make peace with your broken pieces

 "I wish you wouldn't get her hopes up," Wade said after listening to Melvin on the phone with Tori. He was still at Melvin's sleeping on the couch. Classes were back in session but only online.

"What are you talking about?" Melvin was like talking to the wall half the time. It was amazing he could even get by, but of course, Wade was here to help. Between him and Cori, Melvin managed to not botch things up at the pizzeria.

"That Tori girl," Wade hugged himself and remained in a fret. "Why are you hung up on her? I didn't know you liked her."

"I don't," Melvin's green eyes sprang back as if he shouldn't say such things, but  Wade tilted his head and looked at Melvin closer with a slight smirk. Wade knew better.

After all, he'd helped Melvin through a major life crisis when it came to his past. Would Melvin even remember?

Oh, he truly hated a lot about Melvin, but then again they were still friends and Wade knew now that to be a friend didn't always mean you'd agree with them. But when push came to shove, he was there for him. Melvin gave him a job when he needed one which lead to one favor after another. Even if he'd meant to cut all ties with him ages ago.

"Just don't think you can save everyone you meet," Wade would leave it at that. And yet he wasn't sure he even believed those words. Why in the world was he here? It was as if they were in the same boat trying to keep from sinking.

Melvin shook his head no. He said it wasn't like that. "She's like a little sister I never had."

Wade laughed at him. "Isn't that always the way it starts?"

Melvin coughed then. Something about it alarmed Wade. 

"Are you all right?" Wade was expecting Melvin to cough up blood by the way he was coughing.

Melvin nodded.

Wade shook his head, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.