Robert's smile has vanished, replaced by a weariness I've never seen on anyone's face before. He pours himself a cup of coffee, takes a drink from it—black—and has a seat at the dining table.

"She's getting worse. She's more susceptible to illness. It's a double-edged sword, really; I know keeping her in the house isn't good for her mental state, but going out so much isn't good for her physically."

I'm not sure why he's telling me all this. He's talking to me like I'm...an adult. Not some punk teenager who's too scared to give a presentation in class or who freaks out sometimes, who has to curl up on his floor and wait for the medicine to kick in before he can function again. In that moment, looking at Robert's tired face—he looks so much like Casper—I think that I really, really don't want to let him down.

"I want to do whatever's best for her," I say.

He rolls his gaze up to me. "How long have you two known each other?"

"A few months. And I know that might seem weird, but we're...we're a lot alike. Me, her, and Adam. I don't know how to explain it, but if there's something I should do to help, tell me."

Robert studies me, thoughtful. "Just take care of her. We've been considering quitting our jobs just to be here. We would have sooner, but we needed the medical benefits for her care. Now that she's..." His voice catches; he swallows back the word dying. "Now we need the benefits to make sure we can keep her as comfortable as possible for as long as we can. If you could convince her not to sneak out, you and Adam are welcome to come here any time you want."

An open invite to come and go as we please? I guess that's okay. It'll be weird, being here instead of at my place, but if it helps, then...

I promise Robert I'll do whatever I can, politely decline his offer of coffee, and leave. I'm not sure what to make of the entire conversation. I never know what to do when people actually treat me like an adult. Maybe because I don't feel like one. Harold does it, too, come to think of it. Despite calling me kiddo, his explanation of Maggie's will, the way he handled the whole thing, never once made me out to be some sort of defenseless child.

The idea of not being a kid anymore terrifies me.

I am an adult and I have been hurled out of the world of boys and girls into the fray of men and women, and expected to function as a grown-up when I never functioned very well as a kid.

But in this, in dealing with Casper, I know I have to try anyway.

When I get home, the apartment feels smaller and lonely. I put on one of my Queen records, Innuendo, to fill the silence and crawl into bed. I feel like I haven't slept in days. But even now, I don't want to sleep. I'm too worried about Casper, worried about Adam. Wondering if Adam will hate me when he's coherent enough to realize what's happened.