| Twenty minutes later Max was knocking on Michael’s door. His friend answered, a grim expression on his face. “Hey Maxwell. Come on in.” “Hey Michael,” Max replied walking into his friend’s spacious apartment. He made his way to one of the armchairs and sitting down in it turned to his friend who had gone to the other. “What’s up?” Michael fumbled in his pocket before pulling out his wallet. He reached into it pulling out a strip of photos. He handed it to Max who glanced at it and was puzzled to see Michael with a small child, both laughing and smiling. In some they pulled silly faces but both looked very happy. He passed it back and said, “I, I don’t understand Michael. Who is she?” “She’s my daughter, Cassie,” Michael replied. “Whose her mother?” “Maria,” he replied simply. “Maria?” Max repeated. “You’ve seen her?” “Yea. It’s been about four days now. She’s staying with Isabel and Alex….” “They knew about her,” Max said angrily, interrupting Michael. “No, no, no,” Michael said hurriedly. “She only moved in yesterday. She’s a stripper. Maybe a prostitute as well I don’t know. Her and Cassie weren’t living in the best of places. I guess Isabel told her she could come live with them.” “Oh,” Max said shocked. “Why did she leave? With no note or anything. She upset Liz by not keeping in touch.” “I don’t know Maxwell,” Michael said in frustration. “I don’t know.” There was an awkward silence before Max said, “Can I see the photo again?” Michael handed it back and Max glanced at it seeing very clearly how the child, his niece very much resembled her mother and father. How had he missed it the first time? He looked back up and asked, “What are you going to do now?” “Well I’m going for full custody, I don’t want Cassie having to grow up like that.” “Like what?” Max asked puzzled. “Like…” Michael stuttered before saying, “Like someone cheap. She deserves much more.” Max said “Oh,” before lapsing into silence. He glanced around the apartment noticing in the kitchen a couple of beer bottles sitting on top of the worktop. “How much have you had to drink,” he asked quietly. “Only a couple of beers,” Michael mumbled. Max glanced back through the door to the kitchen. “Michael, what else is bothering you? What’s driven you to drink so much? You normally only have one beer an evening.” Michael glanced at the floor blinking and wishing the tears away. He wouldn’t cry. He wouldn’t let her get to him. “She came round today,” he mumbled. Max stayed quiet, just letting him talk. “She wanted to talk, but it was just getting us both upset. Maria thinks I slept with Courtney!” “What?!” Max exclaimed. “That’s why she left. Because she thought I was involved with Courtney.” “You’ve told her that’s not the case though, right?” “Yea, but she doesn’t seem to believe me.” “I don’t think you should really be going for full custody Michael. It’s too risky. I’d go for joint.” Michael remained silent. “She was willing to sleep with me today Maxwell so that …” He faltered before continuing in a whisper, making Max strain to hear what he was saying. “She wouldn’t lose Cassie.” Max mouth opened in astonishment. He knew he hadn’t seen Maria for a while but it just didn’t seem like something she would do. Michael continued, the tears starting to fall as he couldn’t hold them back any longer. “I thought she maybe still felt something for me.” Max looked at his friend sympathetically. He knew his friend had never really gotten over Maria leaving. It had taken him at least a year to get over her enough to do something with his life. Max had been annoyed that Maria hadn’t at least left some sort of explanation for either Michael or Liz. Liz had cried for days and Michael hadn’t left his apartment. Max had been left to pick up the pieces. “I still love her Max,” Michael whispered. “I love her so much it hurts. And my daughter. She’s so beautiful. She’s so like Maria in personality…” “And looks like you,” Max said to his friend with a smile. “You and Maria need to sit down and have a good talk.” “I know,” Michael said sadly. “But when I’m in the same room with her all I want to do is touch her, hold her, be ins…” “Okay,” Max said with a chuckle. “Bordering on too much information. Anyway, it’s not me you need to tell this stuff too. It’s Maria.” “I know,” he said with a sigh. “But every time I say anything to her it comes out wrong and I end up hurting her and making her cry.” “Oh Michael,” Max said with a sigh. He knew too well what his friend was like. “What have you said to her?” Michael blushed slightly in embarrassment. “Well,” he started looking at the floor. “I’ve thrown her profession in her face quite a bit.” “Michael!” Max exclaimed. “I never thought you’d do that.” “I was just hurting so much. I didn’t react right. I know I didn’t. But I couldn’t think clearly.” A phone went at that moment and both fumbled around for their mobiles. Max pulled his out, flipped it open and said into it, “Hello honny … “Yea, I’ll be home soon … Alex’s?” he repeated nervously. “Oh you’re in a taxi … Yes I know Maria is there.” He glanced over at Michael. “Michael told me … Okay Liz I’m coming home now.” He hung the phone up and turned to his friend. “I better go. Liz has just left Alex’s and Isabel’s. I don’t think she’s reacted wonderfully.” Michael raised his eyebrows. “Okay, she has reacted at all well. I better get home and calm her down. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Think about what I’ve said!” Michael nodded. Max started towards the door and with a departing wave left Michael’s apartment. *** Just before 8.30pm the doorbell to Isabel and Alex’s rang. Alex went to the door, opening it to discover one of his best friends. “You’re back!” he said hugging her and ushering her in. “Yep,” she said with a beam. “How was it?” “It was great. Max and I had such a wonderful time.” They made their way through to the living room, Liz busy chattering about her holiday. They sat down on the settee and talked about the last two weeks. Alex though decided it wasn’t a good idea to talk about Maria straight away. He soon though had no choice though when a small child wondered into the room sleepily, thumb in mouth and a sorry looking teddy under her arm. “Uncle Alex,” she said with a yawn. “I want another story please.” Liz looked at the child in astonishment. Cassie looked up at her, seemingly noticing her for the first time. “Hi,” she said shyly. Liz murmured a “Hi” back, but was too astonished to say anything. Cassie clambered onto her uncle’s knee looking at the woman in interest. She seemed familiar but Cassie couldn’t quite place her. “Whose she?” she whispered to her uncle. “Um,” Alex looked at Liz awkwardly. “Your mommy and her were very good friends when they were younger.” Liz hearing this looked up at Alex in surprise. “She’s Maria’s?” Alex nodded. “Where’s Maria?” “Out with Isabel at the moment.” “And the father?” “Who do you think?” Alex replied. “You only have to look at her and you can see.” “Michael,” Liz murmured. “And does he know?” she asked looking back up sharply. “Yes,” Alex said quietly. “It’s quite a long story but it’s not mine to tell.” “Oh,” Liz said angrily. Both sat in awkward silence whilst Cassie lay her head on Alex’s shoulder looking sleepily at Liz. She didn’t understand why everyone was so cross at the moment. Had her mommy done something to upset these people? It seemed to be about her, but she didn’t understand. At that moment, the sound of a door opening was heard. Liz’s head shot up as she glanced towards the direction of the sound and heard the chatter of voices. “Hi Alex,” Isabel said with a big smile. With a look from Alex she looked the other way and was surprised to see Liz sitting there, and with a face like thunder. “Oh, hello Liz. Did you have a nice holiday?” “Yes,” she replied curtly taking a good look at the person who had followed Isabel into the room. “So Maria,” she said harshly. “You’re here now.” Maria frowned at her friend. “Yes.” She looked over to Cassie and then said, “Liz, now isn’t the time. Cassie’s heard enough arguing in the last few days.” Liz glanced over to the child again. She was a very pretty child. “Alex, maybe you should go read that story that Cassie wanted.” Alex looked towards his wife and friend and with a nod from both left the room with a very wide-awake Cassie. “You just left Maria,” Liz started angrily. “No note. Nothing. Nothing for me or Michael. You left one for Alex though.” “I didn’t want to make a fuss,” Maria murmured. “Didn’t want to make a fuss. It would have been nice of you to at least drop us a line every so often. Let us know you were still alive.” She glanced off in the direction that Alex had just gone. “So was she the reason you left?” “No,” Maria said slowly pondering what to tell Liz. “I left because of Michael and Courtney. I was very upset and the thought of having to stay in Roswell just didn’t feel right, so I left. Then when I found out I was pregnant; I just knew I couldn’t go back. So I headed to New York.” “Alex and I would have stood by you,” Liz said quietly. “Weren’t we enough.” “You know that’s not what it was about,” Isabel said sharply. “And Michael and Courtney? What are you on about? She was a skin. Died shortly after you left. Michael was heart-broken when you left. Took him ages to even leave his apartment.” “And I was heart-broken when I left,” Maria snapped. “I caught them. She was in a towel and he was at her house. She said he …” She stuttered, so Isabel said, “He had done something with her.” “So you just left,” Liz sneered. “And how come you’re here? Don’t you have a home then?” “I do,” Maria said, her eyes flashing angrily. “But Isabel invited me here. Michael is trying to get full custody. It seems he has a good case.” “What do you do for money?” Maria raised her head defiantly. “I’m a stripper. It pays well.” Liz recoiled in shock. “Michael has a good job. He has a good apartment, of his own. He’s more than capable of looking after her. I think he would be better of looking after her. She deserves better that what you’re offering her.” Isabel stood up at this, her voice low as she tried to control her anger. “I think you ought to leave now Liz.” Liz stood up also and without a word left the apartment. When she had gone Maria’s resolve fled and she burst into tears. “I can’t believe she said that. I know I was wrong to just leave without a word but I never thought she could say that to me.” “I know,” Isabel said making her way over to sit beside Maria. She hugged her tightly as Maria wept. Today had just been too hard. TBC |
| Part 8 |
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