My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

The day had finally come-the Bartz family and the newly formed Palmer-Bartz family were leaving for Hesperia.

Without meaning to, the three families found themselves gathered once again at

the airport.

Marcus was saying goodbye to Peter, who, due to his memory loss, only held onto the memories of the past-which, in a way, made them even more meaningful.

The man was laid-back and jovial, though he looked like a mature adult.noveldrama

"Take care of yourself, man-and take care of the whole family! I'm leaving my son in your hands. I know he's not your favorite, but I swear, in time you'll come to appreciate him. He's a good kid-heck, I even like him now!" Peter said casually.

"Dad! I'm standing right here!" Alden called out from a few steps away, holding little Isabelle in his arms.

"I didn't say anything that wasn't true! At first, you came off as a bit full of yourself... but you're my son, and I had to accept you. Now I know you're a good son, and I'm proud of you," Peter replied, completely unfiltered.

"Stop teasing your son already! Between the two of you, he's the one who looks more mature, Grandpa Peter," Maximus chimed in, a bit embarrassed but defending his nephew.

"Alright, alright! All I'm saying is-I like the guy. He's my son," Peter said, brushing it off.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Alden and I will get along eventually," Marcus added with a small smile-one that Alden didn't quite know how to take, but that still made him

nervous.

All the young man could do was pray to every saint he knew that Marcus wouldn't be too hard on him-especially since, as far as Ethan was concerned, he'd clearly already earned his place in the family.

"Alright, enough! Don't be so hard on my son-in-law. I adore him-and that should be enough for you," Valerie said, grabbing her husband's arm.

"And Alden, don't worry I'll be the queen mother in this family. You don't need to worry about this big ol' teddy bear," she added with a playful grin.

For the three men standing there, it was hard to believe that this same woman had once played such a defining role in each of their lives.

Maximus felt a lump rise in his throat just remembering how he'd met Valerie. She was just a young girl back then, trying to survive in a world built for adults.

He hadn't made things easy for her far from it. So much of what she'd suffered in her youth was his fault. Sometimes, it was still hard for him to look her in the eye.

"Maximus, take care of yourself...

Take care of Diana. I know that once you finally get married, you'll be happy with her-she's a good woman. Appreciate her," Valerie said, hugging the imposing man who now had visible gray in his hair. Cóntent belongs to

She, too, couldn't help remembering how they'd met... how, for a time, he'd been her Prince Charming. But if anyone knew how quickly a prince could turn into a monster, it was her.

Even though they now hugged and tried to keep things cordial, the memory of the man who had once

been her tormentor never fully

faded Life had been wise, ve

him from her path when Alexia became pregnant with Lucius.

"Take care of yourself, Mary! Take care of our daughter! Watch over my granddaughter, my nephew, and definitely Ethan-who's practically your son at this point!"

"You don't even have to ask-I'll look after all of them once we're in Hesperia... Maximus, try to be happy. Life is short, and now that you've got a second chance, take it. Don't let work consume you.

"Remember, you're a man, a father, a

son, and a grandfather. You have a

beautiful family. Life gave you

another chance to love-take it, and

love with everything you've got

Valerie said, hugging Maximus again

and kissing him on the cheek.

Marcus watched the scene with narrowed eyes, but he kept his cool. He trusted his wife. And he understood that this goodbye would come with two awkward moments-one with Maximus, and one with Peter.

Valerie turned to Diana, who smiled warmly and opened her arms to embrace her.

"Diana, I'm going to miss you so much. I'll always be grateful for your friendship— even with everything that happened.

"Thank you for listening to me when I was at my lowest... for staying by my side, for being like a sister to me."

"Valerie, there's nothing to thank me for. All of us, at some point in our lives, need someone to talk to someone to remind us we're not alone.

"I'm just glad you're taking something good from our time together. And if I ever get a chance to visit Hesperia, I promise I'll come see you, even if it's just a quick visit. You know how hectic my life is."

"You'll always be welcome!"