a harden heart

Max looked at Asa on his right. Daisy's Dad to his left. Could it get any worse? He jumped to his feet and decided to go after Daisy who was in the kitchen brewing tea.

"Are..you...better?" He didn't know where to start as he looked at her so solemn. As if she might be under house arrest, herself. Maybe they'd both be.

She said nothing. She was looking for tea bags. There was nothing on the counters. It could have been a professional kitchen. Max stared at the empty space.

"I..I always thought..I..I was smarter than this." Max turned away from her and hugged himself. "I just thought, I'd be ready. All right." He sighed.

"Look, I broke up with Sara." He turned back at her. "But, then she had to go and trash my car."

"What?" Daisy winced as she almost missed the teacup with the hot water.

"I don't think she's a psycho, but she got arrested, and now Asa has this restraining order against her. She quit her job at the grocery store." He didn't know if that was fair or not. "Then..this. This." He almost hissed. "Why didn't you tell me? You, could have said something."

She took a sleeve of fig Newtons and put them on a platter as if this was going to some sort of tea party.

He watched her.

"I will be here..for you..and the baby." He found himself saying. "But..you can't just leave me, like before, when... you get bored." He didn't want to make it a threat, but if it came down to it. he'd raise this baby himself. He wished he could completely trust her. He honestly wanted too, but she'd hurt him before. He was only being brave now for the baby, but he couldn't let her know.