on our ragedy way

Asa was pretty sure Amanda's dad must be lost in Alaska. They'd spoken a few times. Her dad talked with Max. Made some promises. As it was, their dad had been a no show. Suddenly, Asa felt he was on his way to getting guardianship to the whole bunch. Of course, it was Amanda who needed to be babied the most.

"Well, you can't expect Elliot to be all happy, that you want Pearl back." Asa spoke the truth. He didn't mean to bring her down than she already seemed, but he would have probably reacted the same as Elliot. "What did you expect?"

They were trying to get dinner on the table. He's made some quick tacos. It was something Max approved of, especially after Max showed Asa how to make them correctly. Max liked his corn tortilla a little soft.

"I just want him to understand." Amanda was so emotional. She didn't want to eat. "I am trying to make things better. OK! He gets to do whatever he wants and..and its down to me to do everything else." She was talking about being a mother and having a career. It was just too much. "But I can do this now. I know I can."

"You'll have to talk to your lawyer. It might take some time." Asa reminded her. He put some shredded cheese and lettuce on a taco and put it on her plate, but she pushed it away.

"I don't have time. I don't know why he's so unreasonable." Her lower lip pouted more.

"Maybe, maybe if you rest, or something-" He didn't want her ruining dinner. The guys were hungry. They didn't need her spouting off about Elliot. How he'd taken Pearl away from her when they all knew she was the one who wanted Elliot to take the baby in the first place.

She was the one who loaded everything up and dropped off Pearl at Elliot's one day. She didn't go back to pick her up. Now she was in tears. Asa gave her hug and got her down the hall to their room.

"Did I tell you about Roxie?" She looked at him.

"No."

"She's gonna die, Asa." She coughed more tears and hung on to him as if he might be a life raft she'd found in the middle of the ocean.

Asa sighed.

"She thinks I'm a bad Mom, you know." She cleared her throat. "I am a bad Mom."

"You can change that. And you know it." He tried to stay positive. She shook her head, no.

Asa guessed he could call Elliot and talk to him about the Pearl situation, but maybe he'd give Kyle a call first to find out what was exactly going on with Rox.