| Part 29 **************** Maria climbed up each metal rung of the fire escape ladder, trying her best to keep quiet. She jumped over the ledge, wiping her palms against her flannel pajamas. She cupped her hands around her mouth. �Liz! Liz!� Liz stuck her head out the window, a finger against her lips. �Shh! I don�t want my parents coming out here.� Liz swung her body out of the window. She got on her knees and reached back inside her room for her blanket. She sat down on her lawn chair, wrapping the blanket securely around her. She opened up her arms, beckoning Maria to join her. Maria snuggled up under the blanket. �So, what happened with Max, that you had to wake me up at 2 in the morning for?� �Maria, we kissed.� Maria opened her mouth to reveal a squeal, only to have Liz cover her mouth with her hand. �Maria!� Maria�s eyes grew wide when she realized how noisy she was being. �Sorry. So, this about dishing the goods. And here I thought, something bad happened.� She stopped her babbling, seeing the sad look in Liz�s eyes. �Honey, what�s wrong?� Liz�s lower lip trembled as she tried to hold back the tears. Maria stroked her chocolate brown hair. �But I thought kissing Max would be a good thing. Right?� Liz nodded her head, wiping her nose with a tissue. �It is. I mean, it was the best kiss I�ve ever had.� Maria eyed Liz carefully. �Ever? I mean, you�re saying he was the best kiss you�ve ever had, compared to anyone else?� Liz�s hair flew around her face as she bobbed her head in agreement. �Then what�s the problem? I would think that it�s a step in the right direction for the two of you.� Sniffing, Liz looked up. �I messed up, Maria. He thinks I didn�t want it to happen. Everything�s so screwed up.� Maria held up her hands. �Hold up, you gotta back track a little. You�ve totally lost me.� Sighing, Liz stood up and paced the length of the balcony. �You see, we were upstairs putting Noah to bed, and when we were leaving, we hear him say da da. Of course the two of us are excited. He picks me up and twirls me around the room. All of a sudden, he stops and we just look at each other, then we kissed. We only stopped, when we heard your voice. Then he pulled away saying he was sorry. I thought he was saying that he was sorry that he kissed me, so I left, not wanting him to see me cry. I started acting like a jerk to him, because I was hurt. Then he walked me to his car saying that he wasn�t sorry that he kissed me, but that he was sorry for taking advantage of me. He thinks that I don�t want to be his friend anymore.� Maria slowly nodded her head, taking in everything Liz had said. �Well, chica, it seems to me that you guys just need to talk.� Liz stopped her pacing long enough to pin Maria with a look. �You make it sound like it�s so easy.� Maria stood up, letting the blanket fall to the floor. �That�s because it is. I don�t know what you thought calling me was going to accomplish. You already know what you need to do. Deep down, you know that you have to talk to him.� Liz stood watching Maria, knowing that every word that she was saying was true. The only way to fix this was to be honest with Max, and tell him what was going on. She walked to Maria and gave her a hug. �Thank you, Maria. I don�t know what I would do without you. Thank you for listening.� Liz�s voice was muffled against Maria�s coat. �Not a problem, babe. You know I�m always here for you.� ************ Max tossed and turned in his bed. He glanced at the clock. 2:00 am Groaning, he pulled himself out of bed. He walked towards Noah and watched as he slept peacefully. He stroked the softness of his cheek, remembering how he had said da da. Max felt himself smiling. As he thought about it, his thoughts drifted to Liz. He really screwed that one up. How was it possible to be so happy in one minute, and be completely miserable the next? Max walked down stairs, hoping to drown his sorrows in something sweet. �Iz?� Isabel looked up from the carton of ice cream in her hands. �Couldn�t sleep?� Isabel shrugged her shoulders. �Just a little too much excitement for one night I guess.� Max pulled up a seat beside her, grabbing a spoon on the way. �How about you, big brother? What has you up at 2 in the morning?� Max stuffed a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. �Nothing.� Isabel gave him a knowing look. �I thought we were through the whole keeping things from each other.� Max dumped his spoon in the carton, releasing a heavy sigh. �It�s Liz. I totally screwed up.� Isabel�s eyebrows knotted in confusion as she tried to picture what Max was telling her. �I don�t get it. How did you screw up?� Max refused to meet her eyes, and instead chose to make invisible drawings on the kitchen counter with his finger. �I kissed her.� Isabel pushed the carton away from her. �You kissed her?� Nodding, Max covered his face with his hand. �Yeah, and I�ve just ruined our friendship.� �Why would you say that?� Max looked at Isabel. �I kissed her. I don�t think she wanted me to do it. I tried to explain to her how I felt, but she left anyway.� Isabel watched Max closely. �And how do you feel?� Max was caught off guard. He hadn�t expected that. �How do I feel?� �Yeah, Max. How do you feel about Liz?� Max pushed the seat away from the table and started pacing. �I don�t know.� �How can you not know? How can you sit there and tell me that you tried to tell her how you felt, when you can�t even tell me about it.� �I don�t know, alright! I�m just, I�m so confused Isabel. I don�t know what to do.� He looked up at her with tears in his eyes. Isabel walked up to him, engulfing him in a hug. �Max, it�s ok. Whatever�s going, you can tell me. I�m here, I�ll listen.� She pulled away from him, trying to give him a reassuring look. �Is this because you think you feel something for Liz?� Max shook his head sadly. �That�s the problem, Iz. It�s not that I think, I feel something for her. It�s that I do feel something for her.� Isabel gave him a little smile. �Then I don�t see what the problem is Max. From what I�ve seen, Liz seems to be pretty smitten with you. I�m sure the two of you just had a misunderstanding that you can�t fix with a little talking.� She saw the different emotions cloud his eyes. �Unless, that�s not what either of you want.� Max shook his head. �That�s the thing. I don�t know how she feels. And while I know how I feel, I can�t help but feel guilty.� �Guilty? Why would you feel guilty?� He sank down on a chair and stared at his bare feet. �Do you still think about Tess?� From all of the reasons Max could have felt guilty about having feelings for Liz, she hadn�t expected to hear this question. �Of course I do, Max. There really isn�t a day that goes by that I don�t remember.� �See, that�s the thing. I think about her too. I think about what it was like being with her, and just having her in our lives. I think about what it would be like if she were still alive. I think about what would be different if she didn�t die during childbirth. What would our lives have been like?� Isabel sat beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder. �What does this have to do with Liz?� Max looked up at her, his eyes, over flowing with tears. �Everything. I feel like I shouldn�t have these feelings for Liz, when Tess and I.........� Isabel cradled his face in between her hands. �Max, you shouldn�t feel guilty. What you and Tess had, that was special. The two of you, created a beautiful baby boy together. But what you and Liz may have is different. You can�t compare the two of them together.� �But I can�t. I can�t help thinking about it. I can�t help but feel guilty. I always said that I was going to love Tess forever- �Max, just because you�re developing feelings for Liz, it doesn�t mean that you�ll just automatically forget about Tess and stop loving her. The truth is, you�ll probably never stop loving her, but that love is different from any other love you might experience in your lifetime. You�re still young, Max. Just because Tess isn�t here with us anymore, it doesn�t mean that you have to stop living. I�m sure Tess is looking down on you, wanting you to be happy.� Max took a swipe of his nose. �Well, even if I do figure out my feelings, I don�t think Liz feels the same way. I moved too fast. I�ve probably scared her off.� �I don�t believe that. I just think that she�s confused, just like you are. Give her time.� The phone in Max�s room started ringing. �Are you gonna get that?� Max shook his head. �I�ll let the machine get it.� ************** Liz picked up the phone and dialed the number. �This is Max. I�m not here right now, so please leave a message.� Heaving a soft sigh, Liz sat against her pillows. �Hi, Max. It�s Liz. I�m sorry for calling so late, but I just, I wanted to say I�m sorry for being a jerk. I want to say a lot of other things too, but I think it would be better if I said it in person. So, uh, if you want to get together tomorrow, and you know, talk, just give me a call.� Liz put the phone back against the receiver, her heart was racing. All she had to do now was wait for Max to make the next move. ************* Max and Isabel both went up the stairs. Max sat on his bed, knowing that there was no possible way he would get any sleep that night. He turned to his bedside table and caught sight of his answering machine, with the number one flashing across it. Sitting up, he pressed the button. �Hi, Max. It�s Liz. I�m sorry for calling so late, but I just, I wanted to say I�m sorry for being a jerk. I want to say a lot of other things too, but I think it would be better if I said it in person. So, uh, if you want to get together tomorrow, and you know, talk, just give me a call.� Part 30 �.............So, uh, if you want to get together tomorrow, and you know, talk, just give me a call.� Max had replayed the message five times since he had first listened to it. When he had first heard her voice, his heart had almost stopped beating. He had pulled himself closer to the answering machine, choosing not to turn up the volume and risk waking up Noah. He had played it over and over again, just to hear her soft voice. He had glanced at his clock then, tempted to call her and get everything settled right now, for he knew that sleep was virtually impossible now. As much he wanted to make things right at that very moment, it was really late. He couldn�t just call her house and possibly wake up her parents. No, he had too much respect to do that. No, he would wait until it was morning, and then he would call her. ************* Morning couldn�t come soon enough for Max. He had dialed her number, but as soon as the phone had started ringing, he had put the phone back down. Last night, he could barely contain himself, dying to talk to her, but now that the moment of truth was there, he was scared out of his mind. He had started rehearsing what he was going to say to her, but right now he couldn�t remember a word of what he had practiced. He grabbed the phone again and started dialing again. His eyes danced around the room, when his eyes landed on Noah playing with a plastic bag that was on the floor. Saying a curse under his breath, Max hung up the phone and picked up his son. He threw away the plastic bag and gave his son a serious look. �Look, buddy, you gotta behave for daddy while he makes a phone call, ok?� He placed Noah in his play pen, and started searching for where he dropped the phone. �Where�d I put it? I had it just a minute ago.� **************** Liz ran from her bathroom, trying to keep the towel on her head, and the other towel secure around her body. She had just gotten out of the shower when she heard the phone ringing. She tried her best to keep from tripping over her own feet and slipping on the wet trail she was making. �Hold on, hold on. I�m coming.� She rounded the corner of her bed, only to stub her big toe on the chest that lay at the bottom of her bed. �Ouch!� She hopped on one foot, while the towel fell from her head. She kicked the towel out of the way and made a dive for the phone. �Hello?� She cradled the phone against her shoulder as she tightened the towel around her. �Hello? Hello?� Hanging up the phone, she went to pick her discarded towel, wiping the wet trail she had made. As she was dressing, she began muttering to herself about people calling at the absolute worst time. She held her hair brush in mid air, and her eyes grew wide when she realized that it could have been Max on the phone. Dropping her brush, she grabbed the caller id beside the phone and pressed the button to see who had made the call. Evans, Max. 505-823-8887 Taking a few deep breaths, Liz picked up the phone with trembling hands. ********* Max stood in the middle of his room, scratching the side of his head. He remembered dropping the phone on the bed, but now he couldn�t seem to find it. He pulled the sheets to one side. �Come on, you�ve got to be here somewhere.� He had pulled the pillows off of the bed when he heard a soft ringing. He proceeded to rip the sheets off of the bed. He grabbed the phone, a grin on his lips. �Aha, I found you.� �H-hello?� Max�s eyes bugged out of his head when he heard a voice coming through the other end of the line. He hadn�t realized that he had pressed the talk button when he had picked up the phone. Embarrassed, he put the phone against his ear. �Hello?� Liz found herself unable to keep still. �Ma-max?� He felt himself stop moving at the sound of Liz�s unsure voice. �Liz?� Liz smiled against the phone, happy that Max had recognized her voice. �It�s me. I was just- �I was- They both laughed together when they had spoken at the same time. Liz gathered her composure. �You first.� Max sat down in his desk chair and started twiddling his thumbs. �I was just, I was trying to call you.� �I know.� Max quirked his eyebrow at her statement. �How did you know?� Liz gave another little laugh. �Uh, caller id.� Max nodded his head. �Ah, the wonders of technology.� The two of them were silent for a moment before Max spoke up again. �Liz, about your phone call yesterday, do you think you can come over? So we could talk?� Liz nodded her head, even though she knew Max couldn�t see her. �Sure. When do you- �Can you come over now?� Max bit on his tongue. He had to shut up for a second. He didn�t want to scare her off, by sounding too eager. �I�ll be over in a few minutes.� They both hung up the phone. Liz grabbed her keys, and made her way through her family�s apartment. **************** Max had brought Noah downstairs while he was waiting for Liz. �Da da.� Noah grinned at his father and turned his attention back to his stuffed toys. Max sat down beside him, running his fingers through his curly hair. �I don�t think I�ll ever get tired of hearing you say that.� He leaned forward and gave Noah a kiss on his head. Noah looked up at him, handing him Tigger. �Liz.� Max nodded his head. �That�s right, pal. Liz is going to be here soon, so you have to be on your best behavior so we can talk, ok.� Noah continued to push the stuffed toy towards Max. �Liz.� Max was about to say something when the door bell rang. He stood up and walked to the door. This was it. He pulled back the door and was greeted by the sight of Liz on the other side. He stepped aside to let her in. �Thanks.� He lead her to the living room. �Could, I, do you want something to drink?� Liz shook her head, tendrils of her wet hair, flying across her face. �No, thanks. I�m fine. Could we just talk?� �Sure.� The two of them sat beside each other. Liz cleared her throat. �Max, I wanted to apologize. I find myself apologizing to you all the time, for being such a jerk. I don�t even know how you can put up with me.� Her gaze faltered, her eyes looking at the ground. Max placed his fingers under her chin, tilting it upwards so that he could tell her with his eyes and his voice, what he had been dying to tell her since the night before. �And, I keep telling you, that you have nothing to apologize for. I�m the one who�s at fault here.� Liz shook her head. �I don�t think you are, but I don�t think I can convince you of that.� Max gave her a smile. �Just like I don�t think I can convince you that you�re not at fault either.� �Right.� Liz turned her head to the side, allowing herself a small grin. �How about, this? We skip the apologies, and just talk about what we really need to talk about?� Max leaned back against the couch. �Ok.� He gestured towards her. �Do you want to go first?� �Unless you want to?� �No, it�s ok, you can go ahead.� Liz swallowed a few times, looking into Max�s eyes, wanting him to see that she meant every word she was saying. �Well, I have to say that what we shared yesterday, our first kiss, I......... I don�t want it to be our last kiss.� Max looked stunned. He had imagined this conversation a million and one different ways, but he had not expected that to come from her mouth. �I was so happy when you kissed me. I had wanted to do it all day, but I�m not that courageous. So when you did kiss me, I, it was everything I had imagined it would be and more. But when you pulled away and apologized, I just, well basically, I freaked out. I thought that I had over stepped our friendship.� Max tentatively touched her hand to make her understand. �That�s not what I meant, when I said that.� Liz covered his hand with her own. �I know. And when you explained to me later about it, I just, I was still hurt, and my stupid pride kinda just got in the way.� �Hey, having pride isn�t stupid. It�s an admirable thing.� Liz tilted her head to the side and gave him a crooked grin. �Yeah, well sometimes it gets in the way of what�s important. And what�s important is that we tell each other the truth.� �You�re right. And since you brought it up, I want you to know, that I don�t want our first kiss to be our last either. The truth is, I really like you Liz. I�ve never felt this way about anyone before. You make me feel things, that I never knew existed. I don�t want to scare you away, but that�s how I feel. And I just wanted you to know that.� He looked down, feeling somewhat embarrassed for having shared so much. Liz leaned forward. �It doesn�t scare me, because I feel the same way.� They shared a heated stare. �So what do we do now, Max? I know what I want- �What do you want?� Liz felt her face warm up, but she wasn�t going to keep her from telling the truth. �I want you. I want more than just a friendship with you, but I can understand if you don�t- Max interrupted her. �That�s what I want too. I want to be with you, but.......� Liz felt her heart sink when she heard him say but. �But?� �I don�t want you to think, that I�m pressuring you into anything. The truth of the matter is, I would be content to just be your friend, even though I want to be so much more than that. But we�ve only known each other for a short time. I don�t- Liz gave him a full blown smile. �How about, we take things slow? Go out on a few dates, and see how things turn out. Let�s make a pact that we shouldn�t feel pressured to move too fast, and that we promise to tell each other if something is bothering us. Because frankly, I don�t think I can go another sleepless night, having a misunderstanding between the two of us.� He returned her smile with one his own. �That sounds like an idea.� He gave a little chuckle. �So, should we shake on it, or something?� Liz shook her head, a twinkle in her eyes. �Nah, I say we just kiss on it.� The look on his face was priceless. �Th-that, could work too.� He saw Liz moving closer towards him. He met her halfway and let their lips touch. It was as if an electric current was passing between their lips, causing their bodies to warm up. Max sat up, wrapping his arms around Liz. He pulled his right hand up to her face, cradling it. He angled her head so that he could gain deeper access to her mouth, only to stop when he heard a voice. �Liz.� The two of them broke apart and looked at Noah who was standing by Liz, gently tugging on her pants leg. Liz leaned forward, smoothing back his curls. �Hey, there, Noah.� Max glanced at his son, then glanced at his toys on the other side of the room. He did a double take when he realized that Noah was standing. His eyes grew wide with excitement. Liz turned to Max, wondering what was going on with him. �Max, is everything ok?� Max picked up Noah and walked to the other side of the room. Noah started kicking his arms and legs, trying to get back to Liz. �Hold on, I just want to try something. Could you just stand up for a second?� Liz did as she was asked and stood up. �Ok, now what?� Max kneeled down on the floor, holding Noah around his waist to keep him from running. �Call Noah to you. I want to see what he does.� Liz got on her knees and held out her arms in Noah�s directions. �Come here Noah. C�mon baby.� Max let go of his son, and watched as he slowly took a shaky step forward. One foot after another, Noah slowly made his way towards Liz, on his chubby little legs. Liz�s smile grew wider as she realized what was going on. She clapped her hands together, wanting to encourage him. �C�mon Noah. Only a few more steps.� Noah looked up at her, giving her that grin that was identical to Max�s before stumbling towards Liz, finally landing in her arms. Liz picked him up and twirled him around the room. �Yay, Noah.� She plastered him with kisses, stopping only to hand him to his proud papa. Max eagerly took him into his arms, planting noisy kisses all over his face. �You�re such a smart little man.� He gave him one last kiss, then turned to Liz. �Daddy loves you, pal.� Part 31 *************** Liz grabbed her keys, and shyly stood by the front door. �Well, I have to go. My shift starts in fifteen minutes.� Max nodded, shifting Noah in his other arm. �Ok, well, uh, how about Noah and I stop by later to say hi?� Liz gave him a broad smile. �I�d like that. Besides, I think everyone is going to be working later, you can say hi to everyone.� �Sounds good.� The two of them stood there awkwardly for a minute, unsure of what to do next. They both leaned in tentatively. Max touched his lips to hers, then pulled back, only to kiss her again. They shared a sweet kiss before pulling back. With a shy grin, Max rubbed his bottom lip with his thumb and forefinger. �Uh, sorry, I wasn�t, I- Liz gave a soft chuckle. �Yeah, me too. I guess this whole,� she made a gesture with her hands, �relationship thing takes a little practice.� Max caught the twinkle in her eyes, glad to see her so happy. �Yeah.� Max turned to Noah, angling him so that he was facing Liz. �You wanna say buhbye to Liz?� Noah gave her a little wave, a grin on his lips. �Liz!� Kissing him on the crown of his head, Liz smiled. �Bye, bye Noah.� She turned to Max. �I�ll see you guys later.� Max waved as she walked closer to the door, moving forward only to have Liz run into him, planting a quick kiss on his lips. With their foreheads, touching, she said goodbye again. �I should go, I don�t want to be late.� �Uh huh.� He nodded, his forehead, rubbing against hers. �Later.� �Yeah, later.� Reluctantly, Liz pulled away and made her way outside. It was only when she was in her car that she looked back at Max and Noah, fearing that she might have turned around and run back towards them. Later couldn�t come soon enough. ***************** Max grabbed his jacket and his car keys. He carried Noah down the stairs, getting ready to go to the Crashdown for lunch. �You ready, Noah? We�re going to the Crashdown for lunch.� Noah just lay his head against Max�s shoulder as he opened the door. Diane Evans stood at the doorway, with her keys in hand. �Max, honey.� She leaned forward to give him and Noah a kiss. �Mom.� He stepped aside to let her inside with Phillip following close behind. �Max.� �Hey dad.� Phillip dropped his bags and reached out to take Noah from Max. �Hey there little guy. Grampa missed you.� Phillip gave Noah a few kisses before turning to Max. �So, what have you guys been up to this weekend?� Max shifted his weight from foot to foot, wanting so much to spend some time with his parents, but wanting more than anything to go to the Crashdown. �Uh, not much actually.� Diane watched the way Max couldn�t keep still. �What�s the matter, Max? Do you have somewhere to go?� Max looked towards the open door and then at his parents. �Actually, Noah and I were just headed out.� He pointed to the open door, emphasizing his intent. Phillip hoisted Noah higher against his hip. �C�mon Max. Can�t it wait a little? I�ve been home for like two seconds and now you and Noah are just going to leave?� Phillip turned his eyes to that of his smiling grandson�s. �A few minutes is all I�m asking.� Max felt guilty for attempting to ditch his parents. On any normal day, he would have been glad to stay and talk about events that had happened over the weekend, but since he and Liz had gotten through all of the misunderstandings and were working towards a romantic relationship, he found himself dying to go to the Crashdown to reassure himself that it was for real. That someone as amazing as Liz Parker was giving him the time of day, and she had admitted to feeling the same way he did. Max closed the front door and followed his parents into the living room. Phillip sat in the recliner perching Noah on his knee. �So, what�s gotten you in such a rush to leave? Where were the two of you headed?� Max rubbed his hands against the sides of his jeans. �We were just going to get some lunch at the Crashdown, you know, and say hi to Izzy.� Noah bounced up and down on Phillip�s knee, clapping his hands together. �Liz! Liz!� Both Diane and Phillip whipped their heads around to the sound of Noah�s voice. �Did he just?� Diane picked up Noah, holding him under his arms so that they were eye to eye. �Hi baby. Did you just say something? Huh? Did you? Will you say it again for gramma?� Diane bounced him up and down against her hip. Noah cocked his head to the side, a smile on his lips. �Liz.� Phillip turned to Max, who had suddenly become very quiet. �Who�s Liz?� �She�s.......Liz is my gir-,� Max bit his tongue. As much as he wanted to tell them that he and Liz were together, he didn�t know how his parents would take the news. Surely they wouldn�t think it was a good decision considering they�d only known each other for a short amount of time. They wouldn�t understand. �uh, she�s a friend. She works with Isabel.� He felt like a heel for lying, and not telling the truth, but he couldn�t see a way around it. He wanted his parents to meet Liz and fall in love with her, just as he and Noah had. But he had to give them time. Springing this on them now would be unfair to both Liz and his parents. Phillip watched Max�s eye color darken, signaling the inner struggle he was having. Phillip wondered what was going on. He decided that he would just have to talk to him later, to make sure everything was ok. There was no need to make Diane worry over nothing. Diane turned sad eyes to Max. �Why didn�t you call us honey?� She ran a finger down Noah�s little nose. �Did he learn to say anything else?� Diane watched as a grin broke out on Max�s face. She hadn�t seen him smile like that in a long time. Max sat up a little straighter. �He did actually. He learned how to say da da.� Diane and Phillip found themselves smiling along with him. They were so happy. Turning to look into Noah�s face, Diane started talking. �I can�t believe we�ve missed so much this past weekend. You�re growing up so fast.� She turned her eyes to Max. �Next you�ll be telling me that he started walking by himself.� Diane watched the sheepish grin appear on Max�s face. �You�re kidding me right?� Max shook his head slowly. �He just did it this morning.� Diane grabbed her purse and turned to Phillip. �C�mon honey. I think we should go to the Crashdown with Max. We haven�t gotten a chance to eat yet, and I want to hear more about what happened this weekend.� She gave Max a soft smile. �You don�t mind if we join you, do you?� Max felt the color drain from his face. He could only nod his response. �Great, we�ll get in the car.� Diane carried Noah to the car. Max followed, somewhat in a daze. Phillip clapped him on the shoulder. �Everything ok, son?� Max forced a smile. �Everything�s fine dad. Just fine.� Phillip went through the front door, leaving Max behind. Max closed his hand over his eyes. Part 32 *************** When the Evans family arrived at the Crashdown, Max had steered the family towards the back booths. �Wow! Isn�t this a neat little restaurant?� Diane marveled at the quaint cafe. Phillip slid in beside her, letting his eyes roam the place. �It is interesting.� He found himself chuckling at the image of his daughter dressed in the turquoise uniform accompanied by silver antennas. �Izzy, over here!� Phillip waved his hand in the air, a smile on his lips. Isabel turned to see her family seated at one of the booths. She excused herself from her customers, and made her way over. �Hey guys, what�s up?� Phillip smiled at his baby girl. �We just got back home, and your brother said he was going to stop by to get something to eat, so we joined him.� �Well that�s great.� Isabel turned her head to see a customer trying to get her attention. Placing a hand on her dad�s shoulder, she excused herself. �Guys, it�s really nice seeing you, but I have to get back to work. I�ll get Liz to take your orders.� Isabel stopped by the swinging doors and pulled Liz out and thrust her towards her family before attending to the patrons at the front of the cafe. �Welcome to the Crashdown. My name is Liz, I�ll be your server for today. Can I start you of with something to drink?� Liz reached down to grab her order pad from her apron pocket, only to look up to the sound of Max�s voice. �Noah!� Surprised, Liz looked up to see that Noah had crawled across Max to sit on the edge of the table, grinning at her. �Lizzz!� He held out his arms to her, pleading to be held. Max reached across to pull Noah back to sit beside him. �Sit still little man.� Noah kicked and fussed. �No, no, no! Lizzzzz!� He reached out his arms again, his eyes begging for Liz to take him from Max�s arms. Liz leaned forward and took Noah in her arms. �Hey there, Noah. How ya doin�?� Noah leaned forward so that his forehead was touching hers. �Liz!� He wrapped his little arms around her neck and leaned his head against her shoulder. Diane and Phillip watched in amazement as their grandson had made a bee-line for Liz as soon as he had laid eyes on her. And what was even more amazing, was the way they were so at ease with one another. There was just something in the way Liz gently stroked Noah�s hair away from his face, that seemed to take their breath away. Phillip cleared his throat and held out his hand. �Phillip Evans.� He gestured to his wife. �And this is my wife, Diane. It�s nice to finally meet you Liz.� Liz reached out her hand, and gave Max�s dad a firm handshake. �It�s nice to meet you both.� Max had stood up then and gently extricated Noah from Liz�s soft arms. �Sorry, about that. I have to teach the little man some self control.� Liz chuckled softly, placing her hand against Max�s forearm. �Really, it�s ok.� Max looked down to where her hand was touching his arm. Her touch caused a tingling sensation in his body, igniting his desire to plant a kiss on her soft lips. He bit the corner of his bottom lip, restraining himself from doing so. Somehow, he didn�t think that would be the best way to introduce Liz to his parents. He quietly slid back into the booth struggling to keep Noah still. He glanced at Liz, giving her a shy smile. Liz returned his smile with one of her own. What she wouldn�t do to be able to place a kiss on his luscious lips. She had been dying to see him since she had started her shift. She had been glancing at the clock every few minutes, which only succeeded in her friends teasing her. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ears and chose not to look at Max. He was making it very hard for her not to lean over and just plant one on him. Instead she turned to his parents with a shy smile. �So, could I get you guys something to drink?� Phillip watched with great interest, in how the three of them were acting around each other. He had a pretty good idea that Liz was the reason Max was acting strange back at the house. He really needed to sit down with Max and have a talk to him. �How about a round of cokes for everyone.� Phillip waited to hear any disagreements. When he didn�t hear any, he gave Liz a nod. �Ok, 3 cokes coming right up.� Liz stuck her order book back into her pocket, turning to look towards Noah. �Anything for Noah?� �Just some juice. Thanks.� Max graced her with one his smiles that made her feel like she was melting into a puddle. �Sure, I�ll be right back to get your orders.� Max couldn�t help the way his eyes followed her every move. It was like she was floating on air. Diane exchanged a look with her husband, who in return just shrugged his shoulders. As happy as she was that Max was beginning to lighten up, she wasn�t sure how she should react to what she had just witnessed. It wasn�t that she wanted Max to miss out on happiness, but she didn�t want him to get hurt. The truth was, they didn�t know much about Liz. Who knows how this was going to turn out? ************* Lunch had gone on without a hitch. Noah had behaved for the most part, although he would call out Liz�s name every time she walked past. Max hardly touched his food, his attention focused on a certain dark haired waitress. His actions did not go unnoticed by his parents. Phillip balled up his napkin and threw it onto his plate. �Well, I�m stuffed. Anyone want dessert?� Diane shook her head. �Max?� �Max!� Startled, Max looked to his parents, a blush burning his cheeks. What were they saying? At the blank look on his face, Diane repeated the question. �You�re dad wants to know if you�d like dessert?� �No, thanks. I�m stuffed.� Diane eyed his practically untouched plate of food. She had seen the way Max couldn�t tear his eyes away from Liz, and vice versa. She didn�t like where this was heading. �Ok, I think it�s time we got home. You�re dad and I have had a long weekend.� Diane gathered her purse and began pushing Phillip out of the booth. Max took a quick glance at Liz, then back to his parents. �Uh, is it ok if I stay?� Diane opened her mouth to disagree, but Phillip spoke up. �No problem. Do you want us to take Noah home with us?� Max looked at his son, who had effectively covered himself in juice. Max reached for a napkin to clean him up. �It�s ok, dad. I�ve got him.� Phillip leaned forward and took Noah into his arms. �Nonsense. He needs a change of clothes anyway. Besides, Noah and I have a lot of catching up to do. Don�t we little guy?� Phillip gave Noah�s tummy a little tickle. Max stood up. �Are you sure?� Phillip gave Max a pat on the shoulder. �Have fun Max. We�ll see you and Izzy at home.� Max gave a little wave as his parents made their way towards the front of the cafe to pay their bill. After they had left, Max scanned the cafe for Liz. Spotting her at the counter, Max made his way over. �Excuse me, miss?� Liz looked up to see Max sitting on one of the stools, his elbows resting against the counter. �Where�s your family?� �Went home.� �And Noah?� �They took him home.� Liz stopped wiping the counter and pulled off her antennas. �So, does this mean you�re free for the afternoon?� �It looks like it.� He tapped his finger against his chin. �If only I could find something to do. Hmmm.� Liz threw the dish rag at him. �Funny. Well, my shift finished a few minutes ago, so I�ll see ya.� She untied her apron and made her way around to the back, only to be pulled back against Max�s chest. �Not so fast. Where do you think you�re going?� Liz bit the corner of her bottom lip, trying to keep the smile from her lips. �I was going to get dressed and find something to do. Since my boyfriend would rather find something else to do, I can�t just sit here twiddling my thumbs, now can I?� She looked up to see Max staring at her, his amber eyes sparkling. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight of him like that. �I�m, I�m your boyfriend?� Liz pulled away from him a little when she felt the blood flush her cheeks. Had she assumed too much? �Uh, I�m sorry- Max leaned forward and placed his lips over hers, effectively shutting her up. He pulled her a little closer, before ending the kiss. He bent his head so that he could whisper in her ear. �I like the sound of that. But you know what I think sounds better?� Liz found herself unable to speak, so she opted to just shake her head in the negative. Max pulled back, so that he could look into her eyes. �That you�re my girlfriend.� Liz felt goose bumps creep across her arm at the sound of his soft baritone voice. She closed her eyes as she felt him place a kiss on her forehead. �So, how about we go on that first date?� *************** Phillip watched the way his wife sulking in their room. After they had put Noah down for his nap, she had remained silent, not saying a word. He waited another second before saying anything. �What�s wrong, Di?� Diane looked up from where she was folding and re-folding their laundry. �Nothing�s wrong. Why would you say that?� Phillip watched as she shook out the t-shirt she had just folded, only to fold it again. He dropped the paper that he was reading and walked towards her. He gently stopped the movements of her hands. �C�mon Di. We�ve been married for twenty years. Not once have we kept anything from each other. Tell me what�s wrong. I don�t like seeing you like this.� Heaving a sigh, Diane pulled her hand away from his and sat down on the bed. �It�s Max. I think that maybe you and I should talk to him.� Phillip took a seat beside her, draping his arm around her shoulders. �Talk to him about what?� Diane pulled away from his embrace and stood so that she was facing him. �You know what I�m talking about. I know you saw what was going on in that cafe, Phillip. I think maybe we should tell him to slow down. Because if I know Max at all, I think he�s fallen hard for Liz.� Phillip stood up, scratching the side of his eyebrow. �Are you sure we should do that? I mean Max is a responsible young man. I think he can take care of himself.� �Just to be on the safe side. I don�t want him rushing into a relationship with a girl that he�s just met.� Phillip reached out to rub her shoulders. �If it�ll make you happy, I�ll talk to him.� He pulled her towards him, giving her a hug. �I don�t think we have anything to worry about Diane. Max is the most responsible you can get out of a teenage guy.� Diane just kept quiet and let Phillip take her into his arms. The truth was, she wasn�t worried about Max being irresponsible and moving too fast. She was worried about that Liz girl. Sure, she seemed nice enough, but how was she going to feel about Max when reality set in. Would she accept him, or would she just move on? Her main priority was Max and Noah. She didn�t want to see them get hurt. Back Next |
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