The Talented Mrs Evans (AU,M/L,TEEN) Pt 21- 04/27/05 [WIP]

[nicola]

TWENTY-ONE

Mediterranean Cruise 2019


Liz’s reflection in the mirror was becoming less satisfactory with each day that passed. While studying herself naked, she couldn’t help but panic at the sight of her aging features—breasts that hung like rain drops, squishy thighs, hanging skin and blue veins.

When she was younger she promised herself that she would never be one of those women that freaked out as they got older. Now she realized how stupid and naïve she was then. Her appearance still meant so much to her. It was pathetic and she was disappointed in herself for still caring about it.

With a sigh, she pinched at the skin above her hip bones and wiggled it up and down. She wasn’t fat, but it seemed she had so much skin. It was from having babies and though she’d never regret having them, she didn’t have to like what they’d done to her figure.

Max was waiting for her because they were going for a swim. It’s not like he’d stayed the young Adonis he used to be but he could still walk around in little shorts and get looks. She didn’t get looks anymore and it was obvious why.

With another sigh she put on her black one piece swim suit and wrapped her towel around her body. Max looked up from the magazine he was reading when she walked into the lounge area.

“Did you know,” he said, “that you took half an hour to change? How many swim suits do you have?”

She just shrugged and slipped on her sandals. “Let’s go. “

There were a few ladies by the pool that were her age. She’d met them all and knew several details of their lives. Sometimes there was nothing to do but meet people and listen to their life story. She felt so old when she was around them—especially because all they did was criticize the young bikini-clad twenty-something year olds.

Max asked if she wanted to sit with them and she shook her head and told him no. They lay back on the white deck chairs alone, side by side.

“What’s on your mind?” Max asked with concern. “You seem bothered by something. It’s not your neck is it? Don’t worry, it’s probably nothing.”

“Yeah…” Liz straightened her shoulders. “I don’t know. Nothing really…just silly thoughts and all that. Are you having a good time?”

“I’m having a great time,” Max answered. He had put on his sunglasses and she couldn’t see his eyes, just her own reflection. She looked away in annoyance. “Aren’t you?”

“I am,” she said. “Don’t worry. Really, I’m just being ridiculous. Should we order drinks? Let’s get drunk together. Remember when we used to do that before we had kids?” Before when I would go to the pool in a thong, she thought. “We were so crazy back then. Want to?”

Max laughed. “Something really must be wrong.”

”Let’s get drunk. What do you think, whisky, vodka, cocktails?” she saw that he was worried she was drinking for the wrong reasons. “I just feel like acting young again today.”

“Okay,” he said simply.

They ordered cocktails and sat there drinking them by the pool. Occasionally someone would come over and say hello. Mostly males that Max had made friends with in the bar or gym or casino. They all spoke of business and back home and absolutely all of them gave them their card. Max lined them up along the coffee table in their room. He didn’t like many of them.

“All stiffs,” he said. “When are we going to meet some real people?”

“You’ve got too high standards,” Liz answered. But she did too and she was being a hypocrite.

Five cocktails later and Liz gave up covering herself with her towel. It was too hot with the sun beaming down on them. She scooted her chair closer to Max and lay back with her eyes closed. He took her hand in his, kissed it and then did the same. They were silent. She noticed that they didn’t talk as much as they used to, there wasn’t as much to talk about. It wasn’t a problem, she felt secure in their relationship.

“You know,” he said suddenly, “I’ve been thinking about Alexander and this whole sex thing.”

“Yes,” Liz opened her eyes and rolled her head to the side to look at him. “And?”

He did the same. “And…I think the little shit needs to be punished. I say we make him pay for the new bed.”

Liz laughed. “He doesn’t have a job.”

“That’s the second part of the punishment,” Max said. “He gets a job.”

Liz continued to laugh. “You can be the one to tell him that. I wouldn’t stand a chance—he’d yell at me to fuck off.”

“No he wouldn’t. He’s too scared to curse around you now because of the last time I punished him for it. I told him he’s got a mouth like a sewer and he might get away with talking to his friends like that but we deserve respect.”

“Pfft!” Liz said. “I’m sure that went down well.”

Max grinned to himself. The alcohol was slowly getting to him and he didn’t want anymore. He didn’t like the sensation of being drunk like he used to ten years ago. Liz didn’t order another drink so he guessed she didn’t want anymore either. He figured she was probably out of her mood by now.

“What do you want to do?” she asked. “I’m getting sick of the sun. We could go have afternoon tea.”

“Okay,” he nodded. “But I want to have a shower first.”

She kissed his mouth. “Maybe I’ll join you.”

They packed up their things and went back to their room hand-in-hand. Max had their towels over his shoulder and their slip on sandals made flip-flip noises as they walked along the corridor.

~*~

2011



Liz was just sitting reading a magazine while she waited for a cake to finish cooking. She’d put the kettle on soon to make a cup of tea and then she’d take it outside and they’d have morning tea.

Max came into the kitchen before she’d done any of those things. He was scratching his head. “Do you know what I just realized?” he asked.

She looked up from the article she was reading. It was entitled: You and your children. How to understand the adolescent mind. “What did you just realize?” she asked. He was sweaty and his hands and knees were dirty from gardening.

“Today is our wedding anniversary. Did you know?”

“Our anniversary?” she asked surprised. “No, I didn’t know.” She looked at her watch and then at him again. “Oh my god you’re right. We’ve just been so busy lately that I forgot all about it.”

“Ten years,” he said and then whistled. “I think it’s time I got a new wife.”

She rolled her eyes. “Happy Anniversary my husband of ten years. I love you.”

He came over and gave her lips a soft kiss. “I love you too. Should we go out to dinner or something?”

“Yes,” she smiled and got up to take her baking out of the oven. “Let’s go out to dinner.”

“If we take the kids it’ll end up being McDonalds.”

“I’ll get a sitter.”

“Or better yet…” he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, careful not to put his dirty hands on her shirt. “Let’s drop them off at Maria’s or something. Then we can have the house to ourselves.”

“Oh!” she said. “Or we could rent a hotel room and have the babysitter stay here over night.”

“I’m liking this whole anniversary thing.” He kissed her neck.

“Yes,” she nodded, spinning around to face him. “Will you call around? How long is it since we had a night alone?”

“A long time.”

After he’d left Natalie came into the kitchen. “Mom,” she said. “Can we go down to the beach?”

“It’s a bit cold isn’t it?” she asked. “The water won’t be very warm.”

“It will be warm as!” she argued.

Liz tipped the cake onto a plate. “After we have some morning tea. Don’t you want some of this?”

“Yes,” Natalie nodded. She was wearing a yellow tank top and denim shirt with embroidered flowers on it. Liz thought she looked like a little angel with her light hair surrounding her round face. Her little angel darling. “Can’t we eat it on the beach? Oooh we could have a picnic!”

“I don’t see why not,” Liz said. “Why don’t you go see if the other two want to go?”

“They do,” Natalie cried as she ran out. “I’ll get my togs on!”

Liz cut a piece of cake for everyone and packed some plastic cups and a bottle of orange juice in their small chilly bag. She didn’t want to go for a swim so she just grabbed her sun hat and the sun screen and then went outside.

Max was sweeping the path but little Thomas had his plastic toy broom out and was trying to help. Of course, he was making more of a mess than anything else. Max was laughing and trying to show him the right way but it wasn’t working. Liz thought that Thomas was deliberately trying to do things wrong because he was laughing as well. In his high pitched, over dramatic laugh. She loved that about young kids (especially hers), they found everything so much funnier than anyone else and their laugh was so real. They didn’t know how to be insincere.

“Nat wants to go and have a picnic on the beach,” Liz said. “And I need some sun. Do you want to come?”

“I’ll join you soon…” he bent down and tickled Thomas, “After I clean up this!”

“Thomas, you want to run inside and get your togs love?”

“Yip!”

Liz playfully smacked his bottom as he went and he growled at her and nearly tripped on the steps. His legs were too short to climb properly and it was so sweet to watch him struggle.

Max was working without his shirt on. He was wearing little shorts. Liz took a moment to fan herself with her hand. “Boy,” she said breathlessly, “is it hot out here or is it just me?”

Max grinned at her. “It’s you.”

“Oh really? Because I thought it was you,” she winked at him and then went and sat at the patio table to wait. Natalie came out with her togs on back to front.

“Oh honey,” Liz laughed. “Come here.”

“No!” she cried. “I did it all by myself!”

“Yes and you did very well but maybe we’ll just turn it around…”

“No!”

“Doesn’t that feel funny?”

“No!”

Alexander’s trunks were on properly and Thomas just came out plain old naked. “How’d you get your clothes off?” Max asked, amazed.

“I’m a big boy,” Thomas beamed.

“Okay big boy,” Liz said. “Can you get your shorts on by yourself?”

He couldn’t. He had to hold onto Liz’s shoulder as she held them open for him.

On the beach Liz ate her cake while Alexander and Natalie splashed around on the shore. They weren’t allowed to go out past their waist when she or Max wasn’t with them. There weren’t many waves today and there were a lot of people everywhere. Thomas was playing in the sand and she gave him a sip of orange juice.

When she wasn’t expecting it Max ran out making Tarzan noises and jumped into the water near the kids. He splashed around like a crazy person and Thomas laughed excitedly. He loved his father so much so it was no surprise when he ran down the beach after him.

Liz watched the kids jump on Max. Alexander climbed on his back and Natalie was hanging off his arm. She wished she had her camera. Even though she had millions of pictures like this.

Alexander waved at her, grinning like an idiot and she waved back.

Sometimes being a mother was so rewarding. Even just to watch

~*~