After two months of being away, I finally arrived home last night. Maria drove to Albuquerque and met me at the airport. During the ride home, she told me all about her and Michael, filling me in on the details she didn't want to write in her letters. Supposedly, Michael and her were getting along really well, and one night he told her he loved her and they made love. The next morning he left to go chase his past and never said good-bye. She has been suffering with a broken heart all summer because of his loss.

But I was really surprised at her attitude when she told me this. She was really upbeat. She decided that it was time to move on, and she was going to start today. There is a pool party today at Mark Linley's this afternoon, you know a pre-back to school thing. She said she was going to finally move on and find a new guy. That's when she gave me a bathing suit small enough to fit into a contact lens case, as a present. She got herself a similar one. I still don't know how I am going to be able to wear the thing in public, it's strapless and has a thong!

I'm really anxious about today, as well. I had originally thought that getting away would be the best thing for me, after the whole Max and Tess thing. I just couldn't stay in town, knowing that Max was still hurt by the whole her working for the FBI as a psychic spy, and her death. I just couldn't deal. So I took the internship and left. He begged me not to go, but I left without saying goodbye. After a week of badgering Maria, he got my address and wrote me letters which I never responded to. He also left me messages on my machine, in the last one he told me he loved me. I always knew that he did, but to hear him say it was so...I don't know. It was wonderful! I've finally decided to forgive him, I wrote him a letter telling him so. I will finally get to tell him in person today. I hope things work out.

****

The phone began to ring, interrupting Liz as she wrote, and she picked it up. It was Maria.

"Hey Babe, you almost ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah, but about this suit Maria, I don't think I can..."

Maria spoke forcefully, "No, I don't want to hear another word about it, you're wearing it. I'll be there in five minutes, be ready!"