Part 26

Liz sighed as she sat in the jeep beside, the top down so they could enjoy the last warm rays of the autumn sun, before the weather cooled, settling into the cool winds and rains of winter.

Liz could barely remember a time when everything wasn’t complicated anymore. Ever since Tess had shown up over six months earlier, their lives had been consumed with one tragedy after another, constantly, non-stop.

But now, for the first time in a long time, Liz felt as if things were finally settling down.

After an instant of shock, the rest of the gang had been quick to accept Matt and Alyssa’s roles as Max and Liz’s children, and now, a few weeks later, they were trusted members of the group, without question or hesitation by anyone, even Michael.

Max and Liz were shocked to learn that their children had been living in the old, abandoned soap factory, and instantly set about changing that. Matt now resided in the guest room at the Evans’ home, while Alyssa took Tess’s old bedroom at the Valenti’s. Liz desperately wished that she could have found a different place for Alyssa…like her own bedroom, but with things still tense with her parents, that option remained unavailable. Kyle complained on occasion over the lack of a bedroom, but for the most part, he just let it be.

Still…Liz couldn’t help regretting how things had ended with her parents. It was the one thing left completely unresolved. Liz needed to make peace with that part of her life in order for things to be completely perfect again.

So she and Max sat in the jeep, parked across the street from the Crashdown, as Liz gathered her courage to go inside and confront her parents one final time.

"You don’t have to do this if you’re not ready." Max reminded her gently, as he held her hand loosely, offering his support.

"No…I need to do this." Liz replied with certainty. "I just…I’m not sure what to say. I want to make peace with my parents…but I don’t want to go back to living there, Max. I want them in my life, but I want to be able to be with you, all the time. The last few weeks have been like a dream come true in that sense."

"In only that sense." Max laughed, thinking about everything else that had occurred.

"Yeah." Liz agreed with a chuckle.

"I’ll be right here waiting if you need me." Max reminded her softly, as Liz stepped out onto the street.

"Thanks. Who knows…I might need it." Turning to face the restaurant, Liz sighed. "I think this is the longest I’ve ever gone without going in there. It was kind of weird…I miss it."

"That’s why you need to do this." Max reminded her. "They’re a part of you…this place is a part of you, just like my parents in this life are a part of me too."

Liz nodded. "I know."

Taking a deep breath, Liz gathered the strength within her, turning away from Max and crossing the street, back towards her past. As she entered the Crashdown with a jingle of the bell, Liz could feel the eyes of her one time coworkers on her, but she paid them no heed as she continued straight past them, into the back room and up the stairs to her parent’s home.

Pausing, Liz placed her hand on the cool metal of the door knob, and stared at it for a moment. It felt strange, alien, to be standing here. It had only been a few weeks, but those few weeks were enough time that Liz knew, without a doubt, that she was a completely different person than the young, naïve girl that grew up in this house. She had changed…and she hoped that her parents could accept that.

Turning the handle and pushing the door open, Liz sucked in her breath, and stepped inside.

"Mom? Dad?" She called out nervously.

Her parents quickly rushed into the room, staring at Liz in shock.

"Liz?" Her mom cried.

"Lizzie!" Her dad exclaimed, before approaching her and pulling her into a tight embrace. "Oh God, Lizzie…we’ve missed you so much!"

"I’ve missed you too." Liz replied honestly. "And I’m so sorry for running off like I did. I was so hurt that I forgot what an important part of my life you are."

"Liz, you have nothing to apologize for." Nancy Parker insisted quickly, glancing over at her husband as they exchanged a look that held something that Liz didn’t understand.

"I don’t?" She asked quietly.

"No, you don’t." Jeff agreed. "Your mother is right, Lizzie. We brought this upon ourselves. It was wrong of us to lie to you the way we did. We were very much in the wrong. And we’re more sorry that you could ever imagine for what we did."

"We just wanted you to be ours so badly, that we did everything possible to try to make that desire a reality." Nancy explained softly.

"Oh mom, dad!" Liz gasped, as tears filled her eyes. "I am yours…I always have been. Just because it isn’t in our blood doesn’t make it any less true. You are my parents…the only one I’ve ever known in this lifetime. And I will always love you for everything that you’ve done for me."

"Oh honey…we love you too!" Nancy cried, as she moved forward to pull Liz into her arms, and cradle her close to her. Together the two women cried, while Jeff watched on, his own eyes beginning to sting from the emotional moment.

Finally, Liz forced herself to pull away, wiping at her tear stained eyes, as she smiled at her parents.

"So are you back for good, sweetheart?" Jeff asked hopefully.

Liz’s eyes dropped guiltily as she answered. "Actually…that’s what I need to tell you. I’m not going to be moving back in." Her parents jaws dropped to argue, but Liz rushed on, before they could speak. "I know it seems irrational, and I don’t blame you for wanting to fight me on this, but I’ve found my place, with Max. I’m happy with him…happier than I’ve ever been anywhere in my life. You can talk to Diane…she’s comfortable with me being there…she understands that Max and I are a permanent fixture in each other’s lives. It’s just…I can’t stand the idea of being away from him anymore."

Liz fell silent, watching and waiting as her parents shared a nervous, frightened look, obviously both trying to adjust to the idea of her and Max living together permanently.

"Is that really how you feel, honey?" Jeff asked lamely.

"It’s really how we both feel." Liz replied honestly. "Max and I both know that we’ll be together forever. It doesn’t make me any less your daughter. I swear to you that I won’t disappear again…I’ll come by and visit every day if you want…I can bring Max by to get to know you better…but I’m staying with him. He’s my world."

"It sounds as if your mind is made up." Nancy murmured. "And your father and I both know how stubborn you are…there will be hell to pay if we even try to change your mind. It doesn’t sound like there’s much we can say, but we love you and we’ll try our best to support your decision…even if it kills us at times."

Liz gasped loudly, surprised by her parents open reaction. She turned to her father to see him nodding his head in agreement with Nancy’s words.

"You really mean it?" Liz asked in amazement. "You guys will support Max and I?"

"Yes…we’ll support you." Jeff confirmed. "You pretty much forced us to accept it when you ran away and moved in with him…not to mention when Max came to confront us about you. That took a lot of guts on his part. That boyfriend of yours impressed me, Lizzie. Maybe he’s not as bad an influence on you as I thought he might be."

"He’s not!" Liz grinned. "He’s an amazing person, dad. Once you get to know him better you’ll see it too."

"I’m sure we will." Jeff agreed. "Speaking of Max, where is he?"

"Umm…downstairs in the car waiting." Liz admitted with a shy smile.

"Well, you didn’t let him go far even now, did you?" Nancy chuckled. "Well, you’d better not keep him waiting, sweetheart. But promise me you’ll bring him by tomorrow night for dinner."

"I will!" Liz grinned. "Bye mom, bye dad…and thanks again."

"Bye sweetheart."