My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

After dropping Laura off at home and making sure Paul and Maurice were alright, Maximus went to pick up Diana. He had just remembered he had an early meeting the next morning, and after that, he planned to return to help Celeste.

The drive was quiet, which caught Diana's attention.

"Maximus... what's wrong? You seem off," she asked, concerned.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to the prison where Leonardo was," Maximus said carefully.

"Why? Did he finally decide to tell you something about Peter's mother?" Diana asked hesitantly.

"No... While we were waiting for Peter to arrive with Celeste and the babies today, I got a call from the prison," he said, still trying to process the news.

"Did something happen?" Diana asked, unsure if she should be asking.

"Yeah... Apparently, there was a fight that turned into a full-blown riot. Leonardo was seriously injured, and... they confirmed he died," Maximus said, as if the truth were a heavy burden.

"Oh... I'm sorry," Diana said, understanding that this wasn't easy for him either.

"I didn't want to ruin the moment, so I didn't say anything. Tomorrow, I have to go identify the body," Maximus confessed, clearly conflicted.

"God... this must be really hard for you," Diana said, noticing the tension on his face.

"I'm angry... you know? He's gone, and he never told me where Peter's mother is. He took that secret to the grave," Maximus said, frustration evident in his voice.

"I'm really sorry, but Maximus, this is something that's eating away at you. Have you noticed that Peter hasn't even asked about it?" Diana pointed out, trying to ease his burden.

"Yeah, but after everything he's done for us, I felt like this was the least I could do for him..... and I couldn't even get that," Maximus said heavily.

Diana reached for his hand and wrapped it in both of hers.

"You did what you could."

"I know... but it frustrates me that I couldn't dig deeper, that I never found out who she was," he admitted, guilt weighing on him.

"Listen, go tomorrow and close this chapter of your life. Do you want me to come with you? And do you think you should tell Peter?"

"No, that prison isn't a place for you. I'll go alone and make the arrangements for him to be buried with the rest of the Palmer family. It's the last thing I'll ever do for him," Maximus said, trying to sound relaxed.

"As for Peter... I need to think about it. I don't want to taint this moment for him. He looks so happy right now, happier than I've seen him in years. He might not remember everything, but I admire how determined he is to be a good father."

"Peter deserves to know, but you're right-he's happy right now. It wouldn't be fair to ruin one of the best moments of his life. It's your decision," Diana said, accepting whatever Maximus chose to do.

That night, Maximus stayed at Diana's apartment. The next morning, he drove to Blackstone Prison. When he arrived, he wasn't alone-several families were gathered outside, waiting for news about their loved ones. Only then did he realize the full extent of the disaster.

"Ah, Leonardo... Even in death, you had to put on a damn show," Maximus muttered bitterly.

"Mr. Palmer... come this way. We need to process the body and confirm what you'd like done with it. As you can imagine, we're running out of space," said one of the officers.

Maximus silently followed, his stomach turning at the thought of what he was about to see. The prison was in chaos. He was led down several hallways until they reached a room where multiple bodies lay waiting to be identified.

"Mr. Palmer... I'm sorry for your loss. I know he wasn't close to you, but you're his only living contact," the officer said, lifting the sheet.

Maximus clenched his fists at the sight of the man lying on the cold metal table.

"It's him. Cover him up."

"Alright... now that you've identified him, tell us what you want done with the body," the officer said, eager to clear another case off his list.

"Cremation," Maximus said, taking a deep breath. He recalled a

conversation he once had with Leonard

he had said that when he

died, he wanted to be cremated and his ashes placed beside Catherine's. He had wanted to be next to his mother.

"Leonardo Palmer... I'm going to grant you your damn last wish. I shouldn't, but I will. You left without saying a word, taking your secrets to the grave. I'll never know

happened to Peter's more

Maximus whispered to himself.

"Mr. Palmer?"

Maximus looked up to see one of the forensic doctors standing in front of him. The man seemed uneasy, glancing around nervously before checking the security

camera.

"Take this," the doctor said, slipping something into his hand. "Leonardo left it for you... He knew you'd come."

"What the hell?" Maximus asked, confused and a little on edge. "Don't open it here, or they'll take it. Keep it hidden and open it later." Maximus instantly understood that this was important. Whatever Leonardo had planned, he had known Maximus would be the only one to come for him. After signing several documents, he was led to a makeshift room where they would hand over the ashes. Reality hit him hard-this was it. The man who had been his father for nearly fifty years was now nothing more than a pile of ashes.

It was a strange feeling. Despite everything, Leonardo had always been there. Even though his hunger for power had blinded him, he had always put on a good front for, Maximus. But his mother, Peter's mother, and Peter himself had all

seen a much darker side of him.

Looking back, Maximus realized he had spent his entire life deceived. But at least

he hadn't seen the worst of Leonardo like his mother had. Like Peter's mother had. Like Peter himself had.

"Goddamn it, Leonardo... Why? Why did your damn ambition consume you? You were my hero," he muttered under his breath.

A few hours later, he heard his name being called. When he reached the window,

a man handed him a sealed urn and asked him to sign for it. With those two

simple steps, Leonardo Palmer's life had officially come to an end.

Maximus didn't dwell on the thought for long. He walked toward the exit,noveldrama

quickening his pace as the air inside felt suffocating.

"Alright, Leonardo... Let's go home," he said, looking down at the sealed urn in his hands.