| Part 63 ********* �I love you too, mom......Tell dad I love him too.....Ok, I will.....I won�t.....I promise....oh, and tell gramma I love her.� Liz smiled against the phone, tucking her feet underneath her. �Ok, bye.� She hung up the phone, staring at it for a long minute before making her way into Maria�s room. She closed the door softly behind her, trying to keep her footsteps light so as not to wake Maria. �You don�t have to be quiet. I�m not asleep yet.� Maria turned so that she was laying on her side. Liz bounded across the room, jumping into Maria�s bed after she had pulled off the covers. �Good, cause I�m not sleepy yet.� Maria�s teeth glistened in the moonlight streaming through the window, as she smiled. �I�m guessing that dinner at the Evans house was good?� Liz sighed, her eyes fluttering closed as she remembered why it was that she was in a good mood. �Dinner with Max�s family is always good. It�s what happened after dinner that can account for my good mood tonight.� Maria sat up, poking Liz in her side. �Oooh, details, details.� Liz grabbed her pillow from under her head, putting it in front of her to ward off Maria�s poking fingers. �No details, Maria. You know I don�t kiss and tell.� �Somehow, I don�t think that the only thing that was involved was kissing.� Liz blushed, but even in the darkness it was obvious. She buried her face in her pillow, her voice slightly muffled. �God. Am I that obvious?� �Omigod! I didn�t even really believe it, but you and Max?� Maria began fanning herself. �Somehow I always thought that you wouldn�t take the plunge until you were married. But then again, with the way you and Max are together, you guys are already like married- Liz shook Maria�s shoulders, trying to get her to stop babbling. �Maria! You�re like babbling right now.� Maria nodded, taking a deep breath. �I�m sorry. It�s just, it�s not everyday that your best friend loses her virginity.� �Losing my virginity? Maria, what are you talking about?� �Isn�t that-.......wait a second. If you didn�t lose your virginity, then what was with the whole blushing thing? I thought I was going to have to hose you down or something.� Liz shook her head, her chocolate brown hair flying across her shoulders. �No, no. It, Max and I....I�m still a virgin Maria. Max and I, we�ve just... Maria nodded, tapping her finger against her chin, deep in thought. �So, you and Max haven�t done the deed yet, but you guys have done stuff, that constitutes all of that blushing.� Liz nodded. �Right.� Maria crossed her legs underneath her. �Ok, so how far have you guys gone?� �We- Liz buried her face in her pillow again, her cheeks burning. �Maria, I can�t talk about this. It�s- Maria stopped Liz from babbling. �It�s ok hun. You don�t have to tell me what you guys did.� Liz sat up, feeling a little bad. She knew that Maria wasn�t trying to be nosey, more like just insanely curious. The two of them shared virtually everything with each other, especially when it came to boys. �We- Maria covered Liz�s mouth before she could start speaking. �Chica, it�s ok. I was only kidding about the details. Whatever happens between you and Max is your business.� She pulled her hand away, giving Liz her patented Deluca smirk. �Besides, what kind of best friend would I be if I didn�t inflict some major embarrassment on my best friend.� Liz threw her arms around Maria, giving her a good squeeze. �Luv ya, Ria.� Maria smiled against Liz�s shoulder. �Luv ya too, babe.� The two of them pulled back, both of them getting a fit of giggles. Liz fingered the edge of her pillow as she spoke. �So, how�s Michael doing?� Maria rolled her eyes in jest. �You know Michael, he�s always trying to do things for himself. I had to physically make sure that he didn�t move an inch while I was there.� �How did you manage that?� Maria gave Liz an evil grin. �Well, I have my ways.� �Maria!� Maria giggled uncontrollably. �Shh! Liz, anyone can hear you.� Liz covered her mouth when she realized that her voice had come out louder than she had anticipated. �Oops. Sorry.� Maria�s eyes took on a dreamy look as she remembered what had transpired between Michael and her. �Lizzie?� �Yeah?� �Michael said he loved me, tonight.� Liz�s eyes grew wide. She threw her arms around Maria again. �Oh sweetie, I�m so happy for you.� Suddenly, the door burst open. Maria and Liz flew apart, thinking that it was either Jim or Amy coming in to tell them to tone it down. Kyle threw a pillow at them, his voice coming out in a whisper. �You guys think you could keep it down? Some people are trying to sleep, you know.� Maria pulled the pillow away from her face. �Come in and shut the door.� Kyle did as he was told, propping himself up on one of Maria�s bean bags. He stretched his arms above his head, trying to get into a comfortable position. �So, why is it that the two of you are still awake at this hour?� Maria spoke first, her voice taking on a sugary sweet sound. �Michael.� Kyle turned to Liz, waiting for her answer. She just shrugged her shoulders, a dreamy smile on her lips. �Max.� Kyle shook his head, laughing a little. �I don�t know why I even bothered to ask.� Maria moved across the bed, laying on her stomach so that she could face Kyle. �How about you brother dear? Something tells me that the reason why you can�t sleep is because of a certain blonde haired cutie, who has been consuming your every thought for- Liz lay on her stomach too. �Oooh, you�re thinking about Courtney. That�s so sweet. You guys would make such a good couple.� Maria turned to Liz, her grin growing wider by the second. �Mom invited her to dinner tonight.� Liz felt her jaw drop to the floor. �Oh, how cute.� Kyle waved his hands in front of Maria and Liz. �You guys, I�m still here.� �Oh, right.� Maria shifted on the bed again, giving Kyle a big smile. �So, when are you gonna ask her out? Cos frankly, I think you should get a move on before somebody snatches her up.� Kyle mumbled his answer, refusing to look up at either girl. �What? I didn�t hear you.� Kyle gave an exasperated sigh. �I already asked her out. We�re going on our first date tomorrow.� Both girls jumped off the bed, squealing and bouncing on Kyle. Kyle couldn�t help but smile. It felt good to know that Liz and Maria were happy for him. He actually found himself jumping and laughing with them. The three of them couldn�t help but silently wonder if the fire had never happened, that things wouldn�t be the way they were now. They knew that all of their relationships would have taken these turns eventually, but it probably would have taken a lot longer for them to get where they were right now. Out of something bad, something good was born for all of them. Maybe the fire was a sign to open their eyes and realize that life was too short for them to be sitting around, wondering �what if?�. Whatever the reason, life as they knew it was changing for the better. Part 64 *********** Max turned on his side, the smile on his face broadening as he continued to dream. He hugged his pillow to his chest, his cheek nuzzling the cotton surface. �Liz....� Noah sat up in his crib, slowly rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He gave a little yawn as his hands reached for the wooden bars. With a snaillike pace, he hoisted himself up so that he was standing, looking over the side of the crib. His eyes scanned the room, a smile forming on his lips when his eyes landed on Max. �Daddy!� He reached out his stubby arms to Max, but Max stayed dead to the world, completely immersed in his dream of Liz. Max shifted again so that he was laying flat on his back. Once again, he smiled and laughed a little. �Liz..� Upon hearing Liz�s name, Noah�s ears perked up. �Lizzie?� He walked around the crib, his hands gripping the edges tightly as he looked around the room for any signs of Liz. But to his disappointment, she was nowhere to be seen. Finally landing back to his original position, Noah reached for Max again. Deciding that Max was an ok constellation prize or at least until he could get Max to bring him to his Lizzie. �Daddy!� Noah reached his arms out to his father, waiting for Max to pick him up, but Max continued to sleep. Not being able to wait, Noah raised himself up and over the crib's edge. His little tush landed on the soft carpeted floor with a soft thud. He turned so that he was facing Max�s direction, crawling all the way until he bumped into the soft mattress. Clinging to the side of the bed, he raised himself up so that he could reach Max. �Daddy!� Again, Max continued to sleep, oblivious to Noah�s voice calling him. Noah crawled onto the bed, planting himself on Max�s chest. He shook Max�s shoulder lightly, trying to wake his father up. �Daddy!� Max refused to wake from his slumber, so Noah reached down, pulling Max�s eyelids open, his voice echoing in Max�s ear. �Daddy!� When the sunlight hit his eyes, Max flinched a little. With a loud yawn, he whispered. �Ok, I give up. I�m up.� Max sat up, cradling Noah against his chest. �Mornin� pal.� He gave Noah�s soft curls a kiss as he threw his legs over the side of the bed. �C�mon, little man. Let�s get you cleaned up before breakfast.� As Max walked past Noah�s crib to their personal bathroom, Max did a double take. He looked at the empty crib, then at the baby in his arms. He pulled Noah higher up against his chest so that they were eye to eye. �How did you get out of your crib, little man?� Noah just grinned at him. Max scratched the side of his head, when Noah offered no explanations. His eyes flew to the door, wondering if somebody had come in and taken Noah out of his crib, but the door was still closed. And if someone had found Noah awake, they would�ve taken Noah downstairs with them already. Max looked Noah in the eye again. �Did you get out of the crib yourself?� Noah just giggled, shrugging his shoulders as if he knew what Max was talking about. Max walked to the crib, depositing Noah inside of it. He kneeled down so that he was at Noah�s eye level. �Ok, buddy. I�m gonna want you to do what you did earlier, ok?� He walked away from the crib, sitting on his bed. Noah stretched his arms out to Max. �Daddy!� Max just sat on the edge of his bed, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Noah called out to him again, but all of his cries seemed to fall on deaf ears as Max continued to sit on his bed unaffected. Getting frustrated, Noah threw himself up over the side of the crib, this time landing on his feet. He wobbled the rest of the way to Max, on his chubby legs. Before he could make it all the way to Max, Max stood up, picking Noah off the floor. He twisted and twirled the two of them, his voice whooping and hollering. �Oh my God. We have to tell your gramma and grampa. Oh, and your aunt Iz.� Max pulled his door open, running to the room closest to him. Music blared through Isabel�s door. Max rushed in like a tornado, the smile on his lips taking on a different light when he walked into Isabel�s room. There she was, standing on her bed, rocking out with her stuffed toys as she listened to the cd that Alex had made her for her birthday, completely unaware of Max and Noah�s presence. It was only when she heard Noah�s voice, that she looked up and saw father and son standing in her doorway. Pretending that she wasn�t completely embarrassed at having been caught dancing with her stuffed animals, she jumped off the bed, turning off the music. She turned to Max and Noah, pushing away her unruly morning hair. �Max.� Max was in too good of a mood to tease his sister, so he grabbed her hand, pulling her into his room. Isabel tried not to trip over her feet as Max practically dragged her to his room. �Max? What has gotten in to you?� Max continued to walk to his room, his voice taking on an excited gleam. �Iz, you just have to see this.� He motioned for Isabel to wait by his unmade bed as he put Noah in his crib again. He walked over to where Isabel was standing, and waited for Noah to do what he had done earlier. When Noah figured out that neither Isabel or Max was going to get him, he raised himself over the side of the crib, walking towards the two of them. Max and Isabel turned to each other, both of them jumping up and down, their excited voices carrying down the hall. Diane and Phillip stuck their heads inside Max�s room, both of them obviously still half asleep. �Max, Isabel. Why are the two of you up and screaming at this hour?� Diane questioned her twins as she tied the rope around her robe a little tighter. Max and Isabel looked at each other and nodded. Instead of explaining to them what had happened, Max put Noah in his crib again so that Noah could physically demonstrate why the two of them were so excited this early in the morning. �Just watch.� Four pairs of eyes watched as Noah extricated himself from his crib. Diane and Phillip rushed forward, peppering their grandson with kisses. �Oh, baby. When did you learn how to do that?� Diane and Phillip didn�t really care, but they were just so excited to be able to witness this stepping stone in their grandson�s life. Max stood to the side, reaching for his phone. �I�m gonna call Liz.� Isabel bypassed him, running to her room. �I�m gonna call Alex.� Part 65 ********** Maria and Liz sat on Kyle�s bed, as he rummaged his closet for something to wear. He pulled out his bowling shirt, a smile lighting his lips. �How about this one?� Maria shook her head vehemently, making gagging faces. Liz just tried to stop from giggling as she held her hand over the mouthpiece on the phone. She was talking to Max about what they could that day. Well, the conversation had led to that after they had gushed about how fast Noah was growing and how he had gotten himself out of bed, without Max�s help. �I don�t know, I think it�s kinda cute.� Maria rolled her eyes at Liz, standing up to take the bowling shirt away from Kyle. �You would, Liz.� She looked at the shirt in her hands, shaking her head as she threw it over her shoulder. �Well, first thing�s first. We are you guys going for your date?� Kyle�s answer was simple. �Bowling.� His answer received a slap on the side of his head from Maria. �You�re taking the girl of your dreams bowling for your first date?� �Ouch!� Kyle stepped away from Maria, moving to sit next to Liz. If Maria was gonna go on a rampage, he might as well hide behind a mediator. �Yes, I�m taking her bowling.� When Maria made a move closer to him, he jumped on the bed, cowering behind Liz. Liz fell back a little, squealing in the process. �Liz, are you ok?� �I�m fine, Max. Look, just meet me here in like a half hour?� �Sure, no problem. I still have to get Noah�s stuff together. I�ll see you in a little bit, then. Love you.� �Ok, later. Love you too.� Just as Liz hung up the phone, a chorus of I Love Yous were heard from Kyle and Maria. Liz just made a face at her friends, clicking off the phone. �Real funny, you guys.� Maria put her hand on her hip, looking thoughtful for a minute. �Well, I thought so.� She turned her gaze back to Kyle, walking closer to him. Kyle held his hand up, backing away. �Now Maria, you stay right there. If you get any closer- �ENOUGH!� Liz stood up between her friends, giving them a look that told them to shut up until she was done talking. �Alright, now that I have your attention. Maria, I think maybe we should leave Kyle alone. I�m pretty sure that he�s capable of dressing himself.� Maria stomped her foot, and began whining. �But have you seen the way he dresses? I mean, dressing like that should be a crime.� Kyle stood up, crossing his arms in front of him. �What�s wrong with the way I dress?� Maria opened her mouth, but shut up when she felt Liz�s hand clamped over her mouth. �Maria, don�t answer that.� Liz turned to Kyle, without taking her hand off Maria�s mouth. �Kyle, there�s nothing wrong with the way you dress. And I happen to think bowling is a good idea. It�s not too formal that you�ll get uncomfortable around each other, and it�s not like a movie where you don�t get to talk.� Kyle smiled at Liz. �Why, thank you Liz.� He looked at Maria, sticking his tongue out at her. Maria�s eyes grew wide, pointing at Kyle. �Liz, did you see that? He stuck his tongue out at me.� Liz just raised her eyebrow at Kyle. �Ok, you two. That�s enough! Kyle, you go and ready for your date. Maria, you come with me, and help me get ready for my date.� Maria�s mood instantly changed when she had gained someone else to make over. �Oooh, where is Max taking you today?....� Maria continued to talk a mile a minute as she walked to her room, trying to figure out ways to help Liz get ready. As Liz walked out the door, Kyle grabbed her by the elbow, giving her a grateful smile. �Thanks, Liz. I appreciate it.� Liz smiled back. �No problem. Just make sure that you and Courtney have a good time today, ok?� Maria stuck her head out of her bedroom door, giving Liz an exasperated sigh. �Liz, are you coming?� Part 66 ********** Kyle and Courtney sat in their lane, putting on their bowling shoes. �I can�t believe you�ve never been bowling before.� Courtney laughed as she laced up her left shoe. �Why not? Is it really that hard to believe?� Kyle shrugged his shoulders as he picked up a bowling ball. �I don�t know, it�s just.� Kyle shook his head. �Never mind. If you don�t know how to bowl, then I�ll teach you.� Courtney smiled as she watched Kyle. �Sounds good to me.� Kyle held the ball steady, his eyes focused on the pins. �Now, it�s all in the wrist.� He leaned down, letting the ball go. He turned around to face Courtney. �Did you get that?� Courtney shook herself out of her daze. She blushed when she saw that Kyle was talking to her. Jeez. Had he seen her checking out his butt? Kyle walked up to her. �Is everything ok?� �Yea. Everything�s great.� She looked up at the lane and watched as Kyle�s ball ran smoothly down the lane, looking like it was going to hit all of the pins, but at the last minute, the ball changed it�s direction, running into the gutter. �Hmm, maybe I should try that again.� Kyle joked it of to ease his embarrassment a little bit. He threw the ball again, only hitting three pins off to the right. �I guess it�s your turn.� He stood off to the side, watching as Courtney threw the ball down the lane without finesse. She walked backwards, watching as the ball knocked all of the pins down. �Are you sure you�ve never bowled before?� ******** Liz opened the door before Max and Noah even reached the front porch. She ran out into the lawn, catching Noah as he threw himself in her arms. �Hey precious!� �Lizzie!� The two of them shared a hug, acting as if it had been years since they had seen each other, when it was just yesterday that they were together. �Hey, gorgeous. Got a kiss for me?� Liz tried to bite back her smile as she stood back up. �Ok, but you�ll have to make it quick. My boyfriend�s going to be here, any minute.� Max pulled Liz�s body flush against his, his lips hovering over hers. �Is that so? Well then, I�ll just have to make it real good.� He leaned down, capturing Liz�s lips in a hungry kiss. There was no time for pleasantries as his tongue dipped into her mouth, coaxing her tongue to mate with his. She eagerly complied, as her hands gripped his shoulders, trying to become one with his body. Max pulled back, his breath coming out as pants. �Wow!� Liz grinned at him, but her attention turned to Noah when he tugged on her dress. �Lizzie. Come, play.� Liz leaned down so that she and Noah were eye to eye. �Sure thing, sweetie. But first, your daddy has to drive us to the park.� Noah clapped his delight, as Liz held his hand, the three of them walking to the jeep. �Are you sure you don�t mind if we go to the park, today?� Liz trailed her fingers down the side of Max�s face. �The park is a great idea. That way, I can spend the day with my two favorite people in the whole world.� She planted a sweet kiss on his lips, allowing him to open the car door for her. Part 67 *********** Liz shifted in her seat so that she could see Noah�s face as she spoke. "Do you see that, precious? We�re almost there." She pointed out the window, her eyes glued to the growing excitement on Noah�s face. "You see, there�s the swings, the seesaws, oh, and look, they have a sand box right over there." Noah tried to shift in his seat so that he could look out the window to see all of the things that Liz was pointing out to him, but his car seat and seat belt held him in place. He tugged on it, hoping to get a slight reprieve, long enough to see what Liz was trying to show him, but it was no use. He looked up at Liz, his small hand tugging on the seat belt. "Help!" Max laughed as he parked the jeep. He pulled off his own seat belt, turning a teasing look towards Liz. "Look at you, you�re getting him all worked up. I must say, Liz, you�ve really mastered the art of driving an Evans man crazy." He winked at her, before getting out of the car to un-strap Noah from his seat. Liz took a few minutes to herself, blushing profusely. Was she ever going to stop with this whole blushing thing? She was startled out of her thoughts when Max tapped his knuckle on her window. "Are you gonna sit there looking pretty all day, or are you gonna get down and dirty with us?" Noah pressed his face against the tinted glass, his little hands, leaving prints. "Come play, Lizzie!" Liz shook her head, laughter spewing forth from her lips. She unbuckled her seat belt, opening her door slowly. When she had stepped safely out of the jeep, Noah grabbed her hand, leading them into the park. As they stood on the outskirts of the park, Noah�s eyes scanned the area, his eyes full of awe as he witnessed all of the different things that he could play with. It was as if all of his little dreams had come true. With his mouth agape, he pointed to the seesaw, "Oooh..." Liz leaned down, tucking her long brown hair behind her ear. "You wanna go on the seesaws first, sweetheart?" Noah nodded excitedly, skipping as he led Liz to the see saws. For a fleeting second, Liz turned around to watch Max as he tried to catch up with them. They shared a loving smile, a promise of more wonderful things to come. ************* After each taking a few turns, Kyle relaxed some more, his bowling skills somewhat gaining momentum. He sat back, watching as Courtney bowled another gutter ball. "Ugh! I�m so bad at this, it�s not even funny." Kyle waited until her ball rolled up again. He picked it up, walking towards Courtney. "Who cares if you�re not the world�s greatest bowler?" He grinned at her, handing her the ball. "Besides, we�re here to have fun, not to cause you misery." Courtney graced Kyle with a smile, grateful that he was doing everything in his power to lighten the mood. He was doing his best to make her forget that this was their first date. No sense in putting pressure on themselves. They were here to have fun, and they were going to have fun if it was the last thing they did. "Thanks, but I�m just really bad at it." Kyle shook his head, grabbing Courtney�s hand that held the ball. "Here, let me help you then?" He gave her a shy smile, not wanting her to think he was just using this as an excuse to get all over her. "Ok." Kyle stood behind Courtney, whispering in her ear exactly what she was supposed to be doing. They walked together, his hand on her waist, keeping her steady. Together, they released the ball, watching as the ball slowly ran down the lane. When the ball knocked down all of the pins, Courtney stood there, speechless. With an excited giggle, she threw her arms around Kyle, her giddiness flowing from her body to his. Kyle smiled against her shoulder. "You see, you did it Courtney. You did it." She pulled back, her happiness making her glow. "No, we did it, Kyle." The silence that followed wasn�t an awkward one, more like an understanding between the two of them. "I guess you�re right." ************* Liz held Noah close to her body as the two of them flew up into the air. Noah waved to his father on the other end of the seesaw, his childish exuberance consuming his whole body. "Hi!" Max waved back, the smile on his face as plain as day. He took a mental picture of how beautiful Noah looked in Liz�s arms, the two of them so blissfully happy in each other�s presence. Max counted his blessings, knowing that he had to be the luckiest man on earth. He wanted to spend the rest of his life trying to make Liz as happy as she had made him. The three of them got off of the seesaws, with Noah leading the way to the sandbox. Max and Liz left him to play with the other kids, as the two of them sat down on a bench, watching Noah like an old married couple. Liz leaned her head on Max�s shoulder, her hand clasping his in hers. "Look at him. He�s having so much fun." Noah stopped picking up the sand long enough to wave hello to Max and Liz before returning his attention back to the new friends that he had made. Liz looked up at Max, noticing how quiet he had become. "Hey, everything ok?" Max looked down into Liz�s loving eyes, forcing a smile. "Yea, I�m fine." Liz gripped his hand tighter, a frown marring her beautiful face. "Don�t lie to me, Max." Max closed his eyes, breathing a heavy sigh. He pulled Liz�s hand up to his lips, giving it a soft kiss. "I�m sorry, it�s just, I don�t know......I mean, I look at Noah, and I see how fast he�s growing up, and I just, I�m just going to miss it, that�s all. I mean I�ve always been there you, know? Pretty soon he�s going to grow up, and he�s not going to need me anymore." He held his head low, feeling ridiculous. "I know, it�s stupid." Liz put her arms around Max, pulling him into the comfort of her arms. "Oh, honey. It�s not stupid. I know how tough this must be for you. You�ve been there for Noah for every time that he�s needed you, and now, he�s learning how to do things by himself. He�s learning to talk more, he can walk now, and now he can get himself out of bed. Noah�s never going to stop needing you. I�m mean even after he�s all grown up, he�s still going to need you." Max shook his head, his eyes tearing up a little. "I know that, it�s just, I�m going to miss having a baby around, you know? I�m always going to look at Noah as my baby boy, but I�m going to miss all of the little things. Cradling him in my arms, staying up late, waiting until he fell asleep. I know that I was never ready to have a baby when I did, but I can�t even imagine what my life would be like if Noah wasn�t in it." Liz gave Max a teary smile, completely touched by his words. The love that he had for his son was unfathomable, and she only hoped that if they ever had a child together, that he would be as dedicated and loving as he was with Noah. But deep in her heart she knew that he would. She chided herself for even thinking about things like that. They weren�t even out of high school yet and she was already planning a future with him. She and Max hadn�t even talked about their future once they were out of school. They had always said that they would take things as they came, but she couldn�t help but wonder. Would Max want to spend the rest of his life with her? Get married, have kids? She wanted all of those things, but was afraid to tell Max. She didn�t want to pressure Max into something he wasn�t ready for. If now was all he could give her, then she would be satisfied with that. The two of them broke apart when Noah returned to them, completely covered in sand. Max picked up his son, shaking his head ruefully. "What�d you do, pal? Bring the whole sand box with you?" Noah held up his hands, a cheeky grin on his lips. Max made a face before flipping Noah in his arms so that he was upside down. Max shook him up and down, his voice full of mirth. "Let�s see if we can get that sand out!" He continued to hold Noah by his legs, shaking him until Noah�s t-shirt fell over his face, revealing his tummy. Liz joined in, planting raspberrys on Noah�s smooth skin, much to his delight. To think that they were having this much fun and the day had just begun. Part 68 *********** Kyle handed over his bowling shoes to the guy behind the counter. "Are you hungry? Do you wanna grab something to eat?" "Sure. I�m absolutely famished. Who would�ve thought that bowling required so much energy?" Kyle laughed at Courtney�s joke as he led them to the parking lot. "Great. How about Mexican? I know this great place that makes the best tacos." "Mmmm, Mexican sounds good." Kyle smiled as he helped her into the car. "Mexican it is then." *********** Max and Liz sat on the bench, with Noah between them. They watched as he tried to eat the ice cream in his hands, but getting it everywhere but his mouth. Noah had begged and pleaded when the music from the ice cream truck, floated through the air, finally coming to a stop at the park. As usual, Max was putty in his hands, so that�s why they were sitting with an ice creamed covered Noah. "You think you could stay with him for a little bit? I�m gonna go back to the jeep and grab a few wipies." Liz looked up, smiling as she did. "Sure. Take all the time that you need. Noah and I are having fun, aren�t we, precious?" Noah stopped licking the ice cream to smile at Liz. Max smiled giving Liz a sweet kiss. "Ok, I�ll be right back." He leaned down and kissed the top of Noah�s head. "I�ll be back soon, little man." Noah looked at his father, waving a sticky hand in his direction. "Bye bye, daddy!" When Max was gone, Noah reached his ice cream cone to Liz. "Share?" Liz grinned at him, taking a lick of the vanilla ice cream. "Thanks, hun." "Do you mind if I sit down?" Liz looked up to see an older women standing beside her. She shook her head, scooting down to the side. "No, go ahead. It�s alright." The woman smiled her gratitude to Liz, as she sat on the wooden bench. "Thank you. I�ve been chasing my kids around all day, and I gotta say, I need a break." They shared a laugh, as the woman pointed out her children. "Those are mine, right over there. That�s Kelly, and my youngest, Jenny." "Your daughters are really beautiful." "Thank you." She smiled at Noah. "I must say, your little one is pretty darned handsome as well." Liz looked down at Noah then back to the woman. She began to shake her head, trying to explain that Noah wasn�t her son. "I, uh, he�s not- The woman shook her head, a faint smile on her lips. "You don�t need to explain. I mean you see a lot of that nowadays, you know teenagers having kids." "But- "I�m sorry, I didn�t mean that as a bad thing, I�m just saying, you don�t have to feel like you have to explain. I think it�s great that you and your boyfriend take such good care of your son. I couldn�t help but notice when I saw you guys earlier, but the three of you are so great together." The woman looked at Noah again, then at Liz. "But I have to say, he doesn�t look at all like you." The woman was set to say more, but she stopped when one of her daughters called out to her. "Mommy, over here!" The woman waved at her daughter, before giving Liz another smile. "Well, duty calls. It was nice talking to you." Liz watched as the woman walked away, leaving her slightly dazed. Just then, she felt a warm set of lips attach itself to her neck. "I�m back." Max walked around the bench, coming down to kneel in front of Noah. He pulled back the top of the wipies, reaching in to take some out. He wiped away the sticky mess that Noah had made, when he caught sight of Liz. He placed a hand on her knee, his voice coming out a little concerned. "Is everything ok?" Liz didn�t know what to say. She was still a little unsure how she felt after that little conversation. The woman had thought that she was Noah�s mother. Liz didn�t really mind, but how would Max feel when he found out? Would he freak out? Would he be upset? He had always been so adamant about telling Noah about his real mother, Tess, but Noah was still too young to understand that. Would Max think that she was trying to replace Tess, take her place in their lives? Would he resent her for that? Liz was confused. She had absolutely no idea what to think. Noah gave a little yawn, catching Liz�s attention. "Maybe we should take him home. He looks a little beat." Max eyed Liz warily, knowing that she was keeping something from him. He nodded, picking Noah up in his arms. "You�re probably right." He decided to keep mum on the subject. He�d talk to her when they got home. His parents had left for Clovis early this morning for a company meeting, and Isabel was spending the day with Alex, so they had the house all to themselves. He�d talk to her then, see what was bothering her, because frankly, he couldn�t stand to see Liz upset. "Let�s go." Part 69 ************* Kyle tapped his fingers onto the table top, waiting for someone to come to the counter to serve them. A smile lit his face when a slightly heavy older woman walked over, wiping her hands on a towel. �Rosarita!� �Kyle, mijo! It�s good to see you.� She reached over the counter, touching his soft brown hair. �My, my, you�re so big now. And so handsome.� She smiled at him when he blushed. �How are you?� �I�m good.� Kyle looked to Courtney who was standing beside him. �Rosarita, I�d like you to meet someone special. This is Courtney.� He reached for Courtney�s hand, gripping it in his. �Courtney, this is Rosarita. She�s the owner of this place, and she makes the best tacos in all of New Mexico.� Rosarita gave Kyle a wink. �You better believe it.� She reached for Courtney�s hand, shaking it. �It�s very nice to meet you, mija. You�re such a pretty girl.� Courtney blushed, not used to all of the compliments she was receiving. Rosarita shook her head at how cute the two of them looked. Well, they were definitely in good company, with both of them blushing like that. �So, what can I get the two of you today?� Kyle turned to Courtney, asking what she wanted. �I don�t. Whatever�s good.� Kyle gave her a wide smile, as he eyed the menu. �Well, everything is good here.� Rosarita laughed on the other side of the counter. �I�ve taught you well, mijo.� Kyle shook his head. �No, I�m serious. If Amy wasn�t such a good cook, dad and I would probably eat all of our meals here.� �Thank you.� Kyle looked thoughtful for a moment, as he mulled over what they were going to order. �How about you give us a double order of my usual?� �You got it, mijo. Coming right up.� Kyle led Courtney to one of the booths, the two of them sitting across from each other. �So, is this place ok?� �I love it. Rosarita is so nice.� �Yeah, she�s awesome. She treats us like family instead of just customers.� �So, how do you know about this place anyway?� �My dad, when he was just a deputy, he used to always come in here, and he would bring me down here all the time, you know just the two of us. It was right after my mom left.� Courtney was a little stunned that Kyle had divulged that piece of information about his life. She just figured that he would be a little guarded, afraid to let her in, but he was proving to her that he trusted her, and that made her happy, because she trusted him too. She had shared with him things about herself, about her family that she had never told anyone. In all honesty, she had never thought she would be comfortable telling anyone intimate details about her life, but with Kyle, he just made things so much easier. He always put her at ease, and he was always willing to listen. He was everything she thought he would be and more. �I�m sorry to hear about your mom. That must have been hard.� Kyle smiled, appreciative of Courtney�s sincerity. �It was, but my dad made up for it more than enough. For the longest time, he was both my mom and my dad, but then, Amy came into the picture, and she�s the best thing that could�ve happened to my dad and me. And then there�s Maria. I love her like she�s my flesh and blood.� Courtney smiled as she remembered a time in their childhood, when his statement about Maria was anything but the truth. �Gosh, I remember in grade school, you and Maria were always teasing each other. She teased you almost as much as she did Michael.� Kyle laughed as he recalled what Courtney was talking about. �Yeah. Maria was always a handful, which always baffled me as to why she and Liz were such good friends. Liz was always so quiet, and Maria was always the one getting into trouble. Then there was Alex, who was always caught in the middle.� Kyle shook his head, as the thoughts tumbled through his head. �It�s insane to think that we�ve all been friends this long.� Courtney had a forlorn look on her face as she remembered how much she wanted to part of their group dynamic, but never did. She looked up when she felt Kyle�s hand on hers. �But, I have to say, as happy as I am that we�ve all stayed friends this long, I�m even happier that our group is getting bigger and better.� Courtney understood the underlying tones in his statement, only able to smile her gratitude for her voice seemed uncooperative at that moment. Their moment was broken by a bustling sound of silverware, as Rosarita brought their order towards them. �Eat up, muchachos.� **************** The drive to the Evans� house was quiet. Max and Liz had brought Noah into the house, the silence continuing. They brought him upstairs, trying to give him a change of clothes, but to their surprise, they had not taken all of the sand out of his clothes as they had originally thought. Max held Noah�s tiny sneaker over the trash can, watching in mild amusement as the sand trickled down. �So, my statement about Noah taking the whole sandbox with him, wasn�t too far from the truth.� His soft words elicited a small smile from Liz, causing himself to smile as well. Even if they had yet to talk about what was bothering her, it wouldn�t hurt to take her out of her sullen mood. Noah stood in front of Liz, suddenly itching. Liz leaned down so that they were at face level. �What�s wrong sweetheart?� Noah just got an agitated look on his face as he reached into his pants, scratching. �Itchie!� Liz lay Noah on the changing table, a loving smile on her lips as she reached for a clean diaper. �How about we give you a clean diaper? Huh?� As she pulled the diaper off, she was torn between laughing, and crying. �Oh honey, you poor thing.� Max stood behind Liz, looking to see what all the fuss was. A smile lit his face, as he shook his head. �Little man, what�d you do? Take a bath in the sand?� He took the sand covered diaper, throwing it into the trash. �Maybe it�s time for a bath.� Noah shook his head, sliding down onto the floor. �No bath.� He ran out of the room, half nekkid, screaming �No bath!� as Max and Liz chased him. Max and Liz came to a halt at Diane and Phillip�s room. Max held a finger to his lips, urging Liz not to make a sound. �Shh! I know exactly where he is.� The two of them tip-toed to the closet, opening it as softly and quietly as they could. Before Max could get it open all of the way, Noah ran out of the closet, running back into Max�s room. �No bath!� Max was set to run into his room to capture Noah, but he stopped when he felt Liz�s hand on his arm. �Can I?....� Max just nodded, standing in the doorway, watching as Liz walked into the room, with such grace. He watched silently as she called out to Noah in that sweet honey coated voice of hers. He could barely believe what he seeing, when he saw Noah come out from his hiding spot, and quietly approached Liz. She had kneeled down, as she whispered softly in his ear, the two of them sharing a secret smile, as Liz picked him up in her arms. Liz turned to look at Max, the smile of triumph on her face, making her glow. �I think we�re ready for that bath now.� Back Next |
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