I know, Darius said completely without arrogance and went upstairs to get dressed. Marcus texted Clare at 9:15. Just how are you this morning? She answered in under a minute. Awake thinking.
How are you? Same. Darius is going to a friends this afternoon. Do you want to talk about last night? A longer pause this time.
Then I called Ryan this morning. Marcus sat up straighter. What did he say? He wants to meet. Says it's better in person.
I told him I needed someone with me. Marcus typed. Where and when? Her response was immediate. 2:00.
My house. And Marcus, thank you for not making me ask twice. He set the phone down on the counter and sat with that for a minute. Then he got up and started getting ready because some things you just have to move toward. He dropped Darius at Jordan's house at 1:30.
His son got out of the car, then leaned back through the window. Dad, yeah, whatever Ryan says, you'll handle it. Marcus looked at him. You don't know what he's going to say. No, Darius said, but I know you.
He stood up and walked to Jordan's door without looking back. Marcus sat in the car for a moment. Then he drove home. He was at Clare's door at 5 minutes to 2. She opened it before he knocked.
She had seen him coming. She was dressed, composed, her hair pulled back, her face doing that thing it did when she was managing something internally. Very still, very even. A surface that gave nothing away, but her eyes did. He's not here yet, she said.
That's okay. He came in. She had the living room organized in the way people organize a room when they're expecting something difficult, not cleaned up. Just arranged. Two chairs that weren't usually there.
Coffee on the table that neither of them was going to drink. "How are you actually?" Marcus said. She looked at him. "I don't know.