Meanwhile, Max was unfortunately nowhere close to his apartment or the phone as he was presently walking up the staircase of the complex. As he was coming back from an appointment with his father who still had heard nothing from Yvonne. The lawyer said she had left messages describing the situation, and Phillip had sent the petition to Yvonne, asking for her to sign it or to contact them. And if they did not hear from her, that they would be filing it, and getting a judge to start the proceedings, and hopefully a decision favoring Max.
It was draining, and Max just wanted to relax before he had to pick Micah up after her gymnastics practice. The girl was excelling and impressing the instructors and had already moved into the next level. Candy had stopped after a few weeks, realizing it was not her thing. But Micah loved it, and she loved to put on a show. And one of her grandparents or even Isabel was monitoring the practices.
This time it was Max who was to see how impressive his daughter was, and so he just had enough time to get changed, and head over to the gym. And he heard the phone, and talking in the apartment, but did not think anything of it. Probably leaving a message he thought as he unlocked his door.
And walked in and was surprised by who he saw, “What are you doing here?” came Max as he saw Yvonne Simmons as she had no reason to be in her room. “How did you get in my apartment?”
Micah’s birth mother.
“You want my child, so I thought I would show up,” came Yvonne as she watched Max walk into the room. “I used my skills, and was just waiting for you to return,” she muttered. “You certainly were taking your time.”
“She’s not your child anymore,” Max flinched “She has not been your child since you gave her to me when she was born.”
“Still, I gave birth to her, so my lawyer told me you want to adopt her, and I thought I would come and see why…” Yvonne asked. “I thought the idea was you would only raise her until Michael came around and took her into his home?”
“Well, that did not happen,” Max said of the unforeseen events that had put a kybosh on that plan. And he would forever be grateful for being able to raise and love his daughter. Although he would never wish for what had happened to Michael. But his friend was awake, and coming back into society, and so they were all the better… “I want to give my daughter a loving home with a family who wants her, and is willing to protect her…”
“You do not think I love her?” came Yvonne asked. “I gave birth to her…”
“Yes, you did, and I thank you for that, but you also took the money I gave you,” said Max with annoyance at what he had done, but then she had taken the money and obviously that was why she was here once more, or was it?
“Willing to shell out some more for the girl?” Yvonne asked.
“What did you spend the money I gave you in the first place?” Max asked of the money he had given from his pot that her had gotten from Kal’s inheritance, so it had not hurt his financials, much he thought.
“None of your business,” Yvonne muttered. “I was thinking a single guy like you wanting my child would willing to give me some money for her…”
“Dream on,” Max muttered. “I am doing this legally…”
“Unlike last time?” Yvonne threatened.
“The agreement was legally binding, still is,” Max muttered. “My lawyer made it so. All I want is to make sure she stays my daughter. Michael does not have an issue with it, and we have his agreement, so why do you, because you have not conducted Micah, or cared for her welfare in all this time?”
“Micah is a stupid name,” Yvonne muttered.
“Well, its hers, and she loves it”: Max muttered as she thought of the pride his daughter had to have her unusual name, and even to know now the roots of it, and how it came from Michael. But still, she took more of the pride of being named after her beloved aunt. “So, are you going to sign the papers?” Max asked. “We sent them to your lawyer.”
“My lawyer does not speak for me….” Yvonne asked. “I have been doing a little research on you. You have a criminal record.”
“One that is not relevant and was expunged when I was 21,” Max muttered as he remembered that was something his father had made certain of, and the system had not cared since had done anything wrong since those days in Utah. Any crimes are not related to Micah he thought or any other young person.
“Maybe I should raise them with the court,” Yvonne asked.
“Go ahead, but I will raise that you took the money, and you did not care for her until you came back looking for more…” Max murmured as he suspected that was why Yvonne had finally surfaced, to see if he would give her money. He would not he thought. Not this time. He wanted to do this legally. And to have it binding in court. And he had no reason to shell out some more money because he had more of a case than Yvonne did because he had a binding deal, and it was five years later.
“Are you willing to give me money to sign your papers?” Yvonne asked.
“No,” Max said. “This is going to be legal, and there will be no money,” Max said. I do not want Micah thinking I bought her off her parents.
“Then I guess I will see you in court,” muttered Yvonne asked as she walked to the door. “And by the way, some woman called you before you got home. So, who are you letting influence my daughter,” came Micah’s birth mother? “Is it some skank?”
No one he thought because Micah would be better served if she had a role model that was not her grandmother or aunt, he muttered to himself but knew his heart belonged to only one woman and that was how it would stay. “Which is none of your business,” came Max. “Just like who you have been keeping company is none of mine,” he thought even though he might have to do some investigation if Yvonne was serious about causing problems.
“It’s my baby, and my business,” Yvonne said as she disappeared.
“Wait,” Max said choosing to ignore Yvonne’s comment because he was not so sure she was all that invested in their daughter. At the end of the day, she only had come back to cause some trouble or so he hoped. “Some woman called me?” he asked. Liz, he thought.
But Yvonne had already disappeared, and Max was left speechless as he now had to wonder he could win this fight in the end…
What did Liz want?
He would not find out because unfortunately for him it was looking as if Yvonne were meaning business and was contesting the adoption. She was staying in town and getting in Max’s face. Fortunately, Micah had yet to catch sight of her biological mother. Which was fortunate for her father because Micah was still doing well with her gymnastics lessons, and Max was not looking for anything to distract her or bring her down. As he had plenty on his mind, and he did not needed his daughter to be thinking she could lose him.
With the adoption pending. Max knew it was a possibility. Because as he had once told Liz. Until it was finalized, or a decision was rendered than anything could happen, and he did not want his daughter to worry until she had to. She was well adjusted, and happy, and he wanted to keep her that way.
And let him deal with the realities because it was almost a relief now that he was growing used to the fact that Liz had left him.
And would not be coming back.
Not that Max was terribly worried about Yvonne’s return. He prescribed to the overall sentiment that Yvonne was not looking for her daughter. It was more like she did not want Max to win without getting something out of it for herself. Which made Max nervous but his father, Phillip and even Michael were telling to stay out of it, and to take the high moral ground which he was doing simply for the sake of his daughter. Although he would admit in his lowest moments, and there were plenty now that Liz had moved on, well, it was tempting to sink down and play dirty, but to keep his daughter. Max knew he had to stay on the right side of the law.
Although it did not mean his sister nor Michael were not willing to do some dirty work as the days went by…
And the adoption kept getting bogged down.
Especially since Michael was now fully back to health and had been released by the facility and moved in next door to Max into Liz’s old habitat. With his inheritance paying the rent until he was on his feet financially. And with the knowledge that he had to be responsible and could not rest on his inheritance, completely, Michael was beginning work at the Crashdown as a short fry cook, his old job and not one he relished but it gave him something to do. His first day would be the next day, and he was a little nervous. Despite knowing the job and it was pretty easy for one with his powers, and abilities which were slowly coming back to him, anyways, he and Isabel were meeting for drinks because Kyle was working on this night.
And Isabel was wanting to do something to prevent Yvonne from winning the day. She worried that if the adoption were rejected, they would take
Micah away from her brother, and put her in the system.
Give her to another family.
And given her heritage, and unknown abilities. That was scary for the gang to realize, so they were willing to do just about anything to keep the little girl in the family.
Not only their sake, but for the little girl’s.
All they wanted was Micah to have a love home life and they knew Max could provide it to her. So, Isabel and Michael were talking over the matter over drinks, or iced tea for Michael because he was trying to be good. Turning over a new leaf meant less alcohol because he had no idea if that had led to his time in a coma, but it had not done him any good to sink into those depths, and plus he was coming to terms with Maria being gone.
Or he was trying to, and Isabel could see her friend in a melancholy mood. And had a simple prescription for her friend’s mood “Talk to Maria will you…”
“I do not need too,” Michael muttered. After all, they had heard the commotion from New York here in New Mexico and how Maria was toast of Broadway, and successful and extremely happy. He was still talking to his son most weeks, and knew Charlie was doing well. Extremely happy in his life there, and his school. So, he did not have to be in a mood about Maria. Because they were over, and the only relationship they had, was one of co-parenting.
And that concept was going admittedly well, according to all witnesses.
Isabel applauded her friend’s ability to turn over a new life. After all, for so long he had not have the ability, and she was just happy to have him around and not in a hospital bed. But still, like her brother who was hopeless without Max. But was distracted by trying to keep his daughter. Isabel knew Michael was missing Maria. He is awake and thinking of the last known emotion before his coma she mused. As always, Maria was a reason for it but this time he was not sinking into the depths that he had fallen to before, which Isabel viewed as a positive.
Which was something, at least. But on this night, she was more concerned about keeping her niece in the family.
“Yvonne is only causing noise,” suggested Michael as he was trying to get his best friend away from thinking about his love life. As far as he was concerned. He was doing well. He was back on his two feet which he could have not have a few months before, now he had a roof over his head until the owner of the apartment stopped through Roswell, and at the end of the day, he knew his son was happy. And his daughter, was happy in the home she wanted to be in. So, he would rather focus on making sure Micah stayed in that home as he looked down at the folder in front of him. “My information is she has money issues, and she’s looking at Micah as a cash day.”
“Which is troubling,” Isabel muttered. “I thought Yvonne was better than that?” she asked. “Of course, I did not know her, but you did…” she thought, and she knew her brother only had limited interaction with the woman who had birthed her niece.
“Yes, I did” Michael muttered. “My memories have her looking for the big time, but still willing to have a conscious,” he sighed. “I would think she would know that Micah is happy in the only home she had ever know. And to put an end to it is asking for pain. She had to know this back then. Which is why I have signed my rights over for our daughter to Max, and I am hell not going to pitch a fight on Max’s petition, and really, I doubt Yvonne cares about the baby we conceived together. I am told she’s broke and looking for trouble because her parents disowned her…”
“Because she got pregnant?” Isabel asked.
“No,” Michael shook her head. “Because she could not stay out of trouble, and has been married twice since I knew her…”
“That is some quality there,” Isabel muttered.
“Which is why I do not think she is acting out of some maternal instinct for the child,” Michael muttered. “All she is looking for is some money…” he sighed, “and she is trying to maneuver the situation so she can get us to bend and offer her money.”
“Are you going to give it to her?” Isabel asked as she saw Yvonne coming into the bar and looking like she had a hard life these last five years.
“I am just going to have a talk with her,” Michael muttered. “And plus, I only have certain funds available to me for now,” he smirked as he knew Max still acting as his proxy for his finances until they got his status straightened out with the government because of his absence, and they wanted to know what was going on since he had not been in a registered hospital. So, it helped to say that he had been suffering from a debilitating illness until he recently recovered, and that Max had his power of attorney, which he did albeit a little fudged, after the fact, and to work in tandem with Phillip Evans in his battles to get his status straightened out, as the government wanted to know why he had not paid any taxes. Simple, I was dead to world even though I am sitting on a fortune.
“You want me to stay?” Isabel asked.
“No, because you might hit her, and that will not help matters” Michael muttered.
“And you would not?” Isabel asked.
“I do not hit females, or anyone for that matter” Michael muttered.
“I know you do not,” Isabel said getting up as she had memories of their youth and all the scars her friend still carried over those years, as she laid down the money for her bar bill. “Call Maria…”
“You do not have the remind me of that,” Michael muttered. “It does nothing for me to open that door,” he sighed. “We are doing just fine in the state we are in,” he muttered even though he knew they were in the quicksand of wishing and not acting.
“One day it will be,” Isabel muttered as she walked away only for a few seconds later Yvonne to take her place. “You are not drinking?” she commented when she saw the iced tea by her former partner’s hand.
“I am turning over a new leaf,” came Michael as she was finding that he did not have much of a desire to drink. Still, the temptation was there, as it always would be to be in this kind of establishment but still, he was willing to deal with getting through the day, without a drink. And he was successful to this point. Although dealing with people like Yvonne would not help matters, so he had to muster up as much willpower as possible.
“So, I heard you were gone for a long time, only recently back?” Yvonne asked. “Claiming an illness?”
“So are you,” Michael asked. “So, what is your deal?” he asked. “I know you, Yvonne. I know you did not want the baby, and you were willing to take Max up on his offer without much persuasion. I am told you did not even hold her in the hospital. You were out of there the moment you were medically cleared,” he asked as he knew this from Isabel not that he was around at the time. “And you did not even look back?”
“Maybe I have had a change of heart?” Yvonne asked.
“Or it is more like your bank account is empty, and you think you can leverage our daughter for your gain” Michael asked as from the looks of Yvonne. She did not look like she has had a change of her heart. By the look on her face, it showed one of agenda and figuring out how the leverage the moment to a gain for herself.
“Like you would care,” Yvonne mocked. “After all, it was not me who asked your best friend to step in and clean up your mess,” she asked because she was well aware of how close Michael and Max had been back in the day, and while Max had fallen into some excesses for a time, still he had cleaned his act by the time Yvonne had become involved with his best friend. She knew full well the agreement was only until the time Michael had a change of heart. And now the child was still with Max, and he wanted to adopt her.
“Maybe I was not here for our daughter, but she is my daughter even though Max wants her to be his, and I am okay with that because I know Max cares for our daughter. And that Micah will be happy and healthy and deserves a roof over her head, and a parent who will love and protect her because too many kids do not get that ability, and our daughter should not be one of those unlucky many,” he sighed as he thought of the massive load of baggage he carried because Hank only kept him around for the monthly check.
Michael did not want that for Micah. A child he had yet to meet because Micah had not wanted to, and he was only a out of the facility a matter of days. But he had seen her around the apartment, and at the Crashdown. And the bubbly little girl deserved to be happy, if that meant she was raised by Max, and called him Dad, Michael was fine with it. “Do not tell me you care about our daughter?”
“Maybe I do,” Yvonne asked. “Maybe I have missed her…”
“Then you would have come back before now,” Michael muttered. “Look Yvonne. We both have our reasons for our association five years ago. It was never designed to be a love match. It was not for me, and I doubt it was for you either. I know what love is, and we were not it, but we conceived a child. A child who is now in this world. She deserves to be happy. I know what it means to be raised by a bastard who hates you. I was kept around for the monthly checks. I did not have the life my friends did, and that is probably a large part of why I was the way I was,” he muttered although at the time he was dealing with the end of him and Maria, and so it did not matter if he had gotten a rotten deal during childhood. He wanted to fall into the hole because he did not have Maria in his life. “Because I know this, I do not want that for our daughter,” he thought. “She deserves for us to think about her, and what is best for her. And not use her to gain an advantage.”
“You did not want her in the first place,” Yvonne muttered.
“I was not in the position in my life to want a child, but I did not want the easy way out…” Michael muttered. “I wish I had been in the headspace, but I was not, but I was not going to take it out on an innocent child so you made the right decision in giving our child to someone who care for her, and who could love her.”
“You gave her up,” Yvonne countered.
“So, did you” Michael muttered. “We gave her to a life that was far better one than she could have if the alternative had taken place, and I did not want to just make my problems go away. Although by the time you knew, it was too late for any other course of action.”
“Yeah,” Yvonne muttered.
“Max is a good man. A decent man. And he always has been. Since we were kids together, and he is father that any kid would want, and he is that for our daughter, and we should allow him. We should be letting Micah grow up in an environment of trust, and happiness, and maybe she will come out of her childhood in a good place because I do not want her to have the life I did,” Max muttered. “Do you?”
“No,” Yvonne muttered. “It’s not like she will have two parents, maybe she should…”
“If you think leaving the only house she only knows because she does not have a mother will help her than that is where I disagree. Because having two parents does not always help a situation and it does not make it instantly rosy. Sometimes, it can even ruin a child” Michael muttered. “Just because Max is not with someone does not mean he will not be giving our daughter a happy life, and plenty of role models that any child should be lucky to have.”
“You?” Yvonne asked.
“No, I am not talking about me” Michael murmured. “I do not know what my future is, as recently it has been the definition of murky” he allowed. “Max can give our daughter everything she should want in her life, and I am willing to allow her to have it…”
“Maybe I am not,” Yvonne muttered.
“Do not cause trouble Yvonne,” Michael threatened. “The last thing our daughter needs you to come into her life and play with her emotions. Break her heart, and then depart the field after changing her life. And I will not let you. And I think you remember how I was back before she was born. If you do not leave our daughter alone than you will not like what I am capable of doing…”
“You are bluffing,” Yvonne muttered.
“I do not bluff,” Michael threatened. “What do you want to go away?”
Yvonne named her price.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Maria was advising her friend as they sat at the airport. “We both know how active my son can be?” she asked as Charlie was raced off in all his enthusiasm to be getting a snacks for their flight. And now it was Maria and Liz sitting next to each other. Talking. Maria had used her connections to get through security, with the promise that she was only escorting her son and his guardian to the gate. She was too high profile to think that someone would not catch her if she did not something, and she was blessedly normal, so she had no worries in the world.
She kept for her son.
And on this day. All she was being was a mother, and a best friend. Taking advantage of her understudy taking the Wednesday matinee, and she was escorting her best friend to airport now that Liz had decided this…
Because her best friend had just gotten out of the hospital where she had been in and out of for the last two months, on the edge of losing her baby.
It was a high-risk pregnancy for some reason, the doctors could not identify a reason, but Maria and Liz knew the reason, because of the baby’s father and the baby was picking a fight and giving its mother tons of trouble. As if they were making a point. A point to where to their mother was now finally giving in and listening. As she had spent the last month here in New York at the hospital after going on sick leave from her job for the duration of the pregnancy. On a small trip here to New York. With her ultimate destination always being Roswell but unfortunately, on a small trip to New York.
She landed in the hospital and stayed there.
She did not know if she was going back to Europe. All she knew she had to be on bed rest so Maria did not understand why she was getting on a plane when she could sent her son out on his own and have his grandparents pick him up…
Because Charlie was spending the rest of the semester in Roswell with his father, getting to know the man he was today. Going to an elementary school in Roswell. After a successful Christmas visit which Maria could only go for a few days because of her schedule. But she had a contract, she was scheduled to play the part until the end of it. Fortunately, she only had about six weeks left, and then she would come out and spend time in Roswell until she picked her next project.
She was being thrown a lot of ideas, and pitched a lot of projects, and she was being picky. Which is what she wanted to be. She had climbed the ladder to get today, and she did not want to give it up, but her son was being drawn back to Roswell, and this would be the longest they would be apart.
She did not know how to deal with it, especially since her best friend would be spending the rest of her pregnancy in Roswell because once Jeff and Nancy found out their daughter was in the hospital and was being prescribed bed rest as the only way to get out of it. They insisted she come to Roswell and take it easy.
A small town was just what her friend needed.
Maria agreed whole heartedly…
Especially since the baby’s father was there, even though he did not know because Liz began to have pregnancy complications soon after getting the pregnancy confirmed. And told to keep her stress levels down.
So, Max did not know, and Maria knew he was still up to his head in his adoption. But it was finally getting in front of a judge within days, and hopefully he would be able to still be Micah’s father soon.
It did not mean she wanted her friend to stress herself out by taking her seven-year-old son to Roswell.
But for Liz. She needed this. Charlie was something normal. Plus, they would be in first class. The benefits of Maria’s greatly enhanced career, and the perks that came with it. And Maria had used an upgrade on her best friend and son.
She had wanted out of the hospital. And the baby was doing better, and hanging in there, as she looked down and patted her stomach. Maybe one of the stresses will come off when she finally told Max.
She was planning on doing it.
“I need this,” Liz promised. “And Charlie will be fine,” she sighed. “The stresses come from other parts of my life, and this will be a simple plane ride.”
“I hope so,” Maria muttered as the flight was soon called and she watched as Liz walked onto the flight with her son.
She prayed for both her son and best friend.
And turned and picked up her cellphone, “She’s coming…” she told the person on the other end of the phone, and she walked back out of the exit, signing autographs on the way out of the airport.
How can I leave this life?
They were now in Roswell. The flight was blessedly easy. She had experienced rougher seas during this pregnancy, and she just wanted to take it easy, and not stress out so much. “Are you ready?” Liz asked her companion as she disembarked from the planed and headed into the terminal.
Charlie could only smile and nod because he was back in someplace familiar, even though this airport had only recently opened and they were one of the first flights from New York landing at it, and it had the air of being brand new. As they walked out and saw the terminal of people. And Charlie’s attention landed on one person. And he smiled when he saw his father.
“Daddy,” he ran to Michael who was waiting with Amy and Jim for them. While he would be spending time with Michael. Charlie would be staying with his grandparents until Maria came to town, and they would find something temporary because the plan would be to be back in New York for the next school year. This was only temporary Maria had warned Michael, and Michael was okay with it. As he was still getting his equilibrium back of his new reality. Even though Michael still was in the apartment he had moved into once he was out of the facility. But a growing boy needed space. And Michael and Charlie needed time to bond.
“Hello, son” Michael asked as he greeted his son as he and Charlie had grown close over the holidays, and now Michael was going to get a hands-on lesson on how to be a parent. And while the nerves were fluttering around. Still, he needed to do be doing this. It was nerve wracking but part of his quest to turn over his new leaf.
As he also adjusted to being back in the land of living. As his job at the Crashdown was going well and was even talking about getting his private investigators license and setting up his own business. But that was in the early days of formation.
For the time being he was working on living and on his son and was surprised to see Liz for the first time in nearly eight years because he had not seen Liz during that memorable week five months prior.
And he was shocked to see Liz now…
Even though he was fully apprised to all that happened, to the point that anyone back here in town knew. They certainly did not know everything he thought as it was something his friend definitely did not know. Max is going to be shocked he thought as he nodded to his former friend. “Hello Liz…”
“Hello Michael,” came Liz as she knew he knew, because it was pretty noticeable at his stage. After all, she knew coming back to Roswell would be letting a lot of secrets out of the closet. Just like it did last time she was in town. She had known the secret of Charlie would be coming out into the world. And now she knew her little secret would be coming out.
But at least this time, her baby was yet to be born. But obviously was telling its mother that it wanted to come to Roswell because since they arrived on the ground. She had felt never better. I have not felt this good in months she thought. Even though she had been in the air. She did not feel queasy. Almost like everything was settled. Now that they were on the ground of their hometown. Or the outskirts of it because that is where this new airport was located. I know sweetie that you are telling me something she told herself and the baby.
“Does Max know?” was all Michael could say even though they both knew the answer If Max knew, then Michael would have known they both thought. And the whole circle would have known.
“No, but he will” was all Liz said.
“Good,” Michael said as he and Charlie went to pick up this luggage as it arrived. And Liz acknowledged her drive who stood next to his father, and stepmother. After Jim and Amy had amusedly walked away without comment. Thank you she thought. As she acknowledged her ride. “I assume Maria called?”
“Yes,” Kyle smiled. “So, the drama continues…” was he could say as he stood greatly amused. Because yes, no one back here had known what was going on. “You were pretty evasive when we would speak.”
“Does it ever end?” Liz cracked. “And I am always evasive. That is what this town has made me, but she knew she could never leave this town even when she wanted too.
She was too tied to it.
Where that would take her, she had no idea.