My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

"That little girl is also your daughter. You can't deny that if life had given you the chance, you would have raised her as your own. And I know you would have done a great job."

"Oh, Maximus... That's something I actually want to apologize for..."

"What? For what?"

"For trying to pretend I was Serenity's father. I was going to take away your chance to know her."

"Let's just say we were both idiots. But, well... your friend turned out to be the smarter one." "Maximus!"

"What? It's true! While you and I were fighting over Mary, he walked away with the grand prize. Marcus didn't fight, didn't make a fuss, and yet, he ended up winning."

"The Art of War."

"Peter! Now you're quoting books at me? You're an idiot! But... you're my idiot."

Both brothers laughed, talking and joking around, exchanging sarcasm, insults, and stories. Then, out of nowhere, Peter fell silent. After a moment, he spoke.

"Maximus, promise me something..."

"Go on..."

"If, for some reason, something goes wrong during the surgery... If my life is at risk... First, I want you to help take care of my kids and Celeste. I have plenty of savings, and I know Theodore will handle things financially, but I want you to help raise my children-all of them, even Alden. Even though he's older, I want you to guide him to be a good person. Teach them to be better people than I ever was. My hands are stained. My conscience isn't clean."

"Everything will be fine, Peter. There's no reason to think about worst-case scenarios..."

"You say that because you're not the one getting your head opened up. Are you going to help me?" Maximus felt a lump form in his throat. He couldn't speak, so he simply nodded.

"One more thing... If, for some reason, I lose my memory... just leave it. Don't look for a cure, don't try to fix it. I've thought about it a lot, and I know what it means to lose all my memories. But something Celeste said gave me peace of mind if I forget everything, you guys will be there to create new memories with me. Don't you think that might actually be for the best?"

"Peter... Let's not get ahead of ourselves..."

"In this case, yes, Maximus, we should. I've decided to go through with the surgery, and before that happens, I want to make my wishes clear. I don't want to be dragged from doctor to doctor. I've already spent too many years in hospitals. If life decides I have to forget, then maybe it's for a reason."

Maximus could barely process what his brother was saying, but he knew he had to reassure him. More than that, he had to give him the confidence he needed to go through with the operation. So, without hesitation, he said:

"Brother, you need to be sure of one thing-if anything bad were to happen, I would never abandon your family. Your kids will be like my own, whether's Alden, Ethan, or your babies. I'll love and take care of them as if they were mine. Though, I have to admit... I'm still new to this Whole full-time dad thing I'm not exactly an expert. But I'm sure I'll figure it out. I mean... What could possibly go wrong?"

"Maximus! I know you're trying, but I want my kids to have a father figure if I'm not here. Lucky for you, Diana seems to have more sense. And in my kids' case, Alden has his mother, Ethan tog, and the little ones-they'll have Celeste. They all have a mother looking out for them. But you know they always need a father figure too-whether it's a grandfather, a dad, an uncle, or a friend. In this case, you are my brother. I know you'll do a great job. Besides, you're great at being strict. And just in case, I'll also entrust them to Theodore... he definitely knows how to put the fear of God in people."

"Peter! Are you saying I don't look intimidating?"

"Right now? Not really... I think I'm scarier than you."

"You're unbearable! You know that?"

"Of course, I do! But I'm still your brother. You're even worse! Let's add 'idiot' to the list too..."

The two brothers kept talking,

throwing jabs at each other, until Peter slowly started dozing off. It was clear he needed to be kept sedated to avoid any sudden stress. He had already made up his mind about the surgery. That 60 percent chance didn't seem so bad not when he had a family waiting for him, two children he still had to meet. No matter the outcome, he accepted it. Dying simply wasn't an option. noveldrama