I’m bored.
Tuck
Nothing good on hospital TV? ??
Chris
No
Lamont
You can stream on your cell. Surely there’s something to watch that way.
Tuck
I found a couple of your movies on streaming when I had surgery.
Chris
Oh, I can watch one and provide commentary.
Lamont
This should be good, ol’ man.
Tuck
Did you and Erykah make up?
Lamont
Yeah, is she moving out?
Chris placed a group call, keeping the video option off. He didn’t want them seeing him in the hospital. That was too weird.
“Well?” Lamont asked instead of sayinghello.
Chris told them about asking her to move out, her finding a place, them making up and agreeing to date. Just hearing the whole thing repeated exhausted him. “Can we honestly live togetheranddate? That seems...”
“Against God’s rules?” Lamont asked.
“Well, yeah. What will people say? Erykah’s just getting to know everyone at church.”
“Has anyone said anything up until this point?” Tuck asked.
His neighbors probably assumed they were married, and the people at church didn’t come over his house. “No, but still.”
“Look,” Tuck said. “Your situation is a little different. Erykah needed a place for her and the girls, and you provided that. She stays in the basement and you on the top floor. There’s a whole common area separating y’all.”
“Didn’t you say she’s moving out at the end of the month?” Lamont asked. “Voilà, problem fixed.”
“But I don’t want them to move out,” Chris said quietly. The very thought made the bands on his chest tighten.
“Whoa. You don’t?” Lamont asked.
“You thinking marriage or something else?” Tuck’s question came next.
“I want marriage. I’m just unsure if I want it now.”
