Roswell Fanatics

I'm so tickled you're all enjoying the story. Sorry to give the impression Father Phillip is being creepy. But his 'creepiness' will be revealed and straightened out in the next post. For now, though, here are the next two parts leading up to that revelation.

Once again, let me know what you thnk. I love to hear your thoughts and ideas about where the story will lead to.

Now, here goes:

Part 11 – Life goes on…and so does love!

For several weeks, in spite of their new-found relationship, Max and Liz worked together tirelessly in getting Max trained to fill the shoes of the vice-presidency. But they always made time to continue getting to know each other better. During one especially grueling day, they decided to take a breather at the office and have lunch.

As Liz came walking out of her private office bathroom, drying her hands, Max was reminded of the very first day he’d seen her again for the first time in years, in this very same office. “You know, Liz, you never did tell me why you came in late that first day, drenched from head to toe,” he said, as he lazily ate his sandwich.

“Oh, yeah. I’d forgotten all about that. Well, it was bad enough that I was running late to our appointment. And then it was pouring down rain. And in the middle of that, I had a flat tire. And then I couldn’t get ahold of the towing service. So I ended up having to change the tire myself. That’s why I got to the office in such a mess.”

“Ah, my poor baby,” Max said, as Liz sat next to him and nestled into the curve of his arm. “And to think, I was so angry with you for being late. As far as I was concerned, there could not be any excuse good enough to keep me waiting as long as you had.” He paused briefly, looking down into those gorgeous doe-brown eyes he’d fallen in love with, and then continued, “I’m so glad I decided to stick around a little longer and give you a little more time. To think, I came so close to never seeing you again,” he softly finished, as he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her, tenderly at first. But within only seconds, the kiss was becoming more demanding and passionate. Truthfully, they’d been feeling more and more passionate with one another with each kiss that was shared. But this was the first time they’d almost devoured one another.

Max pulled away from Liz, breathing heavily. “Oh, God, Liz, I want you so much. But I want us to do this the right way. I hope you don’t mind that.”

Liz was in awe of this young man she’d loved for almost ten years, and all she could do was grin widely, as she shook her head in the negative.

“Good. I’m glad you feel that way. The way I see it – no, let me ask you the proper way.” So Max got down on the floor, propped himself on one knee, and said, “Elizabeth Parker, will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me…next week?”

Liz was overjoyed at his proposal. “Oh, yes, yes, yes!” she cried, as they both jumped up and Max took her in his arms and began swinging her around the room.

When they’d finally settled themselves down, Max suddenly got a very serious look on his face. “What about Phillip? Do you think he will mind?” he shyly asked.

“Are you kidding? He’ll be overjoyed,” Liz responded. “I know what. Let’s take him someplace special and tell him.”

“That’s a wonderful idea.” They decided to do just that the next day.
*****
(The next day at the zoo)
“It’s real nice to see you again, Max,” Phillip said, holding both his hand and Liz’s.

“Well, we wanted to share something very special with you, but we want to make sure it’s okay with you,” Liz said.

“It’s okay,” Phillip said.

“What’s okay?” Max asked, looking at Liz with a questioning look.

Liz could only shrug. She didn’t have a clue either.

“It’s okay for you to be my daddy,” he simply said.

Liz and Max looked at each other in astonishment. “Do you know what that means?” Max asked.

“Uh-huh. We’re going to be a family, and we’ll all live together.”

Part 12

“That’s right, sweetie,” Liz slowly said. “That means I’m going to marry Max. And that’s okay with you?”

“Uh-huh,” he said, licking the lollipop he’d just unwrapped that had been in his pocket.

Max bent down and looked straight at Phillip. “How did you know I was going to be your daddy?” he asked.

“’Cause, you both look so happy. I always knew you’d be my dad some day, ‘cause you make my mommy happy. Now she won’t be alone no more,” he said, as he wandered on a little ahead of them, glancing back and forth at the animal cages, as he continued licking his lollipop.

“You have got one amazing son,” Max said, as he put his arm around Liz, and together they watched Phillip walk on ahead of them.

“Well, soon we’ll both have one amazing son,” Liz said, putting her arm around Max’s waist. And then, just before catching up with Phillip, Max looked down at Liz and said, “I love you so much, Liz. We’re going to be so happy. I just know it.” With that, he gave her a brief, but very sensual kiss, and then went to catch up with Phillip.

“I think so too,” Liz contentedly sighed, as she went to quickly catch up with the two most important men in her life.
*****
When Liz had settled Phillip down for the night, she came back to the living room. “Well, now we have to tell my family,” Max said, as Liz came to sit comfortably beside him.

“How do you think they’re going to take it?” Liz asked.

“Honestly, I don’t care. My father has manipulated my life enough. I think it’s time I made some decisions of my own. And marrying you is my first official step in that direction,” he smiled.

“So, when do you think we should tell them? We are, after all, planning it in a week. Do you think it will upset them that it won’t be a big society wedding?” Liz asked.

“It might. But like I said, I really don’t care. I want to get on with the business of living. And as desperately as I’m in love with you,” he said, pulling her to sit on his lap, “I can’t wait around. If we’re not careful, we won’t be able to wait even that long,” he said, in a deep, husky voice filled with desire.

“Well, in that case, I better get up off your lap. Why don’t you call him right now while we’re thinking about it?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Hand me the phone, will you, Lizzie.”

“Okay. Here you go, Maxie,” Liz said, with a devilish grin on her face.

Max dialed his father’s number, but he was having a really hard time concentrating, because all he wanted to do was to kiss his future wife.

Finally, his father answered the phone. “Hi, Dad. Liz and I have some news.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“I’ve asked Liz to marry me, and she’s accepted. We’re getting married…next week.”

“Next week?! But that’s not enough time. We need to make arrangements and” –

“We don’t want a big society wedding, Dad. Just something simple. We want to be together as soon as possible.”

“I see,” Phillip responded, knowing exactly what that meant. “Well, I’m very happy for you both,” he said, and he genuinely meant it. “There is some business I need to discuss with you first, though. And since you haven’t given me much time, I need to speak with you as soon as possible.”

“Are you and mom okay, Dad?” Max asked, filled with apprehension at his words.

“Oh, we’re fine, Son. I just need to clear up some business with you. It’s actually good news. I’m sure you’ll be very pleased about it.”

“Well, okay. How about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow’s fine. I’ll see you then, Son.”

“Okay, Dad. I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” and Max hung up.

‘Well, I guess I better get things in order, so I can explain them to Max,’ Phillip said to himself. But he was happy that his son had finally gotten his act together with Liz. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why his son had taken so long to finally make what he knew would be a good decision for everyone involved.
*****
“What was that all about?” Liz asked, as Max got off the phone.

“I don’t know. But he said he has some business he needs to discuss with me, and that it couldn’t wait.”

“Do you think I should come with you?”

“No. I think it’ll be all right. I’m sure he would have asked me to bring you if he felt you needed to be there. I’ll let you know about it as soon as I know myself.”

Max gave Liz one more slow, agonizingly passionate kiss before finally pulling away. “Well, I guess I better be going; otherwise, I won’t be leaving tonight,” he said, with a lopsided grin on his face.

“Well, it won’t be long before you won’t have to leave,” Liz said, as she gave him one last quick peck. “Now get going before I refuse to let you go.”

They both fidgeted at the door for several more seconds, neither wanting to let the other go, but they knew it would be for the best. As Max finally wandered out the door, he turned around and said, “I love you with all my heart, Liz Parker. Don’t forget. I’m coming for you,” and then turned around and headed for his car.

Liz finally closed the door, then leaned up against it. ‘What did I do to deserve to be loved by that wonderful man?’ she wondered, before blissfully wandering to her room for the night.

tbc

Not only am I enjoying your comments and thoughts, but I'm getting antsy to finish the story. So, without further ado, here's the next part, appropriately called.....

Part 13 - Revelations

Bright and early the next morning, Max headed over to his dad’s. He wanted to get the ‘business’ out of the way early, so he could go spend the rest of the day with the love of his life and his soon-to-be ‘son.’ He couldn’t believe it. He was finally going to have a son. Of course, he still mourned the fact that it would not be his son. But Phillip was a great kid. And he was going to give Phillip all the love he’d had stored up for his own son. He didn’t want to dwell on that too much, because it was still painful, and he knew it always would be. Instead, he wanted to concentrate on the future happiness that Liz, Phillip and he were going to share.
*****
“Max, you’re here early,” Phillip said.

“Well, I’m going straight over to Liz’s afterward.”

“You really love her, don’t you, Son?”

“With every ounce of my being,” Max earnestly responded. “I never knew it was possible to love someone so completely and without reservation.” As an afterthought, Max said, “You’re not going to try to talk me out of it, are you?”

“Max, I’m ecstatic that you’re marrying Liz. I just keep wondering. Why did it take you so long to realize you love her so much?”

“What are you talking about, Dad? She’s only been back in my life for the last couple months.”

“I’m not talking about now. I’m talking about when you were in school. Didn’t you ever have feelings for her then?”

“Dad, where are these questions coming from?” Max defensively asked. “Besides, remember, you and mom were the ones who had my life all planned out for me when I got to high school. And if it had been left up to you, you would have had me marry Tess. And if I had married her, it would have been a slow, painful death for me. Nothing good would have come from that relationship except – except the son I’ll never know.”

“Max, I didn’t mean to make you relive moments that are best forgotten. And I’m sorry about the arrangement with Tess. I had no idea what kind of person that girl was. If I had known, I would never have made that agreement with the Hardings. But I’m not sorry for having your son adopted out. Can you imagine what that poor child would have gone through if he’d had to grow up in a home where the mother and father never loved and respected each other?”

“Yeah, I know, Dad.” As he spoke, he felt the long built-up anger and resentment toward his dad begin to subside.” I know you wanted what was best for my son. I just wish I had been old enough to have taken care of him. I wish somehow I could have been a part of his life, even if only in a very small way.”

“Max, I need to tell you a story. I know you’re going to have questions. But promise me you’ll let me finish my story before you ask them. Agreed?”

Max sat across from his dad for a minute or so, in thought, and finally said, “Okay, Dad, if it’s that important to you.”

“It is. And it will be important to you too. So here goes.

“First off, I won’t rehash the business about you getting Tess pregnant, because you and I both know all those details. But my story begins after we found out she was pregnant. When your mother and I found out how callous and vindictive Tess was, neither of us could bear the thought that she might try to use our grandson to trap you into a loveless marriage. Neither of us wanted that for you, Son. At the same time, we didn’t want Tess or her family to have custody of the child. So I made a deal with Mr. Harding, giving him a large sum of money, so that Tess would relinquish any future custody rights to her son. Of course, I think you already knew at least part of that story.

“Anyway, once I got them to sign papers, giving up all legal rights to the child, I began looking for a suitable family that the child could grow up in, being confident that he would be loved as if he were truly a part of the family. The only problem was, the more I looked, the more hesitant I became about following through. Because, you see, I didn’t want to lose my grandson.

“Well, I was talking with a very good friend of the family during that time who was having some financial difficulties, and he and his wife agreed to help us out. They were willing to help out even if we had not given them some financial help. But I couldn’t bear to burden them with such a responsibility without compensating them in some way.”

As Max was listening to his father’s story, a glimmer of hope began to glisten in the recesses of his mind. ‘Is it possible I’ll actually get to meet my son?’ he wondered.

“That couple that helped me with the adoption was the Parkers.”

Max’s thoughts were still on that glimmer of hope when he heard what his dad said. “What? Wait a minute. Did you just say the Parkers? You don’t mean Liz’s parents, do you?”

“Yes, I do.”

“But that’s not possible. Liz didn’t say anything” –

“Remember, let me finish.”

With each word Phillip spoke, Max began sitting closer and closer to the edge of his seat.

“The problem was, we wanted to make it look like the child was actually theirs. So we decided the only way it would work was if they moved out of the area. Everyone thought they had sold the Crashdown, but I bought it under an assumed name and hired a manager to take care of it. Also, we had to do it far enough in advance so that there would be no questions arise as to when Tess had her baby and when Mrs. Parker would supposedly give birth.

“Of course, the next problem was that Liz could not know what was happening either. So I helped them with the tuition they needed to put Liz through college. She was in her first year of college when Tess had the baby. So the baby was born and adopted during that time. As far as Liz knew, her mother had gotten pregnant while she was away at college.

“I also helped them find work to sustain them in New York, since it isn’t exactly one of the cheapest places in the states to live. So I had them pose as the president and vice-president of the company where you met up again with Liz. They had every intention of filling those roles too.

“Unfortunately, the one thing no one could have foreseen or been prepared for was the fact that Liz’s parents died in that dreadful accident. But that’s how Liz came to” –

As Phillip was talking, suddenly, the connection he was making registered with Max. “You mean – you mean Phillip is my son?” Max blurted out.

“Yes, Son, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Suddenly, Max became furious. “Why didn’t you tell me this when I first went to New York? I could have introduced myself to him then,” he said, not thinking clearly.

So Phillip sat there silently, letting him verbalize all the thoughts in his head, allowing him to put the pieces together himself.

Finally, as Max continued rambling, he heard the words he was saying and realized how foolish it would have been to have done that. When Max talked himself out, Phillip continued.

“I think you and I both know that it wouldn’t have been fair to Liz, after four years of her being his only known family, to drop a bomb on her like that.”

“But why did you wait until now to say anything? You’ve known for the last couple months how I feel about Liz. Why didn’t you say something then?”

“Think of it from Liz’s viewpoint, Max. What do you think would have gone through her mind if I’d said anything to you?”

Max sat, thinking for a minute, before speaking again. “I guess maybe she would have thought it was a setup, to perhaps take Phillip away from her. That maybe I’d only pretended to care about her to get Phillip.”

As Max spoke, he saw his father nod in the affirmative.

“I still don’t completely get it, Dad. Why did you wait until now to tell me all this?”

“Remember when I asked you earlier why it had taken you so long to realize you love Liz so much?”

“Yeah. What did you mean by that?”

“Has Liz ever told you how she felt about you in school?”

“No. We haven’t talked much about school. I think it’s kind of a depressing subject for her.”

“I have something I want to show you,” Phillip said, as he reached for something in his desk drawer. Then he pulled out what looked like a very worn journal.

“What’s that?”

“It’s something I found in your SUV one day after you had gotten home from school,” he said, as he handed it to Max.

“It’s not mine. I’ve never seen it before.”

“I know you haven’t. Open it up to the front cover.”

When Max did, he was stunned to see the words ‘Private journal of Liz Parker.’

“But how is that possible? I never had Liz” –

And then he remembered that fateful rainy day that he’d given Liz a ride home.

“She must have left it there that day I gave her a ride home,” Max marveled. “Have you read it?” Max asked.

“Yes, I’m partly ashamed to say, I have. But the other part of me is glad I did. It was when I read her journal that I realized her parents would be the perfect people to help us protect little Phillip.

“But I also learned in that journal how she felt about you, Max.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you have any idea that Liz had a crush on you all those years ago?”

“What?!! That’s impossible. We never even talked in school,” Max said, as he felt himself begin to blush, remembering how he’d felt about her at that time.

“But you loved her anyway, didn’t you, Son?”

Looking up at his dad, he asked, “How did you know that?”

“The Parkers and your mother used to talk about you kids, growing up. At the time, I was still convinced you would be marrying Tess. So I didn’t pay much attention. But your mom and the Parkers kept telling me you two belonged together. The Parkers could tell from things they’d hear Maria saying to Liz. And your mom could tell by the way you’d react whenever Liz’s name was mentioned. I was the one who couldn’t see what was in front of my face; that is, until I read Liz’s journal. She writes of you with such love and yearning. She cared so deeply for you then. Even she could tell what a witch Tess was. And here I was, a grown man, and couldn’t see it. All I was concerned about was appearances.

“After I read her words and knew all the facts about Tess, I knew the best people my grandson could be raised by would be people – or at least one person who cared for you as deeply as Liz did. I knew her family would raise Phillip with the same genuine love that Liz had for you at that time. When her parents died, I knew it would be difficult for Liz to raise him on her own. That’s why I arranged to have her take the vice-president position. She took it on herself to change her major, so she could more fully use her education in the position.

“But I knew it was getting harder for her to feel that she was doing a good enough job spending time with Phillip. And you were finally living up to your potential to be the fine young man your mother and I knew you could be. So that was why I guess you could say I set the two of you up a couple of months ago.”

Max continued sitting across from his dad, stunned speechless for several seconds, still allowing all the new information, as well as its import, to sink in.

“My god, how am I going to explain this to Liz? She’s still going to think she was set up to have Phillip taken away from her. How can I do that to her?”

“Before you make any rash decisions about that, I suggest you take the time to read her journal. Maybe you’ll find what you need to help you in there. Well, I know you have your work cut out for you. Do you want to stay here and read it?”

“No. I think I’ll go somewhere private.”

“Okay, Son. Whatever you do, please make sure she knows how much you love her. And once again, I just want you to know how proud I am of you. I know it hasn’t been easy all these years, regretting having given up little Phillip. But you did the right thing, even though it was so hard for you. I think that was the first really grownup decision you ever made. And no matter how hard it’s been on you all this time, you did the right thing at the time. Never forget that.”

“Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate hearing that from you. Well, I better get going. I have a lot to think about before I talk to Liz,” he said, not looking back at his dad as he left.

“I know you do, Son. I know you do.”

tbc

Don't forget to leave feedback. I love to see what you guys have to say.

Hi, Everyone:

Once again, I'm really enjoying your thoughts and comments. I hope this next part will provide more answers to your questions, as well as giving a more human, kinder side to Max's dad.

Here goes:

Part 14
Max had to get away to a quiet place while he took the time to read through Liz’s journal. Her first journal entry read: “Five days ago, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven…that is, until I met my worst nightmare. I’ve just started high school, and already I have a crush. His name is Max Evans. He’s in my biology class. I was told by my professor that he was to be my lab partner. But somehow word got out to his girlfriend, Tess Harding; and she threatened me. If I didn’t switch with her, she promised to make my life miserable. I don’t know how much more miserable it could be, not being able to get to know Max Evans, but I honestly don’t want to test the waters and find out. Oh, well…I guess I’ll just have to fantasize instead.”

Max read several other entries, mostly about her friendship with Maria and Alex. Max found himself envying their friendship as he read Liz’s entries about them. He felt as though he came to know them through those entries.

Another entry: “Maria and I were working in the Crashdown today when Max came in with Tess and the rest of their gang. Of course, they had to sit in my section. As usual, Tess was giving me the ‘evil eye,’ like she was daring me to talk to Max. I can’t help it that he’s sitting at my table. I have to talk to him to take his order. As I walked back to turn in their order, Maria said, ‘Oh, by the way, Max is staring at you again.’ I told her she was nuts. Max has a girlfriend. But I confess. I thought I saw him staring at me too. But it was so brief, I must have imagined it. Oh, well…just another stupid fantasy in my schoolgirl crush.”

As Max read the entry, he remembered back to when he’d gone to the Crashdown all those times. He didn’t realize it until that moment. He really had been staring at Liz. He also suddenly realized, it was only because of her that he’d ever wanted to go there in the first place.

He continued reading. “Sean DeLuca knocked my books out of my hands as I was going to class today, but I know Tess put him up to it. As I was picking them up, I saw Tess standing behind Sean, encouraging him to keep bullying me. Why does she hate me so much? I haven’t done anything to her.”

Another entry: “Someone else knocked my books out of my hands today. I don’t know who because they took off before I had a chance to see who it was. Once again, I knelt down to pick up all my books. But before I had a chance to, someone was bending down and said, ‘Here, let me help you with that.’ I couldn’t believe it. It was Max Evans. I’ve watched him from a distance for the last two years, and he really seems to be a nice guy. Why can’t he see what a witch Tess is? My heart aches every time I see them together. Why can’t he see me? I thought when I saw him last year, I’d get over my stupid crush. But I’ve felt this way for two years now.”

Another entry: “I almost got the nerve to ask Max to the Sadie Hawkins dance. But somehow Tess got wind of it. She threatened me again that if I did, she’d spread rumors that I was stalking Max. I have to face it. Max is never going to see me as anything more than a science geek.”

As Max read that entry, he remembered back to junior year. He’d seen Liz in a few of his classes. They’d even talked briefly a few times because Max had been absent from class for almost a week due to family obligations with Tess and her family. The only person he was certain who would be able to help him to catch up with his assignments was Liz, and she’d been kind enough to help him. He’d actually felt that somehow they’d made a connection, and he’d actually fantasized that she’d ask him to the Sadie Hawkins dance. He’d even put Tess off for several days, hoping that Liz would ask him. But because she never did, he’d thought he’d imagined the connection he’d felt with her during that brief time. Once again, he was now kicking himself for having allowed Tess to deceive him and his family for so many years.

Max had spent the last few hours, reading Liz’s journal, but the entry that touched his heart the most was the last one: “Maria tried to console me again today about my Max-induced crush. The thing is, I know it’s not a crush, especially after four years. I’m in love with him, and he’s never going to know how I feel. Anyway, I was walking down the hall at school today, and I accidentally ran right into Max, once again, dropping all my books. Of course, he once again graciously helped me to pick them all up. We hardly said anything to each other. All I did was thank him for helping me. No sooner had Max gotten out of sight than Tess walked up to me and said, ‘I’m getting pretty sick of you trying to monopolize my boyfriend’s time. Why don’t you get your own boyfriend? Oh, yeah, that’s right. No one would want to date a science geek like you.’ Just before she walked away, she jerked my books away from me and threw them to the ground. Maria saw the whole thing. She wanted to haul off and hit Tess, but I didn’t want her to get into trouble over someone as worthless as Tess. It just hurts so much to see someone so mean with the person I’m in love with. Can’t he see how wrong she is for him? I’ve got to get out of school as soon as I can. I can’t stand to see them together much longer.”

That was Liz’s last journal entry. What surprised Max, though, was that there were other journal entries…that his father had written. They were entries about how sorry his father was for having made the stupid agreement with the Hardings. And for having to have her family move before she’d had a chance to give her valedictorian speech. And for the death of her parents. And for the fact that she’d had to become Phillip’s mother and raise him by herself.

As Max continued to read his father’s entries, he realized his father was trying to apologize to both him and Liz for having interfered with their lives.

Phillip’s final entry read: “When Max tells you everything, Liz, please don’t blame him. He did not know anything about the arrangements with your family until today. He truly loves you with every fiber of his being. In truth, I think he has ever since he met you in high school. But it was his father’s stupidity and concern for keeping up appearances that prevented him from exploring the seeds of love he had for you all those years ago. Don’t let the stupidity of his father destroy the love the two of you have finally found with each other. If you need to be angry, be angry with me. I’m the one who deserves it.

“I know you may not believe this, but I’ve come to love you as my own daughter over the last several years. I’m so proud of you for all the responsibilities you’ve shouldered. And I’ll always be grateful that you’ve cared for my grandson so selflessly during all this time. I hope so much, even after learning about my secrets, that you’ll find it in your heart to forgive a stupid old man for his stupid ideas in the past, and not hold it against his son, who loves you with all his heart, mind, and soul.”

Max was overwhelmed with his father’s honesty. He only hoped Liz would, in fact, be able to forgive his family for the terrible injustices she’d had to bear over the years. He also realized that, if Liz couldn’t forgive his family, it was likely he’d never see his son again. Even though he now knew that Phillip was his son, he knew he’d never be able to take him away from Liz, because Phillip only knew Liz as his mother. He didn’t know Max as his father. As much as Max hoped that Liz would forgive him and his family, he prepared himself for the possibility that she would not. But he was willing to live with the consequences. Liz did not deserve to have her life destroyed even further because of his father’s long-held secrets. Now he had to find a way to break the news to her as gently as possible, hoping and praying that in the end, Liz would still consent to be his wife.

tbc

Hi, Everyone:

I'm so happy to see that so many are enjoying the story.

In answer to some who can't imagine that Max would have put up with Tess for so long, or possibly never been able to see how mean she was, I'm sure most of us can think of people we've known in the past who we thought were really good people. Later, we found out they'd been living a double life, and we can't believe we were so easily taken in by them.

For that matter, people like that have even been in the news in recent years who were thought to be really good people, and ended up killing their spouses. No one up until that time would have ever imagined the spouse could have done such a thing. But somehow the person was really able to put on a good show for everyone for quite a long time.

And keep in mind that Max was initially trying to abide by his father's pre-arrangement with the Hardings.

I've posted two parts together here because I feel they're pretty closely tied together. Hope you enjoy them. Let me know what you think.

After these two parts, there will probably only be one or two more parts remaining.

Thanks again for all your feedback. Look forward to hearing whatever else you have to say.

Meanwhile, here goes:


Part 15

Liz and Phillip had been waiting for Max to show up for several hours now. She knew Max was going to see his father before coming by, but she couldn’t imagine that their meeting would have taken this long. Just as she was deciding to call Max’s father to see if he was still there, Max finally showed up.

“Max, finally. I was beginning to worry about you,” she said, as she went to kiss and hug her fiancé. As she did so, though, Max seemed preoccupied.

“Max, what’s wrong?”

“Liz, I have something to show you. But before I do, I want you to remember this. “I love you with all my heart. Please, don’t ever forget that.”

“Max, you’re scaring me. What is it?”

Without saying another word, he handed her the journal.

She immediately recognized it and asked, “Have you had this all these years?”

“No. I only found out about it today.”

“Did you read it?”

“Yes.”

“How could you, Max? Those were my private thoughts. I’m so embarrassed.”

“Please don’t be. Because I felt the same way about you. I just was too young and immature to realize it at the time.”

As Max was speaking, Liz was flipping through to the back of the journal, and realized there was writing in it that was not hers. “Whose writing is this?”

“It’s my father’s writing. He’s the one who found the journal all those years ago. But before you read what he wrote, I need to tell you a story, and I need you to tell me how the story is going to end.”

“What are you talking about?”

And with that, Max began to tell Liz the story his father had relayed to him only that morning. He only got as far as the part that her mother wasn’t really pregnant with Phillip. She immediately put the point about adoption together with this revelation. Max could see the wheels turning because the look on her face froze into that of sheer shock.

“But that – that can’t be. That would mean that – that – that Phillip – that you – that he”-

Max could tell she was devastated at this revelation. It broke his heart to see that look on her face. He tried to comfort her the only way he knew how. He went to reach for her and pull her into his arms.

“No, don’t touch me,” she said, shirking off his embrace. “You planned this with your father. You’ve been planning this all along. What? Were you going to marry me just so you could get custody of Phillip? Things never change, do they? I was the butt of everyone’s jokes, and once again, I’m getting the short end of the stick. Well, for once in my life, I won’t do it, Max. I’m not going to take this lying down. I will fight you with everything I have before I’ll let you take Phillip away from me,” she was screaming.

It hurt Max deeply that Liz would think he’d try to hurt her this way. But he had to remind himself of what he’d just learned in her journal about Tess’s treatment of her in the past. Now he was more certain than ever that he would not even attempt to make any claim to Phillip. She shouldn’t have to pay for his immature, stupid decisions in the past. He ached to know that he was still not going to have his son in his life. But he was grateful to know his son would be well taken care of and loved.

“You won’t have to fight me, Liz. I won’t try to take Phillip away from you,” he softly said.

“You – you won’t?” she softly spoke.

He was afraid to say too much, for fear she’d once again look at him as the enemy.

“I can’t marry you now, Max. I feel like I’ve been used. Do you understand?” she asked.

Regretfully, he said, “Yes, I do. I want you to know it’s not true, but with all that’s just been dumped on you, I don’t blame you for not believing me. I don’t think I’d believe me either, if I were in your shoes.” He paused for a moment, trying to decide where to go from here. Finally, he decided nothing would be accomplished by trying to force her to see things his way. Instead, he said, “I’m going to leave right now. But please, Liz, remember what I said before I began the story.” Without saying another word, Max left.

After Max left, Phillip came bounding in and saw Liz crying. “Mommy, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Trying to wipe her tears so that Phillip wouldn’t worry, she said, “Yes, sweetie, I’m okay. You know what? I think you and I should take a little trip. What do you say?”

“Is Max coming too?”

At hearing Max’s name, Liz almost lost it right then. Fighting back the grief she was feeling, she said, “No, sweetie, not this time. It’s just you and me, if that’s okay.”

“I guess so.”

Liz could hear the disappointment in his voice, and she felt bad that she was keeping Phillip from his real father. But her grief over the possibility of losing him herself was too overwhelming for her to worry about that point right now. She was so consumed with getting away that she forgot to even contact her best friend, Maria, to let her know she was leaving.
*****
After leaving Liz’s house, Max dejectedly returned to his own home. This day had not turned out at all to be the happy day he’d expected earlier. Not only had he learned about his son and lost him a second time, but he’d also lost the second best thing that had ever happened to him, Liz’s love. He became progressively more devastated as he relived visiting with his dad and then going to Liz’s. Within a matter of moments, he broke down and cried so intensely that he went into convulsions.

Max was in the middle of experiencing such deep sorrow that he didn’t hear his father enter the house. It broke Phillip’s heart to see what Max was going through, and he knew in the end, it was all his fault, because of his own foolish pride. It was obvious Liz had not taken the news well at all. And somehow Phillip discerned that Max would not be willing to take little Phillip from Liz. Phillip stood silently by for several minutes, watching his son grieve.

Finally, he couldn’t bear it any longer and approached Max.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” Max asked, in between sobs.

“Son, do you love Liz?”

“Of course, I do. With all my heart.”

“Then make Liz understand that.”

“I can’t, Dad. She won’t listen.”

“Then make her listen. Don’t give up on your love now. You’ve both come too far and lost too much already to allow yourselves to lose each other now.”

“But I really don’t think she’ll be there, Dad. The way she acted, I honestly think she’s left the area.”

“Well, is there a special place you can think of that she might go?”

“I don’t know. I can’t think of anywhere.”

“Well, what about that Maria girl? Would she know?”

“She might. Maria’s her best friend.”

With that thought in mind, Max went to track Maria down, hoping against hope that Maria might be able to help him out.

Part 16

Liz had been gone a week now. She had brought her journal with her, wanting to read Phillip’s words in it, but she hadn’t been able to think clearly for the first few days. It was still too painful, remembering what she’d learned from Max about little Phillip. As she watched Phillip playing, she marveled that she’d never seen the resemblance before. But as she looked at him carefully now, she realized there was no doubt that Phillip was, indeed, Max’s son. She found herself grateful that Phillip did not seem to have any resemblance whatsoever to Tess. More importantly, she was grateful that he had not begun showing any signs of her vindictive nature.

As much as Liz had come to love Phillip as though he were her own son over the years, she found herself feeling sorry for Max. She remembered back to Max telling her how he’d felt when he’d had to give Phillip up for adoption, never having had a chance to get to even hold him. As she once again glanced over to Phillip, she began feeling a twinge of guilt that she’d run off with Phillip. Of course, intellectually, she knew she had the right. She had, after all, adopted Phillip after her parents died, and taken care of him the last few years. But no matter how much she tried to rationalize the situation, she still felt bad for Max.

As Liz’s thoughts continued about Max, she had a sudden rush of memories of him, starting from that first day in her office just a few months earlier. As one thought led to another, she inevitably got to the one where he’d first kissed her, and each kiss after that. Then she remembered Maria telling her how she knew Max had felt about her in school. Then, all over again, she became angry because of feeling betrayed and used by Max and his father. At the thought of Max’s father, Liz once again remembered the journal. She decided she’d put off reading it long enough. She couldn’t imagine what would make a father do what Max’s father had done to him. She finally decided that maybe the only way she’d ever understand would be to read his father’s own words. So she slowly began to read his entries.

Liz read every entry Phillip Evans had written, but it was the last one that reached her heart: “When Max tells you everything, Liz, please don’t blame him. He did not know anything about these arrangements until today. He truly loves you with every fiber of his being. In truth, I think he has ever since he met you in high school. But it was his father’s stupidity and concern for keeping up appearances that prevented him from exploring the seeds of love he had for you all those years ago. Don’t let the stupidity of his father destroy the love the two of you have finally found with each other. If you need to be angry, be angry with me. I’m the one who deserves it.

“I know you may not believe this, but I’ve come to love you as my own daughter over the last several years. I’m so proud of you for all the responsibilities you’ve shouldered. And I’ll always be grateful that you’ve cared for my grandson so selflessly during all this time. I hope so much, even after learning about my secrets, that you’ll find it in your heart to forgive a stupid old man for his stupid ideas in the past, and not hold it against his son, who loves you with all his heart, mind, and soul.”

When Liz finished reading it, she once again reflected on the many sweet, intimate moments she’d shared with Max recently; and for the first time since the previous week, she once again believed Max really did love her. As she sat on the lounge chair, hugging the journal to her breast, while tears silently rolled down her cheeks, her cell phone rang. She looked at the number, answered the phone, and said, “Hi, Maria.”

“Oh, Chica, I’m so glad I got you. I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry for what, Maria? What’s wrong?”

“Well, nothing’s wrong exactly. But…I just thought you should know that Max is on his way to see you. I’m so sorry, Chica. I tried so hard to keep it secret where Max might find you, especially since you never told me where you were going, but he looked so sad and lost. I couldn’t bear to see him that way. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Liz paused for a moment before finally responding. “Thanks for telling me, Maria. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.” And before Maria had a chance to ask any questions, Liz had hung up.

Liz felt her body hum with excitement at the prospect of seeing Max again. But even as she thought about that, she once again glanced over at little Phillip, and she realized she needed to prepare Phillip for Max’s visit.

“Phillip, could you come over here, sweetie.”

“Yes, Mommy,” he said, walking up to her with a book in his hand.

“Phillip, honey, I want to tell you a story.”

So Phillip began to hand the book to her. “No, honey, I’m not going to read you a story; I’m going to tell you a story.”

“What’s it about, Mommy?”

“It’s about a little boy, just about your age, whose daddy couldn’t take care of him when he was born. So he made sure that someone else took care of him.”

“Why couldn’t he take care of him?”

“Because he was still very young himself, and he didn’t have a job; and he didn’t have a house to live in.”

“Did the daddy love his son?”

“He loved him very, very much. It made him very sad that he couldn’t take care of his son.”

“Did he ever visit his son?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because he didn’t know where his son was. You see, the people that took care of his little boy adopted him. And the daddy didn’t know where they lived. But one day the daddy was visiting a woman who had a son, and that son reminded him so much of his son. It made him feel really sad, because he missed his son so much. As he got to know the woman and her son better, he decided he wanted to marry the woman and adopt her little boy, so he could be the little boy’s father. But then the man’s father told him a story. And you know what he found out?”

“Huh-uh.”

“He found out that the woman’s son was his real son.”

“But what happened to the little boy’s real mommy?”

“Well, his real mommy wasn’t a very nice person. The man’s daddy was trying to protect the little boy from his mommy. So the man’s daddy made sure that the little boy would have another mommy that would love him and take care of him and treat him as if he were her own son.”

Before Liz could continue the story, Phillip asked, “Is Max my real daddy?”

Tears began rolling down Liz’s cheeks. So all she could do was nod her head.

“Do you love me, Mommy?”

“Very, very much, sweetie,” Liz choked out, as she wrapped her arms around Phillip.

“It’s okay, then.”

“What’s okay?”

“That you’re not my real mommy. ‘Cause I don’t know my real mommy. Will you still be my mommy, though?”

Once again, Liz began crying. So for several seconds she couldn’t speak. Finally, she choked out, “Is it okay with you if I am?”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” he said, wrapping his arms around Liz. Then he pulled away from Liz and asked, “Does Max love me, Mommy?”

“He loves you so very much, sweetie.”

“Then why doesn’t he want to see me?” he asked, with tears now beginning to form in his eyes.

Liz pulled him into her arms. “I’m sorry, sweetie. It’s my fault Max hasn’t been to see you. I didn’t tell him where we were. So he didn’t know where to find you. But you know what? Auntie Maria just called me and told me that Max is on his way to see you.”

“Really?” Phillip exclaimed.

“Really, sweetie.”

“Mommy?”

“Yeah, sweetie?”

“Are you still gonna marry Max?”

“I don’t know. Max might be mad at me. So he might not want to marry me now.”

“Max – I mean Daddy won’t be mad at you, Mommy. He’s just sad.”

“Sad? Why would he be sad?”

‘Cause he missed his son and he missed you. He loves you, Mommy.”

Once again, Liz marveled at this wonderful little boy she’d had the privilege to care for in the last few years.

As Liz was hugging Phillip, there was a knock at the door. “Do you want to answer the door, Phillip?”

“Can I, Mommy?”

“Sure, sweetie. I’ll wait for you back here. You come back to me whenever you’re ready. Okay?”

“Okay, Mommy. I love you,” he said, giving her one more hug before he went to answer the door.

Max was anxiously standing at the door, wondering if Liz would just leave him standing there, never bothering to answer. He stood there for several seconds, becoming more and more dejected with each passing second. But just as he was turning to walk away, the door slowly opened. He expected to see Liz standing there. Instead, there stood his son. Before he could even think what to say, Phillip beat him to it.

“Hi, Daddy.”
tbc

HI, Everyone:

I'm deeply gratified to know so many of you have enjoyed my story. I had planned on two more parts. What I'm posting now could have been made into two parts, but I decided to just keep it as one. For many of you, the end may seem a little mushy and unlikely for today's critical, unforgiving world. But I think we have enough sadness and bitterness in the world. So I've chosen not to have our 'dreamer' characters not have to continue suffering in their quest to find their destiny. It may not be ending the way most of you feel it should, but this is my take on how life needs to feel good from time to time for all of us. I hope each of you are finding a measure of joy and happiness in your lives as well.

Without further ado, here's the final part. Once again, please let me know what you think. I hope you like it.

Epilogue

“Hi, Daddy,” Phillip said, looking up at Max.

Max was so shocked to have Phillip call him that, that he was speechless. So Phillip reached up with his chubby little hand, grabbed hold of Max’s, pulled Max into the house, and closed the door.

After Phillip closed the door, he let go of Max’s hand and once again looked up at Max. “I love you, Daddy.”

Max was so overcome with emotion, he still couldn’t speak. But even as tears were streaming down his face, he picked Phillip up and hugged him tightly.

Finally, Phillip said, “You’re hurting me, Daddy.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, buddy. I didn’t mean to. I just wanted you to know I love you so much.” Finally, he set Phillip back down on the ground and bent down beside him. “How did you know I’m your daddy?”

“Mommy told me. I mean my Liz mommy told me.”

“She did, huh?”

“Yep.”

“How do you feel about that, buddy?”

“Good. ‘Cause now I have a mommy and a daddy, like all the other kids.” Then Phillip had a question of his own. “Are you still gonna marry my mommy?”

“I don’t know, buddy. Your mom’s probably still pretty mad at me. So we kind of need to talk before we make any big decisions. Where is your mom?”

Without uttering a word, Phillip once again grabbed hold of Max’s hand and dragged him to the back of the house. He didn’t let go until Max and Phillip were standing right in front of where Liz was sitting.

Neither adult really knew what to say. So they didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. Phillip sat, watching both adults. When neither seemed to make a move, Phillip took over. He grabbed Max’s hand and pulled him until he was standing right next to where Liz was sitting.

“Sit down, Daddy.”

Obediently, Max sat down, still holding Phillip’s hand. “Now kiss Mommy.”

“Phillip, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

“My friend at school told me when her mommy and daddy get mad at each other, they kiss and make up, and say they’re sorry. So kiss mommy and tell her you’re sorry,” Phillip innocently advised.

“Okay, buddy, if you think it’ll help.” Without having to be told twice, Max cautiously leaned toward Liz and kissed her soft, sensuous lips. Before he could savor the feeling, Phillip spoke again.

“Now tell her you’re sorry.”

Without looking away from Liz, he said, “I’m sorry, Liz, for what happened.”

As Max was speaking, Liz couldn’t help but see the sincerity in his eyes. She slowly raised her hand to his cheek, touching it tenderly, and said, “I’m sorry too, Max.”

Suddenly forgetting that Phillip was in the room, Max again leaned toward Liz, with Liz following his lead, and once again he kissed her. But this time Liz eagerly responded to his kiss. They continued kissing, with each kiss becoming more urgent than the last. Just when Max was going to devour her mouth, he heard, “Mommy, you’re not mad at Max, no more, are you?”

Both adults suddenly blushed brightly, remembering once again that Phillip was in the same room with them. They both leaned their foreheads on each other as Liz said, “No, I’m not mad anymore, Phillip,” all the while staring into those beautiful amber eyes that were staring back at her.

“Can we eat, then? I’m starved.”

Both adults chuckled and gave each other one last slow kiss before Max responded. “Okay, buddy. I want to make dinner for you and your mom. Can you show me where the kitchen is?”

Without a word, Phillip grabbed hold of Max’s hand and led the way.
*****
After dinner, Phillip went and played in another room while Liz and Max sat and began talking. “Liz, I” –

“Max, I” –

They’d both begun to speak. “I’m sorry. You go first,” Max said.

“No, you go first.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“I can only imagine how hard it was for you to have my father’s bomb dropped on you. And I just want you to know I’d never do anything to take Phillip away from you. So if you’ve changed your mind about marrying me, I’ll understand. Just tell me you have, and I’ll walk out of your life and never bother you again. But if there’s any chance that we could” –

But before Max could finish his sentence, Liz had grabbed hold of Max’s shirt and pulled him toward her, planting the most passionate kiss on him they’d shared up to that point. Finally, after several seconds, they pulled apart, both needing air. “Does that mean” –

“Yes, Max, I still want to marry you.”

“Is there anyone I should ask for your hand?”

“How about our little Phillip?”

“‘Our little Phillip’? Liz, you know I’ll always be grateful for what you’ve done” –

“Please, Max, don’t say what you’re about to say, at least not now. Maybe later, when I’ve had a chance to get used to this whole situation. But right now, it’s just too much too think about it.”

“Whatever you say, Liz,” Max said in that sexy husky voice of his, before he captured her lips with his own. A few minutes later, after once again having to come up for air, he said, “I want to marry you right now, Liz. It’s torture kissing you like this. I want you right now.”

“Well, let’s go to the justice of the peace in town.”

“But what about a wedding? Don’t you want that?”

“After all that’s happened in the last few weeks, a wedding has somehow lost its appeal. Besides, I want you just as much, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.”

Without saying another word, Max grabbed Liz, went and got Phillip, and drove them over to the justice of the peace. He’d already closed his office for the day. But as he looked at the young couple, with the little boy standing close by, he could sense an urgency in their desire to be married. So he happily obliged them. It always made him happy to marry young couples like this who were so obviously in love. He couldn’t help but think how much the little boy resembled both his mother and his father.
*****
(Back at the house)

Liz listened quietly at the door as Max for the first time in his life tucked his son in to bed. It brought tears to her eyes to see how emotional it made Max feel to have this privilege. As much as she wanted to continue watching them, she also wanted to prepare herself for what would be her first intimate experience. It was all the more special to her because she’d be experiencing it with Max. Of course, she knew it wasn’t Max’s first time, and part of her worried that Max would be disappointed.

As Liz sat on the bed in her nightgown, deep in thought about the situation, Max sat next to her and began planting gentle kisses down her neck and to her shoulders, beginning to undress her as he did so. Liz forgot her fears and followed his lead, reveling in the sensations Max was eliciting in her. Before she realized it, Max was filling her body with his own, each in ecstasy at the experience, each nipping and kissing the other, overjoyed that they were now able to find release in each other.

As Max lay above Liz, all the while taking care not to crush her petite body, but loving her tenderly, the bedroom door opened. “Mommy, I’m thirsty.”

Max and Liz froze in their positions, neither having thought to lock the door. “Honey, go back to bed. I’ll get you some water in a little while,” Liz choked out.

“Mommy, are you and Max making a baby?” Phillip asked.

Once again, both adults froze, not knowing quite how to answer that question, especially at this very moment. Before they could respond, he continued, “Aunt Maria said babies are made when mommies and daddies kiss the way you and daddy kiss. But it’s different from a ‘kiss and makeup’ kiss. And you sure have been kissing Max – I mean Daddy a lot lately. So I think you are.”

“How would you feel if we were making a baby, Phillip?” Max chokingly asked.

“I’d like to have a baby brother or a baby sister. Then I’d have someone to play with.”

“Well, in that case, I need to kiss your mom a lot more. It takes a lot of kisses to make a baby,” Max once again choked out.

“Okay. I’m goin’ back to bed. I don’t need any water anymore, Mommy.”

It was all Liz could do to say, “Okay, sweetie,” and even that came out in a choked voice.

As soon as they heard the door close, they both groaned out each other’s names, both simultaneously saying, “I love you so much.”

Moments later, they’d found completion and then lay next to each other, holding one another tenderly. Neither spoke for a few minutes, but then Max started chuckling.

“What are you thinking, Max?”

“I know this is going to sound terrible, but having Phillip ask if we were making a baby turned me on even more.”

“Max, that does sound terrible,” Liz said, not believing what she was hearing.

“What I mean is, I wasn’t thinking of babies when we – you know. But somehow, the thought of making a baby with you got me all excited. It wasn’t that Phillip was in the room; it was that I suddenly got a picture in my head of a little Lizzie running around the house, and that thought excited me. So if you don’t mind, I’d like to do a lot more ‘kissing’ so we can make that baby we were telling Phillip about,” Max said, snuggling closer to Liz and beginning to caress her all over again.

“Well, when you put it that way….”

(Nine months later)

“She’s beautiful, Liz, just like her mother,” Max said, tenderly holding his newborn baby girl.

Just at that moment, Maria brought Phillip into the room. “Would you like to see your new sister, little man?” Max asked.

“She’s pretty, just like Mommy,” Phillip said, touching her little fingers. “She’s so tiny.”

“Yes, she is. She’s going to need a big brother to protect her. Do you think you can do that?”

“Yes, Daddy, I’ll protect her.”

“Okay, little man. Why don’t you go wait in the waiting room with Maria. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Is Mommy coming too?”

“She needs to rest for a little while first.”

“Okay.”

After Phillip had left, Liz put her hand on Max’s. Once again, they both spoke simultaneously and said, “I love you so much.” Then Max bent down and tenderly kissed Liz.

“You know, if Phillip had seen us kissing, he’d think we were trying to make another baby,” Liz chuckled.

“Well, as soon as you’re ready. But we’ll have to make sure the door’s locked the next time,” Max said, as he began making subtle gestures of desire at his beautiful wife.

Just at that moment, Max’s father came into the room. “How is my favorite daughter-in-law doing after giving birth to my first beautiful little granddaughter?” he beamed with pride.

Over the last several months, Liz and Max and Phillip had had many opportunities to express shame, regret, and forgiveness for wrongs committed. And Liz had decided from the start to not dwell on the past any longer. She was too happy with how her life was now to waste her time moaning about a past that could not be changed, and was better left in the past. Now, all she wanted was to make the most of the wonderful family she and Max had in each other and the relationship she’d been building with his father.

“I’m fine, Dad,” she said, kissing his cheek as he bent down to kiss her forehead.

As they were hugging one another, they heard, “Hold that pose,” as Max’s mom, Diane, came in with her camera. “This will be the first picture of the baby’s album. By the way, have you decided what to call her, my Dear?” she asked Liz.

“I’d like to call her Anne, my mom’s middle name.”

“I think that’s fitting. Your mother was a great woman,” Diane said, leaving her statement at that.

“Come on, Phillip. Let’s leave the children alone for a while and take little Phillip to get something to eat.”

“Yes, Dear,” was all Phillip said, lightly kissing Liz’s cheek one more time before following his wife.

Once they’d left, Max took Liz’s hand tenderly in his own and gently kissed it. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth,” he quietly said.

“I feel the same way,” Liz said, sighing in contentment.

As they were quietly enjoying one another’s company, the door again opened, with Max’s father popping his head in once again.

“I forgot I had a little gift I wanted to give to you. I hope you like it.” Before Liz had a chance to respond, he quickly left the room.

“What is it, sweetie?” Max asked.

“I don’t know. Let’s find out,” she said, ripping the paper off the package.

Inside was what appeared to be a journal. But Liz was certain it wasn’t one of hers. This one was brand new. She open to the first page, thinking to just flip through it, when she noticed words written at the very beginning.

“It looks like your dad wrote an inscription or something.”

“What does it say?”

So Liz went on to read Phillip’s words:

“My Dear ‘Daughter’ Liz:

I’ll be forever grateful for the joy you’ve brought my son, and his mother and me in turn. And although it was wrong of me to read your personal thoughts, I’ll never be sorry. It was your youthful, but wise, words that helped an old man see his family and the world in a completely different light, the kind of light that’s brightened our lives ever since.

“I hope you’ll share your innermost thoughts with our granddaughter and teach her to be the loving, caring, gentle soul that I’ve come to treasure in my son’s beautiful wife. And maybe one day, she’ll express her thoughts to the love of her life as well, and continue to keep that beautiful light flaming for all to see.”

Liz laid the journal down on her chest, too choked up to say a word.

Max leaned in, gently wiping the tears from her face. “He’s right, you know. You really have brightened our lives. If you don’t mind, I’d like to share my thoughts in there as well. I think it would be a good way to teach our children not to be afraid of their feelings for others, as well as that it’s okay express them.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Liz responded, with a voice filled with contentment.
“I think we should get started right away, then,” Max said, “right after I kiss my beautiful wife, that is,” as he leaned in once again to kiss Liz, this time doing so passionately, reminding her of just how much in love he was.

Both young lovers were so focused on expressing their love to one another that they hadn’t seen the door quietly open. As they were kissing, it quietly closed once again. ‘I’ll always feel guilty for what I put my son through, but at least now I finally feel I did right by my son,’ Phillip thought, as he quietly went to find his wife, who was busy enjoying the benefits of ‘the right’ Phillip had finally done for his family.

The End.
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