For a second, I thought he might defend Dad, and I was ready to tell him he could save his breath.

Instead, he said, “You don’t have to settle the whole future tonight.”

“I have to settle the first of the month.”

He picked up his tray.

“Your dad used to say the same thing about every decision he was afraid to make.”

I stopped stacking.

“What decisions?”

Marcus shifted the tray against his hip.