He picked up on the second ring.
Marcus:Hey, kiddo.
My throat tightened.
Carmen:Morning. I got your message
—what’s going on?
Marcus:We had a hearing yesterday morning.
The judge agreed to expedite the motion
based on new medical records, but…
they’re not granting him full release.
Just a transfer to a better hospice.
I closed my eyes. My fingers curled into the duvet.
Carmen:Okay. That’s… something.
It’s better than nothing.
Marcus:It is. I pulled some strings and got him
transferred to a facility in New York.
He’ll be in a private room with a supportive team.
I did what I could.
Carmen:Thank you, Marcus. For everything.
I know it wasn’t easy to pull strings like this—
Marcus:You don’t have to thank me, Carmen.
I looked down at my lap, blinking fast.
Carmen:Still… I wasn’t sure you’d even
talk to me after everything with Theo.
I didn’t want it to feel like
I was putting you in the middle.
Marcus:That boy’s territorial as hell,
I’ll give him that. But I’m a grown ass man.
I’m not scared of Theodore Clayton.
That made me laugh, just a little.
Carmen:Well, you should be.
