"The universe doesn't care," he says, paraphrasing something his mother used to say--as if he'd been sitting here smoking with Mark for an hour already. "That's why we have to." It makes him miss his mom in the moment, wondering if he'd ever get to sit down and smoke with her, see what really wild shit she might come up with.

"You've got that part down, at least," he adds, looking at the tea and weed set on the table, knowing most of what Mark does is to keep their collectively stupid asses alive.