"M Essie?" He stroked her knees, not looking up at her. "Daddy's so angry. We're here." Isaac cleared his throat, chewing on words until he managed to get them out. "I know the Joel? Joel."

Bach had never been frozen in fright or anger of really anything before, but it just took him a few minutes to catch Isaac because ..because most of him had viewed it as fine, Isaac running to his mother that wasn't his mother and never would be it. How refreshing for a chance, to be the one disappointed by a woman again. No, that wasn't - fuck, none of this was fair. "Isaac, remember what I told you about running? And especially when we are inside. We don't run inside. You could have hurt her."