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The Snapper laughs, looks back at me.

Nice to meet you, Kid.

Yeah, you too.

Leonard opens the back door of the Car and throws his garment bag onto the backseat. He motions for me to bring the suitcase and I step forward and toss it on to the backseat. Leonard shuts the door and he turns to the Snapper.

Let’s get this show on the fucking road, Snap.

You got it, Boss.

The Snapper walks around the Car and sits down behind the wheel. Leonard turns back to me.

You need anything, you call me. Don’t forget that.

I won’t.

It’s been great getting better with you. I’ll be in touch soon.

Thanks for everything, Leonard. In a lot of ways, you saved my life. Thank you.

He smiles.

You saved your own life.

I smile. Leonard steps forward. He puts his arms around me and he hugs me. I put my arms around him and I hug him. He lets go and he steps away and he looks in my eyes and he speaks.

Be strong. Live honorably and with dignity. When you don’t think you can, hold on. I’m proud of you and you should be proud of yourself.

I look back. In his eyes.

I’ll miss you, Leonard.

We’ll see each other soon, my Son.

I nod. I force myself not to cry. Leonard turns and he opens the passenger door of the Car and he sits down and he shuts the door and the Car pulls away. I stand and I watch it. As it drives down the road leading in and out of the Clinic, the passenger’s window goes down and a fist, a tight, closed fist, emerges from it. The fist is held high in the air. As I watch the fist and Leonard and all that they represent to me drive away, I almost start to cry. Leonard and his fist. I almost start to cry.

I stand there looking down the road after the Car is gone. I stand there for five minutes looking down the road. It is hard to imagine that Leonard is gone. Strange and kind and vicious and magnificent Leonard. Satan and Saint. I am going to miss him. I am going to miss him.

I turn and I walk back into the Clinic. I make way to the Dining Hall. I get in line and I get a tray and a plate of tuna noodle casserole. The meals are starting to repeat themselves. I have had tuna noodle casserole before. I hope I don’t ever have it again.

I sit down alone at an empty table. I start eating. I can’t tell which part is tuna and which part is noodle and which part is casserole. I eat anyway. One bite after another. I fill my stomach. I miss Lilly and I miss Leonard. I am alone at an empty table. I fill my stomach. One bite after another.

I finish my plate. I start to stand I want another plate I want forty or fifty plates I want a fucking vat of this tuna noodle bullshit. I see Miles walking toward me he is smiling. I sit back down. I still want more. More more more.

Hello, James.

Miles sits down across from me.

Hi.

He puts a napkin on his lap, picks up a fork.

How are you today?

I’m okay. You?

I’ve have some good news.

What?

My Wife called me this morning.

What’d she say?

She said she stayed up all night thinking about us and she spent a long time sitting and staring at our Baby and she decided to give me a second chance. She is going to come here and enroll in the Family Program and we are going to try and work things out between us. There are no guarantees, but we’re going to try.

I smile.

That’s great. Quite an improvement over yesterday.

To say the least.

I don’t know if congratulations is the right word, but congratulations.

He smiles.

Thank you, James. Thank you.

We don’t speak anymore. We just sit. He eats and I stare across the Dining Hall. It’s comfortable. Relaxing. Pleasant. To sit and not talk. To sit and stare at nothing. To sit and let the mind shut down. To just sit. There is no awkwardness and no anxiety. Miles is in his World and I am in mine. We just sit.

Miles finishes eating and he stands and he waits for me to notice him standing. When I do, I stand and we put our trays away. We walk through the Halls and Miles goes to the Lecture and I don’t. He asks why I’m not going and I tell him if I am leaving in two days I don’t want or need