievable” was Serena’s response as she heard her friend’s story, and the many events that had transpired since they last spoke. “How is it being there… you know, with him…”
“It is strange,” Beth smiled. “I won’t say it’s isn’t… but I don’t know. The memories barely have surfaced but still, I feel comfortable here…”
“And that means?” Serena asked as she knew deep down that it only meant that it would be bad news in the end for her friend and the duration of life in Madison. Beth seemed different in only the few days she had been gone and not like the woman she’s known over the last thirteen plus years of their friendship. She wanted this for her friend, but still it hurt a little to see her best friend slip away.”
“Hell do I know,” Beth muttered. “I truly don’t Serena. I am taking it day by day. I am only here because the girls don’t deserve to leave Roswell so soon without knowing more…”
“Or you mean, until you know more?” Serena asked.
“It’s been eye opener. And some part of me doesn’t like how dangerous it looks for me or for the girls to be here,” Beth said matter of frankly. “Max, and the rest of the family he has here take it as second nature. Even the Sheriff of this town looks at all this with barely a flicker of worry. But it worries me Serena. To think about my children being in this environment, or for me to come back into it. The memories I have had so far give me the impression that all this danger the last few days is not that shocking. And to know it and to accept it, by claiming the life of Liz… I don’t know, if I can.”
“Given what you went through it can only give you worries,” Serena admitted as the knowledge that her friend had basically being chased from her motel into the safety of her children’s biological father, a man who she barely could recall or really know was troubling. “But is it really that dangerous?”
“There are certain things I can’t tell you,” Liz thought of Max’s secret status, which is a status her children now shared, and it unnerved her at the knowledge she knew Liz would have had at one time, and now she had it wiped from her and now she was forced into a immediate trust for the sake of her children when she didn’t know if the situation should have at least some wariness to it. She just didn’t know…
“You will, when you’re ready” Serena encouraged. “And in the meantime, you’re handle whatever challenges that come your way.”
“Maybe,” Beth sighed as Max came back into the office as she looked up and saw him and nodded. “I have got to go…”
“Is
he there?” Serena asked.
“Yes,” Beth said softly.
“Can I meet him?” Serena asked as Max’s eyebrows shot up as he heard the request from the computer screen as Beth couldn’t take her eyes off Max, and he couldn’t with his eyes on Beth.
“I guess, if he wants too” Beth said softly. “Max, do you want to meet my friend Serena. She’s curious about you.”
“Sure,” Max said as she came around the desk, as Beth got up and let Max sit, which he did a little cautiously as he didn’t know what to expect. “My name is Max Evans.”
“I am Serena Rogers,” came the blonde at the other side of the computer. “So, you swept my friend off her feet,” she laughed, and Max immediately was put at ease with the woman on the other side of the computer.
“I don’t know about that,” Max smiled as Beth groaned.
“Well you offered your home to Beth,” Serena smiled. “If I am going to lose her, then I guess I should be happy to lose her to you.”
“I don’t think you’ll be losing her,” Max said as he voiced his greatest fear as he glanced at Beth as her own stomach flipflopped over the tense feeling that came into her body.
“What do you do?” Serena asked.
“I am a lawyer,” Max smiled. “I have a firm with my father, although he plans to retire in a few months.”
“So, family is important to you?” Serena asked. “And you would do anything to protect them?”
“Serena, come off it. Stop the interrogation” Beth said coming back behind the desk as she saw her friend laughing at the awkwardness of the moment. “Max doesn’t deserve your suspicions.”
“I am just curious…” Serena laughed before she saw the time, and knew she had to be going. “I forgot what time it was, so I have to go myself. The boys need a pickup, so I’ll go, and I’ll check in with you tomorrow” Serena smiled as she signed off…
“Max…”
“Don’t sweat it Beth…” Max assured the woman he knew he would always love, until death did them part… even if she never remembered her the past or their lost love. She was too much a part of him, and a simple look could instantly bring on the desire for her. No other woman would be able to capture it, and it hadn’t in thirteen plus years, and wouldn’t until he died now that he knew she was alive. Even if they could never make it work again… “Let’s get the kids and go to dinner.”
Beth nodded and as she walked out of the room, she instantly got a text on her phone and she smirked when she read it. Max noticed, “What?”
“Nothing,” Beth said as she looked down at the text again as it was from Serena and it said…
“He’s HOT! If I were you, I would do anything to bring back my memory if it means him in my life” and she knew her friend was right. She would be a fool to let Max get away and yet there was still something holding her back…
As they went and collected the twins and headed out for dinner.
*
“Of course, Aunt Isabel, I can come in on Monday” Elizabeth asked as she talked on the phone as she walked down the stairs from her bedroom. “I would love to help out” she asked as she viewed her mother staring at her with a wary look. “I can come to the boutique after I am finished with my classes of course. Yes, Aunt Isabel, I plan to go to school on Monday. Boy you and my parents are very suspicious” she muttered to herself and Maria smirked out loud. “I am looking forward to it, and I’ll see you then” she answered as she hung up.
“What was that?” Maria asked as she glanced at her daughter with an air of being suspicious.
“Aunt Isabel,” Elizabeth said with an exaggerated sigh. “Come on Mom, both you and Aunt Isabel, why are you always so suspicious?”
“Because your recent actions have made me suspicious…” Maria muttered as she glanced at her happy daughter. “You still haven’t come down from your high about Tommy being gone, have you?”
“Nope, the buzz is great…” Elizabeth smiled.
“Just don’t aid it with anything okay…” Maria asked.
“Jeez Mom, I think you can trust me to stay away from that stuff. I am just a little happy, and yes, the glow hasn’t faded yet. That was Aunt Isabel and she was wondering if I wanted to help at the boutique. Given everything that has happened she feels like she needs more help, and given I am available, I said I am game.”
“Honey, your schoolwork. We agreed you have a job when the summer hits. Not now…” Maria sighed.
“Mom it’s almost summer and plus I am old enough to be able to handle working at the same time. Didn’t you handle it when you were my age?” Elizabeth muttered as she didn’t like being told she was too young. “Jake has been working for years.”
“Your grandmother didn’t have the finances to allow me to stay home until I was ready. You do with your father and I.” Maria sighed as she knew she would rather keep her daughter safe but knew that was a losing cause with every day they went down. She knew Elizabeth wanted to be an adult but at fifteen it was nice to be a teenager without responsibilities for a little while longer. “Your brother was older when he first started…”
“It’s helping out Aunt Isabel,” Elizabeth asked. “If I can drive in a few months when I turn sixteen, shouldn’t I be able to make money and at this point, it’s making spending money and there isn’t much school left. Why not let me have this…”?
“Fine but remember your exam scores follow you into university. So be careful with how much your working when it does come time for exams” Maria said as she caved. She did know how much Isabel needed the extra help given the stress their families have been over the last couple of weeks. Any added help would take the burden off Isabel.
“You don’t have to worry,” Elizabeth said as she hugged her mother. “Plus, if I am working than you don’ have worry about my tracking Tommy Ellis down and killing him if he’s not already dead.”
“Jeez, you are your father’s daughter” Maria muttered as she watched her daughter walk away humming as the door opened and she saw Michael come in as he was following by their younger sons. “Why did we have children?”
“What now?” Michael asked as warily to his wife as Colin and Liam having returned from the library went upstairs to play videogames.
“It was just a reminder our kids are growing up…” Maria sighed as she filled him that Elizabeth was going to put some hours at Isabel’s boutique.
“We can’t keep them bottled up,” Michael advised. “Elizabeth is pretty smart, and she’s shown she can handle a lot, so I think we can trust her.”
“She’s fifteen. When I was her age, I didn’t know what was ahead for me…”
“Your mother didn’t know how to handle it. But we do, and we can be there for her” Michael smiled as he kissed his wife. “Plus, we have a six-year-old. So, we have a lot of years to go before we totally lose them… or lose total control of our kids.”
Maria smiled.
“Let’s take the kids out for dinner. I know you’re not feeling up to cooking, so why not get out and have some family time, and then stop by the hospital and visit Jake. The younger kids haven’t been able to visit their brother.”
“Sure,” Maria smiled as she truly didn’t want to cook, and she sensed Michael didn’t either…
“Perfect,” Michael said as he went around the house and made the announcement, and before long they were headed to the car
*
“What is this place?” Beth asked as she and Max walked into a restaurant with the twins a short time later. She didn’t know what to expect as she and Max approached the restaurant nor did she of the atmosphere. It felt a tad family-ish going to dinner with the twins. She didn’t know how to handle the change of circumstances that had landed them residing in Max’s home. The kids were eating it up, but she was still hesitant to believe into it as they were led to a table.
“A favorite.
Senor Chow’s is a restaurant that has been around since were in young. It has some great memories attached to it” Max said as he thought back to high school. One of the few bright moments in his romance with Liz.
“How so?” Beth as the twins grabbed their menu’s and searched the dishes. She looked around and felt the warmth and the friendliness of the place, but nothing was coming to her as if she should know the place.
“We came here for first date…” Max said as the memories shined through as the twins looked up and glanced at their parents and then each other with amused looks on their face.
“We did…” Beth asked as he did another once over of the restaurant. “So, we used to come here…”
“Yes,” Max nodded as he felt the memories take over. “Unfortunately, our first date was interrupted, which seemed to be the regular habit within our relationship until we got engaged.
“How so…” Beth asked.
“Because of me,” came a voice as the table looked up and found Michael and Maria heading their way as they overheard their conversation. “Unfortunately, I interrupted although it didn’t really deter you guys…. much…”
Max saw Maria and Michael along with their kids staring at them. “You came for dinner?” he asked.
“We didn’t want to cook,” Maria smiled. “So….”
“Maria,” Max groaned as he knew what she was thinking, and he didn’t really want to be hearing about it. “We had the same idea. Girls, you know Maria and Michael right. Well these are their children; Elizabeth and their sons; Colin and Liam and their youngest Belle.”
“We have met Elizabeth,” Alexandra commented. “The night of you know…”
“Right,” Max nodded.
“Is it true Uncle Max?” Colin asked as he couldn’t help stare at the older woman who sat across from Max and next to the twins on either side.
“It’s a delicate situation boy’s, but yes” Max asked. “This is Alexandra and Caroline…”
“Do you want to join us,” Beth asked as she sensed the comfortableness all around, but curious about the bonds.
“You guys should be together, getting to know each other” Maria smiled as she loved the idea of Max and Beth getting to know each other, and bonding with each other along with the twins even though Grace was the missing ingredient.”
“We have plenty of time,” Beth said as she sensed how close the families were… “Come, join us…”
“If you don’t mind,” Maria asked as they made the table bigger. “This place brings back memories.”
“How so?” Beth asked, curious as she Max was slightly miffed by their added guests, but she knew they had a lot of time. She was still coming to terms with all the discoveries she was making since coming to town.
“We had a double date here,” Maria commented. “Michael wasn’t as enlightening as he is now, and it was a rough time early in our relationship. You and Max were having more success at least temporarily at least…” she muttered. “Max was much more cohesive to a relationship and Michael wasn’t…”
“Hey,” Michael groaned. “I improved…”
“Yes. you did,” Maria smiled and gave him a light kiss. “And I am very fortunate, but it was the truth Space boy…”
Beth couldn’t help but smile at the easy field of the group as they all ordered their dishes. “Kids, why don’t you go play pool while we wait.”
“Sure,” Alexandra said. “Do you want to play teams?” she asked Elizabeth and the boys.
“That would be fun,” Elizabeth said. “Belle do you want to be on my team. We can beat the boys?”
“What is pool?” Belle asked.
“Don’t worry sis, you will have lots of fun” Elizabeth smiled as they all headed towards the pool table and soon Alexandra, Elizabeth and Belle formed one team and Colin, Liam and Carrie formed the other side.
“I don’t know if Elizabeth is at the disadvantage or not?” Michael commented.
“I suspect she is pretty formattable?” Beth commented as she assessed the teenage girl. “She must be a challenge.”
“You have no idea,” Maria muttered. “Everyday it’s something else. I hope to god Belle is not as challenging when she’s older.”
“How are the boys?” Maria asked.
“Easier but not by a lot,” Michael commented. “Jake is a big handful. Unfortunately, he’s at an age where trouble can have consequences and we just have to hope he doesn’t do too much that bring them on...” her murmured. “Colin and Liam are low key for the moment, but they are growing up.”
“I know, I see it in Alexandra and Caroline” Beth muttered as she saw that Elizabeth had gotten a stool for Belle to stand on and was showing her the finer details of playing the game. Belle was giggling as she maneuvered the stick, and she got a ball close to the target. “Something tells me the boys aren’t going to be happy…”
Maria nodded as she laughed as the look of disappointment in the boys a minute later when Belle got her target ball in the hole. Carrie made up the score with her stick, and the game was on. “You have done a great job with them Beth,” Maria commented as she checked out the twins as they each made an impact on their teams.
“They have been a challenge alright, more so today than they have been, but I do know I got lucky. It hasn’t always been easy, but they make it better because they are generally awesome kids” Beth said as she saw Alexandra strike her stick at the ball which made several balls go into a hole.
Soon the kids came back, and the food was served, and they all enjoyed being around each other. Elizabeth and Carrie were betting they predict the fortunes in the Fortune Cookies. They were close that it was eerie. Finally, the kids decided to take Belle next door to the arcade with the permission of their parents. Which left the parents to talk among themselves?
Max was miffed when they had invited Maria and Michael to the gathering, but he had to admit that he was having a great time as they had dessert.
“Did you want to try some pool?” Max asked Beth.
Beth was taken back. “Really, I don’t think I have ever played. I think I might be worse than the kids were…”
“You played…” Max said softly.
“I did,” Beth asked quietly. “Yes, on that date we had back in high school. It was a brief date due to complications, but we had time to play a game.”
“I don’t think I remember…” Beth asked.
“I can show you,” Max asked as he gave out his hand, and she took it. “The kids will be more than find a little while longer at the arcade, and that is more the boy’s way of things, so they will want to show up the girls.
“I guess….”
“Go ahead Beth, if the kids call, we’ll tell you…” Maria said as she encouraged, and Beth took up the offer, and followed Max to the pool table. “Matchmaker” Michael murmured as he watched what his wife was doing…
“What, this is their chance. The more she sees that spending time with Max isn’t bad than maybe she’ll stay in the end?” Maria asked, or she genuinely prayed.
“You can’t push them…” Michael advised.
“I am not, but I AM giving them both a chance at their dream. And spending some time together doing something that was once familiar to them than I am going to do it!” Maria smiled. “Now how about you?”
“I haven’t played pool in years…” Michael said.
“Good, then I can beat you…” Maria smiled as he prodded her husband to the other pool table while Beth was feeling a rush of intensity as she felt a rush of memories as she figured out how to play the game, almost like she had played this game before...
While Max felt in heaven the more time, he spent with his wife…