Part 13

"Beth! Over here, Beth!"

Beth looked around quickly, scanning the ice rink for the owner of the young, childlike voice. Almost immediately she spotted Alexandra waving at her with a mittoned hand, her arm moving almost as fast as a hummingbird’s wing. Beth smiled and waved back, blowing the six-year-old a kiss. The answering grin on Alexandra’s beaming face practically made Beth’s heart ache. Max’s youngest sister gave such open adoration that sometimes it almost broke her heart.

Her eyes straying to Max, who clutched Alexandra’s free hand, where she realized that Max knew better than anyone what his sister was thinking. That was just something he knew, like he was tuned in exactly to what they needed. And for a little girl who adored her older brother what they needed was love.

Beth watched Max and Alexandra turn slowly around the curve of the ice rink, her teetering carefully on small legs and he at ease with his skates and balance on the ice. She heard laughing and turned to see her younger brother streak by followed by Kat and Jules. She wanted to warn Jack to be careful around all the people on the ice, but she stopped herself, knowing her mother would take care of that as soon as she caught sight of him skating recklessly.

Looking around and finding herself alone Beth sighed, wishing she weren’t sitting by herself. She knew could be skating but she hadn’t wanted to draw any of Max’s attention away from his sisters. Although Max’s attention hadn’t been anywhere near her since the day after the explosion in New York. He’d been surrounded by family the entire time and she hadn’t been able to get a single minute alone with him.

Beth looked with longing as Kat and Jules skated up to their brother and sister, tagging on to Max as he lifted Alexandra into the air. She could see his happy smile and for that she was grateful. He was finally getting to relax after everything that had happened.

She and Max had volunteered as the adult supervision for the trip to the ice rink while the rest of the family was off on other activities with plans to meet up in about an hour. Mike, Max’s father, Michael and Charlie were skiing while Liz, Maria, Belle, Isabel and Jody were decorating and shopping for the holiday and for the twins’ birthday celebration, scheduled for later that day.

Turning her gaze back to the twins, she shook her head. She couldn’t believe they were turning sixteen. She remembered when they’d been born. She’d been there, helping Liz deliver the babies in private, away from watchful medical examiners. Maria and Isabel had been there too, their experience from the previous births the only knowledge they had of alien deliveries.

And Max had been there. Holding his wife’s hand, smoothing back her hair, encouraging her and telling her that he loved her. Seeing the twins born had been the most amazing thing she’d ever seen. Looking at the willowy blond girls she amended that thought. Seeing them grown up and beautiful was perhaps even more incredible.

As she watched Max with Alexandra she was struck with the thought that the little girl could have been hers. If she and Max had stayed together she knew they would have had children very soon after high school. They would have a family by now. Again she cursed the time that had past and the way that fate seemed to keep them apart.

Sensing movement to her right she looked, and them immediately smiled at Cam who had quietly approached her and seemed to be contemplating sitting next to her. She patted the wood bench with her gloved hand.

"Cam, why don’t you join me?" she asked. He gave her a brief lopsided smile and gratefully sat down, his eyes following hers to the ice where he immediately locked on Jules. Beth studied him for a minute, understanding that with Cam there was always something more going on below the surface. She didn’t always know what he was thinking, but looking at his intent gaze on Jules, she suspected that someone did.

"Beth, can I ask you something?" Cam asked, his voice both serious and nervous at the same time. Beth turned her full attention on him and nodded. Cam took a deep breath before he continued.

"I think I’m in love with Jules," he blurted out.

Beth’s green eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected Cam to come right out and say what might be obvious to everyone else, but he had. For a teenage boy she realized this was an excruciating confrontation for him. Talking with an adult, with a woman, with his cousin, about the girl he loved.

"You think?" Beth managed to ask. Cam nodded quickly.

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, I know I’m in love with her. I just don’t know what to do about it. Its complicated" he said helplessly, studying his hands. Beth’s eyes softened and she touched his arm, getting him to look up at her.

"If it isn’t complicated, she probably isn’t a soul mate," Beth quoted her great grandmother, using the oft-repeated words, slightly altered. Liz had spoken those words as a kind of explanation when she Max, Mike and Belle were younger about how in the world she and Maria had gotten pregnant, left behind, moved to a foreign city across the country and became single mothers in the span of less than a year.

Cam studied her, his sharp blue eyes seeming to consider her words. She realized he needed more, so she continued.

"What’s so complicated?" she asked gently.

"I’m not sure exactly. Because Jules, Kat, Jack and I are all good friends, that might make things weird. The whole alien thing doesn’t bother me, so I know that’s not it. I don’t deserve her. She’s so beautiful. She’s so smart. And she’s got these eyes that just see right through me. She doesn’t think I’m a screw-up. And she’s so, just, nice . . ." Cam trailed off. Beth caught his stare, her own eyes angry.

"How can you say you don’t deserve her? Cam, Jules is beautiful, smart and nice. So are you. Don’t shake your head at me," Beth warned.

"I know it’s hard to see and even harder to believe, but you are. And Jules cares about you. She might even love you, but you’ll never know how she feels until you tell her how you feel. I know it’s hard, I know what it’s like to be afraid, but if you don’t get past it and move on, you’ll never know how she feels."

Beth saw the thanks in Cam’s eyes as he looked at her and then to the ice where Jules was. She gave him a slight smile and squeezed his hand gently. When he looked back at her again she was struck by the honesty in his face.

"If you’re saying I should get past my fear and tell her how I feel, don’t you think that maybe you should take some of that advice?" he asked. Beth swallowed carefully and managed a weak smile.

"When did you get so smart?" she asked, ruffling his hair a little. Grinning, he got out of arms reach and started towards the ice rink.

"I had good teachers," he said, winking at her quickly before he stepped out onto the ice and skated over to Jules.

Beth leaned forward on the bench and rested her chin on her folded arms leaning on the wall around the ring. She watched Cam as he approached Jules and she turned, seeming to sense that he was there. Jules’ face was lit up in a smile as she caught sight of Cam and Beth prayed it was the smile of a girl in love. She saw the caring and the affection, but there had to be more.

She watched as Cam led Jules a little way away from the others and she saw his head bent towards hers. She expected to see nervousness or uncertainty in his posture, but she detected neither. Cam was calm and had made his decision. There was no turning back once he’d committed. And Beth watched Jules as her eyes widened and her mouth opened, forming a round "O" in surprise and shock.

And then Beth saw the blush creep up her cheeks and how her eyes suddenly looked down, her lashes lowered. She saw Cam reach up with a hand and touch her cheek, calling her attention to him. And last of all, as Beth felt tears filling her eyes, she saw Cam lean down just a little and give Jules a soft kiss as her fingers intertwined with his.

Beth squealed a little to herself as she wiped away the tears in her eyes. She quickly sought out Max and almost laughed at his protective glare trained at Cam and Jules. Kat was laughing and trying to lead him away, her brown eyes dancing in excitement for her twin. The laughter in Beth’s throat died away as Max stared directly at her and then glanced away.

It had only been a brief second, if it had been anyone else she would have dismissed it as a passing glance, but it was Max, so she couldn’t. She’d seen the longing in his eyes as he’d looked at her and she realized she couldn’t wait, not anymore.

It had taken a teenage boy for her to truly see the fear that was keeping her from Max. It was complicated, it would always be complicated, but having Max would make all the difference.

Her decision made, she stood and walked towards the ice. She looked down at her feet, realizing she didn’t have skates on. Dismissing the thought of getting some first, she stepped out on the ice, her feet slipping a little.

"No more waiting," she muttered to herself.

Thankfully the ice was mercifully clear as she walked as quickly as she could towards Max. He stood with his back to her watching Kat and Alexandra carefully from the center of the ice as they skated away from him.

"Be careful! Kat, hold her hand tight!" he called. Satisfied that his sisters were in good hands together, he turned and slammed right into Beth, who had finally reached his side.

Max’s hands quickly went out to catch her, going around her waist to steady her on her feet. She fell against his chest, her arms going to grab his strong arms, as she lost her balance. Finally she was steady again and just as Max’s hands were loosening from her waist, and when she normally would have let go and took a step back, she did something she hadn’t done in eight years.

She held onto him tighter.

Max’s eyes were a little surprised as her fingers tightened on his arms and he stopped moving away from her. Beth normally didn’t prolong their physical contact beyond that of a hug between friends, he presumed because it reminded her too much of the past. Looking into her eyes, he saw something different. A determined light, an unwavering decision.

"Is something wrong? Are the others alright?" he asked worriedly. Beth shook her head quickly, her golden curls bouncing around her shoulders.

"No, everything’s fine. Better actually. I just realized something and I had to tell you right away," she said. Max nodded slowly, still a little perplexed.

"Ok, I’m right here, go ahead," he replied.

Beth took a deep breath, her heart hammering in her chest as she looked into Max’s deep, soulful eyes and she said the words that had been on the tip of her tongue for eight years.

"Max, I love you."

It was almost like the world around them felt silent as she watched his face for his reaction. He blinked after a few seconds and as he continued to stare at her, she decided she had to explain, that he deserved an explanation after eight years.

"I know it’s something I should have said, should have done, eight years ago. I know it could be too late for us, but I couldn’t go on thinking that you didn’t know. I walked away from you when I went to New York. I should have gone with you or convinced you to come with me. There are a thousand things I should have done different. I didn’t and I’m sorry. I didn’t see it then, how important you are to me, but I do now. I almost lost you, you almost didn’t know how I feel and I would have regretted it for the rest of my life if you had died. I tried to tell you in the hospital how when we’d found you, how that proved everything to me, but you didn’t remember. I should have said something before now, but I didn’t. Max, I love, I want to be with you. It doesn’t matter how and where, but it’s what I want," Beth said, her voice strong and clear as she spoke.

She waited as Max continued to look at her, his expression not really shifting at all. She waited as his eyes traced her hair, her forehead, her eyebrows, her eyes, her nose, her lips, her chin, her neck. When his hands finally reached up and touched her hair, reverently, softly, she exhaled a deep breath at the feel of his hands as they went from her hair to her face, cupping her chin and pulling her close.

Her eyes were shining as she looked up at him and then he smiled, a wide, beautiful smile directed at her, almost like he was seeing her for the first time in a long time.

"There you are, Bethie. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to me," he whispered.

And then Beth was crying for his patience as he’d waited for her, for her own fear as she’d wasted eight years.

"I’m sorry Max, I’m so, so sorry," she cried. Max shushed her and wiped away her tears with his fingers grazing her cheeks.

"I’m not. I’ve just been waiting for you," he said. Beth took a deep breath, daring to ask the question on her lips.

"Why?" she said, her voice barely a whisper. Max smiled like he knew a secret.

"Because I love you."

Finally, Beth heard his words and she smiled back at him, her eyes dry. Her left hand tightened on his arm as her right stole up to rest at the back of his head, pulling him down to her. She closed her eyes and welcomed his lips on hers, touching and caressing as if eight years hadn’t gone by.

Max lifted Beth off the ice a little, tightening his hold on her as she held him close, refusing to let go.

TBC . . .