<span style="font-size: 15px">He stepped into the room to see a teacher. He looked like a teacher, a very creative one, but a teacher nonetheless. He sat down when he was motioned to do so. <br/>
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"No, she, uh, couldn't make it today," he said. When Mr. Taylor started to speak, Chris was actually afraid that something had happened, something bad, but it wasn't anything. Of course not, he didn't know why he'd think that. Brock was awesome and he knew he loved all his friends so there was nothing he would do against school rules, right? Yeah, yeah, Brock was too smart to do anything to endanger his relationship with his friends. He had heard about them, typically when Edith was out and he had come home early, but he hadn't known that it had been more than just a few. Apparently he had made lots more friends, which was always good. He needed kids to support and to support him since they were all going through the same sort of coming of ages, or well, he was seven but the bonds made in childhood often stuck into adulthood, or at least the good ones did. <br/>
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But then Mr. Taylor brought up why he was called into the school, and at first he wanted to deny it, to tell him everything was fine, but he knew it wasn't. He sighed, trying not to sound upset, because he wasn't, he was just so tired. He nodded. He could agree to a lot of what Mr. Taylor said, but he also didn't realize that Brock really had noticed, but he had been fooling himself. Who didn't notice? He and his wife were a beacon that shouted that they were in a rocky relationship at best. <br/>
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"I didn't know he even realized. I know he's smart but... I don't always get home, I don't always know what's going on but I should have." He ran a hand over his face. "I didn't think most teachers called for this sort of thing, but, uh, thanks I guess. I'll try to solve it, I just don't want him to... well, I don't want him to feel like this is his fault because it really isn't. He's the greatest thing that I've ever helped create, ever made, ever had, and I've been busy working. I wanted him to be comfortable and happy and..." He shook his head and leaned back in the chair as much as he could. This was a school, nothing was really comfortable. "I don't know what to tell him, though. I haven't even told Edith what's wrong, how could I tell him?" <br/>
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Realizing he had said too much, he stood up. "Uh, you don't have to answer that, it was rhetorical. I'm gonna take Brock home if that's all you wanted to talk about?" He wanted the conversation to be over, and while he understood where this man's heart was, he was trying to do a good thing, he did feel a little uncomfortable with the entire situation. Hell, the problem with his wife was horrible as it was, he didn't need other people to know and he certainly needed to talk to Brock because none of this was his fault. It was his and Edith's problem, and they'd have to fix it or break it apart because if Brock was being effected enough that a teacher was concerned about such a thing then they needed to do it quickly. The only problem was, he doubted he'd get custody if they did divorce. He worked a lot, had long hours, and Edith was his mother, she would probably get everything and he didn't want that either. He didn't want Brock to be taken away. He did want Edith to just go out and have fun on her own, he couldn't give her what she wanted and he was entirely fine with her finding it elsewhere. <br/>
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This entire thing was a mess. He should just tell her. He should just tell everyone and get it over with. It was 2020, nothing could happen, he couldn't be fired, his father wouldn't know, hell, his father didn't even contact him on holidays since he moved out, and surely it would let Edith know that it wasn't because of her, it was just because of, well, him. He was the one who was out of place here, but still, he was reluctant, that seemed very personal, like information that he couldn't possibly say out loud, at least not sober, and he wasn't planning on getting drunk enough to out himself to his wife anytime soon. People did stupid things when they were intoxicated. He knew, he did a lot of the paperwork for those kinds of people. <br/>
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"Uh, thanks, though, for bringing this to my attention." He stood up and walked to the door. There was no need to speak anymore, right? Could he just leave? Just take Brock, hug him and get him some takeout or a smoothie or something just because he could? Because he felt bad for not realizing how he had been hurt by this situation. </span>