love in the time of trash fires

“So she just found it? Out of nowhere?”

Max had been walking on a treadmill so long now that he couldn’t feel his legs, but at least he was walking. It was hard to focus on responding to Brian while doing it, though.

“Not really out of nowhere,” Max said. “She was folding laundry, and I guess it got jammed in the drawer. It was a dumb place to hide it. I’m lucky she didn’t try to slam the drawer and force it shut.”

Athena finding the ring turned out to be a happy accident. When Max saw her choked up and holding the box, he was worried the ring was too small and insignificant. Either that, or the horrible alternative that she didn’t want to marry him. Neither of them came from very traditional households and Max had never felt like he was the marriage type until he met Athena and felt ready to turn his entire life upside down for her.

The first thing Athena had done when they walked into the office was show the front desk receptionist the ring, and then Brian. Both of them congratulated her, but she was too mesmerized by the ring to even notice. Physical therapy was the first time in two days that she wasn’t clinging to Max like a baby koala.

“I still feel bad it ended up like this,” Max admitted. “I was going to do it over a nice dinner at this Italian restaurant she likes. It took a month just to get a reservation. Then the crash happened and my insides turned outside, so that wasn’t too hot.”

“Well, she seems happy,” Brian said. “And I’m about to make your day, too.”

“You’re going to propose?”

“I think you’re ready to be without the crutches.”

Max nearly fell off the treadmill. He had been bound to bed for so long, but the recovery was actually working well. Brian caught him and slowed the pace on the machine to a stop.

“Careful, don’t set yourself back now,” he chuckled.

“Does this mean I can start getting back to my life?” Max asked anxiously.

“Not fully,” Brian said. “You still have to be careful. You can’t be doing crazy things like jumping on trampolines or riding on roller coasters. Besides our sessions you should be getting at least twenty minutes of outdoor walking a day to maintain the progress. I suppose I can clear you for work, but you can’t be standing for longer than an hour at a time. And I’ll tell Athena all of this, so don’t think you can cut any corners.”

Max sighed and flopped into a seat to drink some water. It was a slow process, but it was still a relief to hear.

“So,” Brian said. “Life, huh? What does that mean for you?”

“I know get what you mean,” Max frowned.

“You and I have been working together a while now,” Brian said. “You’ve indulged a lot about your personal life, but not everything.”

Max followed Brian’s gaze to the hound tattoo on his arm. He never brought up his gang history, and Brian had never asked. It apparently hadn’t gone unnoticed, though.

“I know how it must look,” Max sighed. “I’m used to people making judgements on me based on this tattoo. I guess I could get it covered or removed, but it’s also a big part of what shaped me. So I don’t really want to do that. But it really is behind me.”

“Do the Hellhounds know that?”

Max paused a moment. He supposed he hadn’t really made the announcement. He kept them updated on his recovery and they seemed to notice he was distancing himself from street life, but it hadn’t exactly been put in words.

“It’s not my business,” Brian said, holding his hands up. “What you do with your life is entirely up to you. As your physical therapist, there is a confidentiality I can promise you with whatever you say here. As your friend, I just hope you’re staying safe out there while staying aware of the sort of life you left behind.”

Max knew Brian was probably right. After their session, he called Athena to let her know he didn’t need her to come by and pick him up.

“Why?” she asked. “Did something happen?”

“No,” he said, hearing her concern over the phone. “Uh, Lion is picking me up. We’re just grabbing a drink. Celebrating the progress and setting aside the crutches.”

“Maxie…”

“I know,” he said. “I promise, it’s just one drink. He’ll drop me off at home within a couple hours. I haven’t seen the guys in a while, and they just want to make sure I’m okay.”

“Alright,” Athena said reluctantly. “Just be careful in that neighborhood, okay?”

“Of course.”

While Max had his worries, he couldn’t help but break into a grin when Lion pulled up in his souped up truck. It had been so long since he’d seen that bushy red beard.

There was a bar near the Hellhound garage that they used to frequent before Max moved in with Athena, and even the bartenders seemed happy to see Max after so long. When they sat down with their beers, it seemed Lion already knew what Max wanted to say.

“So I did it,” Max told him. “I proposed.”

“Big man, stepping up to the plate,” Lion snorted. “We’re all proud of you, kid. You’ve grown.”

“Yeah,” Max said. “It’s a new experience, but I feel good about it. The only thing is…”

“Hey, we get it,” Lion said. “You don’t want to be rolling around with guys like us when you’re trying to be an honest man with a family. It sounds rough, but it’s the truth.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Course not,” he chuckled. “We saw this coming. Surprised it took so long, honestly. Just don’t forget to visit every now and again, okay? And no matter where you end up, don’t forget where you came from. Thats important stuff. And if anyone is giving you trouble, you know where to find us.”

Max felt a huge weight off his shoulders. Athena had her ring, the hounds supported Max’s life choices, he had a decent job, and his leg was healing. Things were going well.

As they left the bar and got into the car, Max noticed an unfamiliar face staring him down while twirling a knife. He frowned, avoiding eye contact. Usually stares like that meant they wanted to pick a fight.

“Who’s that guy?” Max asked. “New recruit?”

“Huh?” Lion grunted. “Nah, that’s Brolin. He’s been lurking around here lately, but he’s a dragon. Ignore him, he’s just trying to start trouble.”

“A Black Dragon?” Max asked. “I thought the Red Queen wiped them all out after that whole cryopane thing.”

“Not really, she just scattered them,” Lion shrugged. “Some went on to greener pastures, some died, and some lurk outside bars like Brolin. They don’t really threaten any of us, though. They don’t have the strength or numbers for that.”

Max was a little unsure, but he just ignored Brolin despite the man’s gaze burning holes into his head. His memory jumped to his accident, and the car bomb someone had planted on him. He’d been a part of why the dragons fell apart, after all. He then shook the thought from his mind. It was all old news, and he couldn’t linger on old fights that may or may not be real.

The next week, Max was back at work. He struggled to stand for long periods of time like Brian said, but even while sitting and folding towels he felt better than he did stuck in the couch. Athena was still on cloud nine, showing her ring off to every patient that came in. Including a drug dealing with a gauged out eye who was holding gauze on his face to try and stop the bleeding. He was in bad shape, but he still humored her.

“Athena, honey, I think it’s time you take your lunch,” Michael suggested. “We all think your ring is beautiful, but we’re all going to go blind if you keep flashing it like that.”

“Sorry,” she said with a smile as she looked down at it. “It’s just so perfect, isn’t it?”

“A perfect ring for a perfect girl,” Michael said. “Now go get a good lunch. No skimpy salads. Something with substance.”

She rolled her eyes and gave her father a kiss on the cheek and gave Max a peck on the lips on her way out. Max considered telling them about the Brolin and the Black Dragons, but he decided to keep it to himself. He didn’t even know if it was a real issue, and he didn’t need Athena worrying when she was so happy these days.

Things were going smoothly, until Michael and Max heard the door open. Michael frowned, checking the schedule.

“Strange, we don’t have any appointments this hour,” he said. “Must be a delivery.”

Max pushed himself to his feet and followed Michael out, but froze when he saw none other than Veronica standing in the waiting room and looking like she was disgusted by being forced to touch the floor. Max had all but forgotten about her, and Michael had turned so pale he was almost transparent.

“Michael,” Veronica said primly. “Just as tacky as ever, I see. And Maxwell. You’re… still here.”

“What do you want now?” Max asked, seeing Michael was at a loss for words. “Athena isn’t even here, so you can go.”

“Oh, I know,” she said. “I was waiting for her to leave. It’s you two I wanted to speak to. Especially after I saw that awful ring on her finger. Maxwell, please don’t tell me she thinks she’s going to marry you.”

“She doesn’t think,” Michael said, suddenly speaking up. “She knows. And I couldn’t imagine a better man for her than Max.”

“That was always your problem, wasn’t it?” Veronica sighed. “Your imagination had no range. You take the first good thing you get and refuse to seek out something better.”

“I guess you’re right,” Michael said. “I married you. That was a dumb move.”

She scoffed and Max couldn’t help but smile. Michael stood up for himself while keeping calm, and Max could admire that.

“You’re both horrible,” she said. “I’ll keep this short. Poor Athena has been raised in such a shabby setting that her mind is completely warped. She doesn’t even know what the world can offer her on the surface, where she could keep her door unlocked at night and feel safe. She’s so blinded that she refuses to speak to me. That’s where I need your help. These two are for you”

She pulled two checks out of her purse, hanging one to each of them. Max almost choked when he saw the amount on the check.

“I’m good for it, I assure you,” she said. “All I want is for you two to turn Athena away so she comes to me.”

“Respectfully, no fucking way I’m hell,” Michael said. “You’re trying to buy my daughter off me?”

“It’s not a slave trade, Michael,” she scowled. “I’m just trying to help you live a comfortable life in exchange for helping her live a more comfortable life. Everyone wins. It should be an easy decision. You can boost this little clinic, and you can go buy drugs or whatever it is you do.”

Max was taken aback by her suggestion that he did drugs, but he wasn’t surprised. Instead of saying anything, he just ripped the check up into tiny pieces and tossed it at her like confetti. Michael did the same. Veronica narrowed her eyes at them.

“Fine,” she said. “The hard way, then. I’ll shut this place down so fast you won’t be able to find a cardboard box to live in.”

“Goodbye, Vicky,” Michael said.

She scoffed and turned on her heel to leave, but Max suspected it wouldn’t be the last he heard from her.

“Athena can’t know about this,” Michael told him. “Understood?”

“Understood,” Max said. “Maybe we should clean up the check pieces on the floor, though.”

“Good call.”

Max took a broom from the closet and started sweeping the little pieces into a pile.

“How does a guy like you end up with a lady like that?” Max asked curiously.

“Honest truth?” Michael said. “She was already pregnant. She had a pretty strict family. I didn’t want to get her disowned because of it.”

“So you did the noble thing and got bit in the ass.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” he said with a smile. “I got the best little girl in the world. And by extension, soon I’ll have a son, too.”

Max smiled, but he still had a bad feeling in his gut. Whether it was a Black Dragon or Veronica, someone was going to try and get him.