The city inspector arrived at nine-twelve the next morning.<\/p>\n
Mr. Perkins arrived at nine.<\/p>\n
That told me everything I needed to know about how worried he was.<\/p>\n
Normally, getting our landlord to appear required repeated calls, two emails, and the implied possibility of divine intervention. That morning he stood in my kitchen wearing polished shoes and a wool coat, examining the apartment as if he had never been inside before.<\/p>\n
His gaze kept landing on Marcus.<\/p>\n
Marcus sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee.<\/p>\n
He looked infuriatingly comfortable.<\/p>\n
I had warned him before Perkins arrived.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not argue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not threaten to call anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not explain \u2018procedural alternatives.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus lifted both hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be silent.\u201d<\/p>\n
He lasted four minutes.<\/p>\n
Perkins pointed behind the refrigerator and said, \u201cAs I explained yesterday, this is probably surface condensation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked at me.<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
He looked back at Perkins.<\/p>\n
Then down at his coffee.<\/p>\n
I appreciated the effort.<\/p>\n
Perkins continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese older buildings sometimes collect moisture if residents keep furniture too close to exterior walls.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe refrigerator was installed there when we moved in,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, but airflow matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a refrigerator.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus coughed into his fist.<\/p>\n
I gave him a warning look.<\/p>\n
He stared innocently at his cup.<\/p>\n
Perkins knelt near the warped flooring.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe city will evaluate it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why they\u2019re coming,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
He stood.<\/p>\n
His attention shifted toward the repaired cabinet.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou authorized him to work in the unit?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins nodded as though I had confessed to arson.<\/p>\n
\u201cTenants are not permitted to perform unauthorized alterations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus finally spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cTightening screws isn\u2019t an alteration.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Perkins turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought we discussed this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd yet you\u2019re still here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus sipped his coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlizzard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t asking about the weather.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was answering why I\u2019m still here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Bennett, your lease contains occupancy requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a guest.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGuests are permitted for limited periods.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has been here two nights.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I suggest we keep it limited.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was something in his tone I disliked.<\/p>\n
Not anger.<\/p>\n
Leverage.<\/p>\n
He knew I was behind on rent.<\/p>\n
I knew he knew.<\/p>\n
And now he knew I knew about the wall.<\/p>\n
Before either of us could say more, someone knocked.<\/p>\n
The inspector introduced herself as Elena Ramirez.<\/p>\n
She was perhaps fifty, compact, brisk, wearing work boots beneath dark trousers and carrying a tablet in one hand.<\/p>\n
She did not waste time.<\/p>\n
\u201cShow me the affected area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins immediately began talking.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe it\u2019s a minor condensation problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramirez did not look at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cShow me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pulled the refrigerator farther away.<\/p>\n
She crouched.<\/p>\n
Her expression changed almost immediately.<\/p>\n
She pressed a moisture meter against the wall.<\/p>\n
The device beeped.<\/p>\n
She moved it higher.<\/p>\n
Another beep.<\/p>\n
Then along the baseboard.<\/p>\n
She looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long has this been reported?\u201d<\/p>\n
I answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know it was here until yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at Perkins.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen was moisture intrusion last reported for this stack?\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d have to check our maintenance records.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus stared at him.<\/p>\n
Ramirez noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou maintenance?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you know buildings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe made unauthorized repairs,\u201d Perkins said.<\/p>\n
Ramirez ignored that too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you notice?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus set down his coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cWarping in the flooring. Odor. Moisture behind the appliance. I suspect a slow plumbing leak inside the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins scoffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou suspect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramirez stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo do I.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
She examined the sink cabinet.<\/p>\n
Then the wall beneath the counter.<\/p>\n
She used the moisture meter twice more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWater\u2019s traveling.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSource may be higher or farther over than the visible damage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it dangerous?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to determine what\u2019s inside the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked toward Liam.<\/p>\n
He was at school.<\/p>\n
Thank God.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould this affect breathing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramirez glanced at the discoloration.<\/p>\n
\u201cProlonged moisture and microbial growth can aggravate respiratory symptoms in some people. I can\u2019t tell you whether it has affected your son.\u201d<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you know I have a son?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded toward the school photograph on the refrigerator.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he have respiratory problems?\u201d<\/p>\n
I hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe started using an inhaler last spring.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins immediately spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat does not mean the building caused anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one said it did,\u201d Ramirez replied.<\/p>\n
Her tone ended the discussion.<\/p>\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should mention the exposure to his pediatrician.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
The possibility sat heavily inside me.<\/p>\n
I had spent months asking Liam whether he remembered his inhaler.<\/p>\n
I had washed bedding.<\/p>\n
Bought allergy filters.<\/p>\n
Stopped burning scented candles.<\/p>\n
All the while something might have been growing six feet from our dinner table.<\/p>\n
Ramirez removed several photographs with her tablet.<\/p>\n
Then she looked toward the repaired front door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho fixed that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus raised one hand slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
She walked over.<\/p>\n
Opened the door.<\/p>\n
Closed it.<\/p>\n
Opened it again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou reset the hinges?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStrike plate too?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrame\u2019s warped.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA little.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shim it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTop hinge.\u201d<\/p>\n
She glanced at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat company?\u201d<\/p>\n
He gave her the name.<\/p>\n
Something passed across her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus\u2019s posture changed.<\/p>\n
Only slightly.<\/p>\n
Perkins seemed interested now.<\/p>\n
Ramirez studied the brace.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were there when the stairwell accident happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus went still.<\/p>\n
The room changed.<\/p>\n
I looked from one to the other.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know about that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramirez nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cDepartment heard about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people heard the company\u2019s version.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard several versions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s usually how it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She held his gaze.<\/p>\n
\u201cRailing on Westmore?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFourth-floor burst pipe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened with the compensation claim?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked toward me.<\/p>\n
Then away.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramirez exhaled through her nose.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins appeared suddenly less comfortable.<\/p>\n
I wondered whether he had realized the homeless man he had dismissed the day before had once managed buildings like his.<\/p>\n
Ramirez returned to the damaged wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need this opened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have to schedule contractors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can schedule whoever you want. But the water source needs to be stopped immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have procedures.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo does the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus\u2019s mouth twitched.<\/p>\n
I gave him a look.<\/p>\n
He looked down.<\/p>\n
Ramirez continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the wall cavity confirms significant moisture and contamination, this unit may not be suitable for occupancy during remediation.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happens to us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cManagement provides temporary accommodation where required.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Perkins.<\/p>\n
He looked as though he wanted to vanish through the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll follow all applicable requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramirez wrote something on her tablet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll document that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The contractor arrived shortly after noon.<\/p>\n
By then I had called work and explained that I would be late.<\/p>\n
Denise answered the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs the grocery-store man still there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s mold.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBehind the refrigerator.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice changed immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Liam okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChloe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s at school. I\u2019m calling his doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did the landlord say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s pretending he personally invented tenant protection.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd grocery-store man?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Marcus.<\/p>\n
He was discussing the wall with the contractor.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the reason anyone knows.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise became quiet.<\/p>\n
Finally she said, \u201cWell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI may have judged grocery-store man prematurely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou absolutely did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI still think you were reckless.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut possibly lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n
I watched Marcus.<\/p>\n
Lucky.<\/p>\n
The word made me uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
I had not invited him home because he could fix things.<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t known.<\/p>\n
If Marcus had spent the entire evening eating spaghetti and sleeping, the choice would still have been the same choice.<\/p>\n
But consequences had begun multiplying from it.<\/p>\n
The contractor cut a small inspection opening into the drywall.<\/p>\n
The smell intensified immediately.<\/p>\n
Even Perkins stopped pretending.<\/p>\n
Wet insulation appeared behind the wall.<\/p>\n
A pipe connection near the vertical line had been leaking slowly.<\/p>\n
Not enough to flood.<\/p>\n
Enough to saturate everything around it.<\/p>\n
Ramirez photographed the opening.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis didn\u2019t start yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
The contractor shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
He examined the wood.<\/p>\n
\u201cHard to say. Months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus stood beside me.<\/p>\n
His face was grim.<\/p>\n
I whispered, \u201cYou were right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
The contractor widened the opening.<\/p>\n
More damage appeared.<\/p>\n
Ramirez ordered the plumbing repaired, the affected drywall removed, the cavity professionally treated, and part of the damaged flooring replaced.<\/p>\n
Perkins wrote everything down.<\/p>\n
For once, he did not argue.<\/p>\n
By one-thirty, management had arranged a temporary unit on the third floor of another building they owned several blocks away.<\/p>\n
Three nights initially.<\/p>\n
Possibly longer.<\/p>\n
I looked around my apartment.<\/p>\n
Boxes.<\/p>\n
Furniture.<\/p>\n
The refrigerator pulled into the middle of the kitchen.<\/p>\n
Plastic sheeting already being taped across one wall.<\/p>\n
My life had been disrupted in less than twenty-four hours.<\/p>\n
And yet the feeling under the fear was relief.<\/p>\n
We had found it.<\/p>\n
Whatever the wall had been hiding was no longer hidden.<\/p>\n
Marcus stood near the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should go.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo where?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll find somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re relocating you and Liam. Not me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re my guest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins overheard.<\/p>\n
His expression tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cTemporary accommodations are provided for leaseholders and authorized occupants.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
Marcus immediately shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFight with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou fought with him yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd apparently I used this month\u2019s quota.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perkins left before I could respond.<\/p>\n
Marcus picked up his backpack.<\/p>\n
I looked at his coat.<\/p>\n
Still thin.<\/p>\n
His brace.<\/p>\n
Still there.<\/p>\n
The snowbanks outside.<\/p>\n
Still deep.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can come with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause this has already become complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou exposed a health hazard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI pointed at a wall.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou forced Perkins to take it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI annoyed Perkins.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou repaired half my kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree screws and a washer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
For the first time since the grocery store, frustration sharpened his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot keep doing this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoing what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTaking responsibility for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m offering you a place to sleep for another night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it\u2019s freezing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will always be a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n
That silenced me.<\/p>\n
He continued more quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne cold night becomes two. Two becomes a week. Then you start rearranging your life around someone you barely know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not asking me to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
I crossed my arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think I can\u2019t decide my own limits?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think good people are sometimes terrible at protecting themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is rich coming from a man who spent half his remaining money fixing somebody else\u2019s sink.\u201d<\/p>\n
He opened his mouth.<\/p>\n
Nothing came out.<\/p>\n
I stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not charity.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
The truth hung between us.<\/p>\n
That seemed to disturb both of us.<\/p>\n
Before he could answer, Ramirez returned from speaking with the contractor.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned.<\/p>\n
She held a small card.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to ask you something.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked wary.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou looking for work?\u201d<\/p>\n
Everything stopped.<\/p>\n
Marcus actually glanced behind himself, as though she might be speaking to another Marcus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy brother manages three senior-housing properties on the North Side.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face went blank.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe lost his maintenance supervisor last week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus stared at her.<\/p>\n
Ramirez extended the card.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe needs someone who understands old buildings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus did not take it.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy knee.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe needs judgment more than speed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t climb ladders all day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen don\u2019t climb ladders all day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still in physical therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo tell him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked at the card.<\/p>\n
Something almost painful crossed his face.<\/p>\n
Hope, I realized, could look a lot like fear.<\/p>\n
When you had gone long enough without expecting anything good, opportunity probably felt dangerous too.<\/p>\n
Ramirez held the card steady.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake the number.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus finally reached for it.<\/p>\n
His fingers closed around the paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCall him today.\u201d<\/p>\n
He gave a short nod.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
After Ramirez left, Marcus continued staring at the card.<\/p>\n
Liam arrived from school twenty minutes later.<\/p>\n
He walked into the apartment, saw the exposed wall, the plastic sheeting, the contractor, and the refrigerator in the middle of the kitchen.<\/p>\n
His eyes widened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
I put an arm around him.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember the mold?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was worse than we thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at Marcus.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you find it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cSort of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liam inspected the wall.<\/p>\n
Then he noticed the card in Marcus\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPhone number.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhose?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone who might have a job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liam\u2019s entire face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBuilding maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what you do!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUsed to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still do it. Look at our door.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus glanced toward me.<\/p>\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n
Liam pointed at the phone in Marcus\u2019s pocket.<\/p>\n
\u201cCall.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI should probably wait.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus had no answer.<\/p>\n
Liam pointed again.<\/p>\n
\u201cCall.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently he\u2019s inherited my management style.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked betrayed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are two of you now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCall.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at the number.<\/p>\n
Then at the exposed wall.<\/p>\n
Then at the repaired door.<\/p>\n
Maybe he was thinking about everything that had happened since he sat outside a grocery store less than two days earlier.<\/p>\n
Maybe he was afraid one phone call could end in another disappointment.<\/p>\n
Whatever he was thinking, he finally took out his phone.<\/p>\n
He typed the number carefully.<\/p>\n
Then stopped before pressing the call button.<\/p>\n
His thumb hovered over the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t interviewed in fourteen years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not interviewing,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re making a phone call.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if it goes badly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tomorrow looks exactly like today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liam nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if it goes good?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked at him.<\/p>\n
My son shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen maybe tomorrow doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus stared at the screen another second.<\/p>\n
Then he pressed call.<\/p>\n
The three of us listened to the ringing.<\/p>\n
Once.<\/p>\n
Twice.<\/p>\n
Three times.<\/p>\n
Someone answered.<\/p>\n
Marcus straightened.<\/p>\n
His entire posture changed.<\/p>\n
The man who had sat freezing against a grocery-store wall disappeared for a moment.<\/p>\n
In his place stood someone I had not yet met.<\/p>\n
Someone practiced.<\/p>\n
Capable.<\/p>\n
Professional.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello,\u201d Marcus said. \u201cMy name is Marcus Hale. Elena Ramirez gave me your number. She said you might need someone who knows buildings.\u201d<\/p>\n
He listened.<\/p>\n
Then his eyes lifted toward mine.<\/p>\n
The voice on the other end kept talking.<\/p>\n
Marcus\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I can be there.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the call ended, he remained completely still.<\/p>\n
Liam could not stand the silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked at us.<\/p>\n
\u201cInterview.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liam threw both arms into the air.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus laughed.<\/p>\n
But I saw his hands trembling.<\/p>\n
Then he looked down at the gray hoodie I had given him.<\/p>\n
His smile faded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He touched the front of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have anything to wear.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought about the sealed plastic storage box beneath my bed.<\/p>\n
About the clothes I had kept after my divorce because throwing them away felt harder than ignoring them.<\/p>\n
One blue button-down shirt.<\/p>\n
My ex-husband\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Slightly too big.<\/p>\n
Clean.<\/p>\n
Professional enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus looked at me.<\/p>\n
And somehow, from the expression on his face, I understood that tomorrow\u2019s interview frightened him far more than sleeping outside had.<\/p>\n
The city inspector arrived at nine-twelve the next morning. Mr. Perkins arrived at nine. That told me everything I needed to know about how worried he was. Normally, getting our … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4926,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feel-one-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4930"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4958,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4930\/revisions\/4958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}