Twenty-Four Shadows. Tanya J. Peterson

the doorway, blocking Isaac and preventing him from entering the house.

      “Why were you such a prick last night?”

      Isaac sighed. Not this again. “Max, I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me.” Max, Isaac thought, had no idea how literal that statement was. “I was angry at Gretchen. You and Elise don’t deserve this.”

      Max folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah, well, Gretchen didn’t deserve you screaming at her, grabbing her am, hurting her—”

      “You’re defending her?” Isaac asked, incredulous. He heard his voice rise and noticed Elise begin to fuss, likely in response to his increasing tension. He adjusted Elise on his hip and took a breath. As he exhaled, he noted with relief that his frustration dissipated. He absolutely did not want a repeat of whatever had happened last night. Apparently he had been quite angry, which he still didn’t understand. He never, ever got angry. Ever. Just as he didn’t cry, he didn’t feel anger. He pushed the thoughts away. He felt calm again, and he wanted to reach out to his friend.

      Max talked before Isaac had a chance to resume. “Look, Isaac—”

      “Wait.” He interrupted Max again. “Stop. Please. I’m sorry. I’m sorry about last night, and I’m sorry about now. It won’t happen again, okay? Will you let us help you through this?”

      After staring at Isaac at length, Max nodded. “Yeah. Okay. For Elise.” He gave a small smile as he stepped back and let Isaac through the door. Isaac followed Max to the kitchen. As he walked, Max said over his shoulder, “I suppose I should appreciate the fact that you were just trying to stick up for me. I really wasn’t doing it for myself. Plus I’m used to your temper, so I shouldn’t have been so shocked. It’s just that I still care about her, and because of that I defended her. I’m a chump, right?” Having reached the kitchen, he went into the pantry. He re-emerged balancing a can of liquid baby formula, a box of baby rice cereal, and a few jars of interestingly colored baby food.

      Isaac’s head was spinning. Max used to his temper? What temper? What did he mean by that? Too stunned to speak, he remained silent.

      After placing the baby grocery store on the counter, Max turned to Isaac and said, “Well, you don’t have to be so quick to disagree with me being a chump.”

      Max’s words brought Isaac’s focus back to the moment. “Uh, sorry. Of course you’re not a chump. Why don’t you go shower and stuff and then come over? I’ve got Elise.”

      Max sighed. “I guess. Thanks, man.” He nodded toward the counter. “I’ll bring this stuff over when I come. See you in a few.”

      Isaac was lost in thought as he walked into his own kitchen. Starting with Dominic’s party, the weekend had been nothing but one confusing moment after another. More so than usual, that is. And now Max’s comment about his temper. Isaac was beginning to worry that he was going completely crazy. The thought nagged at him as he leaned against the counter watching Reese make breakfast. Suddenly she was standing nose-to-nose with him looking straight into his eyes. He blinked.

      “Isaac! I’ve asked you three times how Max is doing. Where are you right now?”

      Isaac rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “Sorry. Thinking. About Max. And about how lucky Dominic and I are to have you.”

      Reese leaned in and kissed him. “Here. Let me take the baby off your hands. Holding her must be painful.”

      Isaac nodded and gently touched his arms. “Yeah. Reese?”

      She placed Elise on a blanket in the breakfast nook and handed her some kitchen goodies to play with. The baby took immediate delight in shaking plastic cups with one hand and gnawing on and slobbering all over a wooden spoon with the other. “Yes, sweetheart?”

      “Max said I have a temper. Do I have a temper?”

      Isaac watched Reese as she cocked her head and seemed to consider the question. “Um, sometimes.” She paused and knitted her eyebrows. “I guess it’s usually more like extreme irritability. Why?”

      “Oh.” He bit his lip. “I guess I asked because I didn’t mean to have a temper. I didn’t realize, I guess. It’s inexcusable, and I’m sorry, Reese.” He looked down and studied his shoes.

      “Oh, honey.” She slipped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer. “You really need to stop always being so hard on yourself. Do I love it when you’re irritable or your temper flares up? No. Sometimes it hurts and pisses me off. And of course I hate it when your irritability lasts for longer periods. But it’s never been like it was last night. That was awful and I hope you don’t get like that ever again. Usually when you’re angry you confine it to stomping around and grouching. Like I said, I don’t love that, but I do love you. No one’s perfect, Isaac. I’m far from perfect, so I certainly don’t expect you to be.” After a pause, she wondered aloud, “Are you really surprised by this?”

      He shrugged. Then he could only stare at her because he had no idea what to say. Reese also said nothing but just leaned in and kissed him. Some of his concerns moved to the back recesses of his mind as he returned the kiss. The moment didn’t last nearly long enough. Within minutes, the doorbell rang, signaling Max’s arrival. Minutes after that, Dominic came trotting into the kitchen. He delighted in Max’s presence, and after fist-bumping him and showing off his loose tooth, which of course he claimed was much looser today than it had been just yesterday, and his newly formed bicep “muscles,” he settled down on the floor to show Elise how to play properly.

      Max’s hands flew to his head. He started to pace, and he spoke quickly, his voice rising in panic. “Oh my God. Elise! I didn’t even think of this before. What am I going to do with her? After today, I mean? She went to work with Gretchen because her firm had a daycare center. But Gretchen isn’t there anymore. She’s gone. So Elise can’t go there anymore! I can’t believe it. What about Elise? She didn’t even think of her. What am I going to do? I need to find her a daycare. Today. I—”

      “Max, take it easy,” Reese cut in.

      On the heels of Reese’s comment, Isaac insisted, “No daycare! Elise isn’t going to a daycare. The one she went to was bad enough, and I’m glad she can’t go there anymore. No daycare! No babysitters.”

      “She needs daycare, Isaac. I can’t quit my job to be with her because I kind of need to keep a roof over our heads and stuff.”

      “No daycare! No babysitters!” Isaac repeated. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he looked at Max, imploring him to understand. He started to chew on his thumbnail. He looked at Reese, silently begging her to intervene and back up his position.

      “Isaac, relax.” Reese chuckled. “You should see your expression. Wipe the worry off your face and settle down.”

      Isaac shook his head rapidly. He continued to bite his nail. “Settle down, Reese? Settle down?” Rising panic made his voice higher pitched than normal. He gestured to Max. “He’s talking about putting that little baby into a daycare.” He went and stood close to Max. “You can’t do that, man. You can’t. Do you know what things can happen to kids when they’re left with babysitters? Don’t do that to your daughter! Why do you think Reese stays home with Dominic?” Isaac crossed the kitchen and took his wife’s hand in his. “She protects him. And she loves him and is giving him the best start to life a kid can get.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Elise can’t go to a babysitter, Max. What if she’s neglected? Or harmed? What if people do bad things to her?” Agitated, he dropped Reese’s hand and resumed his pacing. He ran his hand through his hair as he did.

      “I doubt anything is going to happen to Elise,” Max said.

      “Something might! Babysitters aren’t nice.”

      “That doesn’t make any sense, Isaac. Besides, I don’t have much of a choice.” Max stuck his hands in his pockets and stood still while Isaac paced. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Max and Reese exchange