9

Marlowe blinks—and turns to you with wide eyes.

"Um—well—yes," they murmur. It seems like your question caught them off guard. "How did you—I mean—"

They don't seem to know what to say, and after a moment, they fall silent again. The fact that you brought up their connection with Eliot seems to have shaken them slightly.

"You must know already that he died last night," Marlowe says eventually. "And—yeah, he was—he was my grandfather. I didn't realize you knew that; it's been a couple years since I last saw him."

Even though you had already realized that must have been the case, it somehow hits you harder when you hear Marlowe say it.

But even so, you're left with so many questions now that you wouldn't even be sure how to ask.

"I found out this morning," Marlowe goes on. "It was—kind of a shock. I guess after not seeing him in so long, I just wasn't expecting it."

They purse their lips, almost as if there's something they want to say that they can't quite get out.

By the time they next speak, you think they must have decided to say something else instead.

"They asked me to come down here to sign some things. Now—I'm going over to his house. He has two dogs, and there's nobody else who can look after them, so I'm going to take them home. There are probably a few other things I could deal with over there, too. And—I was wondering—I'm sure you're busy, but if there's any chance you're not…it'd be good to have you there, too."

For a moment, you're slightly surprised that they would ask you to join them for something so private—but at the same time, you feel touched that they obviously trust you enough to want you there. And given what's happened, it makes sense that they might want some company.

But, of course, you can tell even without knowing all the details that this isn't just a case of Marlowe losing a grandparent.

Since you have nothing planned right now, you nod. Marlowe manages a weak smile—and after a moment, they gesture for you to follow them out of the Town Hall.

Next