Higgs felt very confident in assuring Siobhan that Max loved her. Whether Max was in love with her, though, Higgs could not make promises on. Everything he'd seen them be around each other, screamed love to him. But that didn't necessarily translate to being in love. Higgs knew neither of them well enough to be able to pass that sort of a judgement. Siobhan saying that she sometimes just didn't think she was what Max wanted, though, broke Higgs' heart a little. He let his thumb stroke over Siobhan's cheek lightly, giving a small sigh. "You need to talk to him, sweetheart," he told her gently. "Even if it's scary," he added.
With everything that had happened in Higgs' own love life and marriage, he really didn't think he was in a position to give much advice. Higgs had always thought he'd understood how to love someone, but everything about it had crumbled into tiny pieces around him. "It might not be easy, talking about it, but locking things away and trying so hard will become exhausting sooner or later," Higgs said quietly, careful with the words he chose. "But whatever you think," he carried on. "Is almost definitely going to eat you up inside much more than what he might tell you." Higgs was very good at that, at trying so hard he ignored everything else. But it wasn't healthy. And he wanted better for Siobhan.