Tuesday & Max

34

STRANGERS RUSHING PAST

JUST TRYNA GET HOME

BUT YOU WERE THE ONLY 

SAFE HAVEN THAT I'VE KNOWN

The weather is warm, Spring peeking around the corner, when Tuesday goes to Max's house.

Above her the sky yawns blue, the flowers on the lawns of the properties she passes inclining their little heads towards it happily, but she's chilly as she waits for someone to answer the door. Her knocks are short, sharp and fast. Part of her hopes nobody hears them.

She barely has time to notice the fact that Max's car isn't on the drive in front of the garage before the door opens.

Diana looks the same as before, all thick shiny hair and manicured nails. She's wearing white jeans and a pale blue turtleneck jumper. "Tuesday?"

"Hi!" Tuesday can feel her face twisting into an awkward apologetic half-grimace for even being here at all. "Sorry to bother you. Is Max in?"

Diana's eyebrows do a weird thing: a miniscule twitch upwards of their inner-most corners.

"He's not here."

"Oh. Okay."

They look at each other. Despite Diana's face returning to her regular, focused, serious expression, it seems like more is going on. Diana is looking at her as intently, as if the whole mess with Jack and Max is written all over her face in glaring red letters. It probably is.

"Okay," Tuesday says again, taking a step back. "Well, I'll just—"

"He left," Diana cuts in. Her voice is small. "I thought he would've told you."

"No," Tuesday gasps. "We aren't really talking, we..." She trails off vaguely, unsure of how to explain.

"That's a shame..."

"Do you know where he's gone?"

"Down to his uncle's house. Jumped in his car a few nights ago with a bag."

"Do you..." Tuesday's words are completely failing her. How to navigate this situation carefully? "Do you know why he..."

"I assume you're aware that I suffer with my mental health?" Diana asks pointedly.

Phew. Relief. "Yes. Sorry."

"It's perfectly alright. It's not a secret. To me, anyway. I know Max doesn't tell anybody." Diana makes a face, then smiles slightly and adds, "Usually."

Tuesday's mind flies over everything she knows so far. Max said he only leaves for his uncle's house when his mother is too ill. Too ill, presumably, to take care of him, when he was younger; now, possibly just too ill for them to be in the house together healthily. But Diana seems fine.

"Do you want to come in, dear?" she says, opening the door wider. "It's cold standing around in doorways."

Tuesday hesitates a moment, then steps in. It's not much warmer inside the old house than it was on the doorstep, but the sofa she joins Diana atop is at least more comfortable.

"Max left after an argument," Diana begins. "It was about something very minor... I can't remember what. Driving safely, or something. I'm not sure."