Roswell Fanatics

Title: 'Tis the Season
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Roswell or any other Christmas movies this may have been inspired by.
Rating: Mature for language.
Summary: Liz is a successful fashion designer who has a wonderful life in Manhattan. What happens when she finds out what would have happened if she took the road less travelled?


Prologue

September 29, 2001

“Yes, mom. I’ll call you guys when I get to my apartment in Paris,” Liz cradled the phone against her shoulder as she zipped up her suitcase.

“Yes, I’ve packed some Tylenol…yes, I’ve taken a Gravol…no, I don’t need to bring band-aids…I’m sure they have pharmacies in Paris. Okay, mom…I love you too…hey dad,” Liz shifted the phone to her other ear. “I know, I know. Mom’s just worried. I’ll be okay. I’ll call you guys when I arrive…love you too. Bye.”

Liz tossed the phone on the table and grabbed the handle of her suitcase, dragging it onto the floor.

“Max!” She yelled, struggling with her luggage.

“Yes, babe?” Max walked up to Liz and grabbed the suitcase from her, lifting it easily.

Liz laughed and shook her head. “Nothing. I was just having a wimpy moment.”

Max paused and smiled at his girlfriend. “Babe, you have never been wimpy.”

Liz stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. “You’re sho shweet when you lie.” She pinched his cheeks and walked away.

“The cab will be here any minute so you better do a final check,” Max advised, slipping his coat on.

Five minutes later, they were seated in the back of a cab on their way to the airport.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Liz asked, uncertainty etched on her features.

“Well,” Max hesitated, “I’m going to have to be. I hate the fact that you have to be on another continent but this is your future, Liz. I can’t stand in the way of your career. And anyways, it’s only for a year. Before you know it, you’ll be back home.”

Max leaned and kissed her soundly on the lips. “Anyways, there’re always phone calls and emails.”

Liz watched her boyfriend of five years as he looked out the window. She wished that she could be as sure as he was about her move.

From the time she met him in their senior year of high school, Max had always been determined. She remembered how he pursued her when she wouldn’t give him the time of day. And now, she couldn’t imagine being without him. That was why she was so anxious. She didn’t know how it was going to be like spending a year abroad without him.

“So did the firm give you an office yet?” Liz asked, trying to ease her nerves.

“No, but they did give me a cubicle,” Max chuckled. “I’m just a pee-on there. I’ve got a long way to go before I become an associate.”

“Did I tell you how proud I am of you?” Liz asked with a grin.

Max leaned over and gave her a kiss. “Only a couple hundred times,” he laughed.

“You’re going to be the youngest architect yet to be featured in Architectural Digest,” Liz complimented as she looked out the window watching the planes taxiing down the runway.

“What am I going to do without my own personal cheerleader?” Max asked jokingly. Liz turned her head and looked at him sadly. She felt tears well up in her eyes.

“Oh don’t cry, Liz,” Max said as he wiped her tears away. “It’s only Paris. I’ll see you in a couple of months for Christmas. Okay?”

Liz nodded her head and sniffed.

The cab pulled to a stop and they stepped out, gathering her bags. As Max walked her towards the departure terminal Liz had a dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach.

After checking in and validating her ticket, Liz placed her bag down and wound her arms around her boyfriend.

“I’ll miss you, Max.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” Max said returning her embrace.

She pulled away from him and grabbed her bags. She waved one final goodbye and walked towards her gate. Despite Max’s assurances, Liz had a feeling that this would be the last time she would ever see him.


Part 1: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

December 15, 2006

Liz woke up with a kink in her neck. Having spent the past twelve hours pouring over her designs, she had finally fallen asleep at her desk with her cheek pressed against a stack of sketches.

She sat up and looked down in dismay. In her sleep, she had drooled on one of her pre-approved sketches. In a panic, she quickly wiped off the offending puddle with the sleeve of her cashmere sweater.

She couldn’t believe that she’d fallen asleep. She had a lot of work to do and couldn’t afford to lose any more time.

She pulled her sleeve back and glanced down at her watch. She had just enough time to catch a quick dinner and grab a cab ride home.

She shuffled around her office looking for her purse when she heard her cell phone ring. She quickly grabbed it off her desk and flipped it open.

“Hello?” She greeted, cradling the phone against her ear.

“Elizabeth, cherie! I’m so glad I caught you,” her boss said excitedly. “I was just going over these other drawings and I wanted to say that you and your team are doing excellent, but I’m afraid that it’s not enough. We’re going to need a lot more for our summer collection. Plus, we need to blow out the competition during fashion week. So we need a lot more designs, n’est ce pas?

“Yes Marc, you’re absolutely right,” Liz absently replied. She rummaged through the bolsters of fabric on the couch, finally finding her purse tucked under one of the cushions.

“I’m so glad you agree!” Her boss said elated. “So you’ll be okay to work over the holidays?”

“Sure, sure. No problem,” Liz nodded her head as she pulled on her coat.

“Okay, I’ll leave it to you to tell your team. Thank you, cherie. You are a doll. Bonsoir!”

Liz stared at her phone before flipping it shut. This holiday would be no different than last year. Ever since she got promoted as Senior Design Coordinator she had been spending most nights at the office, pouring over designs and supervising production. However, she couldn’t complain. She had coveted this position since she was first hired as an apprentice for Marc Zahn designs. She loved the hustle and glamour of the industry. It was why she got into fashion design in the first place. She thanked her lucky stars that her boyfriend Kyle understood. Most men in his position wouldn’t.

Kyle Valenti was the CFO of Valenti Development, a commercial building development company run by his father. She first met him at an industry party two years ago. He was smart, good looking, and funny. But best of all, he was successful.

Kyle knew first-hand what it meant to have a busy schedule. Often times, the two of them barely had time to see each other; squeezing in dates in between appointments. Liz couldn’t even remember the last time they had made love.

Sighing, she pressed the down button on the elevator and waited for the lift to reach her floor. By the time she stepped outside, it had started to snow.

She pulled her coat tighter around her trying to ward off the chilly weather. She hoped that the snow wouldn’t ruin her brand new Christian Louboutin boots.

For the first time that evening, she wondered what Kyle was up to. Typically, he’d either be in bed (he was an early riser) or entertaining clients. She loved his dedication to his business. It was one of the many things she admired about him. This was probably why he understood every time she would call him to cancel one of their dates.

As she walked to her favourite Chinese restaurant for takeout, she fished through her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Kyle’s number, hoping to speak to him, but got his voicemail instead.

Disappointed, she left a brief message asking him to give her a call.

“Ah, Miss Liz. So good to see you! Working late again tonight?” Mae-Ling, the hostess greeted as soon as she stepped into the quaint little restaurant.

“Yes, it’s been a long day,” Liz smiled tiredly, shaking the snow from her hair and coat.

“Will it be a table for two?” The hostess asked.

“No, just takeout for tonight. I need to get to bed soon. I’ve got an early day tomorrow,” Liz shook her head as she reached for a menu. After placing her order, she settled into one of the chairs while she waited for her order.

She leaned her head back against the chair and closed her eyes. She was so exhausted. She had no idea how she was going to convince her team to give up their Christmas holidays. She had done it last year first by bribing them with a raise. When that didn’t work, she resorted to threatening them with unemployment. She hated being a bitchy boss but it was the only way to get things done. Fashion was a cutthroat industry. You either sank or you swam, and she had learned long ago that you better learn to swim really fast in order to survive.

The ringing of her cell phone broke her out of her thoughts. She glanced down and groaned when she saw the caller ID.

“Hi mom,” she said rather morosely.

“Hi sweetie. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time,” her mother chirped.

“No, it’s okay. I’m just waiting for my dinner,” Liz replied.

“Dinner?” Her mother asked incredulously. “It’s ten o’clock. You shouldn’t be eating dinner this late.”

Liz rolled her eyes. Nancy Parker had always been a worrier when it came to her daughter. Being the only child, Liz had always been sheltered and doted on by both her parents. So when it came time for her to leave the nest, it had taken a lot of convincing for them to let her go.

“It’s okay, mom. This is Manhattan. Restaurants are always open late,” Liz assuaged.

She heard her mother sigh. “You know I’m not talking about the restaurants.”

“I know, mom,” said Liz. She wished her mother would just get to the point already. She wasn’t up to having a conversation at moment.

“Alright, I won’t bother you about your eating habits,” her mother relented. “The reason I’m calling is that your dad and I wanted to know when you’ll be coming home for Christmas.”

Liz thumped her head against the chair. Shit! She had forgotten all about going home for the holidays. Despite the fact that her parents only lived an hour away in New Jersey she rarely saw them during the year.

“Yeah, about that mom,” Liz hedged, “I don’t think I’ll be able to come home this year.”

Silence greeted Liz’s ears. She could feel the guilt bubbling up threatening to spill over. She hated disappointing her parents but it couldn’t be helped. Not if she wanted to be the lead designer of Marc Zahn one day.

“No matter. You’re dad and I can come to you,” her mother suggested. “Ooh it’s going to be so much fun. Manhattan at Christmas! Ice skating at Rockefeller Center. Central Park in the snow.”

“Um, listen mom,” Liz winced. She didn’t want to break her mother’s bubble but…

“I don’t think that’ll be a great idea.” She hurried on to add, “I mean, I’ll be working around the clock and I’ll barely see you and daddy. Wouldn’t you guys like to spend Christmas with Grandma Claudia and the family?”

Liz winced and crossed her fingers. She really didn’t have the time to deal with this right now. She hoped that her mother would understand and not put up a fight.

“Alright,” her mother sighed. “But make sure you come home after New Year’s. We’re having a party and I haven’t seen in you in so long that I’ve forgotten what my only daughter looks like.”

“Mom,” Liz whined. Leave it to her mother to pull out the big guns. “Stop making me feel guilty. I just saw you guys over Thanksgiving.”

She heard her mother laugh which helped ease the ball of remorse currently lodged in her gut.

“I can’t help it,” her mother reasoned lightly. “It’s in my blood. You know guilt goes hand in hand with being Irish.”

Liz laughed along with her mother. “Okay. You’re forgiven. I love you guys. Say hi to daddy for me.”

“Love you too, honey. Call us more often will you?”

Liz smiled. “I will, mom. Bye.”

Liz flipped the phone closed and shoved it into her purse. She looked up just in time to see Mae-Ling bringing her order over.

Pulling out a twenty from her pocket, she reached over and grabbed her order, placing the twenty in the hostess’ hand. “Thanks, Mae-Ling. Keep the change.”

“Have a good night, Miss Liz.”

Liz waved goodbye and once again stepped outside to brave the cold Manhattan night. She looked down at her boots and groaned when she noticed the salt stain on her left boot. It was going to cost a fortune to get that out.

Keeping that thought in mind, she held out her arm and hailed a cab. Just as she was opening the door, she looked up and saw a couple getting out of a private car.

She stood frozen at the sidewalk staring as the couple shared a passionate kiss before walking towards a fancy Italian restaurant. Liz thought that the couple looked familiar but she couldn’t quite see their faces. However, that problem was solved when the man turned towards the driver of his car.

It was Kyle! And he was kissing another woman!

Liz was outraged. She was so shocked that she didn’t know what to do.

“Hey lady. You gettin’ in or out, or what?” The cab driver asked impatiently.

“Oh. Ah, um,” Liz stammered. She looked up once again only to see that Kyle and his date had gone inside the restaurant. She looked back down and saw that the driver was looking at her in irritation

Sighing, she got in to the cab. “Washington and West 12th, please.”

“You got it lady,” said the driver, maneuvering the cab into traffic.

Liz looked back at the car and felt the tears of anger and humiliation sting her eyes.

How could Kyle do that to her? Had he been cheating on her all this time? Doubts began to plague her mind. No wonder he didn’t mind the times she would call to cancel their dates. He was probably out cavorting with his slut while she was toiling away at work. She couldn’t believe that she wasted two years of her life on that lecherous, cheating asshole!

Liz felt hot tears slip down her cheeks. She wasn’t going to cry over him. No man was worth crying over.

“Are you okay back there?” The driver asked. “You want me to pull over or something?”

Liz shook her heard, angrily swiping at her tears. “No, no. I just want to go home.”

She could feel the driver looking at her from the rear-view mirror.

“I know it’s none of my business or anything – ”

“You’re right,” Liz interrupted. “It isn’t.”

Silence followed Liz’s snippy reply. Liz sniffed and rummaged through her purse. Where was a tissue when you needed one?

“Here. This might help,” the driver offered, holding up a tissue through the dividing partition.

“Thanks,” Liz gratefully accepted the proffered Kleenex. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so rude.”

“Eh, you had a shitty day,” the driver dismissed.

“Yeah, you can say that,” Liz blew her nose and sniffed. “First, my boss tells me that once again I’ll be working over the holidays. Then I had to tell my parents that I wouldn’t be coming home for Christmas. All that would have been okay, since it’s not like I haven’t done it before, but I just saw my boyfriend making out in the street with a woman…WHO’S NOT ME!” She yelled.

“Ouch,” the driver replied.

“Yeah,” Liz rolled her eyes. She must be such a sorry mess to look at.

“You know, my ex-boyfriend would have never done that. He was a good guy. Boring but a good guy nonetheless.” Liz punctuated her statement by blowing loudly into her tissue.

“Hey, I wouldn’t worry about it,” the driver said, trying to make her feel better. “It’s Christmas. Good things happen during Christmas.”

“I wish I could believe that, but I’m not twelve anymore. Christmas is just like any other day,” Liz countered.

The cab pulled to a stop in front of her apartment building. “Looks like we’re here. That’ll be thirty four fifty.”

Liz took a deep breath and pushed her hair off her face. After gathering her stuff, she pulled out her wallet and handed the driver her money. “Here’s forty. Thanks for the conversation.”

The driver smiled and waved his thanks. “Merry Christmas!” Liz watched the cab until his tail lights disappeared around the corner. Knowing an empty apartment awaited her upstairs, she grudgingly made her way to the door giving the doorman a quick nod.

Upon reaching her apartment, she quickly shrugged out of her damp coat and kicked off her ruined boots. She made her way over to the couch and crashed face first into the soft cushions.

The night’s events came rushing back at her and she screamed into the cushions. What did she do to deserve this? She was a smart, successful woman. What man wouldn’t want her?

Rolling off the couch, she fell to the floor. She stared at the Chinese takeout sitting on the floor and felt her stomach churn. She really didn’t feel like eating right now. What she needed was a nice smooth drink. Walking over to her liquor cabinet, she flung the doors open and grabbed the large green bottle of Tanqueray.

She unscrewed the cap and raised the bottle high.

“Here’s to Kyle Valenti. May he get crabs for Christmas,” she toasted before touching the bottle to her lips.

Part 2: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Liz felt her stomach churn. She felt like she was going to be sick. With her eyes half closed, she rolled off the bed and wove her way towards the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She fell to her knees and grabbed hold of the toilet. Another wave of nausea overcame her and she heaved into the porcelain bowl. When she felt like she’d emptied her guts, she leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes.

How much had she drunk last night? The last thing she remembered was grabbing Kyle’s clothes and throwing them out the window.

She raised her arm feeling for the sink and was surprised to find air greeting her hand. Cracking her eyes open, she whispered her thanks for remembering not to turn on the light. Once her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room, she blindly reached for the switch.

She scrunched her eyes closed as light flooded the room. Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared at her unfamiliar surroundings. She looked around the bathroom noticing the pair of boxers and children’s toys that littered the floor.

Where the hell was she?

She knew that she had been in her apartment last night drinking herself into a stupor. She couldn’t recall ever leaving her place. How had she ended up in someone else’s apartment?

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. “Honey, are you okay?”

Liz’s eyes widened in shock. Just exactly what had she done last night?

“Is it the baby again?” the masculine voice asked.

Liz mouthed the word baby in confusion. What the hell was he talking about? What baby? Her hand idly wandered over to her stomach and was greeted by a bulging belly.

“Oh my god!” She cried her hands flying over her mouth in shock. She pushed herself up to her feet and was amazed at what she saw in the mirror.

She almost didn’t recognize her own reflection staring back at her. Her hair was longer and she was pregnant!

“Liz, open the door!” The masculine voice commanded.

Liz ignored the guy on the other side of the door instead choosing to stare at herself in the mirror in disbelief. How the hell had she gotten pregnant? She wasn’t pregnant before she passed out last night and it was hard to believe that a human being would sprout up within her overnight. Was she dreaming? Was she still asleep?

“Open this door or I’m coming in!”

Liz turned and yanked the door open causing the man on the other side to tumble into the bathroom.

Liz gasped in surprise and laughed, but that laugh caught in her throat when the man picked himself up off the floor and looked up at her.

“Max?” Liz asked staring unabashedly at topless man before her.

“You think this is funny, huh?” He asked, playfully grabbing her by the waist.

He pulled her to him before pushing her hair back off her face. “Are you okay?” He frowned in concern, as he inspected her for any sign of discomfort.

“I uh, I um,” Liz stammered. Why was Max here? She hadn’t seen him in over five years. Now she knew she really was dreaming.

“What are you doing here, Max?”

Max looked at her in confusion. “What am I doing here? I live here.”

He rubbed the top of her head. “I guess you smacked your head pretty hard on the van. Does it still hurt?”

“Huh?” Liz had no clue what he was talking about. “What van?”

“Our van,” Max explained. “You were bringing in Abby last night and you slammed your head against the roof of the minivan,” he looked at her more closely. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you have a concussion? Should I take you to the hospital?”

Liz felt uncomfortable being under his perusal. “No it’s okay. I’m fine.”

He gave her a look before releasing her. “If you’re sure you’re okay…,” he said hesitantly.

Liz gave him her most reassuring smile and nodded her head.

When he was sure that she was indeed okay, Max smiled and stepped back. Liz couldn’t help but stare at the man in front of her. She’d forgotten how handsome Max was. Despite the nasty cowlick and five o’clock shadow he was sporting, he was still by far the most gorgeous man Liz had ever seen.

However, as good looking as Max was and as yummy as he looked at the moment, it didn’t negate the fact that he was currently standing a breath away from her. What the hell was Max doing there?

Liz was caught off-guard when he suddenly dropped down to his knees and proceeded to kiss her pregnant belly.

“How’s my sunshine this morning?” He said to her stomach. “Daddy can’t wait to meet you, slugger…er…slugette.”

He looked up and gave Liz a goofy smile. “Sorry, thought I’d cover both bases.”

He looked back down and spoke to her stomach. “Whatever you are, mommy and daddy love you.”

Liz’s eyes widened in panic. She needed to wake up. This dream was far too strange for her taste. Maybe pinching herself will wake her up.

“Ouch!” She yelped, rubbing her arm.

“What? What?” Max asked in alarm, pushing himself to his feet. “What happened?”

Liz scrunched her face up in pain. “Nothing,” she replied.

“You’re acting really strange this morning,” Max commented. “Must be the pregnancy hormones.”

Liz huffed in offence. “You know, Max, just because a woman is pregnant doesn’t mean she’s psychotic.”

Max held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, sorry. I was just saying.”

“Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got to pee,” Liz said indignantly.

“You’re kidding right?” Max asked her in disbelief.

“No, I’m not,” Liz replied.

“Liz, babe, I’ve been married to you for the past five years. We were together for five before that. Don’t you think I’ve seen you pee before?” Max smiled in amusement. He stepped over to the sink and grabbed his toothbrush.

He paused with his toothbrush poised in front of his mouth. “What?” Max asked when he caught Liz glaring at him.

Liz raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the door.

“Fine,” Max sighed, putting his toothbrush down. Chuckling, he stepped out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Liz sighed in relief and sagged against the wall. “Great,” she said facetiously. She wasn’t dreaming. Everything was real. What the hell happened to her last night?

Stepping into the shower, she tried to formulate a plan. She needed to get out of here. This wasn’t her life. Her life was in Manhattan. She had a fabulous rent-controlled apartment, a successful career, and an understanding boyfriend…

Suddenly, the events of last night came flooding back into her mind and she rolled her eyes.

Well, she still had her career and her apartment. She didn’t need Kyle to fulfill her life.

She turned the water off and reached for a towel. As she dried off, she was once again reminded of her pregnant state.

What the hell was she going to do? She could take off and resume her life in Manhattan, but how the heck was she going to hide a pregnancy? She wasn’t ready to be a mother. She didn’t even have a clue how far along she was. How was she going to take care of a baby and work at the same time?

Liz opened the door cautiously, peeking around the bedroom. Realizing she was alone, she walked around the room to take a closer look.

It was much different than her bedroom in Manhattan. It was smaller and much more…cozier. A sketchbook lay open on top of the dresser. Intrigued, she walked over to it and flipped through the pages. The book was full of her designs. She ran her hands lovingly over each drawing, marveling at each one.

She was so engrossed with looking over the sketches that she didn’t notice when the bedroom door was pushed open and a small voice called out, “Mommy?”

Liz turned in surprise and saw a dark-haired little girl with inquisitive brown eyes looking at her expectantly.

“Mommy, I have to go potty,” said the little girl as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

“Oh uh,” Liz looked around the room in panic. How does a little kid go to the bathroom?

However, she was saved from having to figure it out when the little girl shuffled into the bathroom by herself. “Mommy, it’s dark in here.”

Liz snapped out of her shock and rushed over to the bathroom, flipping on the light.

She watched in disbelief as the little girl pulled down her underwear and raised her arms, looking at her expectantly.

It took a moment for Liz to realize what the girl wanted but when she did, she hurriedly lifted the little girl onto the toilet waiting for her to do her business.

“I want pancakes for breakfast, mommy,” the little girl yawned, reaching for the toilet paper. Once she was done, she flushed the toilet and looked at Liz again.

“Oh,” Liz said lifting the girl up off the toilet and placing her on her feet. She watched the little girl walk out and Liz realized with a jolt that the girl had called her ‘mommy’. The little girl was her daughter.

“I’m a mommy,” Liz whispered in disbelief. “Oh my god!” This situation was just getting weirder and weirder. She needed to figure out a way to get out fast. This wasn’t her life. Her life was in Manhattan, not in…wherever the heck she was.

With that thought in mind, she hurriedly got dressed and made her way downstairs.


…And even as I wander
I’m keeping you in sight
You’re a candle in the window
On a cold, dark winter’s night
And I’m getting closer than I ever thought I might

And I can’t fight this feeling anymore
I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for
Its time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars, forever…

Liz stopped mid-step as the familiar lyrics washed over her. She couldn’t help but smile as she listened to Max belt out the popular REO Speedwagon song. She’d forgotten how much he loved 80’s power ballads. In fact, if she remembered clearly, he used to sing them in the shower all the time when they were in college.

“I see you still love REO Speedwagon,” Liz chuckled, walking into the small, sunny kitchen.

Max continued singing and Liz winced as he hit a particularly sour note. “And I see you still sing off key.”

“Daddy sings good,” her daughter commented, swinging her legs on her high chair.

“At least someone appreciates my singing voice,” Max joked, dropping a kiss on his daughter’s head.

Liz laughed and reached for a mug of coffee, but Max quickly snatched the pot away from her hands.

“Uh uh,” Max tutted. “You remember what Dr. Levitt said. No coffee. It’s not good for the baby.”

He replaced her mug with a glass of juice. “Have some orange juice instead.”

Liz looked at the glass and grimaced. “Just one cup of coffee won’t hurt.”

Max stopped his actions and stared at her. “Liz,” he warned.

“Fine,” Liz huffed, raising the glass of juice to her mouth.

“That’s my girl,” Max smiled and ruffled her hair. He grabbed the sizzling pan off the stove and slid a serving of eggs on a plate, placing it in front of Liz.

“I’ve got to check on the Hanson house today since they’ve almost completed the drywall but after that I’m all yours. The car keys are on the tray by the door if you need to go out,” Max instructed, pulling up a chair next to her. “I should be back home by three.”

“Who’s going to take care of …?” Liz trailed off, unable to remember the name of their daughter.

“Abby,” Max supplied, looking at her questioningly. “Is this memory loss thing part of pregnancy too, because you weren’t like this when you were pregnant with Abby.”

Liz bit her lip in anxiously. She had no idea what to say.

Max shrugged and tucked into his breakfast. When he was done, he proceeded to clear the dishes off the table.

“I’m going to go grab a quick shower then I’m off. Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I can call my mom or your mom if you want,” he asked.

Liz shook her head. “Uh, I think I’ll be okay. I mean how hard can it be?”

“Okay,” Max said. She watched her husband’s retreating back as he ran upstairs to shower.

When she heard the shower going upstairs, she sneaked a look over at her daughter who was busy making a mess of her breakfast.

Liz closed her eyes in self pity. Was she expected to clean up this mess? Maybe she could call a maid service to come in instead.

Her daughter caught her staring and held up her syrup covered hand in offering. “You want some, mommy?”

Liz shook her head and tried not to look disgusted. “No thank you. Mommy’s full.”

“Kay,” her daughter replied, slurping the syrup off her little fingers.

Liz sat in discomfort as she watched her daughter make a sticky mess. She’d never been alone with a child before. What was she expected to do? Did she need to change her diaper? …No wait, the kid was potty trained.

“So…Abby…how old are you?”

Her daughter smiled at her and held up five fingers. “I’m four.”

Liz tipped her head back and laughed. Who’d have thought the senior designer coordinator of Marc Zahn would be sitting in a kitchen somewhere in the suburbs having a conversation with a four year old.

Liz proceeded to clean up to take her mind off her situation. What did she know about raising a baby? She’d never had to worry about children in her life. Some might even say that she lived a hedonistic lifestyle. But why should that bother her? She got everything she wanted – her career, her apartment, her boyfriend; but the little voice in her head said otherwise. She had to admit that there were nights when she felt lonely, like there was something missing in her life. Maybe that was why she worked as hard as she did.

Well, at least that was what her therapist said.

“Mommy, can we go see the toys?” Her daughter asked, startling Liz.

“Uh sure,” Liz replied, clueless as to what her daughter could be talking about.

“I’m done now,” her daughter said looking at Liz questioningly.

“Okay,” Liz replied not bothering to turn around.

“Mommy, I want off,” Abby protested kicking her legs on her chair.

After realizing what her daughter wanted, Liz quickly dried her hands off and took her daughter out of her high chair.

Looking over at the mess that her daughter had made, Liz sighed. “I guess we better get you cleaned up.” She hoisted the little girl on her hip and waddled her way up the stairs.

By the time she reached the top landing she was out of breath. “Geez this pregnancy thing is hard,” she said. “It’s like carrying a freaking watermelon around your stomach.”

“Woah, what are you doing?” Max asked stepping into the hallway. “The doctor said you shouldn’t be carrying her so much. Especially since you’re so far along.”

Max adjusted the towel around his hip before grabbing his daughter out of Liz’s arms.

Liz stood there speechless as she stared at Max’s naked torso. She never realized how muscular he was.

“Uh oh,” Max said, shaking his head. “I know that look.”

He tucked his daughter daughter’s head towards his shoulder and covered her ears. “We already did it three times last night,” he whispered. “I need my recovery time, babe.”

Liz gaped at her husband as he took his daughter to the bathroom to get her cleaned up. Did he just say they did it three times? Liz’s cheeks flamed in mortification. For some inexplicable reason, hearing her husband talk about their activities last night turned her on.

“Oh my god, what’s happening to me?” She wondered out loud.

“What was that, babe?” Max yelled from the bathroom.

“Nothing!” Liz yelled back. Had she turned into some kind of sex fiend? She wasn’t like this in her other life. Not that she was a prude, but sex had become low on her list of priorities as of late. There were other things that were more important…such as her career.

Oh no! Her job! She totally forgot that Marc was expecting a collection to be ready to be produced by the New Year and she still wasn’t done. What was she going to do?

A sudden plan formed in her head. “Max, what time did you say you’d be back today?”

“Three, why?” Max replied, carrying their daughter to her bedroom.

“Oh nothing,” Liz replied leaning against the door jamb. She absently rubbed her tummy as she watched her husband change their daughter’s clothes. She found it peculiar that Max would be so good with kids. She never pictured him to be the fatherly-type. Come to think of it, she never pictured herself as a mother either. Children were the furthest thing from her mind back then. She had a career to think about.

Her daughter’s sudden loud giggle brought her out of her thoughts.

“Daddy! Stop!” Their daughter squealed as Max blew raspberries into her stomach.

“Who’s the best, smartest, most beautiful girl in the world?” Max asked in between tickles.

“Meee!” Abby giggled, trying to wiggle out of her father’s hold.

Liz caught herself smiling at her husband and daughter’s antics. A funny feeling tingled in her chest. There was just something about hearing her little girl laugh that made her…happy.

Max picked their daughter up and set her down in front of Liz half-dressed. “I’ve got to go, babe. I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” he pecked her lips and before Liz could blink he was halfway down the stairs and out the door.

She looked down at her daughter who was struggling to get her arm through the little flowered sweater she was wearing. Taking a deep breath she bent down and helped her daughter get dressed while trying to figure out what to do next.

Maybe she could take Abby to her parents’ house. That way she’d be free to go to the city and head over to her office to grab her sketches.

“Abby, how would you like to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house?” Liz asked, brushing her daughter’s bangs out of her eyes.

“But I thought we were going to see the toys?” Abby protested.

“We will but not right now,” Liz replied, picking her daughter up and depositing her on their bed.

She opened the closet, perusing the clothes that hung in it. Finding a short, black turtleneck sweater dress, she grabbed it off its hanger and placed it over her head. She managed to get her arms in before the dress bunched up right around her breasts.

“What the – ” she breathed. Her arms were stuck above her head held up by the sweater that refused to slide down below her breasts. She shimmied and managed to get the dress to the top of her protruding stomach before hearing a slight rip.

A quick inhale of breath helped her get the rest of the dress over her belly and down her body. She just prayed that the tear she heard wouldn’t be visible.

She walked over the mirror that hung on the closet door. “Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I can’t look good,” she said. “Thank God for Lycra.”

“You look pretty, mommy,” her daughter said as Liz zipped up her knee-high boots.

“Thanks sweetie,” Liz smiled. She brushed her hair up into a ponytail before helping her daughter off the bed.

They made their way downstairs and grabbed their coats. Liz grabbed her purse off the foyer table and snatched the set of keys hanging on the hook above it.

“Let’s go, Abby,” Liz urged opening the door. She stepped out onto the porch and her jaw went slack. Right there waiting on the driveway was a minivan.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered staring at the soccer-mom mobile.

Bracing herself, she pointed the remote at the van, disabling the alarm and unlocking the doors. She helped her daughter onto her car seat but paused when she encountered the seatbelt.

“Um, how do you…,” she trailed off holding an end of the seatbelt in each hand.

“I know how, mommy,” Abby said helpfully. She took the seatbelt off of Liz’s hands and snapped it over her lap.

“Thanks,” Liz sighed, relieved that she didn’t have to figure out how to buckle her daughter in. Liz jogged to the driver’s side and struggled to get into the seat. She had no idea being pregnant was going to be this hard and inconvenient. How the heck did moms do this? She hadn’t gotten very far and already she was tired.

She blew out a breath and started the car. She looked at the gearshift and realized that she hadn’t driven a car in over five years. She’s lived in Paris and Manhattan both of which had excellent subway systems. She hadn’t had much need for a car.

“You can do this, Liz,” she coached herself. “It’s just like riding a bicycle.” She flipped the gear into reverse and backed out of the driveway.

By the time she got to her parents house, her makeup was smudged and she was beginning to sweat through dress.

“Okay Abby. I’ll be right back,” she pushed open her door and struggled out of the van. However, upon reaching her parents’ front door she realized that nobody was home.

“Great,” she muttered beneath her breath. She made her way back to the minivan and started the engine.

“We’re going on an adventure, Abby,” Liz said. “We’re going to an island called Manhattan and it’s going to be loads of fun!”

Liz pulled out into the street and headed for the tunnel. She didn’t know who she was trying to convince more, her daughter or herself.

Part 3: Sleigh Ride

Liz drove through the traffic-riddled Manhattan streets like a madwoman, totally unaware of the precious cargo she carried. She manoeuvred the minivan as if it was a motorcycle rather than a behemoth of a vehicle. Her fingers clutched the steering wheel in a death grip as her eyes roamed the street for an open parking spot.

“Are we there yet, mommy?” Abby asked.

“Almost,” Liz replied, gritting her teeth in anxiety. She circled the block in front of her office three times before she found an empty spot smack dab in front of the building’s revolving front doors.

“Yes!” She pumped her arms and couldn’t help the triumphant grin that spread across her face at her luck. She pulled the minivan into the tight spot before unbuckling herself and getting out. She was halfway to the door before she realized that she had forgotten something. She paused and looked back at the van and spotted Abby waving at her from inside the car.

“Shit!” She exclaimed slapping a hand to her forehead. She forgot all about Abby. Liz shook her head and made her way back to the van. She was a terrible mother. No, scratch that. She wasn’t meant to be a mother; hence she didn’t have any children (not counting the present one, of course).

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” she apologized hauling her daughter out of her car seat.

“S’okay,” said Abby stepping down onto the pavement. Her daughter looked around wide-eyed at all the bright lights and people passing by, but Liz failed to notice. She was too busy staring at her watch.

She was already late and she had a feeling that her team would already have started without her.

Liz grabbed Abby’s hand and marched towards the revolving doors prepared to beg Marc for an extension.

“Excuse me, Miss!” A man’s voice called for Liz’s attention but she tactfully ignored it making a beeline for the elevators ahead.

“Miss!” The man’s voice again but this time it sounded much closer. Liz clutched her daughter’s hand as she stared at the numbers on top of the elevator doors.

“C’mon, c’mon,” she mumbled agitatedly.

“Excuse me, miss. I need to see your ID please?” Liz felt a hand on her forearm and she whipped around to see the front desk security guard standing beside her.

“Oh um, just a sec,” she held a finger out as she rummaged through her oversized purse. “It’s in here somewhere.”

She was starting to get a funny feeling in her stomach when the said ID failed to turn up in her purse.

“I must have forgotten it at home,” she gave the security guard her most innocuous smile. She consciously reached a hand down to her belly and saw the guard’s eyes follow.

“Ever since this pregnancy, I seem to forget things a lot,” she said, hoping to play to the security guard’s compassion.

The guard smiled at her sympathetically. “Oh yeah, my wife was like that too when she was pregnant.”

Liz hid a triumphant smile. She had the guard now. She knew that playing the helpless pregnant woman card would work. Now, she just had to get rid of him.

“You have a good day,” she greeted upon hearing the chime ping signalling the arrival of the lift. A moment later the elevator doors opened and she made a move towards it but the guard’s hand at her elbow stopped her. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, but I still can’t let you up without ID.”

The fake smile disappeared off of Liz’s face replaced by a scowl. “Look buddy. I’ve been working at this building for the past three years. Don’t you recognize my damn face?”

“Can’t say I do, ma’am,” the security guard eyed her carefully. “Doesn’t matter though. No badge, no entry,” he said sternly.

“Fine,” Liz huffed yanking her elbow away from the guard. Just then she looked up and caught sight of her assistant, Tess stepping out of one of the elevators.

“Wait, she knows me! Tess! Over here!” Liz waived her arms trying to gain the attention of the petite blonde. Tess glanced at her in passing but continued on towards the revolving doors, without an ounce of recognition.

The guard looked at Liz pointedly as if saying I told you so. Frustrated and chagrined, Liz grabbed Abby’s hand and stomped towards the front doors.

“Well, that was fruitless,” she sighed, rubbing her forehead. “That cow, Tess is so going to be fired once I get upstairs. To think of the nerve of her ignoring me like that,” she said affronted

Liz scanned the curb for the minivan but it was nowhere to be found.

“Abby, didn’t we park the van here?” she asked looking down at her daughter.

“Uhuh,” Abby nodded her head, looking at Liz innocently.

“Then where is it?” She leaned forward and looked towards each end of the block trying to see if maybe she had been wrong and had parked it further down, but she had no such luck. Just then she saw a uniformed parking enforcement officer standing across the street and a horrible feeling gripped her gut.

“Oh no,” she whispered. She started walking towards the empty spot in front of her where she thought her van had been. As she got closer she noticed a metal pole containing a parking sign posted at the curb.

She looked up and that horrible feeling implanted itself in her gut when she realized that she had parked her car in a tow-away zone.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” She exclaimed, tipping her head back in frustration.

“Mommy, you said a bad word,” Abby chastened.

Liz ignored her daughter’s censure and dug into her purse. She had to have a cell phone somewhere in there. When she finally managed to extract the phone from her oversized purse, she stared at the keypad in thought. Who was she going to call? Hell, she didn’t even know what her home phone number was, let alone Max’s cell phone. Maybe she could call her parents.

She crossed her fingers and dialled hoping that her parents had the same phone number that she remembered.

After three rings her father picked up and Liz rattled off her location not elaborating on how she had gotten there. Forty minutes later, her dad walked in to the Starbucks that they had agreed to meet at.

“Grandpa!” Abby exclaimed upon seeing Liz’s father. Her daughter jumped into her grandfather’s arms squeezing his neck with her chubby little arms.

“How’s my Abigail today?” Jeff Parker asked, hugging his granddaughter. He looked up and locked eyes with Liz shooting her a questioning look.

Liz ran her hand down her ponytail nervously. How as she going to explain the situation to her dad?

“Thanks for coming, dad,” Liz smiled trying to mask her uneasiness.

“Where’s your car, Liz?” Her father asked as Liz gathered her stuff.

“Um,” Liz stalled, trying to think of a good excuse. She couldn’t come up with one.

“It got towed.”

Her dad frowned. She could tell that he was disappointed with what had happened. Her dad was always stern when it came to cars. She remembered the lecture he gave her when she got her first speeding ticket back in high school, two weeks after she received her driver’s license. She was just lucky that she was past the scolding stage or she’d never hear the end of it.

By the time they picked up her car from the impound lot and made it back home, it was almost three in the afternoon and Liz wasn’t feeling very well. Her feet hurt and her back ached and she was starving. Her daughter wasn’t fairing any better. Abby was tired and cranky but she had thankfully fallen asleep on the ride home. Just as she pulled into their driveway, she spotted her husband’s car sitting on the curb.

She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she could hand off Abby to Max and have a moment to herself.

She unbuckled her sleeping daughter and hoisted her into her arms. She slowly waddled her way up the walk and managed to get the door unlocked and opened without any incident.

As soon as she stepped through the door, the smell of garlic assaulted her and made her stomach grumble.

“Is that you, Liz?” Max called from the kitchen.

Liz walked towards the kitchen not wanting to wake her daughter with their yelling.

“What are you making?” She whispered, stepping up next to Max.

“Pasta with mea – hey! You know you’re not supposed to be carrying her. Here let me,” Max dropped the wooden spoon he was holding and reached for their daughter.

“Thanks,” Liz sighed. “She’s getting pretty heavy.” She leaned forward and smelled the aroma coming out of the pot of tomato sauce.

“That smells divine,” Liz commented.

Max gave her a strange look before taking their daughter up to her bedroom. She wondered what the look was for but was too tired to care.

Absently rubbing her belly, she waddled over to the living room and sat down on the couch. She let out a moan of comfort as soon as her butt hit the cushions. What a truly long and crappy couple of days she’s had.

However, despite all the bad luck she’d been having lately, she really wanted to have her old life back. After her experience today, she decided that she wasn’t a very good mother and she had a feeling that she wouldn’t be a very good wife either.

Liz let out a yawn and closed her eyes. Maybe she was just having a really vivid dream. And maybe when she woke up she’d be back in her apartment in her nice warm bed with the 1,000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets…

Disclaimer: I have never been pregnant nor have I seen a pregnant lady be examined at the doctor's office so please excuse any errors I have.

_________________________

Part 4: Mary’s Boy Child…

Liz had been stuck in the middle of suburbia, also known as New Jersey, for the past three days. Since her adventure in Manhattan three days before, she hadn’t left the house. She knew that Max was starting to look at her a little funny but there was nothing she could do. She didn’t understand why she was stuck where she was and what had happened to her old life. Maybe it was like the movie Scrooge and she was just being visited by ghosts from her past, present and future, except she didn’t remember any ghosts appearing in front of her at any time. Maybe she was still drunk and was hallucinating really badly, but the pain she felt in her back and the constant need to pee wiped that thought from her mind.

Liz flipped onto her back and was reminded of the man that was currently fast asleep beside her. She remembered how he had gotten very touchy-feely last night and she had feigned discomfort with her pregnancy to avoid getting intimate with him. Of course, being Max he’d given her a kiss of understanding and had even offered to help massage her back. Liz felt guilty. She knew that he loved his wife and he deserved to have her back. She would have given him that if she could, but she couldn’t figure out how to get out of this predicament she found herself in.

It wasn’t like she wasn’t tempted to give in to Max’s request. After all, he had only gotten more handsome over the years and his body was a lot more defined than she remembered, which she attributed to the construction work that he did. However, what she didn’t expect was the guilt she felt with those carnal thoughts. For some insane reason, she felt like she would be cheating on Kyle if she did anything with Max. She knew that the thought didn’t make any sense. After all, it was Kyle that essentially broke their relationship when she caught him kissing another woman. So why shouldn’t she make love to Max? He was her husband after all.

Liz turned her head and looked at the clock. It was eight o’clock on a Tuesday morning. In her other life, she would have already been dressed and have been standing in line at the Starbuck’s ordering her first latte of the day. Sighing, she managed to roll herself off the bed and make her way into the bathroom.

She felt the baby move and stopped mid-way to the bathroom. She placed her hand against her belly and waited. A small smile spread across her lips when she felt the baby shift again. It really was the oddest feeling. She remembered the first time she felt it a couple days before and the panic that she had been in. In fact, if it wasn’t for Max she thought that she probably would have rushed herself to the hospital. After her initial anxiety, Max sat her down and gave her one of the pregnancy books that she had apparently bought with her first pregnancy, ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’.

She had combed through the book in fascination and by the end of it she had a little more understanding yet the knot of anxiety and fear hadn’t left.

The Liz in this life might have gone through all this already, but this current Liz had not and the thought of having to squeeze out something the size of a basketball through the hole the size of a quarter scared the crap out of her.

“Liz?” a groggy voice whispered. “You okay?”

Liz turned and saw Max looking at her through one barely opened eye.

“Yeah,” she said. “The baby just moved.”

“Oh, okay,” he said and proceeded to yawn. “Remember you have an appointment with Dr. Levitt at ten thirty.”

Liz made her way back to the bathroom but couldn’t help but look at herself in the mirror before getting in the shower. She pulled off her nightgown and stared at her protruding belly. She wondered how far along she was. She hadn’t had the courage to ask Max worried that she would draw more attention from him than she already had with her strange behaviour.

By the time they finished breakfast and had Abby dressed, it was already ten o’clock.

“Let’s go, Liz,” Max called from the porch. “We still have to drop Abby off at preschool.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Liz replied, rushing to get out of the house. Max was nice enough to take the day off work the least she could do was not make them late.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Liz said breathlessly, hauling her ever widening self into the van. She was glad that Max would be the one driving. After her experience with Abby in Manhattan, she didn’t have the urge to get behind the wheel ever again.

Max started the car, pulling out onto the street. “My mom said that they’ll pick up Abby after school so that we can have the day to ourselves.”

“That’s nice,” Liz said idly, her mind pre-occupied. She felt Max’s hand encase her own and she looked over as he raised her hand and kissed her fingertips.

“I love you,” he said, glancing at her.

Liz smiled and opened her mouth but she didn’t know what to say. “I uh…thanks,” she smiled and quickly glanced at her daughter.

“You’re going to see Grandma Diane and Grandpa Phillip today,” she said changing the subject.

She wasn’t quite sure how to respond to Max’s statement. While it was true that she did love him before, she wasn’t quite sure how she felt right now.

She was just…confused.

Was it love that she felt at the moment or was it just some dormant feeling of affection that she had felt for him in the past?

She thanked her luck when he failed to notice her silence. She had no idea how she would explain her sudden awkwardness towards him when according to him they’d been together for the past ten years.

When they reached the doctor’s office, Liz anxiety just went up a notch. She didn’t know what to expect since any knowledge she had of pregnant women were based on the shows that she’d seen on TV, so seeing a roomful of pregnant women was a little surreal for her.

“You okay, babe?” Max asked. Maybe Liz wasn’t hiding her discomfort as well as she thought. She was saved from having to answer him when the receptionist called her name.

“The doctor is ready to see you now,” the receptionist announced.

Liz and Max followed the nurse to the exam room. She didn’t want to admit it but she was nervous. What if she’d done something during the past few days that harmed the baby?

“If you could just take off your clothes including your underwear and put this on, the doctor will be in a couple of minutes,” the nurse instructed thrusting a folded up piece of blue tissue.

Having done a pelvic exam before, Liz knew the drill. However, in all the other times she’d gone to the gyno, there was nobody else in the room but her and the doctor. How was she expected to do the exam with Max standing there staring at her while she was in a compromising position?

“Uh Max,” she said hesitantly. “Could you….,” she trailed off.

Max watched her for a moment before finally understanding what she meant. “Oh sure, I’ll just wait here,” he replied helpfully.

Liz waited until he was seated on the other side of the curtain before stripping off her clothes to don the blue hospital gown.

A minute later, the door opened revealing a short, dark-haired woman. “Hello, Liz. Hi, Max. It’s good to see the two of you again. How have you been?”

Liz smiled. “I’ve been doing fine,” she said, assuming that the woman standing before her was Dr. Levitt.

While the doctor poked and prodded her, Liz noticed that it was Max answering most of the questions for her. While it normally would have bothered her, she found herself relieved since she’d only really been pregnant for a grand total of three days.

“Okay, this might be a little cold,” the doctor warned squeezing some gel onto her distended belly.

A second later, the doctor pointed to the screen and for the first time, Liz truly realized the miracle that she carried within her.

“Here’s your baby,” Dr. Levitt announced, moving the sensor around Liz’s stomach.

Liz felt her eyes water with emotion. She looked over at Max who was staring in awe at the screen and slipped her hand into his giving him a squeeze.

“Look, you can see her fingers,” Liz said reaching out to the screen. Her heart was so full that it felt like it was going to burst. It was her baby! She was carrying a living, breathing, human being inside her body.

“Would you like to know the baby’s sex?” The doctor asked gliding the scanner around on her belly.

Liz looked up to Max in question. “It’s up to you,” he said.

Liz looked over at the doctor and nodded.

“It’s going to be a boy,” the doctor announced.

“I’m going to have a son,” Max said in awe, then squinted at the screen. “Is that his…is it…,” he asked pointing to the monitor.

Liz looked over wondering what it was that got Max’s rapt attention.

Liz heard the doctor chuckle. “No, Max. That’s not the baby’s penis. That’s just the umbilical cord.”

“Oh,” Max breathed in embarrassment.

“Everything looks like it’s progressing well,” the doctor announced, wiping the gel off of Liz’s skin. “You’re only four weeks away from delivery. Who knows, maybe you’ll have a Christmas baby.”

When the doctor left the room, Liz sat up and looked at Max a brilliant smile grazing her lips.

“We’re having a boy,” she said.

“Yes, we are,” Max replied. He placed a hand on either side of her jaw and stared deep into her eyes. “You are a wonderful wife and an awesome mother and I love you.”

Liz looked into Max’s joyous eyes and felt elated. Her hand drifted to grasp his wrist as she said, “I love you too.”

And maybe she did. Maybe she really did still love him. Max was a wonderful, caring man and she was lucky to have him.

As he leaned forward and brushed a kiss against her lips she thought that maybe the best thing she could do was enjoy herself while she was here. After all, if she couldn’t figure out a way to get her old life back, this life wasn’t so bad.

Part 5: Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Liz stood staring at the display in the window, admiring the dress that was draped on the mannequin inside.

After her appointment with the doctor, Max decided to celebrate by driving the two of them into Manhattan to spend the day in the city.

Liz thought that she would have a miserable time being in the city but she was surprisingly mistaken. She had forgotten how fun Max could be. As he stood there hamming it up with a street magician, Liz began to look at him in a whole new light.

Her mind flashed back to five years ago when she had left Max and headed off to Paris. She had been anxious and insecure. It was the first time she was going to be alone and away from her family. It didn’t matter that four years previously she had been attending Parsons in Manhattan while her parents lived in New Jersey. She had been living with Max. (He had chosen to attend the same school in order for them to be together.) In Paris, she was actually going to be literally all by herself.

However, once she had settled in she was pleasantly surprised at how much she had enjoyed the city. Even her job, despite her low position on the company’s hierarchy, had been enjoyable. In Paris, she had been thrust into the Mecca of fashion and she had loved every minute of it. The shows, the nightlife, and the people – everything was new and exciting. She was constantly learning new things and meeting new people that she hadn’t had much time to dwell on being homesick.

When Christmas came a few months later, she flew back to New York but it was with mixed feelings. She had avoided Max the whole week that she had been home. She didn’t know how to deal with him. To make the situation worse, she didn’t know how she felt about him anymore.

She knew that she still cared about him and that she wished him well but didn’t know if she still wanted to be with him. She had a life in Paris and she was sure that with his new job at the firm, he too had a life in Manhattan. A life that didn’t involve her.

And so, over the next few months the phone calls and emails came fewer and far in between until they had stopped altogether. Even a year later, when Liz was promoted as a junior designer and was transferred to Manhattan, she hadn’t bothered to get in touch with Max. Too much time had passed and Liz wasn’t sure she wanted to go back to the way things were. She was happy with her new life and her career. She didn’t think that she and Max had many things in common anymore. They had both grown up and grown apart.

However, she was pleasantly surprised, as she watched him goof around on the busy Manhattan sidewalk, that she still cared deeply about him and perhaps, still loved him.

Liz laughed when the performance ended and Max came bounding up to her all smiles and energy.

“That was fun!” He exclaimed grabbing her outstretched hand. “I’ve forgotten how exciting the city can be.”

Liz merely smiled enigmatically.

“You know what would be great right now?” Max asked turning to face Liz. “A Papaya dog. Let’s go!”

Max grasped Liz’s hand and they made their way over to Sixth Street. Max’s joy was infectious and Liz couldn’t help but laugh. They had had an excellent morning. They were both still giddy over seeing their baby boy.

When they finally ordered their hotdogs and found a seat, Liz had finally plucked up the courage to ask the question that had been bugging her for the past few days.

“Max can I ask you a question?” Liz asked hesitantly.

“Sure, monkey. Ask away,” Max said in between bites.

“Well, when did I come back from Paris?” Liz crossed her fingers and hoped that Max wouldn’t find it a strange question.

Max stopped chewing and frowned. “What’s going on, Liz? Don’t you remember?”

Liz shrugged and shook her head. “Sorry, hun. I can’t seem to remember anything lately. This is one strange pregnancy, huh.” Liz tried to play off her ignorance hoping that Max would bite.

Max sighed and rubbed her belly affectionately. “You’re sucking out mommy’s brains, little guy. You’re going to be one smart baby.”

He took a sip of his drink and looked up at Liz. “You came home that Christmas and you were miserable. You hated the people you worked with and you hated Paris. You said that people were rude and everything was expensive. You were frustrated that you weren’t picking up French as fast as you thought you would. A few months later, you came home for good.”

Liz wanted to ask about his job with the Manhattan architectural firm but held her tongue instead. She had a feeling that one more question would definitely arouse his suspicion. And so, she kept it to herself choosing instead to focus on the good time that she was having with Max.

“Remember back when we were in college and we didn’t have a lot of money?” Max asked. “Mind you, not a lot has changed. We’re still broke,” Max chuckled.

Liz rolled her eyes and smiled. “I remember that week where all we ate was mac and cheese for dinner and lunch. I think my skin had turned yellow from all that artificial cheese,” she laughed.

“Yeah, but we had a great time trying to come up with inventive ways of cooking it,” Max’s eyes twinkled with good humour.

Liz glanced at Max and felt a strange flutter in her stomach. He really was a wonderful man. He was fun, caring, and full or energy. The Liz in this life was really lucky to have a husband like him.

Liz excused herself and walked towards the bathroom. She never realized how often pregnant women had to pee. She didn’t think she would ever get used to the discomfort of being pregnant. Not only did she have a constant need to pee but she had chronic indigestion and back aches as well. After that day in Manhattan, she had sworn off wearing heels and had stuck to basic flats or sneakers, choosing comfort over fashion.

It was so not her style.

By the time she came out, Max had thrown away their trash and was waiting for her by the counter.

“Ready, Liz?” He asked, holding open her jacket.

“Sure. Where are we going?” Liz asked stepping into her coat. Once she was all bundled up, Max dropped a kiss on her forehead and slipped his arm around her waist to direct her out the door.

“It’s a surprise,” he said mischievously.

“Max,” Liz wheedled, she wasn’t a fan of surprises. Her life was always structured and organized. She had to be since her calendar was always booked. However, maybe the Liz in this life enjoyed being surprised.

Liz shrugged her shoulders. “Okay,” she said. When in Rome…

Once they were outside, Max asked her to wait while he hailed a cab. She watched as he had a quick conversation with the driver before he motioned her over.

“After you, my love,” Max said gallantly opening the door for her.

“So are you two from out of town?” The cab driver inquired as he manoeuvred them expertly through the busy New York streets.

“Not really. We’re from Jersey,” Max replied, slinging his arm around his wife’s shoulders.

“That’s cool. I’ve got some family down there,” said the driver. “I don’t get to see them much since the city keeps me pretty busy. It’s hard not to miss them especially during the holidays.”

Liz paused when she caught him looking at her through the rear-view mirror. There was something familiar about his face, like she’d seen him before.

“Excuse me, but do I know you?” She asked leaning forward.

The driver shook his head. “I don’t think so but I do drive a cab and I’m out often, so maybe I’ve driven you before,” he shrugged.

“Maybe,” Liz said, settling back into the crook of Max’s arm.

During their trip, Liz would catch the driver looking at her from time to time with a smile on his face. Normally, this gesture would have creeped her out but for some reason, the driver didn’t seem threatening.

“I love this building,” she heard Max comment as they passed the New York Library. “The design is fantastic.”

Liz cocked her head to the side. She could hear the longing in Max’s voice and she was reminded of how much he loved design and architecture.

“Why don’t you go back to designing then?” Liz suggested.

Max leaned his head against hers and sighed. “I wish I could but it’s too hard. I’ve got our family to think about now. If I went back I’d be starting from the bottom again and we can’t afford that. Besides, having my own little construction company pays pretty well.”

Liz felt a pang of guilt. She had a feeling that Max had given up his dreams of being an architect because of her. Maybe she had or rather the Liz in this life had gotten pregnant and forced him to marry her. Regardless of the reasons, Max had given up his dreams for her and for their children.

She turned her head and watched his profile. She never realized how selfless Max was. Maybe if she had recognized what she had had five years ago, she never would have broken up with him. Maybe this would have been the life she’d had.

She shook her head and noticed that the cab had stopped and Max was fishing some money out of his wallet.

“Why didn’t we just drive here?” She asked, watching the cab blend in with the hundred of other cabs navigating the busy New York street.

“I didn’t want to have to look for parking,” Max answered. “Besides it gave me a chance to cop a feel,” he waggled his eyebrows suggestively causing Liz to laugh.

“You’re such a perv,” she joked cuffing him on the arm.

“I try,” he smiled and grabbed her hand. “C’mon let’s go.”

Liz followed Max’s lead and gasped when she saw Max’s surprise.

“Oh Max,” she said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

Max turned and flashed her a brilliant smile. “Surprise!”

“This is wonderful!” Liz exclaimed. “You’re wonderful.” She stood on her toes and gave him a peck on the lips.

Max blushed and scratched behind his ear. “I remembered how much you love this place and you haven’t been here in years. C’mon.”

Hand in hand the two of them climbed up the steps to the Museum of the City of New York. Liz had forgotten how much she enjoyed this place. Since she had moved back to New York, she had been too busy to visit any of the museums in the city. It was such a shame too since the MCNY had a large collection of fashion history.

As they walked around looking at all the exhibits, Liz felt like she was back in college and she and Max were on one of their monthly excursions. She remembered it was one of their routines. Once a month, the two of them blow off their classes and hang out in the museum all day – her, admiring the fashion exhibit, he, enjoying the different architectural images. It had been…fun.

By the time, they got back to their car, it was five o’clock in the afternoon and the sky had already gone dark.

Liz shivered against the cold as they made their way through the parkade. She felt Max’s hands rubbing her arms, trying to keep her warm. She smiled appreciatively at his efforts.

“Are you sure you’re parents don’t mind keeping Abby overnight?” She asked, getting into the minivan.

“Of course not,” Max replied, starting the engine. “Abby’s got the two of them wrapped around her little finger. She’s charming just like her mother.” He looked over and smiled at her.

Liz blushed at the compliment.

“What are we going to do with ourselves all night?” she wondered.

“I can think of a few things,” Max said with a wink.

Liz felt the thrill of anticipation run through her spine at the thought of Max, a big bed, and a house to themselves.

Happy New Year, everyone! Yes, the fic was inspired by several movies (Family Man, Mr. Destiny, and a little bit of It's a Wonderful Life) hence the disclaimer.

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Part 6: Blue Christmas

“Honey,” a soft voice called Liz from her deep slumber. “Lizzie, wake up.”

Liz moaned and swatted at the air.

“You gotta get up,” the voice persisted. “The shop called. Sandy called in sick and they’re short staffed.”

Finally, Liz rolled over and opened her eyes. “Shop? What are you talking about?”

“Barefoot Contessa, your store,” Max replied. “They can’t run it with just two people especially during the Christmas rush.”

“My shop?” Liz parroted still not quite understanding what Max was talking about.

“Yes, sleepyhead,” Max smiled. “C’mon get up.”

Liz groaned. Her body protested the wake up call. Being eight months pregnant was definitely a pain. Her back ached, her feet were swollen, and she had a hard time getting around.

She swung her legs to the side of the bed and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

She felt the bed shift and looked up to see Max making his way out the door.

“I’ve got breakfast waiting for you downstairs when you’re ready,” he called. “Oh and Maria and Michael invited us over for dinner tonight.”

She slowly shuffled her way to the bathroom and thought about the new information that she had just received. Apparently, she owned her own shop. She should have been surprised but after all the events that she’d been through the past few days, nothing caught her off guard anymore.

Maybe running her own shop would be good. She wouldn’t have to put up with a demanding boss like Marc and the pressure that she felt everyday would be eased.

She really hadn’t thought much about owning her own clothing company. She had been far too busy climbing the ladder at Marc Zahn to think about it. She had been too focused on making her mark in the company. She wanted to impress Marc and make her parents proud. It was like some hunger within her that needed the success.

Her therapist suggested that maybe she had replaced the need for love and companionship with success and money, which was why Liz promptly fired her.

She made her way to the kitchen where Max had breakfast already waiting for her.

She shyly smiled at him as he pulled her seat out for her and filled her glass with orange juice.

The events of last night were still fresh in her mind and she couldn’t help but glance at Max from the corner of her eye.

She had finally given in to temptation and became intimate with Max. He had been fun yet gentle and loving as he made love to her. And to her surprise, she felt none of the guilt that she had felt the other night.

Liz realized with a start that she hadn’t felt that fulfilled for a very long time. She remembered the Max that she had dated five years ago was just as caring but a little awkward but this Max, he took the cake. She could only guess that he had only gotten better with age. But having spent ten years together could do that to a couple. She realized that Max must know her body inside and out and the selfless guy that he was had probably set out to find all the things that drove her mad with lust.

In comparison, the times that she had been with Kyle had lacked the intimacy and the softness that she had shared with Max last night. Kyle’s style of lovemaking was perfectly suited to his personality – quick and selfish.

As she looked at him across the table, she realized with a start what she had truly given up. Maybe if she had stayed with Max this would have been her life. However, a part of her was still protesting at the whole idea of domesticity. After all, she was Elizabeth Parker, senior design coordinator for Marc Zahn, the girlfriend to a real estate mogul, and was well-known throughout the Manhattan party circuit. Did she really want to give all that up?

“My mom called a couple minutes ago. They’ll be dropping Abby off at daycare and you’ll have to pick her up today. They didn’t know that you’ll be going into the shop and I figured that if you needed to you could bring Abby with you. You know how much she loves your store.”

Liz shrugged her shoulders. “Sure.”

“Thanks, babe,” Max said pushing away from the table to clear the dishes. “I’d pick her up but I need to be at the site today.”

Liz watch Max bring the dishes to the sink and thought about how hard it must have been for him to give up his dream. She wanted to do something for him as he had done for her yesterday. She just didn’t know what.

“I gotta go, Lizzie. I’ll see you later,” Max kissed her goodbye and rushed out the door leaving Liz alone.

She sighed and grabbed her coat prepared to go to work, only to realize that she had no idea where work was.

She wanted to call Max but didn’t want to risk his suspicion so instead she tore the house inside and out looking for something that would tell her the address of her business.

She lucked out when she found a business card buried in her daughter’s doll house.

She grabbed the card and stuffed into her purse as she made her way out the door.


Barefoot Contessa was a little vintage clothing shop situated in a kitschy neighbourhood near downtown New Jersey.

Liz stood on the sidewalk staring at the windows of the store. She owned a vintage clothing shop? But she was a designer, how could she throw all that away and sell used old clothes instead?

Heaving a heavy sigh, Liz pushed the door open to the quaint little store and the smell of lavender and lemon greeted her nose.

There were a few shoppers milling about as she walked toward the back counter where a black-haired girl with a ring through her eyebrow perked up at the sight of her.

“Liz!” She exclaimed. “I’m so glad you’re here. Sandy called and said she had mono and won’t be in for a week. It’s just Shellie and I and we’ve got inventory…,” the girl bit her lip apologetically. “I’m sorry to have to call you but we needed your help.”

Liz smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. What do you need me to do?”

The girl looked at her bewildered by her statement. “Um, your accountant called this morning and said that he really needed to see you. I told him that you’d be in sometime around now so…”

“Okay,” Liz replied looking around the store. Despite it being a used clothing shop, Liz could see that the clothes hanging on the racks had style and character. At least it wasn’t Value Village, she thought to herself and began to sort through the piles of clothing in the back room.

After an hour of going through the back office, she realized that the Liz in this life had actually modified the clothes she sold in the store, giving an old vintage dress a new modern flare. Liz’s admiration for her alternate self grew.

“Hey Liz,” a masculine voice greeted her distracting her from her task.

Liz looked up into a once familiar face.

“Alex!” She exclaimed, dropping the vintage Lilly Pulitzer dress she was holding to give him an awkward hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t Alison tell you I called?” Alex asked pointing to the room behind him.

“Alison?” Liz frowned in thought. “Oh Alison,” Liz enounced realizing who he meant. “You’re my accountant?”

Alex looked at her like she was from Mars. “Of course I am,” he said. “Have been since you opened up the shop.”

“Oh okay,” she said, feeling a little silly. “Have a seat,” she picked up the piles of blouses sitting on the chair and moved them on top of the sewing machine.

“Thanks, Liz. How’s the family?” Alex asked, dropping his briefcase on the table and pulling out some papers.

“Max is good so is Abby,” Liz replied as she took the seat across from him. “You look good, Alex,” she commented. The Alex that she remembered had left New Jersey after high school and never came back. As a matter of fact, she hadn’t seen that Alex in over ten years.

“Thanks, Isabel’s been forcing me to go to the gym,” he replied distractedly.

“Isabel?” Liz wasn’t quite sure who he was talking about. It couldn’t be Max’s sister, the one who broke Alex’s heart in high school.

“Isabel, your sister in law. My girlfriend,” Alex said, frowning in confusion. “Are you okay, Liz?”

Liz blushed in embarrassment. “Yeah, sorry. I’ve been a little forgetful lately.”

Alex shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry to drop in on you like this but I wanted to talk to you about the financials for the past six months.”

“Oh,” Liz said. A small knot began to form in her stomach. She didn’t like the tone of Alex’s voice and she had a feeling that what he was about to tell her wouldn’t be good news.

“Sales this month have been good…but…,” Alex trailed off.

Liz sat there staring at him waiting for him to continue. “Go on,” she urged.

Alex sighed. “I don’t know how to tell you this but at the rate that the store is going you’re going to be out of business by next fall.”

Liz leaned back in shock. “What are you talking about?”

Alex shook his head. He reached out to grasp Liz’s hand in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Liz. I’ve been crunching numbers the past few weeks and I keep getting the same results. Your sales just aren’t high enough to justify the lease and labor costs.”

Liz sat staring at Alex’s hand in silence. She was going out of business.

“What can I do?” She pleaded.

“Well, you can cut your labor and increase your sales or you can change locations,” Alex suggested, stuffing the papers back into his briefcase. “But even that doesn’t guarantee anything.”

Liz nodded distractedly. She was numb from distress. She had never failed at anything her whole life and now here she was with a business about to sink.

“Thanks, Alex. I’ll think about it,” she said as she stood up to walk him out.

“I’m sorry to bring the bad news on you like this,” Alex apologized pulling Liz into his arms for a friendly hug. “Especially since we’re only a few weeks away from Christmas. It just couldn’t wait.”

Liz closed her eyes and squeezed her friend. “I understand. Thanks for coming.”

“Sure,” Alex pulled back and flashed her a smile. “I’ll see you guys tonight at Maria’s.”

Liz watched Alex walk out the door and into the frigid New Jersey morning, her mind busy churning the information that Alex had just dropped on her.

She needed to tell Max but she didn’t know how to break the news to him. With a baby on the way, she knew that they desperately needed the money. After all, she couldn’t expect Max to provide for their whole family. That would not be fair on him.

She sighed and began rifling through the piles of clothing to occupy her mind. Alex had suggested that she cut back on labor but it would mean that she would have to let someone go. She didn’t exactly know how many people worked at the shop but it couldn’t have been more than four. She really shouldn’t be so stressed about firing someone – after all, it had been in her job description when she worked at Marc Zahn. However, spending time in this freaky alternate reality seemed to have softened her rough, cut-throat edges. It must be this pregnancy, she thought. All the hormones floating around her body must have gone to her brain.

So, for the rest of the morning Liz fretted over the finances, trying to come up with ways to tell Max and solve the problem.

By the time one o’clock rolled around, Liz was exhausted and hungry. In all her worrying she had forgotten to eat. So when she stepped out onto the sales floor and saw Alison’s bag of McDonald’s lying unattended on the counter, she couldn’t help but pilfer a handful of fries before she walked out the door to pick up her daughter.

After the morning she’s had, she deserved more than a handful of fries. She just hoped that the party that evening would be better.

Part 7: Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

Liz sat in the car staring up at a white bungalow decorated in bright lights. She was surprised at how well Maria had done for herself. In her other life, she remembered how her cousin had bounced from job to job hoping to make it big in the music industry. She could remember the many times that Maria crashed on her couch because she was too broke to rent an apartment in New York. She could see the moment she stepped through the door of the little house that this Maria was much different than the one she remembered.

“Liz!” Maria exclaimed rushing up to Liz to give her a hug. “Look how huge you are!”

“Thanks, Maria,” Liz said dryly.

“Oh you know what I mean,” Maria rolled her eyes and laughed. “You’re pregnant for Pete’s sake.”

“Oh and you,” Maria shuffled over to Max and pinched his cheeks. “I hope you’re taking care of my girls here.”

“Yes, Maria,” Max chanted, rolling his eyes.

“Hiya Abigail,” Maria picked up Liz’s daughter squeezing her in a tight hug. “I’ve got lots of candy for you.”

Liz could hear Abby’s squeal of joy as Maria carried her through the house.

“Do you want something to drink, babe?” Max asked.

“Sure, a cosmo would be nice,” Liz replied distractedly looking around the house. When she didn’t hear a reply, she turned and saw that Max was giving her a stern look.

“I was kidding, juice or punch would be perfect,” she said, her hand drifting to her stomach. She had completely forgotten about the baby.

“I’ll be right back with your drink,” Max said before taking off in the direction of the makeshift bar in the kitchen.

She looked around the house noticing the eclectic décor. She was impressed that Maria had actually been able to maintain a job long enough to earn a steady income to afford a house. According to Max, Maria had long ago given up her flighty ways. She’d even managed to stay with a guy long enough to buy a house and live with him.

Liz walked through the hallway noticing a few familiar faces. She saw Isabel standing with Alex chatting with a guy she had never seen before. She thought nothing of it until the man turned and caught her gaze. He ended his conversation with Alex and Isabel and slowly made his way over to her.

“Liz!” He exclaimed giving her a friendly hug. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered seductively in her ear causing Liz to stand rigidly.

He pulled away and for show pretended to look her over. “It looks like you’re about to pop.”

Once again he leaned forward and whispered, “Meet me in the back after dinner,” before walking away.

Liz stood there staring at the back of this virtual stranger. She didn’t want to think about who this person could be. She had a feeling that he was bad news.

“Here you go, babe,” Max said handing her a glass of punch. “What did Doug want?”

“Doug?” Liz scrunched up her face in bewilderment.

Max nudged his chin up at the man that had just hugged her. “Doug Shellow, Maria’s co-worker. Remember we saw him a few times the summer before last.”

“Oh him,” Liz half-laughed, half-coughed in discomfort. “Nothing. Just saying hello.”

“Okay,” Max said but Liz could tell that he looked at Doug with suspicion and disdain.

Liz took the opportunity to sip her drink in order to hide her discomfort. She had a sneaking suspicion that the Liz in this life was not the good wife that she appeared to be. And for some inexplicable reason, Liz felt saddened by that fact.

So throughout the night, Liz had avoided being alone in a room with Doug even going as far as plastering herself to the side of her husband or child.

After dinner, she made her way into the kitchen and offered to help Maria with the dishes.

“So how have things been, Liz?” Maria asked, passing Liz a plate to be dried.

“Oh, um, they’re good,” Liz replied, not quite liking her cousin’s tone. She looked at her from the corner of her eye but Maria’s head was bent down, disguising her expression.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them which became unbearable for Liz.

“Just spit it out already, Maria,” Liz demanded in annoyance.

Maria sighed, pulling her hands out of the sink full of water. “Look, Liz, I know it’s none of my business but you’re my cousin and I love you like a sister and I don’t want to see you throw your life away…”

“What are you talking about?” Liz asked in vexation.

“I’ve seen the way Doug looks at you and I’ve seen the way you act around him,” Maria stated, giving her cousin a pointed look. “All I’m saying is you better think twice before you do anything stupid.”

Liz stood back affronted. Even Maria noticed and her cousin was the most oblivious person that Liz knew. She wondered for the first time if Max knew. Maybe that was why he looked at Doug with such dislike.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Maria,” Liz said defensively, submerging her hands in the water, washing the dishes to disguise her discomfort.

“I know, Liz,” Maria said pointedly. “I know that Doug likes you and you like him. The only thing I’m unsure about is if you slept with him.”

“Maria!” Liz exclaimed offended. “I can’t believe you’re accusing me of cheating on my husband.”

Maria reached for a plate, placing it in the dish rack as she watched Liz from the corner of her eyes.

“Babe, you know I love you like a sister, which is the only reason I’m talking to you about this. You need to think about your kids. Do you really want to throw away five years of marriage for a stupid fling?”

Liz looked at her cousin, anger and offense burning in her eyes. “You know what, Maria? It’s none of your business.” Liz turned and left the kitchen. She definitely needed to get some air.

She made a beeline for the back porch, taking great measure to avoid Max. When she finally made it outside, the facts finally hit her. The Liz in this world was far from being a saint.

She blew out a breath and sank down on the porch steps staring out into the dark, cold night. She couldn’t believe that alternate Liz would be a cheater. Maybe that’s why she was cheated on by Kyle. By some cosmic mistake, she got the bad karma that should have been heaped on alternate Liz.

“Hi,” a voice said behind her causing Liz to turn and look up. “I was looking for you all over.”

“Oh,” Liz replied turning her gaze back to the dark backyard. She tried to squelch the feeling of discomfort when Doug sat down beside her.

They sat in silence until Doug sighed and touched his hand to her knee causing Liz to jerk in reaction.

“Whoa! A little jumpy tonight,” Doug smirked.

Liz stood up and brushed the back of her dress, using the gesture to distance herself from the stranger that was sitting beside her.

“Look…Dave,” Liz began.

“Doug,” Doug corrected, frowning in irritation.

“Doug,” Liz repeated. “Whatever has been going on between us, it needs to stop right now. I have a husband and a daughter to think about and a son on the way,” she explained. “What kind of person would I be if I let this continue?”

Doug reached out and touched her hand. He sighed and looked deep into her eyes. “I know that you feel guilty but you shouldn’t. You’re the one that said that Max has been neglecting you. I don’t understand what brought this about.”

Liz shook her head and backed away. “No. I’m sorry but I’m putting an end to this right now. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk to me or my family again.” And with that she turned and walked back into the house, running straight into her husband’s firm chest.

Liz closed her eyes in frustration. Of course she’d run into Max. It was just her luck? Why couldn’t she just get a break?

“What’s going on, Liz?” He asked. Liz looked up and she saw the question and vulnerability in his eyes.

Liz shook her head. “Nothing. I just came out to get some air,” she replied but she could tell that he was suspicious.

“Can we go home now?” She asked eager to change the subject. “The baby’s been kicking and I’m tired.”

“Sure, let me just get Abby,” Max obliged but Liz could see his gaze linger at Doug who stood outside smoking a cigarette.

“No, it’s okay,” Liz assured. “I’ll get her. Just go warm up the car, okay?”

Max looked away from the porch and down at his wife. “Sure.”

Liz watch him walk away blowing a breath of relief. She shook herself and set out to find her daughter who was fast asleep behind the Christmas tree.

She bent down and picked her daughter up, nuzzling her nose into Abby’s hair.

Maybe this life wasn’t so wonderful after all.

Ya'll asked for me to "come back soon" so here I am!

_____________

Part 8: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Liz leaned against the threshold as she watched Abby sleep. The light from the streetlamp outside gently illuminated her daughter’s face giving her a peaceful glow. Liz tipped her head to the side and smiled. There was just something heart-warming about watching a child sleep – their faces frozen in repose. How she wished she could be that blissfully ignorant. Maybe then the knot of anxiety and guilt she felt would ease.

She closed the door gently and made her way down the stairs. On her way to the kitchen, she spotted the pile of photo albums sitting underneath the coffee table. She grabbed a few before making her way back to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk.

She placed the albums on the counter, flipping open the one on top.

The first picture was of her dressed in a simple off-white lace dress. On her head was a wreath of flowers. She was caught off guard by the camera, having just opened the door. She laughed softly at her stunned expression. The next one was of her and her mom hugging, followed by one of her laughing with Maria.

She turned the page and stopped. The next one was of Max looking handsome in his dark suit. Liz brushed her fingers tenderly over his smiling face. He looked so young. She remembered him back then. They had just graduated college and she had just accepted an internship in Paris and Max was set to start at the architectural firm. They had been so full of hope and ambition. She remembered how the two of them had talked about getting married. After all, they had been together so long that it just felt like the next step in their relationship. She wondered if that was how it had been for the Max and Liz in this reality.

But life changes and it seemed so do people. She found that she didn’t have much in common with herself from ten years ago. She was more mature, more knowledgeable and maybe a little more…jaded.

Liz sighed and continued to look through the album, smiling or laughing at a picture every now and then.

The Max and Liz in this reality had married young, and apparently they had done it in her parents’ backyard. One thing she found though was despite their immaturity and wealth, the young couple in the pictures looked…happy.

Liz closed the album and thought back to the last time she’d been truly happy. It had probably been two years before when she had received her promotion. She had worked her butt off for the then senior coordinator and it seemed that Marc remembered her when it came time to replace the senior coordinator who resigned to work for another label.

However, now she could see how her career had consumed her life. And as much as she hated Kyle for doing what he did, she couldn’t really put all the blame on him. After all, she wasn’t around most of the time. The incident with Doug Shellow showed her that absence didn’t make the heart grow fonder. It made the heart lonely.

Liz shook her head and opened up the next album. It was Abby’s baby book.

The first image was of a pregnant Liz, laughing and pointing to her engorged stomach.

Unconsciously, Liz reached down and rubbed her growing belly.

Each page of the album was filled with pictures and keepsakes of baby Abby growing up.

Liz had never pictured herself as the maternal type but it looked like she had been a good mother. Her daughter was healthy, smart and well-adjusted.

However, she just couldn’t wrap her brain around the fact that this sweet, caring, responsible Liz would cheat on her husband. It made her even more angry because she was feeling a tremendous amount of guilt when it wasn’t even her that did the cheating, but her alternate self.

With a grunt she closed the albums and slid off the stool. She walked back into the living to replace them when a pair of headlights outside caught her eye.

Curious, she moved to the window and sneaked a peek through the curtains only to frown in confusion when she saw who it was.

Deciding to figure out what was going on, she grabbed her coat off the hook and slid on a pair of winter boots on her feet and made her way out the door.

Outside, the familiar cab driver leaned against his taxi waiting for her. He smiled when he saw her walking toward him.

“I do know you!” She exclaimed, wrapping her coat tightly around her. “You’re the cab driver from the other night.”

He nodded. “Congratulations! You’ve figured it out.” He pushed away from the cab and leaned toward her.

“The name’s Jerome,” he said extending his hand.

Liz looked at his outstretched hand for a moment before reaching out and shaking it. “I’m Li – ”

“Liz Parker. I know,” he said interrupting her.

“How do you know my name?” Liz asked, stepping back from him.

Jerome smiled enigmatically. “I know many things. Like you work for Marc Zahn and that you caught your boyfriend Kyle cheating on you.”

Liz rolled her eyes. “Of course you know about my boyfriend. I told you that on the cab ride home, remember.”

Jerome cocked his head to the side. “Ahh, but I also know that in the morning he’ll call you for lunch and you’ll break up with him in the middle of the lunch rush at Gramercy Tavern.”

“Fine so you’re pschic,” Liz shrugged. “Maybe you can tell me what the hell I’m doing here and why I’m pregnant,” she said pointing to her belly.

“Let’s go for a drive and I’ll show you,” he invited, moving to the driver’s side door.

“Wait a minute,” Liz held her hands up, stopping his movements. “If you think that I’m getting into a vehicle with a stranger then you must be crazy. How do I know that you’re not just some psycho who’s waiting to kill me.”

Jerome smiled and winked. “Do you think I’m sociopath? What’s your gut feeling telling you?”

Liz thought about it and fidgeted. To tell the truth she felt no threat from him. In fact, she felt warmed by his presence which totally got her defences up. He was a stranger to her after all. Why should she trust him?

Jerome waited and shrugged. “Suit yourself then. If you don’t want to know then that’s your decision.” He opened the door and got into the car.

Liz startled and lunged for the passenger side door. “Fine, fine. But I’ve got mace in my pocket and I’m trained in self-defense so don’t try anything funny.”

Jerome only smiled in reaction to her threat. He started the engine and put the car in gear.

“Where are we going?” Liz asked, buckling her seat belt.

“You’ll see,” he replied manoeuvring the cab into traffic.

Less than an hour later, they were driving through a familiar Manhattan neighbourhood.

“What are we doing here?” Liz asked craning her neck to look out the window.

“I just wanted to show you something,” Jerome replied slowing the cab.

Liz recognized her old haunt.

Bungalow 8.

She glanced down at the dashboard clock and saw that it was almost midnight. The line outside the door of the famous New York club was starting to stretch. Liz knew that the party was just beginning. It was New York after all, the city that never slept.

“God, I miss this place,” she sighed looking at the club longingly. Her eyes continued to search the crowd until they fell on a dark-haired man being escorted by two well-built men wearing black suits.

Bungalow 8 security.

“Don’t you know who I am!” Liz could hear the man yelling at the backs of the retreating security guards. “I’m going to have the two of you fired. You’ll never work in this town again!”

The man stumbled to the corner to where the alley was, bent over, and proceeded to vomit. Liz winced but was shocked when a moment later, the man straightened and she finally caught a glance at his face.

It was Kyle.

“Oh my god! It’s Kyle!” She exclaimed. She felt the familiar feeling of affection bloom in her chest but was quickly extinguished when she remembered what he had done to her.

“Why is he by himself?” She asked. “He never goes to Bungalow alone. He’s always got his dick patrol with him,” Liz said referring to Kyle’s group of rich, superficial friends.

Jerome pulled forward, driving away from the club. “That’s what happens when you lose favour with Daddy.”

Liz scrunched her face in confusion. “I’m sorry. What are you talking about?”

Jerome glanced at Liz. “Well in this timeline Kyle wasn’t so wise with his money. He made it easy enough alright but he also tended to snort it away.”

“What?” Liz looked at Jerome like he was from Mars. “Kyle never did drugs. At least my Kyle was against it.”

Jerome gave her a sad smile. “There’s not a lot of difference between your Kyle and the Kyle you just saw. Your Kyle is just very good at hiding it. How do you think he’s able to have such late nights and wake up energized every morning? It’s only a matter of time before his father finds out about it and cuts him off from the company and his trust fund.”

Liz opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. Jerome could very well be right. Kyle had never complained about her late nights and she rarely saw him as it was anyways. He could be doing drugs and she’d never know it. She was too busy at work to even notice.

Liz leaned her head against the window and stared blankly at the scenery.

“Where are we going now?” Liz asked, forlornly. She really was a fool.

“To Max’s office,” Jerome replied heading for the tunnel.

Liz sat back in thought. She’d never been to Max’s office. As a matter of fact, she didn’t even know that he had an office. In the week that she’d been in this alternate reality she hadn’t really been interested in anything other than her own situation.

Some time later, they pulled up to a little building in a non-descript area of town. Liz looked up and saw that Max’s office was housed in an old warehouse that was in the process of renovation.

“This is where Max works?” Liz asked opening the door and stepping out.

“Yup,” Jerome replied watching Liz stare at the building.

“I can’t believe he gave up being an architect for this?” Liz said incredulously.

“He had a decision to make and as tough as it was, Max learned to live with it,” Jerome said following Liz out to the sidewalk.

Liz shook her head. “It doesn’t seem fair though. I know it was his dream to be an architect.”

Liz turned to see that Jerome had gotten back in the taxi and was waiting for her. She looked up one last time at Max’s office before getting back into the cab.

“I still don’t understand why I’m here,” Liz said.

Jerome sighed. “Don’t you watch TV? Haven’t you ever seen A Christmas Carol or It’s a Wonderful Life?”

Liz made a face. “Maybe when I was a kid, but I’m far too busy to watch television let alone go to the movies.”

“That’s too bad,” Jerome commented. “Maybe that’s the problem. You’re too busy for anything else but work. When was the last time you had fun?”

Liz bristled. “I love my job. Besides, work is fun. I get to go out to parties and meet interesting people. And I get to showcase my designs. I know of a dozen people who would love to do what I do.”

Jerome said nothing but merely raised his eyebrow.

Soon enough, the cab pulled into the driveway of her house. Liz stared at the cozy little Victorian and sighed.

“I guess I’ll see you,” she said stepping out of the cab.

“Take care of yourself, Liz,” Jerome advised, pulling away.

Liz watched the cab until its taillights disappeared into the dark New Jersey street. She turned and quietly entered the house.

Despite her meeting with the enigmatic Jerome, Liz still didn’t understand what had happened to her life. However, she figured if she was stuck here she might as well make the most of it.

Her last thought before she went to sleep was how she was going to fix the problems that the Liz in this reality had caused.

Part 9: I’ll Be Home For Christmas

Liz woke up in the middle of the night with a bad case of indigestion. She tossed and turned trying to sleep it off but to no avail. It only seemed to make the condition worse. With great difficulty, she scooted off the bed, placing her feet gingerly on the floor. She shuffled across the room but when she reached the bathroom a sharp pain zinged through her stomach.

Leaning against the wall, she tried to catch her breath. This was one weird case of heartburn. She waited a moment for the feeling to pass before she continued on to the bathroom. She really had to find something for this, maybe some Zantacs or some Pepto Bismol. The pain was so bad that she actually felt dizzy.

She was reaching for the medicine cabinet just as another sharp pain seized her stomach.

“Max!” She cried out. “Max!”

Liz doubled over to the floor and clutched at her stomach. She had a feeling that it wasn’t heartburn after all. She began to worry about the baby. It wasn’t the right time. Her doctor said that she wasn’t due for another four weeks.

“Liz?” She heard Max call her name from the other side of the door. “What’s going on?”

She opened her mouth to reply but another wave of pain hit her and all she could do was moan and pray.

“Liz!” Max exclaimed as he picked her up off the floor. Liz’s eyes fluttered open and she saw the distraught expression on Max’s face.

“What’s going on? Are you having contractions?” He asked running his hands over her stomach.

“I-I don’t know,” Liz stuttered wincing from the pain. “It hurts, Max.”

“Okay, okay,” Max breathed looking around. “We need to get you to the hospital. Can you stand?”

“I’m not sure,” Liz replied. She placed a hand on the floor and gingerly pushed herself up. Max kept a hand around her waist, while holding her arm.

“Okay, I’ll grab your bag and wake Abby up. I’ll call your parents on the way to the hospital,” Max instructed, settling Liz on the bed.

Liz nodded her head. She watched him walk out of their bedroom before curling up on her side with her arms clutched around her stomach.

A million panicked thoughts flashed through her head. However, one thing was certain for sure, Liz was afraid.

She couldn’t bear the thought that she might have done something to jeopardize this pregnancy. Sudden unbidden tears began to fall down her face. She wished that she could just go back to the way it had been.

Back to her one-bedroom, rent-controlled apartment.

Back to her lying, two-timing boyfriend.

Back to her slave-driving boss.

She’d take it all back if only this baby’s life could be spared. She didn’t think she could shoulder the blame should anything happen.

Another wave of pain hit Liz and she scrunched her eyes up in agony.

Soon she became unaware of her surroundings. She didn’t notice when Max came back into the room carrying their sleepy daughter or the sound of his panicked voice when he noticed the trickle of blood on their bed.

She was even unaware of being jostled when the paramedics strapped her onto a stretcher or the vice-like grip of Max’s hand as he rode with her to the hospital.

Liz’s mind was in a strange sort of place – a cross between unconsciousness and awareness. She could hear the beeping of the machines and the wild siren of the ambulance but it sounded dull to her ears. Even Max’s chants of, “It’ll be alright, Liz” was lost on her.

By the time they had made it to the hospital, the pain had become unbearable. Every muscle in her body seemed to be contracting and squeezing. She’d never experienced anything like it before in her life. It felt like she was going to die.

Liz tried to open her eyes but was only greeted by bright white lights that rapidly flashed down her line of vision.

“What time did her contractions start?”

“I-I’m not sure. A little after three thirty, I think.”

“Is mommy okay, daddy?”

“Her bp is 170 over 105 and climbing.”

“Get her stable!”

“Paige her ob-gyn, stat!”

It seemed that everyone around her was barking out orders as she felt herself being wheeled through the hospital hallways.

“Liz, I’m right here, okay. I’ve called our parents and they’ll be here soon. You’re going to be alright.”

“Max,” Liz managed to whisper, her throat felt dry and unused. She tried to form coherent thoughts but the pain was just too overwhelming.

“Liz, my name is Doctor Weir. I’m going to look after you, okay?”

Liz nodded her head.

“All right. You need to listen to me. I need you not to push. Do you understand? Don’t push.”

Once again, Liz nodded her head.

“Good….Has her ob-gyn been paiged?”

Liz could hear the incessant beeping and the sounds of people moving around her but she had lost the rest of the conversation. She didn’t even notice that her gurney had stopped moving. All she could feel was blind panic and pain. She didn’t understand what was going on and she was scared.

“Where’s…where’s Max? My husband?” She managed to rasp out.

“He’s outside, Liz. He’s got your little girl with him. He’ll be in as soon as your parents get here, okay.”

Liz nodded her head and it lolled to the side as another contraction hit her.

She felt helpless. Tears began to course down her cheeks as her fear for her child began to overwhelm her.

“Liz, I need you to open your eyes. We’re going to have to deliver your baby,” a familiar voice instructed.

“Dr. Levitt?” Liz asked. She opened her eyes and saw the kind, gentle face of her obstetrician.

“Hi,” she said, half her face covered with a surgical mask.

“Too early,” Liz said, panting as another contraction passed.

“I know, sweetie. But the baby can’t wait. We’re going to have to do this now,” her doctor explained gently.

Liz nodded her head in understanding. She needed to be brave. “Where’s Max?”

“Your husband is outside getting prepped. He’ll be here in a minute,” another masked doctor explained.

Liz watched as the nurses and doctors scrambled around her. She tried to follow their conversation but she was lost on the medical jargon. When Max finally arrived, she had never been so glad to see him. He reached her in three strides and immediately clasped her outstretched hand.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said, seeming more for his re-assurance than hers.

“I’m scared, Max,” Liz admitted, trying valiantly not to cry.

“I know, Lizzie. So am I,” he said clutching her hand to his chest. He gently stroked her hair trying to soothe her fear.

“Is Abby okay?” Liz asked, looking towards the door.

“Yeah, our parents are here. They’re looking after her,” he explained.

Suddenly, Liz grunted and squeezed Max’s hand as another contraction hit her. Above her she could hear Max trying to coach her breathing as he continued to stroke her hair.

As the contraction passed, she felt exhausted and a little crazy. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the situation.

It was like she was stuck in the middle of a really bad E.R. episode. All she could think about was that she never signed up for this. What kind of twisted karmic fate would do this to her?

“Stop pushing, Liz!” She heard her doctor call out.

“I can’t,” Liz pleaded unable to help what her body was doing. It was just so painful.

“The cord is twisted. We need to get the baby into the proper position and cut,” she heard her doctor say.

“What’s going on, Max?” Liz asked looking up at her husband’s masked face.

It took a moment before Max answered her. “You need to listen to Dr. Levitt, honey. You need to stop pushing.” She could hear the tremble in his voice.

“What’s wrong with the baby?” Liz demanded, glancing down at her doctor.

She watched as her doctor checked the baby monitor before turning back to her.

“The cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck. You need to push when we tell you to because we need to cut it. So you really need to listen to me, okay?”

Liz swallowed as the impact of the situation hit her. The baby was going to die and it was going to be her fault.

She began to cry.

“Shhh,” Max soothed, wiping away her tears.

“I’m a lousy mother, Max,” Liz cried, sniffing away her tears. “Our baby might die and it’s going to be all my fault.”

Max shook his head and leaned his forehead against hers, his eyelashes brushing against her skin.

“Our baby’s not going to die,” he said. “You’re not a lousy mother. Our son is going to be strong and healthy, you’ll see.”

Liz half cried, half laughed at her husband’s unwavering faith.

“You’re right. I can do this,” she said, taking a deep cleansing breath.

“Okay Liz. Get ready. Another contraction is coming…,” she heard the doctor say before another wave of pain washed over her. This time it was longer and more intense.

For the next half an hour, Liz endured wave after wave of contraction. She pushed and stopped and pushed some more as per the doctor’s instructions.

Finally, she just couldn’t take it anymore and she leaned her head back against her husband’s chest in exhaustion.

“I can’t do it, Max,” she sobbed. “I’m tired.”

“I know, Liz,” Max assured her. “We’re almost there.”

“He’s right, Liz. Just a little longer,” her doctor said encouragingly.

Liz was fighting a battle within herself. This was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. From somewhere within her she found the courage to forge on. She’d never failed at anything in her life. She wasn’t about to let this baby down.

“Okay, here we go,” the doctor said and Liz braced herself.

She screamed as a lightning-like bolt of pain shot through her body and every muscle she had seemed to convulse….


Liz bolted upright panting. Her throat was raw and her body tingled all over. She blinked, surprised and disoriented by the sunlight filtering through the bedroom blinds.

She was back in her old room. In her old apartment. In Manhattan.

Her hand automatically grabbed at her stomach and she gasped in shock when she realized that it was flat.

No baby.

What the hell?

She shook her head and a sudden bout of nausea threatened to overwhelm her. She rolled off the bed and fell to the floor, managing to make it to the bathroom just in time for her to vomit.

As she heaved into the toilet, Liz had the strangest sense of déjà vu.

_____________

Okay, only the epilogue to go...

Epilogue

For the next few weeks, Liz fumbled through her days. Ever since she woke up from her ‘dream’ she’d been having difficulty distinguishing what was real and what was not. After all, one minute she was in the delivery room about to give birth to a baby and the next she was sitting on the bathroom floor in her apartment throwing up into the toilet bowl.

As time passed, Liz had come to think that the whole alternate world that she had glimpsed had just been a gin-induced dream. Of course it couldn’t have been real. This was her life. Deadlines and demanding bosses were her reality.

Babies and marriage were just not in the cards for her.

One good thing did come of her ordeal though, her break-up with Kyle.

The morning she woke up, she had managed to crawl to work despite looking like death warmed over. For the first time in her career, people actually stayed away from her, like they were afraid. They had never seen her look nothing less than perfect before, so this dishevelled Liz definitely threw them off.

An hour into her day, she had received a phone call from Kyle inviting her to lunch. Liz hesitated wondering if it was a good idea to see him. After all, she was still angry about his indiscretion. In the end, she decided that closure was needed in their relationship and so she accepted his invitation.

By the time she arrived at Gramercy Tavern, Kyle was already waiting for her and was well into his second martini. He looked up from the paper he was reading with a smile as he heard her approach their table. However, his smile quickly faded when he caught sight of her appearance.

“Liz?” He asked. “What the hell happened to you?”

Liz frowned and glared at him in irritation. “For your information, I’m sick,” she stated.

Kyle shrugged in response. “Well, the least you could do was dress up a little. You work in fashion after all.”

Liz bit her tongue and fought hard not to retaliate. She knew what she was there to do and fighting with Kyle wasn’t going to do much good. Besides, she was too tired to fight.

As usual, Kyle spent the remainder of their lunch date boring Liz with minute details of his company’s latest acquisition.

Meanwhile, Liz sat there throughout their meal staring at the piece of food that had managed to land on Kyle’s cheek. As he prattled on, she contemplated whether she should tell him about it or not. Finally, she couldn’t rein her laughter anymore and a little giggle managed to escape.

Kyle stopped mid-speech and dropped his fork.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Liz?” He asked, giving her an irritated glare. “If you didn’t want to hear about my project then all you had to do was tell me. You’re being fucking rude.”

Liz looked at Kyle’s red angry face and continued to laugh. She couldn’t help herself. The events of the past week and the situation with Kyle finally caught up to her. And it didn’t help that she was half-hung-over and tired.

“That’s it,” Kyle said angrily. He tossed down his napkin and gestured to their server for the bill.

Liz wiped the tears of laughter that fell from her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she managed to calm herself enough to apologize to Kyle.

“Listen, Kyle. I didn’t mean to laugh at you. I’m just overly tired and overworked,” Liz explained, reaching for his arm.

“Fine,” Kyle calmed, placated by her answer. After a moment he said, “By the way, there’s a dinner we have to go to tonight. Dress sexy.”

“Kyle,” Liz snapped. “I’m tired and I have a lot of work to do. I’m sorry but I don’t think I can come.”

“Elizabeth,” Kyle said, using her full name. “As my girlfriend, you’re expected to be at my side at certain functions. I’m sorry if you’re tired, but we have obligations.”

Liz bristled with anger at his condescending tone. “That’s exactly it, Kyle. I’m your girlfriend, not your wife. I’m not obligated to do anything I don’t want. Which is exactly why I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

Kyle held his hands up in surrender. “Whoa! What are you talking about? Where did all this come from? Is it that time of the month?”

Liz shook her head and sighed. She didn’t have time for this. She pushed her chair back and placed her napkin back on the table. She stood up to leave, but Kyle’s hand stopped her.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Kyle apologized. “I didn’t mean to insinuate that you had no choice in the matter,” he sighed dramatically. “It’s just that it would be nice if you could accompany me tonight. This dinner is with one of the larger companies that we’ve been courting for a year. It would mean a lot to me if you would come.”

Liz stared at the spot where Kyle’s hand was gently caressing her skin and felt…nothing. Not even the slightest bit of affection. It really truly was over.

“How about you enjoy your lunch and have another glass of wine while I dash off to the men’s room?” He suggested. He pushed his chair back and stood up, leaving Liz to stare at his back.

Liz growled in anger at his arrogance. As soon as he was gone, she grabbed the saltshaker and tipped a handful of salt into Kyle’s pasta dish. It may have been petty but it made her feel immensely better.

Just how long had she been blind? She couldn’t believe that she had put up with his crap for this long. Thinking about how she had already tried to break up with Kyle, Liz realized he wouldn’t accept anything she had to say. There was only one sure-fire way to make him understand that she meant what she’d said.

She grabbed a pen from her purse and strode over to the bar, grabbing a paper napkin. She scribbled a short note, and then found their waiter, giving him instructions to deliver her note to Kyle.

Feeling like a boulder had just been lifted off her shoulders. She practically skipped to the door to hail a cab. By the time Kyle read the note, Liz would be back at work, and she was perfectly happy with that.

If only, she thought on her trip back to the office, writing a note and walking away could solve every problem in life. Unfortunately, there were some other things that she didn’t think would be as easy to resolve.


* * *


“Excuse me,” someone said bumping into Liz from behind causing her to spill her drink. She stood across from her office, holding a latte in her hand. For some strange reason she was unable to make herself go back to work.

She looked down and mentally gave herself a pep talk hoping that she’d motivate herself enough to get her feet moving. After all, most of the hard work was over. Liz managed to get enough of her staff to agree to work through the holidays enabling her to produce enough designs to satisfy Marc. So, she didn’t understand why she suddenly had an aversion to work.

Closing her eyes, she made a difficult decision. She whipped out her cell phone and dialled her assistant, letting her know that she wouldn’t be coming in for the next few days. She quickly hailed herself a cab and within minutes she was standing back at her apartment packing her bags.

By the time she made it to the train station, it was closer to eleven o’clock on a Friday morning and the place was packed. It was the last day of the year, after all, and people wanted to go home to see their family.

A small smile spread across her face that only seemed to grow wider as she got closer to her destination.

Who’d have thought, Elizabeth Parker, successful fashion designer and infamous workaholic, would ditch work in order to get on a train to New Jersey? Even Liz herself was surprised at her actions. For once she followed her instinct and ignored her head.

However, that courage soon turned into mush once she found herself standing on her parents’ front porch. She wasn’t quite sure how her parents would react to seeing her standing on their doorstep especially since she had skipped out on spending Christmas with them.

Suddenly, the front door was wrenched open and her Aunt Amy stepped out.

“Jesus, Liz! Scare an old woman would ya!” She exclaimed clutching a hand to her chest. “What are you doing here?”

“Hi Aunt Amy,” Liz smiled sheepishly. “How have you been?”

“I’m just fine as usual,” Amy looked down and caught sight of her bags. “Oh my! Where are my manners? Come in.”

She stepped aside to let Liz through. “Nancy!” she hollered. “Your wayward daughter is here.”

“Where were you on Christmas?” Amy asked raising a dark eyebrow. “We missed you. Now come here and give me a hug.”

Liz smiled at her aunt’s manic mood swing. No wonder Maria was the way she was. Like mother like daughter.

“Liz?” she heard her mom call out.

Liz stepped back from her aunt’s rib crushing hug and caught sight of her mother coming out of the kitchen.

“Surprise,” she said lamely.

“We weren’t expecting you,” her mom said as the two of them embraced. “I thought you had to work through the holidays again this year.”

“Yeah, I do…did,” Liz replied. “But I called to tell them that I needed a break. I missed you guys.”

“Well you know that you’re always welcome here,” her mom said, giving her waist a maternal squeeze. “You know you’re far too skinny. It’s that job of yours. You never seem to have any time to eat. Come on, I’ve got some leftover turkey. Let’s make you some lunch.”

Liz rolled her eyes good-naturedly and followed her mom to the kitchen.

“Are you guys having a party?” Liz asked eyeing the groceries on the counter.

“We’re just having a little get-together over New Year’s,” her mother replied, grabbing the turkey out of the refrigerator. “I’m assuming you’ll be staying?”

“I’d love to,” Liz smiled as she bit into a carrot. “Who did you guys invite?”

“Just a few friends and family,” her mother replied.

“Maria’s coming too,” her Aunt Amy added. “She’s bringing some new guy she’s met.”

Liz nodded distractedly as a warm, cozy feeling spread throughout her body.

She hadn’t realized how much she missed home.


* * *


The night of the party Liz found herself surrounded by family and friends who bombarded her with questions about when she would be getting married. She carefully diverted each question but by the time eleven thirty rolled around, she had had enough.

She managed to sneak out the back door and out into the backyard.

As much as she had accomplished in her life it seemed that their family and friends still thought of her as little Lizzie Parker. It didn’t matter what kind of salary she made or that she was the head designer of Marc Zahn, they still thought of her as the little girl who drove her mother nuts with her eclectic style of dress.

A scoffing laugh escaped her lips. She should have known that in Jersey it didn’t matter if you had a career. What mattered most were whether you were married and the number of children you had managed to produce.

A sudden gust of wind blew and Liz shivered.

“It’s pretty cold out here. You should have brought your coat,” a masculine voice advised startling her.

“Shit! You scared the crap out of me. I thought I was alone,” she said, squinting into the dark. There wasn’t much light outside so all she could see was his shadow.

She heard a sudden flick and a small flame lit up between his cupped hands.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized when he realized that she was looking up him. “Do you mind?”

Liz shook her head still trying to figure out who he was.

He brought flame up to his mouth to light his cigarette, illuminating his face.

Liz leaned forward and frowned. It couldn’t be who she thought it was.

“Max?” she asked, thinking that maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her.

“Hi Liz,” he greeted exhaling a puff of smoke. He stepped forward and the glow from the streetlight caught his face.

He looked good. Really good. The angles of his face made him look more mature and distinguished. He still had an athletic build and wore the right clothes to accentuate it. He wore his hair short but it was a little bit messy from the wind.

“What are you doing here?” she asked not realizing how rude she sounded.

“Uh, I was invited,” Max replied, a small smile playing against his lips.

Liz slapped her forehead. “Shit, how rude of me. I mean, I didn’t mean to imply—never mind,” she shook her head. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too,” Max said, taking another drag of his cigarette. “It’s been a long time.”

Liz thought about what she went through weeks ago and the corner of her lip twitched into a smile. “Yeah, it has.”

“I heard that you’re some big wig now over at your company,” Max commented.

Liz shivered and rubbed her hands up and down her arms trying to keep warm. “No, not really. I was actually thinking of quitting.” Where the hell did that come from?

Max placed his cigarette between his lips and shrugged off his coat placing it against Liz’s shoulders. “You look like you could use this.”

“Thanks,” Liz replied, wrapping his coat around her. It was warm and smelled faintly of his cologne and smoke. She noted that Max smelled differently than she remembered but quickly dismissed the thought. After all, this Max was not the same Max from her ‘dream.’

“So when did you start?” Liz asked pointing to the cigarette he was holding.

Max smiled and chuckled softly. “This,” he said eyeing the cigarette between his fingers. “A couple of years ago. Just one of the hazards of the job, I guess.”

Liz rolled her eyes. “I know what you mean,” she laughed good-naturedly. “How have you been? Besides the smoking, of course.”

“Of course,” Max winked. “They’ve been keeping me pretty busy at work but I’m sure you know what that’s like,” he replied casually.

“Yeah,” Liz smiled, “I guess I do. Are you still in architecture?”

Max nodded his head, dragging on his cigarette. “I work for a firm in Manhattan,” he replied.

“Really,” Liz’s eyes lit up but quickly dimmed when she realize how ridiculous she was being. He probably had a girlfriend. A tall, sexy, and gorgeous girlfriend.

“I work in Manhattan too,” she said.

“I know,” Max replied smiling.

“Oh, right,” Liz’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment. He already knew where she worked.

A companionable silence settled between them. Liz watched the puffs of steam that she breathed while her mind thought of something to say. She couldn’t believe that after all these years he still managed to bring up butterflies in her stomach.

“So…” they both said at the same time.

“You first,” Liz chuckled.

Max paused and his face turned serious as he looked at her. “What happened to us, Liz?”

Liz shifted uncomfortably at his gaze. “What do you mean?”

Max threw down his cigarette, stamping it with his shoe. “I mean, look at us. We haven’t seen or heard from each other in five years.”

Liz sighed and brushed wisps of her hair off her face. “I don’t know. We just drifted apart I guess.”

Max shrugged. “Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s too bad.”

“Yeah,” Liz agreed staring out into the darkness.

Inside, the party got louder as midnight approached. They could hear everyone counting down.

“Ten…

“…nine…

“…eight….

“…seven…

“…six…

“….five…

“…four…

“….three…

“…two…

“…one, Happy New Year!”

Liz smiled and looked at Max awkwardly. “Happy New Year, Max.”

Max didn’t say anything but returned her smile.

Liz pursed her lips together unsure of what to do next. Should she give him a kiss or shake his hand? What was the proper way to handle this situation?

She was saved from having to figure it out when Max stepped forward and placed a gentle kiss at the corner of her mouth.

“Happy New Year, Lizzie,” he whispered against her ear. He pulled away, brushing her hair behind her ear.

“You had a hair thing,” he explained.

Liz smiled and remembered their first kiss. It had been their senior year in high school and Max had walked her home from school. He had said the same thing back then.

“Thanks,” she replied.

He looked at her for a moment before stepping back. “I better get back inside. My mom is probably looking for me. Can’t disappoint the parents, right?” He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah,” Liz agreed. “I’m sure there’s plenty more people inside who want to interrogate me about my single status,” she said rolling her eyes.

Max laughed. “I guess I’m not the only one fielding the questions. Have they tried setting you up yet?”

Liz’s eyes widened and she laughed. “Only about a dozen times. It seems like all our family friends have some nephew or neighbor that’s looking for a girlfriend.”

Max shook his head and chuckled. “C’mon let’s get back inside before you turn into a Popsicle.”

Liz trailed behind Max as they headed for the porch. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. She was actually having a good time. Even after all these years, Max still managed to put her at ease.

“Hey Max,” Liz said just as Max reached for the door.

“Yeah,” he stopped and turned to face her.

She nibbled her lip in uncertainty. Should she go for it?

“I was wondering…” she looked up and saw him gazing at her curiously. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

“I was wondering if you’d like to, um, go for lunch sometime,” she said. “I mean if you’re not too busy. Since we both work in Manhattan and we both have to eat. I thought that maybe we could go together…if you’re not too busy,” she babbled.

Max smiled and his eyes softened. “I’d love to. Now c’mon. They’ve probably sent out a search party for us.” He reached out and extended his hand in invitation.

Liz smiled in delight and placed her hand in his, revelling in its warmth. As Max led her back into the house, she couldn’t help but think, she might not have a life like the movies, but it was certainly turning out to be wonderful.

After all…‘tis the season.

_______________________

That's it. Thanks for reading, everyone. Sorry the epilogue took a while. The past couple of weeks were super-busy for me. Special thanks to Tanya (Behrsgirl77) for editing this part and helping me with my transitions.

Yay! This is the first non-short story I ever completed. A pat on the back for me.