Part 25 **************** Liz rummaged through the kitchen drawers, heaving a frustrated sigh each time she didn’t find what she was looking for. “Maria, what I am going to do?” She leaned against the kitchen counter dejectedly, her tears ready to brim over. “I can’t believe I lost my rings.” Maria stood next to her, letting Liz’s head rest on her shoulder. “Not lost. Misplaced. There’s still hope.” Liz swiped at her nose. “Misplaced is just a pretty word for lost.” She hiccupped as she spoke again. “I have to tell him, Maria. It’s been over a week. I can’t keep lying to him.” “Are you sure that’s such a good idea?” Liz nodded. “I should have told him when I first realized they were lost.” The sound of a car engine halting at the driveway caused both women to look towards the door. Liz gripped Maria’s hand tightly in hers. “Could you go and check on Leah?” “Sure, babe.” She rubbed Liz’s arm, trying to offer her as much comfort that she could, if any at all. Liz took a deep breath, steeling herself for Max’s reaction. She just knew how upset he was going to be. She just couldn’t believe that she had been so careless as to lose her rings. Her mind had been nothing but a train wreck since Leah had come home, but she knew that wasn’t an excuse. It had almost been a month since Leah had come home. She couldn’t keep using that excuse. The familiar thud of Max’s feet entering the house made Liz’s heartbeat speed up. “Anyone home?” Liz swallowed past the lump in her throat, cringing when she heard the way her voice cracked. “In here.” Max’s head appeared at the clearing of the kitchen, his face nothing but smiles. He made a beeline for Liz, wrapping his arms around her, as he peppered her with kisses. “Hey, gorgeous.” When Liz didn’t respond to him, instead just bursting into to tears, Max grew concerned. He pulled back, cupping Liz’s cheek, his heart breaking at the sight of her tears. “Liz? Honey, what’s wrong?” Liz bit her lip to keep from turning into Niagara Falls. “You’re gonna hate me,” she cried. Max’s hands came around her face, bringing her face mere inches from his. “Baby, you know that’s not true.” He gently kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose as a sign of reassurance. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he whispered. Liz felt herself melting against the sweetness of his voice and actions. It made everything that much worse knowing that he was being so kind to her. She pulled away from him slowly, holding out her left hand. “I’ve lost my rings,” she said hoarsely. Max was quiet, just nodding slowly. He took her hand, brushing a kiss on her finger that used to hold her rings. “Misplaced.” “What?” Max smiled slowly. “They’re just misplaced. I have faith that we will find them. Together.” Liz stepped away from him, shaking her head. “No. I don’t.....Max, I’ve been looking for them for a week...” Max moved to stand in front of her. “Have you retraced your steps?” Liz shook her head. “Ok, so do you remember the last time you had them?” “I had them on when the girls were over.” She walked to the sink, reenacting her steps. “I came in here to wash my hands, so I took the rings off, placing them here.” She ran her hand across the windowsill, before her eyes got wide when she looked down the drain. “You don’t think?” Max grinned, rolling up his sleeves. “They probably fell down the drain. Let me see.” Maria came down the stairs. “Lizzie, I think Leah is in need of her momma.” Liz waved Maria away as she peered over Max’s shoulder, trying to see if she could get a glimpse of her ring. “Maria, not now. Max and I think my rings fell down the drain.” “However great I think it is, that you guys have made progress, I highly doubt Leah is gonna be happy when she realizes that these things don’t have milk in them,” she laughed, as she pointed to her chest. Liz’s eyes widened with understanding, excusing herself to tend to Leah, leaving Max alone with Maria. Once she was gone, Max gave up his facade of looking for the rings, perching himself up on the counter. Maria looked at him incredulously, her arms crossing over her chest. “What do you think you’re doing? Liz has been agonizing over those rings and you’re just going to sit there?” Max held up his hand. “Maria, relax. I know where the rings are, and they’re not down that drain.” She raised her eyebrow at him. “And where are they?” “I have them,” he answered simply. Maria’s mouth dropped open as she began attacking Max with her flailing arms. “She’s been cryingg over those rings for a week, and you’ve had them all along. You jerk!” Max threw his arms over his head, stepping away from Maria’s attacks. He quickly dug into his pocket, revealing the rings. “Relax, would you? I had a good reason.” Maria stopped her attacks momentarily, taking the rings in her hands. She covered her mouth with her hand, as she eyed the rings. “Max, this is gorgeous.” Max smiled shyly. “I did it for our anniversary on Friday.” He pointed to the gold wedding band that now adorned two emeralds and diamonds surrounding it. “I asked them to put it in two emeralds, you know, one for each of the kid’s birthstones, and the diamonds are there because I can actually afford it.” He laughed. He took Liz’s engagement ring from Maria, turning it so that they could see the inside. “I had them engrave L.P + M.E. I actually wanted to do that when I bought the ring in high school, but I didn’t have the money back then.” “Max...that‘s the sweetest thing I‘ve ever heard.” Maria gave him a hug, then pulled back, smacking him across the chest. “That’s for making my girl almost have a heart attack.” Max laughed. “You’re not going to tell her, are you?” Maria shook her head. “Nah. If you went to all this trouble- Liz entered the room, holding Leah against her. “Any luck?” Max nodded, moving back towards the sink. “Yeah. I think I see it.” Liz let out a sigh of relief. “Do you think you can get it out?” Max paled at the thought of having to rip apart the his sink to get some nonexistent rings from it. “I can try?” Liz placed a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”