Dialogue

"I-I'm sorry Joe. I just wanted to help out around the house just a little..."

"You should've just let me do it mom."

"But it's not that much. You've just been working all day, I thought it best that you get some rest-"

"I don't need it. I don't have homework so I have nothing else to do. Doing chores is my job, not yours. You should be making dinner now, not straining yourself with work that's my responsibility."

"Can you blame me? You keep pushing yourself every day be it at home or at school. I've seen them Joe. Don't try and pretend those marks aren't there."

"They're nothing. I've had had them all week and I haven't slowed down a bit."

"You're overworking yourself Joe! You always say you're fine but I just know that if this keeps up you'll just kill yourself."

"I'm fine."

"Joe, I know what you're trying to do. I know that this is about your father..."

"Don't say anything about things you don't understand mom."

"Huh?"

"I can do this, I want to this, I have to do this. It's that simple. Don't force ourself out of sympathy for me. If you get hurt doing that, I'll tell you from experience that I will feel a lot worse than if I injured myself. So, if you could just get out of the way..."

"Joe, I..."

"Out of the way please mother. I have to work."

"O-okay. Just be careful."