✓ one hour more | FALSETTOS FF

four

marvin stared down at his empty plate. cordelia had stayed true to her word and made him a sandwich, and it was actually very good. marvin could barely taste it.

he felt charlotte hug him and quietly say something about leaving, and then footsteps and the door opening and closing. was marvin alone? where were trina and mendel?

"oh, marvin... there you are." there was trina. she spoke softly and sadly, and marvin looked up to see her eyes shared that same emotion. mendel stood beside her, smiling softly as a way of comforting marvin.

when marvin didn't respond, trina and mendel walked beside him. they leaned on the table.

"you're strong for getting through this, marvin. i need you to understand that. things like these are hard," mendel rubbed marvin's back, and for some reason, it made marvin angry.

"why do you care? you were never close to him. stop acting like my psychiatrist."

mendel stopped rubbing marvin's back for a second, but then chuckled and continued. "you're right. i wasn't close to him. but i'm not doing this because i'm a psychiatrist, it's because i genuinely care about you, marvin. i don't want to see you being so sad."

marvin met mendel's eyes, and opened his mouth before closing it again. there was a moment of silence before marvin spoke. "thank you."

trina made her way to the front of marvin, grabbing his hands and pulling him up. she pulled him into a hug.

"it's funny," trina began to speak, her words laced with despair. "i barely knew him, but yet i'm still crying..."

marvin gently pulled his arms around her. it was odd - trina was his ex, and yet they managed to be so close despite that. "you did know him, trina. you said it yourself. he was living your life."

"but he really wasn't... you two actually loved each other, but you and i didn't."

chuckling, marvin pulled away. "but we do love each other. we're a family."

trina laughed. "i guess we are."

mendel and trina both wrapped an arm around marvin's back, slowly walking him to his bedroom. they passed by jason's room, where marvin took sight of his son, fallen asleep on a chess board. pieces were scattered around on the floor.

when marvin made it into his room, he almost collapsed on the bed. he really was tired, wasn't he?

"you look exhausted, marvin," mendel stated, sitting on the edge of the bed. marvin didn't respond.

"is he already sleeping?" trina asked curiously, and mendel shrugged.

marvin was awake, but he just couldn't reply. he heard the two behind chuckle, and then the blanket was pulled over him and the room grew dark. the door closed.

he really did get his tight-knit family.