The Mute

Baby Steps

I sit at the kitchen table staring down at the table, looking at the slight wear on the dark wood, I drum my fingers on the wood listening to the sound my fingers make when they hit the surface. I hear Max coming down the stairs, I count 15 steps. It should have been 16 I guess he jumped down from the second last step. He flips his hair out of his face when he enters the kitchen " Hey Blake, how are you feeling, You look stressed." I shrug my shoulder and look out the window, leaves are falling from the half naked trees. I hear footsteps approaching and a chair move across the floor. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out. It's from Max, it says "you ok?" I look up and stare at him for a few seconds and I unlock my phone and start to type. I send him a quick text that says "I have been thinking about going back to school but I don't know if I am ready." I wait for him to say something. He says from across the table " You missed a lot of school I am starting to worry you are gonna fall back a year. How about Monday you come to school with me, start getting into the routine again." I shrug my shoulders and slowly nod. It's now or never. I don't know if I can take another day inside all day. He smiles and sends me a text, it says "I am so proud of you" I smile a little. I get up from the table and walk to the fridge I grab leftovers from the middle shelf to heat up for the both of us. I am so grateful to have him in my life and how brave he was to protect me from my father but I feel bad for him always making sure I am ok, I really want to prove to him that I am more then a girl who comes from a broken family and carries a lot of baggage. It's time to move on and start packing light.