Masterpiece

When James returns Marvin to the cupboard, much of his extended family greet him. They are happy he’s home but make sure to tell him how worried they all were and how dangerous Marvin’s outing was. Elaine tells Marvin she was worried he’d drown in the bottle of ink. Marvin accepts their concern and scolding because he understands it comes from a place of care. He feels lucky to have such a close family that worries about him.

Marvin spends the entire evening telling the family about his adventures while Mama and Aunt Edith serve plate after plate of scavenged food. Around midnight, Marvin goes to his room to sleep. Elaine follows him and tells him how lucky he is to have seen the world outside the apartment. Marvin realizes she’s right and that he’s grown mentally because of his experiences.

The next afternoon, Marvin visits James, who is sitting at his desk making his own art with the pen and ink set. It’s much less precise and professional than Marvin’s art. James is surprised by Marvin’s visit and works out a way to communicate when they want to see each other by drawing an X on the corner of a piece of paper.