Chapter 7

• If that was the case, why was he hiding in the study? He should be coming up with ways to spend time with Zander. Show him that even if they didn’t end up living together, they could still have a relationship. He'd heard Emilia talking about redecorating his room. Maybe he could tag along when they went to buy the new furniture and try to bribe the kid. Bribes always worked with Dalton. He didn’t see why it shouldn’t work with his son. Confident about his idea, he left the study. Max was about to go back outside when the laughter coming from the kitchen stopped him. God, he'd missed that laugh.
• How could a person change so much but still remain the same? Her appearance, her behavior, her mannerisms had changed, but he noticed a few things that were still the same. Like her laugh. And her nightly routine. He'd stayed up late last night just to watch her sleep. The way her mouth formed an o when she was sleeping was still the same. In some ways, she was still his Emilia. But as much as he wished they could go back to how things were, they couldn't. It was impossible. A lot had happened between them. Sighing, he went to the kitchen.
• "Max, what can I get you for breakfast?" Mel asked the second she saw him. He was glad to see that her boyfriend hadn't joined them.
• "Just coffee, please"
• "Coming right up. Em was telling us how annoying Zander was when he was a child," Mel said, pouring a cup for him.
• "I was adorable. Tell her mom" Zander defended himself, shooting Mel an irritating look. Max wondered if he looked the same when he was irritated. After Mel handed him his cup, he could have left. But he wanted to stay and listen to them. Last night, he'd asked Emilia to tell him how their son was as a child, but she'd shut him down. He didn't know why she didn't want to tell him anything, but since she was willing to talk now, he wasn't going to leave.
• "Okay. He was adorable Mel. An absolute treasure with an amplified voice, but still a treasure," Emilia joked, smiling at Zander. It was hard not to picture them as a normal family having breakfast together on a Saturday morning while joking around. How long had he fantasized about that scene?
• "I can imagine. If he was like our Max, then he sure made a lot of noise when he wanted something," Mel said, then asked, "Speaking of which, aren't you late for work?"
• "I'm not going in today, Mel"
• "That's a first. What gives? You haven't missed a day off since..." she stopped, realizing what she was about to say. Max looked at Emilia and silently said,
• Since you left.
• There was an awkward silence for about a minute before he cleared his throat and turned his attention to Zander. "I thought we could go shopping. Your room needs a makeover and since I'm free, I wanted to take you so you could choose your own stuff"
• "Thank you, but I'd rather go with mom or order online," Zander said, then cried out, "Ow, mom. That hurt. " he bent down to rub his leg. Max guessed that Emilia must have kicked him under the table. Yet another thing that hadn't changed. She used to do that to him when he said something inappropriate.
• "What did I say about being nice?"
• "I was nice. I told him ‘Thank you'. Didn't you hear?"
• "I did. Go get changed. We're going shopping. " Max's mood plummeted to the floor. His son didn't want to go anywhere with him, and Emilia supported him. He wanted to feel angry at her for not trying to fix his relationship with Zander, but he couldn't. Forcing Zander to love him would just push him further away. The boy needed time, and nothing he or Emilia said could change his mind. Assuming she would even try to defend him.
• "I don't understand you, mom. Honestly," Zander grumbled, leaving the kitchen. They all watched him until he disappeared, then went back to their breakfast. Mel busied herself with cleaning the counter, while Emilia pushed her food around.
• Max watched her, wondering what she was thinking. He wished he was a mind reader so he could know what was going through her mind. Once upon a time, he was able to tell her thoughts. One look at her and he could tell if she was sad or happy or angry. With the Emilia in front of him, he couldn't see anything. Every time he looked at her, he couldn't tell if she was sincere or just pretending. She had learned how to hide her emotions.
• A part of him wanted his Emilia back. The kind, jovial person she had been when he first met her. He wanted that woman back because she was easier to talk to. He'd fallen in love with her simply because she didn't feed him any bullshit. She was straightforward, honest and not afraid to speak her mind. It made him wonder what she would say if he asked her to tell him why she'd pushed his mother down the stairs. Would she tell him the truth?
• Was he ready to hear the truth? It was one thing to hear it from Gwen. And it was another to have Emilia confirm it. Deep down, he had his doubts. He had chosen to think that the woman he'd married couldn't be so cruel. Being angry at her was the only way he knew how to protect himself. If he'd let go of his anger, the pain of his wife leaving him would have swallowed him whole.
• He'd loved so much that thinking about his life without her alone had been pure agony. The anger he'd felt towards her had allowed him to survive all these years. That same anger had been the only thing that made him turn to Lisandra. It was the only thing that had kept him sane. But as he looked at her, pushing her breakfast around, he realized he wasn't angry. His wife was back and even though he didn't expect anything from her, it was enough to know that she hadn't gotten rid of their baby.
• Zander was healthy and happy. That fact alone was enough to make him forgive her for everything she did. His mother would not be able to walk again, but she was alive. Shouldn't that be enough? If he asked her to forget the past and start over as friends, would she agree?
• "Emil...."
• "I'm going to change. Thank you for breakfast Mel," she cut him off, standing up. He watched her take her plate to the sink, then walk out. At the door, she turned around and looked at him, saying, "Bring the car around. We'll meet you outside. " Then she left.
• Max blinked and turned to Mel, "Did she..."
• "Yes, my boy. Now hurry up before she changes her mind"
• "Uh yes. Yes, I'll go get the car." He handed Mel the cup he was holding and rushed towards the garage with only one thought in mind.
• They were having a family outing.
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