6 am, I woke on my own to the sexiest Spanish woman I ever saw, bent over a couch simulating being railed. I had the television on mute-- my room mate had disappeared for three days now, probably gone to San Diego for court, or to get loaded, who knows. All I know is this was my last time to go outside and smoke a cigarette with Mr. Steve-- of course, up bright and early, smoking the end of a cigar.

"Morning J." He said, a fresh cigar dangling out of his mouth. He looked a lot like someone I had survived jail with-- someone who I was about to hand my shank to, give the last of my cookies, my last four smokes. He seemed not as wise today, I was the wise one, I was actually leaving.

"Good morning-- do you have any coffee?"

"Yep, go on in-- Jeff is sleeping." He said this, knowing full well I would wake Jeff up purposely, but still with the hope that maybe I'd be quiet.

I walked in for the last time, trying hard not to be sentimental-- I helped myself to Jeff's assorted cookies his parents had sent him, and filled a cup of coffee. I walked outside with my cigarette already lit and Steve smiled. We talked some about his stints in jail, how he had become friends with all of the inmates and they had called him the old man. I smiled, listening intently, realizing this is exactly as he had done here.

He had cooked for me every night, he had been there to listen to me play guitar, he was the older man who would play basketball with us. I looked up to him, and he looked up to me. It was sad to think that I might not ever see him again.

"Come here J, I want you to see something." He said, smiling crookedly, hiding whatever emotion he was about to reveal. We walked inside his apartment, I still smoking my cigarette and he showed me a picture of the prettiest two women I had ever seen. Blonde hair, blue eyes and perfectly bodied, and embodied next to Mr. Steve and his wife.

"She's 22, she's 20, and, that's my wife, I can't tell you how old she is." And we both laughed.

"They're gorgeous, I really don't know what to say. You have a beautiful family." I meant it. His daughters were the first that I felt light hearted towards. I didn't want to have sex with, I just wanted to make sure they had their father back some how.

He didn't say thank you. He just smiled, like he knew. He hadn't shown his room mate, or anyone else. He hid his picture in his books, and placed them strategically, as if he was used to doing this from prison.

"I'm gonna wake everyone up and say my goodbyes now, so I don't have to later."