Let Me Hug You For A While

Alex had mixed feelings about this turn of events. All this time he had been trying to convince Claire that she wasn't being selfish living her life for herself yet she had caved so easily when the threat of Ethan going to juvie hung over her head. Her conscience wouldn't allow it. 

She was going to be very stressed from here on out, he could tell. A lot of her plans would be derailed and she would have to devote a lot of time and energy to raising a child. 

Unlike him, Ethan was incapable of contributing to this household. He would be nothing but a burden like Alex used to be. Claire was too kind for her own good. 

Frustrated as he may be because of how soft and self-sacrificing she was, he couldn't deny that he very much enjoyed being told that she needed him. Helping out with the kid while she finished school would guarantee he would be allowed to stay by her side for a few more years.