Shifted #Wattys2016

XXXVII

Felix

"Mom, please shut up."

It was two fifteen in the morning. Maxine's mother—Alex—wouldn't stop talking. She was just mumbling over and over, her words becoming less coherent as the night wore on. Bloom was asleep on the couch and Maxine and I and Alex were all in Alex's room.

"My momma said to blue-da-blue-blue and adita when worshing the laundry."

Maxine laughed, a tired, everything's-funny-at-this-point laugh. "Mommy, please, just go to sleep." She put her hands gently at her mother's shoulders, pushing her down to the pillow. Maxine stood and took my hand. I flipped off the light behind me and shut the door.

Standing in the hallway between Maxine's mother's room and her own, I could still hear Alex mumble. Maxine laughed a little, hushed, and leaned her head on my shoulder. She started to softly cry. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close.

"It's okay, Maxine, it's okay."

"No, it's not. My mother is such a mess I can't even think about leaving her."

"We don't have to leave any time soon, Max. You can stay here, too. And Bloom and I can leave." I ran my fingers through her hair, her soft, dark chocolate brown hair. "We've got all the time in the world."

Maxine took a deep breath and looked up. "Tomorrow," she said in a low voice, "tomorrow, we are going to Ruby's. It's this great pizza place. You've got to try a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza."

I smiled. "First, you need to sleep."

She nodded and leaned back into my shoulder. I held her a minute longer. Or maybe more. I wasn't sure. She fell asleep, and then I did. Standing.

Like horses.