The Touched And Untouched {Lumax} COMPLETED

Baby Sylvie

Sometimes things exist even when the odds say they shouldn't. Like Max's second chance with Billy, and the baby in her arms. It had been a month since baby Sylvia was born, but a heavy burden loomed over everyone's head. Not just because of the health conditions and the bills.

"Max, what are you going to do? Seriously?" Billy sat on the opposite end of Sue's couch.

Max kept her eyes closed tightly so she didn't need to look at the baby while she spoke. "I really don't want to discuss this. No one's going to adopt a dying baby anyway."

"Plenty of rich fucks adopt sick kids to feel better about themselves." Billy watched the baby suck aggressively on the bottle Max was holding shakily. "Max, you know you've got to use this in court, and get rid of her."

"I think I heard Lukas' car coming back." Max changed the subject and stood up. She wasn't really lying. She met Lukas at the door. "Need help?"

Lukas set down a few grocery bags. "No, I got it. How did everything go while I was gone?"

"She's still alive, so I guess I did a pretty damn good job." Billy smirked as he joined them in the kitchen. Max had been in unpredictable moods since giving birth to Neil's child. Lukas refused to leave her home alone, that's why he tolerated Billy watching her while he was gone.

"Thanks for watching her." Lukas was stiff, not really feeling gratitude towards Billy.

"It's whatever, wouldn't want her killing herself over this bullshit." Billy pulled out a box of cigarettes.

"Don't light that up on here." Lukas warned.

"Relax, relax." Billy started walking to the door. "I'm heading home. Call if you need me." He stopped for a second. "Lukas, talk some sense into Max. Max, talk some sense into Lukas. Maybe you can convince each other not to make this fucking mistake."

Lukas looked at Max as Billy left the house. "I think we do need to talk..."

Max rolled her eyes. "Lukas, there's nothing to talk about. I've decided to keep the baby, and you promised to stay with us no matter who's baby it was."

"Yeah, I said that with maybe James or Troy in mind..." Lukas walked into the living room. "Go put Sylvie down and come talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about." Max restated. "You think I'm happy about this? I'm not, but I'm not abandoning this baby. It's not her fault."

"Max...put the baby down, come talk to me." Lukas said again, more serious than he ever had been with Max.

Max went to the guest room–her room, and put the baby in the bassinet. Then she went back out to the living room to see Lukas with his arms crossed awkwardly. "Well?"

Lukas sat down on the couch. "I don't want to fight, I just want us to agree on this."

"You wanted a baby too, you wanted her more than anything!" Max sat down on the couch.

"Of course, And I want her now!" Lukas matched Max's tone, and made her look at him with unease. "Sorry– it's just... it's just not right. Sylvie deserves a comfortable, loving home...and let's be honest. We can't give that to her. We will always be unsettled by her father, your step father. There will be resentment, and Sylvie doesn't deserve that." Lukas expected Max to argue, to say the baby was staying. That's how she had felt until now.

Max started crying.

Lukas wrapped her up in his arms swiftly. He didn't need to say anything, or wait for an explanation. He felt her pain, and he understood it. He cried with her.

-

That night Lukas was helping Sue with the dishes, while Max went to bed early. "Me and Max made a decision..."

Sue nodded her head, but didn't say anything. There was no correct words in any language to say in a situation like this.

"We're going to...you know." Lukas couldn't even say that they were putting the baby up for adoption. If he said it, he would cry again.

Sue nodded once. "For the best..."

"Things for me and Max have been tense...We aren't really fighting but, there's just this weird aggressive energy between us."

"Oh?" Sue pulled her hands out of the sink and dried them. "Sometimes that can happen when couples need to bicker, but refuse to."

"I don't think couples should fight." Lukas sighed.

"Not fight, bicker. There's a difference. This hasn't been easy for anyone, especially not you and Max. There's going to be tension, but I think you two will overcome it."

"I'm sure we can...I just need to talk to her some more." Lukas dried the last plate and put it in the cupboard.

Erica came down the steps, with an uneasy expression she had never worn before.

"Everything alright, baby?" Sue noticed immediately.

"I don't know..." Erica looked at Lukas, then make at Sue. "I..."

"Erica, what?" Sue walked over and put her hands on Erica's shoulders. It wasn't like her daughter to stumble and cower over her words.

"I heard something..."

"What?"

"Someone should check on Max and the baby..." Erica breathed out.

Sue watched as Lukas made his way up the stairs before she could blink. "What did you hear?"

Erica shook her head, refusing to say it out loud in case she was wrong and ended up looking crazy.

Sue like any parent should've ran upstairs too, to make sure everything was okay. But the sick look on Erica's face made Sue want to stay back. Let Lukas go first. After all, the baby and Max were his responsibility.

There was shouting, and arguing, and sobs. Then Lukas came downstairs holding baby Sylvie in his arms. "She's not breathing!"