As Paige sat at her desk in the dimly lit garage, her fingers gripped her temples, shoulders hunched, a silent picture of defeat. Walter had noticed the change over the past few weeks, she was quieter, her smiles didn't reach her eyes, and she often looked as though she were burning out, and it killed him. She was too bright to burn out. He knew part of it was his fault, all the issues he had caused with Tim, which had ultimately led to that relationship severing. They were working hard at restoring their friendship together, and see her, his friend, in such turmoil bothered him infinitely.
As the others filed out and it was just the two of them left, he walked over, nervously, clearing his throat.
"Paige… are you alright?"
She looked up, startled, and tried to pull herself together.
"I'm fine, Walter. Just… tired." But her voice wavered, betraying her.
He frowned, his analytical mind noting every detail, the slump of her shoulders, the strain around her mouth, the gloss in her eyes she was trying desperately to hide.
"Paige, I… I don't think you're fine." He said carefully, his tone gentler than usual. "If you want to… I mean, if you need to… talk, I could… listen. That's what… um, friends do?"
She stared at him, the concern in his eyes breaking down the last of her defenses. And just like that, the dam burst, a tear slipping past her defenses.
"I don't know. I'm just so stressed out. I can't keep doing this, Walter." She whispered, her voice raw, broken. "I can't be the one who holds everything together all the time. Ralph needs me to be strong, being his only parent all the time, and it's just hard. To be everything for him, and not feel resentment toward Drew. And my mother coming back just to leave again, it just opened old wounds that I'm struggling to cope with… and then there's the bills and work, and everyone here depending on me. It's… too much." She drew in a shaky breath, her voice quivering. "And every time I try to put myself together, something else just… piles on top. I feel like I'm drowning, Walter. I can't… I can't take it anymore. The weight of it all is too much."
Her words hung in the air, vulnerable, exposed. Walter stood there, completely taken aback, feeling something shift within him, a fierce, aching need to somehow take that weight off her shoulders, even if he didn't know how.
After a moment, he gently put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a small but earnest nod.
"I understand, Paige." He hesitated, then added, "I want to help. Whatever I can do."
She smiled grimy, pulling her mask of 'fine' back on.
"I'll be okay, Walter. I appreciate that, I do. I'm sorry for unloading on you. I'm just… emotional. Thank you for listening. That means everything."
That night, he made a call to Cabe, asking for a favor…
--
The next morning, Paige opened her front door to see Walter standing there, two coffee cups and a bakery paper bag in his hands, his expression both anxious and determined.
"Walter? What's going on?" She asked, brushing a stray hair back, her eyes still red from the night before, revealing how very not fine she was.
He looked at her, and though his face was as unreadable as ever, she sensed something different.
"Um, here. Coffee. And an egg bagel! Eat up. Then, I need you to come with me." He said simply.
Paige raised a brow, folding her arms over her chest.
"What? Where? Why?" He just smiled. "Where exactly are we going?"
"You'll see. Just… please?"
She hesitated, but something about his intensity, his quiet determination, made her relent. And truth be told, she would follow him to the depths of hell if he smiled at her like that.
"Alright."
He gave a small, almost boyish smile, and they headed off together, driving in comfortable silence until they arrived at a private airstrip. She looked at him in disbelief as they walked toward a small plane, her mind racing.
"Walter, what…?"
"It's a surprise." He said, glancing at her. "I told you. Do you trust me?"
She stared deeply into his eyes for a longer than was necessary moment.
"More than anyone."
A side smirk graced his face, and he grabbed her hand, with a nod to the aircraft.
They climbed aboard, and she noticed a few adjustments inside the cabin, things she couldn't quite identify but that Walter seemed to know intimately. As they took off, he turned to her, his voice soft but filled with a conviction she hadn't heard before.
"You said you felt like you were being weighed down." He murmured. "I thought maybe you could use a break from all that weight. Just for a little while."
Confusion mingled with anticipation in her eyes. But before she could ask him what he meant, the plane leveled, then dipped, creating an incredible sensation. Her feet left the floor, and suddenly, she was floating.
Free, weightless.
Paige gasped, her eyes widening as she realized what he had done. Laughter bubbled out of her, pure and unrestrained, filling the small cabin. She twisted to look at him, awe and disbelief lighting her face.
"Walter, you… you did this for me?"
He grinned, his own excitement clear.
"I know I can't fix everything, Paige. I know I can't always be the friend you need." He admitted. "But I thought… maybe I could give you a few minutes where you didn't have to feel the weight. Just… feel free."
Her heart swelled with a mix of gratitude and something deeper, something unspoken. She was weightless, her worries stripped away for a few precious moments, and all she could feel was joy, pure and unburdened.
A tear slipped from her eye, catching in the weightlessness and floating beside her. Walter watched, captivated, as it drifted away, his gaze softening.
"Thank you, Walter." she whispered, her voice filled with emotion. "This… this is perfect."
Taking his hand, they floated together, dancing in the freedom of it all. And for the first time in months, she felt truly weightless.