The office felt heavy with silence for several minutes until Max finally spoke, hoping to take her mind off what she'd just been told. "My father was…is, an idiot. He would disappear for months, some times years on end and then show up as if nothing had happened. He would make stupid jokes and flirt with everyone and I thought he pretty much the coolest guy in existence when he took his guitar everywhere. When I got to about 16, I went to the club he told me he played at and I found out he was just the cleaner. Couldn't even play guitar. He was drunk and he asked me to buy him a drink. So I got drunk for the first time in some seedy club. I didn't want you to meet him, Zoe, because I was worried you'd think I'm just like him, that you'd think that's how I'll end up. You get so jumpy over every possible change that I thought you'd want to run. So I did. I thought it might hurt less if I left and could pretend I'd done the right thing."

He was only aware she'd moved down to sit on the floor when her hand brushed his knee. "Max…you're nothing like him. For starters your chat up lines are way better."

A ghost of a smile passed Max's lips.

"The man I met yesterday was someone lonely and full of regret, but you…when you decide on something, you go for it full force and you don't let anything get in your way. I'm a case in point. You didn't let me thinking you're a complete dickhead get in the way of making me fall in love with you, did you?"

Another smile, this time one that settled on Max's lips and stayed there.

"I know I get jumpy, but you know what you've taught me? That it's ok to feel that way. It's ok to worry about things and it's ok to make mistakes, because no matter what happens, I'll still have someone with me to help pick up the pieces. If that makes you an idiot, I'm…going to go up to the roof and tell anyone within yelling distance that I'm completely in love with an idiot."

Max's smile widened and this time reached his eyes as he opened them. "You are not."

"Try me." Zoe went to get to her feet, but Max grabbed her arm and pulled her close, burying his face in her hair.

…

"Are you coming, Zoe?" Tess asked at the end of their shift as she pulled on her jacket.

"Where?" Zoe was trying to remember the last time she'd had so little sleep.

"Breakfast. We're going to that new place in town."

As Zoe opened her mouth to reply, an arm moved to hang casually over her shoulder. "No thanks, we have plans."

"We do?" Zoe asked Max wearily, smiling to herself when he whispered in her ear, "Bed."

"You seem more cheerful, Max." Tess replied. At first she'd disagreed with their relationship, worried that Max would hurt Zoe, but more often now, as she watched the adoring way he looked at his wife, she worried that Zoe might hurt him.

"Oh, I am. Have I mentioned yet today that my wife has an a-"

"Max!" Zoe interrupted, pushing his jacket into his hands.

"Sorry, Tess, must dash, the wife is desperate for-"

"If you finish that sentence, you can walk home." Zoe spoke over him.

As they left the room, Tess smiled to herself. For the first time she'd seen the look in Max's eye reciprocated in Zoe's. Two fewer people to worry about. Rita, however…

…