Part 26A *********************** Liz sighed heavily as she slipped into her dress. “I can’t believe that after taking the sink apart, you still couldn’t find them.” She reached behind her to pull up her zipper, but Max was behind her in an instant, his fingers halting the movement of hers. Liz tried to keep from visibly shivering at his closeness. Since Leah had come, she hadn’t let Max see her without any clothes on, much less do anything or than give each other sweet kisses. It had been a very long month of wanting Max, but being scared out of her mind at the thought that he wouldn’t like the new her. He never tried to do anything more with her, making her feel even more insecure that maybe he didn’t want her that way anymore. Leah’s birth had changed her body, and she wasn’t sure if it was for the better. “Let me do that.” His voice was a whisper in her ear, his breath tickling the nape of her neck. “Th-thanks.” She couldn’t quite keep herself from stuttering. She stepped away from him, needing to have a little space to be able to think straight. Having him not even a foot away, made her senses stand on edge, making her skin tingle, almost as if her skin was hypersensitive. Liz took a deep breath, realizing that it wasn’t doing her any good, considering she could smell his scent everywhere. Concerned, Max placed a hand on her shoulder. “Liz? Are you ok?” She bit her lip to keep from crying, her head bobbing up and down in response. “I am. It’s just I get so frustrated with myself, knowing that I lost my rings just before our anniversary.” A tear pooled at the corner of her eye, her lower lip trembling. She held out her left hand, her finger tracing the skin where the rings used to lie. “My hand kinda feels naked, now,” she half joked, half cried. Max felt his stomach churning, his heart twisting painfully in his chest as he watched Liz continue to torture herself with the thought that she had lost the rings, when in reality, he had deliberately taken them from under her nose. Crumbling at her tearful gaze, Max dug into his pocket, revealing a black velvet box. “I was saving this for later, but I can’t stand to see you cry.” He placed the box in her hand, swallowing nervously. Liz looked up at him curiously, her hand wiping at the wetness under her eyes. “What’s this?” He dug his hands in his pockets, his body swaying on his heels. “Just open it,” he urged. She gave him one last curious look, before snapping the top back on the box. “It was supposed to be my anniversary present for you,” he offered when she just stood there. Her voice was an inaudible whisper. “My rings.” She looked up at him, her expression unreadable. “What- He took a tentative step towards her, his finger delicately tracing the recent additions to the rings. “You see, I had them put in two emeralds, you know, one for each of the kids? They say that emeralds are the birthstone for the month of May.” He cleared his throat, his finger reaching up to loosen his tie. “And the diamonds, well, I just....well, I think they sort of compliment the kid’s stones.” Liz had yet to say anything, so Max continued. He reached for her engagement ring, turning it so that the light reflected off of the engraving. “I had them engrave L.P + M.E. .....I know it’s a little late to have them put that on now, considering you’ve been Mrs. Evans for five years.” He chuckled lightly. “Well, six, unofficially......I just, I’ve been wanting to do this for you, but I just, I didn’t have the money, and well now that I do, I thought that it would be a good opportunity, to you know- “So let me get this straight? I’ve been worrying myself sick, thinking that I had been so careless, as to lose both my engagement ring, and my wedding ring, when all of this time, you’ve had it.” Max nodded, cringing a little at the pitch of her voice. He knew she wasn’t finished, so he put off saying anything to defend himself. Liz placed a hand on her hip, something she only did when she was pissed. “And to add insult to injury, you lied to me. You let me think that I had lost them, and you make feel even dumber by taking apart the whole sink, when you knew for a fact that they weren’t even in there!” Max held up his hands in defense, but not able to get a word in. “And how could you even change my rings without asking me? Did it even occur to you that maybe I liked my rings the way they were?” Max flinched, his head held low as he extended his hands out for the rings. “I’m sorry....I didn’t think, I was, I was stupid.....I’ll take them back and have them restore them to the way they used to be.” Liz’s “angry” stance slackened as she watched Max’s body slump in dejection. Seeing him that way broke her resistance, knowing that she had overstepped the bounds of joking. Expecting to feel the coolness of the rings in his palm, Max looked up, startled to see Liz place her hand in his, her ring finger sporting the rings. She stepped up closer to him, her hand coming to rest on his cheek. “I’m sorry, Max. I was only kidding. I was just trying to get back at you for scaring me. When I realized that you had gotten the better of me, well, my stubbornness kicked in, and well, you know me, I‘m never one to go down without a fight.” She kissed the side of his jaw tenderly, her arms coming to wrap around his neck. “I love the rings, and I’m sorry I said all of those things. I didn’t mean them.” Max nodded slowly, still not sure if everything was ok. “Are you sure? Because I could always go back to the jewelry store and have them back the way they were.” Liz stepped away from him, holding her hand behind her back. “Max Evans, don’t you even dare think about taking these back. These are my rings, and I am not going to part with them again, you hear?” He laughed softly, rocking back on forth on the balls of his feet. “So we’re ok?” Liz linked their hands together, leading them to the door. “We’re better than ok. We’re fantabulous,” she grinned. “Fantabulous?” he smirked. Liz shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah. It’s Noah’s concoction of fantastic, and fabulous put together.” Max let out a sigh. “How come I miss out on all the fun stuff lately?” Liz bumped her hip against his. “Well, you’re on vacation now, and I’m going back to work soon, so the kids will probably think you’re momma instead of me,” she joked. “Is that an insult?” He pretended as if an arrow was shot through his heart. “I’ve always thought you were sexy as hell, when you wear that cute little apron and run around after the kids,” she winked as she ran towards the car. Max swallowed hard, trying to keep himself in check. Regardless of how much he was craving being intimate with Liz, he wasn’t going to push her if she wasn’t ready. He would let her come to him. Part 26B ******************** Liz looked up at Max, her face a mixture of joy and utter love. “Chez Pierre?” She asked, her voice tinged with wonder and awe. He grinned, shrugging his shoulders. “You like?” Liz bobbed her head up and down in response. “Oh, most definitely. We have been here since prom,” she reminisced dreamily. “That was one of the best nights of my life.” “Mine too.” He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it reverently. “Let’s make this another night to remember.” ********************* After being seated, and having ordered, Liz sat up in her seat, clearing her throat slightly. “Will you excuse me? I want to go to the ladies room and freshen up a little.” Max nodded, half standing, half sitting as she stood from the table. He knew he should be wondering why she was excusing herself to freshen up, when they had just arrived, but he refrained from questioning her because it gave him an opportunity to call Jeff and Nancy to see how the kids were. This was the first time he and Liz had spent the night away from the kids, and what with Leah having been born only a month ago, he couldn’t help but worry. He reached into his pocket, taking out his cell phone to dial Jeff and Nancy’s number. ********************* Liz walked swiftly to the ladies room, looking behind her to make sure that Max wasn’t following her with his eyes. It wasn’t that she wanted to be secretive, but she wanted a minute or two to call her mom and dad, to see how the kids were doing without her. She didn’t want to tell Max what she was doing because she didn’t want him to get upset because she worried so much. But she just couldn’t help it. For the past month, she and the kids had been inseparable. The little while that they had been separated was making her antsy. All she needed to hear was Noah’s sweet voice, and all would be right with the world. Well, for the time being anyway. She walked to the payphone, cradling the ear piece with her shoulder as she dug through her purse for some change. “Come on, pick up, pick up.” Liz began chewing the tips of her newly manicured nails, her foot tapping insistently against the carpet as she waited. “Hello?” Liz breathed a sigh of relief as she heard her mother’s voice come in through the line. “Hey mom. It’s me. I’m just calling to see how the kids were doing.” Nancy’s soft chuckle echoed, as she spoke. “Well, I’ll tell you exactly what I told Max. They’re absolutely fine. Leah’s got your father engaged in a game of peekaboo, and Noah has been telling me stories about everything and anything.” She laughed some more, as she spoke again. “Noah reminds me of you when you were little. Always wanting to talk about everything. You know, I’m convinced he’s gonna turn into a scientist when he grows up because of all of the questions he asks, just like you did, but he’s pretty adamant about being a pilot.” Liz smiled against the phone, feeling relived to know that the kids were fine, when her mother’s words invoked some thoughts from her. I’ll tell you exactly what I told Max….. “Mom, what did you mean when you said that you’d tell me what you’d told Max?” Nancy let out a boisterous laugh. “I swear, you two are like two peas in a pod, it’s almost scary if it wasn’t so darned cute.” “Mom, what are you talking about?” Nancy let a breath, trying to return to some semblance of control. “Max is on the other line. He called a few minutes before you did.” Liz’s eyes widened, before she stood on her toes to look into the dining room. Sure enough, Max was at their table, waiting patiently on his cell phone as she talked to her mother. A slow smile creeped across Liz’s lips, her heart ready to burst at the thought that she and Max thought so much a like. How in sync they were, without really realizing it. They had the same thought patterns, and never really realized it. Part 26C ***************** Liz tugged onto the phone cord, a smile playing on her lips. “Mom? You think you could do me a little favor?” “Sure, honey. What is it?” “Do you think you could not mention to Max that I called?” Nancy laughed. “Sure. But whatever you’re planning, just don’t give Max a heart attack. Your dad and I love him, and we’d like to keep our son-in-law alive,” she joked. Liz found herself laughing into the phone. “Thanks mom. I’ll try to keep him alive, although I can’t guarantee, that he won’t choke.” Mother and daughter bid goodbye to each other, each wishing the other good fortune for the rest of the night. Liz hurried back into the dining room, wanting to catch Max before he got off the phone. As she neared, she could hear him laughing, the deep rumble of his baritone voice sending a shiver down her spine, her knees wobbling slightly as she fought to keep from falling over. “You be good, little man. Remember, momma and I love you....Oh, and don’t keep your gramma Nancy, and grampa Jeff up all night, you hear?” Max nodded against the phone, even though it was obvious that Noah couldn’t see him. “Little man. Have gramma put the phone next to Leah. I wanna say goodnight to her as well.” He waited a moment, chuckling when he heard shuffling and voices on the other end. “Max? This is Nancy. I’m holding the phone next to her, right now.” Max’s face changed, his shoulders crouching as if he were bending over. “How you doin’ sweetheart? Be good to your gramma and grampa. I meesh you,” he said in a baby voice. “Love you lots,” he cooed into the phone, before he puckered his lips. “Kisses. Mwuuah.....Mwuuah....” It was then that Liz made her presence known, wearing a smile on her face as she eyed Max’s puckered lips. “Ahem.” Max’s eyes bugged out of his head, his hands clumsily dropping the cell phone. “Liz!” Liz bit back her laugh as she took a seat across from him. “Who were you talking to?” His eyes flew up to hers, his cheeks flaming as he continued to fumble with the phone. He gave her a sheepish smile as he slipped the phone back into his pocket. “Nothing....I mean, no one. I wasn’t talking to anyone.” Liz set her arms on the table, folding them over each other as she scooted forward. She raised a finely shaped eyebrow, her slender fingers gently tapping on the soft table cloth. “Really? Then why did you have your phone against your ear like you were talking to someone,” she baited. Max swallowed, his finger coming up to loosen the tie around his neck. “Um, yeah. I was just, you know, getting in touch with the english department. At school.” He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he had come up with a pretty good excuse. He didn’t want to tell Liz that he had just called her parents to see how the kids were doing. After all, he had been the one that insisted that they leave the kids for a night, jestingly rolling his eyes when Liz had worried too much about leaving them with someone else for the night. It was laughable, actually. He was the one that had told Liz that she was making a big deal out of it, and it hadn’t been an hour yet, and he was the one that broke down and called first. His shoulders sagged with aleve as he watched Liz nod her head thoughtfully. She placed a finger to her chin, as if a thought had just struck her. “But why would you be trying to get a hold of the english department? School’s out.” Max’s mouth worked, opening and closing, as he tried to come up with an excuse. He snapped his fingers, trying to say what seemed to obviously be on the tip of his tongue. “Summer reading, program. I’m calling about a summer reading program!” He pointed a finger at Liz, smiling triumphantly for being able to come up with another excuse. Liz’s mouth dropped open in an O shape, as she sat back in her seat, pretending to be satisfied with his answer. “A summer reading program. Sounds pretty interesting if you’re making kissing noises on the phone.” She let her laughter burst forth. “What the heck kinda summer reading program is this? Or should I be worried that you’ve got some other cookie on the side?” Max’s face turned serious, his voice full of conviction. “That’s not funny, Liz. How could you even joke about something like that? You know that you’re the only one for me. Forever.” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down furiously, his amber eyes shining with a certainty that made Liz’s heart skip a beat. Liz reached forward, trying to ease the sudden tension in Max’s clenched fists. “I’m sorry, Max. I was only kidding. I was just on the phone with my mom, and she told me that you were on the other line, and I couldn’t resist messing with you, when I heard you talking to Leah.” Max forced a smile on his lips. “I know. I realize that. Now. I just, I don’t want you ever saying anything like that, ever again. You’re my wife, Liz. You’re a mother to my children, my best friend, my lover, my everything. I couldn’t fathom even looking at anyone else, much else want to be with anyone that isn’t you. Don’t you get that? You’ve had me, since the day I lay eyes on you. I hate to think that you could think that I was capable of that. Because you’re it for me, Liz.” His large hand came to rest on her cheek. “We’re bound together for life, and I don’t want any misunderstandings about that. You belong to me, and I belong to you. That’s how it’s always going to be.” Liz bit the corner of her bottom lip, her doe eyes glistening with tears, at Max’s heartfelt words. She knew without a doubt, that he had meant every word of them, and it blew her away, that even after five years of marriage, six years of being together, he still felt the same way for her as he did back in high school, when people used to disregard their relationship as puppy love. Everyone was waiting for the bottom to drop out, for the novelty to wear off, but it never happened. After everything, they were still very much in love, if not more so. She turned her face into his hand, kissing the smooth skin on the palm of his hand. “Always.” Part 26D **************** Max pulled his napkin off his lap, bringing it up to his lips before dropping it onto the table. He smiled, one hand on his stomach, one hand extended to Liz as he stood up. "Can I have this dance?" Liz smiled graciously, allowing Max to lead her to the dance floor. As they had done a million times before, their bodies came together, Max’s arms wrapping around Liz’s waist, her arms laying loosely clasped around his neck as their bodies swayed to the music. Liz played with the short hairs that curled on the back of his neck, her lips curling into a flirty smile. "You’re spoiling me rotten." He smiled back, his fingers dancing lightly over her back. "That’s the plan." Her mouth dropped open, her eyebrows raising playfully. "I wasn’t aware that there was a plan." He laughed, his lips brushing against her temple. "There’s always been a plan." Liz giggled against him, her right hand sliding down his chest to rest over his heart. "Really? Care to share what the plan is?" He twirled her around, before pulling her tightly back into his arms, his amber eyes twinkling in the dim lights. "The plan is to make you as insanely happy as possible for eternity." Liz out a hearty laugh, her tiny frame shaking against his. Max gulped. He could feel his heartbeat speed up, his palms sweating at the sound of her laughter. He smiled at the thought, that being in Liz’s presence, seeing her smile, was enough to send him into cardiac arrest. It still felt as it did when he was graced with her smile for the first time. His stomach fluttered, his Adam’s apple bobbing like crazy. It struck him that no matter how many times he had been privy to her infectious smile, or her musical laughter, or anything else about her, that he still felt like that bumbling teenager that he was all those years ago. The one who would avert his eyes when Liz would look his way. Her soft voice brought him back to the present, her beautiful doe eyes, burning into his. "I want to thank you, for to- He placed his finger over her open mouth, replacing it with his lips for a heated kiss. "But the night is nowhere near over." Her head bobbed slowly, her eyes transfixed on his. "You’re right about that." Unconsciously, they both drifted towards each other, both of them feasting on the other one’s mouth as if they had been starved of it for years. Liz’s head fell back, her eyes glazed over as she fought to keep standing. She finally locked eyes with Max, who held a question in them. She gave him a swift nod, her hand reaching for his as they left the dance floor. "Lets go home." **************** They stumbled through the darkness of the house, exchanging heated kisses, caressing what they could reach as they walked blindly. When they reached their room, Max’s hand reached for the light switch, but Liz’s voice stopped him. "NO!" Max squinted in the darkness, his breathing heavy in the hanging silence. "Liz?" Liz’s voice came out softly, almost timid. "Can we please leave the light off? Please?" The plea in her voice alerted something inside Max, knowing that something was wrong. His hand flipped the switch, bathing the room with light. His eyes took a second to focus, but when they did, his heart broke. Liz’s body trembled, her arms wrapped protectively around herself as tears pooled in her eyes. "Liz?" He moved to pull her in his arms, but she stepped away from him. She opened her drawer, savagely yanking out her nightgown before locking herself in the bathroom. **************** After ten minutes of silence, Liz reemerged from the bathroom, her nightshirt hanging loosely from her petite body. She tucked her hair nervously behind her ears as she quickly walked to her side of the bed and climbing in. She avoided looking at Max, but it was hard not to, when he was sitting on the edge of the bed in just his boxers. She reached over to switch off the lamp, when she felt the bed shift, the warmth of Maxs body, scant inches away from hers. She should’ve known that it never would’ve been that easy. "Care to tell me what that was about?" His hand pulled hers away from the switch, pulling her to face him. Liz lay on her back, but she refused to look into his eyes, knowing that her tears wouldn’t be far behind. She bit back a sob, as she curled onto her side. "I don’t want to talk about it. Please." The plea in her voice, tore through Max’s soul. Seeing her so tortured and not knowing the cause of it, made Max feel useless. He watched as her body shook with her sobs. With his heart breaking, Max brushed Liz’s hair away from her neck his body coming to spoon behind her. He felt her stiffen, and it scared him. It was almost as if she feared his touch, but even then, he couldn’t pull away. She was the balm to his soul, and he needed to touch her, to be surrounded by her if he didn’t want to go off the deep end. He held her tightly, his face burying itself in her neck. "Liz, please. Tell me what’s wrong." She shook her head, her silent tears soaking through the sheets. Max felt the continued rigidness of her body, causing him to pull away. His voice sounding strange in his ears as he listened to it catch in his throat. "Is it me? Am I.....am I moving too fast?" He moved away from her, putting space between them. "I....I....I’m sorry. I never, I never meant to push you." He pulled his knees up to his chest, feeling naked all of a sudden. He felt sick, almost to the point of throwing up. "I’m sorry." Liz whirled around at his apology, sobering immediately. "Max, NO! You cant think that!" She moved closer to him, but this time, it was he who flinched at her touch. Not because he loathed it, but he felt awful, and undeserving of the calm she provided. She swallowed back her tears, moving to sit on her knees in front of him. She cupped his face between her hands, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Please don’t apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong." He didn’t look convinced. "But you- She silenced him with a kiss, her lips moving over his until he responded. "You have to know, that its not you," she whispered against him, causing their lips to rub against each other. "Then what’s the problem? If it isn’t me, why are you crying?" "I....I....." Liz sat back on her heels, trying to find the words to voice her insecurities. She swallowed thickly a few times before attempting to speak. "Since.....since Leah was born, some things have changed." His hand reached out to cup her cheek. "What things?" She met his eyes for a split second before she looked away. "I’ve changed," she said in a small voice. "I don’t think I understand. What do you mean, you’ve changed?" "I....I’m different." She looked at him, her jaw trembling as she continued. "My body isn’t the same." Max smiled despite himself, feeling relieved to hear what was bothering his wife. "That’s it?" Liz gave him a hurt look, pulling away from him. "You’re laughing at me. You think this is a joke?" Her words were more of a statement, rather than a question. "Liz..." He got up on his knees, his strong arms molding over her body. "I’m not laughing at you." She wiped away at a tear, sniffling. "But you’re smiling. You think this is funny." "No, I don’t think this is funny." He placed a finger under her chin, tipping her face upwards. "I’m smiling because I’m relieved to know what the problem is." She looked at him as if he had grown another head. "Relieved? Max. How can you be relieved after what I just told you? My body isn’t the same, Max. It probably never will be." He kissed her forehead. "I heard you the first time, and I still feel exactly the same way." "How do you feel?" Even as she asked the question, a part of her didn’t want to know what his answer was. Max’s fingers curled in her hair. "I feel lucky. I’m the most blessed man on this earth." His lips brushed against her cheek, his voice lowering to a whisper. "The changes in your body, they’re a result of our beautiful baby girl." He smiled against her hair, his hand resting over her belly. "I never fell in love with you for your body." His hand moved higher, gently squeezing her breast. "This is all just icing on the cake." He kissed her earlobe, his hand dropping to her waist. "Do you remember what I said to you, when we first got into a relationship?" She nodded, her hand linking with his. "You said that you’d wait forever for me." He lay his chin on her shoulder, inhaling her sweet scent. "That goes for now too. Whenever you’re ready to be intimate again, I’ll be here. And if you’re not, I’ll still be here too. Never sooner." She let out a shaky breath, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders now that Max knew. And the fact that he was okay with everything.... "Thank you. I thought I was ready, but- "There’s no rush, babe. Our lives are just beginning, and we have a lifetime to live." He turned his head, his lips connecting with hers in a soul searing kiss. "We’re forever."