“I want you both to know that I am extremely confident this house can be sold because it’s simply beautiful. How quickly do you need for it to be sold?” LeAnn Patrick asked as she, Max and Isabel were taking a tour of the house. “My goodness, there is so much potential.”
“You can take your time. There is no deadline. But my sister and I are leaving today for Texas. So, you’ll have to call me, if it does sell and we can arrange the signing of any relevant documents.” Max said as he exchanged looks with Isabel who was watching her brother’s composure hold up as they walked all the rooms. He still slept in the spare room as he was still unable to go into the master bedroom.
“My, my, my, you don’t waste time. Are you leaving already?” LeAnn asked Max.
“It’s just with the recent death of my wife; I have nothing that holds me here any longer. And my sister and I want to start off some place doesn’t hold so many memories. Good or bad,” Max said with a sigh. “It’s time to move on.”
“Very well Mr. Evans,” LeAnn said as she had the Max sign preliminary contract. “I have to type this up; can you come by the office before you leave?”
“Sure,” Isabel said. “We’ll be leaving this afternoon. So, we can drop by on the way out of town.”
LeAnn nodded and left the house.
“I don’t think I’ll miss this place Izzie,” Max said as they walked into the kitchen and looked through the room. “Pam is all over this place.”
“I know,” Isabel said. “I have to go out and do some errands. Why don’t you finish packing and we can pack up after lunch and leave? Okay?”
Max nodded and walked up the stairs. Picking up her purse, she took out her cell phone and walked out of the house as she punches a message into the text message function. “Valenti. Call me back. You know the number. Cell phone only” she turned her phone off and left to do her errands.
*****
Kyle was heading home when he looked checked his cell phone and saw that there was a message waiting. He had turned it off because he was in class. Checking the text message, he saw that it was Isabel.
Dialing his cell phone, he went into his office and sat down at his desk. “Valenti here,” Kyle said. “Make it quick. I am on a lunch break.”
“Give it up Valenti,” Isabel said from her phone. “I know you have the afternoon off.”
“I should never have told you my schedule,” Kyle laughed as he heard Isabel’s voice as it was refreshing after so many years of not talking. “So, what is the problem?”
“I just wanted to tell you that we are ready to leave!” Isabel said. “We’re heading towards Austin. It should take a few days since we’re driving and there is no real rush. But we should be your way by the weekend if everything works out” Isabel sighed as she walked towards the car. “How is it there, temperature wise?” Isabel asked in code.
“You’re coming to Austin?” Kyle asked, shocked that Max and Isabel would be heading their way as it totally made the situation between Max and Liz and what each didn’t know even more head-ache inducing. “Did you tell Max what was happening here?”
“No. He doesn’t know about Evan showing up,” Isabel said thinking of her nephew. She wondered what he looked like, his temperament.
Was he like Max at all? “Max has this urge to get out of here and leave our home so he’s putting his house up for sale. Instead of flying or any other mode of transportation, he wants to drive and take his time. I was the one to suggest Texas and he’s agreed, of course not knowing what may be at the end of the journey.”
“Are you going to tell him?” Kyle asked.
“Eventually, before we arrive, yeah, sure. But you told Liz. How is she? How is Evan? How is everyone?” Isabel asked, suddenly wanting to know everything and yet unsure whether she’ll like the answers or whether she would get them.
A bit uncertain about whether to spill about the twins at this point, he simply said “Life is hectic. We have put Evan into school. Although we think Tess wiped Evan’s memory of his time with her, so we don’t know a lot of his last few years...”
“That bitch!” Isabel spat “How could she do that, to her own son?”
“You ever find the answer to that, tell us. We’ll love to know.” Kyle said. “The rest of us gang is dealing with everyday frustrations as we are all working. Michael and Maria are married, and they are raising their kids.”
“They are?” Isabel asked shocked to her very core of the momentous movement in Michael’s life since she and Max were away, and they had missed it all. “Wow, marriage…. you mean to tell me Michael… is a father?”
“Yes, it is a shock every day to see it in action,” Kyle laughed. They have two girls. Their eldest is Michelle, and then they also have Amelia Elizabeth who is just over a year younger,” Kyle smiled. “He’s seems to be relishing the time and the family he has with Maria and the girls, so it’s been amusing to watch.”
“Liz?” Isabel asked still in stunned silence at how far Michael had progressed since his days in Roswell. She figured he would never settle down with a wife and kids, due to his emotional baggage he carried due to his childhood with Hank. “What about Liz?” she asked as suddenly there was crackle in the phone line, and it went blank.
“Um, Isabel….” he said but then there was silence on the line and he had to ask, “Isabel are you still there?” but she said nothing to him and he realized the line had gone dead, as he cursed to the gods.
“Damn, we were cut off.” He cursed to himself and then was struck by horror
Oh my god. They are coming to Texas and they have no knowledge of the twins!
*******
Liz was doing some work for a company in town at home. Crunching their accounts and calculating everything they needed when she heard a voice, “Liz?”
Turning, she saw Evan coming into the room that was her office at home. She tried to do all her work that was necessary at home. Occasionally she would have to go the office, for meetings. But she tried to stay home for the kids if they needed her. Evan hadn’t been feeling that good that morning, so she sent the other kids to school and allowed the boy to stay with her. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” Evan said with a quiet smile. In the time that Evan had been in the household, she noticed he took after Tess in looks but Max in demeanor. He was a sensitive kid. Shy almost. Not one to be out-going until he truly knew the person and was comfortable. Father like son. And in that case, Liz couldn’t take out her hatred for Tess on Evan. He was too precious.
“I am glad. Do you want to watch some television?” Liz asked. “I am about finished with the work I am doing.”
“You know my mother and father, don’t you?” Evan asked as he looked up at Liz. “That is why my Mom left me here.”
“Yes, I do know them; we have quite a past together.” Liz said being honest but not too honest. “Why honey.”
“Because I wonder where my father is?” Evan asked, and a silent doom came over Liz as she heard him mention his dad. “Do you know where he is?”
“Yes, I do,” Liz lied.
“Why isn’t he here?” Evan asked. “Why did my Mom leave me here if my father isn’t here?” he asked. It was something on his mind since he was dropped off.
“Um sweetheart,” Liz stammered as she tried to think of a plausible explanation to give to the boy and nothing was coming to her
Damn it!
“It’s alright; I don’t want to get in your way. If you don’t want to answer, it’s fine. Just with my mom dead, I have no one.” Evan said sadly and was preparing to walk away.
Liz was going to say it was alright, but she whipped around when she heard the mention of Tess being dead. “What do you mean your mother being dead?”
“I think she’s dead,” Evan said quietly as the front door blasted open and the rest of the kids rushed into the house, home from school. “I had this feeling in my heart yesterday. She told me I would know if anything happened to her,” he sighed.
“Oh dear,” Liz said as she took Evan into her arms for a hug.
If Evan is right and Tess is dead. It’s a whole new ballgame. What does that mean for the rest of us?
“Let’s go out and have lunch with the other kids. It had been a half day for the schools in their neighborhood which is why she didn’t hesitate to hold Evan home because she knew from experience, hardly anything happened on half days. “It may look odd, but you are never alone. Regardless of what might have happened with your mother. You have me, you have Emma and Parker. And you have Michael and Maria and their kids. That is hardly being alone. One day you will know your father.”
******
“Really?” Parker asked Kyle as they sat down for their lunch was finished. “Can we?” he asked again.
“Sure,” Kyle said having suggested a game of baseball. “The girls can come with us. Maria and Liz, you’ll free to join us.”
“Nah,” Maria said. “I am out of this one.”
“Me to,” Liz said with a smile. But go ahead, go down to the park. Evan, do you want to go with them? I think Parker could use a boy on his side since he’s outranked by three females.
“Can I?” Evan asked.
“Sure, go ahead.” Liz said as he encouraged the boy to feel more at home. And she smiled while she saw that Evan looked happy at the idea of going to park with the other kids. “Now Kyle remember please be back before it turns dark and don’t be too aggressive or competitive.”
“Yes Ma’am,” Kyle saluted Liz and they all burst out laughing and before long Kyle was using Liz’s car to take the kids to the park to play baseball.
Liz looked on as the car slid out of the driveway; she turned and ran smack dab into Maria’s smiling face. “What?”
“You’re falling for that kid, aren’t you?” Maria
“Come on now Maria,” Liz said.
“I am serious Liz. We all can see it. You’re falling for that cute kid. Is it the Max factor? He may look like Isabel and Tess. But he has Max’s personality,” Maria asked as they walked into the kitchen to clean up the dishes from the kids’ lunch.
“No Maria it really isn’t. Max has nothing to do with it,” Liz said but looking at Maria’s face, she knew her best friend didn’t buy it one bit either. “Okay a little. But Evan is adorable in his own right. He deserves a chance and I am not prepared to turn him out. As I have said before, it shouldn’t be a case of the sins of the mother being visited on the kid. He deserves a chance. Parker and Emma have an opportunity for a normal life, and Evan deserves that chance too.
“Oh yeah, you’ve fallen.” Maria said with a smile. “And what happens if Tess shows up?”
“She’s dead!” Liz blurted out and Maria’s smile turned into an instant frown and then shock.
“What are you talking about?” Maria asked.
“Evan says his mother is dead. And now we’ve believed it before, but I am inclined to believe it this time. There is a reason Tess left her son here. She hates me Maria; no way would she allow me any contact with Max’s son if she could help it.” Liz said. “I think Tess lied back in Roswell, she did have a connection to her son which is why she stole him from his adoptive family. And now, he knows that she’s gone.”
“Are you sure?” Maria asked.
“100% Sure, No,” Liz said. “But for now, I believe it and that is all I can do for now.” She said with a newfound determination. She may not have fully come to terms with the past, but she wasn’t going to take it out on an innocent kid and Evan wasn’t Tess, he was innocent in all this melodrama...
“Good for you,’ Maria said as the door opened, and Michael came in. “Hey, you’re home early.”
“I got Doug to finish the shift,” Michael said as he looked between his wife and Liz. “I thought we needed some time, given all the hectic chaos in our lives. So where are the kids?”
“Well Kyle took them to the park to play baseball.” Liz said. “I am sure you could go and catch up with them.”
“Nah, I don’t think I am in the mood for baseball right now.” Michael said. “So, what have you two been discussing?”
“Liz thinks Tess is dead!” Maria said bluntly. “She says Evan had this feeling that his mother is no longer in the land of living.”
“WHAT?” Michael asked as he looked at Liz with horror on his face. “What is going on Liz? What makes you think Tess is dead and buried?”
“She might not be buried. But Evan makes me think she’s dead within the last twenty-four hours. And if he’s right that his mother is gone, and therefore she’s probably not a threat anymore.
“I am making some calls,” Michael said as he immediately switched into his soldier persona. Liz and Maria only could shake their heads but allow him to feel like he could control what both was impossible, the unknown, so they allowed him to head to the office, to the phone.
“You know Maria,” Liz asked as they watched Michael scramble out of the kitchen in a hurry.
“What?” Maria asked.
“I have this feeling, that things will never be the same.” Liz said as she looked back at her best friend. “It is like we’ve opened this huge Pandora box, and nothing will be normal again.
“I think you’re right on the money!” Maria nodded with a sigh. “But then when have we been normal. We left normal when we were sixteen years old”
*****
“Are you satisfied with agreement?” LeAnn asked Max as they sat in her office and looked over the sale agreement on his house. “If so, sign where the x’s are.”
“Yes,” Max said as he signed his name. “Thank you for doing this for me, my wife loved that house. And it would be a shame if it wasn’t properly disposed of. So, thank you for taking the house for me, and if you do get any offers. Email me at this address, and I’ll arrange for you to fax the necessary papers to me. My sister and I don’t plan to arrive in Texas until the potentially the weekend, so I may not be able to accept any offers until the beginning of next week unless there is a worthy offer you think that is too good to wait on, and then by all means contact me.
“Very well,” LeAnn said taking papers and checking the signatures. “It’s a lovely house. I am sure it will go to a nice family, have a safe drive.”
“Thank you,” Max said as he got up from the chair and went out to the waiting room where Isabel sat. “Ready?”
“I’m ready!” Isabel nodded as she continued to wrestle with what to tell Max about what awaited them in Texas. How Liz was there. And they could be walking into a new alien battle. But she continued to walk with her brother and got into the car that was packed to the rafters. Max was taking the first shift in driving. “Are you?”
“I feel we’re going in the right direction Iz,” Max said. “I feel Texas is going to be our lucky state.”