going off the deep end

Stu was certain. He might have been watching live TV. Except, he was part of the show. He guessed.

His chest was tight, with perhaps fear. Maybe, this was all wrong. But it went so fast. Meeting Hannah at the Come & Go.

Sure, he'd been shaky, then. Feeling, something bad might happen. Only, he didn't know what that might be.

When they got to his house, she wanted to see the whole place.Where did he sleep? Did he have any pets?

And then the basement. Honestly, it was an embarrassment.

Stu was not his father.

Maybe, he was too much like his mother. Then again, he remembered how much she wanted him to be his father.

Perhaps, he'd never had a real family. They divorced. She'd left him and found someone much better. An officer in the Air Force.

No, he hadn't kept in touch, because she hadn't kept in touch. Honestly, he didn't feel like talking about it, but Hannah still got it out of him, anyway.

And then she made him breakfast.

She even made black coffee sublime. He'd always had to have cream and sugar until he drank the coffee she made in the old coffee maker, he never used.

If only he knew what to make of her? When she wrapped her arms around his middle, it was as if home had found him at last.

She looked at him with a smile. He shook with laughter.

He could not push her away. He was certain. Nothing like this would ever come his way, again.