Won't you draw a map for me

 "Well, I am worried about you," Mario's father, Kim told LaLa who just about fell off the couch when he called. She didn't even know he had her phone number. This is when he told her about Mario meeting Bren.

"She lives just down the hall from him," he explained.

"I see." LaLa couldn't say much else. After all, Paulie was standing there with a cup of coffee for her as if it was getting cold. She told him to put it on the coffee table.

"That doesn't bother you does it?" His voice was almost ghost-like. She couldn't think of him trying to get her to break them up. He wouldn't. This whole conversation was confusing. "Things are good with you and Paulie?" No one had ever asked. LaLa found herself in tears. What could she do?

"Yes," she quickly cleared his throat. Unsure, if the old man was making trouble or did he just care for her in a rather fatherly way?

"Well, I'm here if you ever need to talk. You know, not much is going on these days. But I heard you moved." That's when he told her about Deano with COVID and how he was sure Caitlin would get it. "But she's been vaccinated. Though she's quarantining, just you know..she has too."

"I'm so sorry." LaLa felt it was her fault. Suddenly, she felt terrible for Caitlin. Wasn't she pregnant?

"Oh, you know, this variant is everywhere," Kim said. "I just didn't know if you had any Christmas at all." He wanted her new address so he could send her a Christmas card.

"Oh, you don't need to do that."

"But it's all ready to go. I have no need to keep it," he said so she was reluctant and gave him Paulie's address. 

She felt as if she'd been the worst possible person when she got off the phone with him. Had she got it all wrong? Suddenly, she felt a little out of it. She sipped her warm coffee.

"What's wrong?" Paulie wanted to know. She told him it was nothing. She hadn't meant to become this person. Yes, she'd been nice to Mario's father because he was Mario's father, but this man..she knew now where Mario got his goodness from.