Maturing is realizing how many things don't require your comment

 Chewy didn't like the idea that Chai wanted to do so much for Daisy's mother on Mother's Day.

"I don't know why you even try?" Chewy said ever so sarcastically. Although he knew it wouldn't do much good that it might bring Chai closer to him. Of course, maybe getting a box ready to send to Shanghai was keeping Chai from thinking about the job he was waiting to hear back about. 

"I just don't want Daisy to forget her," Chai sounded certain that some day Daisy's mother would come back into her daughter's life. He planned to call on Mother's Day and let Daisy do all the talking. Meanwhile, they sent some of Daisy's artwork and a few things like body wash and lotions to her mother, even a cute Mother's Day tee-shirt that Chewy doubted she would ever wear. He was certain she didn't want anyone to know she had a daughter.

It was a thoughtful gift, but Chewy doubted it got them anywhere. He felt the woman was selfish. Always had been, long before Chai or Daisy came into her life.

It didn't help that one of the mature nurses that Chewy worked with had come on to him this week in the breakroom while he was trying to catch up on social media with a black coffee. It gave him the shivers to think about it. He protested and told her he was with someone now.

"I live with him and his daughter," Chewy put her in her place. Even so, nothing was happening with Chai.

 Chewy could have spent Mother's Day weekend with her, and Chai probably wouldn't have noticed. Sometimes, Chewy felt he needed to give Chai a swift kick in the butt, and then he still probably wouldn't care.

Then, late one night, Chai asked him if he was seeing anyone.

This created a riff more than a tiff.

"What!" 

OK, maybe Chewy was the drama king. Even so, he was hurt that Chai would ask such a thing.

"I'm here with you," Chewy practically squinted into a meltdown. 

"I know," Chai sighed back. Then, Chai went into a long story about how he knew he was boring and how he didn't know how to dress or even how to act with all his 'I know it's not you... "It's me, not you" rhetoric.

Chewy hugged himself as if he couldn't believe this. Why was Chai like this?

"You'd just give up, now wouldn't you!" Chewy couldn't help but start in with Chai's long list of woes. "When are you going to stop being like this? Wake the fuck up!"

Chewy swelled into a frown. "I want this. I want this with you and with Daisy."

He thought he might melt into tears.

"I know you two are a packaged deal," Chewy said with a big laugh, but the tears consumed him with emotion.

"I'm sorry." Now Chai wept tears, too. "I just don't know how to be. I never had time to think about..about anyone, really."

Chewy nodded. He understood. He told him he was here for him now. Eventually, they hugged.