Changes

The minutes flew by as Max did her best to answer at least some of her father's questions. Until he brought up the one she was fearing the most.

"Would you ever consider coming home?"

Max sat on the couch like a statue. Her mouth was open, but she couldn't find any words to say.

"It would be okay, Max. I won't let anything happen to you ever again."

She suddenly realized that Jeremy had blamed himself all of these years for her disappearance.

"Hey, dude—"

He looked at her, pursing his lips.

"Sorry." She nervously smiled. "You know it wasn't your fault, right?"

Jeremy closed his eyes slowly and took a deep breath.

"Seriously, this guy had been tracking me for awhile."

Max thought that might make him feel better, but his eyes jumping out and widening made her regret the statement.

"Sorry, uh . . . again." She tossed a weak smile at him. "It just . . . wasn't your fault, okay?"

He closed his eyes once more, barely nodding his head up and down.

"Anyway, I can't come back."

He slowly turned his head to the side, his eyes looking tired and sad. Max so badly wanted to make him feel better, but she could not give him what he wanted.

"Why not?" Jeremy asked Max. She could tell he was trying hard to keep up his smile through his disappointment.

Max replied cautiously, "I . . . I mean . . . isn't it obvious?"

He raised his eyebrows, looking too tired to prod, so she continued.

"I don't want to see the place I was taken from . . . the moment I was taken away . . . the house I missed for all of these years. I'm sure everything looks exactly the same, but I'm not the same."

Max saw the look of understanding flicker across his face.

"I just don't think I could handle it, Dad." She let it slip out. She called him Dad.

Shit, she eloquently thought to herself.

They looked at each other for a few seconds before Jeremy smiled and Max watched hope fill his eyes. "Okay, then I guess I'll just have to change everything."

Max replied with an intelligent, "Huh?"

Jeremy looked forward, putting his hand to his mouth. He was clearly thinking up a plan, and she knew she'd hate it.

"I will change literally everything about the house. You won't even recognize it."

She continued staring at him, uncertain.

"Then would you consider coming back?"

She looked away and bit her lip. "Yeah, I guess."

Max forced it out of herself because he was so annoying, and so sweet. She figured she could at least let him give it a go.

Jeremy jumped up gleefully. "GREAT!" He cleared his throat as his cheeks turned pink. appearing embarrassed by his outburst. "Sorry. That's great, Max. Thank you for giving me a chance."

She looked into his eyes and carefully smiled. "Sure."

"I will paint everything, change furniture, I will burn that house down if it will get you home."

Max's smile grew bigger because no one had wanted her around like this in an incredibly long time. She felt this strange new feeling. Happiness.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked.

"Black," she replied decisively.

He looked at her, attempting to smile. "Okay. What's your second favorite color?"

She laughed. "Green. Or purple. Honestly anything but yellow, it's disgusting." Max tossed her hands up like she was sorry, but facts were facts.

"We don't like yellow, okay, got it."

Jeremy's face fell suddenly as he looked at her again, his body clearly exhausted.

"What's wrong? Did I say something—" Max asked.

"No, no, I just . . ." His voice trailed off. "When I leave here, are you going to run?"

Her body relaxed. "No, I won't, I promise." She stuck her pinky out with a smile. "Pinky promise?"

He laughed softly. "Pinky promise." They locked fingers and the deal was done. No changing plans now — the pinky promise was a binding contract.

Jeremy headed toward the door with a newfound pep in his step. He turned back to her eagerly before he walked out. "You won't be disappointed, Max. I will not disappoint you."

Max smiled as he turned around and headed back to her childhood home. She tried to suppress her excitement because it gave her pounding anxiety, but deep down she actually felt hopeful.

Max heard a slight creak from Chris's bedroom door and didn't even look over. She knew it was Anna.

"Hey, Ma—"

Max got up and marched straight to her room without saying a word.

She was certain that Anna thought she might forgive her since the situation had turned out so nicely, but Anna was wrong. Max rolled her eyes and laid down. She heard Chris reassure Anna.

"She will forgive you, Anna. She will."