The Touched And Untouched {Lumax} COMPLETED

Talking To Susan

When Susan came home, she set her keys down on the table and opened the fridge. Before she got a can of beer, Max was behind her. Probably for the best, alcohol and babies don't mix.

"Mom?"

Susan turned around but couldn't look Max in the eyes. "what?"

"I need you to meet someone..." Max couldn't look directly at her mother either.

Susan crossed her arms and inhaled slowly. "Is it your boyfriend?"

Max nodded, but of course Susan couldn't see that. "yes, he's here now...please mom..."

Susan closed the fridge and rubbed her face. "Maxine, you're going to be the death of me."

"He's really nice, you'll like him." Max insisted.

"Yeah, so nice he knocked you up." Susan pulled the hair out of her face. "Go get him then, I'll be in the living room."

Max went to her room where Lukas was pacing. "She's ready, I think...don't worry, she'll like you."

Lukas took Max's hand and walked out to the living room. Susan was puffing out cigarette smoke while sitting in an arm chair by an open window. Judging by the burns in the chair, it was a common smoke spot.

Lukas saw the flash of horror in Susan's eyes, then he saw her adjusting herself uncomfortably in the chair. "Hey, I'm Lukas..."

Susan couldn't breathe. She felt sick. Sick from herself. She didn't want to be like her mother, but she acted like it as soon as she looked at Lukas differently. She could hear the endless family drama now. Thanksgiving would be impossible and Christmas would be a death sentence. There were no mixed kids in the Mayfield or Hargrove family. "Hello...you're quite tall." She said, because what else was she supposed to say? Did you enjoy knocking up my daughter?

"Yeah..." Lukas looked at Max for reassurance. She squeezed his hand and he felt a lot better. "There's really no point in avoiding this..." He started. "I'm sorry, I wish we met in different circumstances."

Susan blew some smoke out the window and chewed on her lip. "Mn...Do you have a job?"

"No, not yet..." Lukas wished he did, it might make him look less like a lowlife baby daddy. "But I will get one, and I'm sure I know what you're thinking...but I won't abandon your daughter, no matter what."

"Max's father said that too." Susan had a bitter tone. "Max's father..." She said again. "He ran off after he found out what kind of commitment a family needs."

Lukas nodded sympathetically. "I understand...my mom had me young too..." Lukas stopped before he thought too much about his real mom and cried. "I won't leave Max or the baby behind. As long as they need me, I'll be here. And Max won't have to worry about a thing. I'll get a job, drive her to appointments, I'll pay for everything."

Susan shook her head and rubbed her face. "You two have no idea what kind of storm you're heading towards. Having kids is one of the biggest disasters in life."

"Mom..." Max choked on a lump in her throat.

"Not because I don't love you, Maxine. You're a blessing, but hell knows I'm not a motherly woman. I fucked you up, and you're sibling will be even more fucked."

Max suddenly remembered that she wasn't the only one growing a human. "Mom, are you...keeping the baby?" She couldn't even think of calling the baby her sibling. Not even half sibling.

"God willing, but I'm not as young as moms ought to be, Maxine...you're too young, I'm too old. What's hell gonna do with us?" Susan finished her cigarette and left it in the ashtray on the window ledge. "and without Neil, we're as good as homeless."