When Amy typed to April that she should keep her situation a secret, April didn't think about Malcolm.
And frankly even when she emptied their fridge like a deranged person- passing by his office without checking in on him first felt downright wrong to her.
April tiptoe to Malcolm's office door. She could hear the AC working full blast, papers rifling here and there, a keyboard being struck-
"Malcolm?"
April called in a whisper, just to justify to herself that she had tried to tell him, even if he didn't hear her.
The trouble was that he did.
Malcolm smelled her perfume before he heard her breathing heavily from the bags she was carrying.
"Come in, April," Malcolm said, sorting through property deeds, early agreements, the school license. He was drowning.
April wanted to run. She stopped herself. Then she ran to the stairs before she returned and stood behind the door.
Malcolm sat silently in his chair. It was obvious something was wrong; otherwise, April would have barged in the moment she reached the fifth floor.
"I can't," April breathed out, resting her forehead on Malcolm's office door.
He could tell it was eating at her, and because it was April, any reassurance would only worsen her guilt. So he stayed still.
April called again when she heard nothing from inside the office. She was on edge.
"Malcolm?"
Malcolm cleared his throat. "I'm still here, April."
"Whatever you decide to do about the lawsuit-" April stopped to draw enough air into her lungs, "...I choose to stand beside you."
Malcolm didn't know where that was coming from, but he appreciated it nonetheless.
"Thank you, April. That means a lot to me."
"Order takeout or go shopping for groceries. We are… uh… short?"
Malcolm chuckled. "On what? Ice cream?" Then followed silence.
April whimpered in pain, looking down at the bags she was carrying. "…Everything?"
Malcolm sobered suddenly. "I see," he murmured thoughtfully before dismissing her. "See you at dinner, then?"
"See you at dinner, Malcolm," April said, taking a step back- then another- until she reached the sixth floor through the stairs.
She knocked on Amy's door. Silent.
She knocked again. Silent.
She rang the alarm. Silent.
April was already thinking the worst had happened- that she was too late. She threw the bags on the floor in a hurry, reaching for her phone.
She was already calling Malcolm when Amy's tired face came into view.
April hugged her tighter than humanly possible.
"I was so worried!" April cried, louder and louder.
She had kept so many things inside that she wasn't even sure whether the tears were from relief or pain.
Amy took her inside to sit before she returned and carried the damaged goods into the kitchen.
Nobody was in the mood for speeches.
Meanwhile, Malcolm was growing more and more anxious on the other side. The line wasn't cut but, he was hearing nothing.
Seconds later, Amy returned to the couch with ice cream in hand and a phone displaying a message:
Malcolm is still on the line. Amy pointed at April's phone screen.
It took April longer than usual to register what Amy had written. When she did, she pressed the phone to her ear and cried even harder when he heard his voice.
After some time, April managed to speak again. "Malcolm, I feel cornered. Helpless."
Malcolm wasn't surprised. He scoffed softly.
"Yeah. It's not really the best day on this year's calendar."
He hesitated. "Do you want to get out of here?"
April was tempted- but she had an engagement with Amy, who quickly typed on her phone:
Go. I'll be fine with Golden here.
April wasn't sure, but worse than a pusher is a smotherer.
Since she wasn't really helping anyone by staying, April figured she should go to that retreat.