Accident Prone

Hunter and Mia are ready to get in Hunter"s car and head out. Liz, Max, and Sabrina are standing with them.

Liz is not sure what to say, but she hopes that her presence is telling Mia that she supports her.

"I"m sorry Mia…", Sabrina said. "I have no idea what got into my parents. They are usually not like that."

Mia forced a smile. "I"m sure they have their reasons."

"What will you do?", Sabrina asked Hunter.

Hunter waved his hands like he gives up. "Is there something for me to do? Those two old bats are unreasonable. Right now, I am so angry that I don"t want to see them, and if I don"t calm down by Monday, I will hand in my resignation and find another job. All my thoughts are focused on Mia and I hope Mia knows that she is my priority and everything else comes second." Hunter put his hands around Mia protectively. 

Sabrina was troubled and she was about to say something, but Max was faster.

"Think before doing something you will regret later. I know that it looks bad, but once the heat settles maybe you can see each other"s points."

Hunter frowned at Max. "Are you siding with them?"

"No. I am saying that everyone has a point. It all depends on the perspective. And I would tell you this regardless of the topic at hand. We are a family, and bickering happens. You should not be rash and leave your job over this." 

Sabrina agreed with Max. "Listen to Max, Hunter. He knows from his own experience. Remember how much he fought with Nathan? And look at them now, like two peas in a pod."

Max didn"t like that Sabrina used him as an example, even though she said the truth.

Liz gave Mia a hug. "Call me if you need something. Anytime. OK?"

"Thanks."

Hunter helped Mia into the car and Liz, Max and Sabrina watched them drive away.

All three of them sighed at the same time.

Liz looked at the main door of the villa, and she was reluctant to go inside. She knows that the unpleasant talk was not about her, but it still made her uncomfortable. If Andersons are concerned about Mia"s family, that probably means that they had their concerns about hers as well. But Isaac is here, so that makes it fine. Or does it? What if Isaac is not here? Would they disapprove of her? What if she has no parents? What if she comes from a broken family? Should she be judged because her family made mistakes? 

It"s not that she plans to marry Max, but discrimination is bothering her.

Elizabeth believes that everyone should be evaluated based on their merits, what does it have to do with the family? Even if Mia"s family are thieves, that does not mean that she is one. This social injustice is what makes it difficult for people to break out of the mold no matter how much they struggle. 

Liz closed her eyes and exhaled when she realized that Max is ma.s.saging her shoulders. She smiled at the thought how Max noticed that she is tense, and he is doing what he can to help her out. 

Sabrina walked toward the villa and paused when she observed that Max and Liz are not following.

"Are the two of you going in?", Sabrina asked with a smile on her face. She never saw Max being so attentive. Sabrina thought that maybe Madeline is right to think that Liz is pregnant.

Liz let out a low hum, indicating that she is enjoying. "Give us a minute, Rina. Max is so good with his hands that I need a bit more of this."

"You should see what I can do with the rest of my body…", Max whispered only for Liz to hear.

Liz giggled and slapped Max"s hand playfully. 

"Behave!", Liz whispered back, making Max burst into laugh.

Sabrina shook her head and smiled. "Those two are getting along fine", she thought.

…

When Sabrina, Liz and Max returned to the dining room, they witnessed another bizarre scene…

"If I knew that you will be like this, I would not tell you.", Madeline said to Isaac who was staring blankly at some spot in front of him.

"What did you do to this man?", Sabrina said in disbelief.

"Why do you think we did anything?", Nathan asked.

"Because he was fine when we left!", Sabrina exclaimed. "You already got Mia and Hunter upset. If I knew that this is your agenda for tonight, I would stay at my place."

"What agenda?", Madeline retorted.

Liz ignored their bickering, she rushed to Isaac. 

"Dad, are you OK? What happened? Are you feeling unwell?", Liz asked with concern apparent in her voice. She never saw Isaac so out of it. Why is he not responding? Is he having a stroke?

Max looked at the circus in front of him and could not believe how bad this dinner turned out. Isaac is a levelheaded guy. What did Nathan and Madeline do to him? 

"Dad, speak to me…", Liz persisted.

Isaac turned to Elizabeth and opened his mouth few times, but no words came out.

"Isaac, you promised not to tell!", Madeline reminded him. 

Liz"s face darkened as she turned to Madeline. She knows that Madeline is Max"s mother, but at this point she does not care. Her father is in distress and the woman is advising him to keep secrets? That is not how Williams family works. 

"Not tell me WHAT exactly?", Liz asked Madeline in an icy tone. "Don"t you see that he is on a verge of having a stroke? What did you do to get him in this state?"

Madeline swallowed hard and glanced at Max for help only to see him looking at Liz with a smile on his face.

Max is enjoying this. The no-nonsense Liz is here, and she will sort this out and everything will be fine, and he will get his dessert tonight!

"Is it true?", Isaac asked in a weak voice.

Liz squatted so that she is closer to him. "What dad?"

"That you are… pregnant?"

Liz stared at Isaac and blinked few times rapidly. A second later she convinced herself that her ears malfunctioned. "What did you say?"

"Are you pregnant?", Isaac repeated, this time louder for everyone to hear.

There was a pin drop silence in the dining room for few seconds.

Liz was about to ask Isaac, what nonsense is that? She never slept with a man! OK, she sleeps with Max, but that is side-by-side, not in a sleep-sleep kind of way. Her flower is still untouched! Well, other than Max"s hands and mouth, but that is NOT how people get pregnant! And she can"t tell her dad (and Max"s family) that she is a virgin, that topic is personal and sensitive. There is no way she will say that. 

"What makes you think that I am… pregnant?", Liz asked her father.

Isaac pointed at Madeline and Nathan.

Liz stood up and looked at the duo in disbelief and repeated her question: "What makes you think that I am pregnant?"

Madeline turned to Max.

It took a second for Max to react. "What!? No! Why are you looking at me?! Did I ever say that she is pregnant?"

"You didn"t deny it.", Madeline said matter-of-factly.

Max could not believe this. What the h.e.l.l is Madeline talking about? "When I didn"t deny it?"

"Don"t think that I didn"t notice all the signals you are sending. And in Hawaii you saw us buy baby clothes and you confirmed that it"s fine to start baby-shopping, but it"s still early to talk about it."

"What!?" Max was shocked. What signals? What is Madeline talking about? 

Max glanced at Liz in panic and saw that her face is getting darker. Oh, no... considering that he initially lied to his family that she is his girlfriend, how will she believe him that he didn"t make up a ridiculous story which includes her pregnancy?

"Think, Max! Think!", he told himself.

He remembered that Madeline said how he saw them buying baby clothes. When did that happen? 

Max remembered the scene in the boutique when Madeline and Nathan were buying clothes. "Wait a minute… The two of you were buying clothes for Sabrina"s baby!"

"My baby?", Sabrina was shocked. "There is no way I"m pregnant. I didn"t sleep with Jackson in ages."

"I didn"t sleep with Elizabeth either!", Max blurted out.

"What!?", everyone in the room exclaimed at the same time (other than Max).

Another silence invaded the s.p.a.ce.

Madeline had mixed feelings. They didn"t make love? Her Max changed… she likes that. But, what about the baby? There is no baby? Ah, at this rate she will be an old grandmother.

Nathan shoot a displeased side-glance at Madeline. This is all her fault. But if he says that at loud, he will be in trouble.

Liz could not believe what Max just said. She is confident that her ears are not working properly. She will get them checked, first thing Monday morning when she goes to work.

Isaac"s face exploded in a grin. Ah, he likes Max even more… he is treasuring Elizabeth. A true gentleman.

Sabrina stifled a laugh. Aren"t they grownups? And considering Max"s reputation, how is that possible? But… why would he lie?

Max saw Liz"s shocked expression and quickly moved to stand behind her. If he does not fix this, there will be no desserts for him ever again!

"We are taking it slow.", Max said while wrapping his arms around statue-like Liz and hoping that she will not blame him for this baby-misunderstanding. It"s not his fault! He still didn"t get that Liz is upset because he said in front of everyone how the two of them are not intimate.

"You are dating for a while, aren"t you?", Sabrina asked through giggles. "You even shared a room over the weekend. How is it possible…? How slow are you talking about here?"

Elizabeth struggled to inhale. Why are people talking about this!? This is a VERY private topic! Her father is right here!

"It"s none of your business.", Max responded to Sabrina and turned to Madeline and Nathan. "We are happy. Why are you meddling and spoiling it?" 

"Spoiling? We were excited by the thought that we will be grandparents. Can you blame us?", Madeline spoke in their defense.

Liz found herself in the middle of this commotion. Did her dad immediately accept that she is pregnant? The two of them always spoke about things, why didn"t he ask her before jumping into conclusions? Why is he looking at her and grinning? What is he thinking? And did Max just broadcast to everyone that they didn"t engage in the act of coitus? What is he thinking!?

She does not care much about Madeline, Nathan, or Sabrina… but Isaac"s and Max"s behavior is unacceptable. Elizabeth wanted to go home… she really-really wanted to go home and drink some wine and leave this dinner behind her.

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