His mother snapped out of thoughts, "No ofcourse not," she said quickly, stepping aside and motioning toward the house. "Come inside, Maximus. We should all sit"
Maximus gave a small nod before walking up the steps, still carrying Percy as he clung to him. He could see Casey's gaze burning into his back, her lips full of unspoken words.
The air inside the house was several times warmer than that of outside.
He set percy down, and he immediately ran to grab one of his toys from the couch. Meanwhile, Maximus father finally moved, stepping forward to join them.
His towering presence had once been something Maximus admired, something that felt like a shield against the world.
But now? It was like there was a massive wall between them.
They all sat down, though Maximus remained on edge, his foot tapping lightly against the floor.
