"Of course, I'm always right." Cressida kissed him.

"We might be here for a while. The mansion is damaged pretty bad."

"Well, maybe it's what God wants. Maybe Tamarius and Makayla will come back."

"Yeah." Maxwell leaned forward, fighting back his tears.

Cressida slipped her arm under his and leaned against him as she cried along with him.

Open Mind "What's the date, babe?" Max asked his wife as the lay in bed.

"Seventh. Max, it's been a whole month and Unk and Kay are still missing. What if...?"

"Don't go there," Max said rudely. He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I have a doctor's appointment," Mei announced, irritated by Max's rudeness. She got out of the bed and headed to the bathroom. Tamarius and Makayla's disappearance caused a strain in their marriage and in the family. Trying to live a lie was not easy and pretending to be happy when they just wanted to cry caused them to lash out at each other in an attempt to vent the pent up emotions.

Max knew his wife was just as frustrated as he. It seemed more and more people were asking about Tamarius and Makayla. To make matters worse, Makayla's agent kept calling and was increasingly curious about Makayla's lack of communication. Maxwell could not think up anymore lies to satisfy her curiosity and had to think of something to put everyone's questions to rest.

Max stood and walked into the bathroom where Mei was brushing her teeth. He stood behind her and looked at her reflection in the mirror. The depression they both felt was killing their marriage. Max thought about how much he loved his wife and their family. He didn't want to lose them. God had really placed a challenge on this family.

Max remembered something his uncle used to tell him when he was giving up or giving in. Tamarius would tell him, 'God gives you challenges that he knows you can overcome.' Remembering those words inspired Max to be the person his uncle raised him to be.

Mei finished brushing her teeth and left to get dressed. Max was miles away. Max finally noticed Mei had left the bathroom and was dressing. He quickly brushed his teeth and walked out to Mei. "Mei, we should talk."

Mei automatically assumed it was going to be bad. Is this where he tells me he can't handle being a young father and husband? Maybe they should separate, she thought.

She walked into her son's room.

Max followed her as she knelt by her son's bed and gently coaxed him awake. "Are you ignoring me now?" Max asked.

Mei fought back her emotions as she helped her son out of bed and walked him to the bathroom.

Max continued to follow her and assisted by placing toothpaste on his son's toothbrush. Max looked at his wife and saw a tear roll down her cheek. He put his son's toothbrush down and turned Mei to face him. Uriel yelled for them to get out of the bathroom so he could use it in peace. Max and Mei quickly walked out, leaving the door cracked open so they could hear him as they stood outside.

"Mei, I haven't been the best husband this past month," Max began.

"And, what... you need your space? Have it. Take it. I don't care!" Mei retorted.

"No! I love you. That's not what I... Mei... please don't think that way. I love you. I need you more now than before," Max pleaded.

"What's happening to us?" Mei complained.

"We just got depressed. It's not easy trying to put up a facade," Max said.

"I need you, too," Mei whispered.

Max immediately pulled her into his arms. "What doesn't kill us will make us strong," he said before kissing her.

"I know I've been distant," Mei admitted. She wrapped her arms around him, remembering how good it felt to be in his arms.

"So have I."

"We can survive this, right?"

"Do you love me?" Max smiled. He knew the answer to his question.

"Hmm, let me think... there's this really cute guy in my..."

"What!" Max laughed. "What class? I'll kill him."

Mei looked up at him. "I've missed hearing you laugh."

"I'm sorry." Max kissed her passionately.

"Mom!" Uriel yelled from the bathroom.

Max pulled away as they both stared at each other and smiled. "I'll go get dressed," Max said.

"I'll go deal with mud butt."

"Good luck." Max chuckled as Mei walked into the bathroom.

An hour later they were all heading to the campus clinic. Today they'd planned to skip all their classes and spend the day together, focusing on their relationship. They also wanted to find a way to deal with Makayla and Tamarius' disappearance.

Max held the door open for his wife as she walked into the clinic. He admired her growing belly that was now slightly noticeable.

Doctor Hayward smiled at them. "Well, look at you," she said to Mei.

Max sat his son on a chair then rushed to lift his wife onto the examination table.

"Thanks." Mei blushed as she gripped Max's shoulders.

Max smiled and kissed her. "Love you."

"Your uncle was that thoughtful when he was with Natasha." The doctor slipped on her gloves.

"Natasha?" Mei asked as she and Max looked at the doctor.

"Yeah, Your uncle never told you?" Dr. Hayward asked.

"Must have slipped his mind."

"Well, when we were all students here, your uncle and I were... dating... whatever... and Natasha Sizemoore caught his eye. He dropped me like a hot potato and went running to her. They made a cute couple. She was in her first year. Her major was quantum physics. Your uncle fell for her hard. There were rumors floating around that she'd become pregnant."

Dr. Hayward gestured for Mei to lay back. Mei settled back and waited eagerly for the doctor to finish the story.

Max, who was speechless, tried to keep a watchful eye on his son, but was taken in by the story.

"Well, it was all an unconfirmed rumor until I happened to assist the doctor examining her. Natasha was, indeed, pregnant and although she acted excited in your uncle's face... well... I'll never forget the expression on her face when he turned his back. He may as well have handed her a death sentence. Later that night she made some concoction of herbs and chemicals to cause an abortion. Meanwhile, your uncle was planning to propose to her."

"Where is she?" Max asked.

"Well, she took her concoction and it was successful. I know because she came running to me when she couldn't stop the bleeding and vomiting. She didn't want anyone to know what she'd done. I researched quickly the ingredients she'd used and made my own concoction to counteract the poisons she'd ingested. It could have killed her. I asked her why she would do something so stupid. Having a child for a Martinez was not a death sentence. She never really answered me, but I got that she was just selfish. Science was her true love, not Tamarius. A baby would have come between her and her work."

Max and Mei were speechless as the doctor finished up her exam.

"Oh, sorry. You asked what happened to her." Dr. Hayward smiled. "Well, a month after the self-induced miscarriage, your uncle found out what she'd done. He was heartbroken. He broke it off with her and closed himself off from all women. He focused on his education. Natasha found a way to open a portal to other dimensions. Unfortunately, she got sucked into one and was never heard from again. One of my friends told me Tamarius knew how to open and close portals, and was gifted. When he heard what had happened to her he could have done something, but he didn't. Everyone assumed he was still angry at her."

"Ah, poor Unk." Mei climbed off the examination table.

"Who did your uncle marry?"

"My cousin. Her name is Makayla," Mei answered.

"Well, that Makayla must be one heck of a woman."

Max and Mei smiled at the doctor, still in shock over what they'd just heard. Max picked up his son and looked at his wife who was talking with the doctor about her next visit. When they finished, Max held the door open for his wife.

Mei smiled at Max. "Can you believe it?"

"It's crazy and it explains so much," Max said.

"It really does."

"I'm speechless. I thought that man told me everything." Max laughed.

"It's sad he loved her, but she couldn't love him."

"He didn't love her enough. Why didn't he go after her?" Max questioned. "If she was willing to almost kill herself to get rid of his kid, she couldn't have really loved him," Max added.

"Well, we don't know why she did what she did. Really, this is all just hearsay," Mei said in Natasha's defense.

"True and we will never know... I wish she was still around. She could have helped us find him now."

"Well, she wasn't so good at it. She got herself sucked up and couldn't return."

"Right," Max agreed. "Enough about them. Let's do something."

"I want to see Dad," Mei said, remembering she wanted to ask him for a favor.

"Yeah, let's go see Grandpa," Max said to his son who cheered loudly. Uriel loved his grandpa and had him wrapped around his finger.

Forty-five minutes later they arrived at the family's vacation home. Max used his key to enter the house and loudly announced their presence. He knew Maxwell and Cressida were still staying while the mansion was in repair and didn't want to barge in unannounced.

Cressida came out and snatched Uriel from Max's arms while giving Max a kiss on the cheek. She hugged Mei and gave her belly a quick rub. Maxwell walked out with his cell phone attached to his head and greeted his son and daughter-in-law with a hug and kiss. Seeing his grandson he rushed off of the phone. He was eager to hold him and play with him.

"Shouldn't Mom and Dad be in class?" Maxwell questioned as he tickled Uriel. "Is this what they do behind Grandpa's back?"

Uriel smiled and shook his head.

Maxwell laughed and hugged him. "I believe you."

"Dad, can I talk to you privately?" Mei asked.

"First, we want to announce something." Maxwell stood next to Cressida who was blushing. Maxwell put Uriel down so he could run around. "We have decided to start a family."

Mei screamed and ran to Cressida, hugging her. "Are you pregnant now?" Mei asked, excited by the news.

"No, not yet. We just decided this morning," Cressida answered.

Max smirked at his father and Maxwell smiled back at his son. "Go ahead and say it. Just get it out of your system," Maxwell said, knowing Max had some sort of sarcastic response.

"Do you think it still works?" Max was unable to hold his laughter in any longer.

Maxwell bolted after his son. Max took off and ran out to the beach, laughing. To his surprise his father caught up to him and tackled him to the ground. They laughed as Maxwell punched him in the shoulder. Max was breathless and couldn't stop laughing. Maxwell threw himself back, laughing. He hadn't laughed like that in a long time and it felt good to be laughing next to his son. Maxwell stood up, still smiling over his son's comment.

"Dad, help me up?" Max asked, putting up his hand.

"Who's too old now?" Maxwell joked.

"Ah, Dad, I think it's great, really," Max said as his father helped him. "Today with all that science has to offer..."

Maxwell began choking Max playfully as Max fell to his knees laughing. Mei and Cressida approached laughing at both of them.

"Kill him, he deserves it," Mei said.

"Yeah, we can just make a new one," Cressida joked.

"You're right. I should just start all over." Maxwell laughed.

Max was still laughing when Maxwell released his neck. "My own wife and stepmother... You all know you can't replace this." Max spread out his arms. "Right, Mei?"

Mei shook her head and turned to face her father-in-law. "Dad, congratulation," Mei said as she offered him a big hug.

"Thank you, princess." Maxwell gave her an affectionate squeeze.

"Princess? I hope Cressida has a girl." Max laughed. "Princess?" he repeated, walking away to check on his son.

"Don't worry you will always be my princess," Maxwell assured Mei.

"Dad, I wanted to ask you if Cora could come out to this college next year."

"Cora?" Maxwell looked down at Mei. "Sure, anything for my princess. I'll have to pull some strings, but I know her father will be all for it. He used to go here."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Maxwell stepped over to his wife and pulled her close to him. "We were roommates."