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"I'm sorry."

"I know you are."

That almost made him fall apart again. Daddy pulled JJ against his chest. JJ went immediately, pressing his face into Daddy's shirt, shoulders shaking. Daddy held him. No contradiction. JJ had screwed up but Daddy was still going to hold him.

After a few seconds, JJ's voice came muffled from against his chest.

"Please don't ban Bella."

Daddy's hand stopped briefly on his back. "I'm not banning Bella."

JJ pulled back enough to look at him. "It's not her fault," JJ said.

"I agree."

Relief crossed his face. "She negotiated with Max. She stopped when he stopped responding. She did what she was supposed to do."

There was a knock at the door. Daddy stepped away from us and opened it. Gustav stood outside. "Dominic's with Max in the sensory room," he said. "Bella's sitting outside. Max asked for some space from everyone else."

Daddy nodded. "Thank you."

Gustav's eyes flicked toward JJ. JJ immediately looked like he wanted to crawl into the carpet. But Gustav didn't look angry. Just concerned. "He asked me to tell you he's okay," Gustav said. "Overwhelmed. Embarrassed. But okay."

JJ's eyes filled again. "Is he mad at me?"

Gustav hesitated. That was answer enough to make JJ's face collapse. "He's not furious," Gustav said carefully. "He said he knows you were trying to help."

"But?"

"He also said he felt like everyone was so excited for him that he didn't want to disappoint anybody."

JJ shut his eyes. There it was. Exactly what Daddy had said. Gustav continued. "He wants some time before he talks about it."

"Okay," JJ whispered.

Daddy put his hand between JJ's shoulder blades. "That's what we're going to give him."

Gustav nodded.

"And Dominic?" Daddy asked.

"Fine. Protective. Annoyed with himself for not noticing sooner."

"Of course he is."

That almost made me laugh, because apparently everyone in this building had independently decided Max's panic was personally their fault.

Gustav left. Daddy looked at us. "Mikey, you can go back to the main room and play if you want. Sawyer, same. Neither of you is in trouble."

Mikey looked horrified by the suggestion. "No."

Daddy raised an eyebrow. Mikey immediately moved closer to JJ and wrapped both arms around his waist. JJ made a broken little sound and hugged him back.

"I'm staying," Mikey said into his chest. I sighed.

"Yeah. Me too."

JJ looked at me. His eyes were red and swollen. "You don't have to."