Snapshot · (Roswell Fanfiction) · √

12. Pushed Aside

The Parkers' Residence
Friday evening
(1991) Michael is 7, Max is 6, Liz is 5

"Okay," Mrs. Parker said and rose from her seat, turning to her son. "Take care of Elizabeth."

Liz dropped her spoon in the soup and looked up with anxious eyes. "Where are you going?"

"Honey," Mrs. Parker said with a smile. "We told you. There's this play in-"

Her eyes large and fearful, Liz whispered, "You're leaving? You can't leave. You just came back."

Mr. Parker walked up to her to ruffle her hair but she pushed his hands away. He gave his wife a strange look and Mrs. Parker's smile tensed. She really didn't have time for this tonight. They were already late.

"It's only for three days," Mrs. Parker said.

Large tears were now rolling down Liz's face and with a trembling bottom lip she said, "But you just came back."

"Come on, Lizzie. We'll watch Aladdin, okay?" Michael tried, but Liz didn't hear him because her mother was walking towards the front door.

Liz jumped down from her chair and ran up to her mother, wrapping her small arms tightly around one leg. "Don't go."

Mrs. Parker looked down at the little girl and felt a soft wave of regret and sadness as it hit her, not for the first time, that the child was more of an acquaintance than her daughter. She just had no idea what to do about the crying girl in front of her. She knew that she should be reaching out and comfort Elizabeth, but there was something very fundamental in her very core that said no.

"Elizabeth, dear. Gabriela will make you some...uhm...tea. Whatever you like. And you can watch that movie with your brother."

"Nooo," Liz sobbed, tightening her grip around her mother's thigh.

The sound of the door bell echoed in the large house and Mr. Parker walked around his wife to open the door. The dark-haired boy on the other side of the door gave him a polite smile. "Hello, Mr. Parker."

"Hello, Maxwell."

Max's attention was quickly diverted to the sound of someone crying to his right. He was so perplexed by the sight of Michael's little sister crying and clinging to her mother that he didn't notice his mother saying goodbye and Mr. Parker closing the front door.

With a broad grin, Michael walked up to his playmate. "Hey, Max."

Max glanced in Michael's direction, "Hey," before his eyes returned to Liz, "What's wrong with her?"

Michael shrugged. "She's just being annoying. Let's go to my room."

Max looked back at the girl. He had never seen anyone cry that much before. It was slowly freaking him out. "Uhm, okay."

His eyes still drawn to the crying sister, he trotted after his best friend.

"We'll get you something in New York, dear," Mrs. Parker said, but that only further tightened Liz's grip on her mother's leg.

"I don't want anything," she hiccupped. "I want you. I want you to stay."

"Well, we can't, Elizabeth," her father said and leaned down next to the girl. He took a hold of her hands and tried to pry them off. "Come here."

"Nooo," Liz wailed and held on tighter. "I don't want you to go."

"We'll get you a new Barbie, okay? Would you like that?" Mrs. Parker tried, while her husband ripped the desperate hands off her leg.