Unexpected

Part 20: Making Time

They ate quietly for a while. The girls eating pizza and vegetables without a single fuss or problem. They sit at the small round table in the corner, Max across from Helen and the girls on either side of them. They don't speak about earlier.

They don't even comment on the food. They just silently eat and occasionally, Luna will garble something in Toddler that no one fully understands.

"Oh, she found something to chew on." Sandra says as she comes in with a frozen rag and a brand new teether in the box.

"Oh! Hey!" Max happily says. Blessed to see his new secretary coming in with the items he desperately needs.

"You shouldn't ever be that happy to see your secretary." She blandly says.

"Yes, well- when she's a life saver, she gets a happy welcome." Max says as he forces himself up and out of the seat. "I appreciate you doing this for me."

He goes to hug her and she puts her hands up to stop him.

"No hugging. My dried up soul can't take it."

"We'll make a hugger of you one day." Max says and she shakes her head.

"I doubt that. Anyway, I looked up the reason she's biting and it has to do with the fact that she's a toddler. So there you go. Mystery solved."

"Well...thank you." Max wants to be sarcastic, but he doesn't have it in him to do so.

"Would you like to join us? We have more than enough." Helen offers and Sandra waves them off before leaving.

"I think she's coming around." Max says smirking.

"You think?"

"Haha...ow..."Max laughs, but is interrupted by a sharp pain in his chest. He puts his hand on his chest and Helen sits up- ready to go to him. "Mchmm..."

"Max..."

"I'm fine." He says, his hand still flat to his chest. Getting up, she goes around the table to him and pulls out her stethoscope. "Helen, I'm..."

"Shh..." Moving it around his chest and then listening to his lungs through his back, she pulls the stethoscope down and looks at him. "A slight arrhythmia. Have you been having that pain all day?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying. It just happened for the first time. I promise." She cups his face in her hands and kisses him gently. Scared that he might not be around for very much longer if his heart doesn't get better.

"You tell me if it's like that again...okay?" He feels her shaking slightly and all he can do is wrap his arms around her and sit her down on his lap. She pushes her face into his neck and he kisses hers. His hands sliding up and down her back. "I love you..."

"I love you too." He holds onto her for what feels like forever, yet it will never truly be enough. "You don't need to worry about this. Okay?"

"I'm always going to worry." Her fingers play in his hair, her voice quiet and cracking. Looking at him, she sits back and searches his eyes. She sees how tired he is. She knows that he will be very tired and week for a while. As long as he's alive though- she will be okay.  "You had a long day."

"I'm fine."

"Let's finish eating and get you to bed." Getting up, she kisses his forehead and goes back to her seat at the table to finish her dinner. The girls look between them and Daphne smiles.

"You need to eat." He says to her and she furrows her brows and looks at him a bit confused by his comment.

"I am."