When all you can do is wait

Chapter 10: This Can't Be the End

He held Michelle in the hallway while she cried, whispering that they'd get through it together.
Marcus stepped into the hallway and saw them hugging. He could tell his sister had been crying.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.
Michelle wiped her eyes and tried to compose herself. "Yes and no. Everything that's going on is just weighing heavy on me. I don't know what to do."
Marcus dropped his head and mumbled, "I get it. I get it. Man, Jesus—why my daddy?"

Jackie said, "We have to trust God in these moments. He knows what's best. Even if we don't understand it, it's going to work out. We just have to stay strong and stay together."

Marcus nodded, holding back tears.
Michelle said, "I hope that medicine helped you sleep. Call Jr.—he's been trying to reach you. He said your phone was dead."

Marcus nodded thoughtfully, feeling a sense of relief wash over him as he turned back toward the guest room, to charge his phone. The dim light flickered on the charger as he plugged it in, and he settled back in the bed.

Five minutes later, his phone buzzed back to life, vibrating insistently on the nightstand. The screen lit up with a flurry of notifications—eight missed calls from Brenda, some other family members, and a call from Chris. He also had twelve texts mostly from his daughter filled with concern , along with some annoying spam messages. He quickly typed a reassuring reply to his daughter, then dialed Jr.'s number.

The call connected almost immediately. "Pops, you good?" Jr.'s voice had that familiar lilt, a mix of youthfulness and a hint of worry that made Marcus smile despite himself.

"Yeah, son," Marcus said, his voice steady but tinged with fatigue. "Uncle Jackie gave me some medicine to help me sleep, and I finally got some real-needed rest last night—you know, the kind where you don't wake up every hour worrying."

"Pops, I know you've got a lot on your plate," Jr. said earnestly, his tone shifting to one of deeper concern. "But make sure you're taking care of yourself. Eat, rest, do what you need to do. If I need to pull more loads for the company so you can focus on Grandpa, I'll do it—or we can hire someone to help out. I swear I can't lose you, I can't buy another father, Pops. At the end of the day, the money's not worth having you stressed.

Listening to Jr.'s heartfelt words, Marcus felt a mix of pride and sorrow. His son was growing up, shouldering responsibilities that he shouldn't have to bear.

Marcus swallowed hard. "You're right, son. I'll do better. I promise."
Jr. smiled. "That's all I need to hear. Ms. Brenda called me worried about you—that's why I called Tete. She wants you to give her a call when you get a chance."

"I will," Marcus said. "I just wanted to check on you and your sister first. Now that I know you both are good, I feel better."

"Glad to hear that, Pops. Me and my date just pulled up for brunch. I'll call you later. Love you."

"I love you too," Marcus said before hanging up.
Then he called Brenda. She answered on the third ring.

"Marcus, baby, are you okay? I've been calling and texting—you had me worried sick."
He explained everything that had happened. "After we left the doctor's office, I tried calling you, but I guess you were still busy. The doctor said my father does have Alzheimer's. He told us what life is going to look like from now on. And baby... I don't know if I'm ready for all this. My mind's been racing nonstop. I'm scared, nervous, upset, and sad. I'm barely eating. Jackie had to give me something just so I could sleep. Everything's happening so fast."

Marcus tried to hold it in, but he broke down crying on the phone.
Brenda's heart sank. She grabbed her car keys. "Send me your location," she said. "I'm coming to you."