Zack mentally cheered. That was one of the closer hospitals. He could be there in fifteen minutes if traffic was reasonable. “Bring me his things, and I’ll leave right away.”

Mrs. Alvarez nodded and disappeared upstairs. Zack paced in his living room until she reappeared with a cloth tote bag full of clothing, toiletries, and magazines. “He brought things with him when he went in for testing, but that was over a week ago. I’m sure he’ll appreciate some fresh supplies.”

Zack accepted the bag. “Okay, I’ll get these to him safely.” He started to hurry away, but Mrs. Alvarez caught his arm. She reached up and touched his cheek. Her hands were warm and pleasantly rough.

“He will also appreciate seeing you, Zack,” she said, smiling. “You’re a sweet boy. You’ve done my husband a lot of good these past few years. I don’t know if he would have made it this long if you hadn’t given him something to look forward to. Thank you.”

Zack swallowed thickly and willed himself not to tear up. He struggled to find something to say, but nothing was forthcoming. Mrs. Alvarez seemed to understand, because she patted his cheek and walked out the front door. She called over her shoulder, “Have a safe trip.”

“I will.”

Zack grabbed his keys and scurried out the door. The drive to the hospital was uneventful, but he couldn’t relax. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to until he saw Mr. Alvarez with his own eyes.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of a medium-size hospital. He got out of the car and paused just long enough to snap a picture of Marilyn on his phone before he hurried into the main building. The hospital smelled like hand sanitizer and too many bodies. Orderlies bustled around without so much as glancing at him. The walls were hung with bland art prints, and the floor was scuffed from thousands of shoes.

Zack approached a harried nurse standing at a station and asked for Mr. Alvarez.

She handed him a sign-in sheet. “Are you family?”

“No, I’m a friend,” he said. “Is that okay?” He cursed himself for not thinking to lie. He should have said he was a son. But then again, if the nurse knew Mr. Alvarez well, she might question how he ended up with a white son.

Zack was rehearsing an explanation in his head about how Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez adopted him when the nurse said, “He’s in room 1221. Visiting hours are until nine.” She waved a hand behind her. “Down the hallway, on the left.”

He thanked her and headed in the direction she’d indicated. When he found the correct door, he took a deep breath and entered.