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Back at Kali's apartment building, Theo barely woke as Lincoln peeled him out of the booster seat. He smiled then plopped his head on Lincoln's shoulder. Lincoln held him close.
Kali stood, a hand on her hip, then reached for the booster seat. “Bring him up, then wait for Marvin down here.”
Marvin, who'd spent the drive in the front seat, one hand clasped to the door, the other to his armrest, crawled out of the cab and edged his way around the truck. “Why don't you take him up, then come on down and we'll talk?”
“Marvin,” she spoke slowly, her voice tight, “I can't leave him upstairs alone.”
“No?”
“No.”
Marvin looked to the tarp that contained his cart. “I suppose it's not likely anyone would look under that?”
“No.” Lincoln looked to Kali. “No one will touch your stuff.”
“And Lincoln will watch it.”
Marvin shook his head. “Let the boy come up, Kali. Then he'll take me home.”
Kali flung her arm. “Fine.”
Lincoln carried Theo to his bed and set him down gently. A part of him didn't want to let go. As long as the boy's limbs were around him, Kali couldn't exactly kick him out. Theo murmured as Lincoln pulled off his shoes and pulled the covers up around him. It felt familiar. Good. He turned to see Kali, a look of pure pain in her eyes.
“Accidents happen. He'll be—”
“I didn't see the truck. I looked but—”
“It's okay.” Lincoln stepped to her.
She backed up. “It's not okay.”
Kali walked away. Lincoln switched off the light and followed her. Marvin stood in front of the couch, a roll of paper towels in his hand. He tore them off, one by one, and laid them on the cushion.
“Marvin!”
He looked up, sheepish. “Your couch is so new. So clean.”
Kali leaned against the counter separating the living room from the kitchen. “It's only new to me.”
“Well.” Marvin continued his preparation then sat gingerly on the edge of the cushion, careful not to let his shirt touch the backrest.
Kali shook her head, a hand to her chest. “I don't care about the damn couch.”
Lincoln hesitated between her and Marvin.
Kali closed her eyes. “If you're staying, you might as well sit.”
The ball of fear grew in Lincoln’s stomach. Her eyes looked dead. She was here, but not. “Kal—”
“I have a brain tumour.”
Lincoln lowered into the chair behind him. Marvin looked to the floor, his head shaking.
Kali stepped between them and perched on the coffee table across from Marvin. Lincoln wanted to say something, tell her to stop. It wasn't right. She wasn't about to comfort him. Not now. She shouldn't take care of—
“Marvin.” She reached for the older man's hand. “It'll be okay. Or ... well, I don't know. But we'll figure it out.”
Marvin's gaze ping-ponged around the room. “No, Kali. You're confused, or the doctors are. You're young and—” He zeroed in on her. “You're confused. It's a mistake.”
“It's called Meningioma. And it's growing fast.”
“You're not—” The blood drained from his face.
“Hopefully not for a long time. A very long time. And maybe not from this.” She kept her eyes on Marvin, spoke to him as if Lincoln weren't even in the room. “I'll need help. Not yet, but soon maybe. I know it’ll be hard, but if you could ... Things are going to change, probably sooner than later.” She stopped, her back straight, her arms steady. “I’ve already started to lose my vision—”
Lincoln leaned forward. “You didn't see the truck.”
Kali's head fell.
“You didn't see the truck, even though you looked. And that's why you didn't drive. But can you see now?”
Kali's shoulders rose then fell. “I can't see you, not really. I can see Marvin. But sitting where I'm sitting, with you sitting where you are.” She looked up, her eyes on Marvin, but her voice for Lincoln. “I should be able to see you. It's starting with my peripheral on my right eye. On the left, it’s kind of a haze that I guess is getting hazier and hazier. But my right eye compensates. I can’t tell unless I close it.”
“The headaches. It wasn't just your studying?”
She shook her head.
Marvin finally looked up. “You're such a good girl.”
Kali smiled.
His head shook in fast little spurts. “Derek. Derek would know what to do, how to help. If Derek were here then—”
“Derek's not here.” Kali's voice was firm, hard. “He's not here, and he's not coming back.”
“But—”
“Derek's gone. He's not coming back.”
“But—”
“Marvin, we talked about this.”
Marvin nodded.
“That's why I need you.” Kali looked at Marvin, the way you'd look when trying to convince a child something bad could be made better. “We can get a place with an extra room.”
“No.” Marvin pulled his hands free. “No.”
Kali wrapped her arms around her waist and straightened again.
Marvin’s head kept shaking. “I told you. I need to be outside. I need—” He stood and paced. “I'm sorry.” His hands went to his head. He cradled it as he rocked forward. “I can't.”
Kali stayed where she sat, her gaze to the floor. Marvin looked back at her. “I'm sorry, I ... I can't. I tried, Kali. You know I tried. Beatrice, if she were here she could do it. She could help. But I can't.”
“Marvin.” Kali's head was still down. Her voice was low.
“I couldn't help her either. I tried but still she left. Still. And Derek. And Jason. Everyone leaves and I can't help. I—”
“Marvin.”
“But Derek. Derek could help. He could help you and Theo. That's his job. To help you and Theo. If you could—”
“Marvin.” Kali bounced up like a Jack-in-the-box, though not a happy one. She grasped Marvin’s shoulders. “Stop talking about Derek. Derek is gone, okay? He's gone.”
“Derek's gone.” Marvin nodded. “Gone.”
“And I'm going to be okay. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ... you don't need to worry about me. I'll be okay.”
Marvin's body relaxed. He raised a hand to Kali's cheek. “You're going to be okay, Sweetness?”
She nodded.
“And you're not going anywhere?”
“Not for a long time.” Kali let out a smile—a costly one. “I just need to know you'll be okay. You need to do better. Take care of yourself. Go to the shelter when it's cold, or here, you can always come here. Remember to eat. You need to do that for me so I don't have to worry about it. So I don't—”
“I can do that.” Marvin nodded like a child would. “I'll do better.”
“Okay.” Another smile, easier this time. “One day I may not see you anymore—”
A look of shock, then acknowledgement, on Marvin's face.
“Literally see you.” She rubbed her hand along his arm. “So you'll need to be around, to tell me you're okay. To describe how Theo looks. All right?”
Another nod.
“I didn't mean to upset you.”
The Marvin Lincoln had talked to an hour or so earlier, the man who seemed almost normal, who had some sense of wisdom or foresight, crept back. “I'm sorry, Sweetness. I'm sorry to ... I just—”
“It's okay.”
“I'll try.” He offered. “I'll try to help. I'll do my best.”
“I know you will.” Kali's shoulders sagged. “That's all anyone can ask, right, for people to do their best.”
Marvin nodded. He looked to Lincoln. “He's the one to ask for help. He'll do good, won't you, son?”
Lincoln cleared his throat. He tried to speak, but Kali got her words out first.
“Lincoln will help by taking you back, then he'll be done.”
Lincoln stood. “You can't drive anymore?”
Kali sighed. “I don't know. I have an appointment tomorrow morning. My license is going. I don't know whether it's going yet.”
“Well, I'll drive you to the appointment.”
“There's the bus. Cabs.”
“I'll drive Theo to daycare and you to the appointment, and to work after if you're going.”
Kali's eyes flashed. She shook her head, then said, “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay. Just tomorrow. Just until I figure things out. I'm not a charity case.”
Lincoln couldn't smile, but he nodded. “Of course not.”
Kali's eyes were on him. “I'm going to lose my job.”
Another nod.
“I don't know when, but unless a miracle happens ...”
“You should get to bed. What time's the appointment?”
“Ten.” She wrapped her arms around her middle once more. “I'll drop Theo off late tomorrow. Can you be here by nine?”
“Yes.” Lincoln looked to Marvin. “You ready to go? I think Kali could use some sleep.”
“Just wait.” Kali rushed to the kitchen. She came back a minute later with a bag and passed it to Marvin. “Some chicken salad. Apples. A banana. And those granola bars you like.”
Marvin sank into himself again. “You don't have to, Sweetness. I get by. You know I—”
“Don't give me anything else to worry about.” Her voice was firm as she pushed the bag toward him.
He took it and shuffled toward the door. Again, Lincoln resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her. He also resisted the urge to flee, to tell her he was wrong, he couldn't come back tomorrow, he couldn't come back ever again.
He rested a hand on her shoulder, pleased she didn't yank it away. “I'll be here tomorrow. At nine. Not a minute later.”
She nodded, and a combination of emotions he'd never seen in her before settled in her eyes. Fear. Affection. Hope.