Maria was always there for her, sometimes though she pushed a little too hard. She constantly told Liz to go out more, date more, make some new friends. One time Maria wouldn’t let up. So Liz screamed at her. She broke down and told her everything that she had felt for a year, about life, about Max. She brought up Micheal, and she saw the tears start to come to Maria’s eyes. She said things that she knew she didn’t mean, but still hurt Maria. Maria stormed out screaming something like she just wanted to help. And she didn’t come back for an hour. When she came back she had two boxes of cookies and cream and their favorite movie. They spent the entire night talking about things they had kept bottled up for the past few years. They cried, and laughed, and hugged, and spent all night comforting each other.

Maria asked Liz if she wanted to try and come out with her sometime, but Liz explained that those were things that just weren’t important to her anymore. Not since Max left. Now everyday was just one more day until he came back to her. She wasn’t sure when or if he would come back, but she knew that wherever he was that their bond hadn’t changed. She could feel it all over, as she could most things about Max.

*******************

She remembered the day that they left. They knew it was coming, but still wanted to forget. She saw the three of them board the ship that would take them so far away to their home. She felt the tears roll down her face, but didn’t dare move to wipe them. It was almost as if she moved she would miss something, miss her last look at him. But she also felt the fear, sadness, determination, and curiosity that was surging through Max. They had spent the night before together, they walked for a while, then went back to Liz’s balcony and began to talk, and then they both began to cry, they made promises they didn’t know if they could keep, and in the end fell asleep in each others arms. After they left she had to leave; she had to get out of that town, the town that held so many memories. So she came to LA which was very different from the little town she spent her whole life in. The perfect place to forget.

*******************

It was really busy that day at work. She put in a twelve-hour day and got back about 7:30. When she got home she was worrying about dinner and simple things like that but she walked in the door and found Maria there waiting with the table set and dinner ready.

Maria was the greatest, and sometimes she wondered how she could have put up with her for the past two years. She never went out with her. Sure they had fun together, late nights, ice cream, old movies, but never once did Liz and Maria hit the town together.

Maria tried to get on with her life, date, party, and all those things that people who have had normal lives can do. But it was no use; she still loved Micheal, and needed him as much as Liz needed Max. Maria was always a thrill seeker, and she had been through the biggest of them all! She had been trusted with the mother of all secrets, and actually managed to keep it for all this time! She was proud of herself, but there was something missing. The person that she was doing all of this for, the man she loved.

*******************

Micheal had cried the hardest the day the three of them left. It was surprising to them since he had been the one who wanted to go so bad. Liz and Maria both knew they could have made them stay if they wanted to. All they had to do was ask them. They both wished they hadn’t left, but they knew it had to happen, they had to do what they were born to do. They loved them too much to ask them to stay.

******************* "Liz, guess what…..," said Maria in an enthusiastic tone.

"What," asked Liz wondering what could get Maria this excited, "come on Maria, tell me!"’