« Funny how that works, » he said. « I told my wife the same thing about this place in 1971! »
My neighbor mentioned a nephew once, somewhere in the middle. Marcus, I think. He said the name the way people say a cousin’s name they used to know, with a little pause afterward.
« Funny how that works. »
« He calls sometimes, » Ezra said. « When he needs something. »
The old man shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but his eyes stayed on his cup a beat too long. I didn’t push it. It wasn’t my business, and he didn’t seem to want it to be.
When I stood up to leave, I knocked on the doorframe.
« Hey, next time you get groceries, just call me. Save your back, » I joked.
« I wouldn’t want to bother you. »
« Then don’t think of it as a bother. »
« He calls sometimes. »
